#22 Central West Lifestyle | Spring 2018

SPRING

Cootamundra & Gundagai TOWN FEATURE

Spectacular Gardens: Narromine & Millthorpe BATHURST’S HISTORIC MACQUARIE HOMESTEAD

A family of champions: DUBBO’S “RACING NESTORS”

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

Showcasing the best of rural and regional New South Wales

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

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

- Simon Squire-Wilson, Tiverton, Harden, NSW

CENTRAL WEST LIFESTYLE PTY LTD

CONTENT COVERAGE AREA

trading as Central West Magazine ABN 151 6322 9418 ADDRESS PO BOX 1050 DUBBO NSW 2830 PHONE 0429 441 086 FAX 02 6867 9895 WEBSITE www.centralwestmagazine.com.au FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/CentralWestLifestyle PUBLISHERS, ACCOUNTS & ADVERTISING Elizabeth & Alex Tickle info@centralwestmagazine.com.au EDITOR Elizabeth Tickle editor@centralwestmagazine.com.au CHIEF WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER Jake Lindsay shotbyjake@outlook.com.au 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 surrounding regions of the Far West, New England & North West, Riverina & Southern Slopes, Southern Highlands, Canberra, 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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Spring 2018 TOWN FEATURE: COOTAMUNDRA & GUNDAGAI

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12 Come with us and discover how Cootamundra, Gundagai and surrounds are living up to their legends.

GARDEN

154 SEA OF COLOUR John Taylor’s Millthorpe garden is simply spectacular, regardless of the season.

161 WALK ON THE WILD SIDE Sue and Paul McCutcheon’s Narromine garden is a stunning showcase of plant diversity and adaptation.

STYLE

154

166 BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL Will Moss and Lucy Watson’s Windora Cottage outside Coonamble boasts a fresh and vibrant makeover.

172 TURNING THE TABLES Tips on how to make your coffee table both functional and fabulous.

177

FOOD

190 COUNTRY COOKING Lorraine Hills offers up delicious recipes for salmon casserole and chocolate mousse.

TRAVEL

192 LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR Picture-perfect New Zealand has so much to offer the Australian holidaymaker.

196 ESCAPE TO THE CITY Sydney in the spring is something to behold and experience, even if it is only for a weekend.

EXPERIENCE

122 HOUSING HISTORY Paul and Bonny Hennessy resurrect the oldest farm and continuing residence west of the Blue Mountains.

130 ALL IN TOGETHER Community spirit is alive and well at Finns Store, Canowindra.

136 PONY TALES For Liz Daly of Young, training and riding ponies is a way of life.

146 WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE With an obvious desire for women to succeed in agriculture, Vicki Wilson is setting a fine example.

150 A STAY WORTH SAVOURING Tony and Deidre Robertson serve up only the best for their guests.

174 HOWARD’S WAY Harry Howard’s bespoke furniture pieces combine plenty of thought, skill and ingenuity.

177 MEET THE MAKER Painting is Cath Player’s new obsession, and she is tackling it with flying colours.

185 WINNING WAYS The “Racing Nestors” are held in high regard by Australia’s thoroughbred fraternity.

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220 ON THE COVER

EVENTS

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SPRING

Cootamundra & Gundagai TOWN FEATURE

Spectacular Gardens: Narromine & Millthorpe BATHURST’S HISTORIC MACQUARIE HOMESTEAD $12.95 inc GST

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SPRING 2018 VOLUME 22

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198 CWL WINTER LAUNCH Narrabri Visitor Information Centre hosts the launch of the 21st edition of Central West Lifestyle.

202 IANDRA CASTLE OPEN DAY Visitors seek out the ultimate English experience.

204 ART UNLIMITED Dunedoo’s annual art prize opens in spectacular style at the Dunedoo Central School hall.

206 PARKES PICNIC RACES June Long Weekend puts Parkes in party mode.

214 WEDDINGS Gallant grooms and beautiful brides tie the knot.

A family of champions: DUBBO’S “RACING NESTORS”

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

WONDERFUL WATTLE The wattle is celebrated in the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council area throughout August, with a month of iconic Wattle Time events.

Photographer: Alison Underwood/ Shutterstock.com

S P R I N G publishers’ letter

FROM THE PUBLISHERS

welcome to spring “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things.”

Welcome to spring and the spectacular reawakening of nature before our very eyes!

Our hearts go out to all the drought-affected families across the state. To the many farmers, graziers and associated communities which have been put under enormous financial and emotional pressures, our thoughts are with you at this very challenging time.

Central West Lifestyle is currently looking at ways we can support drought-stricken communities in this time of need, and will be providing updates on our social media channels in the near future.

Narrabri Feature As usual, our Winter Feature was very well received, not only in the Narrabri Shire and nearby areas but across the state.

Thanks to Cr Cathy Redding, Mayor of Narrabri Shire, for her valued feedback (see ‘Your Letters’ section in this edition). It certainly was a thrill to be able to feature Narrabri, my hometown, where I (Elizabeth) grew up and where I was a primary teacher in the early 1980s.

People are still as welcoming and friendly as ever. The profiling of the iconic tourist attractions reminded us of why the Narrabri Shire is such a popular tourist destination. We had an enormous number of readers comment on the awe-inspiring photograph of Sawn Rocks (pages 20-21, Winter 2018 edition).

A huge thanks to Josh Smith for his spectacular image.

Gundagai, a town of bridges. The historic Prince Alfred Bridge (foreground) , the rail bridge and the Sheahan Bridge, now part of the highway connecting Sydney and Melbourne.

Spring 2018 Feature We trust you thoroughly enjoy the 109 pages in this edition featuring the Cootamundra Gundagai area. We enjoyed getting to know the wonderful identities, business people and locals. Thank you to the Cootamundra and Gundagai Regional Council for their prompt recognition of the opportunity to showcase their area and for their collaboration throughout this planning journey.

On the road To truly understand businesses and communities we take great pride in being able to interact personally with our many supporters, including councils, businesses, newsagencies and readers. We clock up many thousands of kilometres and in doing so, experience the unique social fabric of these amazingly diverse and innovative country communities. Thank you for being so friendly, helpful and, above all, visionary.

Summer 2018 Feature The Leeton Shire Council area is our focus for Summer 2018.

We have learnt so much about the transforming effect of water in this area. We will be presenting to you an array of agricultural enterprises and you will be meeting the forwardthinking people who propel these businesses to success. We will dedicate 100 pages to the Leeton Feature and we can assure you it will be compelling reading.

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Field Days The Mudgee Small Farm Field Days provided an excellent opportunity for us to meet up with our readers, talk about our future directions and allow our supporters to purchase back copies, the current edition and of course, The Collector’s Edition, which continues to sell very well right across the state. We are very excited about attending AgQuip and the Australian National Field Days, Borenore, once again in August and October respectively, as well as making our debut at the Henty Field Days in September. We would love to meet you if you attend any or all of these events.

What you can look forward to As we need to plan and work so far ahead, we can announce at this point that the Tumut Tumbarumba area (Snowy Valleys Council) will be featured in our Autumn 2019 edition. We will savour the opportunity to explore and discover the gems of this area (and there are so many!).

Enjoy all that spring has to offer and remember to spend quality time with those that matter to you.

Warm regards, Elizabeth & Alex

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S P R I N G Jake’s message

plenty to see here Hi Folks.

Looks like we’ve all survived another cold winter and can now throw ourselves into the joys of spring, a time for renewed hope and fresh aspirations.

It’s been a busy few months on the home front. I’ve enjoyed a break in the Land of the Long White Cloud, installed a new water tank (and still waiting for the clouds to open) and been chalking up a few miles along the road to Gundagai and Cootamundra.

By the time of my arrival, the locals were in a heightened state following a brief visit by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who were in the area before opening the Commonwealth Games.

My introduction to both towns was at the races, held on consecutive days in each town. The colts and fillies had a chance to temporarily forget about the testing dry times as they quaffed bubbly, compared fashions on the field and watched the real stars of the show thunder down two very picturesque race tracks.

There’s a lot more to Gundagai than just the old bridges (as spectacular as they are), revamped main street and the Dog on the Tuckerbox.

The Murrumbidgee River dissects the town and has its own story to tell, including the devastating 1852 floods, which swept the first colonial town away and claimed 78 lives (nearly a third of the town’s population) in one of the largest natural disasters in Australian history.

There are many worthwhile places to visit and things to do, including the museum, the old gaol and the Gabriel Gallery.

Dr Gabriel left his lifetime collection of priceless glass plates buried in a cellar, where they sat untouched for half a century only to be discovered by Gundagai historian Cliff Butcher.

His son Robert and wife Jessica today house the collection of photos in the upstairs of their main street store, providing a fascinating insight into the life of the early 20th century pioneers.

Thanks to new technology, modern day photographers will never encounter this problem, able to leave their work on a one terabyte hard drive, smaller than a deck of cards.

I met Australia’s last mounted postman, attended an Angus bull sale and the local abattoir, lunched at the stunning “Darbalara” homestead and flew over the parched land in a Grumman Tiger AA-5B (thanks to pilot Glen Fowler and the fabulous Terry McKenzie from South West Aviation).

A highlight was meeting the town’s favourite son. Only a year or two away from his centenary, Joe Reardon OAM continues to amaze everybody around him with his boundless energy and unrivalled community commitment.

Cootamundra, the birthplace of Sir Don Bradman and home of the Cootamundra wattle, is another great place with lots of history and grandiose buildings. The post office is certainly one of the grandest in the land.

It was great catching up with the new owners of Twin Hills thoroughbred stud and meeting an inspirational character who has been classing the family clip since WW2.

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Dining at historic “Milton” on the edge of town revived my belief in humanity while a trip to the Bradman Museum and the Captains Walk is a must for any cricket tragic.

On a lighter note, it was pleasant to go shopping without the worry of parking meters. You will enjoy reading about these wonderful places but a visit is even better.

I will finish with a quick note on the power of community. In Germany recently, fuel prices were hiked up and a million motorists simply abandoned their cars on motorways. It didn’t take long for the Government to amend the situation.

Yesterday, I was at the Armatree Hotel, in a sleepy little village between Gilgandra and Gulargambone, for an afternoon of music headed up by the hugely talented Sara Storer and The Bushwhackers.

Nearly 500 local farmers and their families had come along to have a short break from feeding stock and support the War 4 Water campaign.

Some things are worth fighting for and this is one of them.

Until next time, make the most out of life. We’re not here for a long time. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up – and never give up!

Cheers, Jake

ABOVE: In the resort town of Queenstown, New Zealand, getting accustomed to the one litre beers; Anne Kennedy, from the Great Artesian Basin Protection Group, with Greg and Sara Storer.

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SPRING 2018 CONTRIBUTORS

meet your team

ELIZABETH TICKLE

JAKE LINDSAY

Publisher, Distribution, Advertising

KATE BOSHAMMER

ZORA REGULIC

ANNA TICKLE

Writer & Social Media Manager

ELIZABETH SWANE

Art Director

LORRAINE HILLS

ZENIO LAPKA

HEATHER CROSBY

JANE SANDERSON

GINA CRANSON

Sub-Editor & Proofreader

Advertising Designer & Business Strategist

AMANDA O’SULLIVAN Home & Style Writer, Photographer

Country Cuisine Writer

ANNABELLE AMOS

Accountant

Writer

SUE MEIKLE

Social Photographer

Garden Writer

Writer

CATHERINE PLAYER

Photographer

JOHN CURLEY

Chief Writer & Photographer

Photographer

ROBERT I BRUCE

Writer

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ALEX TICKLE

Publisher, Editor, Advertising

Wedding Writer

DAVID BENN Writer

HELEN DUGDAL Health Writer

feedback S P R I N G

Just a note to thank you so very much for including John and I in the launch of your Winter 2017 edition featuring Gilgandra and Coonabarabran areas.

We loved the vibe and positive messages – the sense of pride by all attending was palpable.

You (and your talented team) set wonderful standards that encourage others to rise and shine, and to even better appreciate our neighbours, near and far.

With each new edition of CWL, I am amazed at the way your writers (and photographers – how I love the amazing photos that speak another language altogether!) encapsulate the essence of so many people and places. Even if I have known or visited a featured person or place, it’s like I’m rediscovering them again, but from an infinitely more interesting, deeper and appreciative perspective.

We, as readers, benefit hugely from the gems, the fresh perceptions we glean from CWL about the authentic, rich and diverse characters and locations that make up country NSW. I’m looking forward to your Spring issue already! But will have many happy hours travelling vicariously, fossicking back through skimmed Winter edition articles, in the meantime.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before. Well done!

YOUR LETTERS It was certainly a pleasure for Narrabri Shire to feature in the Winter 2018 edition of Central West Lifestyle magazine and to forge a partnership with the publishers, Alex and Elizabeth Tickle.

The Winter feature on the Narrabri Shire encapsulated the diversity, beauty and opportunity of our major centre Narrabri and also the two smaller centres of Wee Waa and Boggabri, which make up Narrabri Shire. The 100-page feature is made up of tourism, industry and locals who are both colourful and successful in their individual ways.

The results of the feature of Narrabri Shire in the Central West Lifestyle Winter 2018 edition have been outstanding with record sales within our shire, many copies being sent to family and friends and comments from other shires who have purchased a copy expressing their desire to now visit Narrabri Shire. It is truly a magazine that will be a conversation piece on coffee tables throughout Australia for many months to come.

I would sincerely like to thank Alex and Elizabeth and their team for the expert way that they have showcased the Narrabri Shire, also the businesses and individuals for embracing the opportunity to showcase Narrabri Shire as a shire of opportunity, uniqueness, beauty and a place that they are proud to call home.

Sue Curley, Dubbo

Wow! Being a Narrabri girl myself for over 10 years, but now based in Port Macquarie, your magazine initially caught my eye via a social media post featuring one of my school friends on your front cover. Your magazine held my attention, however, for your exceptional post-inquiry customer service and the amazing Narrabri feature in the Winter 2018 edition.

I was genuinely surprised by the depth of stories; from hotpink slugs (how could I have missed these!), fascinating local characters including a crime and romance fiction author, artist and aerial agricultural photographer and a critical discussion on wrestling with and triumphing over alcoholism!

Thank you for bringing my old home town alive to me again.

What an amazing community, and to the team at Central West Lifestyle I say keep up the exceptional work.

Michelle Chapman, Port Macquarie

Cathy Redding, Mayor, Narrabri Shire Council

#CentralWestLifestyle

It has been a pleasure to have worked with the editorial team of CWL and to have contributed to their Autumn 2018 edition, featuring the Yass Valley region. Our district has always been prominent in the production of traditional superfine Merino wool and these days many of us who have an environmental and welfare stance are reaping rewards by engaging with Italian and other European garment manufacturers. The future is looking bright for farmers generally and your impressive publication is most helpful in lifting Australian agriculture’s profile. Your magazine does much to draw attention to the quiet, hard and innovative work of many farmers. We thank you for that.

Thanks for sharing your fantastic story with us @rubymaine_fashion.

Paul Simons and Lyndall Eeg, “Euralie”, Yass

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Great to have you join us for the launch of the CWL Winter edition @whipped_bakingforallergies.

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12 CWL COOTAMUNDRA

Cootamundra TOWN FE ATURE WORDS & IMAGES: SHOT BY JAKE

COOTAMUNDRA CWL 13

people power from the Mayor of Cootamundra-G undagai

“No matter where I am or to whom I speak, the message is always clear.

This area has a wonderful sense of community.”

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The Cootamundra-Gundagai region boasts a community that is proud and strong.

We can talk about community spirit, we can talk about how wonderful our regions are, the landscape, the heritage, our tourist attractions, the diversity of the people and the industries.

But what are these attributes and what makes these qualities unique to our region?

As the Mayor of Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council, and a local businessman, I’m out and about every day. I speak to people, I welcome guests at functions and am the representative for our local government area. No matter where I am or to whom I speak, the message is always clear. This area has a wonderful sense of community, its residents are loyal and not afraid to stand up for their region. They are hardworking, friendly and welcoming.

They come from diverse backgrounds, are involved in an array of organisations, industries and are passionately proud of where they live. If that translates into community spirit, we have it in spades in the Cootamundra-Gundagai region.

As a local stock and station agent, I have the opportunity on a daily basis to travel around our region. While I may be working, I can appreciate the environment in which I live and work. I can appreciate the diversity of the landscape – the fertile rich river flats, the high mountain country and gently rolling hilltops and plains all producing an assortment of agriculture that our country relies on. From the breathtaking scenery high on Adjungbilly Hill, to the sparkling yellow rolling plains when the canola is in flower, our region is spectacular.

If you’re looking for history, heritage and legacies from the past, our region can deliver and keep you engaged for days. Gundagai’s history, Cootamundra’s legends and the stories behind our villages will enthral you.

Sport and recreation are well catered for, with every code of football played in our region, as well as netball, basketball, bowls, tennis, swimming and a host of other sporting activities. We are extremely fortunate to have two magnificent golf courses. Bidgee Banks, Gundagai’s course, is picturesque and on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. The Cootamundra Country Club, the oldest golf club in NSW since 1895, features a course that is gently undulating, with some hills, fully watered Bent greens, tees and wide Kikuyu fairways.

If it’s entertainment you are looking for, believe me there’s a host of it. From live music at our local hotels and clubs, to festivals, shows and an assortment of events, there’s always something going on to keep you entertained and involved.

Our region offers a range of accommodation choices, from well-appointed motels, caravan parks and camping grounds to free camping spots. It’s all here! Don’t take my word for it, come and have a look around yourself.

We are extremely proud of our region and are pleased to be able to showcase this amazing area in Central West Lifestyle Magazine. We hope that you will take some time out, come and visit and I can guarantee you will get a smile, a wave and a g’day.

Cr Abb McAlister, Mayor of Cootamundra-Gundagai

famous faces and places Cootamundra, Gundagai and surrounds are living up to their legends.

Located in the South West Slopes and Riverina regions, the CootamundraGundagai Regional Council was formed through a merger of the Cootamundra Shire Council and Gundagai Shire Council in May 2016.

Cootamundra and Gundagai and the surrounding villages of Coolac, Wallendbeen, Nangus, Adjungbilly, Stockinbingal, Muttama and Tumblong are steeped in history and surrounded by diverse and distinctive landscapes.

Cootamundra, the birthplace of cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman, pays homage to the cricketing legend with a museum and the unique Captains Walk featuring 42 bronze sculptures of Australian Test cricketers.

The Cootamundra Arts Centre and Tin Shed Theatre started its life as a wool store, the impressive facade and space inside attracted a group of local arts enthusiasts to restore, rebuild and rejuvenate the space that it is today. It houses offices, music rooms, a visual arts studio, a meeting room, a commercial kitchen, a pottery studio and a “Green Room”, which complements the magnificent 110-seat theatre where plays, music, ballet, workshops and movies are conducted.

Cootamundra is a thriving and lively town set within a natural environment. The affordable lifestyle, retail, education and medical facilities complement the cultural services the area offers.

In a convenient location, Cootamundra is a scenic road trip from Sydney or Melbourne and is only two hours’ drive northwest of Canberra.

Gundagai’s history can be traced beyond the early 1800s. The Great Flood of 1852 almost wiped out the fledgling town. As the mighty Murrumbidgee River came roaring into town on that fateful night, two Wiradjuri men, Yarri and Jacky Jacky, set out in their spindly bark canoes over three days and two nights to rescue 69 Gundagai residents from the deadly flood waters.

The town is legendary for the poetry and songs mentioning Gundagai and the famous Dog on the Tuckerbox.

The sculptor of the famous Dog on the Tuckerbox, Frank Rusconi, also left another impressive legacy for Gundagai in the form of a unique cathedral-in-miniature. He wanted to showcase the diversity and beauty of NSW marble, building this impressive display from 20,948 individual pieces of marble, every piece cut, turned and polished by hand over a 28-year period. The Marble Masterpiece stands 1.2 metres high and is permanently on display at the Visitor Information Centre.

The Old Gundagai Gaol is an informative and entertaining venue.

Following the devastating 1852 flood, the town lock-up needed to be rebuilt as a watch-house or gaol. Constructed in 1859, with additions over the following few years, the magnificent stone boundary wall, which still stands today, was constructed in 1866.

Gundagai’s proximity to the mighty Murrumbidgee makes it the perfect location for a long or short stay. Community spirit, a welcoming wave and smile, fascinating heritage and historic landmarks are abundant in the area.

Visit the Cootamundra-Gundagai area and you will not be disappointed.

You may want to spend a few days, a week or a lifetime in our beautiful region. We’re sure you will love it as much as we do. CWL

LEFT, FROM TOP: The Bradman Birthplace Museum; Market Day at the Cootamundra Arts Centre; spring lamb; Wattle Time Festival.

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

days gone by Cootamundra

Images kindly supplied by Cootamundra and District Historical Society

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

PROUD & STRONG Hints of Cootamundra’s glorious past abound in the town’s character-filled buildings.

COOTAMUNDRA CWL 17

preserving the past Cootamundra’s rich history is well documented and on display for all to savour.

Australia’s greatest cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman, was born just 500 metres from the picturesque Albert Park, Cootamundra’s home of cricket since the 1870s.

The town’s fascination with the sport is reflected through Bradman’s Birthplace Museum and The Captain’s Walk, unveiled in leafy Jubilee Park to coincide with Sir Don’s 90th birthday in 1998.

Today there are 42 busts of Australian Test captains, from David Gregory through to Ricky Ponting.

A two-foot tour of Cootamundra is highly recommended, starting at the town’s Visitor Information and Heritage Centre in Hovell Street.

Open seven days a week, it is the perfect spot to obtain a huge range of brochures, maps and information on attractions, accommodation and events.

Be sure to visit the museum in the former railway barracks, depicting various parts of Cootamundra’s rich rural history.

The Art and Craft Centre is in the former station master’s residence next door. CWL

A two-foot tour of Cootamundra is highly recommended, starting at the town’s Visitor Information and Heritage Centre.

ABOVE: The Captain’s Walk features 42 busts of Australian Test captains; the museum is full of historical items pertaining to Cootamundra’s history; one of the many fine exhibits in the museum.

RIGHT: Some of the knowledgeable volunteers from the Cootamundra Visitor Information and Heritage Centre: Yvonne Forsyth, Betti Punnett, Rosalind Wight, Betty Brown and Michele Pigram.

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

going the

EXTRA MILE

Creating the Milestones Project was a defining moment in the life of multi-talented Cootamundra artist Dawn Elrington.

Now in their 21st year, the collection of large sculptures in Mackay Park, Wallendbeen, and Parker Street, Cootamundra, continues to highlight the district’s long association with wheat growing.

The project was a major community achievement that transformed both sites with the “milestone” concept – referring to the mile posts that once marked out distances between small villages and country towns.

The patterns on the bases of the sculptures are the growing stalks of wheat, cut from compressed fibrous cement and attached to cast cement bases.

The tops of the large sculptures are made from thick acrylic sheet with laser-cut frets of wheat heads inlaid with colour.

“What we tried to do is tell a story with some drama, colour and movement. Instead of just putting up a monument we wanted it to come to life,” artist Dawn Elrington says.

Each sculpture is illuminated internally by fibre-optic light representing the colours of ripening wheat, creating a glowing spectacle for local residents and tourists.

The Milestones Project took two years from concept to completion, involving many trips to a Sydney factory where Dawn’s industrial chemist was located.

“During their making I enjoyed a special connection with the community, especially with the school children from Cootamundra, Stockinbingal and Wallendbeen,” she says.

“Each family nominated one of their own to paint each base – I’m sure that’s why the works have never been vandalised. It was way before its time, just before the introduction of LED lights. I loved working in a team and getting all these different skills coming into the project.”

The Milestones Project was launched by NSW Governor Gordon Samuels but it was a bittersweet moment with Dawn losing her husband barely a week before the opening.

Dawn stayed on the farm another two years before moving into town 18 years ago.

She divides her time between painting, gardening and travelling to exhibitions at the National Gallery, Canberra.

Art has always played a major role in her life since arriving in Cootamundra as a high school art teacher in the 1970s.

For many years she ran art classes on weekends and helped a like-minded group form the town’s first art centre, where the library now stands.

Over the years Dawn has successfully mastered stained glass, welding, printmaking, jewellery, gold smithing and silver smithing but it’s the painting that remains closest to her heart.

The prolific artist is currently staging a solo show in Canberra with nine works, all acrylic on canvas.

Dawn has been painting on and off for decades, and has produced various public artworks including Milestones and that at Wollundry Lagoon in Wagga Wagga to celebrate the Centenary of Federation.

Apart from her children – Paul runs the family farm “The Springs”, Wallendbeen, while Renae is with Wollongong Council – the Milestones Project remains a crowning achievement. CWL ABOVE: The Milestones Project was underpinned by the local community; Cootamundra artist Dawn Elrington at work in her studio.

Sculpture image: George Serras

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SIMPLY irresistible

Phil and Jan Davies had already drawn up plans to build their dream home when they stumbled onto “Milton�, a magnificent Cootamundra property being offered for sale after 60 years with the one family.

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

Historic “Milton” was built by a Mr Matthews in 1880, a year before the grandiose post office was completed and four years before the town was proclaimed a municipality.

The keen golfer established a small practice golf course on the grounds – the first four holes being played at “Milton” before crossing the road to play a further five holes on the showground.

He went on to become the inaugural president of the Cootamundra Golf Club in 1895 – the oldest in country NSW – before taking on the role of mayor during the town’s formative years.

In 1936, prominent businessman Michael “MG” Meagher took over. His family ran a chain of Meagher department stores that dated back to the gold rush days (the Cootamundra store, incidentally, was demolished in 1986 to make way for a Woolworths car park).

MG had a big family of five sons and four daughters, which created a definite “family feel” to the home.

With this sort of history it was only natural that the Davies family, like many others, couldn’t wait to inspect the premises.

Once Jan set eyes on the stunning leadlights on the front door, their plans of building out of town flew out the window.

The grand old home went up for auction in late 1996 and the Davies family became only the fourth owners to take up residency.

Before they moved in there was plenty of work to bring the house into the 21st century.

A complete change

The extensive six-month major rebuild involved up to 14 workers under the direction of acclaimed builder Donny Fuller.

Talented timber specialist Peter Penfold was tasked to perform intricate jobs like making new architraves.

It was a massive labour of love. Much of the original old cedar had been painted, requiring 44 gallon drums of metho and turps to soak the timber and retain the colour. > CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: “Milton” has been transformed into a stately residence; Phil and Jan Davies love entertaining in their historic home; a view from the back including pool and tennis court; “Milton” at the turn of the 20th century; a large fountain greets visitors to the home.

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

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

“MILTON” IS TODAY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE FINEST HOMES IN COOTAMUNDRA. Walls were pulled out and others reinstated. A big pool went in next to the upgraded tennis court.

Over the next two decades Phil and Jan built a sun-drenched living room and continued improving the expansive gardens on their 15-acre backyard.

With its grace and charm, extensive cedar panelling and timberwork, four marble fireplaces, 12-foot ceilings and polished pine floors, “Milton” is today regarded as one of the finest homes in Cootamundra.

It even has a cellar, where Phil keeps his secret stash of wine.

The family affectionately call it “The Castle”. Tennis is played on Tuesday nights, with swimming popular over summer.

In winter Phil and Jan gravitate to the “new room” with huge windows offering great garden views. With an enticing fireplace, it’s a warm and inviting place to sit and read or watch TV. Over dinner at home, Phil and Jan reminisce about their early days.

Phil was raised on the family farm at Moombooldool, near Leeton, pedalling his pushbike over six miles of flat country to primary school.

During his final years at Yanco Ag College, the farm was in the grip of drought. During a break from school Phil found himself lopping dozens of Kurrajongs to feed the starving sheep.

It was time to face facts. With four brothers, he knew there wasn’t room on the farm for everybody. After some soul searching Phil ditched his wool classing studies and took up Chemistry and Physics, later studying Pharmacy at Sydney University.

He commenced his career at Camperdown Children’s Hospital, where he met Jan, who was nursing at the Prince of Wales, Randwick.

In 1976 they moved to Jan’s hometown of Cootamundra. Jan found work with an accountancy firm and helped her mother Loris at Maggies, a local dress shop, while Phil bought a pharmacy, now known as Phil Davies Amcal Chemist.

He’s still there 35 years later, although recently he’s cut back to only a few days each week. For the past 15 years Jan has worked alongside him, in between caring for her 94-year-old mother at home.

Both their daughters followed into the business. Penny’s husband, Hamish Nott, has taken over the running of Phil’s pharmacy, while Stephanie Purvis works as a pharmacist at the Sydney hospital where her mother once nursed.

Phil and Jan can’t speak highly enough of Cootamundra.

“We’ve got one of the lowest crime levels in the state, great sporting facilities and good health care,” explains Jan, as she serves up a mouth-watering steak cooked by Phil on the barbecue.

“And it’s ideally situated between Melbourne and Sydney on the main rail line.”

Phil loves the distinct four seasons.

“We get down to minus seven and up to 45 degrees in summer,” he says with a perpetual grin. “It’s great agricultural land, especially in the Wallendbeen area, which is surely God’s own country.”

Out at “Milton” it’s easy to feel a million miles from anywhere but, remarkably, the main street is only a few blocks away.

Phil and Jan ought to be congratulated for their stunning restoration while retaining so many of the historical features.

They have created a unique family space for their children and grandchildren, with enough gardening duties to keep them busy forever. CWL

FACING PAGE: All the rooms at “Milton” have been tastefully refurbished.

ABOVE: The view from the back of the home, including the pool; the kitchen table leads onto the new entertainment area.

COOTAMUNDRA CWL 23

winning ways It’s been owned by an Australian media personality, chicken tycoons and the ruler of Dubai but now Cootamundra’s famous Twin Hills thoroughbred stud is back in local hands.

The extraordinary infrastructure, improved country and easy access to Sydney and Melbourne racing stables ensured Twin Hills attracted widespread interest when it was offered for sale not so long back.

In April 2017, Olly and Amber Tait emerged as the new owners, paying a rumoured $12 million to Sheikh Mohammed, owner of Darley, the world’s largest thoroughbred operation.

It continues to be run as a world-class thoroughbred operation, providing racehorse and broodmare agistment, sales preparation and consignment as well as being home to the Taits’ own bloodstock.

The family kicked off with American-bred Bobby’s Kitten and Australian-bred Odyssey Moon as their foundation stallions.

Earlier this year they added Smart Missile, owned by Mudgee’s Gooree Park stud, to their stallion roster.

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“A Twin Hills stallion has to be an outstanding son of a successful, desirable sire. He must have exemplary conformation with strength, power and, above all, speed,” Olly says.

It’s been a huge settling-in period for the new owners, who were about to invest in an English property when Twin Hills came on the market. With its 1000ha of rolling pastures, impeccable fences, bitumen roads, plentiful water and ideal climate, it was the perfect place to finally branch out on their own. >

ABOVE: The grandiose Twin Hills stud photographed in a good season.

FACING PAGE: Olly and Amber Tait take their children, Rupert, Freddy and Daisy, for a leisurely horse ride; Olly in the stables; Smart Missile; thoroughbreds on the run.

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

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ABOVE: The homestead; Amber and Olly Tait with the next generation, Daisy, Freddy and Rupert; Olly with stud manager Steve Brien who has been working at the stud for most of his life.

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“Setting up our own business has been a lifetime goal,” Olly admits. “We’ve always wanted a commercial thoroughbred enterprise but it was important to find the right place.”

The stud boasts a rich history, established in the 1970s when American immigrant Fred Calvin relocated his Dawson stud from the Hawkesbury Valley. In the 1980s it was purchased by television personality Mike Willesee, who developed the property into a state-of-the-art showpiece under the Trans Media Park banner.

In 1993, the property became Woodlands stud, part of Jack and Bob Ingham’s breeding and racing empire. Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley operation took over in 2008 after acquiring the Inghams’ horse-breeding and racing interests.

While all this was happening, Olly was quietly building his own profile, putting in 15 years with Darley in Australia and America before relocating with his young family to England, where he was responsible for overseeing Darley’s global operations.

After leaving the company in 2014, Olly remained in the UK, working on a consultancy basis and breeding horses commercially.

There are many fond memories of their seven years in England, from the close friendships formed, the art galleries and museums to the easy access to other parts of Europe.

Since becoming the latest custodians of Twin Hills, Olly and Amber are keen to write the next chapter of the property’s rich thoroughbred history.

Olly hails from a racing family that has bred some of Australia’s greatest racehorses. Baguette, Tie The Knot and Spinning Hill all carried the Tait family’s famous red and white colours to multiple G1 victories.

Twin Hills is well known to Olly, who first set foot on the place as an 11-year-old when Mike Willesee was taking giant strides. He returned in 2008 when Darley was buying Woodlands and became a regular visitor.

Few have as much experience in racing and breeding circles as Olly, who lives, eats and breathes the industry. With an exceptional track record in the thoroughbred world and a wealth of knowledge and connections, it was only a matter of time before he struck out on his own.

Amber has been with him through the entire journey. They have known each other since boarding school days – Olly at the The King’s School, Parramatta, and Amber at Ascham, Edgecliff. Later they were in the same year at Sydney University, where Olly studied for a Bachelor of Commerce while Amber did Ag Economics.

They married 11 years ago at St Mark’s, Darling Point, and have three lively children born in three continents: Rupert, 10, in Sydney, Freddy, 8, in Kentucky, USA, and Daisy, 7, in England.

Amber loves exploring the farm on horseback with her children, all accomplished riders. It reminds her of her own rural upbringing in Orange.

“I am really enjoying building the business with Olly. It’s ours and provides an amazing lifestyle for the children.”

Amber is used to whipping up meals for clients in the homestead, which had been used as a guesthouse but is now very much a family home. Clients and visiting family and friends often stay in one of the two fully self-contained guest cottages.

With nine staff, three young children and 150 horses to look after, life is never dull.

“We’re still a young stud,” Olly says. “There are other horse studs in Australia that have been going 150 years but we are ambitious and want to make it work. Next year we’ll offer 15 to 20 yearlings for sale at Warwick Farm and the Magic Millions and we’ll grow from there.”

In the meantime, the horses need feeding each day, with work starting at 7am. Olly is constantly on the phone, talking to clients all over the globe.

“Our aim is to promote our stallions, our world-class facilities and the beautiful land that surrounds us – my experience comes for free,” he laughs. CWL

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

a special DELIVERY The Sir Donald Bradman Birthplace Museum is a must-see experience for visitors to Cootamundra.

It was a bitterly cold winter’s day – August 27, 1908 – when Irish-born midwife Eliza “Granny” Scholz ushered Sir Donald Bradman into the world.

In the front room of a humble three-bedroom cottage at 89 Adams Street, Cootamundra, it was certainly her finest delivery.

Irish-born Granny, one of 17 children herself, delivered many others but none quite as newsworthy. Years later, in an interview with Sydney newspaper The Pictorial, Granny was reported as saying: “Bless my heart and soul, I brought the dear little chap into the world in my little hospital in Cootamundra. Don was always a good boy and a bonny baby.”

She spoke of a special visit Don had made earlier. “He came just to see me and I was ill in bed. But I am always with him. I know nothing about cricket but even if Don made only one run I feel as if I made it myself.”

Sir Don never forgot her, always sending her a telegram for her birthday.

Young Bradman spent his first three years in the family cottage built by his father at a small outpost in Yeo Yeo, between Cootamundra and Stockinbingal. The home was also restored and can now be viewed at the Temora Museum.

The family departed after Sir Don’s father was offered a carpentry job in a Bowral joinery factory. Many years later, the great cricketer’s birthplace was restored by the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council.

Opened in 1992 by the president of the NSW Cricket Association, Alan Davidson, it proved a masterful stroke on all accounts.

The Don, after all, is an Australian sporting hero whose achievements on the cricket pitch from 1928 to 1948 still rate among the world’s finest. He’s the only Australian ever knighted for services to cricket. Cricket memorabilia on Sir Don and local teams are all on display.

“In later years the great cricketer never mentioned Cootamundra as his birthplace in any interview,” says informative tour guide Charles Fitzpatrick.

Like all young boys of his era, Charles was a backyard cricket champion, emulating the feats of the champions of the day.

For the past 10 years he has shown visitors around the grounds and is a wealth of information you won’t find in the history books.

“Did you know old Granny Scholz is famous for being the first person in the world to get Sir Don out,” he beams as I admire the treasures of yesteryear.

“Me and the Don share a few things in common,” the likeable larrikin continues.

“Sir Don was born in the cottage but after a week left for greener pastures whereas I’m still here as a volunteer and gardener.”

Charles has performed a great job for the past decade, just as the other 25 volunteers who make the visit to Sir Don’s birthplace such a memorable and uplifting experience. CWL

ABOVE: The museum is a must-see experience for cricket fans; the great man steps out to an adoring crowd; volunteer Charles Fitzpatrick strikes a pose similar to Sir Don.

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

ahead of the

game

Cootamundra Country Club sports a long and impressive history and a bright and progressive future.

Cootamundra Golf Club was established just four years after the Royal Melbourne Golf Club – Australia’s oldest club in continuous use.

The local golfing fraternity were well ahead of their time, establishing the club in 1895 to make it the oldest regional club in NSW. In those early days the game was played on a hopscotch course that started on “Milton” on the edge of town and finished across the road in the showground.

In 1900 Goulburn golfers enjoyed a reciprocal visit to the course, with lunch served in the pavilion. At the same time, the first car travelled through town but had to be pushed up The Gap Hill by a helpful cyclist.

In 1912 a number of golfing enthusiasts formed a syndicate – the Cootamundra Golf Links and Land Investment Company.

As the game increased in popularity it was time for a major change. In 1919 the syndicate purchased 128 acres (51ha) of freehold land across town, including a house, which was adapted to form the first clubhouse.

A year later a nine-hole course was opened, later extended to 18 holes. In 1936 the constitution was amended to include bowls and tennis under the one banner, the Cootamundra Country Club.

A succession of wet years followed – 42 inches in 1954 followed by 52 inches in 1956. Five holes on the western flat were unplayable. Norman Bassingthwaighte redesigned the course in 1957-58, creating a new well-drained area out the back.

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In the meantime, the clubhouse continued to grow with extensions in 1953 and again in 1966 to accommodate increased membership.

A third bowling green was established while the committee developed the previously unused section in the centre of the property. At the same time the sand greens were replaced with turf, and watering for the fairway was introduced.

A large dam on the western flat, a bore, and two small dams were added on the front section to provide water.

Today the club boasts 1200 members, who enjoy their regular games of bowls or a round of golf. Bowling tournaments are held midweek and weekends throughout the year, while croquet is played four times a week.

The club is run by eight directors under the leadership of chairman John O’Loughlin, a keen golfer and bowler who runs the recycling group Elouera in Young.

Retired accountant Peter Hunt is the financial advisor, Wendy Flannery the club secretary while Barb Beveridge looks after finance and administration.

Spinny’s Restaurant puts on fabulous meals and caters for private functions. With a fully licensed bar, the club is a great place to unwind with friends after a game.

Cootamundra now runs many golfing tournaments including the Scott Fuller Inter-town Golf Tournament, attracting upwards of 300 golfers from Young, Temora, Gundagai and Tumut.

The veterans hold a week of golf each April, descending on Cootamundra from all corners of the state.

At the Cootamundra Country Club there is something for everyone, including indoor bowls, table tennis, TAB facilities, Keno and poker machines.

“The biggest news in decades is that we are currently finalising a government grant, which will see a fully computerised state-ofthe-art watering system,” director Simon Bragg says.

“This will result in green grass all year round and make it one of the greenest courses in country NSW. When this happens we expect to attract golfers from all over the state.

“Golf NSW are right behind us and want to run senior and junior tournaments on what is a very challenging course.”

There is a pro shop for the serious players run by professional golfer Graeme Cheshire, known among the local golfing fraternity as “Chesh”. The pro-shop has 10 golf carts available for hire, with extra privately owned carts available when required.

The four-star Heritage Motel was established 10 years ago on the old tennis courts. The award-winning motel enables golfers to stay in lavish comfort with the golf course only metres from their rooms.

Australia has one of the highest numbers of golf courses per capita in the world. Cootamundra residents – and not just golfers – are spoiled with this top-class facility. CWL

Established in 1895 , Cootamundra Golf Club is the oldest in regional NSW.

ABOVE: Club historian Phillip Bassingthwaighte with directors Peter Hunt and Simon Bragg in the clubhouse full of visiting golfers.

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comfort & CLASS

High profile reporter Peter Overton described Cootamundra’s Heritage Motel as one of the best he’s ever stayed in, and it’s easy to understand why.

The upmarket motel is built adjacent to the golf course, the oldest in regional Australia and next door to the Cootamundra Country Club.

Boasting 17 executive rooms, all with a patio or balcony overlooking the scenic course, the motel is a favourite with not just visiting golfers but with discerning guests who enjoy that “little bit extra” – like 42 inch screen televisions, immaculate furnishings, art works, air conditioning and free wi-fi.

For those who like indulging in a spa bath at the end of the day, a further six rooms feature a king size bed with spa.

The motel also has four two-bedroom villas, popular with families and for those looking at lengthy stays. These are all selfcontained with kitchens, dining tables and all the luxuries of home.

One room is purpose built for wheelchair access.

Husband and wife team John and Chris Edwards took over management in 2009, and in 2015, with several business partners, took over the lease.

They’ve lived in Cootamundra for many years and have nothing but praise for the town.

“I love telling my Sydney mates how I park outside the bank on Mondays for the banking. I get annoyed if I have to park more than four spaces away,” John laughs.

“That makes their eyes roll but really says it all. Cootamundra has a great rural atmosphere and is a terrific place to raise a family.”

John enjoys the day-to-day activities of managing his rural retreat after managing the local Mitre 10 store and 30 years in agricultural retail. Chris is well known for her 35 years with her local ballet school, which has produced several stars under her guidance.

Having a golf course right next door is an added bonus for John, a keen golfer who pulls out the golf clubs most weekends.

He plays off about 22, while his sons play off 16 and plus two.

Thanks to a government grant, the course will soon be green all year round, making the historic course one of the most desirable in country NSW. “We do golf packages for individuals, couples or even visiting clubs,” John says. “This week the NSW Veterans Circuit are in town and we’ll have up to 130 players on the greens for the best part of a week.”

The Country Club, located less than 100 metres away, is the perfect spot for a quiet ale or an afternoon or evening meal. If numbers permit, they will even organise a sumptuous breakfast.

John and Chris will ensure your stay at the Heritage Motel is memorable and comfortable. CWL

ABOVE: John and Chris Edwards in front of their award-winning Heritage Motel.

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

TRUSTED CONNECTIONS The team behind the success of Dunk Insurance have their hearts and minds firmly embedded in regional NSW.

With 60 years’ combined experience, John Dunk and his son James understand what makes country people tick and frequently drive up to eight hours to provide face-to-face service to valued clients in rural and remote locations.

The family has farmed north west of Bourke since World War I, and John and James are recognised as insurance industry leaders with offices at Young, Cootamundra, Bathurst, Wagga, Temora, Narromine, Sydney and Wauchope.

John was named National Insurance Brokers’ Association (NIBA) NSW/ACT Broker of the Year in 2016 and presented the award to James last year.

It was the first time a father and son had won the titles back to back.

“The presentation ceremony was a very special time for our family,” James says.

“The award recognised the knowledge, expertise and trusted connections built by Dunk Insurance.

“We are proud to serve the people of country NSW and our customers appreciate the opportunity to deal with people they know and trust.”

Dunk Insurance offers crop, farm, commercial and domestic insurance and helps clients access professional services without having to sit on the end of a 1800 phone line waiting for a call to be answered.

“People living in rural and remote areas have the right to expect the same high level of customer service as their metropolitan counterparts,” James says.

“The advantages of dealing directly with a professional insurance broker are numerous. At Dunk Insurance we understand how the industry works and use our knowledge and contacts to source the best coverage and pricing for clients.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby

RIGHT: James Dunk was honoured to receive the National Insurance Brokers’ Association Broker of the Year award.

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

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

A CLASS act Cootamundra woolclasser Arthur Ward, 92, sees no reason to retire.

For the past 73 years Arthur Ward has been methodically classing the family clip on “Bellevue”, Cootamundra.

He is probably the oldest woolclasser in the country but insists it’s no big deal and something he just happens to enjoy.

Now aged 92, and living independently on the farm, Arthur enjoys reasonable health, courtesy of a good dose of the outdoors, hard work and simple living.

“I’ve got a titanium hip, arthritis in my right knee and had a prostate operation – otherwise I’m as good as gold.”

The Ward family arrived from Nottinghamshire in 1865 but we’ll skip a few generations and start with Arthur’s father, Fred, who served with the Australian Light Horse in WW1.

“He was lucky to make it out,” Arthur says, quietly sipping a cup of tea. “His mate got blown up in the trench right behind him.”

In 1925 Fred married school teacher Laura Beaven, and built a homestead on top of the hill overlooking the Jindalee Valley. They raised two sons, Arthur, born in 1926, and John, two years later.

During the Depression years, the boys set off on their ponies for the half-hour ride to the oneteacher school at Jindalee, which, on a good day, had about 15 to 20 students.

An important farm chore was digging out the massive rabbit warrens infesting the farm at that time.

“We killed our own meat, hand-milked the cows and had a fair garden. Mum was a good cook, preserved a lot of fruit and always provided a balanced diet for the family,” Arthur says.

“Dad always did it tough. He had a breakdown, probably due to the war, and seldom left the farm.”

Life and love Arthur commenced wool classing at Orange Tech while completing his final year at Wallaroi College. Back on the farm, he studied another two years at Cootamundra Tech before his final exams in Ultimo in 1945.

“We killed our own meat, hand-milked the cows and had a fair garden.

Mum was a good cook, preserved a lot of fruit and always provided a balanced diet for the family.

Dad always did it tough. He had a breakdown, probably due to the war, and seldom left the farm.”

He received an OC (Owner Classer) licence, meaning he could class the wool clip on “Bellevue”.

After his wife Audrey died in 2015, Arthur discovered a faded old letter in her bedside drawer from wool buyers, Country Producers Selling Company.

“On the second page I was commended for my ‘satisfactory’ job with the classing,” he says proudly.

The letter had sat there untouched for a lifetime, no doubt placed there by Audrey some time after their 1950 marriage. Getting his sweetheart to the altar took persistence and faith.

Twice a week for three long years he penned long letters, outlining his daily activities on the farm. There was no way he was going to give her up – not after fate had brought them together. >

FACING PAGE: Arthur Ward is still classing the family wool clip in his early 90s.

ABOVE: Arthur’s father, Fred Ward, in uniform.

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

Arthur had gained permission from his father to attend the 1947 Sydney Royal as a junior farmer but his strict Methodist upbringing had taught him Good Friday and the Easter weekend were sacred.

Instead of attending the show over the weekend he ducked off to a Crusader Camp run by the Methodists on the south coast.

“That’s where we met. I reckon the bloke upstairs rewarded me for honouring these holy days,” he laughs.

“Audrey was a real city girl but adapted well to the bush, played the organ, sang beautifully and was a good mother.”

The pair went on to enjoy 65 years of marriage and lived through the best – and worst – of times.

Tragically they lost two sons. Ten-year-old Greg, their eldest, had an accident with a shotgun. Four years later Noel was knocked off his pushbike near the highway on his way home from school.

“It was getting close to the end of the day and he knew he had to be home before dark. He never made it,” says Arthur, who remembers it like it was yesterday. “Every day I drive past the place he was taken from us and can’t help but think of what might have been.”

Thankfully, the other children, Ron, Laurelle, Darryl and an adopted daughter Patricia helped them move on.

The joys of old age Arthur spends a lot of time sitting at the cluttered table in his lounge room. It’s where he reads the newspapers, tackles his paperwork and reflects on his long life.

Son Ron lives on the farm down the road and the pair have always managed to make ends meet, despite the farm being a relatively small 427ha.

“We’ve been breeding lambs all our life,” Arthur says. “We buy in our first cross ewes and put a meat ram over them – either a Poll Dorset or White Suffolk.”

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These days Ron carries about 1400 ewes and about 200 cattle on the property, providing weekly beef and lamb to the Griffith Butchery in Canberra.

“Crossbred wool is always second class wool compared to the Merino but we’re now getting about 800 cents a kilo for our top lines – the best we’ve ever got,” he says.

For a number of years the farm was certified organic but a prolonged drought forced them to give up their accreditation.

Unlike his father, Arthur insisted on family breaks and regularly took the wife and children for short beach holidays. In later years he and Audrey enjoyed trips to the UK, Canada and around Australia.

One of the most memorable was their first cruise in 1977 aboard the Fairstar to Japan via Port Moresby, Bali, the Philippines and Hong Kong.

These days Arthur doesn’t travel that far, driving his little car into town several times a week to play bowls or perform volunteer work at the Heritage Centre and Uniting Church.

He still enjoys growing his pumpkins and cucumbers but this tough old battler is taking life one day at a time. CWL

“Crossbred wool is always second class wool compared to the Merino but we’re now getting about 800 cents a kilo for our top lines – the best we’ve ever got.”

ABOVE: Prime lambs are still the mainstay on the farm; Arthur enjoys catching up with his mates for his weekly game of bowls.

GUNDAGAI

Cootamundra Cootamundra

For Formore moreinformation informationabout aboutthe theCootamundra-Gundagai Cootamundra-GundagaiRegional RegionalCouncil Councilplease pleasevisit visit

WWW.CGRC.NSW.GOV.AU WWW.CGRC.NSW.GOV.AU

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

& pleasant PAST

A hardworking Cootamundra duo has transformed the town’s former nurses’ quarters into the Elm & Wren Guesthouse.

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

Dating from the 1940s, the building was tired and rundown when Liz Neville and Chris Sutherland bought it at auction six years ago.

While some people may have considered the site ripe for demolition and redevelopment, the new owners could see past the shabbiness and disrepair, the faded clinical colour scheme and damage.

“We loved the Art Deco features of the building and the history of the place,” Liz says.

“There was so much potential but we knew it would involve a lot of time, effort and expense.”

Liz and Chris worked solidly on renovations, all the while wondering about the stories the rooms and hallways could tell about the women who lived in the building when Cootamundra Hospital was a regional training centre for nurses.

“They weren’t allowed to be married and had to abide by strict rules imposed by the matron,” Liz says.

“The building has a huge amount of history and some of the nurses who lived and worked here have returned to share their memories.

“They talk of walking through the gardens and across a little bridge to reach the hospital on the other side of the creek.

“They laugh and cry – so much emotion is associated with the site, which is held very dear by the people of Cootamundra.”

Elm & Wren includes 22 rooms, three blocks of bathrooms, four kitchens, five lounge rooms, the Corridor 37 coffee shop and a wellness centre offering Pilates, remedial massage and essential oils.

The building features abstract artworks created in oils by Liz and an eclectic mix of trinkets and collectables, including the gnarled sculpture-like roots of an elm tree mounted on the wall in the foyer.

Large grounds offer plenty of space for car parking and outdoor entertaining. Children often play cricket and football on the lawns while adults linger over coffee.

“Locals and visitors love the food, the coffee, the fantastic atmosphere and the opportunity to relax in the beautiful creek setting,” Liz says.

“Guests include large groups, family reunions, wedding parties and friends wanting some time together.

“The whole place is very much a work in progress, and we are always coming up with new ideas. Our next vision is to run art exhibitions, events and markets in the grounds.” CWL

“Locals and visitors love the food, the coffee, the fantastic atmosphere.”

Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

FACING PAGE: Elm & Wren Guesthouse offers a range of lovely spaces to relax and unwind.

RIGHT: Locals love the food, the coffee and the fantastic atmosphere at Elm & Wren. The guesthouse features abstract artworks created in oils by owner Liz Neville and a carefully curated collection of objects and curiosities.

COOTAMUNDRA CWL 37

power to the Clarrie Power is a community man through and through.

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PEOPLE

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

The 2018 Cootamundra Citizen of the Year, Clarrie Power, is a happy, contented man.

He and wife Gloria recently moved into their retirement home.

“It’s absolutely brilliant,” declares the articulate 76-year-old, whose voice wouldn’t be out of place on radio.

“We don’t have to do a thing. There’s no garden to worry about and climbing up ladders to replace a light bulb or smoke alarm is a thing of the past. It’s practically like living in a brand new home.”

Clarrie sees his latest move as a logical stepping stone. Having lived in six different homes since moving to Cootamundra in 1951, he felt it made good financial sense.

“We could have stayed home for another 10 years but we are both in our mid 70s and none of us can predict the future,” he says.

Moving into a smaller abode offered many advantages, like sorting through a lifetime’s accumulation of furniture and personal mementos.

“We wanted to move in while we were still capable,” he continues. “We didn’t want to leave a lifetime of clutter for somebody else to clean up.

“Not being into garage sales, we simply gave a lot of stuff away, including most of my tools to the men’s shed.”

Giving back to the Cootamundra community was always on Clarrie’s agenda after a lifetime of working on various committees and playing rugby league, Aussie rules, cricket, squash, basketball and golf.

His involvement with the Colts Cricket Club spanned 34 years, with a further 11 years spent with the Cootamundra Squash Association and a decade with the Southern Slopes Football Carnival.

When his sons, Robert and Grant, started playing cricket he spent eight years coaching at the Cootamundra Public School.

For these and many other achievements, Clarrie was given the Cootamundra Sports Foundation Administration Award in 2007.

An excellent record for the son of a railway fettler who left school at 15 to make his way in the world. After 30 years in a hardware store he joined the Cootamundra Herald until they stopped printing the paper on site.

“As far as being a journo was concerned, I always felt a bit uneducated and struggled writing obituaries and sitting in the law courts,” he says with a grin.

His undeniable wit found a new calling and for nearly 20 years he contributed a jokes column called “Fair Dink” for the paper, calling it quits in 2017 after completing 1000 columns and compiling a number of books.

Proceeds of a sports book, an adult joke book and various “Collections of Fair Dink” books have raised nearly $20,000 for Cootamundra Can Assist.

It was this generosity and good will towards his fellow man that made him a natural candidate for the Citizen title.

AFTER RETIRING FROM WORK, CLARRIE’S NEVER BEEN BUSIER, GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY TIME AND TIME AGAIN.

Receiving his big award on Australia Day proved the highlight of his life.

“A lot of people out there probably do as much, if not more than what I’ve done, but I’m nevertheless eternally grateful for the community to have recognised my efforts.”

After retiring from work, Clarrie’s never been busier, giving back to the community time and time again.

As a former school bus driver, he volunteered at the Cootamundra Day Care Centre, driving the Southern Cross Care bus (formerly Cootamundra Retirement Village).

Clarrie joined up with Cootamundra Meals on Wheels 14 years ago and still enjoys delivering the meals to those in need. He also drives their bus for social outings to district centres.

“These welcome outings provide a great opportunity to get out of the house and mix with others. It’s another activity that I hope to continue for a long time into the future.”

Many of the townsfolk would have heard Clarrie’s musical abilities with the mouth organ and guitar, instruments he’s been playing all his life.

Generally it was a nice way to unwind after a hectic day at work but this all changed one day while driving the community bus. There was nothing to play in the CD when Clarrie suddenly remembered he had a recording of a few of his tunes in his travel kit.

“I put it on and the oldies loved it,” he smiles. This led him to playing at the retirement village during happy hour. He now plays for a full hour every second week with his last session being his 75th performance.

On top of all that, Clarrie has been a popular guest speaker at Rotary, Probus and the Day View Club.

“We’re now entering a new chapter in our lives and life couldn’t be better,” he beams. CWL

FACING PAGE: The 2018 Cootamundra Citizen of the Year, Clarrie Power, believes there is nothing more fulfilling than giving back to the community.

ABOVE: Clarrie and Gloria Power have enjoyed 53 years of marriage; playing music to the oldies at the retirement village.

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WAR STORIES Teenager Oliver Litchfield is feeding his insatiable interest in war history both at home and abroad.

Cootamundra High School Captain and 2018 Young Citizen of the Year Oliver Litchfield believes there is plenty to learn from Australia’s involvement in war.

Although he enjoys reading books on warfare, this enterprising youngster has gone one step further, visiting Kapooka Army Base in Wagga Wagga and the Infantry Museum at the Singleton Army Base to experience how army recruits are trained in the Australian Defence Force.

“How they live, what they give up and what they can achieve inspired me to learn more on my own nation’s military history and how it developed,” he says.

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“I was told by a recruit that the army ‘breaks and remakes you – breaks you from your civilian life and remakes you as a soldier’,” he says.

“The same could be said of the AIF and the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, whose soldiers sacrificed their civilian lives and future for King and Country.”

Oliver learnt first-hand the meaning of sacrifice when visiting Australian war cemeteries in Greece and Israel (formerly Palestine) in 2017 after winning a coveted spot on the Premier’s Anzac Ambassador’s program.

The tour was sponsored and organised by Clubs NSW with assistance from the State

Government and offered to six high school students from throughout the state.

The young ambassadors visited historic sites in Greece and Israel, culminating in the commemoration of the Battle of Beersheba, the last Light Horse charge in military history 100 years earlier.

Seeing it first-hand was a profound experience. “Reading about it is one thing but seeing the graves and the enormous sacrifice our troops made to ensure our freedom, really got me thinking. Walking among the headstones and reading their names was very emotional, particularly when I came across so many young men of a similar age,” he says.

“Being in cadets for a few years certainly didn’t prepare me. I just couldn’t imagine leaving my parents (Jeremy and Josie Litchfield) and travelling to the other side of the world to fight an enemy that had done our country no wrong.”

Among the headstones, he discovered the grave of Walter Litchfield but Oliver has unearthed no surviving documents to indicate if he was a relative.

Visiting the cultural and historical sites in Greece and Israel, including Jerusalem, proved particularly interesting, with a history dating back before the time of Christ.

“Seeing how old the place was with all these different religions and cultures all in the one ancient city was a real eye-opener.”

The tour extended to the island of Lemnos, and to Crete.

“We retraced the WW2 Battle of Crete, walking in the footsteps of our diggers in various battles. Although they took place 77 years ago, it felt almost haunting,” he reflects.

“Much of the battlefields are now farmlands or towns but the monuments serve as a grim reminder of the horrors of war.”

There was another element that caused some debate among the students.

“In Greece and Israel both young men and women have mandatory military service. I hope we never get to this stage in Australia.

“We remember these wars, the lessons they taught us and the lives that were lost fighting them. Lest we forget.”

Oliver is hoping to win a university scholarship to study anthropology, otherwise he might opt for a gap year and go backpacking and see more of the world. CWL

ABOVE: Cootamundra High School Captain and Young Citizen of the Year Oliver Litchfield has been fortunate to visit the sites of some of the most significant battles of the 20th century.

FOOD&

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

friendship Amazing coffee, delicious gourmet foods and wonderful seasonal produce – all this and more is on offer at Planted Cootamundra.

The wholefoods cafe created by husband and wife Richard and Rose de Belin has a high-profile presence in Wallendoon Street, not far from Cootamundra’s main shopping strip.

The well-known corner building has long been linked to food, with previous incarnations ranging from a butcher’s shop to an art gallery that served coffee and cake.

Formerly known as The Khaya, Planted Cootamundra is open from 8am to 5pm weekdays and from 8am to 2pm on Saturdays.

The menu includes breakfasts, lunches, sweet and savoury bites, superfood smoothies, cold-pressed juices and hot drinks.

Feasting dinners are regularly held on Friday nights, when 20 guests sit at a long table and share a set three-course meal featuring local seasonal fare.

Craft brews and local Hilltops Region wines accompany the mouth-watering food.

“People in Cootamundra and district are really excited about having somewhere really special to have dinner,” Rose says.

“Sometimes the entire feasting table is booked by one large group of friends but more often than not the night comprises of a mix of small groups and couples.

“Food is enjoyed, stories are shared and by the end of the night new friendships are formed.”

Richard has been a chef for 12 years, working in cafes, fine dining establishments, conference and corporate catering.

Rose, a trained barista and front of house specialist, has a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry.

They make a great team and share a passion for food and all the amazing produce that Cootamundra has on offer.

Planted Cootamundra uses specialty grade coffee from Bill’s Beans at Orange, fresh Riverina milk, ethically raised Muddy Pigs Pastured Pork, and organic eggs and spelt sourdough bread from Buronga Organics.

Richard and Rose moved to Cootamundra from the Blue Mountains three years ago.

“Richard’s father grew up in Cootamundra and he still has family here,” Rose says.

“The town is really friendly and community minded. It is a great place to bring up our children.’’ CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka and Kelly Manwaring

ABOVE: Richard and Rose de Belin have a passion for organic and seasonal food.

Wholesome food from the heart...for the heart... at the heart of our community.

Planted Cootamundra is a wholefoods cafe specialising in local, organic and seasonal food. We value the health and well-being of our customers. All our products and meals are house-made using the freshest ingredients we can source.

Locals love to gather at our feasting dinners. Diners are seated around our long table and served three set courses paired with amazing local wines. Over our beautiful share platters, friendships are formed. Feasting dinners are by booking on 6942 4744.

Why not call in for a specialty coffee, a wonderful meal or even just a chat. We look forward to welcoming you to our place.

Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm Saturday: 8am - 2pm 29 Wallendoon Street www.plantedcootamundra.com

COOTAMUNDRA CWL 41

SHED FIRST

They say every man needs a shed but never-say-die Cootamundra octogenarian Bill Teale has taken the old saying to a whole new level.

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Bill Teale’s shed, formerly a second-hand store, is the size of his home. It’s his pride and joy and perfect for housing his railway memorabilia and any moving object with two wheels.

During the 1940s he rode his pony five miles to school from the family farm in Uranquinty (near Wagga Wagga). When the old steed wore out, his father bought him a Carbine bike, and this very fit 81-year-old has been pedalling ever since.

After the farm was sold and the family moved to Cootamundra, Bill kicked off his railway career as a “call boy”, furiously pedalling across town to inform the train drivers and guards of their upcoming shifts.

Keen to explore new horizons, he headed for the bright lights of Sydney, finding work at Ford Motors, Dunlop Tyres and biscuit factory Peek Freans.

Always at the back of his mind was a niggling desire to become a train driver, so he returned home to commence an apprenticeship with the railway.

Part of the training involved shovelling coal into the steam engines of the day. The old shovel used over 60 years ago still hangs proudly in Bill’s shed.

By the early 1960s, Bill had fulfilled his dream of becoming a fully-fledged steam train driver, with regular runs to Goulburn, Parkes, Lake Cargelligo and Naradhan. He later progressed to diesel freight trains on the Sydney to Melbourne line.

Throughout his career, Bill never stopped pedalling. He and wife Pat became founding members of the local branch of BUG (Bicycle Users Group) and tackled some monster rides together including Port Fairy to Geelong (Victoria); Albany to Perth (Western Australia); Goondiwindi to Broad Beach (Queensland) and Sydney to Wollongong.

When a fellow cyclist went blind in 2010, Bill pulled out his trusty old tandem bike and for the next seven years took him on regular tours around town.

Whenever he felt the need for speed, Bill turned to his motorbikes, another great love affair that has spanned six decades. With Pat, he clocked up miles all over the country and for many years was part of the Ulysses Club.

By the turn of the century, Bill was thinking of leaving his beloved railway. It was about this time he spotted a newspaper advertisement for a house with a shed to die for.

Paying scant attention to the home, he knew he’d found the perfect resting place for all his collectibles, including his bicycles, bottles, Anzac tins, framed historical photos and kerosene lamps.

Even the t-shirts on the wall are significant, representing many of his sporting interests, including running in the City to Surf (starting in 1977 and running his last race with Pat in

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

1990), touch football and the Cootamundra Cycle Club, where he raced until he was 70.

Apart from their love of riding, the Teales also flex the vocal cords with Sing Australia, attend Probus and regularly visit the RSL with friends for dinner.

But it’s the shed that holds Bill’s fondest memories.

“We’ve had some memorable parties, wedding and wakes in the old shed,” he says proudly. “We actually got married in the front yard and celebrated our wedding and Pat’s 50th birthday in the shed.”

Later at Bill’s 80th, about 150 family and friends descended on the shed over the weekend to raise a glass to the man who has done so much for the community.

For the past 14 years, the Teales and lifelong friend Ted Smith have run a Salvation Army toy run for the district’s disadvantaged children.

Bill has also been involved with Meals on Wheels and Emergency Services, while always making time for his and Pat’s combined brood of six children, 13 grandkids and two great-grandchildren.

They all love the shed and it’s easy to see why. Bill has been collecting all his life but “upped the ante” about 30 years ago.

Bill says he’ll leave it all to the family, who can decide for themselves what they want to do with it.

Having lived a full and active life, Bill has some simple advice for today’s youth.

“Always respect others, regardless of their rank or profession,” he says earnestly. “We all depend on others at some stage of our life and it doesn’t matter if you are the garbo or the prime minister.” CWL

ABOVE: Bill and Pat Teale are firm believers in exercise and the great outdoors; the railway bar; Bill made a miniature train on the old Gundagai bridge; Bill’s last train trip in 1983 before the 42-foot railmotors were replaced with a fleet of buses; family heirlooms and the t-shirts depicting his sporting prowess cover one wall of the shed.

FACING PAGE: Bike riding is second nature to Bill and Pat Teale, who arrived home on their tandem bike just in time for the photographer.

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Best dressed contemporary woman Alison Jones, Yass, best dressed man Tim Kensit, Narrawa, with Jugiong judges Carlie Oates, Amy Clark and Tillia Withers.

Treen Brooker, Harden, Jules Lenehan, Harden, Liz Lyne, Cootamundra, and Fiona Bassingthwaighte, Jugiong.

President of the Cootamundra Picnics Scott Adams with some of his hard-working team: Robert Last, John Stephens, Rick Mattiske, Dane Robertson, Alice Mattiske and Amanda Rosengreen.

Cootamundra’s Janice Southwell and Heidi Clancy with Cath Taylor, Canberra, and Kate Holt, Cootamundra.

Tim and Leisa Kensit, Narrawa, Juliet Meares, Cootamundra, Charlie Baldry, Cootamundra, and Johnny Bassingthwaighte, Harden.

Bronwyn Hicks, Sydney, Caroline Howse, Cootamundra, John Stewart-Jones, Sydney, Lynn Spain, Cootamundra, with local hosts Terry and Deidre McKenzie, South West Aviation.

Bin Morrison, Goulburn, Penny Crawford, Wallendbeen, Susan Manwaring, Cootamundra, and Margie McGeoch, Wallendbeen.

Colin Hall, Condoblin, Phil and Lisa Hines, Cootamundra, Tim Hartwick, Wagga Wagga, and Toby Bassingthwaighte, Wallendeen.

Terry McKenzie, Cootamundra, places a bet with Trevor Collins, with bookmaker Sam Jones checking there’s no funny business!

Canberra’s Kristen Corrie, Emily Heckendorf and Lucena Deakin with locals Emma Johnson and Erin Sheldrick.

cootamundra picnic races The whips were cracking at the 111th annual Cootamundra Picnic Races held in glorious autumn sunshine.

The much-anticipated day attracted over 1500 guests with more than 40 horses for the six-race program.

The main event, the Miller and James Picnic Race Cup, was won by the Neil Osborne-trained Diamond Charlie, edging out hometown favourite Oh What A Thief.

It wasn’t just the bookies and bar staff who were busy on the day.

Jugiong judges for the Fashions on the Field Carlie Oates, Amy Clark and Tillia Withers were faced with a few tough decisions between races.

Best dressed contemporary woman was Alison Jones, of Yass, while best dressed man was Tim Kensit, of Narrawa.

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Sponsoring Fashions on the Field were Trish Hines, Tracey Ewings and Jaime Hall, from Jack + Jill, Cootamundra.

President of the Cootamundra Picnic Races, Scott Adams, says the event was a huge success.

“It’s a great social community outlet. Bringing family and friends together for a great day of racing is always something to look forward to.”

The course on the Racecourse Road is a picturesque location with shade trees and a beautiful grandstand dating back to the 1920s.

The annual Cootamundra Cup meeting will be held on the Sunday of the October long weekend. CWL

Renee Lyzun and Emma Wells, Young.

Sponsoring Fashions on the Field were Trish Hines, Tracey Ewings and Jaime Hall from Jack + Jill, Cootamundra.

Cootamundra locals Amy England and Trish Hines.

James Fisler, Cootamundra, with German visitor Lotti Filius.

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

BODY& SOUL A Cootamundra couple’s combined skills are ensuring that their clients not only look good but feel good too.

Beauty practitioner Sally Morales met her massage therapist husband Fernan when they were working in day spas on international cruise ships.

After enjoying the wonderful lifestyle cruising has to offer, the couple relocated to Sally’s home town of Cootamundra and established Country House Spa. Located in 2 Morris Street, the business specialises in skin management and massage.

Fernan has a Bachelor of Physiotherapy and a Master of Reflexology. He specialises in deep tissue and hot stone massage and uses a range of therapies to treat injuries and ease chronic aches and pains.

Sally enjoys pampering her clients and offers a menu of beauty techniques including sugaring, LED light therapy and the latest innovations in collagen activation and skin revision and rejuvenation.

Skinfaktor is a non-invasive process of micro-activation to wake up natural processes within the skin to restore optimal skin health without downtime, pain or skin irritation.

Sally’s signature Medilift 3-in-1 treatment involves prepping the skin with gentle, yet active, complex fruit acid before a polyabrasion micro-polishing technique refines and re-texturises.

The high-end treatment concludes with micro-collagen activation and processes to target wrinkles, leaving the skin feeling fresh, tight and well hydrated.

“Fernan and I really enjoy our work and like to treat our clients the way we would expect to be treated,” Sally says.

“It is our pleasure to bring the latest techniques and technologies from around the world to a rural location.”

Country Spa House was launched in 2013, and in 2014 won the best new business category in the Cootamundra Development Corporation business awards.

The following year Sally and Fernan received the prestigious Giraffe award for excellence in customer service.

Sally worked in Sydney as an interior decorator for Coco Republic before deciding on a change of direction.

She studied full-time to attain a Diploma of Beauty Therapy and opted to advance in her profession and see the world with Steiner International, the largest and most renowned company operating luxury day spas at sea.

The first contract with Holland America Line took her through the Caribbean to Canada and New England, Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, England and Ireland, the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Civitavecchia (Rome), Barcelona, Lisbon and Amsterdam.

In the second contract Sally worked with Fernan, departing Vancouver and cruising the Inside Passage of Alaska for five months before voyaging through the Pacific Islands and circumnavigating Australia.

“Working on a cruise ship was a wonderful experience,” Sally says.

“We were able to use the ship facilities, enjoyed port excursions and met people from all over the world.

“Being back in Australia also offers great opportunities and we are very happy to be living and running our business in Cootamundra.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

RIGHT: Sally and Fernan Morales specialise in skin management and massage.

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out of the

BOX Cootamundra shoppers looking for the perfect gift are rapt in Wrapped.

Anne Faulks and Anna Mullins have shopping all wrapped up in the main street of Cootamundra.

The long-time friends started their dream seven years ago with a retail outlet specialising in quality gifts, homewares, children’s presents and clothing.

When the premises next door became vacant, a wall was knocked down to create a large commercial space perfect for showcasing a wider range of stylish and affordable merchandise, including women’s clothing and accessories, sterling silver and costume jewellery, leather clutches, wallets, bags and overnight bags, candles, diffusers, soaps and creams as well as a selection of local produce.

Anne and Anna stock children’s clothing to size 16 and an extensive range of children’s gifts suitable for everything from baby showers to birthday parties.

“Wrapped is like a small department store that caters for every member of the family,” Anne says.

“We have a great selection of products that are just right for men, women, children and babies plus an array of special items perfect for every social occasion and celebration.”

Anne and Anna appreciate everything that comes with living in Cootamundra, understand country people and recognise everyone has their own individual style.

They love coming to work every day and pride themselves on customer care to ensure a trip to Wrapped is a friendly and inviting experience.

Locals and visitors are encouraged to come in to chat and browse.

Customers enjoy being able to find everything they need in one location and are attracted by an excellent array of premium brands including Oran Leather – Rugged Hide, Bebe, Eve’s Sister and Ashdene.

People like the point of difference offered by Wrapped and appreciate being able to buy merchandise that is not always available in country locations.

Anne and Anna initially attended trade fairs to source stock and now work with trusted company representatives and websites.

“The internet puts us in touch with so much and we are constantly researching products and trends,” Anne says.

“People like to be able to buy something special and delight in being able to find exactly what they want without the bother of travelling to a major centre.”

The Wrapped online store is becoming increasingly popular.

Orders are processed within 24 hours and all goods are shipped with Australia Post.

Anne and Anna encourage customers to stay connected with Wrapped via social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

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

“Our stock is always changing and regulars enjoy coming in to see what’s new,” Anne says.

“Social media also allows people to be part of our weekly giveaways.”

Wrapped offers gift cards and an AfterPay instalment payment service.

As the store name implies, Anne, Anna and valued staff member Belinda Philp specialise in fantastic gift wrapping using beautiful papers and ribbons.

Anne and Anna have been friends for 20 years and met when their children were at school.

Anne has two sets of twin girls while Anna is the mother of a son and a daughter.

The children are now aged in their late teens and early 20s.

“Opening a store was something we really wanted to do together,” they say.

“We came up with the name and the concept long before we found the retail premises.” CWL

“Our stock is always changing and regulars enjoy coming in to see what’s new.”

Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Wrapped showcases a wide range of stylish and affordable merchandise and a range of local produce.

FACING PAGE: Long-time friends Anne Faulks and Anna Mullins stock a great selection of products just right for every member of the family and an extensive range of gifts suitable for all occasions.

COOTAMUNDRA CWL 47

colourful CHARACTERS Cootamundra’s Debra Williams lets her puppets do the talking.

As a little girl Debra Williams was a devoted puppet fan, staging her very first show in a wooden fruit crate outside the family home.

She was only 10 years old and never dreamt one day she would become known throughout the land as the “Puppet Lady”.

Debra and her late husband John Clewer moved to Cootamundra in 2002 after 40 years in Sydney, the Southern Highlands and the South Coast of NSW. Their first residence was in Henson Street, which always reminded her of Jim Henson, who created the Muppets on Sesame Street during the 1960s.

“I’ve always loved that show – first as a child, watching with my younger brother, and later as an adult with my daughters,” she says.

In the 1970s The Muppet Show hit the TV screens and Debra never missed an episode.

Today, most of her characters are based on family members and old friends, with “Grandma Gert” her personal favourite from the 30 or so in her repertoire.

“Every time I bring her out I’m reminded of my grandmother, who shared my birthday and virtually raised me,” she says fondly.

“Some of Gert’s clothing came from my grandma’s wardrobe before she died at the ripe old age of 98.”

Her most popular character, however, is “Tedd D. Bear”, clad in a sparkling Elvis suit. He lip syncs to the King’s music and is a big crowd pleaser.

Debra lost her husband to a brain tumour a few years ago but was determined to carry on his legacy of performing skits at country shows, church gatherings, schools and festivals.

Life moves on and the quietly spoken puppeteer found new love in the arms of retired local businessman Tony Williams.

Earlier this year, she remarried, sold her home and started the next phase of her life. Throughout it all Debra never stopped “building” her made-toorder puppets, a labour of love for nearly 30 years.

Created from felt, fabric, fur, foam rubber and dolls’ hair, her puppets, if treated kindly, last about seven years. Baby clothes fit the large people puppets.

Debra sources supplies from craft wholesalers and makes a lot of the clothes herself.

In recent years she’s run puppet-making workshops for both adults and children, where the secrets of live performance are revealed.

“Puppetry is a wonderful way of engaging the listeners and a particularly powerful story-telling tool,” she says.

These days it’s a one-woman show, with her puppets taking centre stage at a local primary school each Christmas and Easter, along with preschool story time at the local library.

“The puppets can be quite outrageous but seem to get away with it in today’s politically correct environment,” she laughs.

48 CWL COOTAMUNDRA

The loveable creatures are not the only thing in life for this creative grandmother of six. She loves art, poetry, photography, books, movies, music, gardening and sewing.

In 2015, the ABC Open Projects ran some writing workshops at the local library and Debra eagerly participated in every session. This led to the recent publication of her first children’s novel, Harriet and the Secret Rings, with another soon to follow.

“I’ve written poetry and worked with children all my life,” she says. “The puppets and book writing are simply extensions of my personality.” CWL ABOVE: Muppet queen Debra Williams loves bringing joy to children and the young at heart.

“PUPPETRY IS A WONDERFUL WAY OF ENGAGING THE LISTENERS AND A PARTICULARLY POWERFUL STORY-TELLING TOOL.”

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

ON POINTE Cootamundra’s Thomas Bradley is dancing up a storm on the international stage.

Twenty-seven-year-old Thomas Bradley has a long list of credentials, including being shortlisted for Best Male Dancer at the 2015 Australian Dance Awards.

He has also performed in Japan with the world-famous Butoh Japanese dance theatre company Sankai Juku.

Now based in Brussels, Belgium, and working with French dance company Emanuel Gat Dance, Thomas is living the dream.

When CWL caught up with him, he was in Avignon, southern France, helping develop a new dance project, Story Water, for the Festival d’Avignon, the oldest and most prestigious arts festival in Europe.

“We are working with 12 dancers and the German, improvisational music group Ensemble Modern. For this production I am dancing and designing the costumes,” he says.

A typical day starts at 10.30am with a one-hour warm-up for all the dancers – either with ballet, contemporary, yoga or Pilates – before two hours of rehearsal and choreography.

“After lunch we rehearse for another two or three hours, revising what we did in the morning and extending on those processes, hoping to exhaust the idea or discover its greatest potential.”

Thomas discovered dance through his love of music.

From the age of six he was studying music theory and playing various instruments. By the time he was 11 he was choreographing his own dance pieces before taking formal dance classes in tap, hip hop, jazz and salsa.

As a teenager he moved into contemporary dance and classical ballet.

Although he now performs on the world stage, he has never forgotten his early start in Cootamundra.

“I remember the Talent Quest at EA Southee Public School, performing at Coota Beach Volleyball and at the town hall with Chris Edwards School of Dance,” he says.

“I greatly admired the senior women around at that time, including Nadia Smith, Heather Grogan, Gabby Rose and Christine Wishart.”

After 15 months abroad, Thomas says he misses Cootamundra’s wide streets and wide variety of team sports.

“I miss most aspects of small town living, including silence, space and authentic interaction when you need it.”

In a star-studded career, Thomas says performing as a soloist with the Sydney Dance Company at the Opera House was a standout.

In recent years he has established an annual Encouragement Award for young male dancers in the Riverina and brought the Sydney Dance Company to Cootamundra for workshops with local students.

Over the next five years Thomas hopes to build on his European dancing reputation.

“I will continue investing in my own choreographic projects, particularly with Japanese artists, including a solo performance with an improvisational jazz musician.

“I’d also like to develop my costume designs for Emanuel Gat Dance into a wearable collection, complete with a short documentary film.”

Never short of ideas, Thomas also plans to host a visual arts exhibition, showcasing some of his watercolour sketches, complemented by a text he’s writing on love, death and homosexuality.

In the meantime, he is looking forward to a trip to Sydney, where he will be working with the Sydney Dance Company and making two solo performances. CWL LEFT: Thomas Bradley is dancing his way through Europe but still calls Cootamundra home.

COOTAMUNDRA CWL 49

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

bounds LEAPS AND

Christine Wishart has been encouraging young people to achieve their creative dreams for 32 years.

Sometimes affectionately called Miss Loveheart, the popular Cootamundra dance teacher is passionate about the creative art form that helps develop confidence, self-discipline, coordination, expression, musicality and social interaction.

“Teaching is an enormously fulfilling career,” Christine says.

“I love watching my students grow from babies to adults, not only in their dancing but in their minds, bodies and abilities.”

Christine grew up on a rice farm at Whitton, halfway between Leeton and Griffith, and started dance lessons as a seven-year-old.

“I went to a one-teacher school and was the only girl in my class from Kindergarten to Year 6,” she says.

“My sister and I were taken into Leeton for dance lessons so we had the opportunity to mix with other young girls.

“I was hooked on dancing from the beginning and had the opportunity to learn all genres, from ballet and tap to jazz, modern and national character.”

As Christine grew older, she danced all day on Saturdays and thrived on ballet exams and eisteddfod performances.

The shearing shed on the farm was the perfect place to practise steps and techniques.

“There was plenty of room to move and Dad fitted a ballet barre to the wall,” she says.

“Mum made all the elaborate dance costumes – she is an amazingly versatile woman who could drive headers, tractors and motor bikes, spray paint trucks, cut the rust out of a tailgate, shear, crutch, inject and mark sheep, pull lambs, ride horses, cook beautiful dishes and jams and make yummy cordials.”

Christine danced throughout high school and became an assistant dance teacher at age 14.

Dancing and teaching continued while she studied an advanced secretarial course at Leeton TAFE and after she started work as a private legal secretary for a firm of solicitors at Griffith.

She took over her teacher’s dance studio at age 19 and juggled teaching and full-time legal secretarial work for eight years, always taking holidays during the rice harvest to help her parents on the farm.

Christine had dance studios at Leeton, Griffith, Hillston, Goolgowi, Yass and Harden and kept teaching before and after the births of daughters Madison, 17, and Taylah, 13.

When the family relocated to Cootamundra 16 years ago she started teaching in a local venue before expanding into Temora and Young.

Christine’s studios offer all genres of dance as well as gymnastics and Pilates.

“I have great people to help me and have wonderful support from my husband, John, and our daughters,” she says.

“I have a wonderful life and feel lucky to be able to do what I love.”

Christine has received two Australia Day Awards, recognising her dedication to teaching and achievement in the arts. CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

FACING PAGE: Teaching is enormously rewarding for dance teachers Christine Wishart and Kate Collingridge. The studios offer all genres of dance as well as gymnastics and Pilates.

32 years of teaching experience CLASSES IN: BALLET • TAP • JAZZ CONTEMPORARY • HIGHLAND • GYMNASTICS Students prepared for tap exams, eisteddfods, local performances and end of year concerts.

Studios in Cootamundra, Young and Temora.

The Pilates Studio – Cootamundra & Young Fully qualified pilates teacher with Polestar Pilates, a nationally recognised, government accredited and internationally renowned pilates method.

Contact Christine on 0427 782 954 | Find us on Facebook: Christine Wishart Dance Studios or The Pilates Studio Cootamundra & Young

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an eye for

DETAIL

Prolific Cootamundra painter Bob Newman is as humble as he is skilful.

It was a tough start to life for gifted Cootamundra artist Bob Newman, born in Nurse Matthews’s home in Parker Street in late 1933.

King George V reigned over the British empire, traffic lights and the Women’s Weekly made their arrival in Sydney and the Great Depression was at its height.

Bob’s father, an invalid pensioner with scarcely two bob to his name, eked out a living making sulkies and the odd wardrobe to support his wife and four children.

After leaving Cootamundra Public School at age 15, Bob commenced work as a painter and decorator before eventually teaming up with his brother, Jim, to establish Newman Brothers Painting & Signwriting in the early 1960s.

They were well known around town and never had to advertise.

Bob may well have painted houses for the rest of his life had he not been inspired to reproduce a black and white photo he’d noticed in a 1975 copy of the Sydney Morning Herald.

“The photo featured a person dragging a corpse up a hill with an old building in the background,” he says with a grin. “I left the corpse out and painted the old building.”

He sold the artwork a few days later for the princely sum of $65. After a lifetime of dabbling with sketches, Bob had finally found his true calling.

His next painting was of an old tumbledown place out at Muttama. Painting old buildings, homesteads and farm scenes would become his trademark.

In the 1980s Bob exhibited 14 paintings at a local art show, selling out in the first half hour. Despite his success, it was still tough making a living as an artist. By then, he and wife Mel, whom he’d met one night playing shuttlecock at a mate’s place, had five young children of their own.

“We survived in those early days, thanks largely to the efforts of Mel, who spent 14 years helping disabled people learn everyday skills.”

In April 2012, the town celebrated Bob’s 50 years of artwork with a four-day exhibition featuring over 400 of his paintings gathered from all corners of NSW. It was the first time Bob had seen so many of his own paintings in the one place at the one time.

“It was wonderful just reminiscing,” he says.

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

“I remembered painting each work so clearly.”

It was a huge logistical exercise, and the exhibition was the highlight of Bob’s life with over 900 visitors pouring through the Town Hall to admire his work.

A year or two later, Bob and Mel moved back to their former home in Mackay Street.

“It really is a special place,” he enthuses. “We look out onto Jubilee Park, which was once a big dam for watering the bullock teams with their heavily laden wagons.

“These houses weren’t here,” he says, pointing to his neighbours. “This is the exact spot where they turned the wagons around.”

Maybe Bob thinks about this as he continues to produce his highly sought-after acrylic masterpieces depicting life from a bygone era.

He often works well into the night, drawing inspiration from his meticulous sketchbooks, which date back to the 1950s.

His devoted wife is his most ardent supporter and strongest critic. “I just love his work,” she sighs.

“When each new painting goes out the door, a little piece of my heart goes out with them.”

When he’s not painting, Bob ducks out to his shed, where he can check his collections of oil cans, old locks and blow lamps or tinker with his old cars.

Taking pride of place is a 1974 Citroen with its unique hydraulic suspension and his 1935 Austin York, which he is restoring with son David.

On a good day he might even pull out his old guitar and strum a few chords.

“Dad used to play the banjo, mandolin and accordion at the old dance halls and shearing sheds around the place. Music was always in the family,” he says.

Holidays, however, are now a thing of the past.

“I used to enjoy my fishing trips down on the

south coast but these days am quite content staying at home looking after my wife and sitting in front of my easel with a paintbrush,” he says.

Next year Bob Newman, the unassuming artist with an incredible eye for detail, celebrates his 60th wedding anniversary. No doubt there will be a quiet celebration with family and friends.

“Everyone tells me that one day I’ll be famous but in the meantime I’ll just wait and see,” he says with typical humility. CWL

FACING PAGE: Bob Newman is a highly respected artist who has sold paintings all over the country.

ABOVE: Some of Bob’s many works; with his beloved vintage car; at work in his humble but much-loved studio.

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keeping it in the Not all families can work together but Oberon’s Mawhood family are a shining example of what can be achieved through vision and commitment.

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family

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

Brothers Ian and Warwick Mawhood run a group of supermarkets while Mark and Glen manage three small Oberon farms to supply the meat.

With established IGA supermarkets in Oberon and Grenfell, the family recently added Cootamundra to their impressive portfolio.

Running supermarkets has been in the blood since their grandfather, Shafto Mawhood, opened his first Oberon store in the early 1930s.

Shafto was a man with big dreams, arriving from England in the late 1920s. He headed for Oberon as his grandfather John Parkinson Mawhood had lived in the area during the 1850s and ‘60s before moving back to England.

Shafto married Edith Armstrong in 1933 and they had five sons. Edith died in 1945, leaving Shafto to raise the boys.

Two of his sons, John and Ray, joined Shafto in the business in 1965, which for many years included a Mitre 10 store and CGU Insurance.

In 2008 the businesses were separated to make way for the third generation of Mawhoods. The Mitre 10 component was bought by Ray’s family, while the IGA supermarket and CGU insurance agency were bought by the four brothers.

“We’ve always been a supermarket family and when the opportunity arose in Cootamundra we decided to expand our operations,” Ian says.

Warwick looks after the administration and financial side, leaving the day-to-day operation of the supermarkets and staffing to Ian. The combined supermarket and farming operations employ about 150 local staff. Ian and Warwick are both on the road each week to ensure the IGA stores are all running smoothly.

Ian is still acclimatising to Cootamundra and the additional 40-50 staff he now manages.

“It’s nerve-wracking taking over such a big business but we’re confident with our prior history that it will become another successful arm of the family operation,” he smiles.

“Nevertheless it was still daunting walking in the front door and having to learn the names of all our workers and regular customers.”

One section in the supermarket that he knows particularly well is the meat section, with beef sourced from their own Sunny Point Pastoral Company.

“The farming side came through on our mother’s side,” Ian says.

“Mum still owns the original 500-acre block, which was added to in 2010 when the adjoining property ‘Sunny Point’ was put on the market, and again in 2014 with the purchase of ‘Wilga’.”

Today the three farms total about 800ha, running between 500-600 Angus breeding cows and supplying quality beef cuts for the supermarkets.

Sunny Point Pastoral Co also supplies Angus beef to Ashcrofts Summer Centre IGA Orange and Trinity IGA Bathurst.

In Oberon the cattle are processed by Barkers Butchery and in Cootamundra by the Cootamundra Butchery with the packaged meat sold as Sunny Point Angus in the supermarkets. The Grenfell supermarket has its own in-store butcher.

Following in family footsteps There was no question what Ian Mawhood would do with his life – after leaving school in 1990 he went straight to work in the family supermarket.

Warwick completed an accounting degree before joining the team soon after.

Both brothers were introduced to the supermarket way of life from an early age, helping their parents after school and during school holidays.

The combined supermarket and farming operations employ about 150 local staff.

It is the same for the next generation. Ian and Warwick both have a teenage son and daughter who are already displaying the characteristics of fourth-generation retailers.

Ian had just returned from the Sydney Royal. The family donated an Angus steer to The Scots School, Bathurst, who prepared the steer for show.

The steer won the “champion virtual taste test” based on the MSA grading system.

“This is a fantastic result emphasising the time and effort put into the breeding program to produce first quality meat for our own consumers.”

The family have purchased about a dozen bulls from the Bongongo Angus stud, Jugiong, over the past several years.

“We feel that breeding our own cattle for our own supermarkets offers us full control over the product. It’s a win-win for all,” Ian says.

While Ian and Warwick have been involved with supermarkets all their lives, it’s only in recent years that their two younger brothers joined the family business.

Mark is a fitter machinist by trade while Glen is a diesel mechanic – very handy blokes to have on the farm. They now run the farming side of things. CWL Images: Zenio Lapka and Kelly Manwaring

ABOVE: The recently acquired Cootamundra IGA store; Ian Mawhood casts a well-trained eye over the fresh vegetable section.

FACING PAGE: The Mawhood brothers - Glen, Mark, Warwick and Ian - are a family that successfully work together.

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

FIVE MINUTES

with musician

Michael Guy Jazz player Mike Guy was born and raised in Cootamundra but now calls London home.

He tells CWL about living in one of the world’s great cities.

What have you been up to lately?

I’ve been performing at jazz clubs throughout central London at places like the Pizza Express Dean Street, Ronnie Scotts, the 606 Club and The Black Gardenia, mixed with occasional work on musical theatre shows in the West End. I also teach piano at high schools two days a week and have been working towards recording an album of original instrumental Latin jazz.

There’s also being a dad to an 18-month-old and expecting a second imminently, so plenty happening at the moment!

How does a muso from Cootamundra find himself in London?

After finishing my Music degree at Canberra School of Music, I moved to Melbourne for a couple of years. After taking a cruise ship contract as a piano player for four months in the Caribbean, I flew to London to do some travelling and ended up staying.

Describe a typical day.

My wife and I share the child-minding, so for the two days I take care of our little one, my wife works and vice versa. My teaching days are an early rise as they’re a fair distance from where we live. The UK trains are great and there’s always lots of them, so I enjoy the commute.

Weekends can be anything between totally free and jam-packed with gigs – and not just me, my wife is a professional saxophone player.

How often do you perform?

It’s quite intermittent. Some weeks I don’t perform, others it might be every day. I think my biggest week, before our child, was six or seven gigs. Nowadays that would be impossible, unless it was with someone like Sting, in which case we’d make an exception!

It sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime.

There’s plenty of performing work in London, although it takes a long time finding the right balance of paid work that is musically satisfying.

In the early years, the prospect of making a living from music was very appealing and I was very fortunate to be given some great opportunities.

What do you miss about Australia?

The dazzling natural beauty. After living in the middle of Europe’s biggest city for more than a decade, it’s nice to talk to people who live at a more relaxed pace of life – from the guy at the passport desk when you get off the plane right up to old family friends.

But the biggest one would have to be potato scallops, which somehow haven’t made it yet to the home of fish and chips! Opening a shop in London that sold just those has got to be someone’s first million!

When are you coming home?

We’re moving back to Cootamundra this winter to spend time with my parents. As any local will tell you, it’s a pretty relaxed place. If you mean moving, I’m fortunate enough to have two homes: the one I grew up in and the one I live in now.

How did your career start?

My first paid gig was at a cricket club dinner in Cootamundra Town Hall with my high school jazz band. We each got paid $37.50 and our music teacher photocopied the cheques and turned them into certificates, each one entitled “My First Paid Gig”. I still have mine stashed away in the music gear cupboard.

What do you love about Cootamundra?

After living in a place like London that is constantly changing, it’s a privilege returning to a hometown that really hasn’t changed that much.

It’s not just the streets and buildings. Last time we visited, I ran into two of my primary school teachers who looked almost exactly the same as when I was at primary school! Must be something in the air! CWL

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hello

YELLOW

All roads lead to Cootamundra during Wattle Time.

Every August at the emergence of the first iconic wattle bloom, the region comes together with a month of Wattle Time events, culminating in the staging of the Wattle Time Fair and Community Street Parade.

The street parade features floats from community groups, businesses, antique cars and much more.

The fair incorporates all things home, garden and leisure and is a great day out for the entire family, featuring market stalls, delicious food, face painting, vintage car displays, entertainment, mascots, free community cake, children’s rides and activities plus much more.

The Wattle Time Fair is held at Fisher Park, Cootamundra, from 9am to 4pm on the last Saturday in August. CWL

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a friend indeed The name Smith & Rinkin is synonymous with compassion and professionalism.

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

Smith & Rinkin Funeral Directors have been proudly assisting and serving the Cootamundra community since 1875.

The respected business is privileged to offer guidance and support to mourning families.

With high professional standards and a wealth of experience, manager Bruce Smith and his compassionate staff carry out their duties in a subtle, respectful and dignified manner.

“Smith & Rinkin offer all types of funerals, from cremations to burials,” Bruce says.

“We provide a one-stop service with a modern mortuary, chapel, viewing room and in-house florist. We are also registered for pre-paid funerals.

“Our aim is to make the process of arranging a funeral as simple and easy as possible. We have a solid grounding in culturally diverse funerals and families are comforted by our ability to handle all possible requests.”

Trading under various names for 143 years, the funeral parlour started as a sideline for a local carpentry and building firm.

As was the norm in those early days, timber truck bodies, French polished furniture and coffins were produced in the same location.

The business trained apprentices and was renowned for its fine work and elegant horsedrawn hearse. The first motorised funeral vehicle in Cootamundra was purchased in 1925.

The name Smith & Rinkin came into being in the mid-1940s, under the ownership of Reg Rinkin and Roy Smith. Roy had been working with the firm for more than 20 years.

The funeral and carpentry enterprises continued to operate together until 1975 when Jim Sullivan purchased the business and decided to concentrate on providing quality funerals in Cootamundra and surrounding towns.

Reg Rinkin stayed with Jim for seven years, providing important continuity to the community.

Jim was respected as a funeral director due to his humble attitude and immense empathy for grieving families. He was a pillar of the community for many years, serving in Rotary and other voluntary organisations.

The name Smith & Rinkin came into being in the mid-1940s, under the ownership of Reg Rinkin and Roy Smith.

When Jim retired in 2006, Smith & Rinkin was sold to Stephen and Marie Cooke, a couple with a wealth of experience in the funeral industry. Involved in the leadership of the NSW Funeral Directors’ Association, they were aware of changes in the industry and helped fellow funeral directors adapt to new products, procedures and expectations.

Bruce Smith became the manager of the funeral home. With more than 25 years’ experience conducting and arranging funerals in the city and the country, he was honoured to continue and expand the high level of service offered by Smith & Rinkin.

Bruce and his wife Judy treat the business as their own and strive to provide quality service that is second to none.

“We are proud to offer the public respect, care and support by listening, planning and personalising services according to personal wishes,” Bruce says.

“The traditions of Smith & Rinkin will continue well into the future.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

FACING PAGE: Bruce and Judy Smith and their staff aim to make the process of arranging a funeral as simple and easy as possible.

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the GOOD life The team at Ron Loiterton Real Estate happily admit to being biased about their classic country town celebrated for its golden blooms of wattle and significance as the birthplace of cricketing legend Sir Don Bradman.

With more than 80 years’ combined experience in real estate, company principals Daryl Sedgwick, David Moore and Di McCarthy are well qualified to speak about the great opportunities Cootamundra has to offer.

“We love being part of the town and encourage our staff to be actively involved in the community,” Daryl says.

“The people who relocate here are the biggest ambassadors and they appreciate much more than affordable housing and the friendly, nurturing environment.

“Cootamundra enjoys great health, educational, business and sporting services as well as a rich cultural life enhanced by the Cootamundra Arts Centre, which

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offers a great program of exhibitions, live music performance, plays, cabaret, movies and workshops.

“The Cootamundra Wattle Festival is supported by the whole town every August, and in February a number of streets are blocked off and covered with sand for the Coota Beach volleyball championships, which attract more than 150 teams.’’

Daryl says people coming to the town marvel at the range of sporting facilities and the ease of getting from one venue to another in five minutes.

“Children can safely walk to school and be involved in a whole range of after-school and weekend activities,” he says.

“They can participate in everything from Aussie rules, rugby league, netball, rugby union and cricket to dancing and martial arts.

“We have an Olympic swimming pool as well as a 25-metre heated pool and it is easy to walk from town to the golf course.

“Our health services are impressive with a good range of doctors and a hospital with an operating theatre and maternity facilities, allowing mothers to have their babies locally.

“The community owns a 61-bed nursing home, offering a high standard of care, and a lovely retirement village, independently owned and managed.

“Cootamundra has three primary schools and two high schools, government department offices and good business and industry activity.

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

“Transport is another plus as the town is an interchange for coach services and on the Sydney to Melbourne railway line.”

Daryl says real estate prices start at around $150,000 for a tidy two-bedroom home on a 900-square-metre block.

At the other end of the market, buyers can expect to pay between $400,000 and $500,000 for a 1920s brick residence sympathetically renovated to showcase period architectural features including ornate ceilings, beautiful timberwork and wide hallways.

For people looking for a rural lifestyle, two-hectare (five-acre) blocks with a renovated house can be purchased for $340,000. Larger 16-hectare (40-acre) holdings sell for around the $500,000 mark.

“The majority of rural properties front sealed roads and have town water connections,” Daryl says.

“Cootamundra has a good range of housing, catering for everyone from first-home buyers and families to downsizers and retirees.

“The town offers sound investment opportunities and at Ron Loiterton Real Estate we have well over 300 quality properties under management with quality tenants.”

The real estate agency dates back to 1892 and has been situated on the main corner in Cootamundra for more than 50 years.

“We have eight people on staff and maintain strong relationships with all schools in Cootamundra and district. We are also involved in community and sporting organisations, and with a particular emphasis on junior sport, provide support through monetary donations and sponsorships.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka and Kelly Manwaring

FACING PAGE: The happy team at Ron Loiteron Real Estate, from left, David Moore, Dannielle Phillips, Di McCarthy, Daryl Sedgwick, Joanne Hall, Liz Mullavey, Iona Derrick.

Seated, Joan Collins.

ABOVE: The real estate agency has been a landmark in Cootamundra for more than 50 years.

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COMMITMENT SET IN

CONCRETE

Coota Concrete is a hive of activity with the whir of tumbling bowls and moving trucks.

It’s been an exciting 10 months for directors Mick Minehan and James Graham after purchasing the well-known plant at 1 Gundagai Road, supplying pre-mix concrete for local and regional building and infrastructure projects.

“We’re enjoying the challenge of growing the business and assisting our clients achieve their individual construction projects,” Mick says.

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Mick and James first met more than 30 years ago and developed a strong friendship based on similar values stemming from family, farming and football.

Back then, they never imagined decades later they would be off on a new adventure.

Mick grew up on a farm at Nubba (within the Wallendbeen, Wombat, Harden triangle).

ABOVE: Mick Minehan and James Graham love living and working in country NSW.

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

Throughout a 30-year career in the road construction industry, he worked in concrete plants on major projects including the Hume and Pacific highways, M7 and M2 motorways in Sydney and the five-lane expressway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

James grew up on his family’s diversified farm on the banks of the beautiful Murrumbidgee River at Coolac.

After completing a Farm Management degree at Orange Agricultural College, he returned to live and work extensively at “Eulonga”.

In 2007, when the dual carriageway bypassed Coolac, the family further developed their existing quarry.

Over the past decade, having a passion for sand and a sound business sense, James has seen the enterprise evolve into a major quarry in southern NSW. “We’ve worked hard to achieve a number of really good blends with our products and have been able to expand into a variety of markets,” James says.

Eulonga Quarries supplies fine sand, coarse sand and river rock to businesses across the state.

Sand from Eulonga is used in the reconstruction of golf course fairways and greens, and to resurface major sporting fields, including Canberra Stadium and Manuka Oval in Canberra.

In 2017, with years of experience in their particular fields, Mick and James jumped at the opportunity to establish Coota Concrete.

“The Eulonga sand and rock range is ideal for concreting so it made a lot of sense to go into business with James,” Mick says.

After early discussions, James had a straightforward philosophy: “We want to consistently supply a quality concrete product with terrific service.”

With three concrete agitators as part of their fleet and a great team of local drivers, Coota Concrete supplies products in and around Cootamundra and delivers to surrounding areas including Coolac, Jugiong, Harden, Wallendbeen, Wombat, Stockinbingal, Illabo and Bethungra.

“We supply concrete for everything from kerb and guttering and local government works to stock yards and house and shed slabs,” Mick says.

“The days go quickly but there’s always something interesting happening with people calling in for information or bookings.

“For both of us, living and working in country NSW is part of who we are.

“It’s great to see the town evolve and people supporting each other’s businesses. We’re proud to be playing a role as the region moves forward and are keen to carry on the history of the plant and to keep it ticking on into the future.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka and Kristielle Gibbons

Mick and James first met more than 30 years ago and developed a strong friendship based on similar values stemming from family, farming and football.

ABOVE: With three concrete agitators as part of their fleet and a great team of local drivers, Coota Concrete supplies products to a wide area.

Supplying: • Pre-Mix Concrete • Aggregates/Sand • Concrete Blocks • Crusher Dust Contact: Mick Minehan accounts@cootaconcrete.com.au

1 Gundagai Road, Cootamundra NSW 2590

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well-rounded

education An enthusiastic and dedicated team of teachers offers an impressive range of programs at Cootamundra High School.

Established in 1955 with the motto of Knowledge and Courage, Cootamundra High School does much more than educate, principal Dale Rands says.

“We are the only comprehensive secondary school in Cootamundra, and an important part of our role is to equip every one of our students for their futures, whether that be entering the workforce, engaging in further training or heading into tertiary education.

“Everything that happens in our school revolves around the core values of respect, responsibility and excellence. Our aim is to give students the skills and confidence to make the correct choices in their lives.”

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In the past five years, a significant amount of money has been spent on upgrading school buildings, refurbishing the library to 21st century standards and creating a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and construction workshop.

“We have a strong school-based apprenticeship and traineeship program and excellent connections with local businesses and TAFE, including a comprehensive work experience program, which is quite an accomplishment in a town of about 6000,” Dale says.

“The school offers a comprehensive curriculum for Years 11 and 12 and, given the size of our senior cohort, we offer a large range of subjects.

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

“Resources are allocated to maintain face-to-face teaching, even if only three or four students select a subject.

“Staff volunteer their time to run after-school tutoring sessions in the library for Year 10, 11 and 12 students.

“Our Shine and Strength programs promote confidence and self-awareness for both boys and girls.

“Funding has also been directed into a lunchtime program called The Workshop, which allows students to spend supervised time in the industrial arts area working on a variety of practical projects.”

Cootamundra High has strong academic, sporting and cultural programs. A new link has been created with the Sydneybased Matriark Theatre to run free drama and arts workshops with students.

The program gives country students access to opportunities their metropolitan counterparts take for granted.

The school has directed additional funds to the music program, and the school band has been reformed.

“We actively follow the Department of Education’s gifted and talented program and try to give our students as many extracurricular challenges as possible,” Dale says.

“We have an area dedicated to enhance STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) programs and have also allocated a room as an Aboriginal resources centre.

“The school has a special education unit with two full-time multi-categorical classes to support students with specific needs.

Cattle showing, animal husbandry and plant propagation are important parts of the Agriculture program and the school team participates in a number of agricultural shows.

Comprehensive access to sports programs enables students to participate in local and state events, with many students progressing to higher level representation.

“Students engage in a variety of external events including engineering schools, university visits, career expos and STEM camps that complement the students’ day to day curriculum,” Dale says.

“We also have strong links with our partner primary schools.

Year advisers facilitate comprehensive transition programs designed to help students as they move from Year 6 into Year 7.

“Cootamundra High is an integral part of the community and students are involved in all local events. Parent involvement is crucial and the school has a small but strong P and C that is dedicated to supporting the students.” CWL Images: Zenio Lapka and Carmen Hickey

FACING PAGE: Claire Sellars, Shelby Nicka, Dale Rands, Oliver Litchfield and Wayne Parker.

ABOVE: Olivia Hamilton and Kaede Nicka participate in an agricultural show; past students Mitchell Holmes, Brianna Edwards, Emily Webb, Jayden Sutton and Josh Davis in the state-of-the-art commercial kitchen; Emily Potter in the construction workshop; students have comprehensive access to sports programs; drama students Azelyn Collins (past student), Bethany Whitechurch, Breanna Logue and Jane Smith.

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

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

Gundagai TOWN FE ATURE WORDS & IMAGES: SHOT BY JAKE

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THE STUFF OF LEGEND Gundagai is a town built on character and charm.

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

saluting an

ICON When Gundagai crops up in conversation, most of us immediately think of the famous song that begins “There’s a track winding back . . .” while conjuring images of that iconic dog sitting faithfully on a tuckerbox.

Today, the Dog on the Tuckerbox is a historical monument and major tourist attraction at Snake Gully, five miles from Gundagai.

Why has this dog become such an icon for the town?

Like most early folklore, the exact origins of the Dog on the Tuckerbox are clouded in mystery, uncertainty and controversy. But its origins certainly lie in the Australian bush and those courageous early pioneers who headed south and west from Sydney during the 1830s.

These were hard and hazardous times, with supplies and stores transported by bullock wagons along makeshift tracks over rough and difficult terrain. Facing water crossings, floods and inclement weather, many a “bullocky” was forced to either wait or seek help when teams became stranded or bogged.

If the bullock driver was forced to leave his team and seek help, his dog would guard his master’s possessions while he was away.

A popular spot for fresh water was Five Mile Creek.

Over a campfire the bullockies recited ditties and rhymes picked up on their travels. On occasion they penned a few lines of poetry to pass the time while waiting for the river level to fall at crossings.

It is generally accepted that the story of the dog on the tuckerbox originated as a bullocky complaining about his dog that “shat” in his tuckerbox (a box that holds food, similar to a lunchbox, but larger).

The poem was written by an otherwise unknown poet who used the pen name Bowyang Yorke. It was first printed in 1857.

A later poem, Nine Miles from Gundagai, was penned by Jack Moses, who drew on the poem for

inspiration before it was seen in publications during the 1920s. The poem proved very popular in cities and the bush and provided the inspiration for the statue.

When one reads the tone of the original poem, it is easy to see why the word “shat” was changed to “sat” and “buggar” to “begger” when Jack wrote a booklet, Beyond the City Gates, in 1923.

It’s not so easy to understand why he changed “Five Mile Creek” to “nine miles from Gundagai”.

The story was further embellished in later versions by the bullocky having died and that the dog waited on the tuckerbox for the rest of its life for its master to return.

The famous statue of the Dog on the Tuckerbox was built by Gundagai stonemason and sculptor Frank Rusconi and unveiled in 1932 by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons as a tribute to the early pioneers.

Before arriving in Australia, Frank worked on the marble stairway in Westminster Abbey and the altar of Saint Marie’s Cathedral in Paris. It is ironic that his statue of a dog became his best-known work.

He did, however, leave another lasting legacy to the town, namely a miniature cathedral created over 28 years with 20,948 individual pieces of marble – each piece was cut, turned and polished by hand.

This amazing work of art can be viewed at the Gundagai Tourist and Visitor Information Centre.

Only in Australia could a dog that fouled the food of our early settlers become immortalised in stone and become one of our most famous icons.

The dog and its many songs and poems have helped put Gundagai firmly on the world map. CWL

The famous statue of the Dog on the Tuckerbox was built by Gundagai stonemason and sculptor Frank Rusconi.

ABOVE: The Dog on the Tuckerbox has helped put Gundagai on the map.

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CROSS purposes

Gundagai’s bridges link the past and present and contribute significantly to the town’s identity.

Bridges have played a vital role in Gundagai’s history, with four spanning the Murrumbidgee River – the Prince Alfred Bridge, the timber railway bridge and the dual Sheahan Bridges of the Hume Highway.

Following the devastating floods in the 1850s, the Prince Alfred Bridge was built over the flood plain to ensure future flooding wouldn’t cut the vital road link connecting Sydney and Melbourne.

The bridge, named after Queen Victoria’s second son who was visiting Australia at the time, was completed in 1896 on the original crossing used by early explorers, settlers taking up new grazing land and diggers on their way to the Ballarat gold fields.

Measuring 921 metres with 76 timber trestles, the bridge was the grandest in the colony. It remained the longest bridge in NSW until 1932 when the Sydney Harbour Bridge was completed.

The bridge served motorists for 80 years until the Sheahan Bridge, constructed just over a kilometre downstream, was finished in 1976.

In 1979, Gundagai Historic Bridges Inc became trustee and the Prince Alfred Bridge is now managed as a ruin and a treasured Gundagai icon.

The other famous bridge is the railway bridge, completed in 1902 when the branch

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railway line from Cootamundra to Gundagai was extended to Tumut.

Gundagai Historic Bridges Inc president Mason Crane says both bridges are more than just engineering marvels.

“The bridges are part of the town’s identity and a significant tourist attraction, perhaps even more so than the Dog on the Tuckerbox,” he says.

“Prince Alfred Bridge was going to be knocked down but the locals fought against it and that’s when our group started. Today there are six on the committee but many of the town’s residents have helped out at various stages.

“Unless a miracle happens we can never rebuild it but we are looking at ways of restoring it, so visitors can at least walk over one end of it.”

The railway bridge is in much better condition than the road bridge and easier to maintain.

“We’re looking at repurposing it as a rail trail, enabling locals and visitors to walk or cycle over it, similar to operations in Canada and New Zealand,” he says.

A study commissioned by the council estimates an upgrade would cost $19 million, the same price as an intersection on the Newell Highway in Dubbo.

“It’s a big cost but what price do you put on heritage and on saving one of the last

wooden structures of this magnitude in the world. We think it will generate tourism for the town and prove a good investment.”

Mason has always been fascinated by Gundagai’s history and has been attending meetings since his university days.

“These days Gundagai is a nice liveable town without all the trucks but the bypass, one of the first on the Hume Highway, had a huge impact on the local economy,” he says.

“Gundagai had to find its own identity and part of that is the significance of our bridges.” CWL ABOVE: The iconic Prince Alfred Bridge; a steam engine on the old rail bridge in the early 20th century; president of the Gundagai Historic Bridges Mason Crane.

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

the right direction

Any visit to Gundagai should start at the Visitor Information Centre.

Helpful staff at the Visitor Information Centre are more than happy to direct you to Gundagai’s little secrets.

The town boasts so much history, much of it attributed to the lifeblood of the town, the Murrumbidgee River, which flows nearby.

There’s bushranging history, and stories of the early settlers and the bullock team wagons leading to the early settlers opening up untapped grazing country.

A walk down the revamped main street is a must.

At the end you will find the revamped train station, historic post office and museum, which must be seen to be fully appreciated.

The historic bridges are never far from view. The disastrous 1852 flood wiped out the original settlement and killed more than a third of the locals in one of the biggest natural disasters in Australian history.

In the main street you’ll find a statue dedicated to Wiradjuri heroes Yari and Jacky Jacky, who saved dozens of lives that fateful night in their bark canoe.

Today the bridges, stretching in majestic fashion across the flood plains, attract visitors from all over the country.

Have a refreshing drink or meal in one of the town’s pubs and cafes. Visit an upper floor dedicated to the historic photos of Dr Gabriel taken over a century ago.

View the old courthouse, St Patrick’s Catholic Church and the Old Gundagai Gaol, where bushranger Captain Moonlite was once an inmate.

Best of all, soak in the ambience of a good old country town that, thanks to countless songs and catchy poems, remains forever in our psyche. CWL

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: A statue of Yari and Jacky Jacky who saved many lives during the catastrophic 1852 floods; Frank Rusconi’s marble masterpiece; Steele Rudd’s famous “Snake Gully” characters Dad, Dave, Mum and Mabel.

The life-size copper sculptures created

by Aurel Ragus greet visitors to the Visitor Information Centre; some of the thousands of pieces in the museum; the Gundagai Museum.

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when time

stood still A very special photographic collection continues to shed light on life in Gundagai around the turn of the 20th century.

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

When an Englishman with one leg hobbled into Gundagai in 1898, the local doctor could never have envisaged the chain of events that would somehow link them together half a century later.

Apart from having the same Christian name, they shared little in common. One made bread and the other saved lives but through a strange twist of fate, their surnames are now enshrined in Gundagai folklore.

The master baker and pastry cook was Charles Butcher, while the good doctor was Charles Louis Gabriel, a keen amateur photographer who would one day be credited as the mastermind behind one of the greatest private collections of historical photographs in the country.

His fame, however, wouldn’t happen in his own lifetime – and came about in the most unexpected fashion.

We’ll start with Charles Butcher, who set up a bustling bakery in South Gundagai, a central meeting place for the thousands of travellers passing through on their way to the goldfields and Melbourne.

He became good friends with his namesake through a shared interest in reading and medicine, while serving as chairman of the Gundagai hospital board.

His son, Cliff Butcher OAM, stayed on in town, becoming an accountant after topping his exams at university in Sydney.

After the war he bought a building in the main street to run his practice.

Cliff was a shrewd businessman, opening a store next to his practice to sell groceries, giftware and hardware. Within a decade he needed to expand and in 1955 bought additional premises for his supermarket expansion (now IGA).

One day, while cleaning out the cellar of the new grocery store, Cliff stumbled upon the find of the century: 1000 neatly stacked glass plates depicting life in Gundagai at the turn of the 20th century.

They had been carefully placed in the cool environment by Dr Gabriel and gathered dust for decades. The good doctor had no children and when his wife left him there were no traceable relatives.

“As a schoolboy I remember finding, among other things, a foot preserved in a glass bottle not far from the boxes of plates,” Cliff’s son Robert recalls.

The appendage may have been big news in the school playground but it was the priceless glass plates dating from 1895 to 1906 that would impact the entire family.

In the early 1970s, Cliff, a keen historian, contacted the National Library of Australia and told them of his discovery, including camera equipment from Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, whose brother practised with Dr Gabriel in the early 1900s.

Wearing protective gloves, the excited visitors examined each 4 x 5 inch plate, choosing about half of them to take to the library. Later they returned a slide, negative and print of each one, which would form the basis of the gallery.

Dr Gabriel’s visual record of the late 1800s and early 1900s provides a fascinating account and documentary history of the time – transport, dress, pastimes, streetscapes and countryside.

Photographs in the collection include events such as the flood of 1900, the opening of the new hospital in 1904, travellers at the railway station, as well as sporting activities such as tennis, fishing and golf. > RIGHT: Robert and Jessica Butcher take great pride in Dr Gabriel’s collection; photos printed from the glass plates bring the energy of Gundagai’s early days back to life.

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Robert and wife Jessica have sold all their other businesses to concentrate on their latest project, their shop, Butcher Roberts Garden, Gallery, Gifts and the upstairs gallery.

– BUTCHER ROBERTS – Established in 1946, we offer an eclectic mix of garden products, plants and pots, BBQs and outdoor settings, giftware and homewares, plus a unique collection of 19th Century photographs from the Gabriel gallery.

MONDAY – FRIDAY 9:00am – 5:00pm

SATURDAY

9:00am – 12:00pm

177 Sheridan Street, Gundagai (02) 6944 1722 www.butcherrobertsgundagai.com.au

The National Library staged an exhibition, enlarging many of the glass plates into large posters, all of which have found their way back to Gundagai.

The discovery of the plates was likened to another find in a Chatswood garden shed in 1951, leading to the cherished Holtermann Collection.

“After the Holtermann Collection, Dr Gabriel’s photographs were regarded as the next best depiction of life in a late 19th century country town,” Robert says.

It doesn’t stop there. Many years ago a friend offered Cliff a number of historic 16mm films found in the old Shire Chambers.

The films, which were stuck together, were dispatched to the National Film Archive in Canberra for repair and the results sent back in digital format.

What the films contained was astounding, including dramatic footage of returned WW1 soldiers marching up Sheridan Street.

Other snippets included noted sculptor Frank Rusconi (famous for the Dog on the Tuckerbox and his marble chapel in the Gundagai Information Centre) and songwriter Jack O’Hagan, who wrote the immortal song Along The Road To Gundagai.

All this history and what to do with it!

“Like my father, we were so busy making a living (Robert also became an accountant) and raising our families that it was only in our latter years we’ve been able to devote ourselves to the project,” Robert says.

Cliff died at age 93 in 2002, a few months after publishing a 286-page book on the definitive history of the town, Gundagai, A Track Winding Back.

“The collection and all the history Dad accumulated over his lifetime was what made him want to get up in the morning,” Robert says. “He lived in Gundagai all his life and loved the town.”

Cliff thought long and hard about donating his sizeable collection to the town but there were no suitable premises to adequately display the work.

In the end the collection was put in the upstairs section of the shop next door to his old accounting offices. Forty years later, it is still there, admired by hundreds of visitors each year who pay a small donation for the privilege of seeing life in the good old days.

Robert and wife Jessica have sold all their other businesses to concentrate on their latest project, their shop, Butcher Roberts Garden, Gallery, Gifts and the upstairs gallery.

Employing 10 local staff, the shop is an eclectic mix of old and new, with a range of garden supplies, homewares, electrical goods and giftware.

The Butchers recently introduced furniture and garden settings made from recycled timber, built by a retired local.

Their three children – a Hong Kong lawyer, an executive director of the Macquarie Bank in New York and a daughter in Gundagai – along with their three grandchildren will muster next year for Robert and Jessica’s 50th wedding anniversary.

In many ways, the Butcher family, who have lived and prospered in Gundagai for 120 years, have carved their own history.

It seems quite fitting they would be the ones to not only discover Dr Gabriel’s extraordinary gift but share his legacy for future generations. CWL

@butcherroberts ABOVE: Cheryl Lynch, Jessica Butcher and Michelle Scott in the front of Butcher Roberts.

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

read all about it As the only full-time journalist at the Gundagai Independent, Helen Castles just loves spreading the news.

In 2012, Helen Castles fell into her job after calling the Gundagai Independent’s editor to see if there were any vacant positions.

As luck would have it, the paper’s reporter was leaving for Alaska.

Six years later, she is still there, publishing two papers each week.

“It’s a privilege writing the local paper and having people trust me with their stories,” Helen says.

“I think every one of us has a story to tell, even if that person doesn’t think so themselves. I remember my editor once telling me that I get to write history every week – and that’s very true.”

Like most jobs, there are good days and others she’d rather forget. Deadlines can be hell.

There are days when Helen can’t wait to get into the office and others when she has sat at her desk and cried.

“I’ve missed stories because I can’t be everywhere at the same time. I’ve written half-hearted stories because I’ve run out of

time but also sat up until 3am and worked many weekends when I wasn’t meant to,” she says.

“There have been heartbreaking, difficult and often controversial stories, where I’ve tried to keep everyone happy, and there have been stories that I’ve truly loved writing.”

Helen says while her phone is never off, she loathes technology but has accepted that it’s all part and parcel of her career.

“It’s hard to switch off from the news.

Nobody tells you that it takes over your life,” she laughs.

“The paper shuts down for a couple of weeks over Christmas and when it does, it’s hard to relax, to curb that part of you that still wants to chase news.”

The Independent boasts a long and distinguished history, especially under the iconic reign of the late Patrick “Scoop” Sullivan.

In 2013, the legendary editor was awarded an OAM for services to journalism and the Gundagai community.

“I’m very aware of the huge responsibility I have being at the helm of the paper,” Helen says. “Having strong community support makes it a lot easier.”

Although she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Psychology and English Literature, she admits to “doing nothing with it” for almost two decades.

She’s now making up for lost time, having written her first children’s novel about a teenage newspaper editor, due for release next year.

She also dabbles in screenwriting and has had three short films produced but admits working at the paper is her proudest achievement.

“Gundagai means so much to me and not just because I’ve lived here most of my life.

My heart’s in this town because of the people I’ve met and become good friends with due to my Independent connections.” CWL ABOVE: Gundagai Independent’s roving journo and photographer, Helen Castles.

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WHAT A

wonderful WORLD Farmer Jim Hamilton has found his place in the sun as a sought-after metal sculptor.

They don’t call Jim Hamilton the “Clever Farmer” for nothing. When he isn’t managing his cattle on “Bongalong”, Muttama, Jim utilises his welding skills to produce agapanthus that look so authentic even the bees are confused.

It’s a painstaking job, with artistic wife Cathy painting the 180 tips of each one.

In the past two years they’ve proved popular with gardeners with more than 1200 finding new homes in Australian backyards.

The successful venture started after their move to “Bongalong” in 2014. Jim figured it was time to devote more attention to his wife but Cathy wasn’t having a bar of it. “You have a welder and a shed, let’s get creative,” she urged him.

Hence “Nature in Metal” was born, starting with leftover building materials to construct the first agapanthus.

Cathy was so impressed with hubby’s abilities she posted a photo on Instagram.

It was spotted by the curator of the “Artisans in the Garden” project, staged at The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney for emerging sculptors.

Cathy told them he was “merely a farmer who enjoyed a spot of welding” and they all laughed. They weren’t laughing when Jim finished as the most successful exhibitor, selling everything he’d piled into his ute while taking orders for another 70 agapanthus.

During the height of the sales frenzy, the organisers sent out a call for Jim but couldn’t remember his name. “Where is that clever farmer,” they called – and the name stuck. > RIGHT: Talented artist Cathy Hamilton brings animals to life.

FACING PAGE: “The Clever Farmer” Jim Hamilton with some of his brightly coloured agapanthus.

“Where is that clever farmer,” they called – and the name stuck.

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

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Now his moniker is known throughout the land with sales to England, America and New Zealand. His range of sculptures has grown to include fountains, lights and bespoke garden pieces.

“The problem with many rustic pieces is that they deteriorate over time, which is why we make the majority of our range with marine grade stainless steel,” Jim says.

The farm is a long way from his idyllic childhood in Mosman, overlooking Balmoral Beach.

Growing up, Jim often visited their farm in Scone, which was sold in the early 1980s and is now owned by social commentator Phillip Adams.

In 2000 he fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a land owner himself, running a prime lamb and Hereford enterprise on “Silverwood”, Rugby.

Fifteen years later, with both their children ensconced in Sydney – Alexandra, a fashion designer and Sam, in finance – they were thinking about downsizing.

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By chance they found “Bongalong”, located midway between Gundagai and Cootamundra, on the internet.

Boasting a magnificent homestead, sheds, stables, yards and stunning landscaped gardens, they knew immediately they’d found their dream lifestyle property.

In its heyday, “Bongalong” was a big station covering 50,000ha but by the time the Hamiltons took up ownership it had been whittled down to a neat 50ha of fertile and picturesque Muttama creek flats.

Jim recently purchased a small adjoining property, used for his breeding and steer fattening enterprises. Central to everything is the homestead, adjacent to the old railway line connecting Cootamundra and Tumut.

The railway siding is still there, a former lifeline to the community, providing a twice daily service to move livestock and wool while receiving milk, mail, newspapers and supplies.

The first four rooms of the historic homestead were built in 1865 featuring

15-foot ceilings. It was further extended in the early 1900s.

When the Hamiltons arrived it was dark and solemn but with prior experience on their Rugby homestead, the enterprising pair soon set to work with cosmetic renovations, moving doors and remodelling.

Today it’s the perfect place for Cathy to indulge in her passion for pencil drawing.

Cathy has been drawing and painting since she was a child. In her Sydney days she owned a ceramic art studio, teaching and taking fellow artists on art tours to Spain, Portugal and Italy.

During her time in Rugby she developed breast cancer and devised a bucket list.

Number one on her list was to stage a solo art exhibition in Sydney. Tick. > CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The amazing fountains that Jim creates; the brightly renovated kitchen; the lounge room with marble fireplace; the old Bongalong rail siding; Jim on the abandoned platform.

RIGHT: The eye-catching entrance to “Bongalong” homestead; the gardens explode in colour during spring.

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

Bongalong boasts a magnificent homestead, sheds, stables, yards and stunning landscaped gardens.

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“When we moved here I was fortunate to rekindle my love of art at the Cootamundra Arts Centre, where I attended some of the regular art classes,� she says.

She now makes cards, prints and gift tags, sold at boutique art shops throughout the country.

At the moment her big thing is creating pencil pet portraits. The venture has taken off following exposure on Instagram and attendance at local markets.

Life is good but love is better. Jim’s parents met in the middle of the ocean, when his future mother, complaining of a headache, sought help from the ship’s medico, Dr Sam Hamilton.

Cathy first fell in love with Jim as a teenager and is now into her 35th year of marriage. One day Alexandra dreams of getting married in the stunning grounds of “Bongalong�.

No doubt there will be plenty of freshly painted agapanthus when that day arrives. CWL

RIGHT: Jim’s creations graze on the lawn; some of Cathy’s art works.

Cathy Hamilton Artworks Pencil Artist

Nature in Metal GARDEN ART & SCULPTURES

Portraits

Made from Marine Grade Stainless Steel COOTAMUNDRA, NSW

Cootamundra, NSW Phone: 0418 246 080 Email: natureinmetal@gmail.com

Follow on Instagram:

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cathyhamilton_bongalong www.natureinmetal.com.au

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

Gordon Lindley contributed much to the project as a member of the Main Street Liaison Committee, Main Street Arts and Stories Committee and the Yarri Sculpture Committee.

Community gem Aunty Sonia Piper gives the Welcome to Country.

The Gundagai main street precinct reflects a classy new upgrade; the official party: Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke, Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council Deputy Mayor Dennis Palmer, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council Mayor Abb McAlister.

street cred

Gundagai’s main street has scrubbed up beautifully, much to the delight of the town’s hardworking community.

For more than three decades, many community-minded people shared a dream to see Gundagai’s Sheridan Street undergo a new lease of life through a main street upgrade.

That long-held dream became a reality when residents and visitors lined the footpath for the official opening of a spectacular new main street on April 27.

It took three years of hard, dedicated construction work and $5 million for the vision to be realised. Four million was funded by ratepayers, the rest from the Federal Government.

Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Riverina Michael McCormack was instrumental in helping to secure the federal funding and returned along the road to Gundagai to officially open the new main street precinct.

He said the project would surely cement Gundagai’s name as one of the greatest towns in NSW. Abb McAlister was mayor of Gundagai Shire Council when the long-awaited project was given the green light. Now Mayor of Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council, a very proud Abb said one of Gundagai’s greatest strengths was that the whole community shared concerns about keeping the town’s identity and unique heritage alive and strong.

“I stand here as a member of this community today, looking at what we have achieved together and I’m sure you all feel as proud of this main street as I do.” CWL Words and images: Helen Castles

The 7th Gundagai Light Horse Troop’s Ron Dowell swoops in to cut the ribbon.

Tim Ryan makes the perfect town crier.

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country calling It took the sprawling “Darbalara� homestead near Gundagai to convince David and Jade Scholes to forgo their exciting Sydney lifestyle and start afresh in the country.

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

Their current project is bringing the old 1850s coach house back to life as a stunning country B&B.

When the historic property came on the market in 2014 with its five bedrooms, three bathrooms and grand ballroom, all with impressive 16-foot ceilings, David and Jade Scholes knew they’d found the perfect excuse to reconnect with their country roots.

The homestead, once the bustling headquarters of one of Australia’s biggest company-run dairying operations, was sold with 60ha of prime alluvial river country and panoramic views to the ever-flowing Tumut River.

So how did it happen? Their Sydney life was picture-perfect, renovating a federation home in Hunters Hill, running busy schedules and settling down to married life.

They were looking for a hobby farm within a two-hour radius of Sydney when David stumbled across “Darbalara” on the internet.

“It was then I realised I was a frustrated gardener and needed more space,” Jade laughs as she shows me around the historic homestead, some of it dating back to 1853.

Despite initial fears it was too far from home, David and Jade inspected the property and were blown away. After a nervewracking auction they secured the front door keys and settled into a blur of activity for the next 12 months.

The sale of their Sydney home netted enough to cover the cost of the farm with a bit left over to buy a new tractor, stock the property and carry out restorations.

Thankfully, the hard yards had been done by the previous owners, the Graham and Makeham families, who transformed the derelict homestead into the showpiece of today. It was a mighty effort, considering that cattle, until 20 years ago, had been strolling though the elegant ballroom.

After taking over, David and Jade improved the irrigation system, renovated the kitchen, repainted the rooms and exterior, reinstalled closed fireplaces and replaced carpets.

They built a chook house, cattle yards, machinery shed and new boundary fencing. Their current project is bringing the old 1850s coach house back to life as a stunning country B&B. “It was virtually only weeks away from collapsing and we felt we really had to preserve such an iconic piece of history,” Jade says.

When finished, it will feature an open-plan upstairs with bedroom, lounge room, kitchen and fireplace.

An old claw-footed bath will take pride of place on the lower level, surrounded by a fully landscaped garden complete with fire pit to enjoy the glorious sunsets. One section has been set aside as a creative workshop for classes.

The ambitious pair hope to attract a range of painters, weavers, preservers and photographers to share their skills with both locals and visitors over one- and two-day workshops.

Early days

David spent an idyllic childhood on the famous AA Company’s Goonoo Goonoo station, Tamworth, which his father Rob, an RAAF rear gunner in a bombing squadron during WW2, managed from 1968-78.

After school, he became a stock and station agent, working for a large wool firm in Melbourne. By age 21, he was managing an agency in Omeo, later building and managing a motel on the Forbes golf course. After a stint with Elders, Young, he started his own agency in Orange, specialising in fine Merino wool.

The 1990s market crash saw David relocate to Sydney, auctioning real estate under a new banner, Auction Works.

These days he auctioneers about 1600 properties a year in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, often selling up to 40 a day. Last year he sold a Coles Supermarket for $36 million and in two days knocked down $240 million of investment properties.

After 25 years of selling tens of thousands of investment and commercial properties, he believes the best attributes for any auctioneer are an understanding of the game and a connection with the buyers.

“We created the first online auction platform for real estate in Australia. It was a big change but the next logical progression in this high-tech day and age,” he says. > FACING PAGE: The “Darbalara” homestead represents a new country beginning for the Scholes family; David and Jade with daughter Ivy; there are many fine spots for outdoor entertainment.

ABOVE: David and Jade Scholes are adjusting well to their new country lifestyle; the wide verandah serves many useful purposes; the old coach house is their latest project.

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“People can quite comfortably exit the Sydney rat race and still enjoy all the benefits of country living without the stress.”

Although he recently sold the business, David is still under contract for a further three years, meaning many miles of travel around the country.

“We wanted to move south of Sydney, not just because it is some of the best country in the state but it’s far safer travelling on dualcarriage highways like the Hume,” he says.

Although Sydney born and bred, Jade spent most of her school holidays on her grandmother’s orange orchard near Griffith. Her grandparents had migrated from Italy in the 1940s and the selfconfessed “tomboy” easily slotted into farm life.

Jade was particularly close to her nonna, and her visits were divided between the garden and the kitchen. “We grew our own tomatoes and made pasta sauce, butchered our own pigs for salami and grew our own olives for preserving,” she says.

After school, she studied Fine Arts, majoring in photography, but she was side-tracked halfway through her degree and was offered a job in the booming IT industry of the late 1990s.

After completing a Masters of Business Technology (MBT) at the University of NSW, Jade returned to Italy for another year, soaking up the language, food, culture and stunning countryside.

With renewed passion, she abandoned the corporate world and returned to her creative pursuits of graphic design work in one of Sydney’s largest commercial galleries.

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Her life changed dramatically after meeting David at a mutual friend’s birthday party nine years ago. They hit it off immediately and have been inseparable ever since.

“People can quite comfortably exit the Sydney rat race and still enjoy all the benefits of country living without the stress,” she says.

“People like Jock Graham are bringing improvements to internet connections, which makes it possible for businesses to be run successfully from afar.”

David is focused on his 60-strong Angus herd, improving the property and contract auctioneering while Jade is busy with daughter Ivy and formulating her own exciting plans for “Darbalara”.

Now that they have settled into their new home, David and Jade are looking forward to the next chapter in their busy lives: raising their child in an iconic country home and becoming part of the close-knit Gundagai community. CWL

ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The remodelled kitchen; the former grand ballroom retains its elegance; the master bedroom; the bathroom.

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

Jane Crichton with her delicious Seed, Food With Love range of goodies.

Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser Bianca Brady with a donation of 65 roses.

The Yard Studio’s beautiful stall featuring art works, flowers and gift ideas.

popped up

Back in 1965 a four-year-old heard the name of his disease for the first time and pronounced Cystic Fibrosis as “65 Roses” it is a term often still used by young children with CF to pronounce the name of their disease.

AT KIMO

Kimo Estate, Gundagai, will host the 13th annual Popped Up fair on November 22, supporting Cystic Fibrosis.

It all started when event organiser Erica Beggs set up a day when people could meet over a picnic in the garden and perhaps do some shopping for Christmas.

“It’s been amazing to raise funds and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis, which is close to home with friends in the district with a child with Cystic Fibrosis,” Erica says.

“Every year it just gets better and better and I can’t begin to describe the expression on people’s faces when they arrive and catch up with friends they haven’t seen for a while. It really is just a beautiful day out, where everyone is welcome and the quality of the stalls is of such a high standard.”

Erica, a mother of four, says community interest from the wider district has always been strong and the event continues to grow and prosper.

Starting with 25 stalls 13 years ago, Erica says some 80 stallholders have been invited to attend this year’s event.

They have been carefully selected to provide variety for the visitors and to make it a unique day out. Offerings include those from the Birdsnest (from Cooma), children’s wear, adult wear, kitchen items and much more.

Lunch by Sarah King from The Ten Mile, Holbrook, will be available and a number of gourmet offerings and coffee vans will also be on site. “We usually get over 500 people attending so we always make sure they are well catered for,” Erica says.

“The focus of the day is drawing attention to Cystic Fibrosis while giving people a venue for socialising and shopping.”

Inquiries regarding the day can be made to Erica Beggs on 0407 293 684. CWL

Event organiser Erica Beggs and Bianca Brady.

VISIT

GUNDAGAI

NSW, AUSTRALIA

Gundagai Visitors Information Centre 249 Sheridan Street, Gundagai Ph: 69440250

www.visitgundagai.com.au

Cootamundra

Cootamundra Visitors Information Centre Located in the Cootamundra Heritage Centre, Railway Complex, Hovell Street Cootamundra Ph: 0269402190

www.cgrc.nsw.gov.au GUNDAGAI CWL 85

FAMILY SUCCESS STORY The Barton family has built a phenomenally successful meat-processing business on the principles of delivering on time, delivering on budget and delivering to specifications.

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When Fred Barton started his butcher’s apprenticeship in South Gundagai after WW1 he could scarcely have envisaged his family one day running a business that processes more than 600,000 lambs each year.

Fred’s sons and Gundagai Meat Processors (GMP) directors Bill and Tony Barton have witnessed phenomenal change to the original slaughterhouse built on family land in 1974.

From a small operation processing 10 to 15 cattle and 100 lambs per week, they’ve gone on to secure exclusive supply contracts with Coles supermarkets, processing in excess of 2500 lambs a day for 250 days of the year.

It’s a big family business that’s growing even bigger. Within the next few years the Barton family aims to process 4000 a day or a million lambs each year. They’ve been exporting chilled lamb to various parts of the world for some time but are now hoping to tap into the lucrative American market.

Tony admits it was an inauspicious beginning. After leaving school at 16 he worked on the family property, “The Junction”, Gundagai.

“I was instructed to grab a hoe and chip Bathurst burrs. After three or four hours I was thinking I’d made a big mistake,” he laughs.

Tony stayed on for another 50 years. He is still passionate about farming but these days no longer turns up for lamb-marking, and the weeds, well they’re still there.

It seems a lifetime ago when the Bartons decided the local butchers could all benefit from a small local slaughterhouse. Bill says he never anticipated it would develop into the sheer scale of today’s operations.

“When we started with five or six blokes 40 odd years ago, it was as big a gamble, in financial terms, as to what we have now,” he says.

For the past four years the brothers have left the day-to-day running of the abattoir to Bill’s son, Will, leaving more time for their racehorses, family and personal pursuits.

Bill and wife Mary Anne have five children, while Tony and Barbara have a further four. As they were growing up, they all worked in some capacity in the family business, with Will the only one involved in the current operation.

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

The charismatic CEO is a third-generation Gundagai meat man. After completing his education at Riverview, Lane Cove, Will spent a decade in corporate agribusiness in Melbourne and Sydney before moving back to Gundagai with wife Carla, where their now three-year-old twin sons, Lachlan and Harrison, were born.

“There was no expectation, no rite of passage, no free kicks,” Will says. “It was always based on merit.”

Will is a natural leader with broad shoulders and a sound knowledge of the operation.

“I’m in my early 30s and attend meetings with men more than double my age. I feel quite fortunate that my father and uncle have trusted me to make my own way, to guide the growth and development of the business,” he says proudly.

“There are many farmers telling woeful stories of not letting go of the chequebook till their sons are in their 50s. Fortunately, that was not my case.”

Will says the business works on three main principles: deliver on time, deliver on

budget and deliver to specifications. And the business aims to do that, every day.

“We own four farms totalling 4500 acres.

The lambs we generate from them would be enough to keep our abattoir running for a little over one day,” he says as he gives me the guided tour.

“Ninety-five per cent of our lamb goes direct to Coles, who buy the livestock and send them to us for processing. We bag, weigh and label various cuts before they are distributed through most Australian states.” >

FACING PAGE: Will Barton flanked by his father Bill and uncle Tony.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Fred Barton and staff in his Gundagai butcher’s shop in the 1950s; an aerial shot of the facility; Gundagai Meat Processors CEO Will Barton has brought a new energy to the business; the original slaughter yards where Tony and Bill Barton worked in the 1970s.

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“WE OWN FOUR FARMS TOTALLING 4500 ACRES. THE LAMBS WE GENERATE FROM THEM WOULD BE ENOUGH TO KEEP OUR ABATTOIR RUNNING FOR A LITTLE OVER ONE DAY.” They are all supermarket quality lambs – mostly second cross lambs, supplied by hundreds of top Riverina producers.

Returning to Gundagai wasn’t just a big leap of faith for Will, but also for Carla, the property manager for the Barton Group.

The family own the Gresham Hotel, an old pub since converted into staff accommodation with 21 rooms. Then there’s the Bank, formerly the State Bank, and several houses. Carla has project managed the renovation of the properties and now looks after just under 100 tenants.

The move to the bush made sound economic sense. It wasn’t hard moving from a tiny one-bedroom apartment in Surry Hills to a beautiful home on four acres overlooking Gundagai’s river flats, the township and highway – for about half the price.

“The median house price in Gundagai is four to nine times the median salary, while in

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Sydney that figure is 16.5 times. This makes a town like Gundagai very affordable,” Will says.

After 15 years in Sydney real estate, Carla admits the tree change initially had its moments but she now couldn’t be happier.

“Sydney real estate is so desperately expensive that many families are relocating to the country, bringing with them the things they miss in large metropolitan centres,” she says. “Now we’re seeing trendy new shops and more sophisticated dining options. It only gets better.”

Will agrees. “I’d been away from the business for 10 years but the family have welcomed me home. We have a succession plan and we’ve all been encouraged to follow our dreams.”

There are no doubts that Will and Carla were meant for each other. They met one morning in Sydney, had dinner and drinks that evening and have been inseparable ever since.

As for the men who started it all, when they’re not counting sheep in their sleep, Bill loves his golf (with a single-figure handicap) while Tony enjoys painting and art. For the record, Tony’s favourite dish is lamb shoulder, cooked for seven hours at 150 degrees.

The Barton men are all practical thinkers who have created a world-class facility with lots of hard work, research and commitment. They all admit they couldn’t have achieved such success without the endless support of their wives.

Fred Barton, the humble butcher who taught them so much 50 years ago, would have been proud. CWL

ABOVE: Carla and Will Barton have their hands full with their cheeky three-year-old twin sons Lachlan and Harrison.

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

for the love of

the game James Smart puts as much into his beloved game of rugby league as what he gets out of it. And it is universally accepted that his contribution is immense.

Rugby league has united Gundagai since 1921 when the Gundagai Tigers first appeared on the scene.

In recent years the Tigers have roared to life, becoming one of the most competitive clubs in the 10-strong competition.

Many have put the resurgence down to one young man who loves the game as much as life itself.

James Smart, or “PJ” to his mates, started playing at age seven and still has a burning passion for the game 20 years later.

After playing with the Penrith Under 18s and the Cronulla and Canberra Under 20s, he saw his chances of playing the game at the top level slipping away.

“I was never lightning fast on the field and failed to impress the Sydney selectors,” he says with a twinge of regret.

“I gave it my best shot. After three seasons chasing the dream I realised I wasn’t getting ahead financially and decided to head home.”

Aged just 21, James became the Tigers captain/coach in 2011. His relentless energy and driving passion steered them to a grand final in his inaugural year.

After losing that one, and another two years later, James moved to Wollongong where he landed a dream job with the NRL as game development officer for southwest NSW. Part of his job is visiting schools throughout the Riverina to extol the virtues of the game.

“Rugby league is often made out to be a gladiator type sport with big athletes but the game at junior level is nothing like that. It’s my job to let the kids know the benefits of playing in a team sport.”

He knows first-hand the enjoyment of mateship and working within a team environment.

“Playing in a team can set you up with lifelong friends while footy itself is a great way to maintain fitness. It’s a tough game and if you want to do well you need to be fit and ready.”

In 2015, while developing new skills off the field, the revitalised Tigers finally snapped the premiership drought under the command of Cameron Woo. “Having lost many previous grand finals, the club was starting to get a stigma attached to it. It was great to finally get the monkey off our back and have a win.”

James returned once more as captain/coach in 2016, suffering another two crushing consecutive grand final losses.

The current team is hungrier than ever and putting in the hard yards.

James has switched to fullback after a lifetime playing in the halves, driving home from Wagga Wagga to train with the squad on Tuesdays and Fridays before the Sunday game.

“Every year we’re getting stronger. We’ve got a committed squad with a strong reserve grade and under 18s team. These blokes put their hand up to play for their town. It’s a great effort for a little place like Gundagai.”

The Tumut Blues, being so close, are their arch-rivals while South City (Wagga Wagga), who snatched three grand finals from them, are another team they like to beat.

Nearly everybody in town supports the team, from major sponsor the Services Club, to Mayor Abb McAlister, the farming community and local business houses.

James’s parents, Brian and Lauren Smart, and older brother Scott have been staunch supporters since day one.

Brian and Scott are both former players who understand the sacrifice and hard work that goes into creating a formidable team.

Club stalwart Joe Reardon, born 97 years ago when the club was established, personifies the strong club spirit.

Beginning after the war, Joe served as gatekeeper at Anzac Park, volunteering his time for more than 60 years.

“Standing at the gate when you could be inside the fence watching the footy is a pretty selfless task. It’s people like him that keep the club going,” James says.

In the meantime, the coach says he loves coming home to Gundagai to enjoy quality family time while lacing up the boots for his local club.

“I’m just so lucky to have been brought up in a town that really embraces the game.”

James says he used to be a massive Roosters fan, in awe of the skills of Brad Fittler.

“After he retired I kind of lost interest. When it comes down to it, my support lies 100 per cent with the Gundagai Tigers.”

He’s hoping that 2018 will be remembered as the year when the Tigers, under his leadership, roared into premiership history. CWL

ABOVE: Captain/coach of the Gundagai Tigers James “PJ” Smart has a strong and proud history with the club.

GUNDAGAI CWL 89

NO AVERAGE JOE

Gundagai’s rich history is all in the head of the town’s favourite son, Joe Reardon OAM.

Living legend Joe Reardon OAM has called Gundagai home for almost a century and there’s not much he doesn’t know about its history and people. The Reardons have been in Gundagai since the 1850s, with three generations calling the town home.

Throughout his long life, Joe has been a model citizen, still behind the wheel of his car, living in the same home he built nearly 70 years ago and, even more remarkably, still serving the community he loves.

This endearing old-timer, soon to turn 98, says it’s all about living simply, eating sensibly and maintaining a strong Catholic faith. And, he insists, having a steady wife and companion. He certainly got that part right, with wife Gladys supporting him daily through 67 years of marriage.

I first spotted Joe at the gate leading into the Gundagai races but never suspected the bespectacled gentleman in the hat had been the gatekeeper since 1938, selling racing guides and welcoming punters to the races.

It’s a record that few, if any, could lay claim to. But there’s a whole lot more.

He’s been on the gate of the Gundagai Show and Anzac Park for more than six decades, 50 years with the historical society, local elections and the town’s flood warnings, 34 years with council and about 10 years with the cricket and golf clubs.

Joe has also been a Justice of the Peace for a staggering 73 years.

“I was always a convenient choice for anybody needing something signed because people always knew where to find me – either at the footy, the races or the show.” He is now the longest serving JP in NSW, if not the country.

“I have handled public money all my life – over the years probably millions of dollars and never lost a cent,” he says proudly.

Standing in his socks at five foot three, and weighing in at 68kg – a weight he has steadfastly maintained since he was 18 – Joe reckons he was “too small to be a man but too big to be a jockey”.

He is wrong on the first count. He may be pint-sized but Joe Reardon makes up for that with a big heart, passion and dedication to the job at hand.

In the beginning

Harold Joseph Reardon came into the world on January 9, 1921, at the Gundagai Maternity Hospital, a few months before the formation of his beloved Gundagai Tigers football club. Billy Hughes was running the country and King George V was at the helm of the British Empire.

He grew up in a house on the edge of town with his four brothers and three sisters. His mother, Margaret, was a kind-hearted soul who would give her last loaf of bread to anybody in need, especially the swaggies who dropped by during the Depression.

His father, Harold, loved horses and at one stage used a draught horse and dray to assist the Deptartment of Main Roads in building some of the road cuttings around Gundagai.

“He always rode his horse to town for a beer after a long day at work. At the end of the session, my father was quite inebriated and relied on the horse, more like a guide dog, to get him home.”

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He was one of the town’s last gold miners and had the rights to dig the old mine shaft located on the block where Joe lives.

“He and a mate took turns at digging. On one occasion the pump failed and before we could get him out the water had risen to his neck. We used the windlass to pull him out in the bucket before he went under,” Joe recalls.

Growing up in the 1920s was full of joy, despite the primitive and often tough conditions. Joe recalls sleeping with his brothers in one room, often sharing one bed with an old, hard kapok mattress.

“We were close-knit, happy and content with our lot. Although we were poor as church mice we lacked for nothing. We made our own fun playing cricket, exploring the creek, catching yabbies and chasing tadpoles, rolling tyres down the hill and playing hopscotch with the kids from town.”

A regular visitor was one great aunt who always smoked a pipe.

Joe had one puff and it turned him off smoking for the rest of his life. And not a drop of alcohol has ever touched his lips.

Young Joe excelled at arithmetic, English and religion – all subjects that guided him throughout his life.

“I really hated castor oil as a kid but Mother believed it was the best medicine for almost everything. For a time we would eat dirt and she always made us swallow the God-awful stuff.”

The family had a dairy farm near their home and Joe was milking cows by age four. “My parents milked about 40 cows with Father delivering the milk to town. For a while he was the local milkman and filled the cans the locals left out overnight,” he says.

“Dad went away shearing for several months of the year, leaving us kids to help Mother with the milking. We’d separate the rich cream using a separator (still in his shed today) and delivered the cream by sulky to the Gundagai railway station before it was railed to the Tumut Butter Factory.”

Joe started his education when he was seven, walking three kilometres to school and back every day with his siblings. He couldn’t afford shoes and walked barefoot. The boys helped the nuns cut firewood and pump water from the wells.

Young Joe excelled at arithmetic, English and religion – all subjects that guided him throughout his life.

He was caned on the odd occasion but was generally a wellbehaved student apart from the time he got the entire class to hide from their teacher. As punishment he had to write 100 lines for a week: “We must not hide in the cupboards”.

Joe was a fast runner and was encouraged by a mate to play football, which his father had outlawed. He played only one game, scoring three tries in 10 minutes. His father found out and after coming home from the pub flogged him with a razor strap. > FACING PAGE: Joe and Gladys Reardon outside their home.

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

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Joe Reardon has built his life on the great and eternal foundations of family, health and friendships.

That was the end of his football career but it led to a fascination with bicycles, his mode of transport for the next 30 odd years.

Often he’d help his neighbour build haystacks, with pitchforks used to hoist the hay into high, steeply sided stacks. Sundays, however, were reserved for church, the family walking together in rain, hail or shine. (In 1977 Joe became a Catholic Acolyte at St Patrick’s Church, which became a lifetime commitment. He was still a regular visitor to the church in his 90s, delivering religion and local history lessons to the students.)

In 1938 he scored his first job with the Pastoral Protection Board as a clerk, eventually earning 12 and sixpence a week (about $1.25). In those days, long before the invention of calculators, he manually worked out all the fees. A grasshopper plague brought in the Noxious Insects Rates and Joe’s job involved invoicing all the farmers for their stock – and in those days there were hundreds of thousands of sheep.

In 1941 he enlisted with the Australian Military Forces but for once his health was questioned. The Medical Board in Sydney decided he couldn’t serve his country with eight ingrown toenails and Joe was discharged as medically unfit 26 days later.

He returned to work as a clerk with stock and station agent Leo Boyton. When he wasn’t bogged down with bookwork, Joe took great delight in maintaining the dance floors in the Gundagai church halls.

“I used my push bike to drag a box laden with bricks on top of a hessian bag repeatedly over the kerosene-soaked sawdust. This provided the floor with a high shine and a very fast surface for dancing.”

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For many years he partnered the young lasses at the debutante balls. He was a keen dancer, and loved the Jazz Waltz, Foxtrot, the Progressive Barn Dance and the Pride of Erin, where he had the opportunity to dance with all the girls on the floor.

Joe was a workaholic and single, often working into the late hours to catch up with the heavy workload. In 1949 the family purchased a seven-acre block on Jones Creek, a stone’s throw from where he grew up, with an old cottage built in the late 1800s. They retained the original two brick rooms and built a four-bedroom residence. “Erinvale” would be his home for the next 68 years.

In the backyard there was a huge pit originally dug out for making bricks. It took 16 long years to fill in, with Joe becoming a conservationist and waste recycler long before it became fashionable. Garbage, old cars, local rubble and various other items were placed in the pit.

He met wife Gladys Cheney, a prize-winning golfer, when she was working on the local telephone exchange, leading to their marriage in 1951, with 240 guests in attendance.

A year later he joined the Gundagai Shire Council as an office clerk, earning 13 pound two and sixpence ($26) per week. There was never a dull moment. In 1981 a mystery caller asked him if he had lost a dog – the famous Dog on the Tuckerbox had been kidnapped and deposited at the University of Canberra.

Joe is one of the few locals who remembers the official unveiling back in 1932 as premier JA Lyons performed the honours. He was there at the 50th anniversary celebrations in 1982 and again for the 75th in 2007.

Joe was an active member of the museum since its inception in the 1970s. In 1982 he was in charge of a three-mile long street procession commemorating 50 years of the Dog on the Tuckerbox.

The resulting funds enabled the building of the museum.

“At an early age I became acutely aware of the floods and droughts that affected the farming community,” he says. Joe witnessed his first major flood in 1931, which led him to becoming the Flood Warning Officer from 1940-1990.

During his early years at council, Joe was still riding his bike to work. When he and Gladys had their two children, Mark and Cathy, they were thrown into special seats on the back and carted everywhere.

When he was 40 Joe finally upgraded to four wheels with a 1947 eight-cylinder Ford Mercury.

He retired from council in 1986 after 33 years to concentrate on community projects. In 2011 Joe and Gladys celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with their children, seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

For a man who has seen so much, I am curious to know his favourite attraction in town.

“Without doubt that would be Frank Rusconi’s marble masterpiece. He worked on it for decades before finishing it in 1938, using 21,000 individual pieces of marble.”

Like Frank, Joe Reardon’s efforts in the town will never be forgotten.

Gundagai’s much-loved senior statesman has been judged Citizen of the Year and been awarded the sweetest accolade of them all, the Governor General’s Order of Australia Medal for a lifetime’s service to the Gundagai community.

Joe Reardon has built his life on the great and eternal foundations of family, health and friendships.

“We’ve lived a long, peaceful life in Gundagai and it’s just been wonderful,” he says with conviction. “Who knows, I might even have a beer when I hit the ton and see what I’ve been missing out on all these years.” CWL

TOP LEFT: An early family shot; Joe is still driving in his late 90s; Joe and Gladys have been a formidable team for 67 years.

FROM THE

GROUND UP ArcScape Landscape Services has everything it takes to make your outdoors great.

Working outdoors was always going to be on the cards for Jeremy Pearce, who spends his days transforming spaces and making visions a reality.

Raised on a farm at Adelong, Jeremy gained a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Canberra before moving into the landscape construction industry as a project manager.

After establishing ArcScape Landscape Services in Sydney, he relocated the business to Gundagai.

Working throughout the Riverina, Jeremy and his team offer a full range of residential and commercial landscape services, from paving, turfing and planting, to retaining walls, irrigation and decking. Maintenance services are also provided to keep gardens in top shape year round.

“I am more at home working in a garden than sitting behind a desk designing one,” Jeremy says.

“My qualifications have given me a great understanding of the fundamentals of landscape design and construction. I am happy to work to plans or help clients develop the ideas they may already have in their mind.

“Today, gardens are viewed as an extension of the home and people like to have indoor/outdoor spaces for living and entertaining.

“Decks create extra space and when covered with a roof can be used at almost any time of the year.

“Paving, paths and solid walls can add texture, colour and layering to a garden. A well set-up irrigation system can deliver the right amount of water to keep things looking good.”

Jeremy understands the temperature extremes of the Riverina region and the importance of water conservation. He is well equipped to advise clients on how to keep their gardens looking good with climate-friendly plants and turf.

A close working relationship with a select group of plant suppliers ensures quality every time.

ArcScape works on small and large-scale projects, from sweeping park-like gardens on rural properties to smaller spaces in the middle of town.

Jeremy Pearce, Gundagai E: jeremy@arcscape.com.au

www.arcscape.com.au

“Professional landscape design and construction is about meeting the needs of clients and creating environments that look attractive in any season,” Jeremy says.

“At ArcScape we pride ourselves on building effective relationships and delivering outstanding service. We have the expertise and attention to detail, the right equipment and a trusted supplier network.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Jeremy Pearce prides himself on building effective relationships with customers and understanding and delivering on their individual needs; the ArcScape team work on small and large-scale projects throughout the Riverina.

Servicing your outdoor living needs

Offering the full range of residential and commercial landscape services – paving, turfing, planting, irrigation, retaining wall and deck construction, and garden maintenance.

GUNDAGAI CWL 93

well BRED Reiland’s Angus herd is a measure of quality and progress.

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“Sale oh, sale-oh,” cries guest auctioneer Michael Glasser as he kicks off the annual Reiland bull sale in Gundagai.

Less than two hours later, 51 young Angus bulls have sold to a top of $26,000 for a record $8480 average – up nearly $1000 on the previous year and almost double the result of five years ago.

Co-principal Mark Lucas couldn’t be happier, especially considering the dry conditions leading up to the sale.

The result is an affirmation that the 46-year-old stud is breeding the right genetics for the savvy cattle producers of today.

Among the repeat buyers in attendance are Graham and Judy Houston, who run a 2000 strong commercial Angus herd on Burrowye Station on the banks of the Murray River, east of Wodonga.

Trading as Houston Pastoral Co, the pair have invested in Reiland genetics since 1990, purchasing their 100th bull last year.

This time round they parted with nearly $150,000 for 13 herdimprovers for an average $11,270. Their progeny will be sold as feeder steers to leading beef supplier JBS Australia. > 1. The annual Reiland bull sale drew a big crowd of buyers.

2. The Reiland staff all smiles after the auction.

3. Co-principal Mark Lucas predicts a bright future for the Angus breed.

4. Josh, Mel and Jamie Elworthy, Gundagai.

5. Ian Clarke, “Neuchatel Park”, Jingellic, has been buying Reiland bulls for the past two decades.

6. Larry Casey with daughters Maddi and Annika, Adelong, with Matthew Reynolds and his son Jarrod, Grahamstown near Adelong.

7. Reiland stud principals Mark and Harry Lucas, wives Anna and Jan and family matriarch Eileen Lucas.

8. Repeat buyers Michael Reynolds, “Yaven Creek”, Adelong, and Liam Murphy, Orange.

9. Livestock manager Kerry Ellison.

10. Reiland staff, Roman Gaudzinski, Huw and Sam Lucas.

11. Local grazier Michael Piper, “Avenix”, Brungle.

12. Graham and Judy Houston, Burrowye Station, east of Wodonga.

13. Brungle residents Shirley Piper and Bronwyn Hartshorn.

14. Astute property manager Harry Lucas.

15. Guest auctioneer Michael Glasser.

16. Alexander and Jo-Ann Strong, Tiana Park Angus, Jugiong, and Elaine Mason, Julong Partnership, Tumorrama.

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Today there are 1500 registered and commercial cows, with about 220 bulls sold privately and at auctions each spring and autumn.

After a long, hectic day, the tight-knit Reiland team unwind with a beer. Their celebrations, however, will be short-lived. In the next 10 days they will truck the bulls to new homes throughout southern NSW and Victoria as well as crutching and drenching before lambing.

“It’s all part of the Reiland service,” Mark says. “Delivering the bulls ourselves provides a healthy interaction with our buyers while ensuring their transition to a new environment is as smooth and comfortable as possible.”

RAPID EXPANSION

The stud was established in Moss Vale by parents Roland and Eileen Lucas in 1972.

“In those days Angus were not the flavour of the month and our cattle were often referred to as ‘little black pigs’,” Mark says with a wry grin.

“Dad selected the bigger framed Angus out of what was on offer at that time and we hung in there for decades until the breed found its prominence in the beef industry.”

Reiland was one of the early herds to adopt EBVs (Estimated Breeding Values) to select superior growth, fertility and production cattle.

The herd expanded rapidly in the late 1990s when the family relocated to the undulating country of Gundagai-Tumut in the south-west slopes.

Today there are 1500 registered and commercial cows, with about 220 bulls sold privately and at auctions each spring and autumn.

No expense has been spared in the herd’s development. Careful blending of American and New Zealand bloodlines ensures enterprise profitability combined with constitution and genetic diversity in the livestock.

Over the past five years the stud has sent live heifers on a plane to Mongolia and China.

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

“On the flip side, we are one of the few studs to recently import new maternal bloodlines into the Australian gene pool, working closely with NZ stud stock specialist Kevin Ryan for over 40 years,” Mark says.

“In the last three years we’ve flushed two Kahurau (NZ) cows and have implanted embryos. The first of these offspring will be offered in Autumn 2019.

“As stud breeders we are custodians of the breed. That’s why we wanted to bring some cows in with different bloodlines to keep our genetic diversity on track.”

The stud targets Angus cattle with growth and strong constitution, with the flexibility to finish to both grass-fed and feedlot specifications.

A FAMILY BUSINESS

Matriarch Eileen Lucas has witnessed many changes over half a century of breeding and never misses a sale. Until five years ago, the 90-year-old maintained all the records and accounts.

She is proud to see a third generation continue the family business over 3000ha of prime grazing country.

Harry Lucas and wife Jan reside on Killimicat Station, where the sale is conducted. Harry is an astute property manager, responsible for the staff, pastures, cropping, silage and program maintenance.

He is ably assisted by livestock manager Kerry Ellison. Sons, Huw and Sam, work on the farm with Roman Gaudzinski while daughter Jessie Reynolds helps Mel Elworthy in the office.

Mark and wife Anna operate from “Moreton Park” closer to town, while middle-aged cows and calves are run on higher elevation country at “Eurabbie”.

While his credentials as a highly respected stud breeder cannot be disputed, Mark is an equally gifted agronomist of 35 years’ experience, spending the bulk of his time as a consultant in southern NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.

“If you want to define my role, it’s right at the top and right at the bottom,” he laughs.

At the top end he is the architect of the Reiland genetic programs, including the artificial breeding (AI) and embryo transfer (ET) work.

It’s a lot of extra work but pays dividends. All the 18-month ET sale bulls, weighing in at a healthy 750kg, made $5000 more than the overall average.

Sale topper was a son of Reiland Hilary, with Hilary himself a leading sire – semen rights previously sold to Whangara Angus, New Zealand.

“Our point of difference is that we believe in keeping Angus cattle that retain the resilience to cope with harsh conditions,” Mark says.

“There’s no figure for that but it’s called constitution. We need animals that can tolerate tough conditions and rear a good calf to ensure profitability.”

The Lucas family are proud of their past and equally optimistic about the future.

“There’s no question the Angus breed will continue to dominate the Australian beef industry for decades to come,” Mark says as he heads off on his next assignment. CWL FACING PAGE: Angus bulls are everywhere; Mark and Anna Lucas operate from “Moreton Park”, Gundagai.

RE I

US G

D AN N LA

CARCASE WITHOUT COMPROMISE

SPRING BULL SALE & ELITE REGISTERED COW SALE FRIDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER 2018 Autumn Bull Sale - April 2019 • Private Treaty Bull Sale - May 2019

Reiland Angus Beef Genetics was established in 1972 with the view of supplying the beef industry with cattle that thrive in all environments.

Conversion of pasture to quality beef is the targeted outcome whilst maintaining a breeding cow economically and profitably through her productive life.

THE LUCAS FAMILY, GUNDAGAI NSW Mark: 0428 693 585 E: info@reilandangus.com.au

REILANDANGUS.COM.AU

GUNDAGAI CWL 97

HERE to STAY Elders Rural Services continues to shape Australia’s rural business landscape.

In the early 1900s the iconic company forged its footprint in Gundagai, a historic farming area that is renowned as some of the finest grazing country in Australia.

To this day, Elders Gundagai is still a thriving business within the town, offering all aspects of service from livestock expertise and marketing to rural and residential real estate sales.

It’s the go-to place for all rural merchandise, including fencing materials, drench and super phosphate.

It is the one-stop shop for local producers.

“Our staff have the attitude that service and reliability is everything. Anything you want or need, they will always endeavour to supply,” says Mayor and branch manager Abb McAlister, an agent for nearly 37 years.

Being two local products of Gundagai, Abb and business partner Jim Saunderson have witnessed tremendous change within the industry. Abb and Jim franchised the Elders business in 1993, selling back to Elders in 2016.

With local people and producers working within the branch – Dan McDonnell (merchandise manager), David Elworthy (agronomist) and Tim Smith (merchandise sales) – the boys in the merchandise sector pride themselves on being in tune with local producers and the struggles of the season along with it.

“The Gundagai district has a reputation as a strong prime lamb and cattle area,” Abb says. “The town is very fortunate to have the local abattoir, which processes thousands of lambs each day.”

Elders Gundagai’s major weaner sale is held each June, and has done so for 77 years, with local breeders offering up to 4000 head.

In the morning they conduct the Abingdon Angus Weaner sale, with traditionally 1200 weaners sold on the property.

Their biggest stud client is Bongongo Angus, where Elders sell upwards of 170 bulls at two sales each year.

Elders also conduct the Valley Vista Poll Dorset ram sale, offering 180 rams every October.

With 10 dedicated staff members, ranging from young guns to others who have served the company well for many years, Elders Gundagai has experience and clout.

“It’s very gratifying seeing the calibre of young blokes like Jake Smith and Harrison Daley join our team,” Abb says. “They are the progressive new blood for agencies like ours.

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

“The game has changed dramatically since I started, especially new technology and innovative ways of selling.”

“The game has changed dramatically since I started, especially new technology and innovative ways of selling. These young men have grasped it and are running with it.”

Jake Smith was raised on the land before starting his career with Elders four years ago. He’s just purchased a small property on the edge of town and aims to be a licensed agent for years to come.

“There are so many options available to farmers when it comes to marketing their livestock,” Jake says. “Auctions Plus is a great new avenue, especially for store stock. We sell at all the major selling centres, the closest being Wagga Wagga and Yass.”

Harrison Daley, 18, comes from a small farm on the Murrumbidgee River. He recently joined Elders,

enjoys working in a team environment and loves the agency game.

Justin Oakenfull, Inverell, is here for three months on a training program, while accountant Ross Tout has been with the team for 18 years.

“It’s a great set-up with good bosses and a great community,” he says.

Abb believes an integral part of the Elders Gundagai team are the two super-efficient office workers, Vicki O’Hehir and Angie Schultz, who have a wealth of rural and local knowledge.

Many staff have been with Abb a long time, with some going well back into the McAlister Saunderson days.

With 180 years of agribusiness knowledge, experience and advice, you can always rely on the team from Elders. CWL

FACING PAGE: Elders Gundagai branch manager Abb McAlister.

ABOVE: Dan McDonnell, Justin Oakenfull, Harrison Daley, Jake Smith, branch manager Abb McAlister, Ross Tout, Tim Smith and David Elworthy; Angie Schultz and Vicki O’Hehir; it’s hard to miss the Elders Gundagai branch; Elders at work in the saleyards.

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

artistic

LICENCE

Contemporary Australian theatre pioneer Peter Batey OAM is clearly a man who likes to think outside the square. Throughout his stellar career in the arts he has not been afraid to buck the system.

The project closest to Peter Batey’s heart is the Bald Archy Prize, a spin-off from that “other” portraiture prize at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney. This enigmatic 85-year-old is more than happy to discuss his legacy over a mandatory glass of red in his old Coolac schoolhouse.

He says he ended up in the quaint country village – it has a population of no more than 47 souls, give or take a few itinerant shearers – after “cracking a serious wobbly” in Sydney 38 years ago.

During his first four years in the bush, he ran the Windmill Inn, described by former Bulletin writer and man about town D.D. McNichol Snr as the definitive country restaurant in NSW. When the exquisite wining and dining experience came to an abrupt halt following the introduction of the breathalyser, Peter simply packed up his belongings and moved across the road to the schoolhouse.

It was here, in 1994, that he devised a festival combining his love of food, music and the arts. Coolac’s Festival of Fun was a game changer. Many national competitions were associated with the festival, most notably, the now notorious Bald Archy Prize, a portrait competition established to satirise similar art competitions.

It’s a platform providing artists of all styles and standards with a genuine opportunity to create portrait paintings of humour, dark satire, light comedy or caricature.

The former Gundagai Shire councillor enlightens me about Maude, the infamous sulphur-crested cockatoo who has judged the controversial art prize for the past quarter century.

It all started back when Maude’s great grandparents were invited to pose for Albert Namatjira’s masterpiece (Two Cockies In A Gum Tree). After that fleeting taste of fame, the whole flock migrated south to take up residence in the nearby Murrumbidgee River. It was here, as a flighty teenager, that Maude would sit and observe Peter sipping a glass of “red water”.

With time she developed an aptitude for art, bouncing up and down and screaming obscenities if she liked a particular painting.

That’s how she got her foot in the door, before completing a PhD online at the Marilyn Monroe University in Arkansas.

“She sends up the Archibalds, which is typically so serious and up itself,” Peter says, tongue firmly in cheek. “Maude has as much knowledge as the entire board of the Art Gallery of NSW who judge them.”

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Over the years her irreverence has sent a few feathers flying.

But it’s all folklore now. “She’s happy, she has her freedom.

Everybody has tremendous confidence in her inane abilities,” he explains.

Maude was always destined for greatness. She features in the book In Yer Face, detailing the history of the Bald Archys, and has been interviewed by the BBC. She’s obviously very close to Peter’s heart – almost up there with his other trusted companion, Jock, a West Highland White Terrier. Both are great topics of conversation.

While the festival is no more, the Bald Archys continue to prosper, having recently found a generous philanthropist for the $10K prize. Sydney Brewery owner Jerry Schwartz will also provide exhibition space in his Sydney, Leura, Newcastle and Melbourne hotels.

In the meantime, Peter loves living in Coolac. He was awarded an OAM in 1999 for services to the arts and the community but this humorous and eccentric individual deserves a special prize for his outrageous storytelling. CWL For further details check out www.baldarchy.com.au.

ABOVE: Art connoisseur Peter Batey OAM: winner of the 2018 Bald Archy Prize Anh Can Do by James Brennan; Maude, the infamous sulphur-crested cockatoo.

As bullock drays carried essential food and station supplies to isolated country areas, we bring great coffee to country events.

Suitable for fetes, markets, country shows, recovery breakfasts, sporting events and more.

Serving Gundagai and surrounding areas – have wheels, will travel!

Tim & Madeline Ryan P: 0474 116 838 E: bullockscart@outlook.com

GUNDAGAI CWL 101

TÊTE-À-TAIT

A lifetime of country living is etched on the face of Coolac grazier Sandy Tait.

Over the years Sandy Tait has seen it all – from floods, fires and drought to bountiful seasons. Great triumphs mixed in with great personal loss.

The ebb and flow of life runs deep – much like the Murrumbidgee that snakes its way through “Gunnong Jugrawah”, about 40km from Gundagai.

The protracted dry conditions are taking their toll, but Sandy has seen it all before.

“It’s dry but dry times are all part of living on the land. Not every year can be a great season,” he reasons. “At least we’re fortunate that commodity prices are the best we’ve ever witnessed.”

Throughout his 77 years, Sandy has enjoyed three constants in life that have given him enduring strength and unbridled joy: wife Kathy and family, horses and the picturesque property he calls home.

His love and respect for quality horseflesh was inherited from his mother Daisie. She and husband Griff bred some of the finest racehorses in the country from the 1950s through to the 1970s.

Much of his success was attributed to broodmare Dark Jewel, by one of Australia’s great stallions, Star Kingdom.

She set the family back the princely sum of 1000 pounds but went on to breed champions like Baguette, the inaugural winner of the two-year-old Triple Crown. He romped home in 14 major races before retiring to stud duties.

During the turn of the century, Sandy and Kathy enjoyed their own success story, with champion horses like Tie the Knot, which won 13 Group One races; Spinning Hill, which added a further three to the tally, and Wild Iris, which snared the AJC Oaks.

Horses have always played a significant role on the property, originally part of the Jugiong Estate and bought from the Osborne family in 1937.

In the early 1970s, Sandy saddled up for the Australian polo team for matches against New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa with high profile players Sinclair Hill, Richard Walker, Hugh McLachlan, Peter Cudmore, Angus Munro and Ross McGilvray.

Kathy’s father, Phil Ashton, was part of the famous Ashton Brothers polo team that played in England on several occasions during the 1930s.

Making way for the fourth generation on “Gunnong Jugrawah”, Sandy and Kathy moved into the renovated manager’s residence to allow son James and wife Meredith to raise their three children in the century-old homestead.

The family runs a large commercial Angus and Hereford herd along with Merino sheep and a prime lamb enterprise.

It’s been that way for a long time.

“It’s dry but dry times are all part of living on the land. Not every year can be a great season.”

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MAGIC MEMORIES Having lived in the district for so long, it’s only natural that Sandy has many fond memories from his early days. The years after the war were a boom time for farmers, despite the ongoing rabbit problem.

“We had a rabbiter that worked on Saturday mornings, drove a sulky to town and came back Sunday arvo. Until the introduction of mixo, rabbits were the biggest bugbear of the time,” he says.

“With all the menfolk away during the war it was like having a permanent drought. I can remember the big rabbit drives as a boy.”

Cars were still scarce in the late 1940s and the school bus was still many years away. Sandy did correspondence before spending 10 years attending Tudor House and The King’s School, Parramatta.

It was always a thrill catching the train from Coolac, which once featured a beautiful railway station with waiting room, stationmaster’s office and a hand pump for fresh water.

In those days, schoolboy rugby was a huge event on the social calendar. The game against arch rivals St Joseph’s College could draw crowds in the thousands. Everybody in the school played rugby and Sandy can still reel off names of most 1st XV team players from 1955-59.

“Many bush kids were leaving school by the age of 14, 15 and they all had bush skills,” Sandy says. “There’s no longer the pool of skilled workers on the land who want to make it their way of life.”

After his marriage to Kathy, the newlyweds moved to the high country, managing family properties “Fairview” and “Hilltop”.

Although isolated, the country enjoyed a 40-inch rainfall and proved excellent for summer grazing.

With the death of Griff in 1992, they moved back down the valley to “Gunnong Jugrawah”, and have been there ever since.

“Gundagai is a great town with friendly people and all the services you require,” Kathy says.

“It’s got a great community spirit for a small country town, with well-maintained sporting facilities, including the racetrack, showground, footy and cricket fields, bowling club and magnificent golf course.”

Sandy is confident that the land is in good hands.

“We should all be very proud of what we’re doing on the land, especially the younger generation,” he says.

“Everybody works so hard. Seasons come and go and you’ll always have your ups and downs, price fluctuations, floods and bushfires.”

The family’s love of thoroughbreds continues unabated. Sandy and Kathy’s son Olly and wife Amber are the new owners of the famed Twin Hills thoroughbred stud in Cootamundra.

With six grandchildren between their two boys, the Tait family name will carry on for generations to come. CWL FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Sandy, pictured left, playing polo for Australia; Sandy Tait has enjoyed a life long association with the land; Sandy and Kathy Tait in the woolshed that has seen plenty of action over the years; Sandy and Kathy tied the knot in 1965; the old homestead in the 1950s; Kathy Tait revels in the celebrations after Wild Iris won the AJC Oaks in 2004.

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

GUNDAGAI CWL 103

home sweet HOME

A tree change from Lake Macquarie to Gundagai was the right move for Sue Mills, who turned her love of decorating into a home decor and gift store.

Daisy’s Decor opened in Sheridan Street, Gundagai, three years ago with a burst of colour and style.

The store is filled with treasures for all age groups and occasions, striking artworks and an array of special things that help make a house a home.

Sue has a great appreciation for beautiful merchandise, from quality ceramics, china, candles and soaps to gorgeous linens, towels and quilts.

“I handpick everything that goes into the store,” Sue says.

“To be truthful, I really have to love something to sell it.”

Sue selects stock at trade fairs in Sydney and Melbourne, and a supportive group of company reps constantly keep her up to date with the latest products and trends.

“Daisy’s Decor has products from larger well-known companies and smaller family-run businesses, ensuring we are able to offer our customers products that are unique and quite different to the city department stores.

“In November the store transforms into a Christmas shop, with an amazing window display of quality Christmas decorations, lights and trees.”

Before moving to Gundagai 14 years ago, Sue and her husband spent their lives in Sydney and the South and Central Coast. They decided to adopt a new lifestyle on acreage.

“After visiting Gundagai, we fell in love with the community and its friendly people and decided to make it our home,” Sue says.

“We purchased land, built a house and established a hobby farm 12km from town. As time passed I became interested in doing something different and opened Daisy’s Decor.

“The name Daisy’s Decor had a lovely ring to it and also honoured the grandmother I never had the opportunity to know.

“The people of Gundagai have been very supportive and encouraging. We really can’t imagine living anywhere else.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Sue Mills personally selects everything that is showcased in her beautiful homewares and gift store.

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

diners’ DELIGHT

Belinda Hindmarsh thrives on the pressure of leading the high-performance team in her busy coffee shop and restaurant.

Embellish @ the Club is an integral part of the Gundagai Services Club, catering for locals and the constant stream of travellers passing through the popular tourist town.

Trading seven days a week, the coffee shop is open from 9.30am to 9.30pm.

Organic coffee beans are sourced from award-winning roasters Art of Espresso in Young. Freshly baked scones, cakes and slices are always popular, and light meal options are available throughout the day.

The dining room serves lunch from noon to 2pm and dinner from 5.30pm.

“We offer quality modern Australian food and club classics including Parmigiana, schnitzels and chicken Kiev,” Belinda says.

“Menu choices range from Wagyu and rib-eye steaks to seafood, ribs, burgers, salads and soups. We are always happy to cater for special dietary requirements.

“In addition to the coffee shop and restaurant, we specialise in supplying food for large and small functions held at the services club, including conferences, business meetings, birthday parties, weddings and other family celebrations.”

Belinda always wanted to be a chef, loves the creativity of the job, and enjoys making people happy with nourishing food that looks good, tastes great and arrives on time.

“I left school at 16, trained at Sunraysia TAFE in Mildura and completed an apprenticeship in Wagga,” she says.

“After a couple of years working in Wagga I moved to Gundagai to be involved in running the Chinese restaurant that operated at the services club at that time.

“I worked in front of house and the kitchen and planned on staying for about 12 months. All that changed when I met and married a local.”

Belinda established Embellish @ the Club in February last year. She also operates Embellish Catering and travels throughout the region, providing beautiful food in venues

varying from function centres and private homes to farm buildings and country halls.

“Running both the businesses is a lot of work but I thrive on multitasking at a hectic pace,” Belinda says.

“I am fortunate to have great staff and wonderful support from my husband and children.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Belinda Hindmarsh offers a modern Australian menu at Embellish @ the Club.

BELOW LEFT: Belinda Hindmarsh and her children Henry, 11, Frankie, 7, and Charlie, 14.

Modern Australian Menu Great steaks, Club classics, functions available Coffee shop open all day Quality, barista made coffee Locally roasted beans from “Art of Espresso” Cakes, slices, housemade scones Embellish also caters outside of the Club for weddings and celebrations

OPENING HOURS Coffee Shop

9:30am – 9:30pm

Club Lunches

12:00pm – 2:00pm

Dinner

5:30pm – 9:00pm

Gundagai District Services Club 254 Sheridan St, Gundagai NSW 2722 Phone: 6944 1719 | 0419 478 508 Email: events@embellishcatering.com.au www.gundagaiservicesclub.com.au

GUNDAGAI CWL 105

THE WRITE Appreciating good stories is one thing, but Freda Marnie Nicholls is adept at crafting them into great yarns.

stuff

Freda Marnie Nicholls’s writing career started in 1998 with a carefully scripted letter to the editor of a dirt bike magazine. She had complained about being left to bring up three children while her husband spent his free time kicking up dust on his dirt bike.

Her tongue-in-cheek letter led to a monthly column, providing the impetus and courage to pursue a writing career. She soon discovered a gift with words, working as a freelance writer and photographer for various national magazines and newspapers before entering the sublime world of books.

Today she is a published author, farmer, mentor for emerging writers and helps organise the biennial Jugiong Writers’ Festival.

Her first book, Love, Sweat & Tears, a moving biography about her younger sister Zelie Bullen, was published in 2013 followed

by Back of Beyond, an account of the extraordinary life of grazier Hugh Tindall in outback Queensland.

The Amazing Mrs Livesey was released in early 2016. Over the years, readers have heard stories of many Australian imposters, cheats, swindlers and con artists but this woman surely takes the cake. CWL couldn’t put this book down and heartily recommends it to anybody who enjoys an outrageous scandal.

Freda has also ghost written two Australian biographies, written audio scripts for the Australian War Memorial and a collaborative play that last year went into production in the Riverina.

“My office has three large windows that look down the valley towards Gundagai,” she says during our brief chat in town. “It’s a wonderful distraction watching the animals graze and the paddocks change with the seasons. I’m just happy absorbing this wonderful place I’m lucky enough to call home.”

From all accounts it’s a long way from her upbringing in Perth, where she grew up the eldest of three girls to a single mum.

In 1980 she moved east and five years later during a Neil Young concert in Sydney met a “gorgeous red-headed farmer” from Gundagai, whose family have farmed in the district since 1855.

“Three years later I was married to Anthony Nicholls, unsure what I’d gotten myself into,” she laughs. “Moving to a small town like Gundagai where everyone knows everybody, I had to quickly learn a lot of names, which was never a strong point of mine.”

Living on a farm had its own trials and tribulations.

“I’ve always enjoyed helping out on the farm, though I did make some monumental stuff-ups at the start, like not hitching an auger properly to a tow hitch,” she recalls with a look of horror.

“When I hit a bump in the road it unhitched and gracefully cruised past the ute before crashing into a tree. After that I’ve preferred working with the sheep and cattle rather than the machinery side of things.”

Over time Freda and Anthony raised three beautiful children, with two daughters now in Sydney and a son at Wollongong University.

“While they were at primary school, they studied local history, which led to me hearing about the great 1852 flood and the role Yarri and Jacky Jacky played. I couldn’t believe it was not more commonly known around Australia,” she says. “I have since researched the topic and have a fictional story that I’m playing with and hope to finish one day soon.”

Freda suggests Gundagai’s first surveyor must have been a lover of all things literary when the town came into being in 1838.

The high hill to the north of the town was named Mt Parnassus, after the mountain in Greece. According to Greek mythology it was sacred to Apollo, the home of Pegasus the winged horse and the seat of literature, music and learning.

The original main street that ran alongside the river (now on the flood plain) was named Shakespeare Terrace, while the current main street, Sheridan Street, was named after an Irish satirist, playwright and poet.

“It is linked by Otway (English dramatist and writer), Byron, Homer and Virgil streets. There’s even Punch and Judy streets. What better place to write could there possibly be,” she adds with a smile.

FREDA IS A PUBLISHED AUTHOR, FARMER, MENTOR FOR EMERGING WRITERS AND HELPS ORGANISE THE BIENNIAL JUGIONG WRITERS’ FESTIVAL. 106 CWL GUNDAGAI

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When funding for an audio tour on the old Gundagai Gaol came up, Freda helped research the original Colonial Secretary documents in Sydney.

She found it particularly fascinating, with all documents copied in beautiful copperplate writing, even the approval for a privy that those waiting outside the courthouse could access.

Communication has changed dramatically since she started writing.

“Everything had to be posted to the editors and photos had to be manually developed,” she recalls.

“Over the 30 years I’ve been here, digital technology and highspeed internet have revolutionised both my writing and research turnaround capabilities.”

Freda sent off her latest ghost writing manuscript to her publisher, Allen & Unwin, earlier this year, and is happiest when putting down words.

As well as her writing commitments, she is also involved with various community groups, focusing on mental health, drug awareness and the arts in the Riverina, South West Slopes and Southern Tablelands.

“I’m very lucky that Gundagai borders just about all of these regions in one form or another, though work on the farm always wins out if I’m needed.” CWL ABOVE: Freda is an accomplished author and loves nothing better than getting stuck into a good book.

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Ladies Day at the Gundagai Cup The 2018 Gundagai Cup offered up a great afternoon of autumn racing, champagne and fashion.

Madeline Ryan, Gundagai, Kate Graham, Coolac, Emilia Ferguson, Gundagai, and Skye Shannon, Gundagai.

Back: Gundagai’s Larissa Freestone, Kim Pollack, Michelle Hooper and Richelle Watling. Seated: Margaret Turner, Jan Freestone and Pam Watling.

It was the annual Ladies Day event at the picturesque racecourse, with patrons enjoying lunch on the lawn under umbrellas.

“It was a great opportunity to get your girlfriends together and enjoy a lovely lunch while taking in some autumn fashion and all the racing action,” organiser Gemma Crowe says.

Fashions on the Field featured two hotly contested categories: Millinery and Best on Course, judged by milliner Dianne Barbour and Julieanne Horsman from Racing NSW. Winners on the day were Canberra visitor Cynthia Jones-Bryson, who stole the show with her emerald feathered headpiece, and local Marie Lindley, in classic black and white.

Organisers were thrilled with the day and look forward to another big day in 2019. CWL

Carmel Butler, Gundagai, judges Dianne Barbour, Wagga Wagga, and Julieanne Horsman, Sydney, with Canberra visitors Bronwyn Jeffries and Cynthia Jones-Bryson.

Benita Taylor, Peggy Elliott, Cheryl Lynch and Kate Lynch-Ridley.

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Wagga Wagga trendsetters Sophie Hallam, Isobella Lynch-Ridley, Hunter Toff and Ava Papworth.

Organiser Gemma Crowe with committee members Marie Lindley, Sue Mills and Anne Saunderson.

Helen Lindley, Noela Horseley and Best on Course Marie Lindley.

Back: Gundagai locals Jess Eccleston, Lauren Smart and Sam Piper. Front: Stacey Smith, Toni Jones and Amy Turner.

Organiser Gemma Crowe with committee members Renee Lindley, Sue Mills and Anne Saunderson.

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

style COUNSEL Renee Lindley has always believed what you wear has a big impact on how you feel. Now, as the owner of a fashion store, her number one aim is to help customers look and feel great.

Located in Gundagai’s main street, La Bella Nova stocks an array of clothing, from smart casual and mix-and-match pieces to racewear and cocktail dresses.

An excellent selection of accessories, including scarves, gloves, hats, umbrellas, jewellery and a small range of shoes, allows customers to fully coordinate their look or update existing wardrobe favourites.

Renee Lindley’s family has been involved in retailing for generations, and she understands the importance of catering for a broad range of women of different ages, lifestyles, body shapes and personal style needs.

“Quality and versatility are key when it comes to clothing, and in regional areas affordability is very important,” she says.

“My customers include travellers, people from neighbouring towns, and local clientele who are the heart of the business.

“I know my customers well, and often have certain people in mind when buying stock.”

Renee worked at La Bella Nova before purchasing the business from Cheryl Lynch three years ago.

“I was inspired by the level of personal attention and care Cheryl offered,” she says.

“I always enjoy seeing my customers, even if it’s just to say hi.”

Renee has completed her certificate of professional styling and is keen to build that aspect of her business through in-store workshops and private styling sessions,

“I KNOW MY CUSTOMERS WELL, AND OFTEN HAVE CERTAIN PEOPLE IN MIND WHEN BUYING STOCK.” along with clothing audits to help women “shop their wardrobe” by mixing, matching and accessorising.

She also loves head-to-toe styling, especially when a customer is preparing for a special occasion, such as a wedding or race meeting.

“A lot of people like to start with the dress,” Renee says.

“Others might work in reverse order when they find a lovely pair of shoes, or hat.”

Gundagai’s annual Snake Gully Cup racing carnival, held over two days each November,

is a busy time and La Bella Nova is always well stocked with racewear, hats, fascinators and clutch bags.

Renee supports the local race club and has been involved in coordinating fashions on the field events for several years, developing competition categories, sourcing judges and prizes, and promoting the event. CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Renee Lindley provides a high level of personal care and attention at La Bella Nova.

Clothing & Accessories

Providing a personal and enjoyable fashion experience through great range and service, at affordable prices.

132 SHERIDAN ST, GUNDAGAI Ph: (02) 6944 4002 Mon-Fri: 10am-5:30pm Sat: 9:30am-12:30pm

GUNDAGAI CWL 109

SMART AND SAVVY Mother of two and real estate agent Kait Smart is enjoying a finely tuned work-life balance in her hometown.

Kait Smart was born into the real estate profession at Gundagai.

Her father, Mike Kingwill, was an industry professional for more than 30 years and Kait was keen to follow in his footsteps.

“I started working for Dad in 2005 when I was 17,” Kait says.

“When the business was later sold I stayed on to work with the new owner, John Morgan.

“Some people may have wondered why I didn’t take over from Dad but at that time I was recently married and looking to start a family.’’

When Kait was on maternity leave with her second child she started to think about the importance of achieving a good work-life balance.

In a light bulb moment, she came up with the idea of starting her own business with the sole focus of listing and selling properties.

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“By that time, I had more than 10 years’ industry experience,” she says.

“I enjoyed real estate and wanted to keep working but I also had a strong desire to be around the boys. I didn’t want to miss the milestones as they developed from babies to children or the special events when they went to school.”

After speaking with her parents and husband Scott, Kait established Sell Smart Real Estate in 2017.

In the first year she started out with the objective of selling one property a month.

“I almost doubled that goal by selling 23 properties in 12 months,” Kait says.

“The business is going well and I really love what I am doing. Our boys Jax, 4, and Jayden, 18 months, are in childcare three days a week and I try to get most of my work done on those days.

Gundagai T O W N F E A T U R E “The rest of the time I work around the children. Scott puts in long hours in his job but is very supportive. He takes charge of the boys on weekends when I am busy showing properties.

“The lack of a shop front is no handicap for my agency because properties are promoted extensively online and with signage.

“With modern technology it is possible to work anywhere. I don’t have to be tied down to opening an office during set business hours. Running my business from home offers a level of flexibility that my clients appreciate.”

Kait sells rural and urban properties and is licensed as a real estate agent, stock and station agent and business agent.

Her first sale as a solo agent was a 364-hectare (900-acre) rural holding with a farm stay business.

“I really enjoy helping people with their buying and selling needs,” Kait says.

“Because I was born and raised in Gundagai I know the local area really well. I also have a reputation as an honest person and that goes a long way in business.

“I tell people exactly what they are buying when they come to an inspection. There is no point trying to mislead people because it will come back to bite you.”

Kait, Scott, Jax and Jayden live on 64 hectares (160 acres) on the outskirts of Gundagai.

The young family enjoys camping and spending time outdoors.

“Gundagai is a great place to live because the people are so friendly,” Kait says.

“The location is terrific. Wagga is an hour away. We can be in Canberra in less than two hours, and it’s only 3½ hours to Sydney, five hours to Melbourne and four hours to the south coast.”

Kait can be contacted through www.sellsmartrealestate.com.au.

She advertises property listings on a range of websites, including www.domain.com.au and realestate.com.au CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Kait and Scott Smart with their children Jax and Jayden and Kait’s father Mike Kingwell.

FACING PAGE: Real estate agent Kait Smart enjoys helping people with their buying and selling needs; Kait’s father Mike Kingwell in his younger days.

GUNDAGAI CWL 111

NET GAINS Jock Graham is making sure people living in remote areas are well connected.

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We all know that businesses and homes are increasingly reliant on the internet for online banking and accounting, farm apps and weather tools, sharing photos and using email.

Which is why Wi-Sky has become so important in the bush. The broadband provider is building its own local networks and delivering fast internet to farmers and people in country areas unable to access other options.

The fledgling business is the brainchild of Jock Graham, raised on “Eulonga”, Coolac, a sheep and cropping farm that’s been in the family since the 1930s.

Jock lives on the adjoining property “Bengarra” with pharmacist wife Kate, and their three daughters Sophie, Eliza and Imogen.

After his schooling at Saint Ignatius’ College, Lane Cove and four years studying Agricultural Economics at Sydney University, Jock spent three years in Sydney’s banking industry.

Following his marriage in 2008, Jock returned home to help his brother James and parents Jim and Jill Graham grow dryland crops including canola, wheat, oats and lupins.

Being raised on the land, he’s used to fixing all manner of things.

“We couldn’t run online accounting packages and file sharing services –anything with large data transfer. Even our emails were patchy,” he says.

That was the catalyst for change. Jock trialled fixed wireless technology to bridge a connection to Gundagai and link into town internet services.

This early work in communications led to a prestigious Nuffield Scholarship in 2015 with a four-month overseas study trip to China, the USA, Canada, the Philippines and the UK. Throughout his whirlwind tour, Jock noticed many communities suffering communication problems, albeit for very different reasons.

“In England I didn’t imagine there would be many problems with connecting,” he says.

“Over here we have long distances to cover but the English people living out of the major population centres have exactly the same issues.”

Jock took plenty of notice of the lowcost, fixed wireless technology, used to connect smaller remote communities to large capacity fibre connection points. It’s a similar concept to what he’s now adopted in the Gundagai region.

“In a nutshell, it’s about everybody – particularly those in remote areas – having access to the best communication services possible, something we all take for granted when living in populated areas.”

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

Back on familiar soil, Jock realised that the small local population wasn’t big enough to justify the big telecommunication firms spending upwards of half a million dollars to erect mobile or NBN communication towers.

That’s when he introduced Wi-Sky. Remarkably, he has set up the entire broadband network, specifically designed to meet the needs of rural communities.

The NSW operations commenced at Coolac before rapid expansion within the Gundagai shire.

Driving this expansion has been operations manager Pat Kelleher, who has designed and implemented the small-scale infrastructure platforms.

In recent years, Wi-Sky has extended coverage into the adjacent Cootamundra, Yass, Junee, Young and Tumut shires.

Wi-Sky Queensland operations commenced in Richmond, and coverage has grown at a rapid pace. Colleague Will Harrington, another Nuffield Scholar, runs the northern operation.

“We are constantly adding new towers across both states to extend our coverage.

If you have line of sight to any of our

towers then connection is relatively straightforward,” Jock says.

“If line of sight is not initially possible, then we can deal with this issue via a repeater station.”

Wi-Sky’s niche is five kilometres out of town and beyond.

“We’re not offering services to those already connected to town-based services. It’s an alternative to satellite services but without limitations on data and low latency, which means instantaneous communication.”

It’s all solar powered and eco-friendly.

The business now has an access tower in Coolac, a little village that would otherwise be restricted to just mobile service.

Mobile services are designed for use on the go and typically data plans are highly priced and limited. At home you require a lot more data, especially those using online streaming services.

So how does Wi-Sky’s internet service compare with mobile broadband plans?

“Mobile broadband internet plans are reliant on the existence of a good mobile signal strength from your local mobile phone provider,” Jock says.

As most regional people are well aware, mobile coverage within regional areas is often very poor, and in many localities nonexistent, across regional areas.

Even in the event of a good mobile reception local to your residence, mobile internet services tend to be expensive – typically charging the highest cost per unit of data.

“They can also be restrictive in terms of the quantity of data you are allowed to download and often congested, particularly during peak usage periods,” he continues.

“Our plans are based on speed. Rates vary from $100 a month for a basic plan, up to $250 for a business service with unlimited data. You really get what you pay for.”

Three years down the track, 100 poles are in with about 450 customers switching on to the service.

Jock Graham has come a long way in his quest to help farmers get connected and is totally committed to the cause. CWL FACING PAGE: Wi-Sky’s Jock Graham is committed to helping farmers in remote areas get connected to the internet.

ABOVE: Jock with a typical tower; Kate and Jock Graham with daughters Imogen (top), Eliza and Sophie; always on the phone.

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For more information, visit www.wi-sky.com.au or contact Jock Graham (0408 449 844, jock@wi-sky.com.au) or Pat Kelleher (0429 453 172, pat@wi-sky.com.au)

GUNDAGAI CWL 113

favourite

SON Mitch Goodsall has made quite a name for himself in Gundagai, and for all the right reasons.

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

The greatest day of Mitch Goodsall’s life was when his beloved Gundagai Tigers snared the 2015 rugby league premiership after a 32-year drought.

The team had lost their previous nine grand finals but nothing was going to stop them this time, especially after the reserves and women’s tag teams got over the line – the girls beating a team that hadn’t lost a game in four years.

The celebrations and fireworks seemed to go on forever. Mitch’s mum, Pam, says he could barely talk he was that excited.

More than just a fan, Mitch is a true club stalwart and committee man, helping set up the grounds before and after each game.

He is the ground announcer on game day, does voluntary work for the Gundagai Minor League and is always at the Services Club for the presentations.

Every Friday he has a segment on Sounds of the Mountains radio station with Pat Ferguson, devoted to local sporting results and events. Mitch delivers his personal perspective on various issues mixed with a few racehorse tips and plenty of jokes.

He is involved with Kickerball, a club fundraiser held every Tuesday, selling raffle tickets for the meat draw. Mitch is also a regular bowls player and serves on the committee.

In the NRL, he is a die-hard Sea Eagles supporter, mainly due to Cliffy Lyons, a personal friend who played for the local club in the premiership-winning 1983 side.

For all his 39 years, Mitch has lived in the comfortable old home he shares with his mother. Pam has lived there since moving in as a young child with her family in 1950.

Her father, a WW2 veteran, worked for the Shire Council and the Department of Main Roads, while her grandfather, George Goodsall, was a postman who delivered the Gundagai mail by horseback.

Early Life

Mitch was a healthy baby, apart from a recurring ear infection at 18 months.

Pam took him to an ear, nose and throat specialist and he had his tonsils removed.

He was eventually diagnosed as an epileptic, suffering fits until he was 12, when they thankfully disappeared.

By then Pam knew her only child was special and a slow learner. He couldn’t tie his shoe laces, ride a bike or turn on a tap.

Intellectually disabled, Mitch was placed in a support class at Tumut High School, catching the bus for the half-hour journey to school.

Just like he was at Gundagai Primary School, he was accepted by his classmates and forged many friendships that still endure today.

Mitch is the ground announcer on game day, does voluntary work for the Gundagai Minor League and is always at the Services Club for the presentations.

“I was never teased at school and everybody kept an eye out for me,” he says proudly.

Mitch could barely read until his early teens when he had a “light bulb moment” after picking up a Rugby League Week.

By the time his schooling days were over, Mitch was devouring a novel a day, mainly autobiographies about his rugby league heroes and inspirational characters.

He also developed a fascination for newspapers, poring over them from cover to cover. If he reads anything he never forgets it.

“He has a photographic memory, especially anything to do with footy,” Pam says.

I ask Mitch who won the 2005 NRL grand final and he not only rattles off the winner but the try scorers. This special gift makes him very good on the quiz games and a natural poker player.

In February he took part in the state poker championships in Wollongong, finishing a creditable 45th out of nearly 600 players.

Generally, he doesn’t stray far from home.

“Anywhere away from Tumut or Gundagai he lacks direction and panics, which only makes the situation worse,” Pam says.

After finishing school, Mitch began work with Valmar Support Services in Tumut. He was scheduled to spend a week there but is still part of the furniture two decades later.

For three days each week he works in general administration, answering phones and sorting the mail. To spice things up he also spends one day at QPA (Quality Practice Accreditation) in South Gundagai, where he has been a regular fixture for 15 years.

Pam worked in an aged-care hostel with flexible hours, enabling her to be home when Mitch returned from work. For many years she drove him to Tumut during school holidays when the school bus wasn’t operating.

These days other workers give him a lift to work. This little bit of independence works well for mother and son.

Pam prepares meals for Mitch and is both his confidante and best friend. There have been many cooking lessons over the years but it’s a hard slog.

“I try to teach him the basics but he’ll stick his hand in boiling water to get out a hotdog,” she jokes. “It takes a while for him to feel the heat and there’s always the chance he’ll burn himself.”

Pam is also responsible for his wardrobe and ensures he doesn’t turn up for work in his footy shorts.

“I’m so very proud of him,” she says. “He never gets angry and is always optimistic.”

“I do get frustrated at times,” Mitch interjects. “But not as much as I used to. I just find another way of doing things.”

Mitch is philosophical.

“I’ve learnt that in life you can achieve almost anything if you are prepared to put in the hard yards,” he says.

“A lot of friends are worse off than me but none of us feel we have a disability or are hard done by. The Gundagai community have fully embraced me just the way I am.”

It’s no wonder Mitch Goodsall is a muchloved Gundagai icon and an inspiration to all his mates. CWL

FACING PAGE: Mitch Goodsall is a Gundagai community stalwart and an inspiration to everyone he meets.

ABOVE: Pam and Mitch Goodsall, with pet dog Miley, share the strongest of bonds; his beloved Tigers clinch the 2015 premiership.

Image: The Gundagai Independent.

GUNDAGAI CWL 115

SUPPORT YOU CAN

BANK ON

You may not think who you bank with really matters, but it does.

Gundagai locals banking with the Bendigo Bank are making a positive difference in their community.

It started with Adelong branch opening in 2004. In 2010 an agency opened in Tumut followed by the Gundagai sub-branch in 2011.

Since then Gundagai has become its own community branch of the Bendigo Bank.

The bank is administered by a board of eight local residents from a variety of business backgrounds, including farming, local government, teaching, accounting and rural services.

The directors ensure that profits are ploughed back into the community – in fact it is written into the constitution of the company.

Within the Adelong, Gundagai and Tumut area, more than $800,000 has been injected into local communities in the way of sponsorship, donations and grants.

“Local football clubs, racing clubs, local schools, community events and charity groups are just a few who have benefited,” customer relationship manager Clare Chalmers says.

Originally from Tumut, Clare has been in Gundagai for more than three years and loves the town.

“Gundagai has a great community spirit and everybody gets right behind local projects,” she says.

“I thoroughly enjoy interacting with our customers, most of whom I know by name. They are not just numbers. I always enjoy a chat, talking about the footy or what’s been happening on the weekend.”

Clare says the bank thrives on the local support, which enables it to give back.

“No other bank supports the local community like we do. Our profits don’t just go to shareholders, they are mainly directed back to the community.”

The Gundagai branch prides itself on the local connection and level of service provided to its customers.

Customer service officers Melissa Dean and Jamie-Lee Webb are the face of the bank and the ones you’ll meet when you do your banking in Gundagai.

Working behind the scenes are directors like Ross Tout, a strong advocate of banking locally.

“Our focus is on supporting the Gundagai community, giving back and assisting in strengthening local relationships,” he says.

“It’s important in small towns that we get behind each other and that’s exactly what we do here, with the community at the front of our minds.

“We thrive on local support to keep our branch excelling, so we can keep supporting our locals and the events that matter to all of us.”

As an example, Ross says that after the Adelong pool was washed away in the 2010 flood, the Bendigo Bank helped to get the new pool built through an initial grant of $100,000.

“The shareholders who are mostly local community members own the business, and use the Bendigo Bank to do most of their banking.

“This allows the bank to give back. The community-based model, with 50 per cent of all the profits being ploughed back into the community, certainly works very well.”

Now that’s a bank well worth supporting. CWL

LEFT: The Gundagai branch of Bendigo Bank.

FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Director Ross Tout, customer relationship manager Clare Chalmers and customer service officers Melissa Dean and Jamie-Lee Webb ensure that your experience at the Bendigo Bank is always pleasant.

“OUR FOCUS IS ON SUPPORTING THE GUNDAGAI COMMUNITY, GIVING BACK AND ASSISTING IN STRENGTHENING LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS.” 116 CWL GUNDAGAI

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

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

Gundagai South Public School is a small school with a big heart. It has a strong and proud tradition in the historic Riverina town famed for the Dog on the Tuckerbox.

school THAT COULD

Standing on a hill overlooking the Murrumbidgee River flats, Gundagai South Public School has enjoyed the enduring support of the community since 1881.

Inclusive and family orientated, the school caters for the individual needs of all students in well-resourced classrooms and spacious grounds.

Principal Pip McAlister is proud of the school and its facilities, including open spaces for children to run and play, fixed equipment, an all-weather tennis, basketball and netball court, gardens with fruit trees, extensive vegetable plantings and a chicken run.

Students are involved in planting and caring for vegetables that are used at school. Expansion of an outdoor sensory learning program is also under way.

“We are a school with a holistic approach to teaching and learning and offer something for everyone,” Pip says.

“Our focus is not limited to academic and sporting achievement.

We provide opportunities for our students to develop their creativity, cultural and environmental awareness, community participation, social and emotional skills.

“We relate this to practical and real-life experiences to support student wellbeing, including our Wellbeing Wednesday where students participate in activities including scouting, first aid training, woodwork, cooking and gardening.

“This approach to learning gives ownership and responsibility for their learning to the students and is something we encourage through the implementation of How2Learn and our Positive Behaviour for Learning values.

“Students in years 5 and 6 participate in the Learning Journey program, where, working within a set of criteria, they complete research on a topic or activity of their choice and make a presentation to the class or community.”

Gundagai South Public has 53 students with four full-time teachers and many wonderful support staff. Specialist teachers are employed to teach dance, tennis and gymnastics lessons, instrumental band and choir.

Classrooms are bright and inviting with colourful furniture and all the technology expected in a forward-thinking learning environment. The canteen has been upgraded and is recognised in NSW for its compliance with Healthy Canteen Guidelines.

“Being a small school, we are very inclusive, supportive and family orientated,” Pip says.

“There are no barriers – everyone works together and we have good team relationships between staff, students, parents and the community.”

Norma Funnell, who is almost 90, listens to children read two mornings a week. She is much loved and affectionately known as

the little

the Reading Granny. Glenna Petty comes once a week to help in classrooms, the playground and on school excursions.

The school also enjoys wonderful support from Woolworths, Bendigo Bank, Gundagai Bakery and other local businesses.

“Students are involved in a huge variety of additional learning opportunities and we have our own school band,” Pip says.

“Last year students represented the school at state level for spelling and swimming.

“Each year students from years 3 to 6 enjoy a week away as part of our fabulous excursion program, visiting Sydney, Canberra, Victoria and the Central West of NSW, which is the destination for 2018.

“All the things we do at school are heavily subsidised so that everything is affordable for parents.

“Our school is a very welcoming place and we’re all very proud of our achievements.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: School leaders Kynan Paton, Charlie Hourn, Claudia Grant and Kiara Parker.

FACING PAGE: The happy students and staff from Gundagai South Public School; Monique playing trumpet; Nic, Patrick and Greg tending the vegetable garden; Brandy, Lilah and Josie attending a leadership workshop; community volunteers Norma Funnell and Glenna Petty; Essie enjoying her learning; the beautiful playground; Clayton enjoying the equipment; Ben and Roary engaged in quality writing time.

GUNDAGAI CWL 119

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housing HISTORY

The critics called it a folly and regarded Paul and Bonny Hennessy as unwise when the Sydneysiders embarked on the long and expensive process of resurrecting “Macquarie�, the oldest farm and continuing residence west of the Blue Mountains.

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historic home S P R I N G

The circa 1820 homestead had been slated for demolition before the Hennessys purchased the 2400-acre (971-hectare) property 10km south-east of Bathurst in 2012.

“The land was valued for its agricultural productivity,” Paul and Bonny say.

“None of the other prospective buyers were interested in the uninhabitable buildings.

“We didn’t offer the largest amount of money but ended up securing “Macquarie” because the owners appreciated that we valued its unique historic significance and wanted to restore and live in the house.”

The original 1000-acre (405-hectare) holding had been granted to explorer Lieutenant William Lawson in 1814 as a reward for his participation in the first European crossing of the vast mountain barrier that had thwarted attempts at inland settlement for 25 years.

Lawson delivered 100 head of cattle to “Macquarie” in 1815 and was determined to be the first settler in the west.

A Georgian homestead and convict barracks were constructed in the early 1820s. The Lawson family retained ownership of the property until 1889 when it passed to Thomas McKibbin.

“When members of the McKibbin family listed the farm for sale in 2008 it was flying under the radar,” Paul says.

“Because the Lawsons and McKibbins were very private people, the property had never been open to the public and was largely unknown.”

Raised in Sydney, Paul spent a lot of time in the O’Connell district, visiting a farm owned by his uncles. > BELOW: Constructed in the early 1920s, the historic Georgian homestead and convict barracks are cherished by Paul and Bonny Hennessy.

CWL 123

“We are fortunate to be in a position to fund restoration works and see ourselves as custodians of ‘Macquarie’ for generations of owners to come.”

As a boy hooked on history and enthralled by stories about bushrangers, he knew the importance of William Lawson and the early 1800s push to secure grazing land to help feed the struggling colony.

Bonny came to Australia from the UK as a Ten Pound Pom and was accustomed to city life. With an interest in architecture, building techniques and designing interiors, she understands Paul’s fascination with “Macquarie”.

“It is important to remember that the homestead and barracks have been in existence for 200 years and our ownership spans a mere five years,” retired forensic accountant Paul says.

“We are fortunate to be in a position to fund restoration works and see ourselves as custodians of ‘Macquarie’ for generations of owners to come.

“The property is here due to the patronage of the father of Australia, Lachlan Macquarie. It is fitting that it carries his name.

“Demolition of the homestead and barracks would have been the sensible thing to do in financial terms but we wanted to make the place liveable in an authentic way without destroying its unique character. We are pleased with what has been achieved.”

Paul and Bonny sold the wooded country at the back of the property and kept the curtilage and river flats. The working farm has 1500 ewes, 2000 lambs and 300 acres under lucerne.

The couple initially converted the derelict 1950s shearing quarters into a habitable living space while pushing ahead with restoration of the main buildings. More than 250 tradespeople and labourers have been involved in the project.

The convict barracks have been returned to as close to original as possible. The building is of state heritage significance as one of only two privately owned two-storey convict barracks known to be still in existence in NSW. The other is at Tocal Homestead, Paterson.

124 CWL

The “Macquarie” barracks accommodated 28 convicts at a time until the 1850s. Most of the convicts remained in the district as a condition of their release following emancipation.

The large upstairs area was once used to store hay and produce.

Blacksmiths working in three open bays at the back of the barracks made all that the farm required, from nails, shovels, hoes, ploughs and axes to hooks, door handles, hinges and kitchen utensils.

“Everything had to be sourced locally and we have found many artefacts,” Paul and Bonny say.

“All the timber was cut on site and it is estimated more than one million bricks and one million nails were manufactured by the convict labour.

“The modern-day craftsmen who stripped the place back to bare bones during restoration were incredulous at the level of skill of the original builders.

“Two large underground grain silos, constructed in the 1820s, are quite sensational. Rectangular in shape and with large vaulted ceilings, they are seven metres long, four metres wide and about seven metres high.

“Convicts also excavated a large cellar running across the back of the homestead. It is astonishing when you consider that most of the work was done by hand.” >

ABOVE: Bonny and Paul Hennessy with a portrait of Ben Hall. As a boy Paul was enthralled by stories about bushrangers.

FACING PAGE: Each item displayed in the buildings at Macquarie has a story to tell.

historic home S P R I N G

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126 CWL

historic home S P R I N G

“The interior of the homestead is quite simple but that is all part of the overall beauty of a building handcrafted 200 years ago.”

The U-shaped homestead, marked by the symmetry and proportion of Georgian architecture, included the early Australian tradition of wide verandahs for shade.

The central rooms have solid brickwork, ranging in thickness from 400 to 500 centimetres. A bedroom in the roof space where female convict servants slept still has bars on the windows.

“The building was remarkably unaltered when we bought it,” Paul says.

“Rising damp was a huge problem and the cellar was kneedeep in water. A lot of money was spent injecting dampcourses, installing membranes and replacing or repairing ceilings, walls, roofs and floors plus rewiring and replumbing.

“The interior of the homestead is quite simple but that is all part of the overall beauty of a building handcrafted 200 years ago.

“We were thrilled to find that a number of the trades and crafts people who worked with us during the restoration are direct descendants of some of the original convicts.

“And astonishingly, we discovered one of our close friends is linked to “Macquarie” convict Barney Mahony, an Irishman who was transported to NSW for seven years for pickpocketing.

“Assigned to William Lawson Jr in 1830, he was still quite young and is said to have grown almost a foot (30cm) while in Lawson’s care.

“Barney was granted his freedom in 1836 and became one of the real founders of the Bathurst district, working at various times as a storekeeper, hotelier, bootmaker and tinsmith.

“Some of Barney’s descendants went on to serve with honour during WWI and his great-great-grandson Francis Mahony had a distinguished career in the public service, receiving an OBE and CB, and becoming the deputy solicitor general of the Commonwealth and later head of ASIO. “Barney’s great-great-great-grandchildren have carried on those high traditions as medical and legal practitioners, engineers and surveyors.

“I think Barney would be pretty proud if he knew some of his descendants included a magistrate and a judge.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

Former Governor of NSW Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir attended an open day at “Macquarie” on March 24.

The event, attended by about 1600 people, marked the formal unveiling of a plaque commemorating the restoration of the two-storey convict barracks.

Visitors had the opportunity to tour the barracks and grounds.

Formal rooms in the restored homestead were also open for viewing. Net proceeds on the day were donated to the Bathurst Community Op Shop.

ABOVE: Paul and Bonny Hennessy in the historic woolshed.

FACING PAGE: More than 250 tradespeople and labourers have been involved in the restoration of “Macquarie”. Great care has been taken with the decoration of rooms.

CWL 127

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ALL IN

together

Community spirit is alive and well at Finns Store, Canowindra.

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community S P R I N G

Hard work, determination and a genuine love of people have shaped the lives of Jackie and Geoffrey Yeo, who have established a community within a community at Finns Store in Canowindra.

The “best mates” transformed a desolate shop in the town’s bendy main street into a centre of social activity where locals and tourists enjoy a mix of coffee, food, wine, clothing, jewellery, homewares, furniture, art and, of all things, the practice of law.

“We love seeing people of all ages and walks of life coming together,” Jackie says.

“For us, their real-life stories are far more interesting than anything we could see in a movie.”

Jackie grew up on a sheep station at Goodooga while Geoffrey was raised on a grazing property at Dunedoo.

They met in Dubbo more than 30 years ago when she was involved in disability services and he was working as a mental health social worker. Geoffrey later moved into the rehabilitation sector and established his own business, Western Regional Injury Management.

“Our friendship grew quickly and has remained strong,” Jackie says.

“Our life has been a wonderful journey and we are enormously proud of our children.”

Harrison, 29, completed an Arts-Law degree at Charles Darwin University before entering The Royal Military College, Duntroon, and becoming an army officer.

William, 27, studied Law at the University of Canberra and now works for a legal firm in Sydney.

Gabriella, 25, is completing her final semester of a Commerce-Law degree at the Australian National University.

All three of the Yeo children began their formal education home schooled by Jackie.

“We felt very strongly that formal schooling started too soon for boys in particular and that a love for learning can be best imparted by one’s parents,” says Jackie, who is quick to remind all of her crucial role in each one’s academic success.

Geoffrey followed in his children’s footsteps, studying Law externally through Charles Darwin University while renovating the PJ Finn building in Canowindra.

“We discovered the iconic piece of Australian history eight years ago,” Jackie says.

“It was empty and in disrepair but I fell in love with the idea of bringing new life to the general store Thomas Joseph Finn established in the 1870s.

“Geoffrey and I have always supported each other’s dreams and work so well together.

“We put in a lot of hours restoring the building and creating our vision.

“I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve and had already had a practice run in a sense with the Short Street Store in Dubbo.

“All the way through their studies, Geoffrey and the children discussed law with each other.

Geoffrey and Harry completed some of their subjects together while William presented his father to the bar – that wonderful occasion was a case of like son like father, not father like son.” >

“Our life has been a wonderful journey and we are enormously proud of our children.”

FACING PAGE: Geoffrey and Jackie Yeo with their children William, Gabriella and Harrison.

ABOVE: Finns Store is a hub for locals and tourists.

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Geoffrey now works for Peacockes Solicitors, a progressive Dubbo law practice that could see the benefits for both Canowindra and the firm by locating a sub office in Finns Store.

Andrew Graham, the principal director of the firm, was insistent that the office be located in the building as it would give Peacockes a very high profile by being in the centre of the social hub of the town.

The centre part of the building is a coffee shop, licensed café and emporium, operating from Thursday to Sunday.

The Duck’s Back Studio, featuring the art of Heather Vallance, is under the same roof.

Geoffrey, who continues to work with Jackie on weekends, has become affectionately known locally as “the latte lawyer”.

The couple are recognised as a driving force for tourism, business and historical preservation.

“Country Australia is in vogue and Canowindra is a special town that is well worth visiting,” Jackie says.

“It is only 45 minutes from Orange, Parkes and Forbes and just over two hours from Canberra.

“While ballooning is a major drawcard, people are interested in all the other things the district has to offer.

“Finns Store has become a destination that is full of history and old-world charm.

“People come to enjoy good coffee, good food and good wine and are able to buy everything from jewellery and furniture to a dress.

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“I don’t know of any other place in Central Western NSW that offers what we have got.”

Jackie and Geoffrey love the small-town spirit in Canowindra and have become very much a part of the community, spearheading a project to help Jemimah and Ben Read and their triplets who were born with restrictive lung disease and Merosin-deficient Muscular Dystrophy.

“We had the shop open and saw Jemimah coming up the street with Gideon, Anwen and Mahalah,” Jackie says.

“I turned to Geoffrey and suggested doing something to help the family.

“We called Jemimah in and told her we wanted to provide some support.”

A charity was established and fundraising had a snowball effect with local and out-of-town support.

More than $300,000 was raised to build a house to accommodate three children in wheelchairs.

Dubbed the Miracle House, the project is now a reality and the charity continues to work towards the long-term goal of providing assistance for education, independent living and medical treatment.

“Canowindra has a big heart,” Jackie says.

“The people are generous and welcoming and visitors come to enjoy the lovely heritage buildings and vibrant art, food and wine scene.

“So much happens locally – on weekends there is a real cosmopolitan feel.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

“Country Australia is in vogue and Canowindra is a special town that is well worth visiting.”

ABOVE: Geoffrey and Jackie Yeo are recognised as a driving force for local tourism, business and historical preservation; Geoffrey in the sub office of Peacockes Solicitors.

of CABONNE VILLAGES

• Within a pleasant 3.5 hour drive from Sydney or Canberra Discover warm country hospitality and some of the • best cool climate vineyards • Home to a vibrant arts, eclectic retail and food scene Take a day, a week – or a lifetime to discover...

Canowindra | Cargo | Cudal | Cumnock | Eugowra | Manildra | Molong | Yeoval | Borenore | Mullion Creek | Nashdale

MORE INFORMATION www.discovertheriches.com.au www.cabonnecountry.com.au

CABONNE COUNCIL Ph 02 6392 3200 www.cabonne.nsw.gov.au

Business law

Employment law

Conveyancing and leasing

Family law

Criminal law

Litigation and disputes

Wills and estates

gjy@peacockes.com (Geoff Yeo)

Peacockes would like to thank the community of Canowindra for the support shown to our business and of course Geoff & Jackie Yeo in the promotion of our business within the region.

www.peacockes.com

DUBBO

GILGANDRA

NARROMINE

CANOWINDRA

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S P R I N G story name

pony tales For Liz Daly of Young, training and riding ponies isn’t just a hobby, it’s a way of life, and has been so for the vast majority of her 37 years.

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family sport S P R I N G

Since Liz Daly was a toddler, ponies have been part of her day-to-day on “Milgadara”, a 3500-acre livestock and cropping property on Moppity Road, near Young. Liz’s parents, Bill and Rhonda Daly, live nearby and are well known in the local area through their business, YLAD Living Soils.

Liz and her fiancé, John Manchester, enjoy life on the farm with their three children, Isabel (11), Molly (five) and young Will (17 months). John’s family property, “Roseville”, is just 15 minutes down the road, which is also a livestock and cropping business.

“Milgadara” has been in the Daly family for more than 100 years, after Liz’s great great-grandfather settled from South Australia in 1906. And while many a weekend is spent travelling the countryside to compete with her top-notch show horses, Liz knows she and her family are lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world.

“John and I feel so grateful to be able to raise our family on this beautiful farm,” Liz says.

“Our children thrive here. Both Isabel and Molly are capable riders and enjoy getting out and about on their ponies to do stock work.

“I think that’s probably rare; that they do farm work on their show ponies,” Liz laughs, “but they just love it and it’s part of life here.”

Isabel and Molly attend St Mary’s Primary School in Young, and on the horse showing off-season they play rugby, another of their great loves.

Liz’s mother, Rhonda, took great pride in fostering her daughter’s love of horses from an early age, with many trips to shows near and far for Liz to compete in horse events. >

FACING PAGE: Liz Daly and John Manchester with their children, Molly, William and Isabel.

ABOVE: A winning combination, Isabel on Royal Oak Figurine (Image Julie Wilson); Molly and Lentara Ozzie at the NSW Show Horse Council Horse of the Year 2017 (Image Lisa Gordon); Liz Daly on one of her successful show hacks, Passing Thoughts.

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“Showing horses gives me a great sense of satisfaction and pride.”

Liz experienced great success as a junior rider, with notable wins including Reserve Champion Rider titles at both Canberra Royal and Sydney Royal Easter Shows in 1994. The following year was perhaps her greatest achievement as a young rider, winning Senior Rider under 17 years at the Grand Nationals.

“I loved competing on the Royal Show circuit – Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. Mum and I started training most horses from scratch ourselves, which was very fulfilling,” Liz says.

“My first hack was a mare named Thoughts, who had never been shown before, and at 16 I won Champion Novice Hack on her at Bathurst Royal Show.”

But it wasn’t always show horses for Liz. She also tried her hand at barrel racing for 10 years after finishing school, making it to high level futurities and divisional competitions, and travelled to America to work in barrel racing as well as cutting.

Fast forward to 2018 to a new generation of horse lovers in the family, and there are wins aplenty. Liz rattles off a long list of titles her girls have won in the past few years. When you’ve invested a great deal of time, effort and, most importantly, love into the sport, it’s not hard to recall the highs.

“Isabel has had great success with our Shetland pony called Lentara Ozzie, who Molly rides now. She has won two Grand National qualifiers on him, and Junior Shetland Pony Turnout in Saddle at Melbourne Royal, which is quite a prestigious win, involving an extremely high standard of presentation for both pony and rider,” Liz says.

“Little Molly started competing when she was only three in a leading rein class at the Grand Nationals, on Creswell Aurora. She did extremely well and won Smartest on Parade.”

Liz remembers a moment of weakness in 2016, when she and Rhonda purchased a young mare off Facebook based on her bloodlines alone. Royal Oak Figurine (nicknamed Piglet) proved to be a valuable investment and having never been shown under saddle before, has already won a Champion Childs Pony class at Melbourne Royal last year with Isabel on board.

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“Piglet is an unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime pony. Already we’ve had some amazing successes with her, the highlight being Grand Champion Ridden Saddle Horse at the 2018 Grand Nationals,” Liz says.

There’s more excitement coming for Liz, though, as she and John plan their upcoming wedding. The two attended primary school together at St Mary’s.

“John had no connection with horses until I met him, and he has showed incredible support over the years, helping me out at shows with the girls wherever he can,” Liz says.

“I’ll admit I’m quite competitive. Showing horses gives me a great sense of satisfaction and pride, and the wins make all of the hard work worthwhile.

“Showing horses can be quite a subjective sport and ultimately comes down to the opinion of the judge(s) on the day. That’s part of what keeps it so exciting.”

Nevertheless, with spring comes a busy show season for the Dalys, and another great chance to continue a well-deserved winning streak. CWL Words: Anna Tickle Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Liz and John with Molly, Isabel and William; Liz and Dinki Di Party Girl at the Dubbo Dash ABHA barrel race (Image: Jenny Solomon); Liz with her daughter Isabel.

WARENDA SANTA GERTRUDIS STUD 35 Years of Breeding Quality Cattle

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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.

CONTACT: SYLVIA KIRKBY “Spring Vale”, Narrabri P. 02 6793 5262 M. 0428 922 099 E. warendasg@gmail.com

At Lucknow Skin Shop and Boot Barn we stock Thomas Cook and Wrangler Clothing for all ages, Moda Immagine ladies fashion and RM Williams Stockyard.

We have a wide range of boots and leather accessories for the colts and fillies too, in all the latest styles and colours to keep you looking great.

4601 Mitchell Highway, Lucknow 2800 OPEN 7 days 9:00 to 5:30 Phone orders welcome 02 6365 5330 Visit www.lucknowskinshop.com.au if you just can’t make it in-store.

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SEPTEMBER 18, 19 & 20, 2018

SEE

Over $100 million in machinery DON’T MISS

Pre-purchase online tickets

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Dubbo & Molong | www.earthplanthire.com.au 140 CWL

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

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S P R I N G story name

LENDING a hand A firm that stepped in to help when major banks started to close regional branches has gone from strength to strength keeping capital in the country.

Rivwest Finance was established in 1996 by chartered accountants Bob Elliott and Mick Graham and solicitor Daniel Donebus, who were concerned about the erosion of economic opportunity in rural NSW. The founders identified that the market needed a trustworthy finance provider offering a more personalised service. From the start, that personal approach became the hallmark of Rivwest’s operations.

The business has grown markedly and now services most parts of the eastern seaboard – well beyond its inception in the Riverina and Central West.

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During its 22 years, Rivwest has supplied $186 million in capital to small businesses, which statistically, has created around 2000 full-time jobs in country NSW. Rivwest currently operates with $200 million funds under management and has become a public company with 70 shareholders, more than 450 investors, and representation in Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Temora, West Wyalong, Wollongong and a head office in Dubbo.

The niche financier and finance broker has lending portfolios balanced through geographical areas and industry and equipment types.

ABOVE: Sue Crawford, Robert Elliot, Stuart Morrow, Leanne Dickson, Jonathon O’Sullivan, Vicki Hollis, Fiona Lee and Dianne Cooper.

regional success S P R I N G

Regarded as a regional success story, Rivwest is committed to seeing local people grow their businesses and build their wealth.

Funding structures include equipment and livestock leasing, equipment finance, mortgages, insurance premium funding and professional fee funding.

Rivwest is an accredited broker with most major financiers, and offers residential and commercial mortgage broking and consulting and reporting on various financing and business proposals, including feasibility studies and analysis.

A prospectus for debenture issues is registered each year to provide a means for country investors to obtain commercial returns without investing outside their local area.

Face-to-face dealings are on offer in local offices with highly experienced staff who understand and can empathise with a range of circumstances and scenarios.

Finance manager Stuart Morrow and business development manager Johno O’Sullivan are on the road seeing clients wherever and whenever required.

Lending solutions are tailored to individual circumstances with upfront and honest “what you see is what you get” information provided about rates, fees and charges.

Regarded as a regional success story, Rivwest is committed to seeing local people grow their businesses and build their wealth. The company genuinely wants to see its clients succeed and is proud to be part of achieving that success.

Confidently operating within the motto ‘Keeping Capital in the Country’, Rivwest has experienced over two decades of prosperous growth and looks forward with vigour.

The company plays a role in the community, providing two scholarships at Macquarie Conservatorium in Dubbo and supporting the Dubbo Kangaroos Junior Rugby Club, in addition to many other community and sporting club sponsorships.

In February 2017, Rivwest donated $10,000 to the Warrumbungle Shire Mayor’s Bush Fire Appeal to provide relief to those suffering as a result of the devastating Sir Ivan fire, which tore through thousands of hectares of land near Dunedoo and Cassilis.

Other community participation projects include supporting Genes for Jeans Day and donning fancy dress for a memorial golf day honouring fallen police officers and directing funds towards Police Academy scholarships for underprivileged young adults. CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Jonathon O’Sullivan; Leanne Dickson, Vicki Hollis and Fiona Lee; Luke O’Neill; Stuart Morrow.

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Keeping capital in the country

General insurance products for business

Business Finance • Equipment Finance • Home Loan Broking Refinancing • Insurance Premium Funding • Professional Fee Funding Personal Loans • Agri-Finance • Livestock Finance

Regional Insurance Brokers specialise in providing general insurance products to small and medium businesses and farms throughout Central West NSW and beyond.

Contact Johno 0497 737 847 or Stuart 0428 719 400 50 Talbragar Street, Dubbo • admin@rivwest.com

Contact Luke 0429 909 399 50 Talbragar Street, Dubbo • luke@bjins.com.au

www.rivwest.com

www.regionalinsurancebrokers.com.au

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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 CWL 145

woman of

SUBSTANCE

With an obvious desire for women to succeed in agriculture, Vicki Wilson is setting a fine example.

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rural achiever S P R I N G

At the age of just 18, Vicki Wilson (Blenkinsopp) started her career in the agriculture industry with AML&F in Sydney.

Working as a secretary in the 56 Young Street warehouse, Vicki’s talent was quickly recognised.

Following a merger of AML&F with Elders, Vicki was quickly promoted to sales clerk, and eventually product manager by the age of 24.

At this stage, Vicki was now travelling from her home in Randwick to the Guildford office, where she was selling just about everything – including Elders-branded whiskey!

“This was in the days when we used to sell white goods, material, and medicines, which we’d send out west because some rural areas didn’t have access to things like a chemist,” she remembers.

The store was also one of the only places that used to sell work clothes that were durable, well before RM Williams even established its first store in Sydney.

When Vicki became the sales manager, Elders wanted to move her out to the country.

“I was supposed to go to South Australia, but I ended up in Bathurst, and haven’t looked back since.”

Vicki was the first woman in Elders’ history to become the manager of an Elders rural merchandise store – at just 27.

“I remember there was a headline in one of the Sydney papers along the lines of ‘woman breaks through’, it was definitely memorable,” she laughs.

“I guess women struggled to break through in the industry because they didn’t think women would stay in the industry for long – I proved them wrong!”

In 1992, Vicki and a business partner started their own rural supplies store, formerly the Bathurst Ag-Mart.

Then two years later, Vicki started Town & Country Rural Supplies and has been on her own in business for the past nine years.

Vicki attributes her store’s success to the staff she employs. Most of them are farmers, and therefore know more about the product they’re selling.

“They’re reliable and can explain how they use things, what they’re used for. The longest-serving staff member has been with me for 12 years, so I have some very experienced people on board,” Vicki says.

However, Vicki’s success isn’t limited to her business. This year, she was named a finalist for the Rex Airlines Regional Woman of the Year, as well as Bathurst Citizen of the Year.

Vicki is humble in her success, and says her love for the community is what helped her earn those awards.

“I have always been involved in the Bathurst community since my arrival. Most of my closest friends I met through Rotaract and to this day I remain close with them.”

As a woman who has an obvious passion and desire for women to succeed in agriculture, Vicki is a life member of the Bathurst Show Society, and has been heavily involved in the showgirl competition.

And until recently, Vicki was behind the revival of the Rockley Rodeo, which she was part of for 20 years.

Over the past two years Vicki has been the coordinator of the Young Rural Achiever Program, and Vicki says she’s seeing some impressive young people coming through.

“I wasn’t off a farm, and I wanted to show these young people that you don’t need to be off a farm to be involved in agriculture.

This program gets young people to create a portfolio to showcase their knowledge and experience of agriculture,” she says. CWL Words: Annabelle Amos Images: Zenio Lapka

FACING PAGE: Vicki is very humbled by accolades recognising her contribution to business and community.

LEFT: Vicki thrives on running her business, Town & Country Rural Supplies.

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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

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 149

A STAY WORTH

savouring

Tony and Deidre Robertson serve up only the best for their guests.

Travelling through the town of Rockley, between Bathurst and Oberon, it’s hard to miss the historic buildings that give the village its charm, and Buddens B&B run by Tony and Deidre Robertson is no exception.

There are spacious verandahs overlooking the nearby weir, and romantic candlelight dinners are held in the dining room located in the majestic banking chamber.

The main building, which has five guestrooms, was originally a general store and residence when Mr Budden built it in 1872.

Beneath the general store are four cellars, which would have been used for meat and general produce storage. These days, though, they’re used as wine cellars.

The general store was a major stop-over for the Cobb & Co., and in 1874, a coach house and stable block were constructed.

The coach house remains in its original condition complete with a tack room with the original hooks.

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It also has a feed room, with half-circle openings that were used to throw hay from the feed room to the manger.

The stable block is also still standing, and while it has been climatised and stabilised, the building still has all of its original features including a loft and stables.

With five stables, up to 10 horses could stay in the stable block at any time.

However, sometimes the stable block is transformed into a bar that opens out onto a dance floor, when Buddens hosts weddings.

Another historic building is the summer house, which is thought to have been built as a lookout, smokehouse or prayer room in the 1850s.

It’s made out of quartz, and when Deidre and Tony found it, it was in need of repair.

ABOVE: Tony and Deidre enjoy sharing their historic home and surrounds with guests.

bed & breakfast S P R I N G

“There are spacious verandahs overlooking the nearby weir, and romantic candlelight dinners are held in the dining room located in the majestic banking chamber.”

Guests can enjoy comfort and convenience while staying at Buddens B&B.

The bank purchased the general store around 1882, however Mr Budden became the first manager and remained living at the site.

The bank consequently built the cottage as a bank only, which is next door to the main house. It’s a cosy little space, fit for a small family.

Deidre and Tony’s hospitality is warm and welcoming, and they do everything they can to cater for their guests.

With the B&B located right between Bathurst and Oberon, there is so much to explore nearby.

Trips can be booked to Mayfield Garden, the Jenolan Caves or mushrooming tours at Oberon.

There are also a number of cool-climate wineries around, and the hosts are more than happy to facilitate a cellar door stopover.

You can learn more about the history of Rockley and Buddens B&B by getting in touch with Tony and Deidre on (02) 6337 9279. CWL Words: Annabelle Amos Images: Zenio Lapka

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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

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O

"the locals {ave" - Good Food Guide

BLAYNEY & VILLAGES

• Barry • Carcoar • Hobbys Yards • Kings Plains • Lyndhurst • Mandurama • Millthorpe • Neville • Newbridge

Indulge in the region’s vibrant local festivals, beautiful gardens, fresh produce, rich culture and heritage.

See the ‘What’s On’ events listing at www.blayney.nsw.gov.au #warmwelcome #historicvillages

Blayney Shire Visitor Information Centre 97 Adelaide Street, Blayney • Ph 02 6368 3534 • Fx 02 6368 4360

~ Fabulous NEW ARRIVALS for Spring ~ See the full range of styles in store or online!

Pikolinos W1M-6697 stone $269.95

Rieker 59775 royal $229.95

Rollie Derby Cage black, white $179.95

Rollie Sidecut cognac $159.95

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

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S P R I N G story name

SEA of COLOUR John Taylor’s Millthorpe garden is simply spectacular, regardless of the season.

Each spring there’s a buzz about Millthorpe as the village readies for an influx of visitors to the annual Millthorpe Garden Ramble.

Held in early November when warm days encourage a flush of spring growth and coax flower buds to unfurl, the popular fundraising event features 10 splendid gardens in and around town.

A highlight among the line-up is the extraordinary ‘Eidoilia Park’, owned by plant breeder and nurseryman John Taylor.

On a 6.07-hectare (15-acre) lifestyle block a short distance from town, John built a home and began gardening here around 12 years ago. This former farming block, bare but for one gum tree and two hawthorn trees, has been transformed into a spectacular landscape.

An elevated part of the block has been developed into a magnificent, large-scale rock garden. Basalt rocks and stones relocated from other parts of the property, in addition to others

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sourced locally, were hauled then positioned into place. This area is fondly referred to as Mount Rusty, named after a pet dog, who loved basking on the sunny rocks during construction.

Wide gravel pathways were made among the rocky formations and then garden rooms were created off the main pathways.

A light covering of soil was placed over the beds and then plant selection began. > FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Foliage colour and texture are cleverly used for year round garden interest; eye-catching hot pink bottlebrush; honey locust trees (Gleditsia ‘Sunburst’) provide golden highlights among the lakeside plantings; attractive ruffled and patterned blooms of Pacific Coast or Californian Iris; the lake is a focal point surrounded by magnificent plantings; stunning bright orange Mollis azaleas.

ABOVE: Spring is peak blooming time for hundreds of different varieties of tall bearded Iris and shorter growing Californian or Pacific Coast Iris.

gardens S P R I N G

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S P R I N G story name

The rainbow sea of bearded iris blooming during spring is breathtaking.

Taking inspiration from an overseas visit to ‘Compton Acres’, Dorset in the UK, the layered plantings comprise various forms of maples including Japanese and variegated forms of Box Elder, flowering perennials, rhododendrons, Mollis (deciduous) azaleas, while Hellebores and Euphorbia are used as textural low plantings.

Flowering quince or japonica is pruned annually into rounded forms, which concentrates the late winter and early spring flowering. Featured on the edges of the rocky formations, eyecatching Californian Iris (also known as Pacific Coast Iris) bloom for around six weeks during early spring.

After more than a decade, “everything is maturing well,” says John. “At one stage we could view most of the block from this elevation, but not now.” Gums were planted to provide a protective canopy, shading rhodos and maples.

The soil on the block varies dramatically; half is red basalt and the rest is heavier grey clay. A bore provides water for the garden.

Drip irrigation lines are installed throughout the garden to deliver water where and when it is required. The pipes are covered with mulch so are not visible but easily accessible for maintenance.

John uses plants grouped together in threes, fives or more for a strong visual effect. Mass planting is another of John’s landscape tools. A lengthy display of indigo blue Ceanothus ‘Blue Pacific’ (Californian lilac) is a showstopper in spring. Mass-planted rose beds put on an impressive colour display during mid-spring, repeating the show in autumn. The rainbow sea of bearded iris blooming during spring is breathtaking. John, a world-renowned hybridiser, bred many of the irises on display.

As well as a large selection of hybrid tea roses, John trialled and settled on varieties of David Austin and Modern Shrub roses for most of the rose plantings. These roses are more adaptable, and in John’s opinion better garden specimens. Some favourites are ‘Carabella’, ‘Knock Out’, ‘Mary Rose’, ‘Molineux’ and ‘Sally Holmes’.

Colour impact is sought, and 10 or more of the same variety are grouped together for maximum effect. Dense hedges of glossy green Escallonia bifida or dwarf Japanese Box border the rose beds, acting as a green foil for the blooms and providing garden structure when the roses are bare in winter.

Climbing roses are grown on large wide steel-framed arbours for generous foliage and flower colour on horizontal and vertical surfaces. Over these frames, single coloured climbing roses create a dazzling floral display, peaking in spring and repeated during autumn. Climbing roses include rich pink ‘Manita’ and ‘Mme Gregoire Staechelin’, cerise ‘Laguna’ white ‘Wedding Day’ and climbing ‘Iceberg’ and soft peach ‘Albertine’.

“We’ve been here for over a decade and never needed to spray the roses once,” John says. Good air circulation and a wonderful climate prevent fungal diseases. Tiny birds, mainly wrens and finches, nest among the hedges and feast on aphids and other sap-sucking insects. Roses are fed twice a year with all-purpose rose fertiliser in very early spring and late summer after the first flush. > FACING PAGE FROM TOP: An inviting vista across the lake to a garden pavilion; Tall Bearded iris in blue; hues of indigo Ceanothus ‘Blue Pacific’ and burgundy Berberis; patterned California iris; cerise pink climbing rose ‘Laguna’ smothers this large arbour; a stunning contrast between the standard and falls petals of Tall Bearded Iris.

LEFT FROM TOP: A sundrenched garden bed features mounded textural shrub planting and spring bulbs for colour; spring blooming ranunculus; roses on every level – the huge rambling roses include ‘Edna Walling’ and ‘Cherry Chase’, and bush roses ‘Carabella’ and foreground “Peach Profusion’.

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S P R I N G story name

Gardening here is not without its challenges.

John’s passion for plant breeding is evident throughout the garden, with hundreds of different iris flower colours and forms on display.

John gives a lesson in iris botany and hand pollination, describing the flower form with its upright (standard) and lower (fall) petals. The “beard” on iris flowers attracts pollinators. Bread tags indicate John’s hand pollinated blooms, marking a return point for him to collect seed of potential new beauties. Bearded Iris have variable fragrance, more noticeable when the blooms are cut for the vase and brought indoors.

While many of the irises are trialled, evaluated, displayed and multiplied here at Millthorpe, Rainbow Ridge Nursery is located at nearby Burnt Yards and run by John’s dedicated niece Sharon.

On the garden’s western perimeter and throughout the garden, a series of windbreak plantings protect the more tender plants from the elements. Screen plantings or hedging divides and defines different areas within the garden. Reliable selections include Pittosporum ‘Going Green’ and ‘Silver Sheen’, purple-tipped Cootamundra wattle, hot pink Callistemon and Thuja ‘Smaragd’.

With room for growth and expansion, the garden has been extended over the years to incorporate a Japanese-themed garden, an avenue flanked by ‘Chanticleer’ flowering pear trees, and golden-foliaged Gleditsia ‘Sunburst’ trees add highlights to the textural planting beside the lake. The variety and diversity of plants here constitutes a plant collector’s paradise. There are flowering chestnuts, Dogwood and Crab-apples, an interesting range of Viburnum and different-foliaged conifer species.

Gardening here is not without its challenges. Soil is variable, and there can be intense summer heat, bitter frosts and snow in winter. Just when John thought the Bearded Iris were perfectly timed for an early November garden opening and TV crew arrival for filming, a savage late frost shattered all the blooms. However, within a week or so, these resilient plants had recovered, looking stunning as new flower buds opened in a blaze of glorious colour.

John says he loves living and growing in Millthorpe as there are four distinct seasons. Enjoying the reverdie after a cold winter when the garden comes to life with predominant plantings of roses and iris, this is a spectacular spring garden. However, John says the garden has aspects of beauty all year round. “Whether it’s glorious autumn foliage colour or the first bulbs popping their heads up after winter, we have it all.”

Visit ‘Eidoilia Park’ during the Millthorpe Garden Ramble on November 3 and 4, 2018. For tickets and information, visit www.millthorpevillage.com.au.

Rainbow Ridge Nursery will have plants for sale at special ramble prices, or contact Sharon at www.rainbowridgenursery.com.au or on (02) 6366 7210. CWL Words: Elizabeth Swane Images: Robert Bruce

LEFT FROM TOP: Sheltered by ornamental pear trees and bordered with low Buxus hedges, the large mass planted rose beds include Shrub roses ‘Sally Holmes’ in pink tinged white, beside rich red ‘Temptress’; pink spring crab apple blossoms (Malus ioensis ‘Plena’); a pair of cherubs and mass planted perennial plantings including fragrant lavender; the elevated “Mount Rusty” section of the garden encourages visitors to wander and admire the diverse range of plantings.

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8 of Crookwell’s best town and country cool-climate gardens, open all weekend (10am-4pm) PLUS Garden Lover’s Market on Saturday (8.30am-2pm) with an array of plants, tools, garden and botanical art, and much more. $20 FOR ALL GARDENS (VALID ALL WEEKEND) or $5 PER GARDEN Purchase all-garden tickets from our website and Crookwell Visitors Centre.

All-garden and single tickets available at each garden gate on Saturday & Sunday. Buses welcome.

See website for market and garden information.

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e: plants@perennialle.com.au CWL 159

Honey Mustard DRESSING Rosie’s Honey Mustard Dressing is more than just a dressing Gluten and preservative free, handmade with all natural ingredients. 100% Australian owned and made.

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GARDEN Sue and Paul McCutcheon’s Narromine garden is a stunning showcase of plant diversity and adaptation, with an endearing wild side.

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Combining a love of plants and gardens, with the ability to adapt and change over three decades, Sue and Paul McCutcheon have created a large flowing country garden amid thousands of hectares of farming land at Narromine.

Sue and Paul have lived and farmed ‘Bungarley’ in Narromine for 32 years. Their first home, a small farm cottage, was extended in 1988 and renovated during 2008 to accommodate their growing family. Renovations included a superb screened and glass garden room, a practical solution to indoor-outdoor living in a country environment. Surrounding the home is a wonderful, large, flowing country garden full of interest and seasonal colour.

Describing her 2.02-hectare (five-acre) garden as a “conglomerate”, Sue has chosen plants well, using the knowledge she gleaned from her gardening mother, combined with horticulture studies and a keen eye. The challenges of the hot dry climate in Narromine and the local clay-based soils (digging holes requires a crow bar) make the selection of plants to best suit the conditions a key factor in the ongoing success of this large garden.

“I was lucky to have learnt by osmosis,” Sue says. “My mother was a good gardener and used to point out and name different plants.”

While studying horticulture, Sue learnt the importance of soil preparation. Compost made from cotton trash adds organic matter to break up the fertile clay soil prior to planting. In addition, lucerne hay is used as mulch, which breaks down to improve the soil structure over time. >

FACING PAGE: A range of plants selected to ideally suit the local climate conditions and skilful design come together to create this wonderful garden.

LEFT FROM TOP: The indoor outdoor room nestles beautifully into the lush green oasis; a selection of roses and flowering shrubs bloom reliably in this tough climate; trees give the garden shade, shelter and grand scale; generous flowering shrubs fill the garden beds near the dam.

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Reliable and ideal for shade, “must haves” among the tree selection here in the Central West are gums (Eucalyptus). Massive River Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) are endemic, while tall straight Lemon Scented Gums (E. citriodora) make a vertical statement in the garden with their silvery white trunks. Other favourites are Western Australian Salmon Gums (E. salmonophloia), with ornamental smooth pink bark, and arrow upright E. argophloia, commonly known as the Queensland Western White Gum. One downside is a bit of mess, as leaves, twigs and bark drop regularly.

The gums are grouped in clumps for easy clean-ups.

Along the western border, screen plantings are essential for protection from prevailing hot westerly winds. Selections include Melaleuca ‘Revolution Gold’, Viburnum tinus, variegated Pittosporum eugenoides, grey-leafed Teucrium and showy Grewia ‘Lavender Star’. The plantings ensure that summer temperatures within the garden are several degrees cooler.

“Screen plantings are essential in this climate, and require pruning to maintain a dense shrubby habit,” Sue says. Hard pruning makes the areas look bare for a while, but plants soon grow back with improved vigour and longevity, especially so for paperbarks and bottle brush.

Along with the house, the garden has also been renovated, a different area each season, making the task less overwhelming.

Modifying the garden by planting more permanent shrubs and fewer perennials allows for time limitations.

Sue discovered the shortcomings of no original garden plan when some areas became too shady where trees were wrongly positioned. Earlier plantings to hide the farm sheds had become overgrown and melded together into a dense green screen. This required thinning and opening up to allow light in, as areas had become dark and dingy. Other areas have benefited from judicious editing and altering the garden layout to achieve open spaces and improve vistas throughout.

“I’m a bit of a plant collector and wanted one of everything,” Sue reflects. Since the inception of Horti Ladies in 2004, Sue has developed her skills in design and what once was just a plant collection has now been shaped into a beautiful country garden.

A new design evolved from a driveway through the centre of the garden. An avenue of single pink flowering, burgundy foliage Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ lined the original driveway. Over 28 years,

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“I’m a bit of a plant collector and wanted one of everything.” the trees matured, encroaching on the drive so it became more of a walk. Rather than remove the trees, the solution was to alter the garden, relocating the drive and entrance outside, and then opting for a wide pea-gravel pathway under the tunnel of trees. An old-fashioned fountain forms a focal point at the end of the avenue.

The garden beds on either side of the tunnel were widened to accommodate lovely plantings of Agapanthus, Princess Lilies (Alstromeria) and Camellias. Sue adds a bag of camellia and azalea potting mix to the planting area to acidify the neutral soil, meeting the Camellias’ need for a lower soil pH. Creating vistas, such as down the Prunus tunnel and long views along the lawn towards the sentinel-like gums, are timeless garden design tools. Flowing lines created by curved garden beds or curved pathways and open space for lawns create a wonderful feel. Add flowering and colourful foliage shrubs for seasonal interest and the effect is superb.

“I love parts of the garden to be a little wild,” Sue says, pointing out an arching ‘Carabella’ rose spreading over adjacent shrubs.

This relaxed look is balanced with rounded clipped Abelia or Japanese box (Buxus microphylla), which create a sense of structure and order, and act as focal points along the garden beds.

Strong structural elements within the garden are key elements for a great winter garden, too, Sue says.

Some “wild” plants were regrettable choices. Sue is now in the process of culling periwinkle and African (wild) olive, while a hybrid willow cutting is now a huge tree, located too close to the house. “I hate to imagine what it is doing to the pipes!”

In addition to the extensive farming area, the McCutcheon family is also in the earthmoving business. It wasn’t surprising that a Christmas present for Sue was a new kidney-shaped dam near the entry drive. It was a practical move, too, as the surrounding land had been levelled to keep run-off water away from the driveway. The dam adds depth to the garden and is purely aesthetic.

The gardens around the dam are not manicured, but filled with a mix of generously proportioned seasonal flowering shrubs including pink Rosa multiflora cottage rose, white ‘Sally Holmes’

and pearlescent ‘Cecile Brunner’ roses and winter-flowering Viburnum tinus. Summer-flowering cerise pink Nerium oleander are a climate-hardy selection, inspired by the look of cool-climate rhododendrons. Golden Arizona conifers and golden Duranta create foliage contrast and add pops of year-round colour. The dam is edged with yellow flowering water iris, and a flock of white geese complete the vista.

On the opposite side of the dam, gardens are a layered combination of trees including Eucalypts, box elder Acer negundo, Golden elm, Claret ash and Melaleuca ‘Revolution Gold’. A lovely soft apricot ‘Albertine’ rose and scented Honeysuckle smother a white painted arbour.

A computerised watering system is a practical and time-saving investment the family made, utilising stock and domestic and dam water to irrigate the garden automatically.

With their two sons and their families on adjoining properties, the family intends to stay for some time. Having mastered the challenge of growing plants well, Sue plans to continually adapt the garden, concentrating on maintenance of the “inner garden” around the house while the areas towards the dam get a little “wilder”.

Together with Judy Barlow, Sue runs garden design and consultancy business Horti Ladies. Visit www.hortiladiesgardendesign.com.au.

Judy and Tony Barlow’s garden ‘Owendale’ was featured in the Autumn 2018 edition of CWL. CWL Word: Elizabeth Swane Images: Robert Bruce and Shot by Jake

FACING PAGE FROM TOP: Over time the gardens have developed into a well balanced combination of trees, shrubs and open space for lawn; a former drive, the Prunus avenue is now a wide walkway; curved lines are used throughout the garden.

ABOVE: Golden foliage is used for colour contrast and clipped rounded shrubs add structure during winter when the roses are not in bloom; the colours and textures created by the plantings and gravel surface along the Prunus walk culminate in an elegant focal point.

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ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL Windora Cottage boasts an amazing makeover after being brought back to life with lots of loving care.

Newly engaged couple Will Moss and Lucy Watson are the dynamic duo behind the resurrection of this 1950s cottage, half an hour from Coonamble.

You can feel the love and pride for this cottage from the moment you walk through the bright yellow front door. The attention to detail in every corner reflects how important this home is to Lucy and Will.

After looking for a tree change at 19, city girl Lucy is right at home with living in the country. Her store, Mink and Me, in Coonamble, has brought designer goodies,

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gifts and an eclectic range of both rustic and colourful décor pieces to the town.

And she practises what she preaches, with Windora Cottage echoing the unique combination of colourful and country décor that you will find in her store.

In fact, like the pieces in her store, the cottage includes items sourced from local homesteads, sheds and farms across country NSW. Lucy also passionately supports local creatives and artists with some colourful abstracts adorning the walls of the cottage.

It doesn’t take long to realise that Lucy loves colour and she isn’t afraid to use it. Every room abounds with colour, but décor items have been carefully curated so as not to feel too busy. It is a clever balance of colour and interest that brings joy as you enter a room. > ABOVE: A wool classing bench, converted into a dining table by the local men’s shed, pairs beautifully with the vintage Sydney bus scroll.

FACING PAGE: Will and Lucy’s unique kitchen features bamboo garden cloches transformed into lamp shades, adding a contrasting natural element to the kitchen.

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WILL AND LUCY’S FEARLESS APPROACH TO HOME RENOVATION AND DECORATING IS NOTHING SHORT OF INSPIRING.

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Will, who was a plumber for 11 years and is now a farmer, has skill in renovating and nothing has been done half-heartedly. When installing the kitchen, he needed to build up areas of the walls so the new cabinets sat squarely and neatly between the rustic cottage walls. It was a labour of love that meant the kitchen has been transformed into a wellcrafted masterpiece. A colourful abstract by Kirsten Jackson adds interest and warmth to the kitchen, proving that art shouldn’t be confined to hallways and lounge rooms.

The one-of-a-kind stencilled bench was the result of a happy accident when the kickboard that was meant to be a solid grey panel arrived in plywood instead. Lucy loved the natural grain and texture of the plywood, so she decided to keep it. The addition of blue motifs to the plywood added just the right amount of character to tie it into the kitchen décor. The effect was created with a stencil Lucy designed. Each motif was carefully traced onto the board and then hand painted.

Not far from the kitchen sits Lucy’s favourite piece in the cottage: a stunning grey and white bone inlay chest of drawers.

She had been lusting after one for years and finally treated herself last Christmas. Rather

than confine it to the bedroom, it is proudly on display, performing the function of a bar within easy reach of both kitchen and dining.

Drinks and other bar items adorn the top of the dresser and a colourful framed tea towel

by Rachel Castle hangs on the wall above.

Will and Lucy see potential everywhere and after a fruitless search for the ideal bathroom vanity, they decided to make their own. An old character-filled dresser from a nearby shed was cleaned up and a stylish sink was added to the top. Combined with a striking bone inlay mirror and dressing room lighting, the outdoor bathroom oozes unexpected luxury.

The existing floorboards have been sanded and resurfaced throughout the home, providing a beautiful contrast to the bright and colourful décor items. They bring warmth into each space, particularly in the living room where flourishing indoor plants make it feel like an urban jungle. Comfortable chairs and a fun collection of cosy cushions welcomes you into this space to unwind.

The most amazing room in the house has to be the main bedroom. It explodes with colour, pattern and texture. Anna Spiro wallpaper creates the perfect backdrop for the sumptuously decorated bed with deep

navy upholstered headboard. More local artists feature in this space, including a blue fire extinguisher lamp by Alison Dent and artworks by Kylie Harvey.

Another key feature of this room are the colourful baskets that are stacked on top of the white cupboard. Will and Lucy visited Morocco last year and fell in love with these traditional handmade Berber bread baskets.

Lucy confesses she brought quite a few home, in fact every spare inch of luggage was filled. There is much to admire in this room, but careful editing and emphasis on blue has kept it relaxed and welcoming.

A visit to Windora Cottage will leave you feeling refreshed and happy. Will and Lucy’s fearless approach to home renovation and decorating is nothing short of inspiring – more evidence that homes should be a reflection of the passions and style of those who live within their walls. CWL Words and images: Amanda O’Sullivan

ABOVE: The master bedroom is rich in texture, pattern and colour, making it a happy retreat.

FACING PAGE: Every corner of Windora Cottage has been carefully curated and styled to create interest and warmth.

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GRAYHOUND

As spring is upon us, it’s time to reshuffle the wardrobe and introduce some colour and fun to your style. Specialising in women’s and children’s clothes, The Grayhound in Narrabri is bound to have something for you.

Inside fabulous family store The Grayhound, you’ll find all the hottest trends for spring – with the latest shoes, dresses, tops and just about everything else right at your fingertips.

Run by Shawn Wales, alongside her husband Steve, The Grayhound also stocks baby clothes and toys, catering for everyone in the family.

“We even cater for that hard-to-buy-for man in your life, with a choice of pocket knives, food flasks, shave care and torches, to name a few,” Shawn says.

For women, this spring you can expect to see some bold fashion choices creeping in, and just because you live in a country town, it doesn’t mean you have to go without.

Explore our emporium in Narrabri, full of beautiful things...

GIFTS & HOMEWARES LADIES CLOTHING & SHOES JEWELLERY & ACCESSORIES FURNITURE GIFTS FOR HIM CHILDREN’S CLOTHING, SHOES, GIFTS, TOYS, BOOKS & CRAFTS

Stocking brands including Najo Sterling Silver Jewellery, YAYA & Very Very Ladies Clothing, Love Henry, Seedling Kids’ Craft, B Box, Alimrose Designs, NanaHuchy, Toshi, Crabtree & Evelyn, Ted Baker, ECOYA Candles, and many more.

85 MAITLAND STREET, NARRABRI 02 6792 1363

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“We have a couple of European brands, which means that we’re keeping in line with international fashion.”

The Grayhound isn’t limited to clothing.

There are beautiful homewares, which can be purchased as a ‘treat-yourself’ item, or as a gift.

As one of the most iconic and recognisable stores in Narrabri, it isn’t hard to find The Grayhound. Just look for the ornate stained glass windows on Maitland Street.

And if you don’t live in Narrabri, you can find The Grayhound on Facebook and Instagram, by following or liking their pages. You can also contact The Grayhound on (02) 6792 1363. CWL Words: Annabelle Amos Image: Zenio Lapka

Just because you live in a country town, it doesn’t mean you have to go without.

ABOVE: Shawn Wales and retail assistant Chelsea Wheeler enjoy assisting their many customers.

COURTHOUSE COTTAGE B&B

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TABLES Your coffee table should be both functional and fabulous.

The coffee table often takes centre stage in the living room, so it deserves some attention to make it an eye-catching feature, rather than a dumping ground for odd bits and pieces. No one wants a coffee table that looks sterile and overly staged. It’s lovely when your coffee table is aesthetically pleasing, but it’s important for it to be functional too. Follow my top five tips to create a stylish and functional coffee table.

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TIP #1 DIVIDE YOUR TABLE INTO SEGMENTS Creating purposeful areas on your table is a great place to start your coffee table styling. I like to use two or three sections when decorating my tables.

Of course, this will depend on the shape and size of the table. A large rectangular coffee table will allow more segments before it looks cluttered, whereas a small, round table might be limited to one or two areas. Once you have decided on your segments you can get to work on decorating each section. The aim is to provide a sense of balance and organisation. You might decide to have all your books or magazines in one section, practical pieces like remotes or keys in another and decorative pieces in another.

TIP #2 ADD A “CATCH-ALL” ITEM A catch-all item is exactly as it is described: a tray, basket, bowl or box that stores all those bits that can clutter up your table. Surface tops often become a gathering ground of dumped items, so it’s handy to be able to group bits and bobs together in a tray or bowl. Every coffee table will benefit from the addition of a tray or other catch-all item. It not only keeps things tidy, but it makes items easy to locate. I love having a tray on my coffee table. My remote lives in the tray and everyone knows that it needs to be returned there at the end of the day. Not only does it keep items stored neatly, it also makes dusting easy!

Simply put everything on top of the table in the tray and lift off for easy cleaning.

TIP #3 CHOOSE INTERESTING AND VARIED OBJECTS Add interest with varying objects that reflect your own individual style and personality. Consider objects of different shapes and sizes, featuring various textures both natural and man-made. The coffee table is the perfect place for playful items to live – like chess, playing cards or other small games. Having these items placed on the coffee table not only encourages connections between family members, but also acts as an icebreaker for visitors. A natural element like flowers or a house plant will add a little life to your table.

TIP #5 HAVE DESIGNATED EMPTY SPACES TIP #4 VARY HEIGHT Make sure you vary the height of your décor items. When everything sits at the same level, your eye doesn’t know where to land first and interest is lost. Your eye will naturally fall on the highest point and then make its way around the table to admire the other items. Height can be created by adding a stack of coffee table books with a candle or quirky ornament on top. Adding a vase with fresh blooms or a low-maintenance indoor plant is another way to play with height. Remember that all of your items need to be visual from all angles, so avoid things like framed images because they only look appealing from the front.

Last but definitely not least is to make sure there is some empty space on your coffee table. While this tip seems contradictory to styling and decorating, it is vital to leave some empty spaces for the practical use of your coffee table. Let’s be realistic, we all like to put our feet up when watching TV, so leave some room on the outside of your table for this to be done comfortably. Laying out coasters is a great way to designate space for your drinks. Having a place to sit your coffee or wine is also important and you shouldn’t need to rearrange the table to do this. CWL Words and images: Amanda O’Sullivan

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HOWARD’S

WAY

Have you ever had a space in your home that needed to be filled with a piece of furniture, but you just couldn’t quite find the right thing? Harry Howard has a solution.

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Harry creates custom-made furniture to fit the needs of his clients, based out of his workshop in Kelso, Bathurst.

For Harry to make a beautiful piece of furniture, though, he needs all the information from the client, for example, its location in the house and what it will be used for.

“From my perspective, two things are important – its function, what it’s used for and proportion, as in balance, height and depth,” he says.

Harry says clients usually have a fair idea of what they want in a piece of furniture, but sometimes things need tweaking.

“I can help advise and achieve their requirements. Often the customer will have a picture, and there will be something about it showing their ideas,” he says.

While mass-produced furniture can be cost effective for the general public, Harry says most customers looking for a unique piece of furniture understand there is an additional cost.

Harry sources his timber from various locations, but is always keeping sustainability in mind.

Having been involved in manufacturing since 1976, and in business himself since 1993, Harry says he enjoys helping clients design a special piece for their home, and says communication throughout the process is extensive.

“First, we talk about colours and timber best suited, I draw scaled drawings showing details and some of these may not arise in our initial contact.”

Harry has just finished making an Australian cedar hall table and chairs made from Huon pine, which is a unique type of wood only found in the temperate rainforests of South West Tasmania.

They’re stunning pieces of furniture that Harry has made entirely on his own out of his workshop.

In addition to his special custom-made furniture, Harry also does restoration work and French polishing.

Harry says if anyone is interested in discussing bespoke furniture options, they can visit his website harryhoward.com, or can call to set up a meeting on 0439 731 889. CWL Words: Annabelle Amos Images: Zenio Lapka

LEFT: Harry Howard takes great pride in producing unique and beautiful pieces of handmade furniture.

At Choices Flooring we know that good interior decorating starts

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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

Hand-crafted earthenware from Deruta, the home of beautiful Italian ceramics

Antiques & collectables, ladies clothing and jewellery, baby clothing, alpaca products, hand dyed wools, handmade candles and soaps, Italian ceramics, organic teas, giftware & homewares.

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69 Goulburn Street Crookwell, NSW (02) 4832 2319

Beautiful, genuine Italian ceramics to enhance your home or gift to someone special Online store: www.paradisoceramics.com.au Shop: Arcadia, 77 Goulburn Street, Crookwell, NSW

Unique country style gifts, homewares, accessories & clothing

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meet the maker

Cath Player The key to painting is “seeing�, says this fledgling artist.

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Tell us about yourself and your business.

I’m the ever-reluctant accountant, meaning I have spent my entire career running in the opposite direction to debits and credits.

Accounting has provided a great work foundation, though, and I have returned to it numerous times, even as recently as last year. Currently working in adult education, I balance my life with the creativity found in parenting, writing, performing gigs and now this, painting.

My paintings generally feature animals, more often cows. I like capturing the exact moment when animals and humans first connect. I’m certain that everyone’s experienced this at some point in their life. It’s that powerful instant where energy exchanges between the two parties in absolute silence. It’s a unique form of communication. There’s a mental calculation occurring on both sides: friend or foe? It’s fascinating.

That first encounter is also where most people make many assumptions about the animal’s personality. Lord Northumberland, Trumped, Napoleon’s Dream – most of my works’ titles are a quiet nod to how the animal revealed themselves to me in that moment. As I’m interested in world events, pop culture and literature, these influences are also evident in my sometimes-unusual naming conventions.

However, not all my paintings are that well thought out. Some days I’m simply painting because I feel stressed or overwhelmed by work.

I go and splash some colour around a canvas and suddenly five hours have passed. Obviously, I am still no further ahead with my work, but during those five hours, I am present, free, and somehow just right.

When and how did your love of painting begin?

I was without work for a brief period at the start of 2017. Though I was tempted to return to accounting, I joined a book club instead.

This was quite novel as I had never known what it was to have spare time before. At the inaugural meeting, a book titled The Last Painting of Sara De Vos, by Dominic Smith, was chosen. I found the book a little hit and miss in terms of the story, but I recall vividly reading a single game-changing line. Basically, it stated that artworks were formed by building up paint in layers. I had never thought of painting as being a series of layers before. Suddenly painting just made sense to me. At least, it did in my mind. So, I went and bought supplies and commenced the next day. Posting my first painting to my Facebook wall that night, a friend asked me if I would paint one for her. That was my first commission and they just kept rolling in after that.

How did you go about learning your craft?

One day I started painting, and I kept on painting. There is a lot to be said for trial and error. Error, in particular, is a fantastic teacher.

In the beginning, if I ever felt stuck, I’d see if someone had an explanation on YouTube. I do recall watching YouTube on how to paint black fur once. Now, after my first year, I can see that a style has started to emerge.

What have been your steepest learning curves along the way?

I have always been my own biggest critic, and this is generally worsened by my constant search for perfection in all that I do. This journey has shown me that art is a little more forgiving than other things in life. When people commission me to paint their cattle, for example, they aren’t looking for me to replicate the image that they’ve sent me down to the final strand of fur. Had they sought an exact replica, they would have just framed their photo in the first place. I have freedom to interpret, and therefore, I have permission to be less than perfect. However, I don’t often steer too far away from what I see. My brain hasn’t evolved enough yet. I’m working on it.

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meet the maker S P R I N G

What has been a highlight of your journey?

Learning to really see has by far been this journey’s highlight. It’s amazing when you start to paint because your link from vision to cognition is strengthened. Black fur, for example, contains very little black. I can see this now. There are lots of greys, browns, blue and white but only a little bit of black.

But vision is only one way that my ability to see has been improved. Painting for up to 12 hours in a day is, without doubt, a form of deep meditation. When I am painting, all other senses and needs become secondary. I often don’t even stop to eat. As I paint, my mind works out life’s issues by removing the emotional content and I can see the situation uninhibited by my own cogitative filters.

It’s sight in its truest form and certainly something that I didn’t expect to come from this.

“This journey has shown me that art is a little more forgiving than other things in life.”

What do you believe your craft (and handmade in general) brings to your wider community?

We live in a farming community. Our land, its produce and our animals, create a sense of belonging, place and purpose in all our lives. If I can bring anything to the community with my art it would be joy, pride in our region and a comfort akin to that of soup, scones or a pie on a cold day. It’s us. It’s where we live and it’s who we are.

Where can people find out more, or view your paintings?

You can find me online, under Firebox Art by Cath Player: www.facebook.com/fireboxart www.instagram.com/cath_player CWL Images: Zenio Lapka

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ME

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SOMETHING

for everyone You’re always welcome at Molly’s Place in Talbragar Street, Dubbo.

Molly Jenkins established her gorgeous lifestyle store four years ago as a creative outlet and to add a point of difference to retailing in the city.

“Dubbo is fortunate to have some really lovely shops,” Molly says.

“My store offers a range of things that are a little different, with a focus on beautiful and distinctive pieces for customers to wear, use and enjoy.”

A magnet for visitors and favoured destination for local and regional shoppers, Molly’s Place stocks attractive women’s and children’s clothing, artworks, beautiful wooden pens hand-turned by her husband, and a wide range of inspirational and specialty home décor lines, including designer teapots, mugs and cups, frames, books, candles and fragrance diffusers.

A treasure trove of quality gifts caters for women and men of all ages as well as babies, children and adolescents.

Molly prides herself on personal service and is always happy to help with the selection of thoughtful presents for specific occasions including birthdays, Mother’s

Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Easter, baby showers, weddings, engagements and christenings.

Customers love the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere at Molly’s Place, with regulars popping in frequently to see what’s new.

“People know that new stock comes in every week and they enjoy coming in to chat and browse,” Molly says.

“There is real therapeutic value in looking at beautiful things and sharing what’s on your mind. I love interacting with customers and appreciate that they feel welcome and relaxed at my place.

“People are often looking to buy a gift for a particular purpose or occasion. At other times they just want to spoil themselves or a loved one with something special.”

Molly says customers come “from all over the place”. Travellers arriving in Dubbo on the XPT often call in as they walk past the shop on their way into the centre of the city.

School holidays attract people from regional destinations as well as larger centres, including Sydney and Newcastle.

Named Therese by her parents, Molly was given her nickname by her Year 6 teacher.

“The teacher was trying to avoid confusion because there were three girls in the class called Therese,” Molly says.

“The nickname stuck with me.”

Molly’s Place is closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays to provide a balance between family life and business.

The store trades from 9am to around 4pm on Wednesdays and Fridays, 9am to 7pm on Thursdays and 9am to around noon on Saturdays.

“If there are people about I like to keep the doors open a little longer,” Molly says.

“That flexibility is all part of running your own business. Opening days and times are extended during the busy Christmas season.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: Molly Jenkins in her beautiful lifestyle store.

She stocks a treasure trove of gifts for women and men of all ages, babies, children and adolescents.

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Gifts from the Heart

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62 Hawthorn St, Dubbo | Tel: 02 6882 8911 www.cramptonscarpets.com.au CWL 183

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inspiration S P R I N G

racing

ROYALTY They are known as the “Racing Nestors”, a family of champions held in high regard by Australia’s thoroughbred fraternity.

The dynasty began 60 years ago with a dynamic partnership forged at Gulargambone by John and Judy Nestor.

The rare combination of jockey husband and trainer wife had the “Midas touch” in racing and business, and their children and grandchildren followed in their footsteps.

John was ranked at the top of his game, often riding four or five winners out of six races and enjoying some luck in Sydney.

Judy gained admiration and respect as a successful trainer and became the first woman on Coonamble Shire Council, serving as deputy shire president for several years.

Now retired and living in Dubbo, their lovely home is full of thoroughbred photos, magnificent trophies and a remarkable collection of memorabilia, including ledgers with details of every ride recorded in John’s beautiful copperplate script.

“I learned to write that way at the Nudgee Boys Home in Queensland,” he says.

“I have always liked things neat and tidy and after starting out in an orphanage I was determined to make something of my life.”

John was aged around eight when he was brought to Gulargambone to live with the sister of Max Skinner, a local businessman who owned the town’s garage.

He got to know trainer Booka Nixon and often watched the horses being worked. >

ABOVE: John and Judy Nestor during their early years in the racing industry.

FACING PAGE: Their home contains a remarkable collection of thoroughbred memorabilia.

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“One day Booka threw me up on a piebald pony,” John recalls.

“I had never been on a horse but Booka thought I had a flair for riding. Somehow I seemed to have a real feeling for animals.”

At 16, John was apprenticed as a jockey but his hopes for a successful career were dashed when the Australian Jockey Club gave him a lifetime ban for participating in an unofficial horse race at a country sports carnival.

John became a roustabout in shearing sheds and rode trackwork for a friend before going into the taxi game.

He was in Gulargambone hospital with the mumps when nurse Judy Laracy popped her head into his room to ask if he wanted anything “down the street”.

“I asked for a chocolate ice cream and it was the dearest ice cream I ever bought,” he jokes.

The couple married in 1958.

“John is six years older than me and we had known each other at school,” Judy says.

“I didn’t have any ability with horses but I soon learnt.”

John’s ban on racing was lifted by Queen Elizabeth II, and in 1959 the man who had an innate aptitude with horses was back in action and determined to do well.

Hard work, talent, keen judgement and perseverance paid dividends for the couple, with John skilfully riding winners trained to perfection by Judy.

John and Judy’s services were in high demand, and more success followed when they expanded into the bloodstock transport industry.

“Our trucks were the best on the road,” John says.

“We had to have the best equipment to beat the competition.”

Judy would drive a load of horses to the races and duck into the women’s toilets to get changed.

“Often I had the pleasure of winning the fashion on the field,” she says.

“At the end of the day I would change out of my racewear, load up the truck and head home.”

When John was 38 he retired from riding to concentrate on business interests. In 1976 the Nestors moved to Dubbo and established Sunny Park, a 16-hectare (40-acre) horse motel and spelling and training complex.

“Dubbo’s geographic location made it the perfect overnight stay for horses and drivers,” John says.

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“We both started out with humble beginnings and realised there were choices to be made in life.”

“Sunny Park became the best-known facility west of Sydney and we spelled up to 40 horses overnight in shifts.”

Well-known for her style and elegance, Judy started working in the fashion department at Myer and stayed with the company for 22 years.

The Nestors are proud of their children and describe them as “great human beings”.

Peter recently retired as a leading trainer. Wendy is part of the team at the Don Crosby veterinary clinic, and Michael, a top jockey in his day, has a successful business.

Grandson Kody became a third-generation jockey and has now taken on his uncle Peter’s stables as a trainer. Another grandson, Casey, rides trackwork and is an apprentice with a prominent Sydney farrier.

John and Judy sold Sunny Park 16 years ago and, as their diamond wedding anniversary approaches, they fondly regard each other as great mates.

“We both started out with humble beginnings and realised there were choices to be made in life.

“We worked hard to establish a solid base for ourselves and our children. I suppose you could say we were lucky but we also made our own luck.

“We have had a wonderful life and our greatest achievement has been our family.” CWL Words: Heather Crosby Images: Zenio Lapka

ABOVE: John Nestor with one of his magnificent racing trophies; the 1964 presentation of the Hubert Brennan Memorial Trophy won

by Messrs J Bowman and A J Brown; John in his racing heyday.

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S P R I N G health & wellness

finding the perfect

BALANCE If there are reasons for your sleeplessness, there are also ways to conquer it.

Not being able to get a good night’s sleep is a concern for many people.

Do you know there are a number of causes?

First of all, work out if it is environmental, medical or physical and then take steps to remedy that.

If it isn’t any of the above reasons, and it seems that it is emotional habits, then the next step is where Brain Training comes in.

ENVIRONMENT Room temperature, bedding, other people, animals, noises etc.

PHYSICAL

Aches and pains.

MEDICAL

Stomach aches, headaches, breathing problems etc.

EMOTIONAL

Past experiences, concerns, worries, stress.

HABITS

Bladder habits, brain habits.

Your brain and body, for whatever reason, have developed this annoying habit of waking up in the early hours (or not even letting you go to sleep no matter how tired you are). You’ve probably tried some or all of these remedies: hot milk, lavender oil, medication, counting sheep (or equivalent mantras), meditation, getting up, exercise before bed (or no exercise), no screens before bed, etc, etc. And you’re still awake.

We’ve all been there! None of them will really work until you have worked out what caused the problem in the first place and what is keeping you from sleeping.

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There are three stages to retrain your brain

1 2 3

I DENTIFY THE ORIGINAL TRIGGER THAT IS WORRYING YOU. PROCESS/RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. EVELOP A STRATEGY THAT D IS TAILORED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE FOR YOU.

Retraining your brain is possible.

Strategies I use include: meditation music; deep breathing; muscle inventory (concentrating on each set of muscles in the body starting from the toes – some people are asleep by the time they get to the shoulders); or counting backwards from 100. There are quite a few tactics that you can choose from. The secret here is that you are distracting your cognitive resources. That is, instead of lying there worrying about all the things you have to do (or should have done), you are engaging your brain’s cognitive processes into more relaxing habits, and calming yourself down.

The worst thing you can do is to fight the sleeplessness, because that only increases your stress hormone levels, and you become more agitated, which keeps you awake just when you should be getting a good night’s sleep.

So stop fighting it and get on your way to making good new habits and waking up full of beans, ready to take on the day.

Imagine that! CWL Words: Helen Dugdale

Helen is the director of Australian Brain Coaching, a business she established to teach people new ways of dealing with confidence issues, stress, anxieties, fears and phobias.

Website: www.braincoaching.com.au.

E: helen@australianbraincoaching.com.au

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www.maxastrioptometrists.com CWL 189

S P R I N G country recipes

easy pieces

These sensational spring dishes ask very little of your time or your wallet.

SPRING SALMON CASSEROLE Whip this classic casserole up in no time at all.

1 large onion, cut into rings 1 tbsp butter 2 tbsp plain flour 1 cup milk 1 small can corn kernels, drained 1 tin pink salmon 1 tsp salt 1 tsp white pepper 440g tin crushed pineapple, drained 1 cup grated cheese (your choice) 1. Fry the onion rings in a little butter till soft.

2. Mix in two tablespoons flour, salt and pepper.

3. Stir in one cup of milk and can of corn kernels and bring to boil.

4. Add the tin of drained pink salmon, mix well.

5. Place all in casserole dish.

6. On top, place drained crushed pineapple and the grated cheese.

7. Bake for about 20 minutes in a moderate oven till it is cooked and cheese has melted.

8. This dish can be enjoyed with a simple fresh green salad.

CHOCOLATE FLAKE MOUSSE

This delightful dessert is as simple as it is sweet.

1 large can evaporated milk 3 tbsp drinking chocolate 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp gelatine 1 cup cream 2 Flake chocolates Strawberries 1. Beat evaporated milk until double its size.

2. D issolve gelatine in hot water, add sugar and drinking chocolate.

3. F old into evaporated milk then fold in cream.

4. M ix well and pour into serving dishes.

5. C hill in refrigerator for approximately two hours.

6. D ecorate with a Flake chocolate plus a few strawberries.

Recipes: Lorraine Hills

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LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR Picture-perfect New Zealand has so much more to offer the holidaymaker than just good looks.

Visiting our Kiwi neighbours was a spur of the moment kind of thing. With fares across the Tasman cheaper than flying to Sydney, it was time, after 40 years, to reacquaint myself with New Zealand.

For me the golden rule is to travel lightly (hand luggage only) so I downsized my camera to a tiny Lumix that could record the country’s stunning beauty.

Living in my shirt pocket, the camera never left me.

It wasn’t long before I was tucked up in a Jucy pod near Christchurch airport. The futuristiclooking pods are cutting edge, each with their own lighting, heating and chargers for the tech-savvy backpackers pouring in daily from across the globe.

I’d arrived in the wee hours of the morning and was keen to explore a city decimated by the 2011 earthquake. Christchurch may still be in the rebuilding stage but there’s plenty to see and do.

The city’s tram system, the only one still operating on the South Island, is a great way to take in the modern city sights, first-class museums, parks and art galleries.

You can join the throng of tourists and take the gondola to the top of the mountain. The 360-degree views of the Canterbury Plains and Southern Alps are to die for.

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When it came to accommodation, I figured staying in hostels and meeting like-minded fellow travellers might be a safe option. It seemed simple enough but this cosy arrangement came with its own hazards, especially to the uninitiated.

I soon realised I had neither the earplugs nor tenacity to deal with snorers, squeaky beds, late night phone whisperers and unscheduled bathroom visits. After spending one long night in the hallway I resorted to Plan B and procured a set of wheels.

You can choose a motor home, for those who love doing their own thing in style and comfort, smaller campervans or cars. I came across a tiny “granny” car for $33/day for unlimited miles – good value with fuel over $2/litre.

Over the next fortnight that little, keyless car ended up taking me on a 5000km journey to places I could never pronounce with strangers I’ll never forget.

You can never tire of the great ocean drives or the endless rolling hills, bathed in striking green.

Conveniently located vantage points were great to stretch the legs and capture the mandatory “magical” moment. >

ABOVE: Queenstown sitting pretty on the shore of Lake Wakatipu.

FACING PAGE: 1. Majestic waterfalls abound.

2. New Zealand boasts stunning scenery at any time of the year.

3. A historic sandstone building in Oamaru.

4. Christchurch is the city of murals.

5. Take a cruise at Queenstown.

6. New Zealand does “quaint” very well.

7. New Zealand is known for its wines.

8 & 9. Christchurch’s unique tram system.

10. Dunedin’s majestic railway station.

11. Queenstown is a great spot to soak in the atmosphere.

story name S P R I N G

2 3

1

4

5

6 7

8

9 11

10

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2

3

where is it?

New Zealand is a 3.5 hour flight from eastern Australia.

how to get there

Take a relaxing cruise departing from Sydney or fly direct with airlines such as Qantas or Air New Zealand.

1 5

4

6

what to eat

Fish and chips, naturally. Fresh fruit and of course lamb roast or try a hangi for something different (meat and vegetables slow-cooked in an underground oven).

what to do

Explore! There is so much to see and do, from the glaciers, fjords, lush valleys and seaside villages to resort towns like Queenstown. Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland have something for everyone but smaller towns like Greymouth and Oamaru are well worth the visit.

I was only intending to explore the enchanting South Island but after picking up some delightful backpackers fresh from a music festival we boarded the Interislander ferry to cross the Cook Strait to Wellington, the nation’s capital, and commence the second leg of my journey.

I managed to visit a mind-blowing Anzac display at the national museum. Big cities are fast and beautiful but when you are driving through them it’s a different story, especially for a visitor unaccustomed to traffic lights, city congestion and GPS navigation.

Before long I was hopelessly lost, a recurring theme.

There was only one answer: throw caution to the wind and see where the long and winding road took me.

Some nights I ended up nowhere. On one such night I camped in the back of the car, gazing into a blissful starry night. Such simple joys were what I had come for. I was on holidays and it didn’t really matter where I was going – as long as I was going!

With mounting bravado I began pulling into dairies and farms for specific shots. I was starting to meet locals off the beaten track.

One of the highlights of my New Zealand adventure was visiting the once flourishing seaside town of Oamaru on the east coast of the South Island.

The town features some of the finest sandstone buildings in Australasia. By the 1880s Oamaru had become the “best built and most mortgaged” town in the country but the closure of the port hit hard.

In response, it started reinventing itself, becoming

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“When you one of the first towns to realise its unique heritage was a major asset. travel solo I love places – and people for that matter – with many of the a good story. It’s why I was so impressed with Dunedin’s stunning Larnach Castle, the private best stories home of the Barker family. The place has a gobhappen along smacking story attached to it and has to be seen to be believed. the way.”

I also loved Little France, the divine little coastal resort town of Akaroa, not far from Christchurch.

Lake Taupo, the country’s largest lake, was another beauty.

There are some places that you simply have to tick off and Queenstown is one of them. Majestic and beautiful by day, once those lights come on this international resort town swings into life.

When you travel solo many of the best stories happen along the way. Like the time I bogged my wheels on a remote beach surrounded by a fleet of fancy Winnebagos. Within minutes, people from all over the world were lifting me out of trouble. I ABOVE: 1. Larnach may not have enjoyed their luxury but that night I Castle, Dunedin, is one slept as well as any of them! of the few houses of this New Zealand is a country full of contrasts with scale in the country. something for everyone, which is why Aussies 2. The historic streets of old Oamaru. account for half the visitors. A few weeks in the 3. Snow-capped mountains Land of the Long White Cloud is an affordable, safe near Queenstown. and truly memorable holiday.

4. Steampunk HQ, Oamaru.

It’s also a great reminder of what country looks 5. Unique accommodation. like with a decentABOVE bit of CLOCKWISE rain. CWL FROM TOP: Sunset boats on6.Unawatuna up close Dairy cowsBeach; graze near with the Words elephants Udawalawe National andin images: Shot by Jake Park.the sea.

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escape to the city Treat yourself to a spring getaway where the lights are bright and there’s action aplenty.

Sydney in the springtime is a delight. The city awakens from its cold, dark winter days and the streets are lined with large planter boxes of flowers to herald the new season.

Sydneysiders embrace the promise of warmer days ahead. City office workers leave their woollen coats and scarfs at home, replacing them with bright florals and colours. You can see them walk off to work with a noticeable levity. The days become warm and dry and the nights cool and temperate.

Spring is such a lovely time of year it makes The Emerald City the perfect destination for a weekend away and if you spend a little time planning your spring weekend in Sydney you will ensure your days spent in this harbour city will be as delightful as the springtime.

There are hotels and accommodation in Sydney to cater for most budgets, however, an alternative would be to book an apartment through Airbnb. This may prove to be more cost effective than a hotel room, especially if you decide to share with friends.

The location of your accommodation is just as important as the type of accommodation you choose, not only if you are flying in or catching the train but also if you intend to drive. Sydney is a very busy place and it is often easier to take public transport while you’re in town. Most events and attractions are located around the city centre however you don’t need accommodation in the city centre itself so long as you’re close to a railway station or a bus route. In fact, I often recommend people stay outside the central business district since many of the cafes and restaurants in the CBD close on the weekend.

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The inner-city suburbs of Potts Point, Kings Cross, Darlinghurst and Surry Hills are the centre of a vibrant café, bar and restaurant society.

One of the most enjoyable things to do in Sydney on a weekend is to go out for breakfast. Breakfast is usually a functional meal raced through at home but on weekend mornings in the inner city it becomes a breezy, relaxed affair. To sit in a café and be served perfect poached eggs and steaming milky coffee at your table as you shuffle through the morning papers is a joy. All of Sydney loves breakfast and you will see young couples and families through to older inner-city characters all out having breakfast in the morning sun.

Your weekend in Sydney will involve a lot of walking so comfortable shoes will be vital for your day out as will a pair of sunglasses and a hat. Even though the days will be warm, the nights could still be quite cool (although perhaps not Central West cool) so I would recommend taking a jacket or pullover.

There are also some wonderful springtime events that are well worth joining in.

However you intend to spend your weekend in Sydney, you are bound to come away from this vibrant city with such wonderful experiences and fond memories I am certain you will be planning another weekend away before too long.

Words: David Benn

ABOVE: The iconic Sydney Opera House; Sculpture by the Sea; The Grounds of Alexandria is a popular spot for great food (Image: Destination NSW).

WHAT’S ON IN SYDNEY OCTOBER 18 TO NOVEMBER 4

SCULPTURE BY THE SEA The beautiful 2km Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk is transformed into the world’s largest free to the public sculpture exhibition with installations by hundreds of local and international sculptors.

OCTOBER 13 TO MARCH 3

MODERN MASTERS FROM THE HERMITAGE The Art Gallery of NSW is presenting 65 paintings from the magnificent collections of the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. The exhibition will feature works from the great figures of modern art including Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso and Gauguin.

OCTOBER 5 TO 21

SYDNEY NIGHT NOODLE MARKETS Hyde Park with its gigantic fig trees, towering palms and Art Deco architecture is transformed into an Asian hawker market with food stalls, al fresco dining under swaying red lanterns and socialising in the cool spring evenings.

SEPTEMBER 13 TO NOVEMBER 3

EVITA THE MUSICAL The Sydney Opera House is a magical venue. Evita the Musical stars Tina Arena in the lead role of Evita Peron.

For a full list of events in Sydney head to: whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

YASS ACCOMMODATION

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CWL WINTER 2018 LAUNCH Narrabri

CWL Social Media Manager and writer Anna Tickle, CWL Editor Elizabeth Tickle, Roads Services Manager Luke McDermott, Cr Robert Kneale, Federal Member for Parkes The Hon Mark Coulton, Robyn Coulton, Economic Development Manager Bill Birch, Narrabri Shire Mayor Cr Cathy Redding, Communications Officer Alice Freeman, Cr Ron Campbell, General Manager Stewart Todd, Deputy Mayor Cameron Staines, CWL Publisher Alex Tickle, Cr Maxine Booby.

Real pride and excitement were evident as some 80 guests gathered at the Narrabri Visitor Information Centre to launch the 21st edition of Central West Lifestyle on Friday, May 18.

The Winter 2018 edition featured the Narrabri Shire across 101 pages, showcasing iconic tourist attractions, local identities and country characters, entrepreneurial business owners, as well as agricultural and cultural stories that make the area unique.

Special guests included the Federal MP and Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton, and his wife Robyn, Narrabri Mayor Cathy Redding, Narrabri Shire Councillors, senior council staff, as well as Deputy Mayor of Tamworth Helen Tickle.

Councillor Ron Campbell acted as MC for the evening.

Guests enjoyed delicious canapes by Relish and Angullong wines.

The Winter edition has been selling vigorously at MJ’s Newsagency Narrabri as well as many stockists throughout the state. CWL Words: Elizabeth Tickle Images: Sue Meikle

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Will Alexander, McKenzie Russell, Jocellin Jansson, with Pernelle and Robert Alexander.

events S P R I N G

Federal Member for Parkes, The Hon Mark Coulton, Deputy Mayor Tamworth Council, Cr Helen Tickle, Anna Tickle and Jason Conn.

Janet Dampney and Meichelle Schier.

Nicole Gleeson-Lendon, Whipped Baking for Allergies, and Michelle Rapp.

Daniel Kahl, “Glencoe” Wee Waa, Kate Logan and Shanna Whan.

Andrew Schier, Gilgandra, with Elizabeth Tickle.

Melissa Richardson and Jodie Hill, MJ’s Newsagency, with Jenny Kirk and Bill Birch.

John Busby and Bregje van der Heijden.

From Nu Yu Day Spa and Beauty, Ash Eveleigh, Cheryl Pawley, Whitney Gleeson and Jessie Berger.

Alice Freeman, Communications Coordinator, Narrabri Shire Council, and Brooke Dalton.

Max Pringle OAM with Helen and Gordon Cain.

Rob Southwell, Southwell Land & Water, Georgie Carrigan, ‘Milchengowrie’ Boggabri, with Stuart and Brooke Southwell, Narrabri Real Estate.

Elizabeth and Alex Tickle with Robyn Coulton and Federal Member for Parkes, The Hon Mark Coulton.

Graeme Compton and Max Pringle OAM.

Cr Robert Kneal, Olwyn Campey and Cr Ron Campbell.

Narrabri aerial landscape artist Josh Smith with Robyn Smith.

Helen Dugdale, Australian Brain Coaching, with Narrabri Shire Mayor Cr Cathy Redding.

Jake Lindsay with Chelsea Wheeler and Shawn Wales, The Grayhound, Narrabri.

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Specialising in: IPL (Intense Pulse Light) • Microdermabrasion • LED Light Therapy Lash Extension/Lash Lifting • Gel & Shellac Manicures/Pedicures • Waxing • Massage Spa Treatment • Make-Up • Ear & Nose Piercing • Holistic Health Coaching Performance-Based Facials using ASAP Skincare Products

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1/159 Maitland St, NarrabriPhone: 02 6792 2663 nuyudayspaandbeauty13@hotmail.com Ph: 02 6792 2663 www.nuyudayspaandbeauty.com.au

Find us on Facebook: NuYu Day Spa and Beauty

www.nuyudayspaandbeauty.com.au

E E F F COOPENAYS DAYS AL7 W S P L E H FOLLOW US

d 1

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ABOUT ONE23 One23 Café & Restaurant captures the essence of Narrabri from its amazing location in the heart of town. Hope we see you soon! * Delicious Food * House Made Cakes + Desserts * Locally Sourced Ingredients * Daily Specials Board * Fresh Juices + Smoothies * Organic Fair Trade Coffee Blend * Gourmet Breakfast * A La Carte Dining *Responsible Cafe Member * Catering + Private Functions * Take Away AvailableÂ

YOU CAN DO IT

6:30AM - 4:00PM WEEKDAYS 8:00AM -Â 12:00PM WEEKENDS

t c a t con ils deta ONE23 CAFE 123 Maitland Street NARRABRI NSW 2390

RESERVATIONS 02 6792 5262 alisa1258@hotmail.com

- Coffee

200 CWL

112 Maitland Street, Narrabri NSW 2390

02 67 923 797

• • • •

paper delivery stationery magazines cards & wrap @ mjsnews

• toys • giftware • books + much more...

Our qualified staff offer professional and friendly health advice. We have a wide range of in-store services and products including: • • • • • •

Sleep apnoea equipment • Gorgeous giftware Home medication review • Makeup & skincare brands Meds checks including Revlon, Natio, Flu vaccination service Nude by Nature, Sukin, French fragrance Dr LeWinn’s, Kora Organics Leather wallets & handbags • The Beauty Room 127 Maitland Street, Narrabri NSW 2390 P: 02 6792 2105 karencarterchemist.com.au

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S P R I N G events

IANDRA CASTLE OPEN DAY Greenethorpe Iandra Castle is a stunning heritage-listed homestead, 11 kilometres south of Greenethorpe, in the Weddin Shire, and surrounded by the gorgeous townships of Young, Grenfell and Cowra.

The Open Days at Iandra are becoming incredibly popular, with visitors seeking out the ultimate English experience.

You are encouraged to bring a picnic basket and have lunch on the lawn or on the veranda. Freshly brewed, locally produced coffee from Art of Espresso is available

Dennis and Helen Miles, Frenchs Forest, Sydney.

Chris and Peter Conn, Wellington.

Steve Mills and Louise Calvert, Cootamundra.

Kim Davidson, President of Cherry Capital Collectors Club.

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Words: Elizabeth Tickle Images: Zenio Lapka

Lynne Creasy and Greg O’Hare, Wagga Wagga.

Fionn Young, UK, and Jamie Brown, Forbes.

Shirley and Ron Morgan, Richmond, with Dianne Holley, Richmond, and Don Robinson, Grenfell.

Nancye Hudson, Cowra (Tharraminda Lavender).

Grayson Geary, Cowra, Gail Ward, Sydney, and Karen Geary, Cowra.

on the day. Souvenirs are sold and locally produced lavender products, hand-painted glassware and jewellery are also available.

Central West Lifestyle takes this opportunity to showcase and sell the latest edition, as well as back copies and the beautiful Collector’s Edition, where Iandra Castle proudly graces the cover.

For more information on Iandra Castle and on the Open Days, visit www.iandracastle.com.au.

Rod Kershaw with his son Nick Kershaw, Iandra.

Sarah Scritchley and Katrina Chapple, both from Canberra.

Cameron Foley and Amanda Jeffriess, Orange.

Ruby and Kimberley, Sarah, Cam, Lisa, Michael, Maddie and Lyla, all Croke family from Young and Collector.

Tom Langford and Grace Bannister-Tyrrell, Canberra.

CWL publishers Alex and Elizabeth Tickle.

Paul and Lyndee Lynch, Forbes.

Luci Bryant, Greenthorpe, and Coral Cosgrove, Cowra.

Wine not?

Spend a weekend in Cowra & Canowindra and enjoy some of Australia’s finest wineries.

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

by Richard and Bernadette Page.

Book your next escape to Cowra with the Visitor Information Centre

We believe that knowing where your food comes from is a vital part of eating right.

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.

cowratourism.com.au | 02 6342 4333 Cowra Wine Not Advert.indd 1

23/12/2016 7:59 am

“Angullong has perhaps Orange’s best value range...” Huon Hooke Visit our cellar door in the historic bluestone stables in Millthorpe for tasting and sales.

Cnr. Park & Victoria Streets, Millthorpe. Ph: 02 6366 3444 OPEN 7 DAYS 11am to 5pm

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S P R I N G events

ART UNLIMITED Dunedoo Art Unlimited opened in spectacular style on Friday, May 18, with guests packing into Dunedoo Central School hall, which had been transformed into an elegant gallery to display almost 400 works of art, photography and ceramics.

The happy crowd mingled among the artworks, enjoying the superb catering provided by Dunedoo Central School hospitality students, and fine wines from award-winning Robert Stein Winery & Vineyard, Mudgee.

Guests were welcomed by Ron Gallagher, President of Dunedoo Lions Club, which presents Art Unlimited. This was the ninth time Dunedoo Lions have staged the event.

Pam Bowman, “Shingle Hut” Dunedoo, Sally Francis, “Miangulliah” Dunedoo, Anne Knight, “Three Mile Creek” Cobbora and Robyn Croft, Dunedoo.

Sue Stevenson, “Pilca Bucca” Dunedoo; Pam Bowman, “Shingle Hut” Dunedoo.

Words: Penny Stevens Images: Tammy Gallagher and Maryanne Deutscher

Jacquie Mate, “Baldridge” Dunedoo, Maurice Cluff, “Olive Lodge” Dunedoo, Virginia Cluff, “Olive Lodge” Dunedoo and Kylie Trengove, “Girraween” Dunedoo.

Justin Stoddart, Dunedoo and Darron Lane, Dunedoo.

Cam Armstrong “Cassilis Park”, Cassilis, Winks Armstrong “Cassilis Park”, Cassilis with Camilla Armstrong “Pemcaw”, Birriwa.

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Last year’s exhibition was cancelled due to the devastating effects the Sir Ivan fire had on the community. This year it was back in fine style, attracting entries from all over NSW. Chief Executive Officer of Regional Arts NSW Elizabeth Rogers travelled from Sydney to officially open the event and paid tribute to the people in the Dunedoo community who work to bring Art Unlimited together, saying she was impressed that such a small community was able to present an arts event of such high quality. CWL

Sam Wentworth Brown, “Eden Ridge” Dunedoo, Jane Berry, “Bungaba” Dunedoo, Kate Bowman “Merotherie”, Dunedoo and Camilla Armstrong “Pemcaw”, Birriwa.

Dunedoo Central School hospitality students Sally Christensen and Elle Lane.

Gabrielle Trudgett, Cobbora, Belinda Hogden, Dunedoo and Sue Baseggio, Cobbora.

John Stuart “Martindale”, Dunedoo and Andrew Bowman “Shingle Hut”, Dunedoo.

Tammy Gallagher, Dunedoo, Belinda Hogden, Dunedoo and Sam Wentworth Brown, “Eden Ridge” Dunedoo.

jude fleming PAINTER

natural irregularity I and II diptych | 420 x 2830 mm

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

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

pink park

up the creek

500 x 700mm

300 x 600mm

Upcoming Exhibition: Window on the Wetlands Warren, August – September 2018 JUDE FLEMING, WARREN NSW 2824 Open 7 days ph:02 6842 2239 /PilligaPottery, pottery@tpg.com.au Coonabarabran, 23km north, turn off Newell Hwy www.barkalafarmstay.com.au

0419 473 075

View gallery of work and available artworks online:

www.judefleming.com

GILGANDRA SHIRE

Stop for a coffee or stay for the night.

LIVE.

Gilgandra Shire is a friendly, vibrant and welcoming community, filled with friendly locals proud of its history and positive about its future.

ENJOY.

The Southern gateway to the Warrumbungle National Park, Gilgandra boasts the Speedway, country races, iconic pubs and the Coo-ee Heritage Centre.

GROW.

Gilgandra, a charming country town, has speciality shops, bakeries, IGA, Target Country and a plaza where you can sit down and take it all in.

ire

draSh n a g il G y M #

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S P R I N G events

PARKES PICNIC RACES Parkes The concept of the Parkes Diggers and Coradgery Picnic Race meeting has a history of more than 100 years, with the first race being run in 1900.

Coradgery, near Parkes, held a picnic meeting very early in 1900 at a property called “Riverview”, including the gallopers and trots.

The Parkes Diggers ran separate St Patrick’s Day races at the Parkes Racecourse for many years but in the early 1980s it was agreed to combine resources and hold

Louise Fowler, Terrigal and Kylie Hawke, Orange.

Parkes Picnic Races President Tim Keith and Vice-President Ian Brown.

Karlie De Kaste, Geurie, winner of the classic lady of the day category, Josie Anderson, “Omrah Downs”, Cobar and Kirsty Colliver, Dubbo.

Alan Somers, Peter Guppy and Gary Somers.

Mark Findlay with Alice, Geoffrey and Barbara Stokes.

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the one huge Picnic Race Meeting once a year on the Saturday of the June (Queen’s Birthday) Long Weekend.

The June Long Weekend has since become a “Back to Parkes” weekend, with many residents opening their homes to friends and relations who come to celebrate their connection with Parkes for the weekend. The weekend attracts visitors from all over the country. It is a huge social event. CWL Words: Mark Olson Images: Zenio Lapka

Ben Terry, Parkes winner of the Stylish Man category and Julie Herbert, Orange.

Mayor Ken and Sue Keith with Anahid and John Sarkisien, Astronomer at CSIRO Telescope.

Virginia and Andrew Rice.

Irene Ridgeway, Amber Rimmer and Catherine Brown.

Alaana Wooldridge, Forbes, Millinery category winner Melissa West, “Bonnie Doon”, Forbes, Josie Anderson, “Omrah Downs”, Cobar, Camille Lyons, Dubbo, Ashlyn Midgley, Parkes, Sally Martin, Canberra, Contemporary category winner Aimee Hay, Tathra.

Frank and Marilyn Hetherington, Orange with Stafford and Bernadette Orange from Parkes.

Wendy Stoker, Briitte and Win Jaehne with Krys Szabo.

The eventual winner of the Coradgery Cup, Naoko, third from the rail.

Ann Olson, Lajos and Krys Szabo.

Sally Martin and Emile Dhu, 6, both from Canberra.

Stafford Orange, Mark Olson and Gary Somers.

P R E S S Coffee Roasters, Cafe & Events 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

“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

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PARKES &

recreation

Be out there in Parkes, where there are fun and quirky experiences along with a bucket list of iconic attractions and events that will provide memories to last a lifetime.

BE WELCOMED in our townships with friendly hospitality, memorable experiences and stories.

BE ENTERTAINED by our unique Events + Festivals including the internationally renowned Parkes Elvis Festival celebrating the King of Rock n Roll in the second week in January and the Trundle ABBA Festival in May. BE AMAZED by our dreamy dark skies and scientific technology with a visit to the iconic CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope, made famous by the hit move The Dish.

BE INSPIRED by our History + Culture translated through our many attractions, monuments, exhibits and trails in the region.

BE FULFILLED with a wide range of dining options that cater for a variety of tastes and pick up some unique gifts and local produce at one of our many retail outlets and boutique stores.

BE RESTED in a range of quality accommodation options including bed and breakfasts, motels, hotels and cabins.

Pitch and unhitch with RV friendly facilities and quiet and spacious caravan parks and campgrounds.

BE ADVENTUROUS with nature-based experiences including bushwalking, hiking, riding, fishing and four-wheel driving.

BE PLAYFUL and enjoy the many picturesque parks, playgrounds, cycle ways, recreational and sporting facilities providing hours of entertainment for the whole family.

BE CENTRAL to 100 miles of experiences from Parkes including the Targona Western Plains Zoo Dubbo, food and wine experiences in Orange, Wellington Caves and Japanese Gardens in Cowra.

Pick up a copy of the free Destination Guide from any NSW accredited visitor information centre or view online at www.visitparkes.com.au. CWL

WHAT’S ON IN PARKES SEPTEMBER 2018

1 SEPTEMBER: Trundle Bush Tucker Day, featuring Richard Clapton Live 5 SEPTEMBER: Australian National Busking Championships in Peak Hill

OCTOBER 2018

OCTOBER LONG WEEKEND: Parkes Antique Motor Club Motorcycle Rally 13 OCTOBER: Central West Car Club Show & Shine and Parkes Antique Motor Club Swap Meet

JANUARY 2019

9-13 JANUARY: Parkes Elvis Festival

MAY 2019

4 MAY: Trundle ABBA Festival For a full list of events in the Parkes Region head to www.visitparkes.com.au.

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fish river roasters Roasters of premium coffee from around the world.

We roast in small batches so we can deliver to you fresh and fast. Same day dispatch for online orders received before 3pm.

Our philosophy is simple: Source the best coffee beans and roast each variety to bring out their best flavours and aroma.

Our coffee has won 22 awards since 2010, including at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show and the National Golden Bean Competition.

Fish River Roasters provides speciality coffee from around the world to cafes and restaurants in the Central West, Blue Mountains and around Australia. Our award winning coffee is supported by barista training and espresso machine repairs and maintenance. We would like to thank the cafes and restaurants that stock our coffee and the coffee drinkers of the region for their support.

67 corporation avenue bathurst nsw 2795 02 6331 7171

order online: www.fishriverroasters.com.au

visitparkes.com.au CWL 209

S P R I N G story name

A SEASON IN THE

country

WHAT TO SEE AND DO THIS SPRING

IN COUNTRY NSW

30th Annual Charity Horse Ride 1 SEPTEMBER

Denman Pony Club Grounds Merry Freeman 0417 205 645 postie27@bigpond.com

Mendooran Races 1 SEPTEMBER

Racecourse Road, Mendooran Geoff Langford (02) 68861885 mendturf@hotmail.com

Wellington Arts & Sculpture Festival 1 & 2 SEPTEMBER

Various venues, Wellington Wellington Arts 0428 417 548 arts@wellington2820.org.au www.wellingtonarts.org.au

Central West Handmade & Artist Market at Mayfield 2 SEPTEMBER

Mayfield Garden, Oberon Zana (02) 6336 3131 info@mayfieldgarden.com.au www.mayfieldgarden.com.au

Woodstock Memorial Show 2 SEPTEMBER

Woodstock Showground Alison Rutledge (02) 6345 0104 woodstockmemorialshow@gmail.com www.woodstockshow.wix.com

Mudgee Races

2 – 29 SEPTEMBER

Mudgee Racecourse Colleen Walker (02) 6372 6035 colleen@hwy.com.au www.mudgeeraceclubinc.com

Mudgee Wine & Food Festival 7 – 30 SEPTEMBER

Various locations, Mudgee region Mudgee Region Tourism (02) 6372 1020 info@visitmudgeeregion.com.au www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au

22 September, Sakura Matsuri, Cowra.

The ever popular Taiko Drummers performing at last year’s Sakura Matsuri.

Cargo Markets

Brydie Park, Oberon Brenda Lyon 0418 629 073 brendaelyon@gmail.com

Village Green, Cargo

15 – 23 SEPTEMBER

Wellington SpringFest 21 – 23 SEPTEMBER

Various venues, Wellington SpringFest Committee 0402 736 081 emilyfalson@yahoo.com.au www.wellingtonspringfest.com.au

Glamping in the Garden

21 SEPTEMBER – 22 NOVEMBER

Mayfield Garden, Oberon Jo McClelland Phillips (02) 6336 3131 info@mayfieldgarden.com.au

Flavours of Mudgee Street Festival 22 SEPTEMBER

Mudgee CBD Alayna Gleeson/Maddison Grey (02) 6378 2850 council@midwestern.nsw.gov.au www.flavoursofmudgee.com.au

Sakura Matsuri 22 SEPTEMBER

Narromine Rotary Markets 28 OCTOBER & 25 NOVEMBER

Dundas Park, Narromine Nesto 0417 360 555 www.narromine.nsw.gov.au

Siding Spring Observatory Open Day

Wine and local gourmet food in a spectacular setting.

Over 1000 participants are expected in the fantastic lantern parade on October 27.

Daffodil Dawdle

Cowra Japanese Garden & Cultural Centre Shane Budge (02) 6341 2233 manager@cowragarden.com.au www.cowragarden.com.au

13 October, National Cool Climate Wine & Food Festival, Mayfield Garden, Oberon.

18 – 28 October, DREAM Festival, Dubbo.

29 SEPTEMBER

Siding Spring Observatory ssovisitorcentre@anu.edu.au www.starfest.org.au

30 SEPTEMBER

Sculptures In the Garden 6 – 7 OCTOBER

Rosby, 122 Strikes Lane, Mudgee Kay Norton-Knight 0428 635 993 kay@rosby.com.au www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au

Music On Mount David Concert 7 OCTOBER

Kennedy Park, Loch Erin Road, Mount David Rod Tuson (02) 6337 9679 rodtuson1@gmail.com

Orange Wine Festival 12 – 21 OCTOBER

Various locations in Orange region (02) 6360 1990 www.brandorange.com.au

Gulgong Gold & Mining Festival 13 OCTOBER

Gulgong president@gulgong.com.au www.gulgong.com.au

Mendooran Rodeo 13 OCTOBER

Mendooran Showground Natasha Swan 0428 488 159 mendooranrodeo@outlook.com

National Cool Climate Wine & Food Festival 13 OCTOBER

Mayfield Garden, Oberon (02) 6336 3131 info@mayfieldgarden.com.au www.mayfieldgarden.com.au

events S P R I N G

Mayfield Garden Spring Festival 13 – 28 OCOBER

Mayfield Garden, Oberon (02) 6336 3131 info@mayfieldgarden.com.au www.mayfieldgarden.com.au

Mudgee Garden Spectacular 13 – 14 OCTOBER

Chris Stephens 0411 205 633 www.mudgeegardenspectacular.org.au

Gairloch Open Garden

WEEKENDS 13 – 28 OCTOBER

27 Blenheim Avenue, Oberon Meg & Peter Low (02) 6336 0291 gairloch@lowfamily.id.au www.gairlochgarden.com

Narromine Cancer Support Group open gardens

7 – 18 & 21 – 25 November, Huntington Music Festival, Mudgee.

Australia’s best chamber music celebration.

14 OCTOBER

5 Narromine gardens, 4 Trangie gardens Judy 040 093 6682 , Nikki 0419 288 739 judybarlow86@msn.com, anglebone@bigpond.com www.narromine.nsw.gov.au

Mary Gilmore Festival 17 – 21 OCTOBER

Ariah Park Showground Nigel Judd 0428 741 026 nigel.a.judd@gmail.com www.ariahparkfestival.com

Beyond Avalon Open Garden

Orange Open Gardens

68 Reserve Avenue, Black Springs Rosalie Pollock (02) 6335 8257 beyondavalon1@gmail.com

8 gardens orangeopengardens@gmail.com Lindy Kay 0437 602 228

WEEKENDS 20 – 28 OCTOBER

Coonabarabran Cup Race Meeting

Crookwell Garden Festival

Coonabarabran Racecourse 0436411576 / 0268421990 coonajockeyclub@gmail.com.au

Crookwell & surrounds Secretary (02) 4837 3270 crookwellgardenfestival@gmail.com www.crookwellgardenfestival.com

22 OCTOBER

DREAM Festival

Australian National Field Days

Various venues, Dubbo DREAM Festival Committee 0457 220 654 info@dreamfest.com.au www.dreamfest.com.au

NFD Site, Borenore, Orange (02) 6362 1588 www.anfd.com.au

18 – 28 OCTOBER

Community Services Expo

Cox Plate Race Day

Coonabarabran Town Hall (02) 68492200 communitycare@warrumbungle.nsw.gov.au info@warrumbungle.nsw.gov.au

Mudgee Racecourse Colleen Walker (02) 6372 6035 colleen@hwy.com.au www.mudgeeraceclubinc.com

Rydal Show Society Youth Council Gymkhana 28 OCTOBER

Rydal Showground, Rydal Meghan Porter 63375131 rydalgymkhana00@gmail.com rydalyoutcouncil.wixsite.com/rydalyc

Meet the artists in their studios. Above: artist, potter and ceramicist Anna Culliton.

Rylstone Street Feast 3 NOVEMBER

Louee Street, Rylstone Andrew Carson (02) 6379 0981 www.rylstonestreetfeast.com.au

Millthorpe Garden Ramble 3 – 4 NOVEMBER

Millthorpe & surrounds Lyndall Harrison 0419 431 785 millthorpegardenramble@gmail.com www.millthorpevillage.com.au

Artists In Action, Lithgow Hartley Portland Open Studio Trail 3 – 4 NOVEMBER 25 – 27 October, Australian National Field Days, Orange. Australia’s oldest annual

agricultural exhibition.

10 – 11 NOVEMBER

25 – 27 OCTOBER

27 OCTOBER

3-4 November, Artists In Action, Lithgow Hartley Portland Open Studio Trail.

10 NOVEMBER

Kanimbla, Hartley, Old Bowenfels, Lithgow, Marrangaroo & Portland Annie Joseph 0418 117 743 annie.joseph@bigpond.com www.artistsinaction.com.au

14 NOVEMBER

Southern Tablelands Vintage Farm Machinery Club Tractor Trek & Rally 16 – 17 NOVEMBER

Taralga Showground Jacqui Corby (02) 4840 2139 thegrange1@activ8.net.au

Huntington Music Festival 17 – 18 & 21 – 25 NOVEMBER

Huntington Estate, Mudgee Nicky Boud 1800 995 931 info@huntingtonestate.com.au www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au

Temora Country Music Festival 22 – 25 NOVEMBER

Bundawarrah Centre & Temora Memorial Ex-Services Club Roz Giles 0408 597 307 rozbigriver@gmail.com www.temoracmf.com

Classic Cars, Food & Wine 22 – 25 NOVEMBER

Orange 0490 854 310 www.classiccars.org.au

Central West Handmade & Artist Christmas Market 25 NOVEMBER

Mayfield Garden, Oberon Jo McClelland Phillips (02) 6336 3131 marketing@mayfieldgarden.com.au www.mayfieldgarden.com.au

Do you have an event that you would like included in our magazine?

EMAIL: events@centralwestmagazine.com.au Compiled by Heather Crosby

All events are subject to change and we recommend contacting the organisers to confirm details.

CWL 211

Subscribe Online

We’re a part of your world.

SPRING

Cootamundra & Gundagai TOWN FEATURE

Spectacular Gardens: Narromine & Millthorpe BATHURST’S HISTORIC MACQUARIE HOMESTEAD $12.95 inc GST

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

9

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>

SPRING 2018 VOLUME 22

A family of champions: DUBBO’S “RACING NESTORS”

SUBSCRIPTIONS • BACK ISSUES BOXED COLLECTIONS Financial Services / Audit Insurance / Accounting & Tax Strategy & Advisory

www.forsyths.com.au 1300 447 007

212 CWL

SIMPLY VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO ORDER WWW.CENTRALWESTMAGAZINE.COM.AU

The perfect gift for those who seem to have it all!

Orders can also be made by contacting us PHONE: 0429 441 086 EMAIL: info@centralwestmagazine.com.au

Handmade colourful canvas swings for little ones.

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

For 6 months – 18kgs

“NURTURE INSPIRE ACHIEVE” Phone: 02 6226 2982

www.yasslittlelearners.com.au

T: 0408 254 325

www.sleepyjays.com.au

CWL 213

S P R I N G weddings

McDONALD + BASSMANN Riannon McDonald and Tim Bassmann were married at Nashdale on Februrary 23, 2018.

The Orange locals were wedded in an intimate ceremony overlooking Mount Canobolas, in front of their closest family and friends. The party continued on into the night with the reception held at Zona Kitchen Bar, Orange.

The bride’s dress was an A La Robe from Hope and Page Bridal and her earrings by Peter Lang. Orange local Prue Swain completed the floristry for the day, while Emma Owens was responsible for the bridal makeup.

The newly married couple enjoyed honeymooning in Byron Bay a week after their wedding.

Photographer: Photography by Melise

LEFT: Belinda Carroll, Elisha Leahey, Riannon and Tim Bassmann, Bevan Parker and Jamie Bassmann.

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WEDDINGS

CEREMONIES

EVENTS

58 Summer St, ORANGE NSW 2800 (02) 6362 7799 Follow us on Instagram: zona_kitchen_bar_events CWL 215

S P R I N G weddings

KENNY + SEMMLER Sarah Kenny and Bradley Semmler were married at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at Tooraweenah on September 30, 2017.

The reception was held at the Tooraweenah Showground Pavilion, where 80 guests enjoyed food by Megan O’Connor Catering.

Bradley had brothers Toby, Simon and Matthew Semmler stand by his side as groomsmen, while Sarah’s maid of honour was sister Camilla Herbig and bridesmaid Nicola Pisaturo.

Dubbo suppliers Denise’s Flower Studio and Kiss + Makeup were used on the day, as well as Hair & Beauty for You of Gilgandra.

The newlyweds honeymooned on a cruise around New Zealand and currently live on a property near Mendooran.

Photographer: Kathryn Skinner Photography

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FLOWER SUBSCRIPTIONS • SILK FLOWERS HAND-CRAFTED CHOCOLATES • VASES DECORATIONS & GARLANDS

Paleface Arcade, 242 Hoskins St Temora, New South Wales (02) 6977 4122 info@debsjewellery.com ALL OF YOUR FLOWER NEEDS FOR WEDDINGS, BIRTHDAYS, SPECIAL OCCASIONS & CORPORATE EVENTS.

www.debsjewellery.com

PHONE: 6792 2755 109 MAITLAND STREET, NARRABRI

CWL 217

S P R I N G weddings

BEER + TIDSWELL Nicole Beer and Brendan Tidswell were married at St Raphael’s Catholic Church, Cowra, on October 28, 2017.

The reception followed at Nicole’s family property in a horse stable and marquee, with breath-taking views across the Cowra district.

Bridesmaids Amelia Vickary, Amy Edgar, Melissa Knights, Jessica Montgomery, and flower girl River Knights accompanied the bride on her special day.

By Brendan’s side were groomsmen Angus Goodacre, Kristofer Knights, Mitchell Beer and Josh Rainbow.

Special touches included the bridal party riding backseat in a stretch hummer throughout the day and the spectacular fireworks display after the reception.

Brendan and Nicole enjoyed their honeymoon at Palm Cove, Queensland, and have settled back into their home in Orange.

Photographer: Kristy White Photography

ABOVE: Josh Rainbow, Mitchell Beer, Kristofer Knights, Angus Goodacre, Jessica Montgomery, Melissa Knights, Amy Edgar, Amelia Vickary, and Nicole and Brendan Tidswell.

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Summer issue SPRING 2015

LEETON

Available December 2018 Subscribe to experience the magazine in print or online: www.centralwestmagazine.com.au

Farm to Floral specialises in beautiful flowers for weddings and events.

Visit us online to find out more. @farmtofloral

www.farmtofloraldesign.com

farmtofloral@gmail.com

SPECIAL OFFER FOR CENTRAL WEST LIFESTYLE READERS Book two nights during September, October or November and receive a complimentary bottle of champagne.

Bookings by phone only.

2016

Top 1%

bishop’s court estate … a ‘deserved indulgence’ Secluded, private and exceedingly elegant, set on an acre of parkland gardens. Offering luxurious accommodation with a stunning chapel for private events and celebrations.

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S P R I N G weddings

SMYTH + TAIT Stephanie Smyth and Jarrod Tait were married at Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory on September 9, 2017.

Jarrod and Stephanie chose the Licorice and Chocolate Factory for their wedding ceremony and reception due to the country, rustic feel. The venue was also fitting as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was Stephanie’s favourite movie as a child.

The bride and her bridesmaids, along with the bride’s family dressed for the event and had photos at Belmore Manor, Junee. Many local suppliers were part of the day including videographer Story with Heart from Albury and florist Native Botanical of Young. Wagga Wagga suppliers were Little Triffids Flowers, Harris Cakes and Epica Jewellers, while Temora businesses used were Skin Deep Professional Beauty Therapy and Lisa’s Hair on Jellicoe.

The couple honeymooned in America for four weeks and have settled back into their recently built home in Wagga Wagga.

Photographer: Carmen Hickey Photography

BELOW: Pina O’Hare, Sam Nardi, Catherine Stapylton, Jarrod and Stephanie Tait, Ayden Tait, Ally Kerr and Brad Matthews.

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KINGS HALL JEWELLERS

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PH: (02) 6885 3500

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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

Featuring 50 iconic stories, hand-selected from editions 1-18 of Central West Lifestyle.

A premium coffee table book of 212 pages, great value at $14.95.

AVAILABLE NOW From CWL stockists and online: www.centralwestmagazine.com.au

CWL 223

S P R I N G the last word

making every post

a winner Bruce Dennis will forever be remembered as the last man in Australia to deliver mail on horseback.

The sprightly 90-year-old, who lives in a modest apartment behind Gundagai’s main street, attributes his longevity to being a bachelor, working outdoors and a regular dose of rum!

“At my age, life is a bit uncertain,” he says. “But I can attest to the wonders of rum. I still have the odd tipple, mixed with honey and a dash of lemon, and I rarely catch a cold in winter.”

Whether rum is the secret recipe for his remarkable health is unclear but the undisputed fact is that Bruce has never spent a single day in hospital.

Delivered by midwife Nurse Murray in Punch Street in 1928, he had a shaky start to life after his father, a WW1 veteran, died from a bout of pneumonia when Bruce was only seven.

His mother went on to marry again and young Bruce attended many schools before starting work at 14 as a “water joey” at the Mulwala munitions factory on the Victorian border.

Later he went droving with Pat Kernaghan (grandfather of famous country music singer Lee) and picked grapes for threepence a bucket at Lindeman’s.

After the war he started with the Post Master General before a transfer to Gundagai saw him work on the telephone exchange. In 1950 he took over the mail run from George Goodsall.

“They wanted me to get on a motorbike but it was the horse or nothing,” he laughs.

“The messenger boys delivered the mail on foot around town while I covered the rest. As the crow flies, my delivery run covered a mile and a half around town, usually about 18 miles a day.”

Even when Gundagai was knee deep in flood in 1974, Bruce ensured the residents received their mail. It had to get through, come rain, hail or shine.

He kicked off with an old grey mare named Lolly, a legendary horse that Bruce would often ride into the now defunct Hume Hotel, where bemused patrons would line up a beer on the bar for him.

His last steed was Frosty, who served him well for 17 years. When the old horse wore out, Bruce figured he might as well retire as well.

On July 1, 1985, after 80 years of the town’s mail being delivered on horseback, Bruce called it a day.

“My 40 years with the postal service were fabulous years. In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t retired 33 years ago and was still working – I certainly feel fit enough,” he says quietly.

“I used to know everybody in town, especially all the little kids that got excited when I rode up to their house and blew my whistle.

Many still know me but I don’t recognise them any more.”

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These days Bruce relaxes in front of a good western movie, follows the mighty Rabbitohs and enjoys home-cooked steak and asparagus on toast. Each Monday he jumps on the community bus to visit neighbouring towns and once a month embarks on a “mystery tour”.

The tough old-timer was still riding until four years ago before finally giving his saddles to the Tumut branch of the Riding for Disabled.

Today there is a street named after Nurse Murray who delivered him but Bruce is content having a plaque in the main street outlining his services as Australia’s last mounted postie. CWL Words and image: Shot by Jake

ABOVE: An old bushie from way back, Bruce Dennis will always be remembered as the last mounted postie; Bruce delivering a letter during the 1974 flood to a young Dallas Tout. (Image: Supplied by Elaine Tout.)

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Armstrong Toyota (West Wyalong) 02 6972 2400 armstrongtoyota.com.au Bathurst Toyota 02 6334 2224 bathursttoyota.com.au Cobar Toyota 02 6836 4007 parkestoyota.com.au

Cowra Toyota 02 6342 1988 cowratoyota.com.au

Lean & Bennett (Lithgow) 02 6352 2211 leanandbennetttoyota.net.au

Orange Toyota 02 6362 2988 orangetoyota.com.au

Dubbo City Toyota 02 6882 1511 dubbocitytoyota.com.au

Macquarie Toyota (Warren) 02 6847 4266 macquarietoyota.com.au

Parkes Toyota 02 6862 9777 parkestoyota.com.au

Forbes Toyota 02 6851 1644 forbestoyota.com.au

Mudgee Toyota 02 6372 1799 mudgeetoyota.com.au

Gilgandra Toyota 02 6847 2106 gilgandratoyota.com.au

Nyngan Toyota 02 6832 1477 nyngantoyota.com.au

Ron Stubberfield Toyota (Wellington) 02 6845 2522 ronstubberfieldtoyota.com.au