OCLife Scene

The OCLife scene of recent parties, concerts, celebrations and events

Cultured Had Civic Precinct Alive With The Sound Of Music

To celebrate Orange’s vibrant artistic culture the Orange Chamber Music Festival held a free full-day program of pop-up music performances at the Library, Orange Regional Art Gallery, the Orange Regional Museum and Northcourt on Saturday, March 11. Held first in 2021 Cultured has become a popular feature of the annual Orange Chamber Music Festival.

Harmony Day

A multicultural celebration for Harmony Day was held at the Orange Community Centre on Friday, March 10. The celebration was a hit and enjoyed by all, as was the bountiful buffer of traditional foods from many different cultures.

Orange Hospital Auxiliary Celebrates 100 Years

The Orange Hospital Auxiliary celebrated its centenary at the Orange City Bowling Club on Sunday, March 12.

Over the past 100 years, the Auxiliary has raised more than $6.6 million, which equates to $12.1 million adjusting for inflation. This equates to either 1,000,000 sandwiches sold or 1,500,000 cups of coffee — and a whole lot of washing up!

The Orange Auxiliary was formed in 1923 by Mrs John Kenna, who was the daughter-in-law of Mr Kenna who built the first District Hospital. Their first fundraising efforts were from the sale of a cookbook that saw £5,000 donated towards furnishing the hospital.

The Round House (the Auxiliary’s first kiosk) was built in 1936 and used until 1972 when the hospital relocated to Dalton Street. The current Auxiliary Café opened at Orange Health Services in the Bloomfield Campus in 2011 and is still staffed exclusively by volunteers who donate their time and efforts to serving customers and helping raise money.

While the Café restricted sales to “take-away only” during the COVID pandemic, it remained open and was the only hospital café in the region to do so!

From $380,000 for the hydrotherapy pool to $8,000 for a pair of blood pressure monitors; the Orange Hospital Auxiliary has made an immeasurable contribution to our local health services and the lives of so many in our community — and continues to do so!