Echuca Moama Magazine

autu m n/ wi nter 2018

Everyone loses if we lose the culture of our ďŹ rst peoples

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WORDS

Welcome to E M. Vivienne Duck, editor vivienne.duck@riverineherald.com.au Ivy Jensen Tyla Harrington David Rak Kimberley Price Andrew Johnston Sophie Baldwin Stephanie Horton Charmayne Allison

PHOTOGRAPHY Stuart Walmsley Luke Hemer

DESIGN

Brendan Cain Bella Considine Tanya Main

ADVERTISING Daniel Priestley Emma Mortimer Stuart Addicott Grace Angel Kerry Vevers

PUBLISHER Riverine Herald 28 Percy St, Echuca, VIC 3564 P: (03) 5482 1111 W: www.riverineherald.com.au facebook.com/ EchucaMoamaMagazine

ECHUCA-MOAMA is filled with talented people.

And we have jammed as many as we can into this edition of echucamoama.

We feature six local artists and six local musicians who each have their own story to tell and the niche in which they excel.

before his family was the first indigenous people to settle in Echuca.

He then went on to educate teachers on how best to educate indigenous students.

We also spoke to two brave women who wanted to share their story about the troubles of having children.

All 12 took a different journey to the paint brush or microphone but there is one common denominator — they are all from our towns.

Finally we would not be able to bring you a magazine of this quality without the loyal support of local business and its advertising.

And our music and art scenes are all the better for it.

Shopping local is what keeps our town afloat and we urge you to support all the people who have advertised in this issue because without them we couldn’t tell you the stories we have.

Our front cover features someone incredibly special. Professor Henry Atkinson has dedicated his life to improving indigenous education to give young people a chance of improving their future.

Wrapped in his traditional Biganga, or possum coat, and flanked by the Murray, Henry is at home by the river in Echuca.

His story tells of systematic poor treatment within aboriginal missions

I hope you enjoy each page of this magazine and I congratulate everyone at the Riverine Herald for once again producing a stellar edition of echucamoama.

Enjoy,

Vivienne Duck Editor

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contents 12 18 24

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Education essential for change David Rak spoke to Henry Atkinson about his simple, yet far from easy, solution to bridging the gap David Rak spoke to Dion Brownfield about giving indigenous youth the chance to shine

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Festival a source of pride Andrew Johnston caught up with Three Rivers Festival founder Clayton Murray-Mitchell to find out why his culture is worth protecting and celebrating

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Siblings determined to make a difference

Brock’s legacy one of hope After Natalie and Lee Thompson lost their first-born son Brock due to a rarely known condition, they want other expectant parents to know there is still hope

Having a baby— when natural is not always normal On paper IVF sounds a simple procedure; in reality it can be painful and heartbreaking. And running the gestational gauntlet does not come cheap

Breaking the poverty cycle

The Walker family is well-known in Echuca, but its members haven’t always been treated fairly

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Friendship is a perfect fit

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Eureka! what a car

Making a difference one paw at a time When Tyla Harrington caught up with the animal rehoming service responsible for saving so many animals in the twin towns she quickly realised just how much CARMAR really stands for

The paintbrush and blank canvas hold so much potential Painting has been something of a lifelong life force for Bronwyn Beer but Charmayne Allison has discovered her talent stretches into a variety of roles

Living with autism can be a struggle but good friends can ease the burden and bring great rewards The Purvis Eureka was a kit car built in Australia in the 1970s and ‘80s.

But when David Chapman caught up with Echuca’s Peter Curtain, who owns one, he found out it’s a car that could be from the future

Dreams now a reality for Lily Art has always been a part of Lily O’Connell’s life. Sophie Baldwin caught up with the university student who loves being able to express herself on canvas

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Jack of all trades became a master painter Jack Roberts has been a high-profile and highly successful artist but explained to Charmayne Allison his paints and easel were very much a midlife, well, not crisis but certainly change in direction as he pursued his dream

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Even rusty old rubbish has its role in art

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Sophie Baldwin caught up with an accidental artist who is getting more talented — and confident — piece by piece

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Opening a window to imagination The eyes are the window to the soul and Joyce Dempsey is willing to peer in

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Carol brings her craft home to Cohuna Twenty years after leaving her small hometown in her wake Carol Dove talks about what brought her home

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Music world opens for an expressive introvert

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Death brings new outlook on life Mark Thomson had a heart attack and died. But now he’s back, and keen to make some lifestyle changes

Guiding local history into the future It has been the gathering place for generations of young local girls and now Sophie Baldwin discovers Cohuna’s Guide Hall has been transformed into a somewhat zany but very loved home

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Asher’s going flat out for his future Dedication, commitment and drive might be hard to find in a lot of people but you can’t miss it in Asher Jones

Orr-inspiring talent Echuca musician Sean Orr took time out from his busy schedule of performing and working on his second EP to have a chat with Kimberley Price

Making a mountain out of a backyard Andrew Johnston catches up with a newcomer to mountain biking, but one who is very quickly making a name for himself in the sport — and is doing it his own way

R’n’B education all in a day’s work Kimberley Price chats to singer Georgina Bish who rates Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, James Brown — and her own father — as big influences

Savannah reckons her longterm plans are on song Not too many teenagers would be prepared to sacrifice their social life — and sleeping in — to pursue a long-term career goal, but one 16-year-old who is doing that, and more, to achieve her dream

Ukulele, harmonica, didgeridoo and banjo — that’s only a snapshot of what makes up the creative talents of multi-instrumentalist Daniel Aaron

Ashley Dinsdale has always found song writing to be an outlet while he battles bouts of depression and anxiety

Dancing to more than just one tune With music in her DNA and an untapped depth of determination and talent Heidi Moncrieff is convinced she can juggle more than one career

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The groove is all around

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WBR takes a huge step into the factory-sponsored league From tinkering in an Echuca workshop to creating some spectacular — and very fast — bikes Whitten brothers Nathan and Travis have quickly moved into the fast lane on the racing circuit with an exciting factory connection.

FRASER WALKER-PEARCE reports

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Education essential for change DAVID RAK spoke to Henry Atkinson about his simple, yet far from easy, solution to bridging the gap

HENRY Atkinson feels a deep sense of shame when he visits remote indigenous communities.

He wonders how a nation as wealthy as Australia can allow its first people’s culture to erode as they struggle to survive.

But how does our society address this shame and begin to bridge the huge divide between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and everyone else?

Henry believes the problem has a simple solution. Far from easy, but simple.

He believes education is the key to reducing the struggle of indigenous people and beginning to close the gaps.

Indigenous youth need to be educated to break the cycle and the wider population needs to understand why the gap exists.

The 78-year-old professor has dedicated his life to improving indigenous education to give young people a chance of improving their future. >>

Henry Atkinson believes education is the key to change.

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Henry’s parents were some of the indigenous people who were on the Cummeragunja Mission in southern NSW, an Aboriginal reserve established near Barmah in 1881.

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His parents left in 1938 because of systemic poor treatment some months before the Cummeragunja walk-off in 1939 The major walk-off was a protest where an estimated 200 residents of the mission walked out and left NSW in contravention of the rules set by the NSW Aboriginal Protection Board.

Henry’s parents and family headed to another mission in Deniliquin where there was better treatment of Aboriginal people.

Aboriginal culture will be lost if we don’t take steps to retain it.

And everyone loses if we lose the culture of our first peoples

They were stopped at gunpoint just outside Mathoura and ordered to return.

Unable to make it to Deniliquin but refusing to go back to Cummeragunja, Mr Atkinson’s family members were the first indigenous people to settle in Echuca.

“Some of the missions around the country were like detention centres and making the decision to leave was very dangerous,’’ Henry said.

“My mother always said she was treated well by the people of Echuca-Moama.

“Being the first to leave the Cummeragunja mission, they made it easier for Aboriginal people to come to Echuca.”

Henry was born in Echuca and lived here until he was 28.

He married and moved to Melbourne to take up a position with General Electric, the biggest company in the world at the time.

During his 22 years working for General Electric, Henry attended Monash University to study humanities.

And as General Electric began to scale back its global operations, he leveraged his time at the university to begin what has become a lifetime goal.

He took a position lecturing teachers on how to educate indigenous students and the challenges involved.

“Everything starts with education,” Henry said.

“As I see it, the poverty and disadvantage in the indigenous community all stems from a lack of effective education.

“To get a roof over your head and afford medical treatment you need money. To have money you need a job and to get a job you need to be educated.

“But how can we educate indigenous people if the teachers don’t know how to? There is a difference in teaching techniques.

Henry is proud that he was successful in getting his indigenous education course made mandatory for teaching students at Monash.

And in response to what he saw as a deficiency in student teachers’ understanding of indigenous culture, he began offering cultural experiences for teachers in the final months of their course.

He takes educators to Arnhem Land and other remote areas in the Northern Territory to give them first-hand experience of remote indigenous communities and the challenges of educating students from those areas.

“Some of these remote communities are like another country.

There’s limited access to fresh water and none of the mod cons that we are used to,” he said.

“Before we go we give student teachers an induction about remote communities in the Northern Territory and help them to recognise problems with children and why some of these communities are the way they are.

“Aboriginal culture will be lost if we don’t take steps to retain it.

And everyone loses if we lose the culture of our first peoples.”

The criticism Henry hears most often from non-indigenous people is that Aboriginal people have every opportunity to

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succeed and pull themselves out of poverty but choose not to.

And one change that would help that process is changing

With an abundance of government funding, many nonindigenous people feel they are being unfairly blamed.

Australia became what it is today.

the date of Australia Day and telling the true history of how

“I don’t think indigenous people are to blame for the situation they find themselves in, but I don’t blame non-indigenous people either,” Henry said.

“An horrific period of mistreatment of indigenous people

“People in remote areas don’t have the same opportunities we have and their way of life has been impacted dramatically by many factors since colonisation.

“Everything that has happened since that day has been hard

“Aboriginal people in these remote communities want to succeed and be part of the Australian community, but education is not easy to access.”

“We are being asked to celebrate the death of our ancestors

Henry believed the non-indigenous community needed to be educated about the wider knowledge and the rich culture and history of his people and their country.

started on that day and many mistruths have been told about it and perpetuated by governments,” he said. for Aboriginal people. Australia is the only country not a signatory to an agreement with its first people. and the theft of our land.

“All these little steps like the true story of Australia Day being told is one of the many ways we hope to reduce discrimination and the educational gap for all indigenous people of Australia.’’ 

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BREAKING THE POVERTY CYCLE DAVID RAK spoke to Dion Brownfield about giving indigenous youth the chance to shine DION Brownfield is leveraging his talent to break the cycle of poverty in remote indigenous communities.

The 39-year-old was stunned after visiting multiple remote locations gripped by violence, drugs and alcohol.

He decided he couldn’t sit back and watch as people in indigenous communities suffered through extreme poverty and became obsessed with finding a way to help.

That desire led to the formation of the Indigenous Hip Hop Project (IHHP).

Established in 2005, IHHP is a national multicultural arts company that works with isolated, remote, regional and urban indigenous communities across Australia.

The purpose of the project is to fuse traditional indigenous culture and hip-hop to deliver arts and performance workshops that engage and empower young people.

IHHP works on the principal of using the arts for change, focusing on indigenous young people’s strengths, developing their skills, broadening their attitudes and working closely with partners to support community development.

To close the gap and address disadvantage faced by indigenous young people, Dion believes programs need to support the development of social and emotional wellbeing. >>

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the mAJority of AustrAliA would like to sweep the problems in indigenous communities under the rug, but the Amount of work And support needed in this community is enormous >> 20 EchucaMoama

He was running a dance school in Castlemaine when he was contacted by a friend working in the Kimberley.

“We can educate these young people and show them they have value.

The friend knew of the work Dion did and suggested he bring his talents to Western Australia to work with remote indigenous children.

“There is so much talent in indigenous communities that gets suffocated by poverty. If we put in the effort, we can make a difference and leave a legacy.”

“I became obsessed with indigenous affairs and wanted to help the struggles that our nation’s first people are facing,” Dion said.

Echuca’s Three Rivers Festival is a local success story that has seen positive outcomes for indigenous people and began to bridge the local gap.

“So much power and self-esteem could be provided to indigenous kids through art.

The festival is an annual community event held on Yorta Yorta country which engages people through touch football, music, art and Aboriginal culture.

“I met my business partner Michael Farah in the process and we decided to start a company and take the IHHP to other indigenous communities.”

What started as a small project has become a full-time commitment for Dion. It has seen him visit more than 300 remote communities and work with hundreds of partner organisations.

Dion said people loved the projects and the chance to express themselves, so much so that the once fledgling outfit is now struggling to keep up with demand.

“The majority of Australia would like to sweep the problems in indigenous communities under the rug, but the amount of work and support needed in this community is enormous,” he said.

“There are five main areas that we need to address to bridge the gap.

“It all starts with working in schools and getting people educated. A big part of that is showing respect for traditional culture and language and allowing it to be expressed.

“Employment opportunities are a big issue in these areas.

People can’t be pulled out of poverty without a job.

“The other major areas of concern in indigenous communities are improving health, justice reform to keep indigenous people out of jail and adequate supply of housing.

“I’m ashamed to see what is happening in these communities.

It shouldn’t be happening to anyone, especially not Australia’s first people.”

The theory behind the IHHP is to empower young people and break the cycle of disadvantage. That’s where Dion believes art can be the language for change.

IHHP works with partner organisations including Beyondblue and Melbourne University on physical and mental health campaigns to begin the education process for indigenous children.

Most of the project’s work revolves around health campaigns, including mental health campaigns with Headspace and diabetes awareness with Melbourne University.

“We work across urban, regional and remote communities and our goal is to leave a legacy of amazing content and powerful songs that people can enjoy and get an insight into the rich culture,” Dion said.

The festival is driven by a local volunteer committee, Aboriginal elders and community members and co-ordinated

by Echuca’s Clayton Murray-Mitchell.

“Three Rivers is getting bigger and better and the progress has blown me away,” Dion said.

“I’m extremely proud of what Clayton and the other volunteers have achieved. It’s exciting to see this progress from a new generation of leaders.

“We owe a lot of respect to the elders of Echuca-Moama. They played a massive role in making our towns what they are.

“Echuca-Moama has come a long way, but there is still progress to be made. We will keep working to help people see the strengths and the positives of indigenous culture.”

Of the many success stories that have come from the IHHP, one stands out for Dion and shines a light on the positives that can come from empowered indigenous youth.

Danzal “Baker Boy” Baker is an indigenous Australian rapper and dancer. He became popular for performing original hip-hop songs that incorporate both English and indigenous language.

In 2017, he attracted national attention as the winner of the triple J Unearthed National Indigenous Music Awards competition, releasing the singles Cloud 9 and Marryuna in the same year.

Both singles were featured in last year’s triple J Hottest 100 countdown and Baker Boy was recently announced as an opening act alongside A.B. Original for American rapper 50 Cent’s Australian tour.

“He is one of our biggest success stories. He joined our crew about three years ago and continues to work with us as an artist,” Dion said.

“He got inspired and started rapping and has been one of the biggest indigenous talents in the country.

“What he’s achieved is just incredible and I can’t wait to see where he takes it.

“Baker Boy demonstrates what can go to waste when we don’t give indigenous people a chance.

“Given the opportunity, indigenous kids can do amazing things.” 

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FESTIVAL A SOURCE OF PRIDE ANDREW JOHNSTON caught up with Three Rivers Festival founder Clayton Murray-Mitchell to find out why his culture is worth protecting and celebrating

INDIGENOUS culture is passed from generation to generation.

It’s something that Clayton Murray-Mitchell understands.

And it’s something he takes great honour in protecting.

Five years ago he created the Three Rivers Festival.

“The name Three Rivers comes from Moama’s location on Yorta Yorta country,” Clayton said.

“The Murray, Campaspe and Goulburn rivers all meet in this place, so we use this name as it symbolises the coming together of communities, which is what our festival aims to do.

“We want to promote the sharing and love of indigenous culture, as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle for everyone, not only physically healthy but mentally healthy.” >>

Clayton Murray-Mitchell is proud to bring indigenous communities together.

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We all call each other family, we all support each other.

One of the things that I have valued most growing up is how tight-knit our community is 26 EchucaMoama

>> The festival, run in Echuca-Moama every year, is about bringing different indigenous communities together.

The festival has many facets to it.

Included in the festivities are a touch football tournament and cultural activities.

One of the highlights of the 2017 festival saw people from across many communities and nationalities take part in an evening of cultural dance.

This came from Clayton’s admitted shyness as a young man.

“When I was young I was a pretty shy kid,” he said.

“One of the key things that helped me when I was young was being able to play sport and participate in cultural dance and music.

“These activities helped me not only to build confidence, but also pride in myself and who I am. They became key in me being more comfortable with going out into the community.”

It also played a role in helping Clayton grow into the person he is now.

“I was in Melbourne and doing some work as a DJ with Payback records, I still do that to this day,” he said.

“I was doing a lot of gigs with young warriors, so I did a lot of networking while I was there with artists and labels and producers, and that opened the door to doing events.

“I think that played a key role in being able to start the festival.

I realised I could bring all these people I knew home to my community and put something on for my own community.

That’s how Three Rivers was born.”

His experiences in Melbourne have made him want to show the opportunities out there to young people in the town.

“A lot of our kids in this town now are almost too scared to try things, to come out of their own shells, so they basically live their lives in their own bubble. I was lucky that this didn’t happen with me and my family,” he said.

Clayton takes great pride in his family.

Born and raised in Echuca, not only is his story firmly rooted in the town, but his family’s story is also a part of the town’s fabric.

“My mother Vicki Mitchell is a born and raised Echuca woman.

She’s a proud Wemba Wemba and Ngadjon woman. My dad is a proud Wamba Wamba Yorta Yorta man,” Clayton said.

“My family through my mother’s side has been living in the Echuca area since the 1930s. My great-grandmother Nancy Egan came from the Moonahcullah mission and settled in Echuca with her kids. We’ve basically, as a family, been here ever since.

“Actually, we’ve pretty much been in Warren St since the 1930s.”

Clayton has fond memories of his childhood.

“I spent many summer days down by the river or riding our pushbikes around town, playing sport. I loved my childhood here,” he said.

“We are also an incredibly tight community. A lot of the families who settled here are Yorta Yorta or Wemba Wemba people who came from Moonahcullah or Cummeragunja missions.

“Everyone in our community is connected to each other, in a way. We all call each other family, we all support each other.

One of the things that I have valued most growing up is how tight-knit our community is.”

Keeping together the many communities throughout the region, as well as those spread throughout the country, is the key to the festival’s existence.

Clayton has had many festival highlights throughout its five years.

“The bonds and friendships that have been made throughout the times that the festival has existed, that’s the thing that I will always take a great deal of pride in,” he said.

“It’s brought me tears of pride.

“People get so competitive when they play the touch footy at the festival, but when you see them walking off the field arm in arm, you can’t not feel proud.

“Some of the teams from out of town have been so supportive and have done an incredible job to grow the festival. They’re always willing to put their hands up and give whatever help they can for the festival.”

Clayton’s ability to help the festival comes down to his communication skills.

A lot of those skills were developed as part of the ABC’s

Heywire program — a radio program where regional and rural youths can talk about issues affecting their lives.

“I’ve been on the program three times. I first won it when I was 17, then I was invited back as an alumni mentor, then came back again for another go in their accelerator program where former winners got the opportunity to develop their ideas,” Clayton said.

Now, with a wealth of experience, Clayton sees the opportunity to help others.

“You’ve got to have a mentor,” he said.

“A lot of those who mentored me when I was younger, they put the feeling in me that I have the opportunity to give something back to my community. So that’s what I did.” 

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d e n i m r e t de e C n e r e f f i D a e K a m to The Walker family is well-known in Echuca, but its members haven’t always been treated fairly. SOPHIE BALDWIN chatted to siblings Melanie, Ben and Andrew about facing discrimination and being positive inuences

Growing up, Walker siblings Melanie, Ben and Andrew were always proud and mindful of their indigenous history.

This really opened up my eyes and I would love to keep

They have all gone on to forge successful careers in their chosen fields, despite facing their own share of racism and discrimination.

I am currently studying to get my diploma in financial

working in this space in the future.

ownership in their future. I have plans for a 12-month

Melanie Micalizzi, 35

ownership.

We were brought up to embrace our Aboriginality.

Growing up, Dad worked within the community at various organisations.

Sport played a huge role in all our lives and we usually spent all week training for something and weekends competing all over the countryside.

My pop Archie Walker is a very well-known and respected man who set an amazing example for us all to follow, not only through the way he worked and conducted himself, but throughout his life in general. He has always been hardworking and clean living. He is 90 years old this year and possibly one of the oldest elders in Echuca.

I experienced some pretty tough times growing up, which did impact quite negatively on me personally and our family as a whole.

Due to having fairer skin we often had to deal with racist remarks made in front of us by people who didn’t know our background, then on the other hand we hoped the Aboriginal community would accept us for the same reason.

Today, my own children are taught about their culture and identity in school and it makes them feel quite special. This is such an important step forward for a proud and inclusive future for the indigenous community.

I am hoping to raise my three boys to be inclusive and resilient across the board and I hope the lines between economic status, race and gender blur and we all see ourselves as an equal.

My dada used to say “until one human views another as an equal there will never be world peace”, and this is so true.

I am determined to help bridge the gap and one way I can do that is through my work as a financial literacy trainer.

Last year I spent some time working for the Melbournebased not-for-profit organisation First Nations Foundation, where I travelled the country working with a diverse range of people from 15-year-old AFL sports-ready trainees through to 60-year-old working ATSI women.

My role was to help bridge the literacy/numeracy gap and help break the poverty and credit cycle which is so prolific in the indigenous community, especially in the more remote areas.

These communities are also subject to a lot of predatory behaviour from scammers and many can’t afford to eat because they have been scaremongered into unnecessary insurance plans.

I bought my first home in my early 20s and I am passionate about helping other people achieve the goal of home program to help with the transition from scratch to home Family has always been an important part of my life and it is awesome that both my brothers are now in Echuca permanently. We all have our own talents and strengths but we help each other out.

Ben, 33 I grew up surrounded by music and sport.

My love of music started when I was eight and it has continued unabated throughout my life ever since.

I started out singing, playing guitar and piano and established my first band when I was 12 with my sister Mel. Throughout school I was involved in lots of different bands. Even Andrew played the drums for me at one stage.

I discovered acoustic music during Year 11 and 12 and I knew from that moment on it would become part of my life.

It didn’t take me long to realise once I left school that the real world with an office job wasn’t for me — I wanted to be a singer-songwriter, so I worked very hard honing my craft and getting as many gigs as I possibly could to improve their quality. I have always been determined to make my own music and didn’t want to be known as an artist who did covers and weddings.

In the beginning I did have a part-time job, but I am fortunate enough now to have been able to pursue my music career fulltime for the past eight years.

Music has given me the opportunity to establish relationships with other indigenous singer-songwriters and I am fortunate to have become quite good friends with Tom Richardson and Dan Sultan. We all have Aboriginal backgrounds and we have a kinship through that, but that’s not the only reason why we are great mates.

I have been writing and co-writing songs for quite some time and I will continue doing that. I don’t ever want to retire from music, it is just a part of who I am.

I usually let my music do the talking but my song Undercover

of my Skin speaks about growing up and being indigenous with fairer skin. It looks at racism from a different perspective.

Unfortunately there have been a lot of times over the years where I have had to compose myself when people have said horrible things to me and it is just so unnecessary.

Racism is just ridiculous and it is terrible to think people are prejudice just because of the colour of someone’s skin, or the shape of their nose. It’s just crazy. >>

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Those experiences may have left them frustrated, angry and hurt, but the siblings are determined to make a difference, not just for their own families, but the community in general.

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planning and this is definitely a space I want to continue to work on in the indigenous community.

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>>

Andrew, 31

home for family reasons.

Growing up, it wasn’t overly clear to me what my indigenous heritage meant. It wasn’t until the age of about 12 that my appreciation and understanding grew, learning about Pop’s upbringing, the way he lived and where he came from.

Many players come from isolated places with different cultural traditions which must be honoured. I am a Yorta Yorta boy and I have different traditions, so I have to be welcomed into these communities myself, I can’t just walk straight in there.

It was tough growing up as an indigenous person with fair skin. I heard a lot of racist comments over the years (and still do weekly) that I silently dealt with because people didn’t recognise my Aboriginality, but when you are young you don’t feel you have the voice, the confidence, nor the full understanding to speak out.

As tough as all that was, though, it did shape me into the person I am today. I no longer stay silent and I am not afraid to speak up any more. As much as it angers me, I find it’s important to stay calm instead of attacking them with aggression. I find it much more important to let people know it’s not okay to make these racial remarks and try and educate them on why.

When I was drafted to Carlton, I knew I had found my voice and I was determined to become a role model and stand up for the indigenous community.

I spent 13 years at Carlton and by the time I left we had a very powerful indigenous program that really supported young players and it has really made a huge difference.

Staying in their country helps educate me about the players and where they come from, which in turn helps the club.

It really is amazing the club offers such support and it has come a long way from the days when former indigenous player Sir Doug Nicholls was refused a massage after the game because of the colour of his skin.

I think programs like this will find a permanent spot in all AFL clubs in the future.

Even though I returned home to Echuca in 2017, I am still the liaison officer and because I feel so strongly about the value of this role, I will continue to volunteer my time.

Mel, Benny and I were all brought up with very strong family beliefs and even though the three of us have all chosen different walks of life, we love to get together and share our experiences and hopes for the indigenous community in the future.

I pushed really hard for a Reconciliation Action Plan and an indigenous advisery board and created the role as the Carlton Football Club’s indigenous liaison officer (ILO).

In the early days, racism used to make me angry and frustrated, and even though I still don’t understand it, I have learnt to stand up, educate and be counted. I have created my own voice and made a difference and I am very proud of that.

The ILO role is to help make Carlton Football Club more culturally aware of what is involved when drafting indigenous players from across the country, helping them understand why it is important players may have to return

And for those of you wondering if Andrew is ever going to make a return to his music roots, he certainly didn’t deny the fact that he could be back banging on the drums with his brother one day soon. 

31 EchucaMoama

Rich in heritage and abundant in local produce, Junction is a gathering place celebrating the region’s finest.

Junction is a restaurant and bar located on the stunning Murray River in the picturesque Echuca Moama tourist district. It’s the ultimate escape —the perfect spot to enjoy sensational food, wine, cocktails and craft beer that showcases everything the region has to offer in a single, sophisticated setting.

6 SHAW STRE E T, MOAMA NSW

t e l . 1800 806 777 e m a i l . info@junctionmoama.com.au

Junction is an over 18 venue OPENING TIMES

thur – fri · from 5pm sat– su n · from 12noon

32 EchucaMoama

Brock’s legacy one of hope A stillbirth is a harrowing experience for any new parents. After Natalie and Lee Thompson lost their first-born son Brock due to a rarely known condition, they want other expectant parents to know there is still hope, as they explained to VIVIENNE DUCK

Despite having an incompetent cervix, Natalie Thompson has been able to give birth to sons Taj and Fraser and she wants to help support other women with the same condition.

33 EchucaMoama

It was the most traumatic thing we both have ever been through

WHEN Natalie and Lee Thompson fell pregnant two weeks before their wedding, they were over the moon.

They had no idea of the immense pain they were to feel just 20 weeks later.

There weren’t any signs.

Natalie didn’t have any pain.

And there was nothing to suggest she couldn’t carry children.

healthy pregnancy.

“Brock was stillborn at 20 weeks,” Natalie said.

“We were at home. It was just the two of us.

“It was the most traumatic thing we both have ever been through.”

Because Brock was born so early in the pregnancy, they were allowed to have their own burial.

There weren’t any doctors telling them they were about to lose their first-born son.

“We took him and buried him at my parents’ house in Bendigo,” Natalie said.

But they did.

“We were numb and I am glad we were both together through that time.”

Natalie has an incompetent cervix.

They didn’t know this until the week before their son Brock was stillborn.

The pain of that loss is still evident on both of their faces as they sit down at a park and tell their story.

“It was a pretty rocky pregnancy from the start but there were no signs to say anything was wrong,” Natalie said.

“It wasn’t until our 19-week scan did they diagnose me with an incompetent cervix.

“I had no idea what that was. I had never heard of it before.

“We were in our first pregnancy and you think everything will go by the book so to hear that was pretty devastating.”

An incompetent cervix, also called a cervical insufficiency, is a condition that occurs when weak cervical tissue causes or contributes to premature birth or the loss of an otherwise

Natalie and Lee went to see a specialist not long after to try and have another child.

“We were told if we wanted to have more children we would have to do it pretty soon,” Natalie said.

“I was already 30 and we wanted to have more children.”

Not long after, Natalie was pregnant with the couple’s second son Taj. “At 14 weeks I had a cervical stitch done to ensure I could carry Taj to full term,” Natalie said.

“But I also developed pre-eclampsia which we think was brought on by stress.

“At 32 weeks pregnant I was at a support group and another member was a midwife.

“She took my blood pressure and it was through the roof.

>>

34 EchucaMoama

>>

>> “I was transferred to the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne where they were able to stabilise me.”

They again had the cervical stitch put in at 14 weeks and it was relatively smooth sailing until Natalie was 35 weeks.

Not long after she arrived, Taj’s heart rate disappeared and they had to perform an emergency caesarean.

“I thought I was having Braxton Hicks contractions but I was

He was born 45 minutes later, but not without a stressful trip back to the hospital for his father.

“Fraser was born in Bendigo at 35 weeks.”

Lee was in the city at the time as he had been told both mother and child were stable and there was some time to fill in.

“I was in the city when I got the call that they were doing an emergency C-section,” Lee said.

“I didn’t have time to wait for a tram or train so I ran to a store, bought a skateboard and went as fast as I could to get to the hospital in time.”

He made it.

Taj was born with a few complications and spent four months in hospital.

Almost instantly after they arrived back home in Echuca, they were told they only had four years left to have another child.

in labour,” Natalie said.

He was a healthy baby boy.

Natalie said after having her two boys she has found so many other women who had the same condition as her.

“It is so common,” she said.

“But it isn’t something you know about until you or someone you know has gone through it.

“And that is something I want to change.

“Women need to know that they aren’t ever alone. There are other women out there, other women who have been through the heartbreak and have had children with the condition.

“I found a Facebook group which was a huge help to me.

“The women on there have been through similar things.”

“We were told we had to be finished having our children by the time I was 35,” Natalie said.

Natalie lights up when she speaks about Taj and Fraser and

“I was 31 with Taj and we had a think about it and we decided to start trying.

Natalie said Lee has been her biggest support.

“He isn’t just my husband, he is my best friend,” she said.

“It took a bit longer but sure enough we got pregnant.

“He is the best father and there is no way I could have gotten

“It was a completely different pregnancy.”

has a constant reminder of Brock inked into her wrist.

through what we did without him by my side.” 

Life is Good

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The self-care units have a new, personal 24-hour emergency call system and provide independence and privacy with the knowledge of feeling safe and secure in a controlled neighbourhood.

Become a part of a caring, supportive and stress-free community, while enjoying the peace and tranquility and the freedom retirement offers.

A member of the Menarock Aged Care Services Group

61 Regent Street, Moama, NSW 2731 Phone: (03) 5480 9147 or (03) 5482 1311 Mobile: 0428 008 192 Email: allencourt@bigpond.com www.allencourt.com.au

Having a baby

36 EchucaMoama

— when natural is not always normal On paper IVF sounds a simple procedure; in reality it can be painful and heartbreaking. And running the gestational gauntlet does not come cheap as one Echuca-Moama couple told VIVIENNE DUCK

MICHELLE Steenbuck was a 25-year-old woman sitting in a fertility clinic. And she felt totally out of place. She was young, married; healthy.

While the other women sitting and waiting, reading trashy magazines and looking as nervous as she knew she was, were significantly older than her.

“We were married at 22, and a year later we started trying to have a baby. But nothing happened.”

It took Michelle and husband Jason seven years to have two children.

Seven years with two joyous ups and seven years of more distressing downs.

And seven years of giving everything they had to achieve the family they had always wanted.

“We call them our million dollar babies,” Michelle said.

“Because it cost a lot of money to go through what we did; although we wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It is just what we had to do.”

Michelle went to Melbourne IVF for both her children and they were both conceived through different fertility procedures.

“We were started on a fertility treatment known as IUI for our first child,” Michelle said.

Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment that involves placing sperm inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilisation.

The goal of IUI is to increase the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes and subsequently increase the chance of fertilisation.

“It is really invasive and can take a long time,” Michelle said.

“It also increases the chance of multiple births because of the way they do it.

“It was really hard because you just have to sit back and wait to see if it has worked.”

The treatment required Michelle to inject drugs into her stomach on a daily basis.

“That was really scary and I didn’t tell a lot of people that we were going through that at the time,” Michelle said.

“I think people just expect that you can fall pregnant and because we had been married for five or so years people were starting to ask when we were having children.

“People don’t ever think you are going through fertility treatment.”

But the lengthy treatment paid off.

Michelle was 27 when she fell pregnant with her son Bailey after numerous cycles of IUI. “I loved being pregnant,” she said. “That feeling of finally being pregnant is something I can’t really describe. We were over the moon.

“It was a great pregnancy with no morning sickness so I think it was a trade-off for what we had to go through to get there. >>

EchucaMoama

and should be able to have babies.

37

“I just didn’t want to belong there,” Michelle said. “I was young

>> “And he was a healthy and happy little boy.”

38

They were told that after they fell pregnant through IUI treatment Michelle’s body should reset itself and she would be then able to fall pregnant naturally.

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But on Bailey’s first birthday, after trying for months without contraception, they decided to head back to the doctors.

“We went back to the fertility clinic and started IUI treatment again. After 11 unsuccessful cycles we saw a different doctor because our normal one was on holidays,” Michelle said.

“And the first time we put two in I fell pregnant with Emma.”

After a stressful pregnancy for Michelle, filled with anxiety and worry that something was going to go wrong, Emma was born in 2006 — another happy and healthy baby.

“After it is all over you just kind of leave it all behind,” Michelle said.

“I was 32 when I had Emma and it is funny to look back now but we thought we would fall pregnant naturally so we took the appropriate precautions.”

“And he told me I would have to go through IVF treatment if we wanted to have another baby.

Although Michelle and Jason had left the IVF clinic and were

“This was the most devastating thing I have ever heard.”

hard decision to make.

But it was something they had to do.

content with their now whole family unit there was still a “We had six embryos left over,” Michelle said.

“We were told that we should be grateful for what we have,” Michelle said.

“You don’t think twice about them after you have been

“We had a beautiful baby boy and we were so grateful for Bailey but why couldn’t we try for another baby?

“So they were just in storage for a few years. We paid our

“We wanted another baby to add to our family so we did what we had to do.”

through it all, but you have to. storage fee every year and didn’t think about them again until we got that final letter.

“Basically we had to make a choice whether we wanted to

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm outside the body, in vitro (in glass).

destroy them, donate them to another family or donate them

The process involves monitoring and stimulating a woman’s ovulatory process, removing eggs from her ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a liquid in a laboratory.

decision to terminate was never an option.

The fertilised egg undergoes embryo culture for 2–6 days, and is then transferred to the woman’s uterus, with the intention of establishing a successful pregnancy.

“There is a two-week wait after the embryo is put in to my body and that is the longest two weeks ever,” Michelle said.

“There was just a lot of painful waiting periods when you are going through treatment and we both found that really hard.”

But it was made a little easier when a work colleague told Michelle she was going through the same thing.

“You take your fertility drugs with you to work in this little lunch box. You wouldn’t know what it was unless you were going through the same thing,” Michelle said.

“And this woman at work saw my lunch box one morning and asked if I was going through IVF. “She was too and it was so nice to have someone to relate to and talk to that was outside our little family unit.”

After a few rounds of unsuccessful IVF, Michelle was hospitalised.

to science.”

Michelle said because of all they had been through the “It wasn’t something we could do so we had to decide where we wanted to donate them.

“It was a conversation we had with Bailey, who was 10 at the time, which helped us make that final decision.”

The couple had decided to donate their embryos to another couple before speaking to their son.

They had been through family counselling to go through all the possible outcomes of someone else having their children.

But when they put the idea to Bailey he was devastated.

“He was really upset and didn’t want anyone else to have his brothers or sisters,” Michelle said.

“And that was that. We decided that we would donate them to science instead.”

Michelle said their children, now 16 and 11, know how they came in to this world.

“It is actually really common and it isn’t a big deal,” she said.

“You think you are the only one going through that at the time but now I know so many families who went through the exact same thing.”

“I had overstimulated eggs which basically made my stomach blow up and the pain was excruciating,” Michelle said.

Michelle said Jason was really supportive throughout their

“Because of this the doctors wouldn’t let me go through with the next round of IVF.

“We both got to a point at different stages, where we thought

“The first few rounds we chose to just inseminate one egg each time.

“But I am glad we never got there at the same time, because we

“But after this we decided to do two eggs and if we got twins we got twins.

“We both just supported each other through those hard times.

journey. we would give up after Bailey,” Michelle said. probably wouldn’t have Emma.

It is all you can do.” 

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EchucaMoama

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39

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40 EchucaMoama

The special bond between Connor Pettigrove and Max Ogilvie is producing remarkable results.

Living with autism can be a struggle but good friends can ease the burden and bring great rewards, as KIMBERLEY PRICE discovered AN estimated one in 100 people have autism — and boys are four times more likely to be born with the developmental condition.

The youngest of three children, 17-year-old Connor Pettigrove has the mental capacity of a four-year-old. Along with daily struggles which are natural for those who are autistic, Connor has always been overweight.

Max Ogilvie, 18, has been a personal trainer for two years.

Having left school at 16, he pursued his passion for fitness by completing his Certificate 3 and 4 in Personal Training and he began work at FITmob almost two years ago.

The two boys have been close family friends all their lives.

Having grown up together in the twin towns, their strong friendship has become the foundation in helping Connor exceed his weight loss goals and improve his way of life greatly.

The one-on-one environment that personal training gives clients has been particularly crucial in this circumstance.

Connor’s mother Linda Dwyer knew her son would be better suited to individual exercise rather than a group environment.

With Max as the coach and understanding Connor’s potential and capability, personal training seemed like a perfect fit.

“The exercise has made a huge difference,” Linda said.

“He (Connor) sleeps better, eats better and his fitness is so much better.

“He’s been overweight for most of his life and we had tried other things.

“When Max started work at FITmob we thought it was a great way to get Connor’s fitness and health back on track.”

Living with autism has some difficult day- to-day issues for the Pettigrove family. With constant strict habits to ensure Connor doesn’t lose his routine, including Connor’s persistent rising at 5 am, the addition of training classes twice a week was initially difficult for the Echuca Special School student to >> get his head around.

EchucaMoama

is a PerfeCt fit

41

Friendship

42 EchucaMoama

Everyone (at FITmob) always greets Connor and stops him for a chat and as his mum it touches my heart >> But with the help of his ever supportive family and Max, Connor has gone from strength to strength in the gym.

“He would have no idea he’s working out,” Linda said.

“He just does it all because Max tells him to.

“He doesn’t necessarily enjoy it all the time, but he does it.”

Having a range of personal training clients already under his instruction, Max took on the challenge of coaching his friend to a healthier lifestyle. Having known Connor for the majority of his life, Max already had the capability and means of approaching work with a client living with the developmental condition. With Connor’s competency, Max has had to adjust his regular training routine to cater to his trainee’s needs, ability and understanding.

“With his mental capability, I had to adapt the exercises to suit a four-year -old,” Max said.

“That means quick changes to keep him entertained and changing the wording to what Connor calls things so he can understand the instructions.”

Instead of using the name of an exercise, Connor understands the name of the movement. For example, Max calls a squat ‘too low’, boxing is ‘punching’ and other exercises are simply called pulling or pushing.

“Communication is key,” Max said.

twice a week for half-an-hour and the impressive results speak for themselves.

With goals to drop kilos and to look better, Connor has certainly achieved those by losing 8.5 kgs and 12 cm around his waist in his first five months. With Max’s determination and support to see his friend succeed, Connor has accomplished these goals and the pair have bigger and better plans for the future.

“We didn’t change his diet as such,” Linda said.

“But with all the exercise, the weight just started to come off.

“We hope to incorporate swimming into his routine.”

“This afternoon we’re off trampolining and he’s been talking about that all day,” Max laughs.

The strong bond between the two boys is clearly evident.

Always joking, talking to each other and giving encouraging fist bumps, Max and Connor’s lifelong friendship is the solid foundation needed for Connor to strive.

Throughout the exercises, Connor keeps his eyes firmly on his trainer for guidance and motivation, which Max continually delivers throughout their gruelling sessions.

For Linda, watching her son improve his overall quality of life has been incredible.

“We keep it real basic.

“It’s great Connor can go somewhere and not be segregated because of his autism and intellectual age,” Linda said.

“That way it just clicks for him.”

“I think Max is amazing with Connor.

Max uses a range of different exercises to train Connor and it is by no means an easy feat. With the constant changes and quick repetitions, it isn’t long before Connor is working up a sweat.

Max incorporates the regular gym exercises into Connor’s routine and gives him specific goals to strive for.

Since June 2017 Connor and Max have been training together

“Generally everyone at FITmob is amazing as they encourage him every session.

“Everyone always greets Connor and stops him for a chat and as his mum it touches my heart.”

Training closes with a gentle fist bump and positive words from Max. Connor looks his mate straight in the eyes and gives him his trademark cheeky grin and laugh. 

43 EchucaMoama

Locals taking care of locals Menarock Life Murrayvale is a modern, purpose-built aged care facility.

We have 50 bedrooms, divided into 16 single and 17 double rooms. Each bedroom has a fully appointed ensuite, built in robes, ducted heating, evaporative cooling, telephone and television outlets and emergency call system. All bedrooms are serviced daily with linen provided.

Our home is fully secured for our residents’ safety while still enabling access to our private courtyard gardens, meeting areas and a secured dementia walk garden with bus stop and water fountain. Residents are encouraged as far as possible to maintain their independence, social and personal interests.

Choice of medical practitioner or specialist is encouraged. Medication, nutrition, dietary and personal care needs are carefully supervised.

We welcome input from each resident, as it is their home.

Our long-term staff are dedicated professionals who are fully qualified to meet the residents’ personal and clinical care needs, many of whom have been there since the facility opened

in 1982. They are trained to deliver the best service with qualified personal carers and a registered nurse, 24 hours a day, every day, with a special understanding of the needs of the aged. An integral part of our care is to develop individual care plans which provide a holistic team approach. The care plans are regularly reviewed to meet the needs of each resident assisting in the care of the resident’s mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing, giving our carers a sense of achievement and satisfaction.

Our trained chefs provide delicious varied menus with fresh selections each day. A qualified dietitian also ensures that the specific nutritional needs of our residents are met, including religious and cultural requirements.

Activities, recreation and therapeutic programs including exercises, crafts, movies, readings, special events and outings are catered to the residents’ personal interests.

We offer visiting hairdresser, podiatrist, physiotherapist, pharmacist and arrangements for newspaper deliveries upon request.

Additional features • Division 1 Registered Nurse 24 hours • Medication supervision • Comfortable lounge room area • Dedicated secure dementia wing • Secure dementia walk • Sitting room with open fireplace • Large activity rooms • Two separate garden courtyards • Barbeque garden area • Hairdressing salon • Dedicated facility bus

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44

EUREKA!

EchucaMoama

what a Car

The Purvis Eureka was a kit car built in Australia in the 1970s and ‘80s. But when DAVID CHAPMAN caught up with Echuca’s Peter Curtain, who owns one, he found out it’s a car that could be from the future. And getting into it is as hard as it looks

ONE of the first questions people ask on confronting the Purvis Eureka car for the first time is: ‘How do you get in it?’.

He is promoting the AGM as a family event and is also promoting the appeal of the unusual vehicle.

With no visible sign of a door in the conventional sense, the novice is fascinated to see the canopy ‘lid’ lift up allowing driver and passenger to slide into their seats.

The Purvis Eureka was a kit car built in Australia in the 1970s and 80s.

“The police call it a door,” according to Echuca Purvis Eureka owner Peter Curtain.

“You have better visibility with it up. A guy in South Australia drove off with the lid up and the police pulled him over and said ‘You’ve got your door open’.”

Anyone who hasn’t seen a Purvis Eureka will get the chance for an up close and personal look at the vehicle when about 30 of them roll into Echuca-Moama in October for a national convention.

Mr Curtain is a member of the Purvis Eureka Car Club of Australia and is co-ordinating the club’s AGM in the twin towns from October 19-22.

It was based on the Nova kit car design in England and was brought down under after Australian Allan Purvis saw the design while on holiday in the UK in 1971.

After a few modifications and a rebadging to Eureka (in recognition of the fighting spirit of gold miners of the 1854 Eureka Stockade Rebellion), Purvis unveiled his kit car at the Melbourne Car Show in March 1974.

The car’s sleek look and radical canopy door made the Purvis Eureka the talk of the town.

Comprising a fibreglass body placed over a Volkswagen chassis, about 720 of the kit cars were built. Of these, less than 100 are estimated to be still in driveable condition today.

Mr Curtain acquired his Purvis Eureka after finding it rotting

45 EchucaMoama

away in a backyard in Sydney.

“The electrics were shot, the brakes were shot and the motor was sitting out of the car,” he said.

“It’s a show car. It wasn’t built for racing.

“One owner rebuilt the chassis with a tubular construction and ran it in the Targa Tasmania for a few years until he had

“The gearbox wasn’t shot but it only lasted two years.

an altercation with a post.”

“There wasn’t a lot I could rescue on the car but this is how it’s come up.”

An IT specialist — “I was into computers before computers

It took Mr Curtain a period of two years to completely rebuild the car.

“It runs on a VW type 1 motor but there’s not a German part on it,’ he said. “It all came out from America.

“It’s an air cool engine so it runs well all times of the year.”

The car has a standard VW four-speed transaxle transmission.

Mr Curtain hasn’t taken his car past 100 km/h but said some models were ridiculously quick.

“I know one owner who has a turbo charged rotary engine which is absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

were computers” — Mr Curtain’s interest in the kit car was sparked by a comment from his son.

“A Purvis Eureka had been rotting away for quite a while in a paddock in Moama,” he said.

“My son was friends with the owner and told me about this ‘awesome looking car’ that I had to go see.”

“I thought it would be an awesome project and I could go wild with the electronics on this.

“I’m a shed guy. I like to keep busy.”

Mr Curtain’s mechanical knowledge is all self-taught. “I like to research things. I use the internet a lot.” >>

They look fantastic and are a budget machine. And you do get a lot of looks from people when you drive by >>

46 EchucaMoama

“I messed around with electronics in high school with transistors. Then I did a computer course in Bendigo and there weren’t enough computers so I went to the Bendigo Advertiser and then to the Herald and Weekly Times and then into the small business world.”

For the past 16 years Peter has worked with M&S Group Accounting where he is in charge of the network engineering.

Having children who loved to ride dirt bikes proved to be a useful training ground ahead of his work on the car.

“I always loved motorbikes and it was a natural progression from one motor to another,” he said.

“The kids would go to farms to ride their bikes and kids only know one speed — flat out — so at the end of the day I was always rebuilding a motor.

“I always liked cars but it wasn’t until the kids left home that I had more free time and more money to work on cars.”

The Purvis Eureka in Moama was his first taste of the model before he found the one he owns now.

an Isuzu Bellett. “It was a hand-me-down from my sister.”

When Allan Purvis brought the Nova kit car design to Australia, he had to make several modifications.

“The roof was two inches smaller,” Mr Curtain said.

“Purvis changed the windscreen angle and added another three inches to the roof.

“Up until then Australians were cutting the floors out and deepening them so they didn’t hit their heads.”

All up there were three models built — the Eureka Sports, the PL30 (named after Eureka Stockade rebellion leader Peter Lalor) and the F4 (because it ran on a four-cylinder Ford motor).

The latter is the model Mr Curtain owns.

“The F4’s came out in the later 1970s but it sits on a 1967 Volkswagen chassis so as far as VicRoads is concerned this is a 1967 F4 Purvis Eureka,” Mr Curtain said.

“It came with an engineering certificate so I shelved the first one and jumped on it,” he said.

The Purvis Eureka featured in 1975 cult movies The Man From Hong Kong and Death Race 2000, the latter starring a relatively young David Carradine and an even younger Sylvester Stallone.

“An engineering certificate makes it a lot easier to get it on the road. I ended up selling the first one.”

The fact the model has survived into the 21st century is a testament to the fibreglass design.

To say Mr Curtain has carried out a lot of restoration on his vehicle is something of an understatement.

“When I first had it it was painted red,” he said.

“Then I attended my first Purvis Eureka AGM in Mildura and every second car was red so I thought it had to be something different.”

He repainted the car himself and all the computerised functions within the car are his own handiwork.

“This car is over computerised,” he said. “Most guys like to keep their electrics simple.

“The seats were re-covered by a guy in Shepparton who did all the upholstery. The rest is all me.”

The dashboard is from an XT Fairlane and the mirrors and spoiler are off an XR6 Falcon.

“I had a purple XR6 Falcon at the time,” Mr Curtain said.

“It was my wife’s car actually. One morning I took the spoiler off it and just held it over the back of the Eureka and thought it looked good but I had to put it back on my wife’s car before she got up.”

There’s a heads-up display and he also included analogues as a back up for the digital dash “just to be safe”.

Mr Curtain’s work on the car is remarkable considering he didn’t come from a car family.

His father was a magistrate but his oldest brother loved working on cars.

“I started working on them with him and he taught me to drive in one of my other brother’s cars much to his disgust,” he said.

His first car (though he seemed embarrassed to admit it) was

“Being a fibreglass body means it didn’t tend to die,” Mr Curtain said.

“They just got thrown out. I saw one on the side of the road where a guy had it in his shed for 20 years and just wheeled it out and put a for sale sign on it.

“They were generally considered a safe car. One of these got T-boned by a tram in Melbourne once.

“The outer shell was destroyed but the driver, who had to be cut out, was completely unharmed.

“The fibreglass body is built into a 3D shape so it’s incredibly strong. You’re basically in a tub.

“A guy in Sydney bought the original moulds so he can make any part you want for it.”

Mr Curtain’s Purvis Eureka does have a roof but he prefers to drive with it off, even with a single wiper fighting off the rain on the windscreen.

“At 80 km/h, nothing gets in. The design creates a vacuum effect and rain on the front of the car goes straight over the top.”

He admits the car is “a bit stiff on the suspension” and doesn’t drive it anywhere without a toolbox, but it is unlikely he would want it any other way.

“It’s something different and pretty iconic,” Mr Curtain said of the car.

“They look fantastic and are a budget machine. And you do get a lot of looks from people when you drive by.”  The Purvis Eureka Car Club of Australia will hold its AGM in Echuca from October 19–22. A Show ‘n’ Shine of cars from around Australia is planned in the Port of Echuca on the Saturday between 9 am and 1 pm.

47 EchucaMoama

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CARMAR president Mez McCubbin with one of the puppies in the animal rescue service’s care.

48 EchucaMoama

at a time

When TYLA HARRINGTON caught up with the animal rehoming service responsible for saving so many animals in the twin towns she quickly realised just how much CARMAR really stands for

IT’S a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to give

“We all bring something to the table,” Geraldine said.

people and animals good karma.

She’s right — everyone has their part to play to make the

It’s had that at the forefront of its mind since launching on

organisation successful.

February 1, 2017.

But it’s their love for animals that all three of them have in

And with a name like CARMAR (Campaspe and River Murray

common.

Animal Rehoming), if any organisation is going to spread it, it’s bound to be this one.

One of three women tasked with its running is secretary Geraldine Parker, who has been involved in animal rescue in Echuca since its inception in 2010.

“You do see the best and the worst in people,” she said.

“There’s some people that have no option but to give up their animals and then there’s some people who think they are disposable and that annoys me.”

Known as the “goldmine” of information and contacts, as well as a self-confessed cat lady, Geraldine said on any given day she could put up to four hours into the organisation.

“Day to day I check all the emails and all the applications for animals,” she said.

“I’m the first point of contact for people wanting to surrender animals, people wanting to know how to adopt, referrals to wildlife and the shire (of Campaspe).

“I also do the grant applications and the tax stuff.”

So she’s the backbone of the organisation?

“No, it’s all three of us,” Geraldine said.

She’s referring to group president Mez McCubbin and media manager Leanne McMullan.

“I’ve always been surrounded by animals,” Mez said.

“We had everything growing up. Mum always believed in two of everything and we had two of everything whether it had two legs, fur or scales.”

Mez said the group had a small but very dedicated number of foster carers and an incredibly active fundraising team.

“We are always looking for more like-minded animal lovers to join our team,” she said.

“We’ve had fruitful meetings with our local councils in Victoria and NSW who run their local animal shelters and have sent out introduction emails to all the retirement homes, welfare agencies and the vets to garner support and referrals.

“And it’s working.

“We are all volunteers and we do it because we love animals great and small.”

CARMAR has DGR status so any donations people make are fully tax deductible.

“As a non-profit organisation CARMAR relies fully on contributions from our constant fundraising, so any donations you make are very gratefully accepted,” Mez said.

“You can make monetary donations to our CARMAR Bendigo Bank account (BSB 633 00 ACC 159 002 864). >>

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one paw

49

Making a difference

>>

50

“Or any hardware donations such as items for the animals, pet food, worm tablets, flea treatments, pet toys or clothing can be picked up or delivered by contacting us on 0447 727 439 or private messaging our Facebook page.

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“We will even pick up in our CARMAR ute if you live in the Echuca-Moama area.”

Mez said sadly most aged care facilities in Echuca-Moama do not allow residents to bring their pets into care with them.

“This can be very traumatising for the elderly and an added burden for the family,” she said.

“This is where CARMAR care comes to the rescue.

“We are all locals, live in the area and offer that special community knowledge. We are happy to take in surrendered pets and find them an equally loving home where they will be cherished until their final days.”

Last year CARMAR received $4000 from Campaspe Shire’s community grants program to implement a cat de-sexing program for low income families.

“The program is heavily subsidised,” Mez said.

“Unwanted kittens from undesexed cats are a huge problem and this will reduce these numbers.

“It is wonderful Campaspe Shire is leading the way in the state for such forward thinking to the problem of overpopulation of cats.”

Mez said many people do not realise what kitten season is.

“Many people do not realise that there is one. They discover this when they try to adopt a kitten in the winter months when they are few and far between,” she said. “From November through to January each year thousands of unwanted cats and kittens are surrendered throughout the country.

“Kitten season is the time of year when cats give birth, flooding animal shelters and rescue groups across the nation with homeless litters.

“It is really three seasons in one, starting in spring, peaking in late spring or early summer and ending in autumn.

“As cats have very little difficulty conceiving and giving birth, nearly every undesexed female cat who is exposed to one or more undesexed males will become pregnant,” Mez said.

“She may even be bred by more than one male including to those related to her.

“Even females who are nursing kittens can be rebred and have another litter in the same year.

“Pound, shelters and volunteer animal rescue groups continue to deal with the annual influx of cats and kittens who come through their doors throughout kitten season.

“With resources stretched, shelters at capacity and foster carers utilised, the organisations simply can’t care and rehome all animals received.

“The relatively low cost of preventing our pets from producing so many unwanted offspring far outweighs the cost to the

community of caring for puppies and kittens in shelters.

“Regretfully many of those in pounds and shelters are eventually put to sleep because there just aren’t enough homes for them.

“CARMAR urges all prospective pet owners to relieve the pressure and make the responsible decision to get your new pet through a registered animal rescue group who are governed by state legislation to only rehome animals that have been desexed, microchipped and vaccinated.”

Last but certainly not least, CARMAR is in urgent need of foster carers — both short-term (up to four weeks) and longterm (up to four months).

“CARMAR supply and pay for all veterinary costs, food, equipment and support which may be required,” Mez said.

“All you need to supply is your love, patience and house with access to a secure backyard or secure cat enclosed area.

“If you are willing to give foster caring a try please phone CARMAR on 0447 727 439.”

You never know, you might just get some good karma. 

51

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52

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• • • • • • • •

Dreams now a reality 53

for lily

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Art has always been a part of Lily O’Connell’s life. SOPHIE BALDWIN caught up with the university student who loves being able to express herself on canvas LILY O’Connell discovered the joy of art as a 10-year-old primary school girl.

Initially it was sparkly gel pens that grabbed her attention but as she moved through her art classes and through different mediums including grey lead pencils, pastels, water colours, acrylic and oil paints, she knew she was onto a lifelong love.

Art is a part of Lily.

A self-portrait Lily painted expressing her loss of identity and struggle with resilience was entered into an emerging artwork competition at Melbourne art gallery fortyfivedownstairs in June last year.

While she didn’t win, Lily was happy to be a finalist and even more stoked when her painting walked out the door sold.

She knew that was the case during primary school and it was confirmed through private lessons after school.

“I was really happy that someone liked my painting enough to want to buy it, despite the couple of flaws that were in it” she said.

Art became a way for her to deal with her emotions and cope with some pretty tough times both physically and mentally.

“In fact, I think there were a couple of people who ended up wanting to buy it.”

“I started art when I was young and quite unwell,” Lily said.

“I couldn’t play sport so art became a way I could express myself and it gave me something to focus on.”

Lily describes her style as a little dark, usually realistic with something just a little bit off — a bit like something you see in your dreams.

Her favourite medium is oils.

“They are so rich and using them allows me time to go through the process of how I want it to be,” Lily said.

“It stays wet for ages and there is no right or wrong way when it comes to oil painting. You can push the paint around however you like.

“I never know when my work is done but that’s the beauty of oils — you can just keep going and going. But once you sign the work and cover it in resin, you can’t change a thing and that’s when I know I am finished.”

Lily said she was enjoying her time at university and learning more about herself and her style.

“I do my own thing and I am not really into people pleasing,” she said.

“Some of the teachers have really strong opinions but you have to just learn to take their criticism and I think you can either cope with that or you can’t.”

Looking to the future, Lily thinks she will be teaching art in some form or another.

“The idea of teaching privately really appeals to me,” she said.

“I would love to teach people who are genuinely interested, rather than someone who is forced into art because they have to do it.

“I want to help people get something down on paper but I also think I can help with life in general. I would like to think people could talk to me about stuff if they needed to.” 

54 EchucaMoama

The paintbrush and blank canvas holD so muCh Potential

In these surrounds she is at home.

And it has been since the day her father first sat her down with an easel and told her to let her imagination run wild.

And it’s still where she returns, day after day.

For Bronwyn, as long as she has a blank page, a paintbrush and a mind fertile with ideas, she’s right where she needs to be.

She echoes mid-20th century American painter Robert Motherwell: “(painting is) an essentially warm, simple, radiant act, for which everyone has a need”.

It’s this universal need which has seen Bronwyn become a major driver of the arts in Echuca-Moama.

Years down the track, Bronwyn has established herself as a mover and shaker in the local art world.

Currently the secretary of the Echuca Moama Arts Initiative, Bronwyn is also a teacher at the Foundry Arts Space in Echuca.

A role which has seen her instil a love of art in many local hearts.

“So many people make an agreement with themselves from about Year 8 that they can’t draw,” she said.

“It’s so sad. Art is not encouraged nearly enough as a source of enjoyment.

“People need to approach art with energy to learn and take risks. Their intention shouldn’t be to create a finished product equal to a Rembrandt.”

In addition to teaching art, Bronwyn is, of course, creating it.

To her you don’t need to be a Leonardo or a Raphael to be worthy of the artistic mantle.

And her work, with its considered use of colour and geometry, is turning heads in the art world.

You just need courage and imagination.

She’s already staged a solo exhibition at the Visual Arts Centre in Bendigo and has sold multiple works to private collectors domestically and internationally.

“People need to be patient with themselves when painting and accept what they’re producing is valuable,” she said.

“And mistakes are all a part of it. I don’t like people throwing artwork out. I don’t like erasers.

“Perfectionism is the killer of joy.”

Bronwyn’s love of art began while she was still young.

Attending an academic Catholic girls’ school, she immediately warmed to the wide open spaces of English and art.

After studying visual merchandising at RMIT, Bronwyn worked locally in graphic design before pausing to have her three children.

Returning to the industry years later, she encountered one major hiccup — computers had infiltrated the graphic design world.

Bronwyn returned to university, attending La Trobe in Bendigo to further study commercial art.

It was there she rediscovered her true passion while completing units in art history, life drawing and general drawing.

A career in painting called to her.

But the dream wouldn’t be realised just yet.

After several more years in commercial art and an honours degree in fine art, Bronwyn completed a diploma of education in secondary teaching.

She worked for three years as an art teacher at St Mary’s and another three as a Catholic Education Officer for the arts across the diocese before she finally decided to pursue her dream — painting.

“I use the grid a lot in my work. It’s a meticulous way of painting, with its horizontal and vertical lines. But within that grid is a relaxed, freer expression,” she said.

“It’s an element that can create an innocence and beauty and balance. Plus I’ve recently been returning to more figurative elements, such as people.”

While to some, art is merely copying surroundings onto a canvas; to Bronwyn it’s much more.

“For me painting is a manifestation of philosophy, rather than about painting objects,” she said.

“It has a specific function within a culture — it is a view of truth manifested in a painting. When I work from that position, it is more powerful and fulfilling than just trying to replicate an object or serve the viewer.

“The aesthetic purpose of my work is to purvey experience and elicit emotions. When I am making art I’m in a moment of contentment regardless of the challenges.”

And Bronwyn (like most of us) has certainly encountered challenges along the way.

Which have brought her — again and again — back to the blank canvas.

“Art can be a form of freedom for so many artists,” she said.

“It can be an outward expression of an inward choice to change a life situation.

“It’s a visual literacy; it is a method of expression less complicated by words.” 

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SITTING in her studio, canvases stacked against the wall, a book of ideas cradled in her lap and dried paint under her fingernails, Bronwyn Beer looks contented.

55

Painting has been something of a lifelong life force for Bronwyn Beer but CHARMAYNE ALLISON has discovered her talent stretches into a variety of roles in the art world as she works hard to create new converts

Jack of all trades

56

beCame a master Painter

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Jack Roberts has been a high-profile and highly successful artist but explained to CHARMAYNE ALLISON his paints and easel were very much a midlife, well, not crisis but certainly change in direction as he pursued his dream EACH of Jack Roberts’ paintings tells a story.

A couple of deft brushstrokes on canvas aren’t just the beginning of a beautiful picture.

To Jack, each artwork becomes a priceless memory captured forever on canvas.

Like the countless plein air paintings from his years on the Victorian coast, soaking up the sunlight as he painted with wife Christina by his side.

Or his sun-baked renderings of central Victoria’s farmland, reminiscent of his 20 years as a farmer.

And then there are the paintings tinged with sadness — such as the still life of a bouquet of flowers a friend brought when Jack’s beloved Christina became ill for the last time.

Stories of love and heartache, of triumph and change, his collection forms a visual biography — an artistic memoir of a life well-lived.

Only a few of these paintings are still with Jack however.

A small number hang in his room at the Menarock Life Murrayvale nursing home in Moama.

And they’re only a fraction of what he’s painted in his decades as an artist — Jack estimates he’s created a staggering 1500 artworks throughout the years.

But most have made their way into private collections, artlovers hungry to get their hands on one of Jack’s creations.

While this sheer volume of art suggests a lengthy career, it wasn’t a smooth journey into the art world for Jack.

Born in Hampton, Victoria, in 1925 and growing up through the Great Depression, he had a tougher childhood than many of us can imagine.

But, like many heroes of his time, he shrugs off those difficult years as ‘not noteworthy’.

“It didn’t mean anything to us as kids, we still got fed. And we didn’t ask for much,” he reminisced.

Throughout his school years, Jack’s passion for art began to flourish.

A lover of pencil and watercolour artwork, it wasn’t unusual to find him scribbling away, capturing anything and everything on a scrap of paper.

Jack was just 14 when World War II swooped on his world.

“It was a bit frightening. As a kid you think, what are we going to do if they invade? But they never touched us,” he said.

Although Jack’s brothers went off to fight, he wasn’t allowed to enlist due to a farm work commitment in the country.

But he doesn’t look back on this with regret. After all, he’d just met the girl of his dreams.

He bumped into Christina at a New Year’s Eve dance in Yarram, where he lived during the war. It was love at first sight, and the beginning of what would be a 77-year marriage.

During the war years Jack also completed a commercial art course by correspondence through Melbourne Technical College.

Applying for jobs in commercial art on completing the course, he was met only with closed doors.

“They said my work was good, but they could get someone else and pay them less,” he said.

The war came to a close and, three years later, Jack and Christina were married and moved to a house he’d built in Melbourne.

Later, relocating to Mirboo North in South Gippsland, Jack launched a 20-year career in farming — 10 years in dairy and another 10 with sheep and cattle.

But when lamb prices plummeted, the couple was relieved to leave stressful farm life behind forever.

It was then Jack finally pursued his true passion — painting.

“I was about 45 and had always wanted to paint. So I just started teaching myself,” he said.

“The first few paintings were absolutely awful. But I was lucky enough to meet another talented artist who introduced me to watercolours. I later got into acrylic and oil painting as well.”

Throughout the subsequent decades, Jack and Christina lived in locations across Australia — by the river of Moruya and the seaside of Bateman’s Bay in NSW to the sleepy streets of Moama.

And his easel and paintbrushes went with them.

“Every painting has a story of where we lived at the time,” he said.

“Painting outside was where I was most at peace. I loved being by the rivers and mountains and sea.”

It wasn’t long before the rest of the world wanted a piece of Jack’s distinctive artwork.

His first solo exhibition was held in 1974, followed with artistic regularity by group and solo exhibitions featuring his oil, acrylic and watercolour artworks.

His paintings featured in multiple national art publications and found their way into private collections around the world, including the US, UK, France, Holland, Japan, China and Hong Kong.

But now, at the ripe old age of 93, Jack has finally decided to lay his paintbrush to rest.

He looks back on his celebrated artistic career just as he looks back on much of his life — with a genuine humility, airily brushing off any praise for his extraordinary achievements.

But for him, it was never about the praise.

It was purely for the love of it.

And he wouldn’t trade any one of those fresh-aired days painting by the seaside for all the accolades in the world. 

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Even rusty old rubbish

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has its role in art

It might have started as a sort of therapy but it very quickly became a rapacious master, demanding more and more stuff be fed into its system. SOPHIE BALDWIN caught up with an accidental artist who is getting more talented — and confident — piece by piece “I AM not an artist — I am just someone who sticks bits and pieces together but instead of using a glue gun, I use a MIG welder.”

That’s Sue Bentley’s take on her talent, something she accidentally fell into a couple of years ago.

Sue has been surprised by the creativity that has been unleashed since she first picked up a welder and she now enjoys nothing more than fossicking through piles of old rusty stuff to add to her expanding collection.

Living on a farm has proved to be a great source of material, as have neighbouring properties which she also raided. Her stockpile is in a constant state of flux and rusty stuff comes and goes but Sue wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I think I have well and truly extended beyond my allotted storage space,” she laughed.

Sue’s foray into welding began when her daughter was diagnosed with a mental illness.

“As a way of spending time together and keeping an eye on her, we started creating things together.

“I initially started trying to do stuff with wood but I was hopeless, the wood soon turned to welding.

“My husband Tony is a boilermaker by trade. I picked up the welder and said I think I can do this, he showed me a few basic rules and walked away because he is very much a perfectionist and I am not, and that was more than two years ago.”

Sue began experimenting making bits and pieces and was surprised when she went to the Moama market with her daughter and came home with an empty trailer.

“I couldn’t believe I sold all of my stuff, it was amazing,” she said.

As Sue became more confident, her imagination grew and she became more adventurous.

One of the favourite things she has done is welding some flowers and an old bird onto a rusty old gate.

“Tony said to me how much did I think that gate’s worth?

“I told him a price and then he came back a little bit later and put the money down in front of me, said ‘you can’t sell it now’

and that was that. If I had known he was going to pay for it, I would have doubled the price for sure,” she joked.

The gate was happily installed in the Bentley family garden, although it’s a bit like Where’s Wally? because it is constantly on the move.

Sue said sometimes she can just look at a piece and immediately see what it will become — others can take a bit longer. These are no less treasured though, because it is important to have a pile of rusty things on hand just in case.

“I found this metal piece like a rusty old cone and I thought to myself you are going to be an echidna one day, I added some horseshoes and that’s what it became.

“I made a goanna last year and the body and tail were awesome but I hated the head so I cut it off and remade it, you just know when you finally have something right.

“It’s also in the garden and currently has cantaloupes growing through it.”

Sue thinks it’s hilarious that one of her favourite possessions is now a five-inch grinder.

“I love that thing. Before I got the grinder I was very limited to what I could do but now I cut and grind and it’s awesome.

I now want to learn how to use the oxy welder.”

Sue said she has gone through phases which have included creating bird baths, dragonflies, flowers and Australian animals.

She is happy to create items for other people but is very upfront that it will always be her own interpretation.

She can’t replicate pieces, they are all individual and they all have to pass the drop test (Sue drops them onto the cement to make sure they don’t break and the welds are strong) She has also generously donated some of her items to be auctioned or raffled for charity.

“I just love welding. It’s like my own personal equivalent to knitting, but instead of wool I use metal. It’s awesome to create objects from a pile of rusty junk and for me, the rustier it is, the better — rust makes me happy.

“I can go out to the shed and all of sudden it has been hours and everyone is complaining they are hungry — I often lose track of the time when I am welding.” 

59

EchucaMoama

Echuca artist Joyce Dempsey is proud her “quirky” art is full of character.

60 EchucaMoama

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In that regard, Joyce Dempsey does not disappoint.

The second you walk into her home the visitor is captivated by the expansive range of artworks and the conversation of what is what begins.

Joyce was raised on dairy farms in Lockington and Echuca Village, but didn’t get into art until she was in Canberra.

“A friend talked me into doing folk art,” she said.

“So I started painting in 1995, painting simple naïve things.

“Then I moved to Melbourne and got involved in classes there.

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“I also entered the folk art society and started learning traditional folk art.

“It is great for learning the basic brush strokes,” she said.

Fast-forward to 2003 and Joyce made the move back to Echuca and joined the Echuca-Moama Artists — which she still belongs to today.

“When I joined, I thought I needed to get out of the naïve folk art type of stuff,” Joyce said.

I play around with a lot of things but people generally describe my art as quirky. I like doing things like birds and animals which have character — silly faces and the eyes which say a lot 61

“I put myself in a hard place where it had to look good close up and far away so it was a bit difficult to get there.”

While she has interests in folk art and canvas, she describes her art as ‘she hasn’t quite found where she wants to be yet’.

“I play around with a lot of things but people generally describe my art as quirky,” Joyce said.

“I like doing things like birds and animals which have character — silly faces and the eyes which say a lot.”

You could definitely pick she held a fascination for eyes just looking at her lounge room where images of emus and other animals are prominent.

As one could imagine, there are many art groups in EchucaMoama and Joyce believes there should be a universal arts space.

“It would give the opportunity for all the art groups to exhibit together or individually,” she said.

“It would have to be somewhere that can be manned seven days a week, with a paid person of course.

“There is a lot of art out there but because each space is hardly open it just isn’t out in the forefront as much as it could be.”

Joyce exhibited as recently as January at Alton Gallery, but also exhibits in Deniliquin, Tatura, Nathalia and Kerang.

“There’s a lot of Rotary art shows going around that you can get involved in,” she said.

At Alton Gallery in Hare St there are different exhibitions each month, but members also get to exhibit at different times of the year.

“There is a member’s exhibition from Easter until the end of May and then we also have our annual exhibition which runs for three days in October,” Joyce said.

“We also generally have a member’s exhibition over the Christmas and January period.

“It keeps it fresh.”

Moving back to Echuca and starting new techniques, one of the first mediums Joyce used was a pallet knife and texture paste.

“It didn’t have to look good close up but there was detail there as well as loose business and dripping things and runs and glazes all added together,” she said.

Since then, Joyce has mostly painted with acrylic but has since branched out into water colours as well.

“Again, it is different. It’s taking me back to sitting and doing close up work because the detail is a bit more important,” she said.

“I was terrified with water colour to begin with — still am but it can be done.”

She pointed out other paintings around the room, explaining what was created out of acrylic, pallet knife and water colour.

“The water colour being a completely different medium again,” she said.

“You can’t make mistakes, but even if you do it’s just a piece of paper — you can throw it out and start again.”

Joyce still does some folk art here and there — but not as much as she used to because it’s a dying art.

“You don’t see it around much any more which is a shame because we should be doing more of it to bring its profile back up again,” she said.

She adds drawing to her repertoire after taking classes many years ago in Sydney.

“My friend talked me into painting,” Joyce said. “I said ‘no, no, no, can’t do it’.

“At the time I could draw but as soon as I put paint to it it was wrecked.

“So starting the folk art was through doing other people’s designs.”

Along with drawing, Joyce has also composed and painted her own children’s book.

She painted each page and had photos taken of her and her grandchildren and had the headshots pasted onto the page.

It was used as a gift to each of her five grandchildren.

It always difficult to decide which painting is her favourite and Joyce showed how difficult it could be.

“If you asked yourself if there was a fire which one would you take (to save),” she said.

“It’s difficult because some you put all your heart and soul into.

“It would probably have to be the emu eye because of its character and I could never get rid of it.

“It’s believed the eye is the window to the soul which is why I called it that — The Penetration.”

For anyone who has a love, it’s difficult to find a dislike and for Joyce it was no different.

“I just haven’t got enough time to do it,” she said.

“I don’t wish to be famous. I don’t. Well, it would be great to sell paintings for $2000 each but I can’t see myself ever getting to that point.

“I think it just gets too pressurised then especially to perform, so yeah, I’m happy doing what I am doing. I just wish I had more time.” 

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“It was a pretty hard transition to go from making things look brilliant close up to having to do things on canvases and be framed and stuck on a wall and having it not look good close up, rather to look good from far away.

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Carol brings her

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craft home to Cohuna Twenty years after leaving her small hometown in her wake Carol Dove talked to SOPHIE BALDWIN about what brought her home — and what she brought home with her CAROL Dove never believed she would return to her home town of Cohuna. She moved away 20 years ago and thought that would be the last she would see of the place.

But life has its own way of determining where you end up, and with a grandchild in the area, Carol and her family made the decision to head for home.

So she has embraced her return to the place of her childhood and quickly re-immersed herself in the community. She has built a new home which includes an art studio; she teaches gymnastics, has held an exhibition and established a custom made picture framing service.

Her creativity has flourished and as a result she is happy and content.

Art has always played a significant role in Carol’s life, as a child she spent many hours drawing and creating.

There were no fancy pencils back then; she just used whatever she could grab out of her trusty old pencil case.

“I found some old scrapbooks from high school and when I looked through them I could see I had drawn all through them. I used to draw on, or over, anything I could get my hands on,” Carol said.

As the years passed, Carol has dabbled in many different mediums but it was an art class at Warragul that introduced her to the art of air brushing and she was instantly hooked.

Carol said she loved the fact the technique was ever-evolving and she continues to learn ways to improve and fine tune her work. She usually works from a picture and alters; crops or edits it slightly to create her own interpretation.

facial expressions. I loved working on the portraits of my granddaughter Novah — she is beautiful with a loving nature that l think comes through in the paintings.”

Carol has painted many different things; including people and animals.

She has attended workshops at different times of the year and always comes away inspired and full of new ideas.

“I am off to an expressive portrait course and I am going to try water colour this time. I love going to courses because I am influenced by what others do and I love incorporating it into my own work and my own style.”

Carol has also been commissioned to paint pieces and said while it was an honour; it could also be quite stressful.

“I like airbrushing because it allows me to quickly capture a subject’s personality with a very 3D likeness,” she said.

“There is always the pressure to get it right, especially when you are creating something for someone.

“My pictures are usually quite large so l work on small squares at a time. I don’t work in any order so when l finally join them all up it’s a bit like finishing a giant puzzle.”

“There is a certain expectation when it comes to portraits and I always hope I capture what the client is looking for.”

Some of her favourite works include a black-and-white airbrushed painting of some African animals — and some very cute portraits of her granddaughter Novah.

“I have always been drawn to people and in particular their

Carol has no problem staying motivated as she always has an idea in her mind of what her next piece will be.

“Art is a part of me and is like a form of meditation. I can lose hours working away because I am so focused and I tend to get lost, five hours later I can still be standing in front of a canvas.”

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Campaspe College is full of creativity

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KRISTEN DYER Kristen Dyer has been teaching for 10 years.

And the wealth of knowledge she brings to her oil painting and watercolour classes is invaluable.

“My students learn the basics of each medium and then work on their own projects,” Kristen said.

“You are never too old to learn how to paint or draw. I have students from 16 to 84 years of age so my classes are open to everyone.”

Kristen’s classes aren’t just about art.

“For a lot of my students it is an escape

and somewhere where they can focus on themselves through their art practice,” Kristen said.

“My classes are very welcoming and we do have a lot of fun.

“For me one of the best feelings is when one of your students sells their first artwork. To get them to that point is a really great feeling.”

Many of Kristen’s students have also gone on to win awards.

“No matter your skill level my classes are welcome to everyone,” Kristen said.

DENISE HARGREAVES There is a single focus for students at Campaspe College of Adult Education.

Denise and her team have been running classes for 11 years and she said many of her students have gone on to higher education.

And Denise Hargreaves believes there “A lot of my Year 12 students have is no better way to learn. gone on to fine art courses at Denise runs a fine art school from the university and one of my students got college for ages eight and above. accepted into White House which is “We focus on drawing and painting really hard to get in to,” she said. skills as well as art therapy and “There is a lot of support for adult creative work,” she said. artists in Echuca-Moama and I think

“For a lot of my students it is about switching off and using the class as a type of therapy.”

what we do is facilitate those younger people who want to be involved in the art scene.”

ANDREW MOORE

And they believe the Campaspe College is the perfect space for them to do that in Echuca.

“It is a really comfortable space and everything we need is available to us thanks to the fantastic staff at Campaspe College,” Andrew said.

“We do performing arts classes, singing, dancing, acting and everything in between.

“Campaspe College is a friendly and welcoming atmosphere to come to and there are just so many options available to the Echuca community at the college.

“And we cater from age two to 102 from absolute beginners to seasoned performers.”

Dillmac has produced some stand out performers over their 20 year history.

“We have had students perform on a cruise ship, open their own dance studios, their own theatre company, go on to dance with Jason Coleman’s School of Dance, perform and work overseas and the list goes on,” Andrew said.

“But you don’t have to have any experience in the performing arts to come to Dillmac.

“We encourage people of all ages and abilities to come and explore what we have to offer.”

103–109 Hare St, Echuca | Phone: 5482 4601 admin@ccae.vic.edu.au | www.ccae.vic.edu.au

RTO 3665

Andrew Moore and the Dillmac team pride themselves on giving anyone and everyone a go.

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than just one tune

With music in her DNA and an untapped depth of determination and talent Heidi Moncrieff is convinced she can juggle more than one career — that she can be a police officer as well as carving a future as a musician. VIVIENNE DUCK reports SOME people have a drive like no other; with a passion to match when pursuing their dreams and all the opportunities they create for them.

People such as Heidi Moncrieff — strong, dedicated and talented.

And although she might be one of the most sought-after musicians in the twin towns she is now looking to widen her horizons for the sake of her career.

As a police officer.

“I am currently waiting to hear about getting in to the police force,” she said. “It has been something I have wanted to do for a long time and even though I am young I really want to do it.

“So I am going through the processes now. Fingers crossed I get in the first go.”

But she hopes to maintain her music despite a change in scenery.

“I will try and do as many gigs as I can once I get into the police force,” she said.

“I just love doing it and it has always been an escape for me.

“It is something I have worked at for a long time and will always be something I want in my life.”

And as the 18-year-old sits upon a stage with just a microphone and guitar you would think it all just came naturally to her — she was definitely born with more than one musical bone in her body.

“My mum is a violin teacher and that was always something she really encouraged when we were younger,” Heidi said.

“I had an interest in the guitar and when we realised I was maybe a bit serious about it I started singing lessons.”

But it wasn’t until fellow musician Tyler Hudson got the then 14-year-old Heidi up on stage at Moama RSL to sing with him did gigs start rolling in.

“I was then asked to do gigs there and then the Star Hotel approached me to play there as well,” Heidi said.

“I was 14 when I first started playing at pubs and it was kind of funny because my mum had to come with me and sit there for the three hours because I was underage.

“It was pretty cool being able to go out when I was that young and be in a pub.”

Four years later and now playing in pubs without supervision, Heidi is an old hand in the Echuca-Moama music scene.

“There is just so much talent around here which makes it a really nice place to play and be a part of,” Heidi said.

“And everyone gets along and helps everyone out.

“There is a great vibe with all the different musicians around here.”

Heidi said the best part of the Echuca-Moama music scene is the varying crowds she gets to play for.

“I enjoy all the scenes we have here,” she said.

“From the American and the Shamrock where everyone is really supportive and after a few drinks love getting up and having a dance to your music to the Gypsy where it is a bit more intimate.

“And then there are the private functions I do and it is different again.

“There is just so much love of live music around here that it makes it so enjoyable for us as musicians.”

Although Heidi is now moving into a new phase of her life, she believes the support of her family has been paramount to her success.

“You just can’t do what I have been doing without the support of my parents and family,” she said.

“They are always supportive and are full of encouragement for my next chapter — even though I won’t be saying goodbye to this one any time soon.” 

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Dancing to more

saVannah reCKons her long-term

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plans are on song Not too many teenagers would be prepared to sacrifice their social life — and sleeping in — to pursue a long-term career goal, but IVY JENSEN has met one Moama 16-year-old who is doing that, and more, to achieve her dream

SACRIFICE is something Savannah Ogden knows all too well.

Most teenagers her age are going to parties and hanging out with friends — not thinking too seriously about the future.

But for Savannah the future has already begun and it has her total focus and commitment.

A voice coach who believes she has the potential to win a Grammy.

“I would like to produce my own music,” Savannah said.

“Singing is my life and that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. To make a career out of being a singer-songwriter would be a dream come true.”

Although she started lessons at eight, Savannah has been singing for as long as she can remember.

“She was humming before she spoke,” her mother Darrinda recalled.

Savannah said that was likely because music always played in her head.

“I used to get into trouble by my teacher for humming in class,” she said.

While living in Geelong for three years, the Echuca-born teen began singing lessons and sang at various events, including the Geelong Show.

Moving back to Echuca-Moama in 2013, she started learning from singers Brian Lord and Jacinta Cannon. But since the end of 2016, Savannah has been travelling to Melbourne once a week to be trained by master coach David Jaanz.

Which is no mean feat.

David — who runs The David Jaanz School of Singing — is the first coach to have coached winners of all three major national singing competitions in Australia, including Australia’s Got Talent with Bonnie Anderson 2007, The Voice with Harrison Craig in 2014 and The X Factor with Isaiah Firebrace in 2016.

He is also the first coach in Australia to have two students represent Australia in Eurovision — Isaiah Firebrace (2017) and Bella Paige (Junior Eurovision 2015).

He has also coached numerous local and international stars in a career that has spanned three decades, including multi Aria Award winner Delta Goodrem.

Savannah hopes to add her name to that list.

“David is amazing,” she said.

While most of her friends her age are sleeping in on Saturdays, Savannah is on the bus to Melbourne at 8.30 am for two hours of lessons — not arriving home again until 8 pm.

“I don’t mind doing it,” she said. “It’s about sacrifice. Everyone I know is going to parties.

“I would rather be at home singing. I can party later. I want to focus on my future first.

“I’m doing this because I want to. Because I’m hoping this will get me places.”

So the decision not to go back to school this year was not one made lightly, according to Savannah and her parents.

“I never really liked school. I never felt like I fitted in,” Savannah said.

“I want to focus solely on my music and I believe if I have enough faith in myself, I will do well with my music.”

So this year is all about getting as much performing experience as she can.

Savannah will continue to compete in monthly open mic and feature nights (run by The David Jaanz School of Singing) and has just been accepted into Shepparton youth theatre company Initial Stages.

“I want to do more performances around town, hopefully get a few gigs, and I have a big showcase at the end of the year,” she said.

And in turn, she hopes this will improve her confidence.

Because, like many performers, Savannah has had her fair share of bad experiences — nerves getting the better of her and forgetting lyrics.

“Before I perform now, I always take a breath, close my eyes and try to zone out,” she said. “David has really helped me with my nerves.”

Describing her voice as “soulful and quirky”, Savannah enjoys singing covers by Matt Corby, Sam Smith, Billie Eilish and Birdy.

But her hope is to one day sing her own songs.

“I have written quite a few. I get inspired by the things around me and some songs are about every day observations.”

And getting a music mixing station for Christmas is helping her create her own music — even if it means keeping the rest of the family up.

“He has a unique way of teaching, totally different to anything else I’ve done. He puts you in a different place.

“She already sings wherever she goes and now she’s on her mixing station until three in the morning,” Darrinda laughed.

“It’s emotion-centred singing so it’s about looking within and feeling the music on a different level.”

“It’s an obsession for her. Obviously I’m very proud of her.

I just want to see her happy, as any parent would.”

And according to David, Savannah has the potential to go far with her music.

“Savannah has a sound of her own, truly unique and individual,” he said.

Savannah said music enriched her life, which was why she wanted to pursue it as a career.

“It makes you feel things and I want to be able to make people feel things through music,” she said. 

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The Moama 16-year-old has given up school to concentrate on her singing and hopes being trained by one of the top voice coaches in the world will help her achieve that dream.

And she has the dedication and commitment to match.

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Because one day soon Savannah hopes to see her name up in lights — as a famous singer-songwriter.

“She has the potential to win Grammy’s and break international markets. In an industry where so many singers sound the same, Savannah Ogden stands out: she has that innate ability to touch and move audiences; transport them to a different dimension, which is truly, truly rare.”

The groove 68

is all arounD

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i don’t think i hAve A style. how i plAy Just reflects my Attitude

Daniel Aaron is in tune with the feel of his music.

Ukulele, harmonica, didgeridoo and banjo — that’s only a snapshot of what makes up the creative talents of multi-instrumentalist Daniel Aaron, as KIMBERLEY PRICE discovers

“Neither of my parents or my family were very musical,” he said.

“I learnt to play the drums at school.

“But once my family discovered I was musical, they encouraged me.

“I always wanted to learn the ukulele, so I jumped at the opportunity for a few lessons in Bendigo.

“There was a guitar in the house, which I fooled around on, and dad had a harmonica in the cupboard.”

Daniel’s flair for music soon developed, along with his quiver of instruments.

Now, the 18-year-old’s skillset includes the drums, ukulele, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, harmonica, didgeridoo and banjo in any number of his songs.

A loop station and human percussion are also incorporated into Daniel’s performances bringing his sound and presence to new heights.

His whirling atmospheric melodies are constantly genrebending with the introduction of new instruments like the

Some songs contain a folk twang, some an ambient, earthly feel, and others an alt-rock, psychedelic notion.

“I don’t think I have a style,” he said.

“How I play just reflects my attitude.

With tracks about anything from personal and fictional experiences and feelings to purely instrumental works, Daniel’s content is nothing if not diverse.

“I developed an uninfluenced way of composing,” he said.

“Usually the instrumentals come first and then the lyrics.

“I could sit down for an hour, rack my brain, and get nothing.

“Other times it comes without provocation.

“It’s all very spontaneous.

“I think it’s about finding a balance between forcing it and sitting back and willing it to happen.”

After completing Year 12 in 2017, Daniel moved to Bendigo to further his career in music. With aspirations to be a full-time musician, he practices and continues to write his ever-expanding original content while working part-time in a music shop.

Daniel regularly travels around Bendigo and Echuca performing his music and plans to release an album by the end of the year. 

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Hailing from Pyramid Hill, Daniel’s alternative groove origins are a slight mystery.

harmonica and didgeridoo.

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The deep hum of the didgeridoo and an energising beatbox, fused with an array of instruments, somehow forges together to produce the hybrid-genre of Daniel Aaron’s hypnotic music.

70 EchucaMoama

Music world opens

for an eXPressiVe introVert Ashley Dinsdale has always found song writing to be an outlet while he battles bouts of depression and anxiety, as he explains to KIMBERLEY PRICE IT’S fair to say 2017 was a dream year for Ashley Dinsdale.

It allowed the Kyabram-based musician to lay the foundations from which to launch his career in the industry which has acutely shaped him into the person he is today.

Having released his first EP A Room With Closed Shades and won a Groovin the Moo competition (which presented him with the chance to workshop with Australian electronic super duo Slumberjack in early 2017), Ashley has developed his producing work and his duo pseudonym Colour Court with friend Jamie Franklin.

His intricate psychedelic electronic tracks, full-on guitar riffs and heavy drums come together with Ashley’s gentle lyrics and a distinctive Australian twang in his vocals.

“Everyone always says music must’ve been in my upbringing but it wasn’t really like that,” he said.

“It was a spur of the moment thing.

“I just loved playing and I knew that I wanted to sing.

“But I’ve always been shy and it was really hard to start out.”

Considering music is about expressing yourself to others, it’s hard to believe that Ashley continues to travel through life with bouts of depression, anxiety and a sense of disconnection.

Yet, in a way we should be thankful for these times as they have been a source of inspiration for Ashley’s painfully honest lyrics which are a whirling journey through his imagination.

“I got completely swept up in song writing,” he said.

“I found it to be an outlet.

“I can express how I feel about certain things.

“I don’t want people to listen to my work and just say ‘oh, that’s Ash’s song’.

“I want me to be disconnected from the music so that people can feel what they want to feel.”

And that’s where Colour Court has developed.

It is a venture created by Ashley and his friend Jamie Franklin to create not only quality music, but a stage presence to deliver a full package to audiences.

“It’s original music solely made by me,” Ashley said.

“I had all these ideas with what I wanted my performances to look like but I needed help to convert it live — and that’s where Jamie comes in.”

Performances under the creative persona of Colour Court sees Ashley perform his music with an array of lights and sounds produced by Jamie to enhance the ambience of the music’s setting.

Ashley’s fierce dedication to his work has seen him venture into the world of producing.

Building a portable studio, Ashley self-produced his first EP and is working on his second. He is also working with other local artists to get their music out to the wider public.

For the extraordinarily talented introvert, his experimentation and years spent developing his swirling and atmospheric music is beginning to lead to ample opportunities both at home and further afield.

With aspirations to crack into the music industry, it seems it won’t be long before we hear Ashley’s spiralling melodies on the grand stages. 

71 EchucaMoama

i wAnt me to be disconnected from the music so thAt people cAn feel whAt they wAnt to feel

Kyabram musician Ashley Dinsdale uses his musical talent to ďŹ nd his way through the dark times.

Georgina Bish is applying the roots and history of soul music to her own musical development.

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R’n’B education all in a Day’s worK

KIMBERLEY PRICE chats to singer Georgina Bish who rates Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, James Brown — and her own father — as big influences HAVING grown up with her musically gifted father

a three-year-old singing to me’.”

influencing her ears with everything from alternative to

Having performed extensively throughout the local region in her school and gap year days, Georgina has relocated to Melbourne to study at the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) for a Bachelor of Contemporary Performance majoring in vocals.

country music, Georgina Bish quickly found her own talent.

She ventured into musical theatre at the age of six.

“I just loved performing,” she beamed.

“I love singing, dancing and acting.

“People still come up to me at gigs and say ‘I remember you as

This has created an opportunity to establish herself as a vocal teacher at the Ivanhoe School of Music.

eAch trimester we study A new genre And i’ve found A reAl flAir for the history And roots of when soul And funk begAn And those musicAl legends like the stevie wonder, ArethA frAnklin, JAmes brown figures — they’re the kings of music

“I sort of thought I knew a lot of what was out there,” she said.

“But I just had no idea. Each trimester we study a new genre and I’ve found a real flair for the history and roots of when soul and funk began and those musical legends like the Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, James Brown figures — they’re the Kings of Music.

“As I’ve grown as an artist, I’ve started shaping who I am and finding my voice.”

The 22-year-old, fondly known as Gi, has tapped into the world of R’n’B, where many other genres and artists stem their sound from.

follow-up festival performance planned for June.

“It’s going to be fire,” Georgina said.

“There’s nothing like it in Echuca or anywhere else.

“As a team we have been striving for a limitless event.

“If we have an idea, we do it, no matter how daunting it is.

“For me, it’s been such a cool experience to express myself vocally in my preferred genre.”

A Day’s Work combines Rabb and Georgina’s vocals on some of today’s hottest songs and other tracks we all know and love with a backing track remixes the songs for a new, fresh, electronic and R’n’B vibe.

Mastering soul and funk with an authentic edge is challenging for any artist but Georgina has spent much of the past three years working on just that.

Having developed her own distinctive flair in the rhythm and blues genre, Georgina is still never far away from belting out a ballad from time to time and honing her strong, emotiondriven voice to anything from SIA and Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar and Justin Bieber.

Her collaboration with local artists Liam ‘Rabb’ Guinan and Jesse Stevenson for their annual Christmas Eve extravaganza A Day’s Work has seen the trio become a household name among the twin town’s youngsters and has even led to a

More importantly than anything else, watching Georgina sing whatever song she chooses, her passion and love for music is so damn obvious you will be utterly mesmerised by our very own songstress. 

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73 EchucaMoama

While she still returns home on most weekends to perform, her move to Melbourne and to AIM has opened her mind to the extensive range of music styles on offer.

ORR-INSPIRING 74

talent

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Echuca musician Sean Orr took time out from his busy schedule of performing and working on his second EP to have a chat with KIMBERLEY PRICE Since entering the music scene five years ago, Echuca’s Sean Orr has not only managed to continually captivate his audiences with his smooth and organic sound, he’s created a career.

“I never really thought I would be doing this full-time,” he said.

“I never thought it would be my career.”

By contrast, Claustrophobia utilises similar backing vocals but has a more upbeat, funkier feel which makes you want to get your groove on and dance along.

Having acquired skills on a range of instruments including guitar and piano, Sean continually searches for ways to improve himself as a musician and, by extension, his music.

Now a seasoned veteran of the Echuca music scene, Sean began his life as a musician at age six when his mum put fishing lines on an old guitar and he taught himself to play Old MacDonald.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a master of anything but I think it’s good to continually expand myself,” Sean said.

He started private lessons at 14, but his path to becoming a musician occurred by pure chance — much to his delight.

Having written all of his original songs in his repertoire, the 24-year-old has a knack for penning meaningful stories from his childhood and his personal experiences.

“I had always loved singing and it was only when I started playing guitar that I took it seriously and wanted to improve,” he said.

“I began to work hard and I really pushed to get better and book more gigs.

“I was in my gap year and working at what was Speakeasy Bar. “During the quieter winter months the owner, who knew I played, told me to bring my guitar along to my shifts to get a few more customers in.

“It gave me the confidence I needed.”

Sean is now a full-time musician, living in Bendigo and performing across the region on weekends.

He fills the rest of his days booking gigs, writing and rehearsing.

On September 1 last year, Sean launched his first EP — Eyes Wide Open.

Combining a variety of instruments, layers of vocals and selfmade sounds, Sean’s EP includes four self-written tracks which all differ greatly.

Where Are You Now was produced with 10 layers of vocals, good acoustics, hitting a kit drum and clapping and clicking which all culminated in an almost eerie, yet calming melody, and is heightened by Sean’s rich and soothing words.

“I’m always looking for something new to get out of the trap of the same old same old and to challenge myself.”

“When I write something I’ll basically sing and play the same line all day to the point where it’s obsessive,” he said.

“It sounds so weird, but it all comes from within me.

“I’ll unconsciously start singing and it’ll all come out.

“It’s just so natural to me, it’s what I do every day.

“It’s always there.”

For now, Sean is continuing to work on his music and is in the process of writing his second EP which he hopes to release later this year.

He has high hopes to travel around Australia performing his soulful rhythms and indie beats to anyone and everyone but until then, Echuca-Moama music lovers can enjoy one of their own regularly treating their ears to his buttery-smooth cool tunes. 

75 EchucaMoama

i hAd AlwAys loved singing And it wAs only when i stArted plAying guitAr thAt i took it seriously And wAnted to improve

Since learning to play guitar using old ďŹ shing lines as strings, Sean Orr has continually expanded his musical repertoire.

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Echuca Moama Family Medical Practice, providing quality primary healthcare for over 42 years to the rural community in a professional, caring and compassionate manner.

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78 EchucaMoama

Death brings

new outlook on life

Mark Thomson had a heart attack and died. But now he’s back, and keen to make some lifestyle changes. IVY JENSEN charts his remarkable transformation MARK Thomson has been given a new lease on life.

And all it took was him dying.

For several minutes, Mark’s heart stopped beating, and he died.

Until he was brought back to life.

And with that, a second chance at life.

“I’ve been given another chance, so I feel very lucky,” he said.

“This was a wake-up call, so there are no more excuses. I need to start making changes for the better.”

They are lifestyle changes he needs to make after the 53-year-old accountant had a heart attack due to a combination of factors — high cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, stress and family history.

Not only is he a full-time accountant at Lockwood Partners, he does the book-keeping for Asian kitchen Monkee and Co (which he part-owns with his brother and his wife), volunteers with Echuca-Moama Theatre Company (EMTC) and is on the boards of Echuca-Moama Beacon Foundation and Echuca-Moama Tourism. >>

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Mark Thomson stops to smell the roses.

When I was first told that I had died, I was a bit blasé about it.

I need to make lifestyle changes, I need to eat healthier, I need to do more exercise and I need to learn to say no >> 80 EchucaMoama

So it is little wonder something had to give — it was his heart and it was Boxing Day last year.

“I started getting tight chest pains on Christmas Eve but they would just go away when I sat down and took a deep breath,” he said.

“It happened twice on Christmas Day but it still wasn’t really concerning me.

“Then I was doing bookwork for Monkee at home on Boxing Day and it came on all of a sudden.

“It started getting stronger and stronger and the pain went into my arm.”

Home alone, he rang his sister-in-law who sent her husband and Mark’s brother Brett over before calling the ambulance.

Brett arrived first and took him to Echuca hospital’s emergency department.

“The doctor and nurses were talking to me and then I don’t remember anything,” Mark said.

“When I woke up, there were all these people around me and I thought to myself ‘how did they all get here?’.”

It turns out Mark’s heart stopped and the medical staff had to revive him using a defib machine.

“I didn’t see a white light or anything when I died,” he said.

“I don’t remember any of it and I didn’t feel any pain.

“About an hour later, I actually felt pretty good.”

But the hospital was not taking any chances.

Several hours later, Mark was in a helicopter on the way to the Epworth Hospital in Melbourne.

Two days after his heart attack, Mark had two stents put in one artery, which was 100 per cent blocked.

And two days after that, he had two more stents put in an artery that was 80 per cent blocked and another in a 60-per cent blocked artery.

“It is equivalent to a triple bypass, but it was keyhole surgery through my wrist,” he said.

By New Year’s Eve, Mark was recovering back at home.

The weeks and months that followed have given Mark a chance to reflect on his ordeal and contemplate his future.

“Looking back, there were signs and symptoms I should have picked up on, but I didn’t because I was too busy,” he said.

“When I was first told that I had died, I was a bit blasé about it.

But the other day, I watched something on television where someone had died and I thought ‘that could have been me’.

“I don’t want to dwell on that, but I want to make some changes to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

maybe I need to start thinking about handing the reins over.

“I am also planning on going back to three days with Lockwoods and do two days at Monkee.”

And with cooking always being a passion of his, Mark said he may even have a go in the kitchen at Monkee.

“I may not be good at it or I may not even like it, but I’ve got to give it a try,” he said.

“You look at things differently after an experience like I’ve had.

“I need to take the time and smell the roses and do the things I enjoy.”

A big part of that is music and theatre.

“I was in a few musicals in high school and always sang in the choir,” he said.

But it wasn’t until joining EMTC six years ago that his love of theatre really came to the fore.

He even joined Echuca-Moama’s community choir River Voices.

“I just really enjoy the different mix of people and the great friendships,” he said.

“Plus I love having a good singalong and some fun.”

His accounting skills have also come in handy, with Mark taking on the role of treasurer with EMTC. He has also stage-managed several shows, performed on stage in Li’l Abner, Hairspray, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Anything

Goes and Spamalot and co-directed Anything Goes.

“Being on stage gives you a bit of a rush, but with directing I love seeing what you can create,” he said.

“When you sit in the audience and see it all come together, it makes you feel proud. It makes you cry.”

And his biggest role yet will be co-directing the upcoming production of The Phantom of the Opera.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll cry in Phantom,” he said.

“Phantom is huge and bigger than anything else I’ve done before. When I saw it in London when we were thinking about doing it, I thought ‘there is no way we can pull this off.

It’s so daunting’. And now we’re actually doing it.

“But I think we’re going to do a great job. We have some amazing talent and everyone is so committed.”

And by the time Phantom hits the stage on May 25, Mark hopes to be a healthier and slimmer version of himself.

“There might be a bit less of me,” he laughed.

“I’ve already dropped 7 kg in four weeks.

“I’ve got a long way to go, but I’ll get there.

“I need to make lifestyle changes, I need to eat healthier, I need to do more exercise and I need to learn to say no.

“I just want to be able to do stuff and not feel tired and exhausted all the time.

“I have been on the Beacon and EMT boards for 16 years and

“I want to be able to feel better within myself.” 

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a g n i k a M

N I A T N U MOOUT OF A D R A Y K C BA ANDREW JOHNSTON catches up with a newcomer to mountain biking, but one who is very quickly making a name for himself in the sport — and is doing it his own way >>

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i think being in thAt position puts A bit too much pressure on you, it probAbly Also tAkes the fun out of the event. i like whAt i’m doing 85 EchucaMoama

>> SOME people are just never happy. Even in Echuca-Moama.

Where we have so much choice; especially when it comes to sport.

“I’ve been doing a bit of competition stuff; against other guys around Echuca and the other areas around here. I’ve been able to set some pretty good times, get into a few top 10 times.

With outstanding facilities for football, netball, cricket, basketball and any other sport you can think of. We have a velodrome for cycling too.

“Like every other athlete, I’ve been trying to push myself, trying to improve my times, get better as a rider and see how far it can take me.”

But what we don’t have, Beau Whitely said, is hills.

Forget dairy irrigation paddocks, it’s as if the whole Campaspe Shire is the pin-up address for the flat earth society.

There’s just no way around it, Echuca is as flat as it gets.

For your average punter, this is pretty close to perfect — no intense workouts on hills if you just want to ride casually.

So, if you want to take on the world of mountain biking and off-road riding, what do you do?

Build your own course; of course. Better still; build it in your own backyard for instant access.

So that’s exactly what Beau did.

And after only a few months, it has already taken him a long way.

In fact, in XCO — cross country Olympic riding — after just eight months, he’s already ranked second in Victoria for his category.

“I’m really proud of that. I’ve only really been racing for a few months so to be able to get to this position at this stage shows me I have the skills, but also I can continue to improve and maybe push for that number one spot.”

Part of what makes that achievement even more incredible is his preparation in comparison to those he is competing against.

“And I didn’t even notice he had done it,” his mother Leanne laughed.

“The guy who beat me in XCO is in a Victorian squad, being properly trained. I don’t have that.

“He did such a good job of it. He’s built a really safe ride for himself where he can get the practice he needs, and all in our backyard!

“I’m training myself, teaching myself how to ride, how I prepare for my events and just having fun with my mates as my way of training.

“It’s incredibly well done. This is why we love living here; we have the yard that he can have that space to himself if he wants it.”

Beau said now his track was complete it means he can “constantly be training myself and working on my riding”.

And with just eight months in the sport he will need a lot more.

“Considering how differently we prepare, it makes me even more proud of how I am doing at this stage.

“I was only 40 seconds off the guy who finished first, I did that without the training so I think it shows that you can do it without that around you.”

While the lifestyle of coaching and squads would possibly mean getting better times and better opportunities for victories, it is not something Beau is interested in at this stage.

The 14-year-old took up mountain bikes because “a couple of my mates down the road that I used to ride with were into it.

I’d previously been riding a BMX but when one of my mates got a mountain bike, I thought that I’d really like to give that a try.”

“I think being in that position puts a bit too much pressure on you, it probably also takes the fun out of the event. I like what I’m doing.

His fledgling career really got into gear when his family got him his own mountain bike and since then he has been leaving everyone in his dust.

“I look at other locals, guys who did the same as me and went down the path of not getting a coach, but rather of keeping themselves training and they do great things.

“I gave it a bit of a go; then we went and had a go at a super downhill bike park. I loved doing that, I really enjoyed myself so I decided then that this was something that I wanted to have a go at.”

Not long after Beau had built his own course and was looking towards a competitive future.

And possibly not ever.

“They constantly put forward really good times, get really good results and do it all without that system around them. That’s how I want it to be.”

For now, his goals are simple.

“I like my current form, I just want to continue with that, continue to improve and see where that takes me.” 

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Guiding local history into the future

It has been the gathering place for generations of young local girls and now SOPHIE BALDWIN discovers Cohuna’s Guide Hall has been transformed into a somewhat zany but very loved home IT’S A big, white, rectangular building on a corner block.

With double blue doors and a bright pink number two on the façade.

It is distinctive and quirky but it also has a long history and has been a safe and welcoming address for decades of guides and brownies in the township of Cohuna.

And now it is home for Kellie Ballard.

She purchased the former Guide Hall seven months ago after it was passed in at auction (at which she had been the one and only bidder).

It has fast become her forever home and she has embraced all the prerequisites that go with the concept — from the toadstool in the garden, with the plaque thanking Cecil R Pollard for her commitment to guiding, to those blue doors to the psychedelic lino on the floor, harking back to the 1950s — Kellie just loves the whole history of the place and won’t be changing these distinctive features anytime soon.

Decked out in her eclectic mix of bright and happy preloved items, the space may not be traditional, normal or anything else, but it is warm and cosy and suits Kellie — and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“A home can be anything you want it to be and I love the feel and the history of this place — I knew the minute it came up for sale it would make a great home for me. It was perfect and fell right into my price range,” Kellie said.

The floor plan is simple. The hall consists of one large central room with a kitchen and bathroom at one end and two rooms at the other, which have been converted into a bedroom and a huge walk-in robe.

The kitchen is still a work in progress, being renovated from a bargain find at the local kitchen cabinetry business while the bathroom remains untouched, still with its two original toilets.

“I don’t have a proper bathroom yet but that is definitely next on the agenda — although I am not too sure how to >>

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>> work the space yet. I do know I want to fit a laundry in there somewhere so I have to think about that a bit more before I decide.

“I wouldn’t have done the kitchen up first but it was an ex display and such a bargain, I couldn’t afford not to buy it.”

Kellie is a self-confessed recycler and the first to admit she has trouble parting with her possessions.

Many of her things have a history, or story behind them, including the little old portable drink bar that once belonged to her grandparents.

“I love the fact the space is open, but I can partition areas off to create smaller spaces.”

Kellie describes her style as bits of this and bits of that — with a bit of boho thrown in.

She loves greenery and has a collection of plants (real and fake) dotted throughout her space.

“I don’t have much of a green thumb and I have mixed success with live plants, so having a mixture of both works well. They make the space feel bright and open.”

Even though Kellie has made a few changes to the hall, she is

“I am a very sentimental person and can’t bring myself to throw out anything that has a story behind it, including nan’s old dishes or the old bar. I love the fact they belonged to someone I loved.”

“I have had people say to me surely you are going to get rid

And you won’t find Kellie shopping in any of the latest homeware departments with all their flashy new trends, her favourite haunt remains the local trash and treasure.

The same goes for the distinctive lino in the central room.

determined to retain the history and original feel of the place. of those blue doors, but I have actually repainted them,” she laughed.

“It’s part of the place and character of the hall and I won’t be

She has picked up heaps of quirky things from there over the years.

getting rid of it anytime soon.”

She points to a bright yellow curtain hanging from the roof.

bathroom, the whole project will come in under $100,000.

“When I bought that from the trash and treasure they said to me what in the hell are you going to use that for (she has used it to divide one end of the central room off into an office area) but I knew it would be perfect.

“This is absolutely my forever home. It is in a great location

Kellie estimates by the time she fixes up the kitchen and

and it has everything I need. It hasn’t cost me an arm and a leg and is such a great space to live in. I am very happy here and I can’t see myself moving anytime soon.” 

91 EchucaMoama

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t a l f t u o e r u t u f fo r h i s

Dedication, commitment and drive might be hard to find

I could think of nothing more fulfilling then to compete for

in a lot of people but you can’t miss it in Asher Jones.

my country,” Asher said.

The 17-year-old Echuca College student has it in buckets.

Asher has been competing at athletics ever since he was a

And he is going to need it if he is to fulfill his dream of

child and it is a passion that burns deep within.

representing Australia at the 2024 Olympics.

He loves all the athletic disciplines but an injury has forced

“Competing at the Olympics is something I have always wanted to do. Cathy Freeman and Usain Bolt are my idols and

him away from long jump and triple jump and into sprinting.

He has an official PB of 6.9 seconds across 60m and with a >>

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g n i o g As h e r ’ s

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>> hand timer his best has been 6.7 seconds.

“I prefer the 60 m sprint to the 100 m because I am an explosive starter, which makes me quicker over the shorter distances. “

He loves every aspect of athletics from the commitment of training to the thrill of competing.

This season he hopes to replicate last year’s success as a national qualifier although he was unable to compete last year due to an ankle injury.

He is hoping to get a place at the nationals and become part of the Australian team and eventually train at the Australian Institute of Sport.

“I really want to see where I am at and I would love to be part of a good training program.”

Asher’s dedication to his sport sees him training six days a week, fitting it in around his schooling can be challenging at times.

“I usually go to the gym for a couple of hours in the morning, go to school and then do my running training at night. It’s super hard, especially trying to fit schooling in and getting the balance right.

As part of his schooling this year, Asher is studying four Year 12 subjects so he can get his homework done during school hours, allowing him more time to train after 3 pm.

He often spends his lunch hour or any free time stretching.

“My friends are just used to me now. They see me eating huge amounts of healthy food and drinking lots of water (around 4–5 litres a day) but I am very driven and that’s just what I have to do if I want to make it.”

Diet is an important part of Asher’s life.

“If I am heading into a competition I am very strict with my diet. It is important I am as lean as possible for my power to weight ratio. I don’t come from a family of junk food eaters we have always eaten healthy food so I have found that a fairly easy transition.

“I just eat lots of food and sometimes it is hard for mum to have enough food in the cupboard.”

Asher said while it is hard training in a rural area, he is determined to succeed.

Once he turns 18 in April he is hoping to get his license and then he will travel to Bendigo four days a week to train.

“Athletics and training are my passion. I love focusing on my running, it just creates a freedom within me — and I love the feeling of releasing all those endorphins.” 

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Asher currently represents the Bendigo Academy of Sport through the athletic club Bendigo/Eaglehawk.

full time job to help support myself.”

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He recently competed at the State Country Championships over the Australia Day long weekend and came home with four individual silvers (shot put, discus, javelin and the 100m) as a bottom age athlete in the Under 20s.

“It is also expensive training and I don’t have any sponsors or a

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a s e K a t r b w

E G HU P E T S y r o t C a f e h t i n to e u g a e l D e r o s s Pon

From tinkering in an Echuca workshop to creating some spectacular — and very fast — bikes Whitten brothers Nathan and Travis have quickly moved into the fast lane on the racing circuit with an exciting factory connection.

FRASER WALKER-PEARCE reports >>

WBR rider Bailey Malkiewicz.

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it All stArted from my pAssion to build the fAnciest And fAstest bikes, And it wAs no good them Just sitting there, And i wAsn’t A good enough rider to get the results with these nice bikes >> FROM mum and dad’s Echuca garage to the world 98

stage — Whitten Brothers Racing has undergone massive

EchucaMoama

change in the past 12 months.

Built from the ground up in 2014 the locally-based bike racing team was founded when brothers Nathan and Travis Whitten started building good-looking and very quick motorbikes.

“It all started from my passion to build the fanciest and fastest bikes, and it was no good them just sitting there, and I wasn’t a good enough rider to get the results with these nice bikes,” Travis said.

“So that led to finding a good rider. . . and it went from there,” he said.

“It was always very family-oriented for us though, we always raced as kids. Mum, Dad, my brother and me. And it’s still that way although we represent a massive company now.”

And they don’t get much bigger than Yamaha.

The Japanese giant developed a sponsorship link with the Whittens and impressed by what it was seeing picked WBR to represent it for a year in the Pirelli Motorcross National Championships, starting in April.

Travis said the backing of Yamaha could not be understated in terms of the importance to the success of season 2018.

“They sponsored us last year and now this year we are their team. That means basically Yamaha has its structures so it has a factory-supported team in all classes, and we are its team for the under-19s in the Pirelli MXD 250CC category.”

“So we’re that team for all the national championships and that goes all the way through the year, and only stops for a month’s break in the middle of the year,” Travis said.

Pre-season testing has already begun, as WBR gears up for its fifth season of racing.

“The riders are in pre-season training at the moment. The team has changed a bit over the past year because we’re focusing on a different class this year.”

“We just did our first team event in Tasmania recently, with team building and a few races between us. And we did some stuff with the new riders, it was really our first time to get away as a team and have some team bonding.

“So now we’ll basically be tinkering with the bikes right up until the racing starts. We haven’t actually gotten the bikes to the riders yet, but we did have replicas for testing. And all that data we got from that testing we have now put into the system,” he said.

The bikes are fitted with a GPS and data logger to monitor the rider and bike’s progress and performance around the circuit.

It logs things such as acceleration, revs per minute, temperature, braking and gear changes — all of which will be chopped and changed before racing starts next month.

Still in the three-man team from 2017 is Tasmanian Hugh McKay.

“Hugh’s great — he finished fourth in the championships last year and so he was an obvious pick for us.”

“A new rider for us is (Melburnian) Bailey Malkiewicz — he was a junior last year in the under-16s and is now making the step up to the under-19s, but is a well recognised rider.

“He’s won multiple junior Australian championships — and represented Australia as well.

“Last year he was sent to the world junior championships and finished 11th,” Travis said.

The third rider in the squad is Echuca’s Kale Makeham. Too old to compete in the under-19 category, Makeham was brought on board to mentor the two younger riders while he got back in shape after a broken femur in December 2016.

Following that recovery, Makeham was getting comfortable back in the saddle when he suffered a separated shoulder, also known as an acromioclavicular joint injury, sidelining him for 12 months.

“Kale has been at the top for many years and had a really bad run of injuries in the past 12 months.

“So this is his comeback year, although he’s out of our competitive realms. But it’s something we’re close to, and Yamaha has got on board to help us help him, and he’ll be a bit of a mentor to our riders.” 

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