COVER STORY / woodchopping
Cheyanne swings the axe to cut down barriers
By Elizabeth KOVACS
Canberra’s woodchopping association – the Hall and District Axemen’s Club – is rebranding to Capital Country Woodchopping.
“We didn’t want to be exclusively a Canberra association and we deliber ately left any gender-specific wording out in the new name,” says president Cheyanne Girvan, 32.
“We also went a different [way] to other associations under NSW by not including ‘association’ in our name.”
Four years ago the Hall and District Axemen’s club’s membership was 25.
Cheyanne says this name change will give the club the versatility to grow into other areas and on to greater things.
Already within the organisation, nearly 50 per cent of its 43 members are female, with 75 per cent contributing to its executive team.
Woodchopping is believed to have begun in Tasmania in the 1870s, when two men competed to chop down a tree the quickest. It’s now one of Australia’s oldest sports.
Commonly seen at events such as the Canberra and Sydney Easter
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Arts & Entertainment 21
Crossword 15
Gardening 20
Health & Wellbeing 9-17
Horoscope 2025 22-23
News 3-8
Sudoku 15
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Shows, woodchopping has evolved into a sport across the globe.
“Woodchopping is a male-dominated sport but we pride ourselves on being inclusive and a safe, empowering environment,” says Cheyanne.
“It’s because of our values that we have such a diverse membership.”
Currently the association is the fastest growing club in Australia.
There are about 800 competitors nationally, something Cheyanne says can be non-inclusive sometimes.
“It’s really hard to join outside of be -
ing born into a woodchopping family,” she says.
“That’s something that we pride ourselves in is cutting down those barriers to get people involved in the sport.”
The club is home to first-generation woodchoppers, such as Cheyanne herself.
“I had a bit of a left-field journey into woodchopping,” she says.
“I started in 2011 when I first moved to Canberra for uni and I was really homesick.”
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Accompanying her brother and his coach on regular woodchopping competitions, Cheyanne grew to question why there weren’t any girls participating.
Encouraged by her brother, who had been chopping for 18 months, Cheyanne became the first girl on the NSW Under 21s team after six months of competing.
One of four woodchoppers in Canberra, and the only female, Cheyanne was grateful when the Hall Axmen’s founder Shaun O’Connor created the club in 2016.
Starting small, the club has now exceeded all expectations, with Shaun moving up to become the NSW Axmen’s Association president.
Recently stepping into the role of club president, Cheyanne says: “It’s not just a sport for me.
“It’s a community of people that I know I can always count on for anything.
“We have a really, really good community and we all have a collective vision to keep woodchopping alive.”
Training once a week at the Hall showgrounds, Cheyanne says many of their female members are graduates of their Women in Woodchopping program.
Although the Australian Sports Commission doesn’t recognise woodchopping as a sport, Cheyanne says they’ve had lots of support from the
ACT government and are recognised as an association, helping cover the cost of a training space.
Meg Keogh,49 one of the club’s members, says: “It is hard, and doing hard things, learning something new, it’s incredibly rewarding.
“It’s empowering as a female to be able to join a sport and know that I can keep going for many years to come.”
Kylie Gillam, 55, who has been chopping for more than three years with the association, says she can’t describe how much she loves it.
“There are few sports you can start at this age and be able to continue into what may be considered ‘old age’,” she says.
“Despite the wide range of ages and backgrounds, we all have a common interest and purpose and this has become my happy place.”
Cheyanne says woodchopping teaches members patience and appreciation.
“It’s the longest apprenticeship you’ll ever have,” she says.
Cheyanne says they’re on the lookout for the next generation of woodchoppers to join their team and keep woodchopping alive for generations to come.
The Capital Country Woodchoppers Association trains every Thursday and hosts regular come-and-try days for kids and adults. The association can be reached via Facebook or Instagram.
Now for the main bout where truth versus fantasy
In 2024 Democracy narrowly won the prelim on points. Now for the main bout. Its battlespace is the human mind where the contestants are truth and fantasy.
If fantasy wins, our species will be decimated, our planet in danger of joining the dead worlds of useless gas and rock we glimpse in the universe around us.
Victory for truth heralds a prospect that is truly inspiring – a future of extraordinary progress and achievement.
Unfortunately, the human mind is a precision instrument of selfdelusion. Its most fearsome power is its capacity to provide self-sustaining fables that support its natural desire to escape its own demise.
That power is truly awesome. Even when the evidence shines brilliantly empirical, at least half of us (maybe two-thirds) choose the fantasy we grace with the honorific “religion”.
It has fashioned hundreds of fairytales, each designed to appeal to our varying cultures. And so cleverly are they constructed that we regard its presence as one of the great achievements of the species.
“Freedom of religion” is seen an historic triumph. Our American friends still celebrate Thanksgiving Day when the religious Pilgrims of
1641 harvested their first successful crop of grain in their New World. Their propaganda machine, Hollywood, churns out endless repeats of a modernised Christian fantasy, a messianic cast of Superman and his Marvel compatriots fighting “evil” in the entire universe.
Thus the continued existence of a Roman Catholic Church when thousands upon thousands of its priests in nations around the world raped and degraded the children in their care. And no one rose up to demand its demise.
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No one.
Truth’s opposing armoury is much less celebrated. The scientific method of observation, measurement and experiment leading to the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses. Its heroes include Socrates, Galileo, Copernicus, Isaac Newton and the great Charles Darwin.
I can’t recall a single movie – let alone a billion-dollar box-office winner – for the biopic of any of them. Yet they and their industrial and medical equivalents have been totally responsible for the lives of comfort
Unfortunately, the human mind is a precision instrument of self-delusion. Its most fearsome power is its capacity to provide self-sustaining fables that support its natural desire to escape its own demise.
and longevity we enjoy today.
And here’s the thing. Once you reject reason and accept the fantasy on “faith” you have lost your moral compass and opened the door to every other crackpot conman. Thus Donald Trump. Thus the “hoax” of climate change.
And since religion defies reason there is no capacity for compromise. Conflict is the only measure of its power. Thus the wars of the Middle East. Thus Benjamin Netanyahu and the savagery of his religious army that incidentally might save him from jail for blatant corruption in office.
The male lust for power is also codified in most religions and women have been paying the price from time immemorial.
Altogether, not a happy prospect for 2025, but neither is it despairing. The green sprigs of hope are at last making their presence felt. Education is enhancing women around the world in their challenge to the status quo. Climate change is increasingly undeniable, even to the most demented fantasist. Trump in flight is charting a course taken once before by mythic Icarus. And in census after census, more Australians are marking “no religion” on their forms.
I do worry about quantum computing, which is going to speed up everything; and AI is a powerful tool in the wrong hands. But despite their best efforts, the human minds of the dictators will fade to nothingness like those of the rest of us who tried to make the world a better place than we found it. So all the very best for a Happy New Year!
robert@robertmacklin.com
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NEWS / Prof Susan Scott
Feted physicist thrives on thrill of the unknown
By Elizabeth KOVACS
Prof Susan Scott has always been fascinated by gravity and the unknown.
“When I was a small child, humans first landed on the moon,” she says.
“I remember watching that on the black-and-white television and seeing the astronauts leaping around, and I was fascinated by the differences in gravity between the moon and earth.
“As time went on, I got more and more interested.”
Her curiosity has held her in good stead; she was recently awarded the prestigious George Szekeres Medal of the Australian Mathematical Society.
Just the third woman to receive the award, and the first female recipient from ANU, the award recognises Prof Scott’s outstanding contribution to re search in the mathematical sciences, including her work on the structure of space-time, singularities, black holes and cosmology.
A world-leading mathematical physicist and pioneer in gravitational wave experiments, she was a part of the international team of 1000 scientists that detected ripples in space and time, known as gravitational waves, for the first time in 2015.
It all started in high school where she studied Newtonian gravity and relativity in university.
Graduating with first-class honours from Melbourne’s Monash University, she completed her PhD at the University
of Adelaide before being awarded a Rhodes Postdoctoral Fellowship, which took her to Oxford University for four years. She returned to Australia after being offered a position at ANU as a postdoctoral fellow.
Now teaching the next generation of mathematicians and physicists, she continues to decode the great expanse
“Throughout my career, most of the people doing research mathematics in the academic system have been men, and there have been very few female mathematicians during the time I’ve been around and fewer receive these top recognitions, so it feels very special to be recognised in this way,” says
Established in 2001, the medal is awarded to someone who has produced an “outstanding contribution to the mathematical sciences”.
For Prof Scott, the award also holds
“I have a very special connection with the family,” she says.
Peter Szekeres, George’s son, was
“It’s a nice aspect about receiving this particular award,” she says.
“I’ve known George Szekeres and I’ve worked with his son.
“There’s a lot of connection with that well-known family and mathematics and mathematical physics.”
Prof Scott was also the first Australian to be elected as a fellow of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation.
The elite society includes noted scientists such as Stephen Hawking and Nobel Laureates Roger Penrose and Kip Thorne.
Noting throughout most of her career the lack of female examples and role models in mathematics and physics, Susan says she had to ask herself whether she could actually pursue a career in academia as a woman.
“It’s important for young women to see examples of successful women in these physical sciences,” she says.
“It’s a wonderful field of study and we are trying to encourage more girls to take part.
“I feel that receiving an award like this is another step in helping young women to have that sense of empowerment, that they can do these things.”
Her passion to encourage girls to take part in STEM has seen her participate in initiatives such as EinsteinFirst and Quantum Girls.
Keen to continue to foster a love of space and time, Prof Scott says the continued exploration of the unknown is incredibly important.
“I love the thrill of approaching a problem that you don’t really know the answer to,” she says.
“Some things you try might fail, like all things, but you also have successes and that’s very empowering to discover something new about science and about the universe that’s not been known or understood before.
“It’s a kind of excitement that’s hard to explain to people who don’t do it, but I love that thrill of the unknown.”
WHIMSY / pondering life’s imponderables
What if the hokey cokey really is what it’s all about?
Imponderables in life refer to the perplexing and unanswerable questions that elude definitive answers, challenging our understanding and often defying logic.
These enigmas span various realms, from the philosophical and existential to the mundane.
Questions such as the nature of consciousness, the origins of the universe, and whether “life” exists after death sit at the core of human mysteries, often leading to profound discussions and debates.
In everyday life, imponderables manifest in the form of simpler yet equally puzzling queries: Why do we dream – and why do we dream what we dream? Why does time seem to fly during happy moments and drag during tedious ones?
These questions, though less grandiose, are just as fascinating because they touch on the everyday aspects of human experience and perception. Imponderables drive curiosity and inspire continuous exploration and learning. They highlight the limitations of human knowledge and the boundless mysteries that remain. While scientific advancements have unravelled many of nature’s secrets, imponderables remind us that there is always more to discover.
Imponderables keep us humble,
acknowledging that some aspects of our existence may remain forever beyond our grasp, thus fuelling the quest for knowledge and the innate desire to understand the world and our place within it.
Before we get too serious, here are a few less profound imponderables for you to think about:
• How come nobody recognises that Clark Kent without his glasses is Superman?
• Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard when he lives in the jungle without a razor?
• Why do we press harder on a TV remote when we know the
batteries are flat?
• Why do banks charge a fee for ‘insufficient funds’ when they know you can’t pay?
• Why did Kamikaze pilots wear helmets and seat belts?
• Whose idea was it to put an ‘s’ in the word ‘lisp’?
• We know about the speed of light, but what’s the speed of darkness?
• Why do people say they ‘slept like a baby’ when babies wake up every two hours? And how can you sleep like a log?
• If the temperature is zero outside today and it’s going to be twice as cold tomorrow, how
cold will it be?
• Do married people live longer than single ones – or does it just seem longer?
• How come we put a man on the moon before we thought of putting wheels on travel bags?
• Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
• Why does your gynaecologist leave the room when you get undressed?
• Can illiterate people really appreciate alphabet soup?
• Why does a dog get mad if you blow on his face but can’t wait to stick his head out from a car window?
• Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?
• Doesn’t expecting the unexpected make the unexpected expected?
• How come wrong numbers are never busy?
• How do Scots know when it’s time to tune their bagpipes?
• How do “Get Off the Grass” signs get on the grass?
• Why isn’t an all-butter croissant all butter?
• If Barbie is so popular, why do we have to buy her friends?
• If you save time, how can you get it back?
• If you try to fail – and succeed, which have you done?
• What if the hokey cokey really is what it’s all about?
• How do bankruptcy lawyers get paid?
• Why is the third hand on a watch called the second hand?
• And why don’t we ever see the headline “Psychic wins lottery”?
On a lighter note:
Three engineering students are discussing the human body and what kind of engineer must have designed it. The first one says: “It must have been a mechanical engineer – look at all the movable joints.”
The second says: “It must have been an electrical engineer, given all the electrical connections.”
The third says: “You’re both wrong. It was obviously a civil engineer. Who else would have run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?”
Clive Wiliams is a Canberra commentator.
You put your right foot in… people doing the hokey cokey at an annual Wartime Weekend in the UK.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Do weighted blankets help you sleep any better?
Weighted blankets are a popular choice to warm up in cold weather, but research on their effectiveness is limited, says science writer ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN in New York.
Rhonda James was skeptical when her husband ordered a weighted blanket for her online. But five minutes after she wrapped it around her body, she zonked out.
“It felt like a really big hug,” said James, a banker in Charleston, South Carolina.
Some people say the added pressure of weighted blankets helps them soothe the worries of the day and get to sleep faster.
But research on the effectiveness of weighted blankets is limited. Here’s what to know.
What is a weighted blanket?
Weighted blankets come with extra heft in the form of glass beads, pellets, cotton or another filling. Scientists haven’t studied exactly how the blankets work, but they have a few ideas.
The blankets’ firm touch may calm the brain’s fight-or-flight response, said Dr. Neal Walia, a sleep medicine expert at UCLA Health.
“The evenly distributed weight on
you tells your body: ‘Hey, you’re in a calm environment’,” he said.
The extra pressure also may signal the brain to release what’s called the love hormone, also known as oxytocin. It’s produced during bond ing and cuddling, and can also lower anxiety, Walia said.
How do I use a weighted blanket?
For most healthy adults, experts say to choose a blanket that is about 10 per cent of their body weight.
Weighted blankets are not recom mended for babies or toddlers since they can hinder movement and breathing.
People with sleep apnea, sleeprelated disorders or respiratory problems should check with a doctor before using a weighted blanket.
The blankets aren’t for everyone and each person gets the best out of their blanket differently. For example, some may find them too hot to use during warmer months.
material.
James takes hers out of the closet to unwind when she’s watching TV or sipping a glass of wine.
And the extra swaddling comes at a cost: quality weighted blankets can range from $50 to more than $300
Lucy Taylor, a freelance writer from Wales, uses her blanket to fall asleep when her anxiety spikes.
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follows suit,” she said.
Can weighted blankets improve sleep?
There isn’t a lot of research on whether weighted blankets actually work, and the studies that do exist are
on small groups. Most studies don’t focus on the average sleeper. Instead, they investigate whether weighted blankets can help people with chronic sleep problems, mental health conditions or developmental disorders.
There are some hints that weighted blankets can help with anxiety, chronic pain and sleep. But the research isn’t conclusive.
A study on 120 people with insomnia found that the weighted blankets helped them sleep better compared to a light blanket. Another study on 67 children with autism found the weighted blanket didn’t affect their sleep at all – but the children and their parents preferred it to a regular blanket.
And a third study on 94 adults with chronic pain found that a heavier weighted blanket didn’t affect sleep, but was better at reducing pain compared to a lighter one.
Even though there’s not yet strong evidence to back up the benefits of weighted blankets, sleep experts say there’s no harm in giving them a try if you’re willing to splurge.
Dr. Daniel Barone, a sleep medicine expert at Weill Cornell Medicine, suggests it to his patients after other traditional therapies and medicines. “If it doesn’t hurt and it may help, it’s worth a shot,” he said. – Associated Press
Dr. Manisha Abeya
There are some hints that weighted blankets can help with anxiety, chronic pain and sleep. But the research isn’t conclusive.
Does stretching before exercise really
There are two main ways to stretch – the one you should choose depends on what you want your body to do, write HUNTER BENNETT & LEWIS INGRAM .
Picture this: you’ve just woken up and rolled out of bed. Your feet hit the floor, and your legs buckle. They are in absolute agony – that run yesterday has really come back to haunt you.
And then you remember you forgot to stretch before and after your run. Surely that’s the reason you’re so sore today. Or is it?
We’ve all heard about the importance of stretching before and after exercise. But does it really make a difference? Here’s what the science says.
What is stretching?
There are many different types of stretching, but the two most common are static and dynamic stretching.
Static stretching involves moving a muscle (or muscles) into a lengthened position and holding this for a short period of time – often anywhere between 15 and 90 seconds.
A common example of this would be keeping your heels on the ground while leaning forward to touch the ground with a straight knee to stretch your hamstring muscles.
Meanwhile, dynamic stretching
involves actively moving your muscles and joints back and forth through their available range of motion.
Common examples include swinging your legs back and forth, from side to side, or swinging your arms in circles.
Stretching before exercise
The main reasons people stretch before exercise are to increase flexibility, improve performance, and reduce the risk of injury.
While we know stretching increases flexibility, its effect on performance and injury is less clear. But let’s look at what the evidence says for each one.
Flexibility
Both static and dynamic stretching increase flexibility, although static stretching seems to have a slightly larger effect.
Short-term static stretching inhibits your sympathetic nervous system (your fight or flight system), which reduces the stiffness of your muscles and tendons. This makes you more flexible straight after stretching.
In the long term, static stretching is thought to make you more flexible by
increasing the length of your muscles and tendons or by simply making you more tolerant to the discomfort caused by stretching.
Performance
When it comes to improving performance, this will depend on the type of physical activity you’re doing.
If you are about to move your body through large ranges of motion –something like gymnastics or dancing – then the improvements in flexibility following stretching will likely result in better performance.
On the flipside, research has shown static stretching may impair performance by up to 5 per cent in activities that rely on maximum strength and power, such as shotput and powerlifting.
This might be because of the reduced nervous system activation we mentioned earlier, making it more challenging for your muscles to produce force.
However, significant impairments only seem to occur when stretching for more than 60 seconds. Stretching for less than 60 seconds appears to impact performance minimally (by around 1 per cent).
On the other hand, dynamic stretching increases muscle temperature and the speed at which your nerves send messages to your muscles, which might improve muscle
performance.
Dynamic stretching has been shown to enhance strength and power by a small amount. This might make it a better option before activities that are performed explosively, such as sprinting, jumping, lifting weights or playing team sport.
Injury and soreness
When it comes to reducing injury, whether stretching before exercise is beneficial remains unclear.
Many studies have shown stretching doesn’t have an effect. But a recent review explored the effect of stretching on different types of injuries and found static stretching may reduce the risk of muscle, but not tendon, injuries. To date, there’s no evidence to suggest stretching would reduce the risk of broken bones and contact injuries.
There’s very little research exploring whether dynamic stretching alone can reduce injury risk.
Many people also stretch before exercise to help prevent muscle soreness after exercise. However, research has shown stretching before exercise has no meaningful impact on muscle soreness after exercise.
Stretching after exercise
The main reason people stretch after exercise is to improve recovery and reduce muscle soreness. The most
common approach is static stretching.
However, like stretching before exercise, research doesn’t indicate stretching after exercise reduces muscle damage or soreness. It has also been suggested really intense stretching can damage your muscles, which might even make muscle soreness worse. But this isn’t a consistent finding, and may only happen to certain people.
However, stretching does promote relaxation. So gentle stretching could be a nice way to wind down after an intense exercise session.
So, what should you do?
The available evidence suggests doing some dynamic stretching before exercise will increase flexibility and improve your performance, whether you’re planning to go for a run, play a team sport, or lift weights.
Static stretching can be great if you want to increase your flexibility, just don’t do it right before intense exercise. And after exercise, some gentle static stretching can help transition the body to a more relaxed state.
Hunter Bennett, lecturer in exercise science, University of South Australia and Lewis Ingram, lecturer in physiotherapy, University of South Australia. Republished from The Conversation.
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HEALTH & WELLBEING / mental health
Should the schools track kids’ mental health?
Australian schools will have access to a governmentfunded digital tool to support students’ mental health but some question whether it will be effective, reports EMILY VERDOUW.
When teenager Gianna was going through her darkest times, digital support services helped her see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Having been bullied at primary school, things only got worse when she reached high school, where she was often reduced to tears in class.
“Then the phone ban came in, so I didn’t have an escape or a way to contact support during school hours,” the now 19-year-old told AAP.
“That was my worst period.”
Gianna is among 40 per cent of students in Australia whose mental health at one point or another has reached crisis point.
Now completed her first year of university in Victoria, Gianna – who did not want her surname to be used – said it was digital tools such as Kids Helpline and Orygen’s MOST app that got her through her hardest times.
Having a conversation with someone “coming from a neutral standpoint” was part of the appeal.
A new government-funded digital tool, My Mind Check, hopes to help students before their struggles
become severe.
Rolled out in schools across the nation, My Mind Check is a free and voluntary online survey for students to answer questions about their mood and stress levels.
Feedback is pro vided to their school and support staff who can monitor whether a student is vulnerable and how their mood is changing.
“In general, we know access to services like school psychologists, psychiatrists and pediatricians in some states takes two to three years,”
Australian Parents Council president Jenny Branch-Allen said.
“That’s two to three years of education gone by the time a student has got the support they need.”
If a school detects that a student is vulnerable via My Mind Check, they can step in with a support plan.
But teachers fear it could add to their already overwhelming workload.
“Digital tools can be valuable, but
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human oversight to be effective,” said Australian Education Union federal president Correna Haythorpe.
Schools needed to be fully funded to boost wellbeing teams and qualified support personnel to help struggling students, she said.
“Principals, teachers and support staff are doing an extraordinary job, but they are being asked to do too much with too little.”
Experts agree that digital tools are not going to work for everyone, but they’re a useful option among a suite of resources needed to tackle the problem.
“We know only 50 per cent of those experiencing mental health chal-
lenges will access support services,” youth mental health researcher Jen Nicholas said.
Dr Nicholas leads a research program in digital mental health implementation at Orygen.
She said Orgyen’s mental health digital tool experienced peak usage between 3pm and 8pm.
“A lot of people are seeking mental health support or information when their usual touch points like teachers and school support services aren’t available and that’s what’s really important,” Dr Nicholas said.
For Gianna, My Mind Check’s lack of anonymity – in contrast to other digital support tools – leaves her sceptical it will be effective.
“It might be the rare occasion that it helps,” she said.
“But I don’t think it’s going to work.
“That might sound pessimistic but honestly, I know I was embarrassed by the fact I was struggling, and every time I tried to access support at school and tell teachers about it, they ignored me and pushed me away.”
Gianna believes students will be worried their parents or guardians will be told of their struggles, and they’ll be pulled out of class or treated differently.
“When I had my first panic attack at school, all the teachers were notified and treated me like an alien,
which is obviously not a nice feeling,” she said.
“So a child might (use the tool) and then see the consequences of it doing more harm than good.
“We need to educate students about their options and give them information to take away that they can use to help each other and themselves.”
The tools should be there to enhance, not replace, critical mental health services, Dr Nicholas said.
“We’re dealing with services that are overwhelmed and providing extra support and (an) extra option is really valuable.”
The relationship between parents and schools has room for improvement, Ms Branch-Allen said.
“Children should be able to advocate for themselves, and they are great advocates, but if the relationship between family, school and the community is strong, there will be better outcomes for students,” she said.
Gianna believes the best intervention is to reduce the overall pressure on students.
“It’s a big numbers race when you get to VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education),” she said.
“In high school I was just so burnt out because you’re fighting against each other to get the best score.
“It feels like we’re facing an uphill battle.”
HEALTH & WELLBEING / going grey
Is it true that stress is turning my hair grey?
The most rapid hair greying usually happens between ages 50 and 60. But does anything we do speed up the process? And is there anything we can do to slow it down? THERESA LARKIN has the science.
When we start to go grey depends a lot on genetics.
Your first grey hairs usually appear anywhere between your twenties and fifties. For men, grey hairs normally start at the temples and sideburns. Women tend to start greying on the hairline, especially at the front.
The most rapid greying usually happens between ages 50 and 60. But does anything we do speed up the process? And is there anything we can do to slow it down?
You’ve probably heard that plucking, dyeing and stress can make your hair go grey – and that redheads don’t. Here’s what the science says.
What gives hair its colour?
Each strand of hair is produced by a hair follicle, a tunnel-like opening in your skin. Follicles contain two different kinds of stem cells:
• keratinocytes, which produce keratin, the protein that makes and regenerates hair strands
• melanocytes, which produce melanin, the pigment that colours your hair and skin.
There are two main types of mela-
nin that determine hair colour. Eumelanin is a black-brown pigment and pheomelanin is a red-yellow pigment.
The amount of the different pigments determines hair colour. Black and brown hair has mostly eumelanin, red hair has the most pheomelanin, and blonde hair has just a small amount of both.
The most rapid greying usually happens between ages 50 and 60.
So, what makes our hair turn grey?
As we age, it’s normal for cells to become less active. In the hair follicle, this means stem cells produce less melanin – turning our hair grey – and less keratin, causing hair thinning and loss.
As less melanin is produced, there is less pigment to give the hair its colour. Grey hair has very little melanin, while white hair has none left.
Unpigmented hair looks grey, white or silver because light reflects off the keratin, which is pale yellow.
Grey hair is thicker, coarser and stiffer than hair with pigment. This is because the shape of the hair follicle
becomes irregular as the stem cells change with age.
Interestingly, grey hair also grows faster than pigmented hair, but it uses more energy in the process.
Can stress turn our hair grey?
Yes, stress can cause your hair to turn grey. This happens when oxidative stress damages hair follicles and stem cells and stops them producing melanin.
Oxidative stress is an imbalance of too many damaging free radical chemicals and not enough protective antioxidant chemicals in the body. It can be caused by psychological or emotional stress as well as autoim-
mune diseases.
Environmental factors such as exposure to UV and pollution, as well as smoking and some drugs, can also play a role.
Melanocytes are more susceptible to damage than keratinocytes because of the complex steps in melanin production. This explains why ageing and stress usually cause hair greying before hair loss.
Scientists have been able to link less pigmented sections of a hair strand to stressful events in a person’s life. In younger people, whose stem cells still produced melanin, colour returned to the hair after the stressful event passed.
Grey hair – and what science says 1. Does plucking a grey hair make more grow back in its place?
No. When you pluck a hair, you might notice a small bulb at the end that was attached to your scalp. This is the root. It grows from the hair follicle.
Plucking a hair pulls the root out of the follicle. But the follicle itself is the opening in your skin and can’t be plucked out. Each hair follicle can only grow a single hair.
It’s possible frequent plucking could make your hair grey earlier, if the cells that produce melanin are damaged or exhausted from too much regrowth.
2. Can my hair turn grey overnight?
Legend says Marie Antoinette’s hair went completely white the night before the French queen faced the guillotine – but this is a myth. Melanin in hair strands is chemically stable, meaning it can’t transform instantly.
Not all hair is in the growing phase at any one time, meaning it can’t all go grey at the same time.
3. Will dyeing make my hair go grey faster?
This depends on the dye.
Temporary and semi-permanent dyes should not cause early greying because they just coat the hair strand without changing its structure. But permanent products cause a chemical reaction with the hair, using an oxidising agent such as hydrogen peroxide.
Your genetics determine when you’ll start going grey. But you may be able to avoid premature greying by staying healthy, reducing stress and avoiding smoking, too much alcohol and UV exposure.
Eating a healthy diet may also help because vitamin B12, copper, iron, calcium and zinc all influence melanin production and hair pigmentation.
Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong. Republished from The Conversation.
HEALTH & WELLBEING / office working temperatures
Here’s why some like it hot… but others don’t
You’re hot? I’m cold! CHRISTIAN MORO & CHARLOTTE PHELPS explain why our office temperature preferences can be vastly different to our colleagues’.
With hotter weather, offices are cranking up the air conditioning. But with such varying temperature preferences, where should you set the thermostat?
It may be an impossible task to find an optimal temperature that suits everyone. So why do we have such different temperature preferences? And does it affect more than our level of comfort?
Women tend to prefer a slightly warmer office
While there are always more similarities than differences between the sexes, women tend to feel the cold more than men.
A 2021 study of more than 38,000 participants found 38 per cent of respondents were dissatisfied with the temperature of their office. Of those dissatisfied, women accounted for nearly two-thirds.
When asked, in other studies, the less satisfied women said they preferred warmer temperatures, while the less satisfied men would prefer a cooler office environment.
Although specifics vary, the
optimal office temperature for women is often around 1°C higher than for men. One study reported the optimal temperature was 24°C for women and 23.2°C for men.
Can temperature affect your ability to work?
The room’s temperature can impact productivity. In warmer environments (above 25°C), men have been found to perform worse on maths and verbal tasks, while women performed worse on these tasks at cooler temperatures (below 25°C).
It is often proposed that concentration can be impacted by temperature, but this is not always the case.
When subjects (men and women) underwent a series of cognitive tasks, performance was not affected between 22°C (considered cold) and 25°C (considered hot) environments.
These researchers argued that maintaining a warmer temperature was optimal due to the environmental benefits and energy savings. What’s behind gender temperature differences?
Hormones play a key role in our
temperature preferences.
Testosterone causes more muscle development around the shoulders. Muscle generates heat, making men more likely to have warmer necks than women.
This area is particularly sensitive to cool temperatures.
Oestrogen promotes and maintains different fat distributions in women, who tend to carry slightly more fat between the skin and muscles in a number of areas. This makes the skin feel cooler and drives a preference for slightly warmer temperatures.
Women also tend to have a lower metabolic rate (or slower metabolism) than men. This means women produce less heat and their bodies are more prone to feeling cold in cooler temperatures.
Women’s preferences can change from week to week
The menstrual cycle has a considerable influence on temperature preferences. After ovulation, the ovaries release more progesterone. This causes the body’s core temperature to warm by around 0.3-0.6°C. This means women will perceive the outside temperature as cooler than men, due to the larger thermal drop compared to their core temperatures.
Progesterone also helps conserve heat, diverting blood from the skin
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and into the organs. This means women’s hands, ears and feet may be up to 1-2°C colder than men’s. It’s harder to feel warm in a cool environment when your hands and feet are very cold.
At other times of the month, the opposite may be true. Oestrogen causes blood to flow to the skin, resulting in greater heat dissipation, and potential hot flushes.
During pregnancy and menopause, hormones change again, and can flow in different directions. This can cause a feeling of cold, but also hot flushes and transient increases in the sensation of warmth, where a cooler environment is far preferred.
This means some women may prefer a cooler temperature one week, then a warmer temperature the following.
What else impacts temperature preferences?
Overall, body size and composition has a strong influence on temperature preferences. As muscle generates heat, the more muscle mass we have the more heat we tend to generate, keeping us warmer.
Overweight body sizes are associated with a higher preference for a cooler environment.
Ethnicity may also have an impact. When directly compared in one study,
Asian participants reported being more comfortable in environments that were 5°C warmer than participants with European origins.
What about the environmental impact?
Heating and cooling can account for 20-50 per cent of energy use in households and 40-70 per cent of energy use in office buildings.
In summer, warmer office temperatures don’t use as much energy. In fact, energy use increases by 5-10 per cent for each 1°C the temperature is lowered.
With hormones that influence temperature preferences changing during the month, health status, body composition, individual experiences and age all playing a part, there may never be a one-size-fits-all approach to setting the office thermostat.
As such, it is recommended that staff are encouraged to have open conversations about the temperature, and for managers to listen to each member’s needs and be willing to change the thermostat where appropriate.
Christian Moro, associate professor of science & medicine, Bond University and Charlotte Phelps, senior teaching fellow in medicine, Bond University. Republished from The Conversation.
HEALTH / blood pressure and hypertension
Take stairs to lower blood pressure
New research suggests that adding a small amount of physical activity – such as uphill walking or stairclimbing – into your day may help to lower blood pressure.
Just five minutes of activity a day was estimated to potentially reduce blood pressure, while re placing sedentary behaviours with 20-27 minutes of exercise a day, including uphill walking, stairclimbing, running and cycling, was also estimated to lead to a clinically meaningful reduction in blood pressure.
The study, published in Circula tion, was carried out by experts from the ProPASS (Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep) Consortium, an international academic collaboration led by the University of Sydney and University College London (UCL).
Replacing sedentary behaviours with 20-27 minutes of exercise a day, including stair-climbing, can lead to a clinically meaningful reduction in blood pressure.
lion adults around the world, it can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage and many other health problems, and is often described as the “silent killer” due to its lack of symptoms.
The research team analysed health data from 14,761 volunteers in five countries to see how replacing one type of movement behaviour with another across the day is associated with blood
Each participant used a wearable accelerometer device on their thigh to measure their activity and blood pressure throughout the
Daily activity was split into six categories: sleep, sedentary behaviour (such as sitting), slow walking, fast walking, standing, and more vigorous exercise such as running, cycling or stair climbing.
from the Division of Surgery and Interventional Science at UCL and the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, said: “Our findings suggest that, for most people, exercise is key to reducing blood pressure, rather than less strenuous forms of movement such as walking.
“The good news is that whatever your physical ability, it doesn’t take long to have a positive effect on blood pressure.
“What’s unique about our exercise variable is that it includes all exercise-like activities, from running for a bus to a short cycling errand, many of which can be integrated into daily routines.
Good news, bad news about fans
Using a fan and wetting the skin reduces risk of deadly cardiac strain in hot and humid weather, but older people should avoid using fans in very hot and dry conditions.
New collaborative research from the University of Sydney and the Montreal Heart Institute has looked at the efficacy of different, low-cost cooling strategies –such as electric fans with and without spraying water on the skin – for older adults, who are known to be at a heightened health risk during hot summer weather.
Joint senior author Prof Emmanuel Stamatakis, director of the ProPASS Consortium from the Charles Perkins Centre, said: “High blood pressure is one of the biggest health issues globally, but unlike some major causes of cardiovascular mortality there may be relatively accessible ways to tackle the problem in addition to medication.”
“The finding that doing as little as five extra minutes of exercise per day could be associated with measurably lower blood pressure readings emphasises how powerful short bouts of higher-intensity movement could be for blood pressure management.”
Hypertension, or a consistent elevated blood pressure level, is one of the biggest causes of premature death globally. Affecting 1.28 bil-
The team modelled statistically what would happen if an individual changed various amounts of one behaviour for another in order to estimate the effect on blood pressure for each scenario and found that replacing sedentary behaviour with 20-27 minutes of exercise a day could potentially reduce cardiovascular disease by up to 28 per cent at a population level.
First author Dr Jo Blodgett,
“For those who don’t do a lot of exercise, walking did still have some positive benefits for blood pressure. But if you want to change your blood pressure, putting more demand on the cardiovascular system through exercise will have the greatest effect.”
Prof Mark Hamer, joint senior author of the study and ProPASS Deputy Director from UCL, said: “Our findings show how powerful research platforms like the ProPASS consortium are for identifying relatively subtle patterns of exercise, sleep, and sedentary behaviour, that have significant clinical and public health importance.”
The study exposed older participants with and without heart disease to two environments – one hot and humid (38°C and 60 per cent humidity) and the other very hot and dry (45°C and 15 per cent humidity); conditions chosen to represent the two most common heatwave extremes globally.
The team found that in hot and humid conditions, fan use with and without skin wetting reduced heatinduced cardiac strain in older people.
However, in the very hot and dry conditions, fan use had an adverse effect by tripling the increase in cardiac strain which could be fatal for someone with heart disease.
This is because, although fans help sweat evaporate, in very hot and dry conditions the effect is small and counteracted by convection forcing more heat into the body. Instead, in these conditions, skin wetting used on its own was effective at reducing the work of the heart.
Co-author of the study Dr Daniel Gagnon from the Montreal Heart Institute said: “Importantly, the study has shown that the weather conditions affect the type of cooling strategy that should be used – a vital piece of information that will help older people to stay safe in heatwaves.”
SUNDAY
ROAST
HEALTH & WELLBEING / fat loss
Here’s why the body won’t let you target fat loss
Can I actually target areas to lose fat, like my belly?
Sorry, not possible, says NICK FULLER .
SPEND some time scrolling social media and you’re all-butguaranteed to see an ad promising to help you with targeted fat loss.
These ads promote a concept known as “spot reduction”, claiming you can burn fat in a specific body area, usually the belly, with specially designed exercises or workouts.
Unfortunately, spot reduction is another weight-loss myth. It’s simply not possible to target the location of fat loss. Here’s why.
To understand why spot reduction is a myth, it’s important to understand how body fat is stored and used.
The fat stored in our bodies takes the form of triglycerides, which are a type of lipid or fat molecule we can use for energy. Around 95 per cent of the dietary fats we consume are triglycerides, and when we eat, our bodies also convert any unused energy consumed into triglycerides.
Triglycerides are stored in special fat cells called adipocytes, and they’re released into our bloodstream and transported to adipose tissue – tissue we more commonly refer to as body fat.
This body fat is found all over our bodies, but it’s primarily stored as
subcutaneous fat under our skin and as visceral fat around our internal organs.
These fat stores serve as a vital energy reserve, with our bodies mobilising to access stored triglycerides to provide energy during periods of prolonged exercise. We also draw on these reserves when we’re dieting and fasting.
However, contrary to what many spot-reduction ads would have us think, our muscles can’t directly access and burn specific fat stores when we exercise.
Instead, they use a process called lipolysis to convert triglycerides into free fatty acids and a compound called glycerol, which then travels to our muscles via our bloodstream.
As a result, the fat stores we’re using for energy when we exercise come from everywhere in our bodies – not just the areas we’re targeting for fat loss.
Research reinforces how our bodies burn fat when we exercise, confirming spot reduction is a weight-loss myth. This includes a randomised 12-week clinical trial which found no greater improvement in reducing belly fat between people who undertook an abdominal resistance
program in addition to changes in diet
Further, a 2021 meta-analysis of 13 studies involving more than 1100 participants found that localised muscle training had no effect on localised fat deposits. That is, exercising a specific part of the body did not reduce fat in that part of the body.
Factors outside of our control influence the areas and order in which our bodies store and lose fat, namely:
• Our genes. Just as DNA prescribes whether we’re short or tall, genetics plays a significant role in how our
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fat stores are managed. Research shows our genes can account for 60 per cent of where fat is distributed.
So, if your mum tends to store and lose weight from her face first, there’s a good chance you will, too
• Our gender. Our bodies, by nature, have distinct fat storage characteristics driven by our gender, including females having more fat mass than males. This is primarily because the female body is designed to hold fat reserves to support pregnancy and nursing, with women tending to lose weight from their face, calves and arms first because they impact childbearing the least, while holding on to fat stored around the hips, thighs and buttocks
• Our age. The ageing process triggers changes in muscle mass, metabolism, and hormone levels, which can impact where and how quickly fat is lost. Post-menopausal women and middle-aged men tend to store visceral fat around the midsection and find it a stubborn place to shift fat from.
Most advertising for these pills and dietary supplements – including products claiming to be “the best way to lose belly fat” – will also proudly claim their product’s results are backed by “clinical trials” and “scientific evidence”.
But the reality is a host of independent studies don’t support these claims.
This includes two recent studies by the University of Sydney that examined data from more than 120 placebo-controlled trials of herbal and dietary supplements. None of the supplements examined provided a clinically meaningful reduction in body weight among overweight or obese people.
Spot reduction is a myth – we can’t control where our bodies lose fat. But we can achieve the results we’re seeking in specific areas by targeting overall fat loss.
While you may not lose the weight in a specific spot when exercising, all physical activity helps to burn body fat and preserve muscle mass. This will lead to a change in your body shape over time and it will also help you with long-term weight management.
This is because your metabolic rate – how much energy you burn at rest – is determined by how much muscle and fat you carry. As muscle is more metabolically active than fat (meaning it burns more energy than fat), a person with a higher muscle mass will have a faster metabolic rate than someone of the same body weight with a higher fat mass.
Nick Fuller, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, University of Sydney. This article is republished from The Conversation.
JUMBO CROSSWORD
HEALTH & WELLBEING / teeth
Seven ways to extend the life of your smile
What happens to teeth as you age? And how can you extend the life of your smile? Here are some tips from AROSHA WEERAKOON.
A HEALTHY smile helps us live long, well and happy lives. But just like our bodies, our teeth succumb to age-related changes.
So what happens to teeth as you age? And what can you do to ensure your smile lasts the distance?
The tooth crown is covered by a hard enamel coat that surrounds softer, brown dentine, which protects a centrally located pulp.
Enamel is a complex weave of brittle, honeycomb-clustered strands that interact with light to make teeth appear opalescent (a pearly, milky iridescence).
Dentine under enamel forms most of the tooth crown and root, and is made of collagen, mineral, water and proteins. Collagen strands are woven to stretch and spring back, to prevent teeth from cracking and breaking when we grind and chew.
The pulp has blood vessels and nerves that communicate with the rest of your body.
Enmeshed in the dentine mineral and collagen are small, interconnected tubules formed by specialised cells called odontoblasts that settle
around the pulp, once our teeth completely form.
Each tooth contains a finite number of odontoblasts, unlike the constantly replenished special bone cells that renew.
How do our teeth change as we age?
Unable to renew, our teeth become brittle, and prone to fracture as dentine loses its spring.
This is more common in teeth with existing crack lines, large fillings or root canal treatments.
With time, the outer surface of enamel thins to reveal the relatively opaque dentine that darkens as we age.
The dentine darkens because the collagen weave stiffens and shrinks, and the fluid in the tubules fills with mineral.
The odontoblasts continue to form dentine inside the tooth to reduce the translucent pulp space. The increase in dentine makes our teeth appear opaque and insulates from hot and cold sensations. This is why X-rays are useful to detect cavities we may not feel.
Food and drink particles fill
micro-gaps and age-related fine crack lines that run up and down enamel to discolour and stain. These stains are easily managed by tooth whitening.
How else can you extend the life of your teeth and brighten your smile?
Here are seven tips to avoid dental decline:
1. Avoid unnecessary forces
Avoid using your teeth to hold things such as working tools or to open packaging.
Take measures to avoid forces such as grinding or clenching by wearing a night guard.
If you have large fillings or root canal-treated teeth, speak to your dentist about specific filling materials or crowns that can protect your teeth from cracking or breaking.
2. Share the load
If you are missing molars or premolars, distribute chewing forces evenly to prevent overloading your remaining teeth.
Replace missing teeth with bridges, implants or well-fitted dentures to support your bite. Get your dentures checked regularly to ensure they fit and support adequately, and replace them at least every 10 years.
3. Preserve your enamel
Reduce further enamel and
dentine loss by selecting soft-bristled tooth brushes and non-abrasive toothpastes.
Certain whitening toothpastes can be abrasive, which can roughen and wear the tooth surfaces. If you are unsure, stick with toothpastes that are labelled “sensitive”.
Reduce your exposure to acid in food (think lemons or apple cider vinegar) or illness (reflux or vomiting) where possible to maintain enamel and prevent erosion.
4. Enhance your saliva
Saliva protects against acid attacks, flushes our teeth, and has antibacterial properties to reduce erosion and decay (holes forming).
Saliva is also important to help us chew, swallow and speak.
But our saliva quality and quantity reduces because of age-related changes to our salivary glands as well as certain medications prescribed to manage chronic illnesses such as depression and high blood pressure.
Speak to your doctor about other medication options to improve your saliva or manage reflux disease to prevent erosion.
5. Treat gum disease
Aesthetically, treating gum disease (periodontitis) reduces gum shrinkage (recession) that typically exposes
the relatively darker tooth roots that are more prone to developing holes.
6. Manage and prevent senescence
Cellular senescence is the process that changes DNA in our cells to reduce our ability to withstand physical, chemical or biological damage.
Cellular senescence enhances new cancer formation, the spread of existing cancers and the onset of chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.
You can prevent cell damage by managing lifestyle factors such as smoking, uncontrolled diabetes and chronic infections such as gum disease.
7. Adapt and ask for help
Ageing can affect our cognition, hand dexterity and eyesight to prevent us from cleaning our teeth and gums as effectively as we once could.
If this describes you, talk to your dental care team. They can help clean your teeth, and recommend products and tools to fit your situation and abilities.
Dentist Arosha Weerakoon is Senior Lecturer, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland. Republished from The Conversation.
JUMBO CROSSWORD
A LONG DOSE OF DORIN / movies NEWS
Wide-eyed little boy in scary grip of Jaws
CityNews cartoonist PAUL DORIN comes out from behind the easel to reminisce about his first encounters with movies.
The first movie l ever got to see was in Wollongong, at the Southline drive-in movie theatre.
Drive-ins were always exciting to go to with family or friends and we were lucky that we didn’t have to travel far to get there, it was just up the road.
People smuggling into the drive-in was always well planned and I’ve heard all the stories of turning up with four in the car but only paying for two, with two in the boot.
And having a family of five and getting the youngest kid in for free by having them curl up into a ball low in the footwell with the feet of other kids and blankets piled on top of them.
We packed blankets and pillows and us kids were dressed in our pyjamas so that when we got tired, we’d fall asleep on the back seat. You’d see people dressed in pyjamas and slippers going to the toilet or getting munchies.
Anyone with a station wagon reversed into the spot and lay in the back, wrapped up cosy in a blanket. Some patrons would even bring along picnic chairs and sit at the front of their car and watch the movie out in the open air.
And always trying to remember not to drive off with the heavy duty, hookon speaker that hung off the window of the car. Then came modernised technology with the sound coming through car radios. After the movie, cars would often honk their horns giving applause.
The most memorable movie l have ever seen, even to this day, was while on a summer holiday with family in Gosford camping on the beach.
My Aunty Lorraine and Uncle Rob decided to have a movie night at the local cinema. I was about nine or 10 and we older kids went to see Jaws.
During the movie I remember the people sitting behind asking a couple of times for me to: “Please sit back down!”. l was standing as far back on the seat as l could trying to escape the jaws of that big angry shark.
Seeing that movie changed my life; I still won’t go too deep while swimming in the ocean.
I’ve heard stories from people who were kids at the time that after watching Jaws they wouldn’t sit on the toilet for fear of shark bites!
Another great movie memory was with my Uncle John. He took all the cousins to “’Superman: The Movie” starring Christopher Reeve.
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After the movie Uncle John planned to take us to lunch at the Woolworths’ cafeteria. To keep eight young cousins together, my uncle got us all to hold hands as he didn’t want any kid flying off once we got outside. I remember holding on so tight.
I’ve had many fond memories going to the movies and these days most are kids’ movies with my son, laying back in the recliner watching parts of the movie from under my eyelids, it’s always a great escapism while enjoying popcorn.
Sarah steps into the chamber chair
When recruiter Sarah Rajic started her own small business 10 years ago, she joined the Canberra Business Chamber.
“It was one of the first things that I did,” she says. And now she’s the chamber’s president and chair.
Joining as a member, Sarah says she quickly got involved with events and eventually joined the board through its future leaders program.
When asked to consider stepping up as chair, Sarah says she realised that she was in a good place for it.
“I want to continue to do well in this space and work with the government to show them the value of business in this town and the importance of our economy,” she says.
“As a manager of my own business, I understand the challenges in the current business environment.”
Sarah says she wants to make sure the government understands the pressures business owners are currently undergoing and explore further ways the government can provide support.
Sarah has taken over from lawyer Archie Tsirimokos, who has served as president for the past six years and will continue on the board as a director.
– Elizabeth Kovacs
Cartoon: Paul Dorin
Sarah Rajic.
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GARDENING
All together in a sensory garden
What better way to start the New Year in the garden than with a project of, say, designing and building a sensory garden.
A sensory garden allows adults and children to explore the space with sound, touch, smell, sight and taste.
Sound in the garden is not only running water, but it’s the bird life that has been encouraged by plantings. Add wind chimes or large ornamental grasses that can be used for sound. Think also of seasonal change, where there is rustling of leaves in autumn and trees moving in the wind.
Touch: flowers that are bold will be attractive to touch, such as a dainty fuchsia. The flowers benefit the pollinators and help bring the whole eco system together.
Highly textured foliage plants such as woolly bush (Adenanthos sericeus) can be planted along pathways where it is deliberate to brush past or have plantings overlapping on the
surface to release aromatic scent if trodden on.
Some of my favourites to use in this situation would be curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) or chamomile (Matricaria recutita). Both are aromatic and very drought tolerant and require very little water.
Sight: a sensory garden has to be pleasing to the eye. Shrubs and flowers of differing heights show a calming space.
Taste: a sensory experience is growing something from seed to your own plate and a part of a personal wellbeing journey. There are trials and tribulations with pests and diseases along the way, but growing your own food, for example picking a warm tomato off the vine, is the pinnacle of happiness in the garden.
Therapeutic horticulture and sensory gardens in Australia have boomed over the last 20 years and there’s a popular drive for gardens to be incorporated into the hospital environment to aid the wellbeing of patients. Although these are large-scale sensory gardens, the principles can be applied to any size garden to improve the physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing in our homes.
Plants around us increase our oxygen levels and many herbs and spices have powerful health benefits that are known to be beneficial to us
all such as sage for brain health, turmeric for its anti-inflammatory issues and rosemary to prevent allergies.
These are all plants that grow in pots or in gardens and offer a good start to building your own sensory garden.
EVENING primrose (Oenothera speciosa), which survives on very little rainfall and full sun, is flowering at dusk at the moment.
Terrific for a dry garden and tough conditions, it grows in hard, rocky soil and is useful for summer colour in a wildflower garden. Cut them back after flowering to prevent selfseeding. Over time, you will create a groundcover that thrives on neglect.
jackwar@home.netspeed.com.au
Jottings…
• Keep picking berries to encour- age more flowering.
• If picking stone fruit, refrigerate straight away.
• Spray cherry and pear trees with dipel for pear and cherry slug.
• Little pruning should be done in the hot weather.
Rosemary… to prevent allergies. Photos: Jackie Warburton Evening primrose… flowers at dusk.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Georgia keeps classics museum’s treasures alive
By Helen MUSA
It’s a far cry from her days as a flaming redhead treading the stage in Thoroughly Modern Millie for Canberra Philo in 2008, but Georgia Pike-Rowney is playing a vital role in leading and promoting one of the ANU’s treasures – its Classics Museum.
Pike-Rowney’s contract as the lecturer in classics and curator of the ANU Classics Museum since 2022 has been extended until July 2026, thanks to contributions from the very active Friends of the ANU Classics Museum, who hold regular talks, functions and walk-throughs of the priceless objects collected by the university since 1962.
The announcement of her extension came just in the nick of time, as the ANU’s general refurbishment necessitated Pike-Rowney and her colleagues packing the entire collection out.
The museum has now augmented its ageing glass exhibition cases with more upmarket “vitrines”, secure glass display cases that are carefully light controlled.
Neither Pike-Rowney, the Friends nor the scholars at the Centre for Classical Studies take their responsibilities lightly, for in 2004 there was a crisis when the “head of Livia”
was stolen from the museum – they don’t want that to happen again.
Pike-Rowney’s appointment is central to the centre’s teaching and outreach program, its research on object-based learning and the university’s management of restitution
cases, the return of improperly-acquired objects to their countries of origin, a big deal in museums these days. She is working with the Embassy of Italy on a number of restitution cases, and in a happy compromise, the pieces will remain
ARTS IN THE CITY Solo showcase of ceramic artist
Hot on the opening of Making a Creative Life – Hiroe and Cornel Swen at Canberra Museum and Gallery, Canberra Potters will stage Endless Horizons: The Art of Hiroe Swen, a solo exhibition by the veteran ceramic artist, as a central highlight of its 50th anniversary celebrations. Canberra Potters. Watson Arts Centre, January 9-February 2.
Preparations are afoot to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Canberra Theatre Centre. They’ll be hosting a special event in conjunction with the return of The Australian Ballet in June and are also embarking on a “memory capture” project to collect people’s stories, photos and videos about their experiences at the theatre over the past six decades. All contributions are welcome at forms.gle/R9UokbnvaZ6nf6sY9
A new exhibition, The Excellencies of Musick: Highlights from the Jamie and Michael Kassler Collection, features rare works by famous composers, theorists and philosophers, as well as portraits, engraved tickets and trade cards. Highlights
include a broadsheet advertising an 1817 performance of Handel’s masterpiece, Messiah. Treasures Gallery, National Library of Australia until August.
Dianna Nixon’s company Music Theatre Projects is holding summer holiday music theatre workshops teaching how to connect with industry professionals, prepare
on loan in the museum after their official restitution is complete.
In a more complex case, a Roman marble portrait head belonging to the Lateran collection in the Vatican, has been negotiated with Italy as the go-between.
Far from regarding the question of restitution as negative, she believes it can be a positive and says: “My style has been to swing away from being negative… the students are so interested so I decided to go totally public and totally positive.”
Besides which, given our distance from the ancient digs of Mesopotamia and the Graeco-Roman, world, she says: “Students can’t afford to miss the opportunity to get close up and personal with real material culture… but these matters must be managed sensitively.”
It’s not all about her, but they’ve picked someone with impressive qualifications.
For with a classics/law degree and PhD from the ANU mixing classics, music and education, a stint analysing quality of research data at the university’s College of Health and Medicine and an ongoing role as a music director, actor and educator for Child Players ACT, she is well placed to communicate the ethos of the Classics Museum.
Central to the museum, located in the AD Hope Building, is the large Rome replica, surrounded by artefacts, but there’s an obvious need to find ways of activating items in the collection for present-day appreciation, so Pike-Rowney has spearheaded a project called ARTefacts, still on show until March. Here five artists responded to works in the collection.
In Spiralling, for instance, artist Harriet Schwarzrock responded to an eighth-century BCE brooch using glass tubing, neon gas and electrical input from a high-voltage transformer, while in If Only You Could See What I Have Seen with Your Eyes, Robert Nugent activated a bronze head of a woman from the first century CE by giving the bust eyeballs.
In Of Pots and Prams, Susie Russell responded to Wendy Wood’s wild modern take on Attic vases and bowls, while Braidwood artist Julian Laffan’s answer to first and second century CE writing tablets was a woodblock print, The Eye of the Tree: Reading with Platanus acerifolia. Probably the most striking objects are Aidan Hartshorn’s Treasures of the Wolgul Tribe, gilded objects inspired by First Nations artefacts from southeastern NSW.
To further help bring the classics to life, Pike-Rowney and the Centre for Classical Studies’ lecturers have been teaching young and funky new courses such as tThis year’s Life, Love, and Loss in Ancient Greece and Rome, co-taught with Simona Martorana, and next year’s The Muse and the Machine: The arts, technology and society in GraecoRoman Antiquity, with Tatiana Bur. Meantime, now that they’re back after several months of languishing in temporary locations, they’re sprucing up for something really big – the centre will host the Australasian Society for Classical Studies’ Conference, February 3-5.
The ANU Classics Museum is open from January 6, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.
audition repertoire, manage performance nerves and fine-tune ensemble skills, The Oaks, Rosevear Place, Dickson, February 1-2, inquiries to mtprojectsltd@gmail.com
The volunteer guides of the ANU Classics Museum are presenting a series, Highlights of the Museum: Links with Pompeii, to hook in with the National Museum’s big exhibition on Pompeii. AD Hope Building, ANU, January 13 and 20, registration is essential to pfinley@webone.com.au
Georgia Pike-Rowney… “My style has been to swing away from being negative… the students are so interested so I decided to go totally public and totally positive.”
Photo: Maggie Otto
Photo: Brenton McGeachie
YOUR YEAR IN THE STARS / 2025
Prepare for a big year as the major planets
“CityNews” weekly astrologer JOANNE MADELINE MOORE shares her predictions for the year ahead.
Prepare for a big year as four of the major planets change signs in 2025.
Jupiter jumps into Cancer, which is good news for people involved with babies and children (via improvements to maternity leave and childcare), the food industry and real estate.
With Saturn and Neptune both shifting into Aries, expect some individuals and nations to demand more independence; the rise of strong new political leaders; and the restructuring of religious institutions. Uranus transits into Gemini, which signals incredible inventions and advances in technology involving mass media, communication, education, electronics, cars and computers.
Pluto (the planet of powerful transformation) is transiting through the progressive, group-focused sign of Aquarius until 2044. The last time Pluto visited Aquarius was from 1778 until 1798, a period that included the colonisation of Australia, the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution, and the (gradual) abolition of the slave trade. So expect discoveries, innovations, rebellions and revolutions.
There’ll also be sweeping changes in areas involving science, space travel and sustainable technologies, plus increasing power/access/representation for previously under-represented groups in society.
What’s ahead for you? Read the personal forecast for your zodiac sign:
(March 21-April 20)
LOVE & LUST
Romance and self-love will be hard to find in March, when Venus (the planet of love) reverses through your sign. So it’s not a good time to join a singles site or go on a first date. An established relationship could hit a rocky patch as you argue with your partner and find faults within yourself. The best month to meet your soulmate, get engaged or married (or go on a holiday with your sweetheart) is May, when Venus moves forwards in your sign and amorous Rams are feeling frisky.
LOOT & LUCK
The most auspicious dates for inventive ideas that lead to success are April 4-5 and August 12. With taskmaster Saturn visiting your sign (for the first time since 1999) from May 25 until September 1, good fortune comes through hard graft and plenty of persistence. The harder you work, the luckier you’ll be! Mercury reverses through your shared finances zone from November 19-30, so it’s not a suitable time to lend or borrow money, buy a house or start a business venture. Smart Rams will be unusually patient and wait.
LIFESTYLE
Your ruling planet, Mars, is retrograde (until February 24), there’s a Solar Eclipse in Aries (on March 29), Mercury and Venus retrograde through your sign, plus Saturn and Neptune transit into Aries (forwards and backwards). So you can expect a year of adjustments, backflips and reassessments leading to big changes, especially involving health, physical appearance, personal projects and/or self-image. Avoid making important, long-term decisions in January, February and March when retrograding Mars, Venus and Mercury particularly affect you.
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“I believe in hard work, determination and passion. When
you have those three things, you can do anything you want.” – Reese Witherspoon
(April 21-May 21)
LOVE & LUST
With your ruler, Venus, in retrograde mode (from March 2 until April 13) and two eclipses in your romance zone (in March and September) expect a rollercoaster ride in 2025. March will be a tumultuous month, when it will be tricky to get the balance right between being independent and being in a partnership. Some optimistic Taureans will revisit an old romance, but do you really want to travel down that rocky road again? May and June are the best months to revitalise a tired old relationship or start a promising new romance.
LOOT & LUCK
Lucky Jupiter moves out of your money zone and unpredictable Uranus moves in, so finances could be uncertain. Smart Bulls will squirrel money away when things are going well, to cover you when cashflow is low. From June 10 onwards, Jupiter brings good fortune involving communication, education, social media and neighbourhood connections. So start mixing and mingling in your local community ASAP! But avoid borrowing money, buying a house or starting a business from November 10-19, when Mercury reverses through your shared finances zone.
LIFESTYLE
Uranus transits through your sign until July 7 (and then back again from November 8 until April 2026), so keep exploring and growing in exciting new directions. With three eclipses in your creativity and friendship zones, it’s time to connect with your inner muse and extend your peer group. The more you rub shoulders with exceptional, inspiring people, the more creative and inspired you’ll feel. The best months to write your book, paint your masterpiece, sing up a storm or get crafty are May, June and October. Weekend getaways and interstate trips are favoured between June 10 and December 31.
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“I’m always interested in people who depart from what is expected of them and go into new territory.” – Cate
Blanchett
(May 22-June 21)
LOVE & LUST
Singles – avoid getting involved in a workplace romance during March and April, when Venus and Mercury both reverse through your career zone. Attached Twins - you may feel as if your relationship is stalling or even going backwards in March/April. Plenty of patience and understanding will get things back on solid ground. Then the pace picks up in May and June, when it’s the perfect time to go on a romantic holiday with your partner. Unhappily single? May, June, October and December are the prime months to look for lasting love, especially with a lusty Libran or a sexy Sagittarian.
LOOT & LUCK
Jupiter boosts confidence and optimism between January 1 and June 9, especially involving personal projects and self-improvement. Then finances and luck are linked from June 10 onwards, when Jupiter (planet of prosperity and good fortune) transits through your money zone. So expect a boost to your bank balance via a pay rise, bonus, gift or extra business coming your way. Any windfall won’t last long if you don’t manage it wisely though, through smart budgeting and mindful living.
LIFESTYLE
Three eclipses (in March and September) herald work or domestic dramas as you make a big career move or reorganise your home life. Unpredictable, exciting Uranus jumps through Gemini from July 7 until November 8 - for the first time since 1949! So prepare for a bumpy, exhilarating ride as Uranus shakes up your appearance,
your personal life and your close relationships! Don’t worry about what other people think - it’s time to be the authentic you, as you express your true self and experiment with new ways of doing things.
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“Life has got all those twists and turns. You’ve got to hold on tight and off you go.” – Nicole Kidman
(June 22-July 23)
LOVE & LUST
Venus (the planet of love) is in retrograde mode from March 2-April 13, so expect a few relationship bumps, especially if you are working or travelling with your sweetheart. Singles – avoid joining a singles site or going on a first date in March and April. Instead, be patient and wait. The best months for falling in love, engagements and wedding bells are May, June and October. But brush up on your communication skills between November 1930, when Mercury reverses through your romance zone.
LOOT & LUCK
With prosperous Jupiter transiting through your sign (from June 10) and conscientious Saturn in your career zone (from May 25 until September 1) make sure you have done all the hard work that’s required, so you can take advantage of good luck when it comes along. Your motto for 2025 is ‘Preparation + Opportunity = Success.’ Be extra patient and diligent with finances from July 18 until August 11, when Mercury reverses through your money zone. The best period for financial growth and making business decisions is from August 26 until September 18, when lucky Venus visits your $$ zone.
LIFESTYLE
From January 1 until June 9, happiness comes through keeping calm and centred in your cosy Crab cave via regular meditation, contemplation and/or relaxation. You need to rest up for the second half of the year, when Jupiter jumps through your sign (for the first time since 2014). Which will boost energy and prosperity – plus give you the can-do Cancer confidence to pursue your goals with extra passion and enthusiasm. September, October and December are the best months to get a fabulous job, land a monster deal, travel somewhere special or make a dream come true.
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“I always want to keep challenging myself and keep doing different things.” – Margot Robbie
(July 24-August 23)
LOVE & LUST
Single Lions – the period from March 30 until April 7 is not a good time to join a singles site, go on a first date, accept a proposal or get married, as Mercury reverses through your intimacy zone. The best months to look for your soulmate and celebrate love are May and September, when proactive Mars and romantic Venus visit your sign. And don’t be shy about promoting your positive qualities. If you don’t love and respect yourself, why should anyone else? Coupled Cats – May and June are fabulous months to bring more fun, fantasy and adventure into your relationship.
LOOT & LUCK
Expect some financial ups and downs as retrograde Mercury, retrograde Venus, and three eclipses activate your money zone (in March, April and September). It could be a case of cash pouring in one month and then slim pickings the next. Things look particularly complicated in March and April, when Mercury and Venus reverse through your money-from-others zone and your bank balance could go backwards. So make sure you plan carefully and prepare for a feast and famine kind of year. The best time for a financial reboot is September 21-22.
LIFESTYLE
Are you feeling like a cat on a hot tin roof? With plenty of planetary action in your travel and adventure zones, you’ll feel restless in 2025 as the gypsy gene stirs your wanderlust. The best months to travel to exotic, faraway places are May and June but avoid big holidays or important business trips in March, when Mercury and Venus both reverse through your travel zone. On March 29, the Solar Eclipse stimulates your aspirations’ zone, so it’s time to seriously contemplate: “What are my long-term goals?”
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“You write your life story by the choices you make.” –Helen Mirren
(August 24-September 23)
LOVE & LUST
With two eclipses in your personal zone and two eclipses in your partnership zone, 2025 is all about getting the balance right between being an autonomous individual and managing successful relationships: between personal boundaries and sharing; between giving and taking. The best times to join a singles’ site, go on a first date, fall in love or get married are mid-June to mid-July, September and October. And the worst period is from March 15 until April 7, when Mercury (your patron planet) reverses through your relationship zone. Attached Virgo – 2025 is the year when your partnership enters an exciting phase. You have much to learn from each other as you explore new horizons together.
LOOT & LUCK
The luckiest month at work is May, when prosperity planet Jupiter sends good fortune your way and opportunity comes calling (especially involving your job, colleagues, customers and/or clients). A sudden, solid financial opportunity could appear in August, courtesy of Saturn and Uranus. Just make sure you are ready, willing and able to capitalise on good luck when it comes along. No obsessing and vacillating! In uncertain economic times, business-savvy Virgos will find peace of mind via thrifty shopping, smart saving and sustainable living.
LIFESTYLE
The best months to travel are May, June, and December, when Uranus revs up your restlessness and Mercury is not in retrograde mode. Off-the-beaten-track places where you can immerse yourself in nature (with healthy food and lots of outdoor activities – like a health resort) will particularly appeal. When it comes to relationships, work and lifestyle choices, don’t worry about making mistakes! If you keep waiting for the ‘perfect opportunity’, then ‘almost perfect’ opportunities will just pass you by.
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow.” – Beyoncé
(September 24-October 23)
LOVE & LUST
Venus (your ruling planet) reverses through your relationship zone from March 2-27, which could exacerbate an existing problem or create a new conflict. So avoid making major romantic moves in March (like proposing, getting married or initiating a break-up). Singles - any dating experiences in March are likely to be disappointing, and you may have to kiss a few frogs before you finally find your Prince (or Princess) Charming! If you’re attached, then May, September and October are wonderful months to escape on a weekend getaway or heavenly holiday with your partner.
LOOT & LUCK
In 2025, Lady Luck could knock on your door via a work colleague, client, customer, teacher, in-law or someone from another country. So keep your eyes and ears open, especially from January 1 through until July 7, when Uranus could send an unexpected financial opportunity
change signs, with a keen eye on Pluto
your way. But take extra care with money from November 19-30, when Mercury reverses through your cash zone. Clever Librans will avoid taking out a loan, signing important contracts and making big-ticket purchases (like a house or car) during this period.
LIFESTYLE
Jupiter and Uranus both transit through your education and adventure zones in 2025. So it’s a wonderful year to study, expand your mind, explore foreign shores and experiment with innovative ways of doing things. Learn something new or travel somewhere you’ve always wanted to go! But try to stay put between November 10-19, when Mercury reverses through your local and interstate travel zones. Two eclipses in your spirituality zone (in March and September) highlight the importance of maintaining inner balance via regular yoga, meditation, contemplation and/or relaxation.
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“The good and bad things are what form us as people … change makes us grow.” – Kate Winslet
(October 24-November 22)
LOVE & LUST
Prepare for some romantic shenanigans as unpredictable Uranus, retrograde Venus and a Lunar Eclipse shake up your love and romance zones in 2025. Coupled Scorpios – things could come to a dramatic head between March 27 and April 13, when retrograde Venus shines an unforgiving light on a frustrating problem. The key to a satisfying outcome is compromise. Singles – expect a few disasters before you find your dream lover. Don’t give up though – each dating disappointment will lead you closer to your soulmate.
LOOT & LUCK
A generous gift, lucky opportunity or financial boost could come your way between January 1 and June 9, when prosperity planet Jupiter transits through your moneyfrom-others zone. When it comes to making a major decision at work, listen to your inner voice from August 12-30. It will point you in the right direction. During September, October and December you’ll find friendship, luck, travel and business are all linked. So it’s a good time to start (and promote) a promising venture, especially with a friend or business partner from another country or culture.
LIFESTYLE
With plenty of planetary action in your wellbeing zone (including a Solar Eclipse plus Saturn and Neptune transits), 2025 is the year to focus on your physical, mental and spiritual health. A fresh, disciplined approach to your daily diet, a fitness routine and regular relaxation/ meditation will bring the best results. But pace yourself between March 15 and 30, when retrograde Mercury could temporarily slow you down. Two eclipses stimulate your hopes-and-dreams zone (in March and September), so smart Scorpios will take a cherished, ambitious goal and spin it into a successful, long-term reality.
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“Believe in yourself and your dreams, no matter how big or impossible they may seem.” – Delta Goodrem
(November 23-December 21)
LOVE & LUST
Lucky Jupiter and exciting Uranus are both transiting through your relationship zone in 2025. Coupled Sagittarius – plan a weekend getaway or longer holiday with your sweetheart (somewhere with an exotic, romantic, adventurous vibe). Unhappily single? Someone who is not your usual type could knock you off your feet, especially in March or late August. You could also fall in love while you (or your future partner) are travelling, or with someone from another country or culture.
LOOT & LUCK
Mars continues reversing through one of your money
zones from January 1 until February 23, so slow down at the New Year sales and avoid making impulsive, expensive purchases that you later regret. Finances and luck are linked from June 10 onwards, when Jupiter (planet of good fortune) transits through your money-from-others zone. So expect a boost to your bank balance via a pay rise, bonus, better job, bumper tax return, superannuation payout or extra business. Keep a close eye on incoming bills and your weekly budget between November 10-19, when Mercury reverses through your sign.
LIFESTYLE
With three eclipses in your career and home zones (in March and September), work and domestic matters will be the main focus as you start a new job, get a promotion or restructure your living arrangements. In March you could welcome a wonderful new friend into your world. But Mercury reverses through your travel zone between July 18 and August 11, so it’s not a good time to go on a big holiday or business trip. If you do, then expect mix-ups, delays and disruptions along the way. May, June and October are the best months to travel interstate and overseas.
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“I love making new friends and I respect people for a lot of different reasons.” – Taylor Swift
charges through your romance zone. So - in the meantime - avoid being impatient and settling for second-best.
LOOT & LUCK
The period from January 1 until June 19 is a lucky time to sell shares or real estate, enter a competition, buy a lottery ticket, win at the casino or launch a lucrative project, as Jupiter transits through your speculation and good fortune zone. After two long years, penny-pinching Saturn transits out of your money zone from May 25 until September 1, when you may feel financial pressures ease. But avoid making important financial decisions (like applying for a loan or signing a contract) when Mercury reverses through your money zone from March 30 until April 7.
LIFESTYLE
Powerful, slow-moving Pluto transits through Aquarius until 2044, so you’re set for a long period of outer rejuvenation and inner transformation. 2025 is a good time to update your appearance, detox your mind and body, dig deep emotionally and spiritually, dismantle the old and start rebuilding the new. Then lucky Jupiter visits your work and wellbeing zones from June 10 onwards, which is good news for health issues, work matters and job satisfaction for the rest of the year. Jupiter and Uranus will help attract positive people and inspiring new friendships into your life.
NEW YEAR MOTTO
(December 22-January 20)
LOVE & LUST
Retrograde Mars rocks the relationship boat from January 1-February 23, and it will take your substantial diplomatic skills to get things back on an even keel, especially if you’ve been putting work before love. Singles – expect a dating drought in January and February, when romantic prospects are thin on the ground. Things really pick up from June 10 onwards, as lucky Jupiter jumps through your relationship zone (for the first time since 2014). So the second half of 2025 is a terrific time to join a dating site, fall in love, celebrate an engagement, get married or renew your wedding vows.
LOOT & LUCK
Pluto transits through your money zone in 2025. Which is good news for financial matters involving investments, superannuation, taxes and joint ventures – as long as you are resourceful and adopt a patient, long-term strategy. Avoid borrowing money and spending sprees between July 18 and August 11, when Mercury reverses through one of your finance zones. Your luckiest period is mid-tolate August, when you could benefit financially from a work colleague, client, customer or family member.
LIFESTYLE
Saturn transits through your domestic zone from May 25 until September 1 (for the first time since 1999) which signals the need for plenty of professional or DIY jobs around the home as things wear out or break down and need to be fixed. The Solar Eclipse (in late March) is a good time to start repairs or renovations, and some Capricorns will move house, buy real estate or build a new home around this time. Expect extra financial and family responsibilities too, whether from children, grandchildren or elderly patents. The best months to travel are June and September.
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“If you want to see the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton
(January 21-February 19)
LOVE
& LUST
Attached Aquarius – May and June are the best months to pamper your partner, so plan something deliciously dramatic and super romantic. But it will be tricky to get the balance right between invigorating independence and cosy companionship from July 18 until August 11, when Mercury reverses through your relationship zone. SinglesCupid’s arrow is most likely to strike suddenly between July 7 and November 8, when exciting, unpredictable Uranus
“Surround yourself with only the people who are going to lift you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey
(February 20-March 20)
LOVE & LUST
Two eclipses stir up your love zone, so expect some
romantic volatility in 2025. Coupled Pisces – a solid relationship will endure but a shaky one could experience a few bumps along the way, or even break up. Try to inject some adventure and excitement into the partnership to keep it fresh and interesting. Unhappily single? The best months to meet your soulmate are June, early July and October, when Mars and Venus send Cupid in your direction and you’re at your charismatic best. Look for a sexy Scorpio or a charismatic Cancer to rock your world.
LOOT & LUCK
Finances are a big factor in 2025. Saturn transits through your money zone (from May 25 until September 1) which will teach you valuable lessons about being financially organised, responsible and frugal. The best time to re-do your budget, start a savings account, buy property or get into the stock market is from May 1-June 5. (And the worst months are March and April, when Venus and Mercury both reverse through your money zone.) It’s an auspicious year to buy or sell real estate and good fortune could also come your way via a family member or a close friend.
LIFESTYLE
Mercury reverses through your health-and-wellbeing zone from July 18 until August 11, when you could feel unusually tired and run down. Perceptive Pisceans will limit extra-curricular activities, eat well, conserve energy and get extra sleep during this period. From August 12 onwards (as adventurous Jupiter jumps through your leisure and entertainment zone) it’s time to have maximum fun as you explore exciting new horizons with family and friends. Enjoy!
NEW YEAR MOTTO
“I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them.” –Elizabeth Taylor
Copyright Joanne Madeline Moore 2024
WINNUNGA NIMMITYJAH ABORIGINAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Winnunga Nimmityjah AHCS is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal community of the ACT.
In Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means Strong Health. The service logo is the Corroboree Frog which is significant to Aboriginal people in the ACT.
Our aim is to provide a culturally safe, holistic health care service for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the ACT and surrounding regions. The holistic health care provided by Winnunga AHCS includes not only medical care, but a range of programs to promote good health and healthy lifestyles.
Our services include:
• GP and Nursing
• Midwifery
• Immunisations
• Health Checks
• Men’s & Women’s Health
• Hearing Health
• Dental
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Dietician (Nutrition)
• Counselling
• Diabetes Clinic
• Quit Smoking Services / No More Boondah
• Needle Syringe Program
• Mental Health Support
• Healthy Weight Program
• Healthy Cooking Group
• Mums and Bubs Group / Child Health
• Optometry Service
• Psychology and Psychiatrist
• Community Events
• Groups
Winnunga AHCS is a national leader in accreditation, was one of the first Aboriginal community controlled health services to achieve dual accreditation under RACGP and QIC standards. Winnunga AHCS has been at the forefront of setting a national agenda for quality improvement in Aboriginal community controlled health and continues to advocate locally and nationally for best practice standards in operational and governance areas of Aboriginal health services.
CLINIC hours | MONDAY TO FRIDAY 9am-5pm
Ph: 6284 6222 | 63 Boolimba Cres, Narrabundah www.winnunga.org.au
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