Bella magazine (issue 12)

Edition 12 — December 2017

100 Women of Bella: MEET THEIR MATRIARCH

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Contents

Issue 12, December 2017

On the cover 50

See page

73

7

Bella’s 103 and far from out

39

Glennis Swalling — 94

10

Carmel Cannard — 76

42

Beth Williams — 95

11

Joan Armstrong — 77

44

Doris Beer — 96

13

Joan Loftus — 78 Marj Lee — 79

45

Bina Northcott — 99

15 16

Joan Hales — 80

46

Peggy Cottrell — 99

18

Margaret Harrower (Sis McGillivray) — 81

49

Flo Cameron — 100

52

20

Fran Galvin — 82

Stepping up to the forbidding heights of the Kokoda

20

Beryl Kennaugh — 83

55

Big results from clever ideas

23

Gwen Smith — 84

57

If you are browned off with barbies

26

Bett McGillivray — 85

58

Unlocking those family time capsules

27

Yvonne Aburrow — 86

60

28

Topsy Haw — 87

Thriving in (not surviving from) the silly season

30

Sheila Smales — 88

61

Meet The Garden Planners

32

Betty Curtis — 89

62

The House to help make yours a home

33

Iris Taylor — 90

64

Tuesday shoots from the lip

34

Gladys Manners — 91

67

You can have a whole new outlook

34

Dell Connell — 92

68

Sophie’s Single

36

Trudi Tomlinson — 92

69

Thirty Something

37

Jean McWhinney — 93

74

Your December horoscopes

Contact us

Bella editor Tyla Harrington tyla.harrington@riverineherald.com.au 5482 1111

16

ht a two-nig package glamping over valued at $300!

Elsie Rowe — 103

Inside

W in

13

45

52

57 Bella advertising Kerry Vevers kerry.vevers@riverineherald.com.au 5482 1111

Want more Bella? facebook.com/bellamagazineechuca Instagram — @bellamagazineechuca bella.riverineherald.com.au

64

Photography: Luke Hemer Editorial design: Bella Considine, Brendan Cain Advertising design: Adele Dhillon, Brendan Cain, Bella Considine, Jacqui Maskell Words: Sophie Baldwin, Andrew Mole, Tyla Harrington, Steph Horton, Kimberley Price Cover: Elsie Rowe

5

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Bella’s 103 and far from out T

HIS IS THE final instalment of Bella 100.

No-one had any idea what it would become.

What an experience it has been. I don’t think anyone or anything could represent what we’ve been trying to achieve better than Elsie Rowe.

From Sienne Ellis (zero at the time of writing) and her mother Samantha, who lost her first child Kristian to whooping cough six years ago and suffered a miscarriage last year, to Elsie and all the women in between, this has been an incredibly evolving tapestry of so many women who see themselves as ordinary but who clearly are extraordinary.

She is the incredible woman on our cover this month, a woman who has seen so much, at times too much, which isn’t surprising given Elsie, now 103, is considered to be the oldest woman in Echuca-Moama.

Born March 10, 1914, just months before World War I began, she lived through the Spanish influenza pandemic that killed millions around the world, was an orphan at 16, endured the Great Depression in the 1920s and ’30s, then World War II. Then there was the Korean war, Vietnam, peace and love, hippies and flower power, rock and roll, the Cold War and for a woman who grew up with the horse and cart, she would see a man walk on the moon.

She is one of 100 women who have filled our pages since we started the feature in June.

So many words and pictures have been typed and taken it is difficult to comprehend how much has been told and how many memories have been shared.

But I do want to take the time to thank every woman who has been involved in this feature.

It is bittersweet that it comes to an end but I am certain it is something we will be celebrating long after this issue is read from back to front.

Of course Bella is not only about the Bella 100.

We still have plenty of stories to be told, plenty of pictures to be taken.

As this feature comes to a close, we start to plan the next.

We are looking for women planning, even hoping, to make a major life change.

It might be your health, your wealth or your role in society.

If this sounds like you, we want to share your story with all the other women in Echuca-Moama.

We will join you on your journey and cover it — from the beginning to the end — and let you inspire others to follow your example.

If you would like to be involved, contact the Bella team on 5482 1111 or email editorial@ riverineherald.com.au Until then we hope you enjoy reading the latest edition of our latest feature. *Vanessa leaves us for a few months as she welcomes her third child and first daughter Luna Mae.

Editor Tyla Harrington with advertising executive Vanessa Brewis.

7

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The Beauty Room. specialises in brow mapping, waxing and tinting and featherstroke brow tattooing.

The Beauty Room. owner, Jessica O’Reilly says she is thrilled to be branching out into this exciting new field.

“I’ve wanted OSALON_ to expand into feather stroke brows and brow sculpting for a while, I felt there was a market for it, it’s just been a matter of biting the bullet and going ahead with the training, enabling me to step into this new and exciting area ... The response has been overwhelming, I’m really enjoying being able to create people’s dream brows for them, it’s very satisfying to make someone feel so beautiful.”

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OSALON_ Echuca owner, Jessica O’Reilly, is better known for her hairdressing talents. O’Reilly travels annually to New York in September to style runway hair for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and has earned a reputation for perfection. When asked what inspired Jess to broaden her skill set into the world of sculpted brows Jess said “I had feather stroke tattooing on my brows a couple of years ago and it changed my life, it was the best thing I’ve ever done, I was inspired by the artistry of it and was keen to share it with my clients … Brow sculpting is all about precision and perfection, two things I pride myself on.”

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76–100 100 women of Bella

Carmel Cannard — 76

All life is a stage when you can sing S

OME PEOPLE ARE born to be athletes, others may have a gift to write or heal — Carmel Cannard was born to sing.

Born into a musical family at Murtoa in the Wimmera, Carmel's earliest memories involve music with mum Peg on the piano and Carmel singing with her brothers and sister.

As a three year old, Carmel sang in an Amateur Hour Competition in the town of Minyip and remembers being given a beautiful bunch of flowers at the finish.

“I sang Bless 'me All and Lily Marlene and I just loved it,” she said.

Carmel excelled at school — in particular anything music related. She went to Murtoa State School and then in Grade 6 joined her sister Marg at the Horsham Brigidine Convent as a boarder (her sister entered the Brigidine order of nuns a few weeks later leaving a young Carmel devastated.)

Carmel's secondary schooling was carried out as a day scholar at Loreto Abbey, Mary's Mount, where she was a prefect in her final two years. It was at secondary school that her music teacher discovered Carmel had a rare musical gift — a pitch perfect voice which only happens in 1 in 10,000 people.

Carmel played the lead role in the school production of The Pied Piper and topped the state in fourth and fifth grade AMEB singing exams.

Carmel continued to study music and piano and in 1960 attended the Melbourne University's Conservatorium to study a bachelor of music.

During that time she was invited to join the Caecilian Singers — a select group of 10 voices who performed in places including the Italian Institute, Sidney Myer Music Bowl,

10

Wilson Hall and on radio station 3LO. The group even combined with the Melbourne Philharmonic Choir.

In 1962 she met her husband Bert Cannard and two years later they married. Carmel began teaching piano and singing at local schools while completing her degree.

The couple struggled through their early years of marriage and even though they didn't own a bed spread they decided to travel to Melbourne to see Verdi's La Traviata, starring Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti (she still has the program signed by Dame Joan). They were also fortunate enough to meet Pavarotti.

In 1968 they moved to Echuca with their two children — Brenda and Michael — in tow.

Carmel joined the St Mary's Church choir and soon became choir mistress, a position she held for 29 years.

She was also responsible for reviving the Echuca Moama Music Group but she and Bert did find the time to add another child,

Peter, to the family.

Carmel was asked to teach music at the Tech School, which required her returning to university.

In 1997 the Cannards finally retired and hit the road in the caravan with a 20,000 km trip around Australia. Travel featured predominantly in their lives with trips to the US and Europe enjoyed by the family.

Carmel is also a talented artist and the oil paintings which hang in her room are testament to the skill which she took up later in life.

There is no doubt music and art has given Carmel a great deal of pleasure and enjoyment over the years but family remains her greatest pleasure of all.

Carmel now resides at Wharparillia Lodge — complications from Parkinson's has cruelly robbed her of her voice but luckily for us a wonderful volunteer had recorded Carmel's story so we in turn could pass it on to you.

76–100

100 women of Bella

Joan Armstrong — 77

J

OAN ARMSTRONG WAS born in 1940 and not long after her arrival her father left home to fight in World War II.

The third child of six, Joan said her life didn't really begin until after the war when her reunited family moved to a soldier settlement farm in Nathalia.

“Mum and dad worked really hard getting the dairy farm up and running but dad was never really in good health once he returned home from war; he had a lot of skin diseases and passed away quite young really,” Joan said.

Growing up on the dairy farm instilled in Joan a passion for cows and if she has any regrets in her life she does wish she had followed her dream to own her own Jersey stud.

“I loved the cows and I loved working with my dad,” she said.

“That was the best thing I ever did,” she laughed.

Joan travelled the countryside solo in her Toyota pop top and visited places all along the eastern coast and made it to Alice Springs.

“The years have gone by so fast and so much has happened. I have had a full life and the only thing I wish was I was a bit more financial.

“I have been through some pretty tough times and always tried to do my best and I think if you always do what you think is right “I was never scared and I never had any trou- you can't ask for anything else.” ble. I always stayed in caravan parks and the Joan may be retired, and her children grown only thing that went wrong was I got a flat and scattered, but she is just as busy as ever. tyre in Queensland somewhere.

She is an avid lawn bowler and hits the “A little Asian fella was riding a bike and he greens at least three times a week. As well stopped but neither of us could understand as attending exercise classes twice a week. each other so luckily some other young As well as her seven children she now has boys came along and before I knew it I was 21 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. back on the road again.”

And like so many of the women in the Joan said the many years she has spent feature, regardless of what she has achieved, on her own have taught her to be quite and overcome, she sees her family as her greatest achievement. independent.

At 15 Joan left school to milk cows on a dairy farm down the road.

“I used to have to ride my bike there and back; I did that seven days a week for about 5 pounds a week,” she laughed.

Joan said after that she was lucky enough to get a job as herd tester at Bamawm.

“That was back in the 1950s and because I was too young to have a driving license I used to drive an old Fergie tractor from dairy farm to dairy farm. I used to pull a trailer behind me and off I would go.

“That was just the way things were back then and I was young and I just did it.

“I really liked my job and I liked farm life so it suited me.”

Herd testing back in those days was a labour intensive process that was mostly carried out by men. Joan had to travel to Melbourne to get a certificate to perform the job, which in itself was a pretty big thing back in the 1950s.

In 1957 at 18 years of age Joan got married and in very quick succession had seven children then. Nine years after the last one was born, suddenly found herself as a single mum.

She remembers that time as particularly hard — especially for her youngest children and herself.

“It was tough both mentally and physically — especially mentally. I had to cope with my own heartache and the kids and try to do the best for them as well.”

Joan got a job driving a school bus which enabled her to have the holidays with her kids. She did that for 15 years and then moved to a different bus run in Tongala.

All up she spent 30 years driving buses and a couple of days after she retired, she hit the road in a different mode of transport — a camper van.

11

IS YOUR MEDICATION RIGHT FOR YOU? What is a Home Medicines Review?

A Home Medicines Review (HMR) is a FREE comprehensive clinical review of a patient’s medicines in their home by an accredited pharmacist on referral from the patient’s general practitioner (GP).

Reasons for having a medical review 1. You have started a new medicine To avoid medicine-related problems, there are a few things you need to know when you start a new medicine. A HMR will help you to understand your new medicine better. The pharmacist will spend time with you and give you information such as: • What the medicine is for.

• How the medicine will help you.

• Special instructions for taking the medicine.

• How long you need to take it for.

2. You have recently been in hospital There may have been changes made to your medicines while you were in hospital.

During a HMR, the pharmacist can help to make sure you are using the medicines your doctor intended, check if you may no longer need some medicines, ensure you are not doubling up on any of your medicines. This can be easy to do as medicines with the same active ingredient can have different brand names.

3. You would like help to keep track of your medicines Sometimes taking medicines can be confusing. It can be hard to remember if you have taken them at the right time.

A pharmacist can give you an updated list of your medicines and advice on how to manage them. The pharmacist can also see if you would benefit from a Webster Pack 4. You would like to make sure you are taking all of your medicines correctly Each medicine you take can have different instructions. For example, some need to be taken with or without food or

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at a certain time of day, and you may need to take certain steps if you miss a dose. During a HMR, the pharmacist can give you advice about what to do if you miss a dose and give you practical tips for how to use your medicines.

5. You are concerned that your medicines are causing side effects All medicines have possible side effects: some are very common and may go away with time; some are more serious and may require you to change your medicine or lower the dose. During a HMR, the pharmacist can help you learn about possible side effects and what you should do if they occur. As well as identifying medications that may be the cause.

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8. You would like advice on how to store and dispose of your medicines Some medicines need to be stored at a certain temperature or may no longer work if exposed to heat or sunlight. During a Home Medicines Review, the pharmacist can give you tips about how to store your medicines. They can also help you to safely dispose of unwanted or expired medicines.

If you are taking medicines, talk to your doctor about having a Home Medicines Review. You may wish to bring this brochure with you and discuss what you would like to find out about your medicines.

76–100

100 women of Bella

Joan Loftus — 78

A life, the love of a life and the love of family J

OAN LOFTUS LOST her father when she was just 13. As the eldest of four children she helped care for her siblings while her mother worked.

At 15 she went a step further and left school to work and supplement the family's strained finances.

“It was my choice to leave school so I got a job at an office in Melbourne and I haven't regretted that decision to this day,” Joan said.

Not long after she gained employment, the 1956 Olympics came to town and Joan remembers that as a joyous time.

“The whole of Melbourne was happy and proud. I can remember Africans walking down the street — and you have to remember back in the 1950s that was not a very common sight — I can still remember now how amazing that was.

“There was so much pride in the city.”

Joan also remembered her office backed onto the opium dens in Little Burke St.

“I never felt like I was in any danger and I was safe wherever I went back then.”

Joan joined the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps in the Citizens Military Force, which she also loved.

“I always wanted to be a nurse but my aunt was a matron and she told my mum not to let me do it because it was such a hard job,” Joan said.

“I really enjoyed that period of my life nursing but when I got married, I had to leave the corps, which was what happened back then.”

Joan married Brendon, the love of her life, in 1962.

In 1978 the couple and their two children, bought a business and moved to Echuca.

“I decided because I was moving to a new area that I would involve myself in the community as a way to meet other people.”

Joan's community list is long and extensive and spans many decades, including the Echuca Regional Development Society, Community Youth Support Scheme, the craft fair committee for the Lions Club and many other organisations along the way.

She retired from work life in 2008, but continued to volunteer at St Mary's and at Glanville, where she taught art classes.

These days though, she considers herself officially retired, spending her time painting (which has been a lifelong love), gardening, looking after her grandchildren and keeping herself busy.

“My life has been a very happy one. I have been lucky and fortunate — I married the love of my life. I had two beautiful children and three grandchildren.

“Marrying Brendon was a definite highlight and we were married for 50 years before he passed away.”

The last 20 years of Brendon's life were spent in a wheelchair. He became a quadriplegic after an accident at the Moama slipway where he was found unconscious in the water.

“Looking after Brendon was something I did and I never would have considered walking away from him. It's amazing because you just do what you have to do.”

And that just about sums up Joan as well.

Who is still doing what she has to do.

13

Annie Barrow

76–100

100 women of Bella

Marj Lee — 79 I

N HER OWN words life has been pretty good to Marj Lee.

Like everyone the 79-year-old has had her share of ups and downs but she has never let them define her.

She grew up one of six children and remembers her childhood as a time of great happiness.

“I had great fun growing up and a great life during the rock 'n' roll era,” she recalled.

Marj would marry in 1960 but lost her first husband to a car accident in 1970.

At one stage she was left so poor she couldn't even afford to buy a skein of wool to finish off a jumper.

As a young mother of two small children she remembers this as a particularly difficult part of her life.

“I was lucky enough to find love again and even though I would still be married to my first husband today if he wasn't killed, you can find love again and it can be just as great the second time around.”

Marj met her second husband Peter at a family dinner, two days later he proposed.

“We had gone out for tea, eaten our entrée and before the main course he proposed.

My late husband's parents were still in mourning so we kept it to ourselves for six months,” she said.

“But Peter rang me every single night and then he came up and asked my late husband's family for permission to marry me.”

The couple wed in 1972, purchased the Pastoral Hotel in Echuca and had a child in 1973.

It didn't take long for them to realise a young family and a pub didn't mix too well so they soon sold and Peter went to work at St Joseph's as a teacher.

Marj began working part-time and she has always had a passion for needlework and sewing — which led to a part-time job at Bargain Box Fabrics.

“Then the manager left so I thought I might apply for that job but then I decided I might as well buy the business and six days later I owned the shop,” she said.

“We won lots of awards over the years, including best retail shop, outstanding customer service awards and business awards.”

The couple successfully ran the shop for 14 years.

Marj said back in those days it was quite common for people to sew their own clothes and it was a great business.

“Sewing means a lot to me and my love of fabrics continues today. It is something I can still do and it doesn't make me feel useless.

“I had gone from a poor widow, who couldn't even afford a skein of wool, to a successful business owner, and that's not too bad.”

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15

76–100

100 women of Bella

Joan Hales — 80

Kids, they're easier by the thousands

I

N SOME WAYS Joan Hales has, more than anyone, played a pivotal role in raising generations of Echuca-Moama locals.

For half a century — and the years are still climbing — the 80-year-old has helped care for thousands of local children.

And somewhere in that incredible (and often uncelebrated) total were scattered nine children of her own.

“It was after my fifth child that I started looking after other people's children,” the Echuca great-grandmother said.

“Then so many people asked me (to look after their children), so I thought of opening a crèche.

“I was very lucky there wasn't a crèche in Echuca at the time, so I started the first one.”

Joan operated the once famous Minor Street Creche from her home for more than 15 years, initially as a means to generate an income.

“With nine kids, money is not there, you see.

We were so poor,” she said.

“And so many people would ask me if I'd mind theirs, so I thought, 'oh well, let's have a go'.”

But setting it up in the early 1970s wasn't without its bureaucratic challenges.

“I applied to the Health Department and they were pretty funny about it to start with,” Joan said.

“I think they thought somebody with nine kids doesn't know anything about looking after children.

“But anyway I finally got a licence and it just went from there.”

Her main customers throughout the years were professionals who needed someone to care for their children while they worked.

Teachers were the most common, but in the early days, many were also from the telephone exchange.

Fast forward to 2017 and Joan is now caring for the babies and toddlers of people she looked after decades ago.

“It's strange, but it's still good,” she said.

“You can see the similarities between the children and their parents — and that's in behaviour more than anything.”

Her soft-spoken nature provides a clue into why she is suited to connecting with

16

and caring for our community's youngest residents.

Fortunately, Joan does not carry the gene.

But, at the same time, no-one willingly does anything for 50 years if they don't love it.

She celebrated her 80th birthday in June but said she has no plans to give up her babysitting duties any time soon.

“People say to me: 'oh, you shouldn't be babysitting, you should be out doing things yourself'. But I enjoy it,” Joan said.

“While I'm fit enough, I'll keep doing it,” she said.

To be fair, she does have a life outside her childcare responsibilities.

She organises indoor bowls every Friday at Moama Sports Club, and she doesn't mind swinging the golf clubs from time to time, but her involvement in those sports is temporarily on hold due to a sore neck.

“I am very busy. I have to keep a diary just to keep up with birthdays and so forth,” Joan said.

“It just helps fill in time too. I think it keeps you fit mentally as well as physically.”

Her retirement has also given her ample time to reflect on her role as a mother.

“It's hard work,” she laughed. “The thing is, I don't think I was a very good mother, because I was too busy. I think I'm a much better carer. I have more time.

“But the best thing about being a mother is, as you get older, you appreciate them And when you have nine children, 28 grandall the more. And it's really lovely having children and 18 great-grandchildren, that's grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” almost a given.

Throughout her career in childcare, Joan also had stints at Murrayvale Aged Care and, after that, in family day care.

One friend said Joan's patience and love for children was unrivalled and that she deserved an award.

But there is a tragedy which has stalked her family without mercy.

But Joan was having none of that.

From her grandmother to her own mother and an older sister, MND (motor neurone disease) has devastated the generations.

Joan can count off 25 family members who have died from MND, an overwhelming statistic.

“I don't really like the attention,” she mocked.

“I don't think I deserve any award. I think there are a lot of people who really deserve awards, who do a lot more than I do.”

Which must be considerable if it tops decades, and generations, of childcare.

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Margaret Harrower (Sis McGillivray) — 81

S

IS McGILLIVRAY WAS born in Echuca just before midnight in 1936, weighing seven pounds. Minutes later — but on the next day — her twin brother Graeme (Sar) was born, weighing eight pounds.

“Poor mum had 15 pounds of baby, imagine that,” Sis said.

Growing up the twins shared everything — just not their birthday.

Sis said she can remember sitting in class next to her brother — he did the maths work and passed the answers over to her, she did the English and passed her answers back.

“And you know what we never ever got in trouble for that,” she laughed.

“In those early years we never left each other's side. I slept with Sar until I was 12

and told I wasn't allowed to sleep with him anymore. Back then we had no idea why.

Today Sis looks back on those days with a feeling of pride.

“If one of us got sick, the other one did too and we were just always together.”

“I put my kids through school. I paid for their books and I fed them and clothed them all by myself and it wasn't easy. I had to work hard and went without many times — but I did it.”

In grade 8 Sis was sent off to boarding school and Sar went to Echuca Tech, he used to ride his bike home every day to see if she had written him a letter.

In 1954 Sis got married and went on to have five children in 10 years.

She walked out on her marriage 15 years later with a child under each arm, the clothes she had on her back and $12 in her bank account.

“We lost a child in an accident, he got run over when he was just a toddler and my husband had bad depression after that and he would never talk about it — that was the beginning of the end of our marriage.”

Back in those days nobody walked out but Sis said if she had stayed she wouldn't have survived.

“I was a single mum and some people thought I was just the scum of the earth.

It was such a struggle and I can remember one day hearing some women talk about me saying 'Oh that's the person that walked out on her husband', I just went home and I cried and cried.”

Sis said there were times where she had multiple jobs, working at the butchers shop, milking cows and sewing and doing whatever she could just to survive.

“I don't have a lot but I did manage to buy my own house in Gunbower, look after my kids and these days I am really happy.”

Sis gets a lot of enjoyment out of playing bowls and she is the oldest member of the Gunbower Bowls Club.

Her other love is her dogs and she has a special bond with 15-year-old Buttons, who probably also holds the unflattering title of the heaviest, but most loved dog in Gunbower (her weight gain can be attributed to medication and a love of good food.)

At 81 Sis has also embraced the world of technology after her kids bought her an iPad. “I just got the NBN put on and have been fighting with Telstra ever since,” she laughed.

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Fran Galvin — 82 F

RAN GALVIN IS a strong and independent woman who has never been afraid to make the hard calls.

During her working career Fran found herself in roles that were perhaps (back in the day) considered non-traditional for the fairer sex — but she tackled them the same way she has always tackled her life, with attention to detail and resolute determination.

In 2003 it was her dedication to that work, particularly within the disability sector in Echuca; that saw her receive an Order of Australia.

Fran was part of a group instrumental in bringing disability services to the twin towns at a time when they were nonexistent.

She was a member of the steering committee of Teehan House (which became part of Murray Human Services/Community Living and Respite Services) and was its supervisor from 1975–1991.

She said working in the disability sector was an extremely rewarding time in her life.

“We made a difference to so many people's lives and I am very proud of my town and my role,” she said.

Never one to sit still Fran also worked as an administrator in Maryborough; became a member of the Victorian Guardianship and Administration Board and volunteered with Echuca Regional Health.

She was director of the Echuca Easter Tennis tournament for 20 years, the first female to serve on the board of the Rich River Golf Club Resort and was a founding board member of Moama Anglican Grammar School.

Fran has always been good with figures and has served as treasurer for many organisations.

“I have an analytical brain, I am good with figures — not computers,” she laughed.

Fran considers her life to have been a fortunate one, having grown up in a typical Victorian household, although unusually for the time both her parents worked but Fran had a world of her own — “I was an avid “There have been a few things in my life that reader and I would sit down and read for as I wish were different but essentially my life long as I was allowed”. has been an extremely good one. I am very Fran also played sport from an early happy with me — my face has freckles and age — tennis, hockey and badmin- my skin may look a bit old these days but ton — adding golf and bowls to the list as despite all that I am healthy and in the end that's all that matters.” she got older.

Beryl Kennaugh — 83 B

ERYL KENNAUGH HAS spent all her life in Echuca.

The 83-year-old grew up in a house on High St, spent decades on a dairy farm milking cows out at Echuca Village.

And today she and husband Bob now reside in Hare St. She has no regrets that she has never left the Murray River town, aside from a sojourn to New Zealand with Bob. She remembers the Echuca of old as a growing town of friendly, well-mannered people.

“I used to work at the Coles variety store and everyone would come into town on a Friday and shop,” Beryl said.

Beryl met Bob at a dance at the St Mary's hall, she said it was love at first sight. The couple courted for two years and married in 1956.

“We used to go to the dances every Saturday night or the pictures — but I hated the pictures and always used to go to sleep,” she laughed.

Beryl said she loved every minute of life on the dairy farm.

“I loved milking cows and there are certainly a lot worse jobs around than that.”

The couple milked a herd of 100 Jerseys, which at the time was considered a big herd.

“They would be dressed up with their hats on and back then Echuca wasn't a busy tourist town, more a nice country town,” she said.

Back in the '50s '60s and '70s Echuca Village was home to lots of families and lots of dairy farms, there was even a school out there.

Beryl said she always hated school and she remembered being 15 and saying to her father she was leaving school.

Beryl had four children in six years so life on the farm was busy but rewarding.

“He said to me 'No you are not, you don't have a job'. I said to him 'Yes I do I am going to work at Coles' and that's exactly what I did.”

Back in the 1950s Coles was a variety store and Beryl worked in the stationery department. It was a job she loved, until Bob and

20

the call of cows took her away.

“I remember wearing a path in the grass from the dairy to the house checking up on the kids during milking" she said.

“I used to set out their breakfast in the mornings and I used to make sure they were ready for school.”

And it was a good life.

76–100

22

100 women of Bella

76–100

100 women of Bella

Gwen Smith — 84 T

HERE WOULDN'T BE too many people brave enough to head off to university in their mid-50s but that's just one of the many remarkable things Gwen Smith has achieved in her 84 years.

Gwen believes education is the basis for everything.

“Without education you are lost in a wilderness. It sets you apart from your competition and is a great cornerstone for your life,” she said.

“I have always had good health, never smoked, drank little but always led an active life. I have a large family and keeping up with everything they do certainly keeps me young.”

The large family includes four children, 14 grandchildren and 28 great grandchildren.

“My eldest great grandchild will be 17 this year,” she marvelled.

Her emphasis on education has led her down many paths over the years but the one of which she is perhaps most proud is being crowned Senior of the Year in 2016.

And in typical Gwen fashion she has taken it as an opportunity to promote the importance of education in general and in particular Neighbourhood House and learning locally — two things very dear to her heart.

“I have had the opportunity to speak at several events around Australia which gives me the chance to push the value of education and the great community work the people involved in organisations like these do, “ Gwen said.

She has dedicated the past 30 years of her life to making a difference to others.

As well as her work in various community groups, including ENH and the Mirrimbeena Aboriginal Education Group her talents have proved diverse — amongst other roles she is a judge for Town Crier competitions across Victoria.

"I'm motivated by a passion for others to

learn," Gwen said.

"I believe everyone should learn, and neighbourhood houses are a great place to start.

If people will only come to a neighbourhood house and get a start, then they can go on to higher education or go back to school."

Gwen was not always an educator.

It wasn't until she was 52 that she left behind decades as a housewife — and what she described as a "rather uninteresting life" — and decided to go back to studying.

"Well, I had a marriage break-up and was looking for something," she said.

"I've always liked study and reading, so I thought, well, why not do what you know best?"

Gwen has never looked back and, although she's 84, she has no plans to kick her feet up anytime soon.

And if ENH manager Shandel Keele has anything to do with it, Gwen might have little choice.

"At the next AGM she is re-nominating, whether she likes it or not," Ms Keele laughed.

"She just does so much for everybody. She inspires everyone, no matter their age.

"We've got people of all different ages who come here and she relates to every single one of them, and they relate to her."

Ms Keele was the one to nominate Gwen as Senior of the Year and said she did it despite knowing her counterpart would not want the recognition.

"When I was putting together the application, I needed letters of support," Ms Keele said.

"So I asked heaps of people and everyone just jumped at it. There were some beautiful letters of support that came through.

"It's just so well deserved and she's so well respected."

23

Change is coming!

The Pap test is going and the new “Cervical screening test” is here!

By Cindy Williams RN (cervical screen provider) A long time in the making but change is finally here. For cervical screen providers the preparation for renewal has been a long journey but we are finally at the doorstop of launch!

As of the December 1, 2017 we begin our new chapter in cervical screening where we anticipate seeing a further decrease in cervical cancer numbers through a more sensitive and specific test designed at finding the cause and treating this before there is any sign of cell change. For those of you who have participated in the COMPASS trial, you have already been a part of this amazing change and we thank you for your participation.

Why has screening changed from two to five years?

The cervical screening test is more accurate at detecting early stage HPV. The Pap test was used to look for cell changes in the cervix. The new cervical screening test instead looks for the virus responsible (HPV)

which can lead to cell changes in the cervix.

If your test does not indicate that you have a HPV infection it is safe to wait five years between tests. Even if your test shows that you have HPV it usually takes 10 or more years for HPV to develop into cervical cancer (Department of Health, 2017).

New guidelines: • Women will be invited when they are due to participate via the National Cancer Screening Register.

• The Pap smear will be replaced with the more accurate cervical screening test.

• The time between tests will change from two to five years.

• The age at which screening starts will increase from 18 years to 25 years.

Women aged 70 to 74 years will be invited to have a final exit test to ensure clearance of HPV. Women of any age who have

symptoms such as unusual bleeding, discharge and pain should see their health care professional immediately.

Women who have been vaccinated with Gardasil (HPV vaccination) still require cervical screening as the HPV vaccine does not protect against all the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer. www.cancerscreening.gov.au If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to your doctor or your registered cervical screen provider.

For further information visit: www.cervicalscreen.health.gov.au References: Department of Health. (2016).

Cancer Screening. Retrieved from www.cancerscreening.gov.au Department of Health. (2017).

About the new test. Retrieved from National Screening Cervical Program: www.cervicalscreen.health.gov.au/internet/ screening/publishing.nsf/Content/about-thenew-test#2

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Bett McGillivray — 85 B

ETT McGILLIVRAY IS the unofficial mayor of Gunbower.

She grew up on Gunbower Island, married a Gunbower boy and has spent the majority of her married life living in Gunbower.

There is nothing she doesn't know and probably no committee or organisation that, at one time or another, she hasn't served on.

“I have enjoyed my life as far back as I can remember,” she laughs.

Growing up on a dairy farm Bett and her brother Pedro were the youngest of five children and she has many fond memories of the shenanigans she used to get up to with her mischievous brother — including the day she nearly shot him.

“It was after the war and someone had left the pea rifle by the gate. We were playing cowboys and Indians and I went to shoot Pedro thinking the gun would be unloaded.

I shot it in the air like dad always drilled us to but I got a hell of a surprise when I found out it was loaded, I really could have shot him,” she said.

Bett said she spent her childhood catching rabbits, fishing and running wild across the countryside.

“Pedro would set the traps and we would catch the rabbits and sell them to a bloke

26

once a week, after we had washed the maggots off them if they were a few days old,” she laughed.

Bett and Tyke went on to have four kids and now they have a mountain of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

“My school days at Gunbower Island were the happiest of my life and even if I had a million dollars I don't think I could have had any more fun.

For every community event held in Gunbower Bett would be there helping — she started on the football ladies committee but eventually walked out the door. Just 50 years later.

“We used to meet the boys in Gunbower and play tricks on them and there were always lots of people who would come out to the farm and stay with us on the weekend.

“I was brought up with a lot of love.”

She still goes to the footy today to watch her grandson play.

She is a life member of the football club.

Bett is also still involved in the local church Living in a small community meant every- (she was only secretary there for 30 years). one knew one another and there was one In 2008 she was declared citizen of the year. particular boy who went to school in Gunbower that Bett liked better than all the “That was a very proud moment and I didn't rest. know a thing about it, the smart buggers kept that a secret from me.”

His name was Tyke.

Tyke always seemed to be hanging around and would help Bett's dad Jumbo with the horses.

Of course love blossomed and the couple married.

“It was 1954 and we had to shoot down to Bendigo and get married quickly at St Paul's Cathedral — that caused a bit of gossip for the town for a while and six months later our son Tom was born,” she laughed.

Bett has remained active in the community and has only recently passed on the job of pruning the massive hedge out the front of her house to the gardener.

The fact that she used to jump up on the back of the ute and do it herself just shows what a goer she really has been.

Bett said she has lived a great life and if she died tomorrow it would be as a very happy woman.

76–100

100 women of Bella

Yvonne Aburrow — 86 Y VONNE ABURROW HAS devoted much of her life to nurturing the

growth of little minds as a primary school teacher.

and adventurers and when she grew up,

Yvonne and her husband David remained involved.

“Guides taught me lots of practical skills

Growing up in Traralgon she attended

and introduced us to the company of many

Ballarat Teachers College (her class recently

great and different people.”

celebrated 65 years since graduation) and has many fond memories of her years at Echuca 208 and Murchison.

In that time she went through constant change in the education system — from school lunches and uniforms through to curriculum.

“And sandals. I can remember sandals.

I would have 20 tiny little children lining up for me to do up their sandals before they went off to play,” she laughed.

“Teaching has changed so much over the years. The arrival of computers would have to have been the biggest change and the way you can communicate with them.”

Yvonne's dad sold milking machines and farming equipment in the Murchison area and was also a cub leader.

As a little girl she attended brownies, guides

David was also involved in the Lions Club and as part of their role the couple would regularly host visitors from overseas.

“We really enjoyed those years and we got to meet many great kids including people from Canada, Finland and Asia. We made some lifelong friends through that particular period of our life.”

Yvonne and David had four children — one daughter and three sons.

Yvonne said from a young age she was always taught to give back to the community and over the years it has been very rewarding.

“I have had a very happy life with many good things happening — being a parent and part of a community is so important for your own growth and it is wonderful to keep these traditions going.”

Yvonne and David have returned to Echuca after many years away and she said she was happy to be home.

“I always did love Echuca and even though we moved away and saw other places I am happy to be back here, although I certainly couldn't handle the traffic anymore, it has got very busy.”

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Topsy Haw — 87 T

HE DAIRY INDUSTRY has figured rather heavily in the life of Topsy Haw.

She grew up on a dairy farm in Kerang, married a dairy farmer and spent 39 years on Gunbower Island where — you guessed it — she helped run a dairy farm.

Topsy was born the youngest of three children. Her father told her siblings she was either going to be a Mickey baby or a Topsy baby so when she was born the name stuck and she has never been known as Catherine,

her real name.

“I have been known as Topsy all my life,” she laughed.

She remembers it as a busy and popular place.

Topsy left school at 15 to work at the local post office and found her way onto the telephone exchange not long after.

Back in those days people wanting to make a phone call couldn't just dial a number and talk to whoever they wanted, they had to book their call for a specific time and sometimes the waiting list could be hours long.

In the mid-1940s the post office was a hive of activity and the centre of information for the community. It was home to the mail room, exchange and a Morse code operator.

“We only had one line to Melbourne and quite often there would be three or four people waiting and everyone had to take their turn.

“If someone was on the line we would have to interrupt the call and say 'you have three minutes left would you like to extend'?”

Topsy said.

The system made listening in on calls unavoidable at times.

“I can remember being told the story by one of the other ladies on the exchange that one of the callers said this is just between you and me and the lady at the exchange was listening in,” she laughed.

Being in the exchange also meant shift work and quite often Topsy would ride her bike back to the farm at 9 or 10 at night — thankfully there were never any cars on the road although her bike didn't have a light so she would often carry a torch instead.

She said the road could get quite treacherous if it had been raining and sometimes her dad would pick her up in the horse and cart if it was too muddy to negotiate.

Topsy married her husband Alan in 1951.

The couple purchased a dairy farm on the Island in 1953 — 192 acres for 6500 pounds. They spent the next four decades at Gunbower raising their five children and expanding their dairy operation.

They started out milking a single cow by hand but numbers soon increased and milking morning and night seven days a week was very much a part of Topsy's daily routine.

In 1956 it was so wet the couple had to leave their car in Gunbower and either take the horse and cart into town or walk home with the groceries.

Topsy said the farmhouse in which they lived was pretty rundown and ramshackle and it used to leak when it rained until, in the 1960s, they built a new one.

“We had to wait until we had paid for the farm before we could do anything about the house.”

Topsy and Alan retired to Echuca in the mid-1990s and spent their early retirement years travelling Australia.

She also joined indoor bowls to meet new people when she first came to Echuca and she and Alan are still playing today.

28

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Sheila Smales — 88 S

HEILA SMALES HAS the most infectious smile you will ever see — and the laugh to go with it.

The 88-year-old is a mother of two and a grandmother of three.

“I would love great-grandchildren,” she said.

“But in the meantime I have my animals to love as well.”

The 'animals' being her five Corgis.

Oh, yes, and then there was the love of Sheila's life — her husband Jim. Sheila and Jim met on the ice-skating rink.

“I started learning how to ice skate at 10 and Jim played ice hockey,” she said with a smile.

“I liked roller-skating and I thought I was pretty good at it.

“But then my aunty said I should try my hand at ice-skating.

“Lucky I did, otherwise I wouldn't have met Jim." Jim was into sports cars and motorbikes, which did little to impress Sheila's father.

“Dad would let me go in the cars, but

definitely not on the motorbike,” she said.

The young couple also shared a passion for tennis, playing the length and breadth of Victoria at every chance.

“Living in Melbourne, we always enjoyed going into the country areas, especially Echuca,” she said. “We wanted to live here.”

Sheila left school at 14, with a permit from her parents to the government, and went to work at Lucy Secor, a dress shop in Collins St, Melbourne.

“If you were to ask me 10 years ago if the style of clothing had changed, I would've said absolutely,” she said.

“But now I look at the current fashions on the field and I think that the styles of dresses are becoming very familiar again in terms of the length of the dress and how it is made."

Sheila and Jim made the move to Echuca 18 years ago and have never looked back.

Even when Jim died in his sleep 11 years ago, she never wanted to leave the town.

“I absolutely love it here,” she said, flashing that big smile one more time.

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Betty Curtis — 89 W

E ALL HAVE our moments in the sun, it's just that some of us are so special at certain things we transcend time.

Such as 89-year-old Betty Curtis — who has been named cyclist of the (20th) century at Shepparton Cycle Club.

Back in the 1950s her name was up there in lights, one of the most fearsome opponents on the track and one of a handful in the country to ride off scratch.

As Betty flicked through a scrapbook she said, more to herself: “Oh, look at that, I was a triple champion — I don't know what that was for, I must have won three races,” she laughed.

Betty's love of cycling was born out of necessity — it was the only way for a country girl to get into town.

Growing up on the family dairy farm at Congupna she used to ride six miles to town and then later on to work, on her plain old ladies bike.

Her brother used to ride a race bike with gears and yet Betty could still keep up with him.

When her brother decided he would have a go at racing Betty thought she would go along for the ride to see what it was all about.

She hit the track on her brother's bike and even though it was too big for her she won that race anyway.

Then for the next six years she dominated the track, using her daily rides to and from work as part of her training.

And working in a bike shop that sold Malvern Stars meant it wasn't long before Betty ended up with her own custom made bike.

As she became more successful on the track she was “poached by the fella who owned Hartley Cycles” and it was aboard another custom-made Hartley bike that she had her greatest career win.

In 1952 she was crowned Australian Champion taking out the two mile track championship at Shepparton.

It was a race she never expected to win.

“I didn't think I had any chance of winning because Iris Bent was entered (16-time national champ) and she used to win everything, but on this particular day it was all mine.

“Before the race I was sitting with my bike and one of the boys that used to work at the mechanics took it away to check it out and he must have put it in a higher gear or something but at bell lap he yelled out 'give it all you got' and I just went flying around the bunch.

32

“I don't know who was surprised the most — me or Iris, who didn't even place,” she said.

Betty represented the state twice and was also crowned Victorian 10 mile champion.

In her later years she travelled to various parts of Australia through her association with the local horticultural club and she has been across the Nullarbor four times on bus trips.

She held every single Shepparton Cycling Club Title off scratch from 1952–1957.

“I just love the outback and the vastness of the land.”

Betty said those six years of racing were the best years of her life and she lived for race day.

Betty remains active in the community, cooking and volunteering for the church and she likes to head off to Bupa and Cunningham Downs to visit the residents.

“I never missed a carnival or a race during that time, I just loved it.”

When the cycle club folded Betty gave up racing and not long after she got married and moved to Echuca where she still lives today.

Betty had two children and now has five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

“I have trouble sitting still, even today,” she laughed.

People passing her today might not realise what an outstanding athlete she had been, but her sport has not forgotten and this year Betty was inducted into the Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame.

76–100

100 women of Bella

Iris Taylor — 90 F

OR SOMEONE WHO only moved to Echuca-Moama five years ago, Iris Taylor already has plenty of stories to tell.

Having just turned 90 Iris has made a liberating decision about her life already lived, and the life still to come — there's no point being angry or upset on how it has turned out.

Born and raised in Armadale, in the inner south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Iris is the youngest of five.

At her age she lived with war — the curse of a generation — and in her case it cursed her family when her brother; who died in Java as a prisoner of the Japanese.

It was an incredibly traumatic time for the whole family.

Iris had no hesitation: “Mum's a funny one, but she's terrific”.

her closer to one of her daughters and family.

“Well I hope that's what they say about me anyway,” she laughed, thinking herself very funny.

A thought that brought her to her favourite subject — her many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Her working life extended well beyond the bounds of the GPO and for many years she was a library technician at the State Library in Melbourne.

“I spoil them all,” she confessed with no sense of guilt.

“It was very busy, every day, trying to keep the books in the right place, fixing bindings.

"It felt like it was never-ending, but so rewarding, I loved it.”

And the move to the twin towns — well with a smile Iris agreed it hasn't turned out too badly.

“I didn't think I'd like it here but I love it, and I love the people. I really enjoy the country atmosphere.”

If she loved that she was far from enamAnd the climate as well. oured with the idea of leaving the city and moving to Echuca-Moama.

“But I don't like the middle of summer, it's But it was a move in 2012 that would bring too hot.”

Their mother had just received a trophy her brother had won in a singing competition at his training base before being shipped out.

“He was a great singer and he won a trophy for being the best singer in the camp — he had beaten some nightclub singer from America,” Iris said.

“Even after his death, I would write letters to him saying 'I hope you are well, we are well.

I love you'.

“I was only school age when he died, so it was very difficult.”

Iris did primary and secondary school close to home, unlike her country cousins she was close enough to walk and did not need a horse to get her there.

Although she was studying art at Prahran Tech School she still giggles when she recalls how she got her first job — by being sent to the headmaster's office.

“I got sent there and when I was told the first thing I thought was 'oh, no, what have I done wrong?'

“Once I got there the headmaster said he had just got off the phone with the Melbourne GPO asking for someone to work there with a completed ticket.

“So he put my name in and said I should go there to work.

“And that was my first job outside school.

“What a place to work after doing an art school degree.”

Growing up, and into her adulthood, she said she enjoyed tennis and ballroom dancing, especially winning medals on the dancefloor — and she also enjoyed teaching dance.

It was through ballroom dancing that she met her husband Henry, with whom she had four children.

Asked how they might describe their mother,

33

76–100

100 women of Bella

Gladys Manners — 91

I

T'S ALWAYS AMAZING to hear about stories of someone's life and how different things are now.

Ask Gladys Manners. Initially from Cohuna she moved to Echuca-Moama about 16 months ago.

If you were to ask yourself how many 91-year-olds live alone now, you would hardly need two hands to count them.

Growing up, she lived on a cattle farm called Myol in Cohuna.

She went to a consolidated school in Kerang from grades one to eight and during the war years she knitted many socks and scarves to be sent overseas.

“I was glad to have my mum around,” she said.

“I struggled to knit the heel and toes of socks, so I got mum to do it for me.”

never got to the A grade handicap — which was 18.”

But bowls, on the other hand, well her achievements there do the talking for her.

“I played in division one with Cohuna Golf.

Everyone trusted me to make the right move — that's why I was skipper a lot too.

"There are no tricks to the trade … just lots of practice and knowledge."

She even talked about how she lost the top of her thumb.

"It was a long time ago, and all I remember is it was a machine and I was helping my husband.

"We went to the hospital without the top of my thumb, because I knew it was gone," she said.

She couldn't stop talking about how proud she was of her sons, Jeff and Des.

Her husband Sydney was a soldier with the Australian army and served in Papua New Guinea.

"Jeff is a retired postmaster and Des a bank manager.

“We weren't married at the time, but we didn't see each other for years,” she said.

"They both worked so very hard," she said with a smile.

She reflected on what she did in her spare time, which was predominantly filled with golf and bowls.

She is also the proud grandmother of four grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

She only ranked herself 'medium' about her golfing.

“I had a handicap of 21,” she smiled. “And I

Nowadays she enjoys her daily crosswords, activities around her home at the Southern Cross in Moama and has no regrets about a life well lived.

Dell Connell — 92 I

F YOU EVER want to hear the local history of change, and have a good laugh while you are listening, you should drop in on Dell Connell.

“Which meant once the family relocated she needed a new livelihood and there wasn't a lot of demand in a big town for a woman with nine children in tow and a lot of farm experience.”

The girl from Gunny has been in and around the district all her life and although start- But Dell knew she had to grasp it with both hands so she did ironing and housework ing her own family saw her relocate from in other homes for pay — and it still wasn't Gunbower to Echuca Village in the 1970s enough so she also became a cook. she was simply moving from one farm to another.

“Once I did that I worked at the Terrace Hotel for about five years and from there did 12 And she worked on the new farm just as more years at the 'Cal' (Caledonian Hotel), she had worked on the old one, until her husband John died from a brain haemor- staying until I was 60ish and I retired, which was about the norm for that time,” she rhage at just 51 and the workload became added. too much to handle.

So Dell upped stumps and moved again, this time into Echuca-Moama.

Like most people from the 1920s life wasn't all that easy but when she thinks about it all Dell is pretty happy that she wouldn't change too much of it.

She worked on the farm, and that was hard.

But raising her nine children — and not a twin amongst them — was a fairly full-on task as well.

“Then when John died, it got even harder and it wasn't long until we were broke,” she admitted.

34

“There would be no hope of me being able to work as a cook in today's society, because I would have to have a degree and be called a chef,” she laughed, although she thought cooking for a family as big as hers had given her more than enough training to cook for paying customers.

In her spare time she took up bowls, and continues playing to this day.

If you are trying to do the arithmetic that's more than 50 years of competition and social bowls.

One of the reasons Dell is happy to have lived a long life is her nine children, who have provided her with 23 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren (and counting).

And after all she has been through she said she would be pretty content if people described her as being “easygoing, easy to get along with and a great laugh”.

“I used to play in a competition; that was my way of being part of the community.

I started playing when I was in my 30s, at “Everyone has their ups and downs and their Gunbower, and I've been playing ever since,” struggles, but for me, well I'm still here, and she said. right now that's good enough.”

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Trudi Tomlinson — 92 T

RUDI TOMLINSON IS Echuca-Moama born and bred (even though she spent a fair bit of her childhood on the other side of the river).

It was six miles back then, but only 9.6 km today.

Her first school was close, only half a mile across the paddocks. Although for some of the students it was a much longer trip.

But when she graduated to tech school she became very familiar with those six miles, she rode in and back every day, five days a weeks.

Into Moama, over the bridge, up Percy St and to school.

“There were no buses or cars back then, you walked or rode — a horse or a bike,” Trudi said.

“And you had to be prepared for all sorts of things, one day in 1939 there was a big dust storm coming so we got let out of school to try and beat it home — which fortunately I just did,” she laughed.

“Another time I had to go to Deni for a meeting so we rode horses and camped on the river, it wasn't a quick trip there and back.”

Trudi has also been amused by the ongoing wrangling over a new bridge across the river.

Although agrees if it ever gets finished it will be “a blessing” for the twin towns.

“People wouldn't believe you if you tried to tell them about the old days, when there was a gate on the bridge, with a little room and toll keepers,” she said.

The same people probably find it hard to believe you could buy a new T Model Ford for 30 pounds (which equates to less than $3000 of today's money); of petrol rationing during the war when it didn't really matter because there wasn't any rubber for tyres anyway.

So it was back to the horse.

“We never had power out at our house, I never knew electricity in a house until I moved into Echuca-Moama, when they still used to hand light the street lights around town every night,” Trudi said.

“Even the police sergeant at Moama spent as much time on a horse as he did on his motorbike; it was all such a different pace,” Trudi said.

“To go out to Five Mile always meant a horse, or long walk, until the first Phaeton arrived and that made school and church picnics a whole new experience,” she said.

36

A phaeton traditionally was a small vehicle but quickly expanded its definition to be described as any multi axle, multi-row motor vehicle which may, or may not, have been enclosed.

Like most in her generation Trudi watched her brothers go off to war — in her case one in the army and the other the air force.

Married in 1948 she had six children who are now spread around the state.

76–100

100 women of Bella

Jean McWhinney — 93 J

EAN McWHINNEY IS IN no doubt she has had a quiet, and at times lucky, life.

A life that started in Bendigo between the world wars and was, she recalls, a quiet and normal upbringing as the daughter of a solicitor.

At seven she and her family moved to Echuca for a short stay before relocating to Rochester where she grew up and, through the Rochester Methodist Church would meet Joseph — the man she would marry in 1942 Once married it was another move, this time to a dairy farm at Nanneella, where for the next 15 years she became a textbook wife.

“My husband worked on the farm, that was the man's work, while I was only allowed to do the chores that the housewife was supposed to do,” Jean said.

“Jobs such as the cooking, the cleaning, the washing, and raising the children — all five of them,” she said.

In 1964 Jean said they moved into Moore St in Echuca and in recent years she has had an overwhelming desire to take a sneak peek behind its front door.

It was a good house but Jean said “the old house in Moore St is so different now compared to what it was, it's so modern”.

“You wouldn't have even known it was the house that I lived in for so long,” she said. “I would love to see what it looks like on the inside.

“I imagine, with the work that has been done on the outside, the inside would be very different as well.”

Once they left the farm Joseph took a job with the rice mill, where he stayed until retirement.

It's hard to have a conversation with anyone from Jean's generation without World War II and its litany of inherent horrors coming up.

But like much of her life Jean reckoned by any standard her family's war was better than most.

Jean also mused about some of the funny things from your early years that always seem to stick with you.

Such as the move to Moore St. “When we were living there, at night the headlights of every car coming from Shepparton way would shine right through the house,” she laughed.

“I didn't have any family go to war, we all managed to stay home,” she recalled.

“There would be no hope of that happening now; it's all so built up around the area today.

“My husband's brother was a part of the military, but he didn't go overseas, he only got “But I am so glad we lived here, and that I am as far north as Darwin so I guess you could still living here, it's so beautiful and in parts say we were one of the lucky ones.” still has its heritage.”

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Glennis Swalling — 94 T

HE SECOND YOU walk into the home of Glennis Swalling you know you're going to have a good time.

From the aromatic warmth of freshly baked raspberry crumble slice you can literally taste to the beaming Glennis, welcoming you to her home.

The 94-year-old still lives in her own home, and why not, she looks as fit as a fiddle.

The story of Glennis begins with Echuca, where she was born on April 27, 1923.

She worked in various places such as the cinema and the Old Paramount Theatre — where OPT is now and the Historia Café in Hare St. It seemed a peaceful, typical country town.

Except so many of its young men were scattered around the world; fighting World War II, across the Middle East and the Pacific region.

It was during a brief leave home in 1944 that she and Ken were married before he went back to the danger zone.

It was a Wednesday.

Now, how many times do you hear someone getting married on a Wednesday?

“The reason was because we wanted to get married as soon as it was possible,” she said.

“But in the army, you just take whatever day you get.”

They had their honeymoon in Melbourne, with Ken's parents.

“No,” she smiled, “it wasn't the best-case scenario.

“We had wanted to go to Adelaide, but the trains just never worked with us, so we stayed in Melbourne.”

After the war Glennis and Ken, with their first two sons, moved to Mooroopna and Ken got a job at the flour mill.

When they returned to Echuca, he worked in a ball bearing factory on Denmark Rd and they added three more boys and a daughter

to their family.

Glennis cooks it all, from Anzac biscuits to

Today Glennis is alone, and not alone, after Ken died at the age of 80 on Boxing Day in 1999.

choose a favourite.

Not alone because not only is she a mother of six, she is a grandmother to 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

Daughter Lyndy Lawton described her mother as resilient, caring, loving, nurturing and a great cook — no doubt about that cooking.

that spectacular raspberry slice but cannot “I also love cooking roasts, cakes and sausage rolls,” she said.

These days she is a part of the Laurel Club, which holds lunches and monthly meetings for those who are war widows.

In a long life Glennis clearly had the recipe for a happy and loving story.

39

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Beth Williams — 95 I

F YOU EVER wanted a history lesson, or to be told what life was like post World War I, you've got to drop in on Beth Williams.

Growing up in the Grampians region, the 95-year-old was one of five girls.

She started her story by talking about how her father served at Gallipoli as a medic, and that's all he wanted to do.

“Then you would go to university for one year and then you would get placed in a school to teach.

“It was all paid for by the government.”

But there was one catch, you had to teach for at least three years, otherwise you would have to pay for your tuition, which was about $200 at the time.

But that all changed when those who were in Turkey got sent to France and they were sent to the charnel house known as the Western Front.

“I was placed in a primary school in Drummartin, between Elmore and Raywood.

It was only a school of about 20 or 30, so it was easy to teach, nothing like what it is today.

“He was never the same after the war, but we were so glad to have him home,” Beth said.

“Oh, and we were allowed to punish the students with the strap.”

“It was supposed to be the war to end all wars. Another war was never supposed to happen,” she said.

Beth married a farmer and they had nine children.

“There were no twins but it meant I was left with the housework and looking after the Beth spoke about how after the war, every- children. That was the lifestyle at the time.” one went to church.

When World War II started just 20 years

“But we all know it did.”

“It didn't matter whether you actually believed in, or practiced, religion, everyone just went to church.”

At about 18 or 19, Beth reflected upon her time moving to Melbourne and studying teaching.

“You'd do one year before going to university, being a student teacher.

Today Beth's huge brood has given her 30 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren and she admitted she spoils them all to bits.

When asked what brought her to Echuca, Beth said it was her youngest daughter.

“I wanted to move to be closer to her and it turns out I ended up in this home (Wharparilla Lodge).

“I haven't seen much of Echuca, but I've seen a fair bit of Moama.”

When talking to Bella, Beth said she had only been there five weeks, and was still getting used to being here.

after the 'war to end all wars' Beth wanted to serve.

But the final thing she said about EchucaMoama was she couldn't get over how flat it was.

“But the only way I could serve was as a nurse, because there were only three jobs for women: nurse, secretary or teacher.”

“There are not even any hills to speak of, let alone mountains.”

But by the time she had finished her basic training the war had finished so she didn't get the chance to serve.

But in the end Beth did say the thing she already loved most about the twin towns — and her new residence — was the people she has met.

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Doris Beer — 96 I

MAGINE YOUR LOVED one going away for five years and you might never see them. Not once.

Even worse, you rarely heard from them and when you did they could not say where they were; or how they were.

All the time leaving you wondering, stressing, that they might never come back.

In the 1940s that was life for Doris Beer, and thousands, millions, of women like her.

In the five years of the war she only saw her husband Ralf Raymond once, and only because his battalion had been shipped home from the Middle East to be rushed north to Darwin to face the expected Japanese invasion.

“It was all very hush, hush,” Doris said “We didn't know anything; in fact we didn't even know Darwin was bombed by the Japanese!”

But it wasn't just Ralf who went to war.

Her brother went to Papua New Guinea as well as El Alamein in Egypt and all around Syria.

“He was one of those young men who felt a sense of duty and thought he should go to war before the legal age of 18.

“In fact, he spent his 17th birthday in Syria,” she said.

Doris also served, but here in Australia.

“It's my biggest regret. I joined the air force, but I didn't stay there long. I wish I had,” she said.

When asked her advice for marriage longevity, she said they worked through their issues.

She also spoke about how the younger generation believes everything comes to them on a silver platter and how she believed the younger generation doesn't do a lot of hard work.

“It was just something we had to do.

“Because otherwise we wouldn't be able to live with each other,” she giggled.

A mother to two boys, Doris is also a grandmother of seven, great grandmother of 13 — and now has her first great great grandson, Doris would be known as a good mother who did everything she possibly could for them.

Even if it meant spoiling the grandchildren.

“I love spoiling them,” she laughed.

When asked why she came to Moama, given she had lived in Melbourne all her life, she said it was to be closer to her family.

But she knew it would mean going into an aged care facility.

“I have one son who lives in Moama, my other son lives in Yarram, in South Gippsland.

“There was more choice of somewhere to live in Moama.

“So that's why I came here,” she said.

Doris was stationed at William Angliss in La Trobe St, Melbourne.

She also reflected on the changes she has seen in the world as she got older.

She spoke about how much she loved the country life.

There, it was women only and she was a table stewardess who looked after other women.

“There are so many technology changes, I wouldn't have a clue as to how to use the internet or this Facebook thing,” she said.

“Sure it's different, but I love the space, there is always something to do, somewhere to go, people to see.

But when her husband returned to Adelaide Doris took an honourable discharge to see him.

“I think because of the amount of technol- “And to top it off, the weather in spring and ogy that is around, it leads to other things autumn is always beautiful,” she said with that annoy me. a smile.

She and Ralf were married for 51 years, until his death in 1991.

“An example is the way people speak, like “youse”; it just annoys me,” she said.

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Bina Northcott — 99

T

HE CARNAGE OF World War I's Western Front might as well have been on the moon as far as most Australians were concerned.

Unfortunately the only 97 and 98-year-olds we could find were not well enough to take part in the Bella 100 which is why we decided to include the magnificent Elsie Rowe, page 50.

moved with her when she opened a factory in Flinders Lane in the city,” Bina said.

Of working in the armaments industry during the war, making bombs and aeroplanes; owning her own factory with her husband until cut-rate products from overseas forced them to finally close in the 1970s.

“I stayed there until 1942 when I got married and when I was in the middle of my own It was nothing but bad news — telegrams war, not being born at the end of another and letters from the King to thank the fami- one,” she said. lies of the dead, massive lists of casualties “Harold and I never had any children, but I “My husband, Harold Northcott, enlisted but in the papers, often months after a soldier do have 26 nieces and nephews,” she said. soon after got a serious case of sunburn was wounded, or killed, and no sign the war poisoning and when his unit shipped out he “My Harold died in 2005, he was 93, and I was about to end. was left behind. moved here last year and Harold's two And if it seemed a world away, the tiny town sisters are also in Echuca-Moama, one here “It almost certainly saved his life, they were of Boort must have seemed the perfect with me.” all country boys and they went straight into place to hide from the world's evils, as the the war against Japan, were captured and In her time Bina has gone from a story of fighting swirled around the globe. sent to the labour camps working on the survival in the wood oven of a country home But death also stalked the countryside Burma railway.” to seeing the world, she was born into one and Bina Northcott's mother, standing in war and lived through another, she has seen Sitting in her room at Cunningham Downs her kitchen, had just opened the paper to progress that defies the imagination, from Bina said looking back on her life she discover her brother Frank Seymour was in growing up around horse-drawn carts to wished she had known back then the things the list of Australian soldiers killed. seeing a man walk on the moon. she knows now.

She went into shock, and six months pregShe turned 99 on October 1, and God willAnd can still laugh about the jobs she had nant, then into labour. ing she will celebrate her 100th birthday just where her employers would sack all the weeks before the world stages the 100th In her own home in a country town; with staff before public holidays and then re-emanniversary of the end of that war which no phone and no doctor anywhere within ploy them the next day. almost cost Bina her life. reach to help in any way.

Beyond everything else she has done it will “As soon as I was born mum grabbed a pie be her quiet way of making her own statedish off the kitchen table and put me in the ment about being in control of her own wood oven to try and keep me warm while destiny. she got help,” Bina said.

“It was a pretty bad start, back then babies born that young just didn't survive — but I'm still here,” she laughed.

War would haunt Bina, as it did two and three generations of Australians between 1914 and 1945.

She moved to Melbourne, her dressmaking skills in demand.

“First it was with a lady in Richmond where I did a four-year apprenticeship and then I

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76–100

100 women of Bella

Peggy Cottrell — 99 A

SKED WHEN SHE was born a mischievous smile spread itself across her face: “A long time ago”.

Clearly this conversation was going to have a serious sense of humour to it and Peggy didn't disappoint.

Spoiler alert: Keep reading to find how she met, and chatted with, the Queen.

Seriously.

Miss Peggy Newton was born on August 25, 1918, just three months before the end of World War I. She was born at Sister Goldie's in Anstruther St, Echuca, to William Harold Newton and Myrtle Josephine Dinneen.

William and Myrtle already had one daughter, Hazel, who was 21 months old.

Following Peg, they had two more daughters, Myrtle (known as Fay) and Jean, rounding out the family of six.

The family grew up on farms in the Koyuga district, 20 km from Echuca and Peggy went to the primary school there, where she excelled.

She even had books on her shelf proclaiming: 'To Peggy Newton, Dux of grades five to eight'.

Peggy and her sisters drove a horse and gig to school and it was supposed to stay there until home time.

But one day their horse managed to open the gate at school and went home — without them.

After completing her schooling at Echuca High Peggy went on to become a student nurse at Mooroopna Base Hospital and continued her nursing education at Swinburne College in Melbourne, graduating in early 1941.

And going straight into the RAAF as an officer, which meant she travelled around the country and the world.

Now you are probably wondering about the Queen and how the globetrotting Peggy got to catch up with her.

It was well after the war was over but Peggy was always up for an adventure and she was a royalist, so the perfect occasion came up to combine the two with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in London on June 2, 1953.

the Mooltan to get to England.

Going to the coronation of the new monarch was very special but there was more to come.

At some point after the ceremony the grounds at Buckingham Place were opened to the public.

“You wouldn't see that now,” she said.

Peggy and Mabs were strolling around the palace gardens when they turned around and the garage door opened — with Prince Phillip driving out.

At the same time the Queen was also strolling in the garden.

Believe it or not, she stopped to have a chat with Peggy and Mabs.

Peggy and her friend Mabel (affection“We walked around the garden with her, ately known as Mabs) decided to set off to Mabs and me,” she said. “She was just very Europe to attend the Coronation. natural — a lovely lady.”

This was not the norm for the times, when Upon returning to Echuca, she found out girls were expected to “find a suitable she was going to be an auntie and she met husband and settle down”.

James Cottrell, a farmer from Yarram.

The logistics were not simple either.

Peggy and Jim married in 1957 on December 14 when Peg was 39 and Jim 59.

There was a month-long journey by sea on

46

They were married for 18 years, until Jim died in 1975.

Peggy then went on to marry someone new, well as good as new.

“I married Jim's brother Joe in 1977,” she giggled.

“I went from auntie Peg to stepmother Peg.” Joe died in 1988, after 11 years of marriage and in 1990, Peggy moved back to Echuca, where she became active in the Echuca Horticultural Society and Probus — and with travelling still a passion, there were also several holiday bus trips around Australia.

When Peggy moved into Wharparilla Lodge in March 2013, she had to leave behind her beloved miniature dachshund dog Freddie but her niece Jan makes sure Freddie is a regular visitor.

While Peggy has a lifelong love of literature and poetry, with Keats her favourite, a literary love affair there for all the world to see in the books on her bedside table.

But after sitting with her it is pretty obvious with the life she has led she could just as easily have written her own best-seller.

DESIGN

STYLE

DÉCOR

INSPIRATION

Open 7 days from 10 am 572 High Street, Echuca 0447 339 455

HOME

THE EVOLUTION OF ECHUCA BENEVOLENT SOCIETY AND AGED CARE Entering its 140th year of operation, Echuca Benevolent Society is expanding with 20 new independent living units and 13 assisted accommodation units, alongside dining and common rooms.

Echuca Ladies Benevolent Society originally provided basic commodities to some of the homeless men in the bustling port town of Echuca. Now it operates Wharparilla Lodge, a 92 bed fully accredited residential accommodation facility; Cunningham Downs, a 79 x 2 and 3 bedroom independent living units; 14 assisted accommodation units known as Brolga Apartments and 29 independent living units at Illoura Village in Francis Street, Echuca.

Echuca Community for the Aged has scope for significant expansion on an additional 6.5 hectares of land generously gifted by the McSwain family and has licenses for another 45 beds at Wharparilla Lodge. The Board has recently engaged PTA Architecture P/L to develop a master plan for these future expansions.

CEO of Echuca Community for the Aged, Colin Price, is excited by the prospects for future expansion.

“This growth is exciting,” he said.

“Echuca Community for the Aged is the only aged care facility in Echuca-Moama owned entirely by the local community and run by a Board comprised of local volunteers.”

“Any profits made go straight back into improving and expanding our facilities.”

“People feel more secure knowing that if they ever require nursing home care it can be provided within this community and it’s only a few minutes’ walk away from their home.”

If you are interested in any of the independent living or assisted accommodation options offered by Echuca Community for the Aged, Colin Price can be contacted on (03) 5480 5000 or the website address is www.echucaca.com.au.

Echuca Benevolent Society Inc. Hartshorn Drive, Echuca 3564 P: 03 5480 5000 W: www.echucaca.com.au E: info@echucaca.com.au

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100 women of Bella

Flo Cameron — 100 C

OUNTRY GIRL GOES down to the big smoke and then comes home to retire.

Sounds familiar, sounds simple.

But in the case of Flo Cameron there is much more to it than meets the eye.

Born on April 9, 1917, Flo came into a world racked by years of war, at that time the bloodiest conflagration in history.

As with all her generation, Flo's childhood (in the southern Riverina of NSW) was in a much slower lane than life today.

For a start, if she wanted to go somewhere, well that inevitably meant a walk or on a horse.

But she recalls her horses with great affection, and loved visiting her grandparents in Strathmerton — as she only had one set of them.

“It was my favourite thing to do,” she said, explaining her father was an orphan.

“Which wasn't a bad thing, but it would have been nice to meet my dad's parents and family,” she said.

Being the third child of nine, Flo had some rules and responsibilities she had to follow — including working on the farm.

“I fed the sheep and the cows and the chooks,” she said. “I even got my own pony that I had to look after, so I named it Tiny.

I still miss Tiny.”

After a bout of diphtheria forced her to travel to Mooroopna for treatment, Matron Jones took a liking to the robust country girl and offered her a job at the hospital.

Excelling at the work — and pleasing her boss — Flo was promoted to work in the kitchen, where she stayed as a cook until she fell in love.

Alexander John Cameron, a carpenter from Ringwood, and Flo got together over a shared love of music — he played violin while she played banjo mandolin.

They married when Flo was 23, and never looked back.

Until 30 years later, when Alexander died.

“I feel blessed,” she said with a huge smile.

After her work at the hospital, she moved and rented in Essendon, where she worked in airline catering.

“Working at Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) as the lead caterer was a different job to say the least, but so rewarding,” she said.

She worked at Essendon Airport and when all commercial airlines moved to Tullamarine (the current Melbourne International Airport) she followed too.

Through working there, and after retiring, Flo was able to fly all over the world.

She visited the UK, Canada, the US, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia.

“Canada was my favourite, because it was just so beautiful and the scenery was perfect,” she said.

And when she was 70 she lived in England for six months.

a very long time,” she said.

“It was great and I didn't want to come home.”

Flo lived her own life until she was 93, when she got sick with gallstones. But it was just the first in an annoying run that has included macular degeneration.

It meant she struggled to do all those things she took for granted, such as the cooking, crochet and long stitch embroidery.

And all of which she did with the Country Women's Association on top of her membership of the horticultural society.

In the end her illness meant she was moved into the Southern Cross Aged Care facility in Moama.

“I love Moama, it's a brilliant facility.”

Where Flo doesn't have a favourite activity — because she loves them all.

Her daughter Heather described Flo as a “very good mum, who is hardworking, kind, caring and looked after her kids”.

Flo is delighted to talk about her three children, seven grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

“I have had so many happy moments in my life I could not possibly choose any one,” she conceded.

“Sometimes I feel like I live in my memories — but then I still add more happy memories to them every day.”

“I lived with my very good friend, whom I knew for

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76–100

50

100 women of Bella

76–100

100 women of Bella

Elsie Rowe — 103

Our matriarch, the evergreen Elsie Rowe

W

HEN YOU ARE turning 104 in March it is a given you have probably seen a thing or two.

And Elsie Rowe has undoubtedly seen more than just about every Australian, let alone the population of the twin towns.

Time is now taking its toll and Elsie is finally starting to slow down. These days she is confined to a wheelchair but she has never been one to let anything get in her way.

She lived in a time before Vegemite, Tim Tams and television — and (possibly as a result) has always lived a healthy life.

Born March 10, 1914, months before World War I began, Elsie was an orphan at 16, endured the Great Depression and World War II and the space race.

She is humble, unassuming, content and despite being tiny in stature she makes up for it with a heart bigger than most.

The youngest of four, Elsie would eventually marry a man called Thomas and raise her own family of three daughters, still juggling casual work at a clothing store to help make ends meet.

She worked in Melbourne for 25 shillings a week ($2.50), of which 15 went towards rent, leaving her with just 10 shillings to survive on for the next seven days.

“I was just so lucky to have a job,” Elsie said.

In 1975, she and Thomas decided to head north to Clunes near Byron Bay, but during a family get together in Echuca in 1989 they fell in love with the town.

They were back in Echuca within a year and never left.

“We'd never even been to Echuca before but we thought it was perfect,” Elsie said.

Fast forward a few decades and Elsie now lives at Moama's Southern Cross Apartments.

“I don't have too much to complain about,” Elsie said. “All of my life is in the past.”

Elsie doesn't like a lot of fuss and didn't think celebrations were necessary on any of her three-figure birthdays.

But she was celebrated regardless.

“I am too old to party now,” she said.

“I get to bed about 8 pm and I think it would be nice to go to bed now.”

Thankful her three daughters live in the area, Elsie enjoys their visits.

“They are all within reach so that is good.

They aren't allowed to forget me,” she laughed.

Despite saying she wouldn't make her next birthday every year since she turned 100, planning is already underway for March. 

51

Stepping up to the forbidding heights of the Kokoda Echuca-Moama could be HQ for the Flat Earth Society but SOPHIE BALDWIN writes that did not deter Olivia Elwood from training for one of the toughest challenges of them all.

T

HE KOKODA TRACK is a single file, 98 km mountain slog in the steaming jungles of Papua New Guinea that, at its highest point, stretches 2190 m into the sky.

“We had to cross rivers and some of them were easy and some were seriously hard but my porter was always there to help.

“When I returned home I just thought 'oh my God' and went out and bought my kids the iPhone they had been wanting,” she laughed.

“It was humid but if you got out in the open in the sun it was hot, the climate was just so different to anything I had experienced in Australia.”

Walking the track was always about the physical challenge but Olivia was surprised by how much she enjoyed learning about the history of the war along the way.

Olivia said one of the things that did take a bit of getting used to were the rudimentary toilet and showering facilities — some didn't have doors and others were just a hole in the ground.

“We got to hold some of the guns and ammunition and I was surprised by how heavy they were. It is hard enough to walk along the track and along ridges let alone do it carrying really heavy ammunition.

“Some of the showers were just a bit of plastic wrapped around something and the toilets were pretty gross, but you did get used to it.

“We also visited a few memorials and historical points along the way including Brigade Hill and the war cemetery.”

She is a personal trainer and Metafit instruc- Olivia said when she finished her trek she gave her porter everything she had. tor in Cohuna and for her the trek was always about the physical challenge.

“I left everything there, my clothes, my sleeping bag and I gave him all the money “I spent the whole time covered in mud, I had left. whether we were slushing through it uphill or downhill. Everyone in our group fell over “I wanted to bring my porter home he was just so lovely. at some stage — it was so steep and slippery

Olivia said the age of people in her group ranged from 27–62.

It is wet, it is muddy, it is slippery and it has been known to bring many of the people who attempt it to their knees.

It is physically and mentally challenging and not for the fainthearted.

While it's probably not on everyone's bucket list for Olivia Elwood it has been a long-held dream the 42-year-old recently completed.

“Walking the track was the best thing I have ever done,” Olivia said.

“It was the last thing I had left to do on my bucket list and when my husband and two kids said they didn't want to do it with me I thought it would never happen.”

Luckily for Olivia a friend was keen and in September she boarded the plane for Port Moresby.

“It was an eye-opening experience in terms of culture and the people and while it was hard, it is certainly achievable if you put the work in.”

Olivia spent the lead-up to the trip, climbing as many stairs as she possibly could and she also went out and climbed around Mt Hope a few times.

She admitted living in the heartland of the flattest earth around made training for a gruelling hill trek a little hard but with a little innovation she was able to pull it off.

Olivia has always had a love of physical fitness.

52

and so damp underneath.

The chance to visit the villages was also an “By the end of the day we were all so experience that Olivia enjoyed. exhausted and glad to get into our sleep“Seeing the way these people lived was just ing bags in the tent that none of that really so eye opening and I still can't believe they mattered in the end.” live the way they do and are so happy — they Olivia said the porters on the trip were literally have nothing but they really don't simply amazing and the group she travelled seem to care and the kids are just beautiful.” with — No Roads Expeditions — looked after So what advice would Olivia offer anyone their porters very well. considering Kokoda?

“Being a porter is one of the few employment opportunities available for many fami- “Good shoes are the most important thing lies and they (porters) treasure their jobs. and looking after your feet. I walked in No Roads has been known to fly helicop- Katmandu sneakers and they were the best buy. I didn't wear fancy socks, but I didn't ters into communities to help out families in medical emergencies. have any trouble with blisters like some people can.

“There is just so much poverty and women can die giving birth because they live in “A walking pole is helpful especially with such remote places and there is obviously your balance because it is so easy to lose no vehicle access. It is really, really eye your footing and keeping yourself hydrated opening.” is also very important.”

“Every day there was a funny story from someone and we all fell at some point which in the end was part of the fun — we went away as strangers but came back as lifelong friends.” 

Australia is made up of 50 percent women, 50 percent men.

An effective parliament should represent that. www.peterwalsh.org.au peterwalshmp peterwalshmp Peter Walsh MP 466 High St, Echuca Ph 5482 2039 or 1300 467 906 Funded from Parliament’s Electorate Office & Communications Budget.

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Big results from clever ideas T

URNING AN OBSESSION into an occupation is fraught with challenge — after all, are many other people as taken with the thought of spending countless hours pouring over paint charts, tiles, joinery, carpet and fabric samples or tapware?

But that's how Kara McGlone sees the world. For her nirvana is in the nitty gritty of design and decoration.

feedback if I feel something doesn't flow the way it should.”

Having a young family means Kara is super practical in her approach and understands how a home needs to be 'kid friendly' and not a show room.

Kara offers a personalised service tailored to each client.

“People are under the impression employing an interior decorator is a luxury and an In 2015, unable to resist spreading her overexpensive process, but it certainly doesn't whelming enthusiasm, the young wife and have to be that way. mother took a leap of faith to follow her “I can spend a couple of hours helping somepassion for reinventing interiors by launchone with a design or dream, or I can do the ing her business Dezign Muse. whole project from concept right through In her words Kara has always been obsessed to sourcing and delivery of furniture.” with the concept stage of design and in Kara realizes many people are time poor particular interiors. and while face-to-face consults are the Initially her creativity was dedicated to an most popular, there is the offer of digital 11-year career in hairdressing and operating connection. her own salon. But, as the years progressed, she couldn't ignore the desire to change “Many people simply don't have the time for career paths and follow her raison d'être a face-to-face so they can email pictures so she enrolled herself in an interior design of the room they wish to update, along course. with images they like and we can incorporate ideas from there. It is important to be After gaining her Dipolma she decided to flexible.” juggle a three-year Advanced Diploma of Building Design and Drafting at Bendigo along with her hairdressing commitments — not to mention a wedding to husband Brent.

Returning from her honeymoon Kara closed the door on her hairdressing career and began working as a building designer in Kerang.

Understanding client wants and needs is the driving force behind Dezign Muse and it is important to take the time to understand what people are looking for in their home.

corner pays dividends — she said mixing one-off items with cheaper things lets you get the total look at the best price.

“There are always things on sale,” she said.

When asked her top tips for a quick and inexpensive makeover her response was 'paint'.

“I take their ideas on board and help design a home filled with all the things that make the client feel good, like memories and keep “Changing the paint colour can have maximum impact for minimal spend and you can sakes. A home should be a reflection of do it yourself if money is tight and somethem, and a place they come home to after Soon after Kara learnt another chapter was thing as simple as changing a splash back a busy day at work that is really comfortaabout to begin, motherhood. or bench top can create a whole new look ble. A home should be a reflection of the It was after the birth of her second daughand still be a DIY project if you are quite the owners personal story.” ter Lola that she decided to venture out on handyman, or woman.”

Kara supports local businesses when she her own.

It may have been a busy few years for Kara can and has a range of suppliers to call on.

“People were often asking me advice on but she has loved every minute.

She has been surprised by the growth in her design and in particular interior design so “It is so rewarding when you have a client business and she has helped people not just I thought maybe I should make things a bit send you a photo of their new room you in the twin towns but across Victoria and more professional,” Kara said. helped furnish, or returning to visit a home southern NSW. “As any mother would know, sitting up doing you have worked on and you see the client late night feeds with a newborn proves for “A lot of my clients have come from word of and family enjoying their new space. mouth and I have helped people all over the lots of thinking time so I just decided to “It's simple when you get to do what you state including a man living in New Zealand do it, and just like that my business Dezign love, it certainly isn't work”. who is building a house in Maldon.”

Muse was born.”

Kara is happy to consider all requests and Kara said it was important to remember you Using her knowledge of building design has for more information go to info@dezigndon't have to spend a fortune to create a really helped when dealing with clients and muse.com.au or Instagram dezign_muse, warm and inviting home. their house plans.

Facebook dezign muse or contact Kara on “I like to oversee all the finer details and give Having a savvy shopper such as Kara in your 0427 562 660. 

55

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If you are browned o� with barbies Michelle Theodore loves having fun with food and has agreed to share some of her culinary concoctions with Bella readers.

S

UMMER DOES NOT have to be about barbecues all the time.

Just ask Michelle Theodore.

This month she's delivered this fresh, summer pasta for Bella readers to try in their own kitchen.

“I like to leave my tails on the prawns. I think they look fresher.

“This is my favourite dish. It's just a really nice dinner party pleaser. It's also really quick.

“Prepping would take 20 minutes and cooking time takes just 10, so you could have dinner on the table in a half an hour.

“It's an impressive meal but it's easy to make,” Michelle said.

“It's as simple as that.”

Prawn linguine (for four) Ingredients: • One packet of linguine (Barilla pasta) • Two punnets of cherry tomatoes • Fresh continental parsley • ½ kg of Australian prawns • Three garlic cloves

• • • • •

Four shallots One red chilli Murray Gum's Estate olive oil (lots of it) Murray River Salt Cracked black pepper

Method: Step 1: Boil pot of water and add salt. Once boiling, add pasta.

Step 2: Prep your ingredients. Finely chop garlic, parsley, shallots and red chilli. If you don't like chilli, remove the seeds, but if you don't mind a bit of heat, leave in. Halve cherry tomatoes.

Step 3: Heat olive oil in a pan and start to cook garlic. When the pan is really hot and

the garlic has started to caramelise, add the prawns. Prawns are cooked when they turn pink.

Step 5: Once the pasta is boiled and soft to touch drain, add some olive oil and salt to taste.

Step 6: Set aside pasta in a large bowl and combine all ingredients.

Optional: Squeeze of lemon

57

Unlocking those family time capsules SOPHIE BALDWIN discovers local genealogist Victoria Green has painstakingly, and quietly, built an international reputation as a time traveller tracking down family histories and recording them for future generations.

I

T'S ENOUGH TO kill any family gathering.

The regular cast of aging grandparents, great uncles and/or aunts launching into one of their diatribes about the good old days.

Mostly it sparks a mass exit — with celerity.

Except for Victoria Green. Armed with her notebook and unbridled enthusiasm for these pearls of historic wisdom, she would have been knocking people out of the way to get into the room and get it all down before the speaker ran out of steam. Or worse.

Victoria recalls as a young girl heading off to her family reunions with bated breath, determined to document anything and everything the older generations chose to impart.

And still is.

In the ensuing 30-odd years she has amassed enough notebooks to start her own library.

Victoria's obsession with, and love of, genealogy has become something of a global phenomenon with the little blog she runs through the Campaspe Regional Library

58

website now ranked in the top 100 geneal- “My father had 10 siblings and they all lived ogy blogs worldwide. long lives — the oldest was 102. Many of my relatives have had long lives except for one She remains as passionate today about great uncle who was killed at 18 by a shark genealogy as she was years ago. attack in 1930.”

“It is my hobby and I find it so fascinating But admitted said “researching his death and challenging,” Victoria said. was fascinating”.

Like a detective she has tracked down every “He was at a boating regatta when he dived clue, tested every bit of information and off the Brighton pier and was dragged out proved (and occasionally disproved) many to sea by the shark, never to be seen again,” family stories. she said.

The internet has, of course, helped fast“He was the first swimmer to be taken in track her research. Gone are the days of Victorian waters for 50 years and the story firing off letters and impatiently waiting for made headlines around Australia, including people to get back. And access to research the Riverine Herald.” organisations, libraries around the world and everything else the web sucks into its She said the language of the newspaper search engines, is at her fingertips in her articles at the time was interesting, includEchuca home. ing one headline that said 'Thrilling struggle at Middle Brighton.'

Immediately.

“You wouldn't get away with that type of “Ancestry is becoming hugely popular. headline these days,” she laughed.

People are interested in knowing more about their family history, and it can also Victoria said there was also a story circuhelp when it comes to things such as hered- lating through her family about an illegitiitary illnesses.” mate child born on her father's side, back in England, in the 1880s.

Victoria said she comes from a line of long living people.

Searching through old records she was able

STAGE TWO

RENOVATIONS COMPLETE!

to prove that was the case.

“I found a story where my great grandfather sued the paper for libel for publishing in a gossip column that his wife had been unfaithful.

“He won the case but I also found out he had spent two years in America and 14 months after he left England's fair shores his wife did give birth to a child so the newspaper editor actually did get it right.”

Veronica said if people don't take the time to listen to, and document, family stories they end up getting lost and that was a real shame.

She hoped her blog would inspire other people to take a more detailed look at their own family history.

“The blog is a great resource for people and so is our library. We hold some great events throughout the year including classes on genealogy and August is Australian family history month.”

Victoria said members can access ancestory.com free from the library and other resources are also available, including the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are. 

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5481 3333 | WWW.RICHRIVER.COM.AU 59

Thriving in (not surviving from) the silly season T

HE FESTIVE SEASON has almost arrived and the question on every woman's lips is how do we beat the holiday gluttony and remain our healthy and happy selves?

keep a routine and not abandon your healthy eating habits during the festive season, it was important to make time for yourself too.

“It can be stressful and overwhelming when you try to constantly please others. It is okay to say no to events that you may feel obligated to go to,” she said.

Well you can all stop holding your breath because this month health experts Suzy McCleary (Echuca Family Acupuncture Doctor of Chinese medicine) and Naturopath Kelly Fenton have given us some timely advice.

“One of the most important ways to stay stress-free this season is to give yourself time to relax, experience yoga, read or any other activity that you like to do to relax.”

Many of us have a tendency to overdo it and are left battling hangovers, energy slumps, mood swings, bloating or weight gain.

A simple exercise to help balance your anxious energy is to do the Criss Cross Crawl.

When it comes to alcohol we all know moderation is best but how many of us actually practice it?

A couple of great tips of course to stick to one drink per hour (or less) with a drink of water in between, also avoid drinks that require mixers and syrups, unless it's soda water.

Dehydration is a major reason why we feel unwell after alcohol consumption, which is why it's important to stay hydrated and limit your intake. Make sure you have some alcohol free days each week.

Both alcohol and over indulging in food, especially when it is high in sugar, trans fats, gluten, refined flours and salt can put a massive strain on not only our gut and liver but also our immune system and make us generally inflamed (achy, lethargic, foggy brain, sore joints, fluid retention etc). So try to practice moderation with these foods.

Holidays tend to be a time when we consume soft drinks. Soft drinks do not have a lot going for them.

They form empty calories in the diet, increase calcium loss from bones, cause

Kelly Fenton and Suzy McCleary. weight gain and significant imbalance to blood sugar. If you're partial to the sugar free versions, the evidence against them is stacking up. They do much of the above as well as give us a good dose of artificial sugar which is possibly increasing your hunger and damaging your gut bacteria.

They are not helping you keep weight off, my advice — avoid them.

As always support those adrenal (stress) glands with plenty of fresh green veg, alkalising foods such as lemon, fruits, vegetables, omega 3 fats, good quality Himalayan salt and vitamin C containing foods such as capsicum, strawberries and kiwi and of course plenty of fresh water. Good sleep is vital for overall wellness, stress management, blood sugar control, nervous system function, gut function and immune support, so make sure you are getting plenty of it.

Suzy also suggested as well as trying to

It helps to think clearly, improves co-ordination and is useful for mental and physical exhaustion.

In a standing pose, raise your right arm up, while at the same time bending and lifting your left leg. Lower them down. Raise your left arm up, while at the same time bending and lifting your right leg. Lower and repeat.

This exercise is like an exaggerated marching motion.

A great way to balance your digestive energies is to tap and rub the neurolymphatic point that relates to the spleen.

It is located directly below the nipples, at the bottom edge of the rib cage. This point balances digestive energies, supports the immune system, raises energy levels, induces clarity, and balances the blood chemistry of your body.

The team at Echuca Family Acupuncture wishes everyone a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. 

Alternative Medicine Providers Introducing Naturally Nutrition & Herbal Medicine to Echuca Family Acupuncture Kelly Fenton • Naturopathy • Energy Support • Digestive Health • Stress Support • Immune Disorders

Dr Suzy McCleary (TCM) & Dr Yoo Sun Hwang (TCM)

337 High Street Echuca Phone 5480 2095 echucafamilyacupuncture.com.au

60

Meet The Garden Planners THE Garden Planners — Kate and Craig Turner — reflect on what it means to their business to have the label 'award winning' in front of it.

A

T THE GARDEN PLANNERS, we pride ourselves on our dedication to communicating with our clients and strive to deliver top service when it comes to our community in Echuca-Moama.

This has always been a high priority and we are happy and humbled to announce that after three years of hard work and dedication, The Garden Planners is now known as an 'award winning business'.

The Garden Planners was recently recognised as Home Based Business of the Year in the GMCU Allianz Campaspe Murray Business Awards.

Craig and Kate Turner with the award they received at the Campaspe Murray Business Awards.

With our sole focus on client communication and results, we have never been a team that goes after gongs. However, after receiving the nomination we knew it was an opportunity worth giving a shot.

Plant of the month

The award process included an interview and extensive questionnaire, which was a lengthy, at times eye-opening, process and we were honestly astounded with the outcome.

At The Garden Planners we would like to share this award with our incredible clientele who have supported the business from the beginning.

We are happy to have seen such incredible growth in just a short amount of time. This award really reflects that growth and it's exciting to be able to share it with you all.

We are proud of our magnificent team; who have made it their duty to take customer service to the next level in a professional and friendly manner.

We hold these qualities very closely in our small team and hope to continue with this business growth and look forward to the future.

Armeria Dreameria Sweet Dreams Dreameria Sweet Dreams is a tightly mounded, dry-tolerant plant suited to rockeries and border plantings.

When we started our Echuca-Moama based business we never imagined being considered as an 'award winning business'.

It was a silent nomination where anyone could vote, and we put it down to our connection with the community and the importance they place on it.

The Garden Planners team is going to continue working hard to do bigger and better things and this award has only motivated us more to remain holding that elite level of customer service that connects us with you, our community. 

The standout pale pink blooms make for stunning, long lasting cut flower displays.

The low maintenance, tough nature of this collection makes it an ideal range for use in contemporary architectural settings to complement the modern home garden, and high traffic public spaces, such as: • In the forefront of garden beds • Low borders and edging • Beautiful container displays • Rockeries and coastal areas • Mass plant as a great ground cover

WE DESIGN GARDENS...YOU BRING THEM TO LIFE At The Garden Planners we are passionate about beautiful and affordable landscape design.

CRAIG TURNER craig@thegardenplanners.com.au

61

The House to help make yours a home I

T'S LIKE YOUR home away from home.

And when you see it all, you just want to take it all home.

Even better, you can. Even if it is one or two items at a time, because House's Hare St store is part of one of the leading kitchenware franchises in the country.

still white because you can add colour by changing placemats, or adding coloured accessories — whites will always remain the classic go-to and you tend to never get sick of white.”

Marg said the mix 'n' match Koko table range had been around for years. The colours remain the same; the design is just reinvented each year.

It is packed with every kitchen item imaginable from quality saucepans, utensils, electrical appliances and dinner sets through “You can add to your collection each year, knowing items will be similar and match to knives and forks and salt and pepper accordingly.” shakers.

Marg Holmes has been running the Echuca store for the past four years and quite simply loves her job.

Marg said customers were also seeking quality in their purchases with quality saucepans and cookware becoming increasingly popular.

“Every day is different and I get to spend it surrounded by all these great kitchen prod- “Customers are happy to pay extra and get a longer life with their kitchenware and ucts,” Marg said with a generous wave of her arms. they are also buying the correct cleaning products to further extend the life of their With Christmas fast approaching Marg said purchase. there is a range of great gift ideas in-store.

This season natural materials are huge; with “I think people across the board are looking lots of wooden chopping boards and acces- more for quality than price.” sories filling the shelves.

House recently started stocking the popular Kitchenaid brand and currently has toasters, “People are changing the way they eat and blenders and mixers in stock. are also serving their meals on big platters; which is partly a reflection of the trends on cooking shows such as MasterChef or MKR. People often come in asking for products they have seen on TV.” Colour is also making a comeback on the table, with lots of green appearing in 2017.

Marg said while trends always come and go the one constant in the world of the kitchen was always the white dinner set.

“The majority of dinner sets we sell are

62

Marg said there was also the opportunity for customers to purchase their products through afterpay or openpay.

Openpay allows the customer to pay a 20 per cent deposit and take the product home.

Payment can be divided across eight weeks, or extended up to 16 weeks for a small fee.

Gearing up for Christmas and the busy holiday period, House will now also be open for Sunday trading. 

63

Tuesday shoots from the lip She is a one-woman campaign against the duck season in general.

But in particular against the duck hunters who plague her little corner of the world on an annual basis. But as she told SOPHIE BALDWIN she is not a greenie or determined to bring down the gun lobby. She just wants her birdlife left alone.

T

UESDAY BROWELL IS not a vegetarian, vegan, a greenie or anti-duck shooting — and for the record she has never met Laurie Levy (the campaign director for the Coalition Against Duck Shooting).

What she is though, is a woman passionate about protecting the native environment surrounding her home at Richardson's Lagoon — a 120 ha freshwater marsh located on the Murray River floodplain, which also happens to be a duck shooting hotspot.

She isn't against killing animals for food and never has been. The practical side of her acknowledges they are a food source and along with her partner she slaughters her own meat.

64

But she really struggles with the concept of a duck season.

“I live in such a beautiful environment and every year there is this annual slaughter by macho, testosterone filled men (they are nearly always men, very few women) blasting away at our native bird population.

I turn into a mad Chihuahua when they are here, yapping at everyone,” Tuesday said.

Her 38 ha property is one of the last remaining pre-contact sand hills on the Murray River.

“My land is full of endangered flora and fauna and there are at least 30 different species of birds here, many of which are endangered

and I think that it is just madness that people can come in here, shoot like crazy and then leave.

“I am actually not against shooting ducks for food but I am definitely against the mentality of a season because I think it just encourages people to come in and shoot whatever flies past them. I know there are good duck shooters out there, but there are also a lot of bad ones too.”

Last season Tuesday collected 52 ducks that were shot and left behind. She placed them on the steps of the Echuca office of the Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh.

“I was just so outraged but nobody would

places all over the world including Malta and Kuwait. She immigrated to Australia as a 10 pound pom with her mum, dad and brother back in the 1960s.

“When I was 14 I ran away from home and I went to Bondi. I had seen photos of the huge pine trees that were more than over 100 years old and I really wanted to see them — and thankfully I did because not long after they died.”

In the early '70s she studied beauty therapy.

“Back then you had to make every product and I really loved that part and that is where I also learnt massage.”

Tuesday's former husband Anthony Browell built the paddlesteamer Emmy Lou and that's how she found her way to Echuca.

listen to me, somebody even shot a pelican.

I am not against guns and this isn't a gun issue, it's the people behind them that have irked me for years.”

Tuesday said she spends days cleaning up after the campers leave and that includes burying the stinking middens they leave scattered across the area.

“It's just disgusting really but I do it because I love this place and I am very passionate about preserving it and that is why I have a conservation covenant on my property, to protect it into the future.

“There is a lot of indigenous history and I have found human remains over the years.

It is a sacred site and apparently at the Kow Swamp people used to meet with other people and they would trade goods and wives.”

“We moved to Barham to build the paddlesteamer 40 years ago and a couple of years later we moved to Echuca. Anthony didn't like the country life so he left and 22 years ago I bought this sand hill and I have been here ever since.”

Tuesday said while she would love to be a knitting nanna for her grandchildren she feels compelled to protect her patch of land.

Tuesday said her love of the natural environment comes from her time lived in New “Richardson's Lagoon is a big lagoon which Guinea as a child. has eight properties on it. Only a quarter of “I was surrounded by jungle and I just loved the land is public land and I don't know why watching nature. You would see a beauti- they are allowed to come in here and shoot ful butterfly emerge from the chrysalis and the f*** out of nature. pythons would cross the road in front of “I am passionate about saving this place you, it was just natural and wild and beaufor my grandchildren's children and I really tiful and I think that was when my love of worry about what sort of future they will nature was truly born.” have. I think it's important to stand up for Tuesday has led a pretty colourful life in what you believe in.” 

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66

You can have a whole new outlook

H

AVE YOU BEEN inspired by The Block to start your own renovations?

Are you finally ready to give your house that long overdue facelift?

You needn't panic when you can refer your challenges to the experts at Echuca Dollar Curtains & Blinds to achieve your makeover dreams.

For the past 50 years the Dollar Curtains & Blinds name has been one of Australia's most trusted sources for the domestic and commercial markets.

Sue and Ian Daldy set up shop in Echuca 18 years ago and have not looked back.

Their Echuca showroom has a dazzling display of window accessories, home decorations and outdoor furnishings to rev up the revamp.

As leaders in the industry, the Dollar Curtains & Blinds team can be trusted to ensure your home will be fitted properly and perfectly.

With years of experience in the home improvement game, there is no one better than the Daldys and their team to help you with all your styling needs.

"It's all about how to enhance what you've already got," Sue said.

"People often get it wrong by trying to match everything in a room.

"I'm a firm believer that if something's not working, then you're heading in the wrong direction.

"A little bit of discord makes things work, such as combining plains and textures and colours."

With indoor, outdoor and homeware items available, it is a one-stop shop for all your needs.

Sue and Ian make fortnightly trips to Melbourne to restock their shop meaning all the latest trends and fashions are always available.

From sheer curtains, venetian blinds and outdoor awnings to wall art, cushions, accessories and furniture, the Echuca showroom has everything to style your life.

"People need to step outside their comfort zone and be a bit wild and different," Sue said.

"We try and make everyone happy here."

The team at Dollar Curtains & Blinds prefer to work with you, the customer in consulting, advising and buying what's best for each individual room.

Located at 286 Hare St, Echuca, Dollar Curtains & Blinds is open 9 am – 5.30 pm Monday to Friday and 9 am – 12 pm on Saturday. 

67

Sophie’s Single

As F words go this one is a doozy I

AM PRACTISING the “F” word and for those who know me well it doesn't have just four letters.

The dreaded word 'forgiveness' is bandied around a lot and if you are like me and had to pick up the pieces after a traumatic life-changing event you have probably also noticed this annoying word appears quite regularly.

I used to read things like the best is yet to come, hang on things will get better, one door closes and another will open and my own personal favourite — time heals.

I would grit my teeth and think what the F (four letters) do you know?

But I have since come to a couple of conclusions.

Time actually does heal, one door closes and another does open and you know what, I think the best really is yet to come.

Forgiveness is hard.

Actually it is bloody hard — harder even than trying to break your own personal addiction to chocolate coated raspberries.

Sometimes you really want to forgive and other times you want to maim.

The biggest thing I have learnt about forgiveness though, is it's not for everyone and it can be a bumpy, bumpy road.

I have been a single mum for two years

now and I am just coming around to the idea — not for anyone else but for me.

Forgiving someone doesn't make you a weak person; in fact it is quite the opposite.

It is enlightening.

You see there are shit things that happen in life that can't ever be 'changed' no matter how much you wish they could — it's how you choose to let those things impact you that gives you your own power.

In my role as a journalist I come across amazing and inspirational people regularly, which helps put things into perspective when I do get the poor me's.

And of course we are also heading into the festive season, which means the official start of my ironman training program. OMG! I have dusted the cobwebs off my bike and even though I have already fallen off and taken half the skin off my knee (those bloody clip in shoes again) I am determined to tick this off my list in 2018.

Christmas is my favourite time of the year.

For me it means quality time with my family and this year it will be extra special with both my brothers and their families coming home.

You see everyone has crappy things happen in their lives, it just depends how much you want to let them affect you.

Every year I buy three new Santa hats — one for me and one each for my girls — and no presents can be opened in my house without a hat on.

I actually think I am lucky.

It is a not-negotiable tradition.

I have been given a second chance at life and a chance to rediscover the person I am and it is exciting.

Everyone looks at me as if I am from Mars but hey, that's just the way it is.

I probably would have never tried a triathlon let alone be planning to put a thousand million hours into training for it if I hadn't been forced out of my comfort zone.

Being single and slightly unhinged gave me the push I needed for myself and it also gave me an outlet to channel my anger and aggression — something that still rears its head occasionally.

M O A M A

I also have a rather large collection these days so no-one is immune.

Even my ever loyal woofer, Barney-George, resigns himself to another humiliating bout of the flashing reindeer nose!

Merry Christmas to you all and I hope 2018 brings you much love, health and happiness, stuff the wealth there are more important things in life than a mountain of money. 

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68

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Thirty Something

Late is a fashion statement not a life sentence Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go.

Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for a living, But the child born on the Sabbath Day, Is fair and wise and good and gay.

I

AM NOT one of those vacuous types simpering over their horoscopes, or trotting off to tarot card readers (or those who can divine my future from the dregs of a cup of tea; let alone divining my marital/ maternal prospects from the lines in my hand — as if I have wrinkles there).

As my loyal readers will recall from my most recent correspondence, I had some seriously bigger fish to fry.

Fortunately, the menu has changed, although it took its own sweet time letting me know.

But my alarming late — 'very late' I believe I said at the time — finally came down on the side of my emotional and physical wellbeing.

And arrived.

To my utter and total relief (and no, I did not let my mother have even the slightest hint that her self-centred, selfish daughter might have been about to produce a grandchild to add to the grubby, leaky-nosed legions she already has) late has once again become a fashion statement and not a life sentence.

alphabet demographic might have had some serious second thoughts about pushing for the right to be married.

A demographic, I might add, that has become increasingly confusing for me.

Most recently I see it has extended to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, polygamous/polyamorous, kink (or LGBTQIAPK). Or should that have a double P near the end?

But I digress.

In my mother's case marriage is not a right, it is an imperative, and woe betide any child of hers (or the child of anyone she knows) who does not avail themselves of this mandatory opportunity.

Which brings me to where I fit in the poem above.

Clearly I must have been Wednesday's child (I am going to skip over which category might slot into Sundays) because my dear old mater is forever linking my name and 'woe betide' in the same sentence.

And clearly a lot of people have never come across my mother.

Because I am 30-something and not only have not tied the knot I am once again sans male companion (dog excluded) and once again mother is ramping up issues such as my wallflower quotient, something about being parked (and abandoned) on the shelf and biological clocks ticking.

If they had I would think, for example, a lot of those encompassed by the ever-enlarging

In her more frenzied moments the word 'barren' has even been slipped into the

But it made me think about some of the issues that seem to have been dominating the news cycles of late (as opposed to my hormonal cycles).

conversation, like a stiletto heel to the heart.

Well the horrors of the past month have left me pretty confident barren might be the wrong word in future reference to me — although I won't be giving her the slightest glimmer of hope in that department.

As for the man who was at the very heart of this problem, well I am a little sad, and somewhat miffed, to report his utter despair at the change of circumstance.

He told me he thought he had waited too long to actually try and start a family or get a wife — the order did not seem to fuss him — but thought I had finally delivered on both counts.

My God, I remember thinking, was he expecting twins?

But no, he was expecting me to be both his wife and the vessel of his dynastic dreaming.

Well if anyone ever wanted to be banished from my life they could not have backed two better horses.

So he is gone, my world is my own again, the dog has stopped sulking (yes, the dog is a he, obviously) and my mornings are also now a time of peace and quiet as I prepare my going-out into the world persona.

And I don't care how late I am in getting there. 

69

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73

Brought to you by

Aquarius

Scorpio

Your December

(January 21 – February 18)

HOROSCOPES

Tidy your affairs early in the month, and you can look forward to a stress-free Christmas. If anyone deserves a few weeks of relaxation, it’s you. For many, it’s been a tough year, so allow more than just a few of days for recuperation.

Life feels happier after the 16th, with your social activity and sexuality soaring. And don’t worry too much about money. It seems that there’s more than enough to spare.

by Tanya Obreza

Pisces

(November 23 – December 21)

Despite plenty of ongoing work commitments, there shouldn’t be enough to stop the party season. So clear the in trays, and then relax. Here’s your chance to let everyone know how much they mean to you. And even though you may join the festivities later than most, you should still be lucky in love. Month’s end bring a time for spa and holiday treats. For yourself and perhaps, a special partner.

A sense of belonging becomes important, with singles wanting to settle down. The festive season offers up some strong contenders, but in case you’re unimpressed, sexy Venus provides more erotic encounters in the New Year. But take care whom you confide in - not everyone is trustworthy. Meanwhile, self-discipline all but disappears for coupled Sagittarians - as they turn the bedroom into a sexual sauna. This impulsive spirit doesn’t just invade your love life - financial matters will also run unchecked.

Aries

Hidden memories may surface in early December. Face the realities that you’ve been hiding from, and put your life back on course. If energy levels are low, take a break to recharge your batteries before the festive season really sets in. Year’s end quivers with excitement. Start working your social list and make sure you grab all the cash on offer. You deserve every reward.

Taurus

Gemini

(April 21 – May 20)

(May 21 – June 21)

The pace for early December remains fierce. You’re in no mood to hear “hang in there”, but this is exactly what the cosmos suggests. Stay on course and by early next year you should make a lasting impression where it matters. For now, finances need controlling - a hard ask during the festive season. Unfortunately, at the moment cash disappears as soon as it’s been earned, but don’t worry help is not far away.

December ensures that life is effortless.

You have more charisma that you know what to do with so schedule important meetings and hot dates to make the most of this time. Luckily, you won’t have to make final decisions regarding options until the New Year. For now, you need only be committed to having fun.

Singles are surprised by the unusual, while couples opt for a change in scenery. A great way to end a busy year.

As one year spins into another, the planets encourage a review. If life feels quiet in early December, don’t worry that you’re missing out. It’s just the calm before the dawn of your New Year and new life. Reflect on your recent transformations - psychological, emotional or physical. Then take a deep breath before the cosmos powers you forward after the 19th December. Get ready for a rebirth as a new you emerges.

(August 24 – September 22)

(December 22 – January 20)

Kick off your shoes and let the events of this past year disappear. You have every right to demand a break. It’s been a traumatic time for you - but your Aries courage and compassion rarely waned.

Better still, you’ve survived, and emerged stronger and wiser for it. So treat yourself to something luxurious and extravagant let the pampering begin. And why not break a few rules along the way!

(September 23 – October 23)

Virgo

Capricorn

(March 21 – April 20)

With most enjoying the silly season, there could be a noticeable lack of Scorpios in the conga line. You seem determined to claim a triumphant year’s end, but there’s a danger of overload. Just before Christmas, the cosmos hints at a financial jackpot.

Property matters also look promising, as does passion. Singles may face a choice of admirers and those in relationships plan a romantic getaway.

Libra

Sagittarius

(February 19 – March 20)

(October 24 – November 22)

You’ve every right to demand an apology from the Universe. This past year has been a long, hard slog. When under such pressure, we often make mistakes. So if you feel you’ve misplaced that certain magic, or a certain someone - there could be something special waiting for you this month. The only hiccup is the financial aftermath of the season’s extravagances. Not to worry.

Let the New Year pick up the bill.

Cancer

Leo

(June 22 – July 22)

(July 23 – August 23)

December brings more control over your personal direction. With you feeling increasingly ambitious, goals are more easily attained. This kind of confidence can’t help but bring success. That said, also take the time to enjoy friendships.

And you may as well surrender what’s left of your dwindling finances to the party season. That’s what festivities are for. Just aim for a better financial game plan in place in January.

Leos feel stifled in early December.

But you’ve reached an important turning point in your life, and change is inevitable. At first you may prefer to stick with what you know, but be brave and honest about what you truly want.

Deep down you know the only way to tackle problems is head on. The final week brings festive excitement. Let loose with the cash and credit and, just for now, forget common sense.

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2

3

&

4

NO FEES

take home your

PREZZIES TODAY AND PAY LATER!

166 Hare St, Echuca Ph: 03 5482 1106 While Stocks Last. Offer ends Sunday 24th December 2017.