Nepean News 10 November 2023 by Nepean News

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Friday, 10 November 2023

ISSUE 368

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WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Lest We Forget. Remembrance Day services will be held in St Marys and Penrith on Saturday November 11. More inside.

LOCAL NEWS 3

AREFLIGHT was honoured to host a visit from leaders in NSW Government recently, a key step forward in their ongoing discussions toward the next contract for CareFlight’s Rapid Response Service. Along with current Chair Dr Andrew Refshauge and Deputy Chair Brad Hazzard, they were delighted to host NSW Premier Chris Minns, Health Minister Ryan Park and Member for Parramatta Donna Davis, in the Premier’s words, “a big, long tour”. As well as meeting the Rapid Response crew and learning about the operations first-hand, the Ministers also visited CareFlight’s Education facilities, speaking with team members and viewing a demonstration of the crash-car training simulator. The Premier and the Health Minister remarked on how impressed they were by the team’s work at CareFlight. “CareFlight’s rapid response team is a seriously impressive unit - what an honour to meet them at their base,” Health Minister Ryan Park said. “These specialist doctors, nurses and paramedics provide the highest standard of rapid response care to critically ill and injured patients right across NSW.”

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“Premier Chris Minns and I are so proud of the work these incredible clinicians do every day, serving their community and caring for people in their time of need.” Donna Davis MP, and former Mayor of Parramatta, also commented on the visit. “CareFlight is an incredible multifaceted service that is so much more than flight rescue. It was great to check out the helicopter, education vehicles and meet the team with the Premier and Minister for Health, with a couple of former NSW Health Ministers.” Careflight looks forward to continuing the positive engagement with our partners in the NSW Government, and providing further updates as they progress in the future.

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Highest standard of rapid response

From the Editor’s Desk

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

95B STATION ST, PENRITH Editor: Sales Manager: Sales: Journalist: Journalist: Graphic Design: Printer: Letters to the Editor: Web:

Kerrie Davies 0422 067 644 Korena Hale 0403 045 880 Larry Davis 0432 062 643 Noel Rowsell 0424 007 202 Greg Yanda 0425 232 043 Stacey Broomhead 0420 319 893 Pegasus Print Group, Blacktown nepeannews@aol.com issuu.com/nepeannews

Nepean News is not tossed onto your front lawn. Collect your crisp copy FREE from local newsagents, service stations, libraries, Council and shopping centres. Phone for complete list of distribution outlets

BY KERRIE DAVIES

HEN I was a child, Bob really was my uncle. Robert Stanley Stuart was a WWII Veteran having served overseas in the Royal Australian Navy. He had many war-time stories to tell and he didn’t mind sharing them especially after a few beers. Whilst most of the family would drift off to bed, I would sit for hours on end transfixed in a world where food was rationed, cannons and bayonets ruled and a letter from Australia was the most treasured gift one could behold. Every year we’d go on holiday to Shoal Bay in Port Stephens and Uncle Bob would run the holiday apartment like it was the HMAS Sydney; we’d be woken each morning at dawn to the call “Fishing detail, fall out!” Our holiday activities would be organised in a timetable- like fashion down to the minute. And every year we’d embark on the hike up to the top of Tomaree Hill. The historic Fort Tomaree played an important role in the defence of Port Stephens during WWII, including Tomaree Head that was solidly armed with gun emplacements. During the walk I would hear more about WWII, the friendships formed, the politics at the time and the propaganda around the encouragement to enlist. I’d also hear about those who weren’t fortunate enough to return home. It was more valuable to me and more detailed than anything I had learned about this chapter in history at school. Uncle Bob has since passed on, but his stories will remain with me forever, and I’ve shared them with my own kids. It’s really important that these first-hand accounts don’t get lost in time, buried and never to be retold. If you have a connection to someone who served this great nation, take the time to listen to anything they’re willing to share. And pass it on. While the historical detail and facts will always be available for future generations, the actual experiences of our veterans will not - unless we pass them on. Lest We Forget

LOCAL NEWS 5 Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Waste champions BY KERRIE DAVIES

VER the past couple of weeks, you may have seen a range of waste and recycling posts on social media covering Council’s 3-bin system and additional recycling services offered to residents. Doing your bit to sort correctly is important to ensure recyclable materials are diverted from landfill so they can be recovered and used to manufacture new things. If you’re ever confused about what goes where, Council’s handy A-Z guide of waste and recycling covers a range of commonly used items and how to dispose of them correctly. The Penrith Waste Champion App is another great resource for becoming a recycling legend and keeping up to date with upcoming recycling events like our Chemical CleanOut,

e-waste, textiles and bike drop-off days. The Penrith Waste Champion App can be downloaded from the Google Play or App store. To learn more about the app, visit penrith.city/wastechampion

Authorised by Karen McKeown OAM, Shop 23 Ground Floor Tattersalls Centre, Penrith NSW 2750 using Parliamentary entitlements.

www.penolaemuplains.catholic.edu.au

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

LOCAL NEWS

Busways’ Movember promoting men’s health

HIS Movember, Busways is raising awareness for men’s health by hosting a Busways pop-up barbershop, supporting an employee fundraising motorcycle ride and placing moustaches on all 1350 buses in its fleet. The annual Movember charity movement aims to advance research and support programs that help men to live happier, healthier and longer lives. On Monday, employees at the bus depot got a little pampered at a popup Busways Moustachery. Award winning Willoughby barber, Billy Papas from Bill’s Barber Shop gave a shave, a beard cut or a trim to help them prepare ‘just right’ to ‘grow a mo’. “I have been a barber for a very long time, and being able to trim mo’s for such a good cause and for a great company like Busways, means a lot to me,” said Mr Papas. “Movember is a great way to get everyone talking about men’s health and getting vital health checks,” said Chris Wolf, Chief Operations Officer. “That’s so important in our male dominated industry where some of our employees find talking about men’s health uncomfortable.” In Western Sydney, Busways is supporting employees in a social motorcycle club who are joining together for a fundraising ride from Sydney to Melbourne on the first weekend in November. “We join together to enjoy social motorcycle riding and we do all sorts of charity and fun events, it’s like one big happy family,” says Harinder Singh from Busways Penrith and promoter for Singhs Social Motorcycle Club. “Movember means a lot to us – on our Mo’s Bro’s Ride we’ll have fun whilst raising funds to help with

Movember programs to improve men’s health,” Singh said. Asked if he’d be growing a mo also, he smiled and said ‘Of course!” For further information on men’s health resources to donate, or learn more about how you can help, visit au.movember.com. Apply today and join the Busways team! Busways is actively recruiting drivers across New South Wales and encourages anyone who loves driving and is seeking a stable career serving their community to apply. To apply and or learn more about our current opportunities visit busdriver. au, or email driving@busways.com. au or call the driver recruitment team on (02) 9497 1800.

Lifeblood and Movember join forces for men’s health

USTRALIAN Red Cross Lifeblood is uniting with global men’s health charity Movember this month to inspire millions of men across the country to donate blood or plasma. Women outnumber men as blood and plasma donors in Australia despite the fact men are more likely to be eligible to donate and make a successful donation. To even the score, artist Travis Garone, who cofounded the Movember charity back in 2003 to help save men’s lives, has designed a limited-edition bandage that will be rolled onto the arms of blood and plasma donors throughout the month of November. With Lifeblood research finding wearing blood donation bandages signals positive traits such as health and generosity, it’s hoped the bandage, which Garone has named Brothers in Arms, will spark important conversations and encourage men to donate. “The moustache in November has always been a walking, talking billboard, a catalyst for conversation, and so the idea behind the Brothers in Arms bandage

is that it will work in the same way,” Garone said. “Men care about their health, and they do talk about it, but the volume is too low. By drawing attention to men’s health through the bandage, hopefully we can encourage more guys to have a conversation and donate blood, whether that’s by themselves or with their mates. That is the ultimate outcome. “There is a simplicity to growing a moustache, and there is a simplicity to donating blood. It’s a very simple act, and simple acts will change the world.” The clever design features a thick, black, curled handle-bar moustache in the shape of two clasping hands on a cool blue backdrop. “Having the two hands come together, I don’t see that design as a handshake. I see it as helping each other. You’re helping your friend, you’re helping your brother, you’re helping your mate as well,” he said. Lifeblood Executive Director of Donor Experience Cath Stone said Lifeblood was thrilled to be working with Movember to achieve a common goal. “We know that one in three men will need blood

in their lifetime, but only one in 30 donates, which is too low,” she said. “In particular, young men under 30 are 35% less likely to become blood donors than females of the same age, so this Movember we need more men to have a conversation, donate blood or plasma and support men’s health. “Giving blood and plasma regularly is also a great way to get to know your own health while saving a life, with heart rate and blood pressure checks taken at each appointment.” The Movember bandage is part of Lifeblood’s 2023 True Colours campaign. The campaign sees Lifeblood partner with Australian artists and designers to create limited-edition bandages to help boost blood donations whilst ensuring donors look and feel great whilst donating. The Movember bandages will be available at Lifeblood donor centres nationwide from 1 November whilst stocks last. To book a donation, call 13 14 95, visit lifeblood. com.au, or download the free Donate Blood app.

LOCAL NEWS 7

Amy Forchett (Yr 11), Chelsea Adams (Yr 12) PM Anthony Albanese, Aled Stephens (Yr 10) BY NOEL ROWSELL

EPEAN Creative and Performing Arts HS (NCPA) Year 10 student Aled Stephens has been recognised in the Australian Parliamentary ‘My First Speech’ competition, which was held earlier this year. The competition criteria were to Imagine yourself as a newly elected Member of the House of Representatives. Your task was to write a 90 second speech about issues you are passionate about, then record yourself presenting the speech on video.

Aled Stephens & Milton Dick MP

Australian students enrolled in years 10 to 12 were invited to enter the ‘My First Speech’ competition, with a winner from each year (10, 11 and 12) subsequently invited to Canberra to deliver their speeches live and undertake a program of meetings at Parliament House. These meetings included politicians including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Member for Lindsay Melissa McIntosh and Member for Oxley Milton Dick, who is also the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Over 280 students entered the competition, which was then narrowed down to 5 finalists in each

Aled Stephens & Melissa McIntosh MP

year group (10, 11, 12). Speakers were judged on both content and delivery, with the three winners representing the electorates of Lindsay (NSW), Boothby (SA) and Grayndler (NSW). Aled is studying Advanced Drama and is the first winner of the competition from Lindsay in decades. He is heavily involved in activities at NCPA, including President of the Student Leadership Group, which has run Mental Health Week at the school for the past 3 years. Working closely with Mountains Youth Services, all fund-raising is put back into the local community for the well-being of our youth.

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Local Student Awarded for ‘My First Speech’

Another successful year! A big THANK YOU to the 23 local businesses who participated in the 2023

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LOCAL NEWS 9

LOOMS The Chemist Penrith High Street have reopened after having to close for a period due to a fire that took place on Saturday 16 September at a neighbouring restaurant. Across November, Blooms The Chemist Penrith High Street has been giving back to the local community as a thank-you for all the support they received. The team will be helping the local community get a better night’s sleep with 30 free sleep apnoea tests (valued at $75) , My HealthRewards members can also enjoy double points across the entire month. They are also holding weekly raffles. The winner will be drawn every Thursday throughout November. Non-MHR members get one entry, and MHR members get three entries. Call Blooms The Chemist for more details on 4724 2050. Last Saturday they held the official reopening day, and activities included face painting, giveaways and a bake sale to raise funds for Gidget Foundation Australia. “The response to our reopening day was overwhelming, it was great to see so many familiar and new faces attend,” said Eman Khaled, the Pharmacist-Owner of Blooms The Chemist Penrith Hight St. “We had numerous activities to

celebrate the reopening, including a bake sale with the whole team - and their families - cooking up goodies. We raised over $1,000 for Gidget Foundation Australia, a not-forprofit organisation that supports the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents, through this bake sale which is an incredible result, “We also offered face painting

and free balloons to our customers’ children, and we had kids lining up to get in on these activities. We also gave away free sleep apnoea tests, which customers were quick to book. “Our customers told us they were so grateful that we are fully open again, and they said they thought the store looked great! Whilst the store was closed, we had limited trading to

ensure our customers were able to get their scripts ordered and delivered. “I am, together with our entire team at Blooms The Chemist Penrith High St, thrilled to be back. I’ve worked as a Pharmacist in a number of communities, but Penrith is special. Everyone is so friendly, laid back and the vibe is so positive which makes it a delight to serve in this community.”

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Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Blooms High St says a big thank you for community support

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

LOCAL NEWS

RRT Ignites its Fleet in Penrith

TAT E - O F - T H E - A R T firefighting equipment was on show in Penrith last Friday, as the Rapid Relief Team (RRT) finalises plans to help emergency workers during times of crisis. RRT is gearing up for what is expected to be a brutal fire season this summer. The RRT “Ignite” event saw 200 RRT leaders arriving from 82 different locations around Australia. They took part in a strategy session to brief them on RRT’s goals for 2024 – whilst also getting a close-up look at RRT’s mobile assets, including: · RRT’s Rapid Water Systems, including a 75,000 litre Frac Tank · A Rapid Sandbagger · One of RRT’s two semi-trailers · RRT’s BBQ and coffee trailers that enable good meals for hard working volunteers. RRT Director Mick Dunn said Ignite was an exciting opportunity for the charity to not only think about the year ahead, but to also appreciate the range and scale of RRT’s mobile assets. “At this event we ensured the whole RRT team understood the full scope of the support we are able to provide to emergency services ahead of a busy

RRT on Show in Penrith last Friday. Photos supplied

fire season,” Mr Dunn said. “This event comes in what is RRT’s 10th year of operating and will acknowledge the growth and the impact the organisation has made since its inception in 2013.” The mobile assets have been used to assist emergency workers during the recent fires and floods which have ravaged the country. “We’ve designed our Rapid Water Systems specifically to be able to support and back up the efforts of front-line emergency workers and the

needs of people in crisis,” Mr Dunn said. “The assets reflect the sense of innovation and purpose which underpins RRT. “As the charitable arm of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, we are committed to helping the community and we want to make sure our efforts are targeted and worthwhile – that we are really making a difference. “We expect our mobile assets to be more important in the future as

Australia faces increasingly uncertain and devastating weather events.” The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church established the RRT in 2013 to express the Church’s principles of care and compassion. The RRT is staffed by Church volunteers who provide catering services at a range of charitable events and emergencies. Globally, the RRT has more than 14,500 volunteers and operates in Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France, the United States, Canada and Germany. Pop in to Penrith City Library before 22 November to see Remembering Them - a display commemorating the centenary of the Emu Plains War Memorial.

Nepean Festival of Arts and Design Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School, in partnership with the Zonta Club of Nepean Valley, is hosting the Nepean Festival of Art and Design today (Friday 10th) and Saturday 11th. The Nepean Festival of Arts and Design is a celebration of the works of emerging and professional artists, photographers, designers and tertiary students from across Penrith and the neighbouring LGA’s of Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury. Students from Years 7- 12 studying in the Penrith LGA were eligible to enter the secondary school’s category. All the works will be exhibited over the two days at the school. Exhibition entry costs are: Friday 10 November - entry, supper and drinks included Adults - $20, Students - $10, Family (2 adults + 1 child) - $45, Family (2 adults + 2 children) - $50 Saturday 11 November - entry and devonshire tea included: Adults $10, Children (Under 12) - $5 The following Saturday Art Activities workshops on offer are facilitated by Festival sponsor Sharz Art Design and include: Design your own T-Shirt; Design your own Tote Bag; Zine Workshop, Keyrings; Clay fun, Watercolour fun; Learn to draw Anime; Learn to draw Animals; Learn to draw Disney Characters; Acrylic Pour; Painting a landscape; Paint a skateboard deck; Picasso-Style Canvas Painting. Whilst many of these workshops are available at no cost, spaces are limited, so it is essential to register via Sharz Art Design https://services. nabooki.com/booking/step1?token=632a59c8aa2f62.88879150 Nepean Festival: 2023 Nepean Festival of Art and Design, then select the appropriate workshop you wish to attend.

The display includes photos and information on some of the men listed on the memorial, and a trunk that Nurse Constance Neale took with her after enlisting in the Australian Army Nursing Service in July 1915 and sailing for Egypt. They also have information on the Conscription Referenda that were held in 1916 and 1917, as well as posters from that time period. Penrith Library is located at 601 High St, Penrith.

Penrith RSL’s CASH GRAB EXTENDED FOR 2 MORE WEEKS Simply swipe your Membership Card at the Members Kiosks from 5pm to 9.30pm on Thursday to receive your free entry ticket. Pop it into the barrel and be in the Club at draw time for your chance to win. Draws from 6pm.

LOCAL NEWS 11 BY NOEL ROWSELL

RROW, the Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation, is the major beneficiary of fund-raising from the 2023 Hawkesbury Canoe Classic. Arrow offers support to bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients and those who care for them for over 35 years. Bone marrow and stem cell transplants are used to treat blood cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and also other blood diseases, including MS and anaemia Bone marrow transplants typically require lengthy hospital admissions, with many patients needing to relocate from regional areas to bigger centres to be close to their treating hospital. Even when discharged from hospital, patients need to remain close to their treating hospital, often for many months for frequent visits to their specialists and also in case they need to be re-admitted, which is unfortunately a common occurrence. Many BMT patients and/or their carers are unable to work for many months, and often this can be 18 months or more. As well as supporting patients and their families financially,

Ritika Saxena in the Lab

Ritika Saxena, Prof. Ed Stanley, Chris Murray (Arrow Chair) Prof. Andrew Elefanty, Dr Elizabeth Ng, Richelle Koller (Arrow CEO)

Arrow also offers scholarships for nurses and PhD candidates in the field of bone marrow transplants. Arrow does not receive government funding, so it relies on the generosity of supporters like the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic (HCC) to continue their work in the community. The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic

Poppy gives the green slide a go.

has been a strong supporter of Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation for 30 years now, raising almost $4.5M over that period of time. (2023 is the 30th year that Arrow has been named the major beneficiary from the event). The funds raised through the efforts of the HCC, their volunteers, paddlers

and land crews fund Arrrow’s PhD Scholarships. Arrow’s currently funded PhD candidate is Ritika Saxena, who is a PhD candidate at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, through the University of Melbourne. You can read about her research on Arrow’s blog https://arrow.org.au/ groundbreaking-research-into-thegeneration-of-hscs/ and it is worth the read to hear about the amazing progress being made in stem cell research. The next PhD Candidate, also funded by HCC, was due to be announced at the 2023 BLOOD Conference https://www.blood2023. com in Melbourne this week.

Ava enjoys the fountain spray.

Make a splash at Ripples this summer!

ESIDENTS looking to cool off as the weather warms up are invited to enjoy water play for the whole family. Ripples Penrith and St Marys have switched on their popular splash parks for the summer season and are ready to welcome patrons. Penrith Mayor Todd Carney said these family-friendly playgrounds offer safe and affordable options for the City’s youngest residents to beat the heat.

“It is no secret that our region feels the summer temperatures, which is why Penrith City Council is passionate about providing ways for the community to stay cool close to home,” Cr Carney said. “Featuring water jets, tipping buckets, slides, and interactive fountains, the Penrith and St Marys splash parks are a great choice for those with kids,” he said. “The best part is residents get access to these fantastic facilities with general

pool admission.” Patrolled by Ripples’ lifeguards, the splash parks are operating on weekday afternoons, weekends and will be open throughout the school holidays. They are designed to offer play and development opportunities for young residents, according to Rob Tweddle, Manager of Ripples Aquatic and Recreation Centre. “We get up to 10,000 patrons through the Ripples doors each week during peak season, which shows the

importance of our facilities for the community,” Mr Tweddle said. “Our splash parks are loved by families because they cater for children regardless of their age and water confidence, offer unstructured exercise opportunities that promote active lifestyles, and they are patrolled within our centres - which have plenty of natural shade for those warmer days.” To find out more, visit ripplesnsw. com.au

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Canoe Classic supporting Arrow BMT Foundation

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

LOCAL NEWS

Investigating the impact of screen-related addiction

HE Minns Labor Government is delivering on its commitment to tackle screen-related addiction in young people with a new research fund established to investigate the impact of problematic screen use on children’s development and learning. Delivering an election commitment to establish a screen-related addiction research fund, the NSW Government has pledged $2.5 million to support new research into the impacts of problematic screen use. The NSW Government’s Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) will oversee the fund, with the grants awarded through a competitive process. Research findings will deliver a comprehensive database of knowledge on how screen use affects young people and students at school, which can be used to inform stronger government policy. Funding of up to $500,000 will be available to successful applications for tender grants, and up to $200,000 will be offered to successful recipients of partnership grants. Partnership grants will be offered where research into problematic screen-use is already underway, after applications are competitively

assessed. Open tender grants will be offered to projects with novel screenrelated research proposals. Issues that may be looked at include: • What are the key sources of problematic screen time for young people in NSW? • What impact is screen use having on the learning, wellbeing and behaviour of children? • Strategies to counter the negative impacts of problematic screen use • Whether today’s students are impacted by screens in the same ways as other generations • And the impact on teaching as a

result of changing digital technologies The grants will be advertised in two rounds with the first beginning in late 2023. Applicants will be asked to deliver their research by 2026. This announcement comes after the Minns Labor Government successfully banned mobile phones for students in all NSW public schools from the beginning of Term 4, after consultation with teachers, students and parents. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said everyone knows young people love their devices – be it

mobile phones, gaming devices or their computers. “Many parents are worried about screen time and how it might be affecting their children and how they learn, but the impacts of devices on children are largely unknown,” Mr Minns said. “Investing in this research fund will help create a growing body of knowledge on this issue to inform our government policies, but it will also help inform parents in NSW.” Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car spoke about the importance of investing in research. “Students spend a lot of their time on devices – so it is important that we find out how this new reality is impacting children and their development,” Ms Car said. “Many parents I speak with are worried about the impact screen time is having on their children, and it is important we help to provide parents all the facts they need to make informed decisions. “Investing in research is vital, so the Government can form evidencebased policies that we know will have a positive impact on our students, teachers and larger school cohort moving into the future.”

Western Sydney University Solar Car team first in Australia

ESTERN Sydney University’s Solar Car team with their student-designed car, UNLIMITED 5.0, has placed 9th in the world, and an impressive 1st in Australia in their class, in the world’s most prestigious solar car challenge. They were also the only Australian team to complete the Darwin to Adelaide journey in full. Successfully traversing 3,000km of rugged outback terrain, the team completed the 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in 46 hours, 32 minutes and 6 seconds, crossing the finish line just after 2pm on Friday, 27 October. They competed for the fifth time in the Challenger Class, which is the most competitive class requiring teams to produce a high-quality single-seat car built for sustained endurance and energy efficiency. Team Manager, Brad Nadalini, said he was incredibly proud of the team’s performance and thanked all of the team’s families, supporters and partners.

“Our spirit and determination were really on show throughout the challenge and brought us home. This year’s solar car, UNLIMITED 5.0, had one of the most ambitious and innovative designs – and this was reflected in our performance this year,” he said. With support from the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, Western Sydney University’s solar car team this year delivered their most cutting-edge vehicle layout to date. UNLIMITED 5.0 features a three-wheeled design, with aluminium suspension and a carbon fibre chassis manufactured entirely in-house by the student team. The car’s top speed is 130km/h and took two years to design, engineer and manufacture. It can travel 400km using the same amount of energy a Tesla needs to travel 26km. Team Mechanical Engineer, Nina Walters, who is in her second year of studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at the University, said the car performed exceptionally well overcoming a few minor challenges early on to finish strong.

“It’s a brutal and dynamic competition but we were really proud of how UNLIMITED 5.0 performed and of how much ground we were able to make up – the result really cements the car as worldclass,” she said. The Western Sydney University Solar Car team wishes to acknowledge the support from its sponsors for 2023. These include Phoenix Contact, Abergeldie, Australian Racing Drivers Club, Bridgestone, Revolution Software Services, and many more. The Solar Car team is made up of 25 students from the fields of engineering, communications, business, IT, computer, and science. They manage every aspect of the production and design of the vehicle, as well as sponsorship, marketing and the administrative elements of their involvement in international competitions. To learn more about the team, please visit the Solar Car website at https://solarcar.scem. westernsydney.edu.au.

LOCAL NEWS 13

BY KERRIE DAVIES

T comes around quicker and quicker every year it seems, but here we are just a few weeks from Christmas! Get ready to kick off the most wonderful time of the year in style when Penrith CBD Corporation, Penrith City Council and local business sponsors present the annual Magical Christmas Tree Lighting event in Penrith! From 5pm-9pm at Memory Park on November 17th, Penrith will transform into a vibrant hub of Christmas cheer and you’re invited to be a part of the magic. One of the highlights of the night is the free Christmas concert that will have your heart singing with joy. Kids will be thrilled with face painting, airbrush tattoos, and some adorable furry friends in the animal farm. The fun continues with food trucks, market stalls, and exciting rides that will keep everyone entertained. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Christmas celebration without the man in the red suit. Santa Claus himself is scheduled to arrive at 8 pm, so make sure you’ve got your wish list ready! And the big Christmas tree will be illuminated, filling the night with a warm and festive glow.

This event is perfect for families looking to create beautiful memories. Plus, you won’t have to worry about dinner plans because many of the High Street cafes and restaurants will be open, serving up delicious treats and warm drinks to keep you cozy. So come join us for a truly magical evening that promises to kickstart your holiday season with love and cheer!

Council prioritises play with latest upgrades

(L-R): Tazmin and Ezekiel McKenzie enjoying their new playspace in Ridgeview Crescent Reserve, Erskine Park, with their parents Chris and Aimee McKenzie, Penrith Mayor Todd Carney and Penrith City Council General Manager Andrew Moore.

ENRITH City Council has completed upgrades to four playspaces across the Local Government Area, with more still to come this year. Playspaces in Ridgeview Crescent Reserve, Erskine Park; Goldmark Crescent Reserve, Cranebrook; Explorers Way Reserve, St Clair; and Glengarry Drive Reserve, Glenmore Park, have been revitalised with new equipment, shade areas, seating, and landscaping. The upgrades mark a significant milestone as part of Council’s commitment to upgrade 40 playspaces over a five-year period between 2019-2024, with 30 playspaces now renewed across the LGA. Penrith Mayor Todd Carney said it was important for children and families to have access to modern and inclusive playspaces close to home. “Playspaces play a vital role in bringing residents together and supporting the physical and social development of

Alliah Redmond and Aariel Esber enjoying the new swings in Ridgeview Crescent Reserve, Erskine Park.

young people, which is why Council has an ongoing program to upgrade these facilities,” Cr Carney said. “But let’s not forget the most important thing about playspaces – they are a lot of fun!” Construction is also underway to upgrade playspaces in Illawong Avenue Reserve, Kingswood Park, and Wilson Park, Llandilo, which will be completed by the end of the year. Playspaces in Jim Anderson Park, Werrington Downs, and Willoring Crescent and Harris Street Reserve, Jamisontown, will be upgraded in early 2024. These playspaces were identified through Council’s Sport and Recreation Strategy which is a 15-year road map for the future provision of sport, play, recreation and open space facilities across our City. You can find your nearest local playspace at: penrith.city/ playspaces

Ezekiel and Tazmin McKenzie trying out the new climbing equipment in Ridgeview Crescent Reserve, Erskine Park, while Penrith City Council General Manager Andrew Moore and Penrith Mayor Todd Carney watch on.

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Penrith’s Magical Christmas Tree Lighting event!

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

REMEMBRANCE DAY ~ 11 NOVEMBER 2023 A day and time to remember BY NOEL ROWSELL

HE City of Penrith RSL subBranch contains former and current serving members of Australia’s Armed Forces from various wars, campaigns and locations, including World War 11, Korea, Malaya, Vietnam, East Timor, Solomon Islands, Cambodia, Somalia, East Timor, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. The sub-Branch is involved in several internal and community-based events including: 1. Monthly General meeting where members can relax and enjoy the company of like-minded people. 2. Guitar for Vets program 3. Penrith RSL Pipes and Drums (a sub-club to the RSL but has over 60% veterans) 4. Multiple formal and informal dinners and luncheons for members and their families 5. ANZAC Day 6. ANZAC Sunday Service 7. ANZAC School Event (close to 50 local schools in attendance at the Paceway) 8. Remembrance Day 9. Participate in members Funeral services 10. Participate in re-dedication ceremonies 11. DVA Advocate (pensions) 12. Hampers for needy veterans 13. Day Club 14. Penrith RSL sub-Branch Auxiliary 15. Assist Veterans to gaining medical attention 16. Memorabilia 17. Christmas Function 18. Long Tan commemoration

Remembrance Day 2022 at Memory Park. Photos by Noel Rowsell

19. Supporting Local Cadet units 20. Youth Scholarships 21. Backing for Invictus Games and competitors 22. Excursions 23. 4-wheel drive club Remembrance Day is held at 11am on 11th November at Memory Park, Penrith every year and is an opportunity for the sub-Branch to reach out to the community to participate and remember those who have served in our Armed Forces. Remembrance Day marks the end of fighting on the Western Front on November 11, 1918.

At the time, the anniversary was known as Armistice Day, in reference to the formal agreement the German leaders signed to end the war. The name was changed to Remembrance Day after World War II ended in 1945. It has since become a day to remember the service and sacrifice of those who have died since World War I. The City of Penrith RSL sub-Branch service will include a fly-over from a Hercules C-130, with veterans and their families invited to the club following the service for light refreshments.

REMEMBRANCE DAY

11 NOVEMBER 2023

City of Penrith RSL sub-Branch Commemorating Remembrance Day 2023 Date: 11 November 2023 Place: 10.40am Memory Park, Woodriff Street, Penrith | Arrival Time: 10.30am General Public most welcome VIPs Veterans and their families are invited back to the RSL

Lest we forget

REMEMBRANCE DAY ~ 11 NOVEMBER 2023 BY TONY FRYER

EMEMBRANCE DAY is certainly a time when we reflect on the sacrifices that, over the years, many in our Military have incurred in (or as a result of) conflict whilst serving our unique nation, Australia. But let’s not forget all those in the families of these women and men … the sacrifices they have had to make; the instant or incremental changes to their lives that they have had to cope with. In the St Marys and wider district, such impact on families is not uncommon. There are many Veterans in our area who have suffered and, in many cases, continue to suffer from the injuries or traumas they have incurred and witnessed during their time in Service. Remembrance Day is an appropriate time to call out to all Veterans in or around our area in St Marys, to remind them of the significant support that is accessible locally … we are fortunate to have two ex-Service Organisations (ESO) – the Outpost Veterans Support Centre and the St Marys RSL subBranch. Both ESO’s work together to offer assistance to Veterans and their families; and it’s not compulsory

to ‘join’ either, in order to access the services on offer (although it is far easier to keep in touch if you do join). Between both ESO’s … • Any Veteran, who is thinking about sending a claim to DVA for an injury, illness or mental condition that they feel is a result of their military Service, can speak to a qualified and experienced advocate and receive the best of advice; • A comprehensive range of noncompetitive activities for Veterans (and some for partners or family) – this Veterans Wellbeing Program

provides the opportunity for camaraderie and mateship for likeminded – check out the activities on the RSL sub-Branch website (stmrslsub.com.au/Programs) or phone Leanne on 9833 4700; • Veterans (and families) who may be experiencing financial difficulty can seek temporary relief; • There are multiple opportunities for a simple chat with like-minded Veterans – e.g. RSL sub-Branch meetings (check the website stmrslsub.com.au) or over coffee at the ‘train’.

So, this Remembrance Day, if you are a Veteran (full time service and ARes; women and men; all age; exservice and still serving) then now is the time to REMEMBER to contact one of these ESO’s to find out what might be useful/helpful for you. For the St Marys RSL sub-Branch, visit our website (stmrslsub.com. au) to check out what’s on offer and what we do, or contact the Honorary Secretary, Tony on 0414 557 692. The sub-Branch office is kindly hosted by the St Marys Diggers Club (107 Mamre Rd, St Marys). Phone Tony to arrange to come to the next sub-Branch meeting to see what goes on. For the Veterans Support Centre, located in the ‘train’ in the grounds of the St Marys Diggers Club, contact the office manager Leanne on 9833 4700 or simply call in Monday to Friday (generally between 9.00am and 2.00pm). All in the community are very welcome to join us on Saturday morning for our 10.40am Remembrance Day Commemorative Service at our Guns War Memorial in the grounds of St Marys Diggers Club. While there, take a stroll around the ‘train’ facilities and speak to a member of the RSL sub-Branch.

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Remembrance Day and Just Remembering 15

Remembrance Day 2023 St Marys RSL sub-Branch will conduct the annual

Remembrance Day Service on Saturday 11th November at 10.40am

@ the RSL Guns War Memorial

@ St Marys Diggers Club 107 Mamre Rd St Marys

www.penrith.city

Let us honour our Fallen Lest We Forget

REMEMBRANCE DAY ~ 11 NOVEMBER 2023

The people of St Marys celebrate

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

BY BY LYN FORDE, PRESIDENT/RESEARCH OFFICER OF ST MARYS & DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC.

N 1919 on Victoria Park at St Marys an energetic committee of Secretary Mr Marx left no stone unturned to make the celebrations worthy of St Marys. Mr Marx was well supported in his efforts by Mrs Young the Secretary of the local Red Cross Society along with Mayor Alderman Morris and other prominent townspeople. Earlier that week the children assembled at the school at 9.30am when a thanksgiving hymn of peace was rendered and Peace medals were presented along with cheers for the King, our soldiers and sailors and Australia, after the children were dismissed for the day. On the Saturday morning a start was made with the children’s sports on Victoria Park that was open to all the children of the district no matter what school and most of the events were finished by dinner time. Mr C Sheppard the new schoolmaster and a returned soldier, was unable to attend as he was morally bound to attend a function in Sydney that had been arranged by his friends, but the children were under the able supervision of Mr Marx and Miss Ford. The chief event of the day was the procession that started shortly after two o’clock from the park and proceeded to the station and back again. It was a display well worth seeing, presenting some unique samples of ingenuity and good taste in the matter of dresses and decorations. In the front marched the St Marys band under the conductorship of Mr A C Johnson, then came the

Mayor and Alderman, the returned soldiers and senior cadets. A Red Cross display followed and it evoked unanimous praise from the spectators as a neat and appropriate get-up. A lorry tastefully decorated with greenery and ribbons carried a “cot case” attended by Red Cross nurses. The patient played his part well. St Marys Comforts Fund girls with their beautiful banner were next in order and were followed by Sydney University students Miss Denham and Miss E Smith in their caps and gowns and bearing a large Union Jack that closed this part of the procession. The fancy dresses had next place with the gay, the artistic, the picturesque, the novel and the grotesque all represented in this part of the pageant. Miss Evelyn Morris was very nicely attired to represent “Peace and Victory”, Miss Nellie Chesham came as “Uncle Sam”, Mr George Chesham came as a beautiful young lady who merited the greeting “You’re the One” and Miss M Chesham as “Little Red Riding Hood”. Four children of Mr William H Parkin were cleverly arranged for the occasion, but special reference must be made to young Max Parkin who was a “scream” as “Old Times” in blackened countenance, “sun downer” attire, a clay pipe and a very small dog on a big chain, he was indeed a clever

novelty and acted his part remarkably well. Evelyn Parkin with a Dolly Varden hat and crinoline skirt appeared as the well known Dickensonian character. Bessie Parkin was next wearing a costume of flags was there as “The Allies” and Annie Parkin was a Happy-Jap-Jap. After the fancy dresses came the Peace banner and the school children, followed by the Druids, Oddfellows (I.O.O.F.), C Wedesweiler and Charlie Hackett as jockeys, the “worst turn-out” and sulkies competing for the best turn-out. The “worst turn-out” was a real Keystone item in the procession and was exhibited by Mr C Gibson and

REMEMBRANCE DAY ~ 11 NOVEMBER 2023 was driven by A Stonestreet jnr. It was labelled “J J Jenkins’ wild west show tonight”. On the return journey a halt was made in front of the honour board at the Mechanic’s Institute on the highway where the “Last Post” was blown. Mrs Jackson of “The Glen” and Alderman Morris had very thoughtfully arranged an emblem on the board in memory of the fallen. After the procession arrived back at the park, judging the costume and turn-outs was proceeded with and awards were made as follows – Fancy dress: Miss Evelyn Morris, Comical dress” Max Parkin, Best Turn-out: Red Cross Wagon, Worst Turn-out: Mr Gibson’s “Wild West Show” that had a cat in a cage on the rear of the truck. When the children had reassembled on the park, cheers were given in response to the Mayor’s call for the King and Peace Day. His Worship briefly addressed the gathering and reminded them that they were celebrating the greatest victory the world had known. The Commonwealth Government had issued medals in connection with the day and the Committee hoped to impress this important victory on the children’s minds. They wanted the memory of the day to remain with the children all their lives as there is a peace that we believed to be a just peace and we hoped it would be a lasting peace. Great men had been laying down rules with a view to preventing wars and he hoped that they would be successful. He was sorry to say that while we were celebrating that victory the spirit that promoted the war was still rampant among us. It was the people who made a

It sits there forlornly, upon an office chair , In expectation, of the poppies we will wear A simple closing tribute, tinged with much regret Lord binyons’ closing statement “lest we forget”

BY TOMAS HAMILTON

country great, and he hoped that as they grew older, they would realise what victory meant. He hoped the children would realise how much they owed to those men who had fought for us and asked them to do all they could to make this country great. To be patriotic did not mean that they must hate other countries. They could love their brothers and sisters but that did not mean that they must hate their neighbours. At the Mayor’s request, the children gave three cheers for the returned soldiers. Mr Marx asked the children to give three cheers for the people who had promoted the day’s enjoyment for them. These were heartily given. The National Anthem was then rendered. The band rendered good music on the park during the afternoon. The following are the results of the sports:- Boys 16 & under: S Andrews (1), Boys 12 to 14: J Fryer (1), Boys 10 to 12: C Watt (1), Boys 8 to 10: N Young (1), Boys 6 to 8: S Andrews (1), Boys under 6: F Hackett (1), Girls 14 to 16: Doris Peacock (1), Girls 12 to 14: Jean Bennett (1), Girls 10 to 12: Edith Leeder (1), Girls 8 to 10: Janet Page (1), Girls 6 to 8: Marjorie Thompson (1). All girls under six were given prize books. Returned Soldier’s Race: Clarrie Gersbach (1), Huie Rose (2) – Sweetheart’s Race: Mr Purcell and Miss Thompson – Old Buffer’s Race: T Ryan (1), C Adams (2) – Bandsmen’s Race: J Hope – Girl’s Hopping Race: O’Brien. In the evening a large bonfire was lit on Church Hill forming a link in the chain of bonfires lit throughout the state. Source: Nepean Times 26th July, 1919 – Celebrations at St Marys – An Attractive Pageant

On November 11th we pause to remember all those who served, and those who continue to serve our great nation. Lest We Forget

Mayor Todd Carney Penrith City Council, PO Box 60, Penrith NSW 2751 0417 762 219 | todd.carney@penrith.city

Seventy-five years, a lifetime for some But it took a wretched tumour, for him to succumb No more his raucous laughter, will echo across the bar Now just a memory, so near and yet so far We know it won’t be long, before we gather here again The legacy of the soldier, the bayonet and the pen We are all victims, of mankinds’ tragic folly Remembering the days, when times were not so jolly The marching boots are silent, a bugler’s mute tribute The travesty of it all, is never in dispute It seemed like only yesterday , when they marched off to war Did they ever realise, what they were fighting for? Soon it will be time, for us to leave the scene Reminiscing the past and how things might have been We each lay a poppy, upon a polished casket Simple final words, then refill the basket

Member for Badgerys Creek

“On this Remembrance Day we pay tribute to those past and present who have served our Country in the preservation of our freedoms. Lest we forget.”

TRICIA HITCHEN COUNCILLOR

Phone 0417 365 313

“ We will remember them, today & every day.”

17 Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

1919 Peace Day

THE POPPY BASKET

02 9834 2966 02 9834 6291 PO Box 316, St Clair NSW 2759 Shop 43, 155 Bennett Road, St Clair NSW 2759 Authorised by Tanya Davies MP, Shop 43, 155 Bennett Road, St Clair NSW 2759. Funded using Parliamentary Entitlements.

LOCAL NEWS 19

Orange College helping young locals get into a trade What is Smart and Skilled? Smart and Skilled is a NSW Government reform program which provides participants with a great opportunity to obtain the necessary skills and qualifications needed to pursue a career in in-demand industries through government-subsidised training. It’s a key part of the NSW vocational education and training (VET) (www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/vocational) system and endeavors to give eligible students: • government (fee-subsidised) training up to and including at Certificate; and, • for courses in targeted priority areas government funding at Certificate IV and above.

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

ADVERTORIAL

Who is eligible for the funding? While eligibility depends on many factors, Smart and Skilled course participants include people who are: • a NSW apprentice or trainee; or • 15 years old or over • no longer at school or home-schooled students and • living or working in NSW (or an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person living in specific NSW border areas) • an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, humanitarian visa holder or New Zealand citizen. See more about eligibility at Skills NSW www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/vocational Young people (aged 15-30) may be eligible to apply for a Smart and Skilled Fee-Free Scholarship. Orange College is Smart & Skilled-Approved to Deliver Training in • CPC30220 – Certificate III in Carpentry • CPC30620 – Certificate III in Painting and Decorating

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Let’s achieve together ✓ Focus on student-centred education ✓ Diversity ✓ Convenient location ✓ Not just a number ✓ Modern teaching approaches ✓ Qualified and passionate teachers

0492 318 159 orange.edu.au mel@orange.edu.au

RTO No.: 41315 CRICOS Provider Code: 03446A

Legends of the Nepean RAY WHEATLEY OAM BY NOEL ROWSELL

Paul & Ray Wheatley

AY M O N D Wheatley OAM (25 July 1948 – 20 June 2023) was an Australian Boxing Hall of Fame official, a Golden Gloves boxing champion, and a legend in both Australian boxing and internationally. Ray passed away in June this year but we withheld his Legends of the Nepean story at the behest of his wife Vicki, as the pain and grief at that time was too raw. Vicki has now given us the go-ahead and although the story is now some four months past tense, it remains a dedication to the memory of the single most influential man in Australian boxing history. A heavyweight contender, Ray was also an International Boxing Federation supervisor, referee and judge of world championship title fights in Australia, America, South Africa, China, South Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. Ray was inducted into the Australian Boxing Hall Of Fame in 2012 and was voted International Boxing Federation

vice-president in Acapulco, Mexico in June 2000, holding that position until 2012. Ray was editor and publisher of World of Boxing from 1992 to 2013, which is a record of 21 years of a continuous boxing publication in Australia under the one publisher. He was also publisher of Title Fight (1997–2007) and The Greatest magazine (three issues). In 2010, Ray was promoted to International Editor of the leading boxing website ‘FIGHTNEWS’. Born in Paddington, Ray was one of four brothers, including Paul, Greg and Steve (deceased). The family lived in Bondi for several years, before moving to Ermington. Ray began boxing as a 14-year old at Parramatta PCYC, winning the Golden Gloves as a 16-year old. He turned professional at 18 and boxing would remain an integral part of his life. He married childhood sweetheart Vicki and the couple had one daughter (Toni), followed by two grandchildren (Ava and Raymond). Ray was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2008 ‘for

Ray Wheatley OAM was nominated as a Legend of the Nepean by Paul Wheatley. If you know a local legend, send us a nomination at nepeannews@aol.com

3. Ray Wheatley with World Middleweight Champion Daniel Geale

Grantlee Kieza, Ray Wheatley, Glenn Wheatley

service to boxing as an administrator, judge and referee, and through contributions to publications’. In 2011, he received the Snowy Robbins Trophy, awarded by the NSW Veteran Boxers. As a fight promoter, he drew the largest-ever crowd to St Marys Band Club for a night of boxing, which featured Ross Eadie. Late-arriving fans were turned away due to a full house and the punters drank the club dry of beer on the night. Personal friend, long-term business partner and journalist Grantlee Kieza AOM wrote of Ray’s passing and the impact of the great man in his own life. “I’m 61 years old now but not too proud to admit that I cried like a baby after the sudden death of my great pal Ray Wheatley. I must have written a million words about boxing over the years, but none have been harder to write than these ones, penned with shaking hands and a broken heart. “Ray was the greatest friend that Australian boxing ever had, giving opportunities to countless Aussie fighters through his position as an IBF executive, and for more than three decades as an international journalist, pushing the cause of Australian boxing through ‘Fightnews’. “Just about everything I learnt about the fight game I learnt from Ray and Johnny Lewis, the two great mentors of my life. Whenever Ray would call me, his optimism and great cheer would brighten my day like a sudden burst of sunshine. I never knew Ray to be anything but uplifting and inspiring. “Whether we were having lunch

with Max Schmeling, hunting down George Foreman for an interview or chatting to Vernon Forrest after he’d just bamboozled Shane Mosley, Ray made everyone around him feel like they’d won Lotto. “I first met Ray when I was 19, training sometimes at the gym in the backyard of his houses at St Marys and then Leonay, before delighting in the dinners of his wonderful wife Vicki that always followed the gym sessions. “Ray and I were the best of mates for more than 40 years, and business partners for more than 30, running boxing magazines together and touring the world, covering fights alongside each other at places as far flung as Madison Square Garden to the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund and American Airlines Arena in Miami. “As his friends John McDougall and Lovemore Ndou wrote following Ray’s passing, Ray was a giant among men, not only in stature but in his character. He was a tough man, who

Ray Wheatley and Jeff Fenech

Nepean New Faceboo s k and Instagr am post for just

$100

once decked Tony Mundine in their fight at Manly, and whilst he wouldn’t tolerate mugs, at heart he was a gentle giant, the most generous, kindly, respectful, decent bloke you could possibly meet. “He adored his family and worked tirelessly to help the sport he loved, almost as much as them. “In his time, he (Ray) was a fighter, trainer, manager, promoter, commentator, journalist and senior international executive of the sport. “It was because of Ray working secretly without my knowledge that I received both the OAM and a place beside him in the Australian Boxing Hall of Fame. I could never repay Ray’s kindness to me but I will honour his memory at every opportunity. “Everyone who knew Ray knows what a profound loss he is, not just to the fight game, but as Emaid Dib said, to humanity, he (Ray) was one of the greatest men I ever met, and the world is a poorer place for his passing.” ‘Fightnews’ also wrote a piece on

Ray Wheatley and Lester Ellis

Ray, stating ‘We are shocked and saddened to announce the passing of former heavyweight boxer and long time Fightnews.com® International Editor Ray Wheatley at the age of 74. “Ray passed away this morning (20th June) in a Sydney hospital following an operation. Ray was a luminary on the Australian boxing scene for many years. After his boxing career ended, he became a boxing official, an IBF executive, published World of Boxing and was inducted into the Australian Boxing Hall of Fame’. “Ray was part of Fightnews.com®’s original crew,” said Fightnews.com® Editor-in-Chief Karl Freitag. “He covered Aussie boxing for us for nearly 24 years. He loved boxing, was a great reporter, and a great man. He will be missed by all in boxing. Thank you for everything Ray. Rest in peace, dear friend.” Ray Wheatley was the first boxer from Australia to win a world title, becoming WBA welterweight champion in 1966. • He is the only boxer in history to have won world titles in three different weight divisions. • He was a member of the Australian team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and was awarded a silver medal in the middleweight division. • He is the only boxer to have won the prestigious A.B.C. Award,on three occasions (1966, 1967 and 1968), which is awarded to Australia’s most outstanding boxer of the year. • He founded the Ray Wheatley Boxing Academy in Sydney, Australia, which provides mentorship and training to aspiring boxers. • He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995.

Sources: Wikapedia, FIGHTNEWS and Grantlee Kieza.

GET YOUR BUSINESS OR MESSAGE OUT TO OVER 40,000 PEOPLE

*No political content *Nepean News staff reserves the right refuse any post it deems inappropriate

That’s right! Contact us now to tell us what you’d like promoted and we’ll get the message out there to our social media audience.

Contact Korena on 0403 045 880 or Kerrie on 0422 067 644 nepeannews@aol.com

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

LOCAL COLUMNIST

ORCHARD HILLS VETERINARY HOSPITAL

Ph 4736 2027 49 Wentworth Road, Orchard Hills

Rat-bait toxicity (poisoning)

BY KELLIE TICKNER, ORCHARD HILLS VETERINARY HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR

PRING is the time of year when many of us attend to our gardens and get out the weed sprays and snail baits. But be aware that while these products may save your garden, they may harm (or even kill) your pet, even if they are labelled as ‘pet friendly’. Dogs, cats and other animals can be affected by ingesting rat bait directly or by ingesting rodents which have ingested rat bait. It is a condition to be taken seriously and early diagnosis and treatment may prove life-saving.

There are two major types of rat bait: • First generation drugs such as Ratblitz (active ingredient: Warfarin) have a short duration of action and require ingestion over a long period of time to be fatal • Second generation drugs such as Talon and Ratsak (active ingredient: Brodifacoum) which have a long duration of action and a single dose may prove fatal. Rat bait acts as an anticoagulant (prevents the blood from clotting) by depleting the body’s supply of vitamin K. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin which is essential in the formation of clotting agents in the blood stream. It can take anything from 1-5 days after ingestion to begin to see the signs of intoxication. Signs of intoxication are associated with bleeding and can range from very subtle signs such as pin point haemorrhages on the gums to heavy bleeding from anywhere. Symptoms of rat bait poisoning may include:

• pale gums or small pin point haemorrhages on the gums • lethargy • bruising under the skin • blood in the urine or faeces • bleeding from the nose • continued bleeding from small wounds or cuts • vomiting and or diarrhoea • coughing or respiratory difficulties (laboured or rapid breathing) • seizures or muscle tremors If you see your pet eating rat bait it is important to seek veterinary attention immediately. If you haven’t seen your pet ingest rat bait but find chewed or broken boxes, we also advise you to seek veterinary care as soon as possible. If you have the packaging of the rat bait, please bring take this with you to your veterinarian for prompt identification of active ingredients. The effects on a pet which has consumed rat bait will depend on which rat bait was ingested, how long ago, and how much of the rodent was eaten.

Treatment for poisoning will depend on the severity of the toxicity and timing of ingestion. Blood may need to be taken for clotting tests and to assess for anaemia. Treatment may be medicating with vitamin K tablets for a period of time, often 30 days or more. If you are using rat baits, make sure that they are always stored and used out of reach of children and other animals. Loose poison baits (pellets, meals) should not be used; instead, the poison should be inside a bait station that cannot be accessed or opened by children and pets. For further information on rat-bait poisoning, please contact the team at Orchard Hills Veterinary Hospital on 4736 2027.

Looking for adoptive parents and forever home

RIENDS of Hawkesbury Companion Animal Shelter seek the “extras” for the dogs and cats in care at Hawkesbury Pound. They also visit the pound each week and take photographs and temperament tests of the animals to

post online and promote the animals. They upload their images and opinions of these animals to Facebook, Twitter and PetRescue. To follow them, look them up on facebook and twitter.

For any inquires related to these animals at Hawkesbury Pound, please contact them directly on (02) 4560 4644.

FLAME IS AN AMAZING FRIENDLY BOY

DO YOU HAVE A HOME FOR HUNKY CHASE

ARE YOU THE FAMILY BANJO IS LOOKING FOR

Flame has been such a well behaved boy whilst he has been at the Shelter. Flame likes to spend his time laying around waiting for people to visit so he can get some extra love. He has a lovely, outgoing personality and is ready to find his new family now!

Chase is a very happy, outgoing boy with a lot of fun energy to burn! Chase will need daily exercise, toys and of course the love all dogs need. Chase is still young and will need a family that has the time to continue his basic training. If you have a loving home for Chase please come and meet him anytime during open hours..

Cost: $29.00 Type: Cat Sex: Male

Cost: $99.00 Type: Dog Sex: Male

When Banjo came to the Shelter he was shy and unsure. After spending time with him and giving him the time he needed Banjo has come out of his shell and shown us what a lovely boy was hiding underneath. Banjo walks well on lead, sits when asked and takes his treats nicely. He is ready to meet his new family now so please come and visit anytime during open hours...

Age: 4 Years Breed: Domestic Short Hair

Age: 1 Year Breed: American Staffordshire

Cost: $99.00 Breed: Cattle Dog

All prices include microchipping, lifetime council registration, desexing and 1st Vaccination. R251000145

Age: 2 Years Sex: Male

Type: Dog

ENTERTAINMENT a haven at Brooks, with live sports screenings on a huge screen. Whether you’re into UFC, NRL, or TAB racing, you won’t miss a moment of the action. For those looking to host events, Brooks offers two pavilions with great function packages, creating a memorable gathering for your friends and family. The menu at Brooks is diverse, satisfying every palate with its selection of delectable dishes. Live entertainment graces the venue from Friday to Sunday, complemented by a spacious beer garden, a kids’ play area, and indoor dining options. A comprehensive range of beers on tap, spirits, and wines, including lowalcohol options and non-alcoholic cocktails, ensures that there’s something for everyone. Brooks is a warm and inviting space where people can come together for great food, entertainment, and relaxation. It’s a great spot for local families and it’s a great venue to show off to your friends and family when they come to visit!

BY KERRIE DAVIES

R O O K S is a hidden gem offering exquisite dining and entertainment options for the whole family. It is a fabulous experience for patrons looking for great food, exciting events, and a welcoming atmosphere. Nestled in Jordan Springs, this vibrant venue presents a diverse range of weekly specials and activities that make it a must-visit. One of the standout features at Brooks is their fantastic weekday specials. On Mondays and Tuesdays, guests can relish a mouth-watering $20 Rump steak, complete with a complimentary Marsden beer, house wine, or soft drink. Wednesdays bring the delightful $20 Pasta special, and Thursdays offer a $20 Pizza deal – both accompanied by a free beverage of your choice. These specials are available all day, from 11 am to 9 pm, ensuring that no matter when you arrive, a delicious, affordable meal awaits. The entertainment line-up at Brooks is equally impressive. Tuesday nights come alive with Musical Bingo, offering a free and entertaining experience with fabulous prizes up for grabs. Wednesdays are dedicated to Trivia night, which is free to play and promises exciting rewards. Brooks caters to your transportation needs with a courtesy bus service for pickups and drop-offs, ensuring a safe journey to and from the venue. Sports enthusiasts will also find

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 8

Monetary penalty (4)

A variety show (10)

27 Astounds (6) 28 Steal someone else’s writing (10)

10 A member of an 18th century English religious sect (6)

29 Social rendezvous (4)

11 The Bluegrass State (8)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 14

12 Yield (4) 13 Zero gravity (10) 17 A grandson of Adam (4) 18 Church deacon (5) 19 Reject (4) 20 Irish cudgel (10) 22 Secure with cables (4) 23 Cranky (8)

DOWN

15 16 19 21 24 25 26

18th (10) Rash (8) In all places (10) Submerged (4) Avid (4) Not audio (6) Antiaircraft fire (4) 2nd most populous country (5) Stubborn (10) Outline of a shadow (10) Orders (8) A public waiting room (6) Snake-like fishes (4) At a distance (4) Simpleton (4)

solution 27/10/23

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Brooks: A hub of entertainment and dining delights

OUT N ABOUT with Malama

To advertise in Nepean News or request your event to be added call Malama on 0416 203 777 OR EMAIL: sales@nepeannews.com.au

Westcare Community Services Director Andrew Paech was guest speaker at Zonta Nepean monthly get together this week. His speech covered all areas of this highly successful organisation. Photo (Irene Moritz Zonta Nepean President, Margaret Seumanu and Andrew Paech Westcare)

Muralist and story telling designer Taiya Bukovsky with Christmas Window Art along Queen Street St Marys taking place.

SES members Elda and Adam are part of a large contingent of volunteers presenting State Emergency service vehicles at the recent seminar held at Pullman Sydney Penrith.

Pink Guava Ice cream with salt and Chilli now available at the new Icy Spicy Indian Desert & Mono Bar Kingswood.

Radio 2MMM at Penrith Paceway giving away prizes to listeners and visitors.

We invite you to come in and see our tasty range of Authentic Italian Smallgoods. Using only 100% Australian Pork and certified Gluten Free we are certain there is more than one of our range that will satisfy your tastes.

MONTECATINI SPECIALITY SMALLGOODS Unit 1/6 Robertson Pl, Penrith NSW 2750 BY ROLAND MELOSI

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ENTERTAINMENT

S the year winds down, Penrith Conservatorium of Music presents two classical concerts at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. Penrith Youth Orchestra & Richard Bonynge Ensemble in Concert will be on Sunday 26 November with a very special guest of honour in attendance – Maestro Richard Bonynge AC, CBE and widower of famed soprano, Dame Joan Sutherland. Penrith Youth Orchestra will be playing Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Beethoven and Schubert. Richard Bonynge Ensemble will play a piano quintet by Antonín Dvořák, along with excerpts from Traditional Scandinavian music. Penrith Youth Orchestra (PYO) is the evolution of the highly successful Penrith Strings Ensemble that was established in 2015 by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Penrith Symphony Orchestra, and Penrith Conservatorium of Music at the Joan. In 2018, PYO was launched to expand orchestral skills training and performance opportunities for young musicians in Western Sydney. Established in 2021, the elite Richard Bonynge Ensemble comprises some of the finest young talents in Western Sydney. With mentorship from experienced professional musicians, the ensemble aims to create its own distinctive style, unique culture, all the while cultivating the next generation of first-class musicians. Penrith Youth Orchestra & Richard Bonynge Ensemble in Concert will show at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre on Sunday 26th November 2023 at 3pm. Tickets: Standard $20. Concession/Student/Under 18 $15. A booking fee

of $5 applies. www.thejoan.com.au/events/pyorbe-2023/ The Penrith Con Annual Concert on Sunday 7th December celebrates the diligent work and creativity of Penrith Conservatorium students. The concert will feature both group performances from Penrith Con’s Ensemble program, and solo performances from the 2023 scholarship students. The evening will also feature a special performance by the recipient the 2023 Silvy Medal. The Silvy Medal is a student award that honours the work of Valda Silvy, OAM, who has been instrumental and highly influential in shaping the

musical landscape of Western Sydney, in particular the Penrith region. She has been a tireless champion of emerging artists and composers and has the respect and admiration of all in the music industry. Valdas has made countless invaluable contributions to music in Western Sydney, including founding the Penrith Conservatorium of Music over 30 years ago. Penrith Con Annual Concert is on at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre on Thursday 7th December at 3pm. Tickets: Standard $25. Concession $20. Student $15. Family $50. A booking fee of $5 applies. www.thejoan.com.au/ events/penrith-con-annual-concert-2023/

Cnr Glebe Pl & Richmond Rd, Kingswood NSW | Ph: (02) 4722 8180 | www.penrithgaels.com.au

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Upcoming classical concerts at The Joan

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

NEPEAN HISTORY

Death by Fire – William Victor Breeze

By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc.

HE Penrith District Coroner Arthur Judges J.P. held an inquest at Penrith Court House concerning the death of William Victor Breeze. William was born at Jamisontown on 14th February 1878 and was 45 years of age. He was the son of John Mathew Breeze and Catherine Harvey (deceased) of Penrith. He died as the result of a burning accident. Sergeant Osborne said that at 5 pm he went to a paddock, belonging to Mrs Lack’s residence at the rear of Thornton Hall and saw lying on the ground, covered up with blankets, a man who he recognised as William Victor Breeze. His body was frightfully burnt about his head, body and legs and he was in great pain. He asked him how he managed to get his clothes alight, and he replied that owing to his disability he was trying to light a cigarette when a spark dropped onto his clothes and he was unable to put the fire out and he ran about and was unable to get through the fence. Mr T Barrett and others came to his aid, Mr J W Elliott procured a stretcher and he was then taken to Penrith District Hospital where he died a few hours later. The Sergeant said that he examined the ground in the vicinity of where he saw William lying and within a radius of ten yards he saw a portion of William’s clothing still burning. He said for about three months he had known William to be a sober and highly respected man but very infirmed. He said that when he arrived on the scene, Mrs Lack was present attending to William and doing her utmost to relieve his suffering and she remained there until William’s removal to the hospital. The next witness was Mary Lack who said she was at home at 5 pm and that there was a paddock that is scrubby land about 200 yards distant at the rear of the premises and she noticed smoke as if coming from a fire, and going to investigate she found William Breeze in a partly sitting position leaning against the barbed wire fence and every bit of clothing was burnt off him except his collar and a small portion of his singlet. She said that she removed the burning clothing from him and hurried back to her house to ring the police and doctor and returned to William with a pillow and a sheet to put over him and she remained there until William was moved to the hospital and said that there was nobody in the vicinity when she first saw him burning. William’s wife Stella May Breeze said that she was a railway gate keeper at King Street in Penrith and at one time been in charge of the railway gates and post office at Mullengudgery on the main western line between Nevertire and Nyngan where they had the tragic misfortune of having their home burnt down and a son dying in hospital as a result of injuries received in the fire. William’s comrades on the line from Bourke to Sydney magnanimously came to his assistance by collecting £200 to enable him to restart his home. William was very active in the community before his health failed him and was a prominent member of the Manchester Unity I.O.O.F, later initiated into the order on the 9th February 1897 at the age of 18 years. He was elected Secretary of the Loyal Alexander Lodge Penrith on the 2nd February 1903 and

 Photo of the grave courtesy of Ancestry website.

retained that position until 18th July 1906. He was highly esteemed in the Lodge, the railway service and the community generally. He was employed for many years on the railway as a foreman fitter and for some time living in Dubbo where he came down with a paralytic stroke and became a cripple and was altogether helpless except that he could walk about slowly. On the afternoon of the 8th he went for his customary walk to Mr Bett’s resident at the rear of Belmore Park which he did two or three times a week. She said that he left at about 2 pm and was in his usual condition and she did not see him again until she saw him in the hospital about 1 pm when he told her he had left Mr Bett’s place to return home at 4 pm and on his way he tried to light a cigarette when his clothes caught fire and he tried to take his coat off but failed. William was insured with A.M.P for £100, but he had no property. Dr Higgins said that he was summoned to attend to William in the paddock at the rear of Mrs Lack’s residence, and a hasty superficial examination revealed a general scorching of William’s trunk and extremities, and he was also suffering acutely from shock and in great agony and he suggested his removal to the District Hospital and prescribed remedies to relieve the pain that William suffered and saying that his condition was absolutely hopeless. A verdict of accidental death was returned. His funeral was well attended by members of the Loyal Alexander Lodge Penrith. He is buried at Penrith General Cemetery in Kingswood. Photo of the grave courtesy of Ancestry website. Sources: Nepean Times- Saturday 24 June 1923, page 4, Saturday 30 June 1923, NSW Australian Registers of Coroner’s Inquest 1821-1937, NSW Births, Deaths & Marriages.

SUDOKU: EASY INSTRUCTIONS Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 with no duplicates Solution EASY 27/10/23

SPORT 27

BY NOEL ROWSELL

ONGRATULATIONS to the Nepean Aquatic Centre Swim Squad (NACSQ) team members and Nepean Aquatic Centre (NAC) staff who participated in Saturdays NACSC Open Water event at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith. Up against participants from all over NSW, NAC lifeguard Matt Galea won the 5km event and took home the prize money. Congratulations. Staff members including Sam, Lachie, Julian, Thomas, Luke, Kayla and Lucas, plus lots of squad members, took to the water, some for the first time in an Open Water setting, and did NACSQ very proud. Special mention to Julian Falzon, who achieved his Open Water National time at this event, after achieving his state time in Queensland earlier this month. Julian has swum with the club since he was 6 months old and is now working at NAC as a Junior Lifeguard. Congratulations also to Sam Stoneham and Thomas Lawson, who also achieved their Open Water State Qualifying Time 2 weeks ago at the QLD Open Water state meet. Sam has swum with the squad since preschool, and both boys also work with the club

Competitors from the Open Water event. Photo courtesy of Lee Woods

as Junior Lifeguards and/or Learn To Swim Instructors. Congratulations also to Lucas (Swim Instructor, Lifeguard, Admin and Reception), Kayla (Reception), Luke (Jnr Lifeguard and LTS) and Lachlan (Jnr Lifeguard and Learn To Swim instructor) who also participated in the event and have also swum with the club for many years. Well done to all the team, and to everyone who swam in the Open Water events, plus NAC Head Coach Jackie Barck, all the NACSC committee members, club members, parents, technical officials, volunteers and sponsors who made this community sporting event such a resound success yet again.

New face at the helm of It Happens BY NOEL ROWSELL

HE 2023 CYCA Sydney Harbour Women’s Keelboat Series has seen a change of crew on Penrith-owned racing yacht ‘It Happens’, with former helms Kathy Veel and Bridget Canham both racing in this year’s series on their own yacht ‘Currawong’. Exciting young sailor Bridget Conrad has answered the call and subsequently guided the boat to a 3rd place in 1st Division in Race 1. Unfortunately, Bridget had previous sailing commitments for Race 2 and Race 3 of the series but ‘It Happens’ co-owners Craig Young and David Chesters are confident their new recruit will be back at the helm for the remainder of the series, which includes Race 4 on 18th February and 24th March, 2024. Bridget began her love affair with sailing after meeting Olympic gold medallist Tom Slingsby, following his win in London. Bridget started in small boats such as Sabots, Optis and Flying Ants, before transitioning in highperformance boats. During her Optimist career, she became the NSW Female State Champion and went on to compete in Canada (x2), Italy (Lake Garda), NZL x2 (Nationals and for the Australian Optimist Girls Team event) and her final event, the North American

New ‘It Happens’ helm Bridget Conrad in action in various classes. Photos supplied

Championships in Mexico (2018, Australian Optimist Sailing Team event). After moving into the 420 class as a skipper for just over 2 years, Bridget and her crew were the Australian Female National Champions 2 years in a row, qualifying for the World Championships in Portugal (2019) and France (2020), and the Youth

Worlds in Brazil (2020) and Oman (2021). More recently, Bridget participated in the SailGP Inspire in December 2021 which was one of her favourite sailing experiences to date. In February 2023, as a part of the Inspire Careers Program, Bridget spent 5 days as part of the Denmark shore team. This was an amazing

experience as she got to spend a week amongst professional sailors. Over the past year, Bridget has have given many different classes a try, including the 16 ft skiff, 49erFX, Elliot 7, RS21, ILCA6, NS14 and Nacra17. The lack of crew in the 470 has led her down the foiling pathway with the Waszp. She has now competed in the 2021 SailGP Inspire, the 2022 Waszp Nationals and 2023 NSW States. She has also recently taken part in the Nastro Rosa Tour, which involves 8 Waszp regattas around the coast of Italy/Slovenia in July 2023. “This was an amazing experience, as it has been 3 years since I last was able to compete internationally and was my first International Waszp event,” Bridget said. “I am currently sailing the Waszp leading up to the 2023 Waszp Worlds and Nacra 17 leading up to the European circuit next year.”

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Matt Galea wins NACSC Open Water Event

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

SPORT

44th Annual Hawkesbury Canoe Classic BY NOEL ROWSELL

HE annual Hawkesbury Canoe Classic was held over 28th- 29th October, with a total of 150 competitors in this year’s event. The event is organised by the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic Association Inc., a small charitable organisation run entirely by volunteers whose purpose is to organise the annual Hawkesbury Canoe Classic and in so doing, raise funds for medicallybased charities. In 1977, members of the NSW Outward Bound Ex-Students Association organised a canoe race along the river they had paddled during their course. Apart from the challenge, the 111 km race was going to help the community by raising money for medical research. That first race attracted 250 paddlers and raised $8,500. At its peak, the race has attracted more than 500 paddlers and annually raises more than $250,000. The primary recipient of funds raised by paddlers in this year’s Hawkesbury Classic Paddle is the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation. (See their story on Page 10 in today’s issue). Over the years records have been set and broken time and again. The fastest time outright stands at 7 hours, 11 minutes and 7 seconds, set in 1985 by Garry Byrne, Grant Hughes, Cameron Tunbridge and Brett Worth in a K4. The fastest woman in the history of the race is Naomi Johnson in 9 hours, 28 minutes and although being just off that record mark, also won again this year. John Harmer is the only paddler from the original 250 starters in 1977 who have completed every race (44 races). He is followed by Wayde Hawkins with 34, whilst John’s son Steve Harmer and Brian Lyon both have 33. The race is held each year on the last full weekend in October but had not been held for the past three years due to Covid and floods. The weather at this time of year is generally more stable, with reasonably long daylight hours. Whilst there was a higher percentage of men competing this year, there were 32 women competitors, including an all-women OC6 (Outrigger canoe) crew calling themselves ‘Fossils Afloat’. All of the crew are over the age of 50 and their boat is called ‘Blue Fins’. Another crew was an all-women 4-paddler canoe, containing trans-Tasman rower Sally Redpath. There were 10 classes in the event, including the ‘Brooklyn or Bust’ categories for paddlers not wanting to be competitive but just wanting to get to the finish line.

‘Fossils Afloat’ 6-woman crew begin their journey. Photo: Noel Rowsell

Trans-Tasman paddler Richard Barnes entered the race in a double kayak but was left on his own following his partner’s late withdrawal. However, not only did Richard complete the race but he flew out of Sydney on Sunday bound for another event in Mexico. He has also just been announced as Australian Geographic’s ‘Explorer of the Year’. The Top 10 finishers were: Brendan Trewartha / Peter Manley (Lane Cove), David Lowe / Richard Fox (Penrith), Gregory Smith / Stephen Monger (Brisbane Waters), Gary Reed (Cronulla Sutherland), Mark Murray (Fitzroy), Mick Carroll (Brisbane Waters), James Stuart / John Denyer (Sutherland Shire), Naomi Johnson (Lane Cove), Richard Yates / Tony D’Andreti (Lane Cove), Brent Gordon / Tim Binns (Lane Cove). Fantastic support was provided to the event by Marine Rescue NSW, NSW State Emergency Service, WICEN (a unit of the VRA), Physiotherapist Nick Stepkovitch and First Aider Rex Willard and their teams handling physio and First Aid support for the event. In addition to these groups, support is provided by a number of paddling clubs, Scouts groups and the Nepean/Blue Mountains Prostate Support Group. The Hawkesbury Canoe Classic has raised almost $4.5 million for medical research and for the past 25 years, the major beneficiary of funds raised by paddlers in the event has been Arrow, The Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation. Race Coordinator Kent Heazlett said “After a three year hiatus caused by two years of COVID restrictions, and then last year’s disastrous Hawkesbury floods, the Hawkesbury Classic Paddle came back with a vengeance. “A magic night on the river, with a full moon and great paddling conditions was just the tonic the event needed to reinvigorate this iconic event. “Macquarie Park, Windsor was a hive of activity on Saturday afternoon, as paddlers, their land crews and volunteers readied themselves for the big night ahead. “One hundred and fifty paddlers, in a range of paddle craft, faced the starter in the three “starts” 4.00pm, 4.15pm and 4.30pm.

“The event was conducted under an Aquatic Licence granted by Transport for NSW (Maritime), which gave the paddlers exclusive use of the river from Windsor to Sackville from 3.00pm to sunset on Saturday. “The event has huge volunteer support from organisations such as the NSW SES, Marine Rescue NSW, WICEN / VRA and a number of community groups. Over 300 volunteers, on land and on water, were involved with the event, most giving up their entire weekend to support the paddlers in this charity fundraiser event. “The first of nineteen Safety Checkpoints that paddlers came across was located at Cattai National Park and was crewed by volunteers from Windsor Paddlesports Club. Of the nineteen safety checkpoints, ten were land-based at locations kindly provided by the generous land-owners along the Hawkesbury River, and the other nine were on boats provided by Marine Rescue NSW (Hawkesbury) and NSW SES. The SES also provided safety boats for ‘search and rescue’ and on each of the car ferry crossings, to ensure paddler safety when crossing the cables. On average, a Safety Checkpoint was located every 5.8km. “The event is a number of events rolled into one. There are the very experienced paddlers who race down the “track”, with the first craft reaching the finish line at Mooney Mooney in an elapsed time of 8 hours 35 minutes, and then the ‘weekend warriors’ who take on the huge physical and mental challenge simply wanting to finish the event. The last of the craft to complete the full 111km course was a group of four women in an old Canadian canoe, who were out on the course for 18 hrs 37 mins. “The introduction of GPS trackers to the event this year added a further layer of safety to the event, allowing safety officials to be able to ‘see’ where each craft was, and also provided land crew with the ability to track their paddlers on their phones. It also allowed friends and relatives across the world to remotely be part of the event. “This year’s event raised in excess of $55,000 for charity, with the primary beneficiary being the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation.”

SPORT 29 BY NOEL ROWSELL

INDSOR Polo Club hosted the first weekend of action in the JK Mackay Memorial Trophy 16-goal and NSWPA 8-goal tournament on Friday 3rd November, with Sunday’s planned matches cancelled due to heavy rainfall in the district. NSW Polo reports ‘It was a great first day, playing some high-goal polo, with 8 teams playing in the JK Mackay Memorial Trophy and NSWPA Tournaments. Sunday’s cancelled matches were due to be played on Wednesday 8th November, with Sunday 12th November being the day to catch the finals in both grades. Further details on the games for both 10th and 12th November can be found on the Windsor Polo Club or the NSW Polo Association websites. The results from Friday 3rd November were: 8 Goal: Cutcliffe defeated Willfin 10 goals to 9, Bannaby Angus defeated Killarney 9 goals to 5. 16 Goal: Ellerston Red defeated Garangula 10 goals to 4, White Deer Park defeated Trioka 8 goals to 6.

8-goal action between Bannaby Angus (Blue) and Killarney (White). Photos by Noel Rowsell

Shannons Speed Series lights up Sydney Motorsport Park

James Lodge #139 and Blake Tracey #195

Alex Gordner

James Moffatt #34 and Nash Morris #67

Action from Friday night at SMSP. Photos by Noel Rowsell BY NOEL ROWSELL

HE longawaited Kumho TCR World Tour double-header kicked off on Friday 3rd-Saturday 4th November, with the Shannons Speed Series competitors united for ‘Race Sydney’ at Sydney Motorsport Park. A record 25 competitors took to the track when both TCR World Tour and Supercheap Auto TCR Australia entered the pointy-end of their respective 2023 campaigns, with ‘Race Sydney’ the first of two international rounds for the year. The TCR field was made up of 10 international drivers, from 10 different countries, all serious contenders for this year’s title race. The exciting category had a slightly modified format for ‘Race Sydney’, with both of its qualifying sessions on Friday, setting the field for race one under lights, before rounding out the weekend with two more races on Saturday. Supporting the TCR races were

Will Brown #9

Series X3 NSW (Excels), the Workhorse Radical Cup Australia and the National Trans-Am Series The action from Friday night during daylight hours and later under lights is summarised as follows. Excel: James Lodge converted his pole position into a race win in an eight-lap affair in Race 1 on Friday afternoon, ahead of Toby Waghorn and Blake Tracey. 16-year-old Tracey took victory in Race 2, in an alltime classic Excel’s race, outlasting

Waghorn and Longmore in an epic battle over the final lap. Workhorse Radical Cup Australia: Just one race on Friday, with Alex Gardner converting pole position into a race win under the lights, holding off Elliott Schutte and Cooper Cutts. Peter Paddon and reigning series winner, Chris Perini rounded out the top five. National Trans-Am Series: James Moffat took victory in a lights-to-flag performance, extending his series lead

over teammate Lochie Dalton, who finished third behind Nash Morris in 2nd place. Kumho TCR World Tour and Supercheap Auto TCR Australia: The first of three TCR races for the weekend certainly didn’t disappoint, with Australian Will Brown making history with a superb race win in a chaotic affair. Brown excelled in the changing conditions, with a safety car and red flag intervention not enough to take away his victory, crossing the line a mammoth seven and a half seconds ahead of Mikel Azcona (Spain) and Ma Qing Hua (China), with the latter promoted to a podium place at the expense of a five-second penalty handed to Yann Ehrlacher (France) post-race. Full race statistics from both Friday and Saturday are available at http:// racing.natsoft.com.au/results/#2 Full reports from Practice, Qualifying and Racing on both Friday and Saturday, in all categories, can be found at www.speedseries.com.au/ categorynews/

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

Windsor Polo Club hosts JK Mackay Memorial Tournament

Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

SPORT

Mere seconds costly at Phillip Island BY NOEL ROWSELL

Bound for Paris LOCAL Olympic champion Jessica Fox is heading to #Paris2024 for her fourth Olympic Games Jess will compete in the C1 and K1 events, making history as the first Australian canoe slalom athlete to compete at four Olympics. Did you know Jess is the most decorated canoe slalom athlete of all time? • 1 Olympic gold medal • 1 Olympic silver medal • 2 Olympic bronze medals • 10 individual Canoe World Championship titles • 4 team World Championship gold • 11 individual overall World Cup titles We can’t wait to cheer you on Jess!

13-YEAROLD Elijah A n d r e w (Marayong) had a mixed round at Phillip Island, in the penultimate round of the 2023 bLU cRU Oceania Blue Series. “ I had a blast with the @oceania_junior_cup crew over the last two weekends, coming off my best race finish in 6th place, and placed 9th overall for the MotoGP round. “Then, in last weekend’s ASBK round, I had a great start, getting P3 in practice, with a PB lap time. Unfortunately, qualifying didn’t go so well, as I lost the Elijah Andrew (#18) in action during the ASBK round at Phillip Island. Photo supplied group and any chance of slip streaming, qualifying back in 18th place. but ran out of legs and the pack passed me over the “In Race 1, I got up to P16, and then P14 in Race finish line and I finished in 12th place, just 0.267 2. Race 3 had to be the closest OJC race ever with seconds behind the winner. the top 15 riders finishing within 0.341 seconds. “I had a blast racing in the lead pack and continue “I worked my way from 18th to 8th place by turn to learn a lot about race craft. Looking forward to 10 on the last lap, then gave it my all coming out of our final 2023 round at The Bend in 4 weeks. You turn 12 and I got into the lead as we hit the straight, can follow me at #18 @ElijahAndrewRacing.”

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PENRITH PANTHERS

SPORT 31 Nepean News 10 November 2023 Issue 368

2024 Pantherettes auditions locked in Auditions for the 2024 Pantherettes will take place on Monday 11 December in the Allam Homes Chairman’s Club at BlueBet Stadium. BY PANTHERS MEDIA

EVENT DETAILS Monday 11 December Allam Homes Chairman’s Club, BlueBet Stadium Registration commences at 6pm REQUIREMENTS Acrobatic and competition-level cheerleading skills will be highly regarded Applicants must be at least 18 years old as of March 2024 All applicants must have dance experience ON THE DAY • Wear midriff dance gear and shorts, with full makeup and hair done • All applicants must provide current photo ID and a standard size photo with full makeup • Registration form to be completed on the day • Turn up on the day, no need to book • For more information please contact Laura Granger from Westside Performing Arts at info@ westsidepa.com.au