N Saturday 27th May 2023, Penrith Relay For Life returned to the Penrith Paceway. This year saw Relay For Life held over a 12hr period between 9am and 9pm with 36 teams and 350 relayers.
Organised by passionate local volunteers, Penrith Relay For Life gives the community a chance to join forces in support of everyone affected by cancer, have fun at a community
festival, and raise vital funds towards Cancer Council’s world-class research, prevention, advocacy and support services.
OPenrith Relay For Life 2023 still had all the special Relay elements including; Opening Ceremony, Survivors and carers lap of honour, entertainment and our very special HOPE ceremony.
As Penrith Relay For Life Media / Marketing Coordinator, our aim as a committee was to put on a good event for our community to support one another while raising $60,000 to
support Cancer Council in working towards a cancer free future.
So far we have raised over $57,000 of the $60,000 target and we hope this will rise even more. A big thanks must go out to the Penrith community that supported this years event. All the Sponsors, businesses that donated items towards our raffles and competitions, the 36 teams, the 350 relayers that attended, the food trucks and also thanks to Nepean Police Area Command, Fire Rescue NSW, NSW Rural Fire Service, SES and St Johns Ambulance.
We even had a head shave where 3 people shaved their head to raise money. Five year old Corbin McKeown was one of those people. Corbin’s mum Emma, said, “Corbin wanted to shave his head and raise money as his school mate had been diagnosed with Leukemia.”
Corbin went around with a bucket and collected money and in total he raised a total of $250.00.
PENRITH City Council is excited to announce its first Clothing and Textile Drop-off Event will be held on Saturday, 10 June.
This free event will be held at The Kingsway Playing Fields in Werrington from 9am - 3:30pm and offers residents the opportunity to responsibly dispose of unwanted household clothing and textiles, promoting resource recovery and diverting waste from landfill.
A wide range of textile items will be accepted, including clothing, shoes, accessories, and linens, as long as they are in a clean condition.
Penrith Mayor Tricia Hitchen is encouraging the community to make use of the free event, which she has called “a great initiative.”
“Penrith City Council is a proven leader in waste management and this is another example of finding innovative ways to cut costs for residents while effectively reducing our environmental impact,” Cr Hitchen said.
“If you have any new but unused items or unwanted clothes, linen and towels at home, give them a wash and bring them to The Kingsway this weekend,” she said.
“By reducing our clothing and textile waste, our City will be contributing to the circular economy and these items will be repurposed for a good cause – I would love to see lots of community members at this free event.”
All collected items will be recycled by Textile Recyclers Australia (TRA), where they will be sorted, cleaned, shredded, and processed into new products made from recycled fibres, such as blankets, floor rugs, and tote bags.
Any new items with tags will be donated to local charities, including The Haven – Nepean Women’s
Textile_DropOff: Penrith City Council Social post for Textile Drop-off event.
Shelter and WestCare Community Services.
To ensure the safety and efficiency of the event, residents are asked to pack their items in the boot of their cars and to remain in their vehicles while our Waste team safely unpacks their items at the event.
Residents can visit Council’s website at penrith.city/events for a full list of accepted and non-accepted items.
If residents are unable to attend the event, RecycleSmart offers a Power Pickup service year-round to collect unwanted clothing and other household problem waste for recycling or responsible disposal. For more information about this service, please visit penrith.city/recyclesmart
This event is a NSW Environment Protection Authority ‘Waste Less, Recycle More’ initiative funded from the waste levy and has been initiated in conjunction with the Macarthur Strategic Waste Alliance.
Penrith City Council is proud to provide this opportunity for residents to make a positive impact on the environment and community.
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BY KERRIE DAVIESTHIS week I want to bring attention to an incident that made my blood boil, and also give a huge salute to a local business owner who went out of her way to help.
Some lousy excuse for a human being dumped three dogs in the bush at Llandilo.
How low would you need to be to do such an act? I’d say lower than a carpet snake. The poor dogs were frightened and starving.
Thank goodness for Pet Groomer Lexie, from Lil Rascals Pet Services. When she and her dad heard about the dogs they headed straight there to see if they could help.
“Every night we fed these poor babies, and gained their trust enough that we could hand feed them and just call out “Come on puppies” and they would come running from wherever they were!” Lexie said.
They had hopes to catch the male first, which was the most friendliest, but they caught the puppy instead.
Then with the help of her brother she caught the female and later with the help of the amazing Brook from Penrith council rangers, caught our friendliest but wary little man.
“I’m so proud of what we have achieved and three puppies are now safe and sound, with full bellies and hopefully a forever home,” Lexie said.
I just can’t fathom why someone would desert defenceless dogs like that and leave them for dead. Take them to a pound, a vet, ring Council - do anything rather than dump the poor things.
If you’re looking for a pet grooming service, I urge you to give some business to Lexie from Lil Rascals Pet Services. They’re located at Shop 15A, 566 High Street, Penrith. Ph 0438 108 798, or email lilrascalspetservice@ gmail.com.
Please also thank her for the great deed she did.
Available services:
• Routine family practice, including
• Work cover, care-plans & immunizations
• Pathology
• All mental health issuesDepression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, relationship issues, marriage break up, under performing students (11 & 12 and post graduate and UNI) and CEOs
• Addiction control (smoking, alcoholism, marijuana, and substance abuse)
• Habit control - bedwetting, stuttering, obsessive, compulsive disorders
• Performance enhancement in sports arts and studies
• Counselling for various issues
• Health check
• And state of the art hypnosis for many psychosomatic conditions
PENRITH City Council will celebrate NAIDOC Week 2023 with a program of community activities and events taking place across our City from Sunday 2 to Sunday 9 July.
Don’t miss the main NAIDOC event and one of the state’s largest NAIDOC celebrations on Friday, 7 July, at Jamison Park from 10am to 3pm. This free community event will feature performances from First Nations artists, market stalls, workshops, a BBQ lunch and more.
“One of the highlights of our main event will be a performance from Aboriginal dance company, Jannawi Dance Clan (pictured). Centred
on Indigenous storytelling through dance and performance, the clan’s name means ‘with me, with you’ in Darug language,” a Council Spokesperson said.
“NAIDOC Week is an opportunity to celebrate the significance of our Aboriginal heritage and the important contribution Penrith’s Aboriginal population make in our community.
“Come along to one of our NADIOC events and join us in celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and heritage!”
Penrith NAIDOC 2023
Sunday 2 to Sunday 9 July 2023
Find out more at Penrith.city/NAIDOC
EVERY year since they opened their doors, Atmosphere Fitness has given away something generous to help keep the local community motivated and active during the challenging season.
How to enter? Simply work out at Atmosphere Fitness or Atmosphere Fitness Signature, grab an entry ticket fill out your details, pop it in the barrel and you’re in the draw.
“We do it to keep everyone motivated and inspired and support our community in staying active during the challenging season. It’s not just about physical being it is about health.” said Kristelle, Director.
“It’s for Atmosphere Fitness and Fitness Passport members. If you’re not a member grab a complimentary 7 day pass and get active!”
Fitness passport and Atmosphere Fitness members are eligible for the prize pool.
Starts Monday 12th June 2023, T&C’s apply.
Head to atmospherefitness.com.au for all the details and full T&C’s.
Stay tuned on our Instagram @ atmosphere.fitness and Facebook for all the latest updates and news at both our Penrith gyms.
*16-19 Lambridge Pl, Penrith and 78-88 Tench Ave, Jamisontown.
THERE will be changed traffic conditions along Mulgoa Road, Mulgoa for the installation of signage and undergrowth vegetation removal work between Sunday 11 June and Thursday 15 June.
The work will take place between 669 Mulgoa Road and Nepean Christian School.
To minimise impacts to road users work will be
carried out over two night shifts between Sunday 11 June and Thursday 15 June, 8pm and 6am, weather permitting, with one night being a contingency shift.
Please note there will be no works on Monday 12 June.
Traffic control, lane closures and a reduced speed limit of 40km/h will be in place for the safety of
workers and motorists. Please keep to speed limits and follow the direction of traffic controllers and signs.
For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.
what he’s already done, he will need to raise them even higher later on, and the media will slaughter him.
SURPRISING increase in inflation to 6.8 percent in April has forced the RBA to raise rates by 0.25 percent once again. While I don’t see any good reason for the RBA to make this move, the RBA Governor Philip Lowe might be erring on the side of caution. If he raises rates and the economy starts to break, he can easily cut them again quickly. If he’s not confident that inflation will be under control with
ADespite this, house prices in every capital city are creeping higher regardless of interest rates being the highest they’ve been in a decade. The relatively small volume of tradeable housing stock combined with the sheer size of the supply-demand imbalance has been big enough that it offsets the effect of tightened liquidity. Nationwide house prices are up 1.2 percent in May, the third consecutive monthly increase indicating that the housing market has likely carved out
a bottom. At the moment, the housing market is like a beach ball being held underwater. As soon as the RBA takes its foot off the brakes, it will explode higher.
One interesting thing to note about the monthly inflation report is that it measures fewer things than the more accurate quarterly report since not all the components that make up inflation are collected monthly. As such, nobody (including the RBA) is sure how seriously to take the figures. If you delve into the depths of the methodology, the monthly inflation figure only
considers somewhere between 42 and 63 percent of the entire basket of goods and services that are measured for inflation compared to the quarterly figures.
Additionally, much of the inflation was driven by the unwinding of the fuel excise duty, which was halved in April 2022. Fuel prices were 9.5 percent higher this month than they were in April 2022, when prices were discounted by 22 cents per litre. If we were to look at the CPI (excluding volatile items), the April figure is 6.5 percent – lower than the 6.9 percent recorded in March.
BY KERRIE DAVIES
LOCAL doctors and nurses celebrated CrazySocks4Docs Day to help break down the stigma around mental health in doctors.
Nepean Hospital put on a lovely BBQ encouraging conversations around mental health that discussed what tangible steps we can all take towards creating a positive environment for all health care professionals.
The Crazysocks4docs movement came out of
the responses that the founder Dr Geoff Toogood experienced when he happened to wear odd coloured socks to work.
The talk behind his back was that he was failing again. In reality he was well, and his socks (apart from the last two odd socks that he was wearing that day) had all been eaten by his new puppy.
Rather than start a discussion about whether he was ok, there was whispering behind the scenes. As a result of this experience, Geoff established Crazysocks4docs Day as an attempt to address the stigma around mental health in doctors, and to make it okay for a Doctor not to be OK.
THREE adventurous Saints mates again piled into Saints Bash Car 2760 to tame the dusty back roads of NSW on a mission to help disadvantaged kids as part of the Annual Variety NSW Bash for 2023.
Suited up for fun, with the single purpose of bringing joy through their fundraising, St Marys Rugby League Club Directors Warren ‘Wazza’ Smith OAM, John ‘Burnsey’ Burns and Mick ‘Mickey’ Hilton, threw the trusty old Ford Fairlane into gear, joining 300 other “Bashers” in the annual bash out west.
The week-long adventure stretched from Dubbo, down to Echuca, then up through Goulburn to the finish line at Newcastle. They visited 11 schools and the event successfully raised over $1.3 million for kids who are sick, disadvantaged or living with a disability.
Saints was acknowledged for their tremendous efforts along the Bash and was the proud recipient of the prestigious “Spirit of the Bash Award”. This award recognises the commitment and dedication of a team that epitomises the true spirit of the Bash, as voted by the ‘Bashers’ themselves. This is the 17th year that Saints has participated in the worthy cause.
“We visited many schools and community groups along the journey and, surprisingly, we didn’t break down once! The Bash is a fantastic opportunity to see how our fundraising efforts are put to use and best of all,
see the positive impact it has on the kids and their future.” Warren said. Doing the miles for the kids smiles, and in addition to gifting much needed sporting goods to communities, Saints also directly funded a giant marquee for Tirranna Public School in Goulburn, providing children with a shaded place to play in their school and when participating in sports on open fields.
St Marys Rugby League Club has been a supporter of Variety the Childrens Charity for well over 20 years, and through its Saints Cares program has donated in excess of $700,000 to the worthwhile charity.
This year, Saints has given a total of $163,489.20 to community projects
and organisations through their ClubGRANTS program.
For more information about ClubGrants, and the continued community support that Saints provides visit https:// stmarysleagues.com.au/about-us/ saintcares/
STAFF and children at Glenmore Park Child and Family Centre have embarked on a project exploring the role of emergency services.
The children are very familiar with practicing drills at the Centre which has contributed to a discussion on why we practice drills, who emergency services personnel are and the importance of keeping everyone safe.
The children dived into inquiry and brainstormed with each other what they already know about emergency services and
researched facts to gain a better understanding of the role emergency services play in our community.
A recent visit from NSW RFS - Wallacia Brigade was a welcomed addition to this learning as they talked about fire safety along with providing some key safety messages such as “Get down and go, go go!”
The children had an opportunity to climb into the fire truck and experience some handson learning with equipment and the ‘loud’ sound of the siren.
THE Ross Hutchison Foundation is sending another 6-tonne truckload of furniture, toys and office supplies to the flood-ravaged town of Eugowra, as it struggles to recover from significant devastation through the loss of both property and stock.
The Foundation has already sent two 6-tonne truckloads of supplies to the NSW country town and the third delivery takes place on Sunday 11th June.
Donations to the Ross Hutchison Foundation are always welcome, including nonperishable tinned food, clothing, haberdashery and furniture.
The Foundation is based at the Penrith Paceway and chairman Ross (Rossco) Hutchison can be contacted on 0422 664 448 for more details on future donations.
Minister Jo Haylen inspected trackwork underway in Sydney and announced the Sydney Rail Repair Plan. Ms Haylen said it is the biggest co-ordinated program of rail maintenance ever undertaken in Sydney.
Ms Haylen said the Plan is in response to the recent interim recommendations made by the expert panel conducting the Sydney Trains Review.
“It made 12 recommendations for restoring reliability to the network after a series of disastrous failures that left thousands of passengers stranded without trains, including three in March this year alone,” Ms Haylen said.
“The Review found a huge maintenance backlog had led to equipment failures causing major shut-downs – equipment that should have been inspected, repaired, refurbished or replaced but wasn’t because maintenance crews could not get anywhere near sufficient access to the track.
“The Review found this was partly because of extreme weather events and industrial action, but mainly because a new timetable in 2017 pushed the network to its limits and severely restricted access to the tracks for maintenance.
“It recommended an all-out assault
on this backlog to repair the network, dramatically reduce equipment failures and restore reliability for passengers.
“Sydney Trains has now mapped out a massive maintenance program to take place every weekend for the next year or more. It is designed to perform several years’ worth of normal maintenance works in that time by pouring huge resources and numbers of additional crews into the task.”
Sydney Trains maintains more than 2,000km of track and associated infrastructure.
The Rail Repair Plan at a glance:
• The works will cost an estimated $97 million funded out of existing unspent budgets, due to the lack of access for maintenance in recent years
• Around 3,700 repairs, upgrades,
• Around 100 worksites and hundreds of workers every weekend
• On some weekends there will be around 300 additional worksites (double the usual number)
• Hundreds of workers will be deployed every weekend, and on some weeks thousands of workers
• More than 14,000 maintenance shifts across the network over the next 12 months
• Around 450km of rail repair, such as grinding, and electrical inspections
• Ballast trains deployed, servicing more than 900 tonnes of track ballast in a single session
• Regular maintenance completes 600 defect removals on average each year
• Under the Rail Repair Plan we’ll
repair more than 1,900 high priority defects
• Around 600,000 weekend passengers will lose normal train services and need to use replacement buses over the next 12 months.
“Millions of people depend on our trains. In recent times the service has become sub-standard due to system failures caused by the neglect of maintenance,” Ms Haylen said.
“People have lost faith in the system. They’ve been burnt too many times.
“We have to fix our rail network and it’s going to take a massive effort.
“We simply must take this on and get it done. Continuing system failures and meltdowns are not an option.
“I want to be totally honest with everyone – for the next year or so we are going to massively disrupt the network on weekends while our crews get in and fix it.
“The work will be around the clock from midnight Friday to midnight Sunday.
“We have no choice. It’s the only way to get it fixed and have reliable trains again.
“If you use trains on weekends, I’m sorry but you’re going to find yourself on buses – a lot.
“It’s a year or more of pain but it will deliver the huge, world-class train system Sydney needs and deserves.
“We will keep people constantly updated, every week, with reports on how this immense repair project is progressing.”
WESTERN Sydney residents can breathe a little easier from June with Australian bus operator Busways expanding its electric bus fleet in Western Sydney, adding six new zero emissions buses (ZEBs).
Busways purchased the first 12 Custom Denning Elements, made locally in St Mary’s, back in 2021 and invested heavily in electric charging infrastructure at its Penrith depot over the last two years.
Managing Director of Busways, Byron Rowe, says the addition of six new Yutong E12 electric buses to the Busways fleet in Penrith continues the
journey to decrease carbon emissions.
“These new ZEBs are part of our plan to increase sustainable outcomes for local communities and contribute to NSW’s objectives of cutting emissions by 70% by 2035,” Mr Rowe said.
“One electric bus saves up to 34 tonnes of local Co2 emissions per annum – with 18 buses, each year we are preventing 620 tonnes of Co2 from entering the atmosphere in Western Sydney, compared to electric buses.
“We’re continuing plans for electric bus rollouts to deliver positive outcomes for our local communities.”
The news follows Busways’ recent trials of various electric bus makes including Volvo, BYD and Yutong.
Chief Operating Officer Chris Wolf said Busways will continue to work closely with a range of manufacturers as electric vehicles are constantly evolving.
Busways’ has already trained 80 Penrith drivers and seven mechanics on the new vehicles with more undergoing training this week.
Four of the Yutong electric buses started service this week, with the rest to be running by the end of June in the Western Sydney region.
OH, what an incredible day! Our hearts are bursting as we reflect on the amazing Think Outside The Square (TOTS) Blanket Challenge handover to our charity partners. We experienced a rollercoaster of emotions - from excitement and anticipation to overwhelming warmth and love.
As we stood in awe of the stunning 329 blankets that will soon find their way into the hands of those who need them most in our community, we couldn’t help but be moved beyond words.
These blankets will bring comfort and solace to people of all ages, from the young to the elderly, from the sick to the survivors. It is through the kindness and generosity of our incredible TOTS community that we can make a tangible difference in the lives of those facing challenging circumstances.
The past two months have been a whirlwind as our TOTS community poured their hearts and souls into crafting these beautiful blankets. The vibrant colours and cozy warmth
that filled our space have now been carefully packed into bags, ready to embark on their journey to their new homes.
But let’s not forget, TOTS community, that our journey is far from over. In fact, we have just reached the halfway mark! To
achieve our ambitious goal of 650 blankets, we still need 321 more. Yes, our number is back to zero, but we embrace this challenge with open arms and renewed determination. We call upon each and every one of you to keep knitting, crocheting, and sewing, as we continue spreading
warmth and love to those who need it most.
Thank you, TOTS community, for your unwavering dedication and endless compassion, it just goes to show that together, we can create a world where everyone feels the warmth of love and kindness.
If you would like to be part of the challenge, please head to our website for frequently asked questions or to register for our next sewing bee on 6 July. www.thecreativefringe.com.au
18-YEAR OLD David Eskander (Emmaus Catholic College) is the recipient of the Penrith RSL and City of Penrith RSL sub-Branch Scholarship (valued at over $6,500) for the 2023 Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge and will embark on his journey in lateseptember, along with 11 female and 6 male companions.
The Kokoda Youth Leadership Challenge takes young community leaders on a 12-day trek across the 96km Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Overseen by the RSL & Services Clubs Association, the program is aimed at creating greater awareness among young people of the Diggers’ sacrifice on the Kokoda Campaign, and to ensure that traditions live on. At the same time, the program aims to instill a commitment to community service, enhancing personal development and encouraging participants to become future leaders in their own communities.
After being advised of his acceptance by Penrith RSL, David said “So this day started with me being a complete nervous wreck, because I had to sit for an interview with a panel that included veterans!
“But it turned out to be the best day ever and ended with me being all smiles. The first phone call I made was to Captain Kilgour, 21 Australian
Army Cadet Unit (ACU), as I was so thankful he put me forward and supported me.”
Now in his 5th and final year as a cadet, David is a student of Australian Military History and when advised of the search by Penrith RSL, jumped at the chance to have his name put forward.
He has risen through the ranks of the ACU and commanded platoons throughout, which has helped him on his leadership journey, and he has just had the honour of being promoted as a Cadet Under Officer (CUO).
The Kokoda Track is a singlefile foot thoroughfare that runs 96 kilometres (60 kilometres in a straight line) through the Owen Stanley Range
in PNG.
The track is the most famous in PNG and is renowned as the location of the World War II battle between Japanese and Australian forces in 1942.
The track starts, or ends, at Owers Corner in Central Province, 50 kilometres east of Port Moresby, and then crosses rugged and isolated terrain, which is only passable on foot, to the village of Kokoda in Oro Province. It reaches a height of 2,190 metres (7,185 ft) as it passes around the peak of Mount Bellamy.
Hot and humid days with intensely cold nights, torrential rainfall and the risk of endemic tropical diseases such as malaria, make the Kokoda Track a challenge to walk.
David began his fitness preparations with weekend walks in the Blue Mountains, beginning on a short walk with one friend and more recently extending his hiking distance to 14kms, again accompanied by two close friends.
The Youth Leadership group will have the services of local tribesmen as carriers for food, water and medical supplies and will walk between 15-20km’s per day, over 12 days, expecting to complete the trek on 4th October.
David is currently studying for his Higher School Certificate and preparing two major projects, in Multi-Media VR and Design Tech (portable water desalinator).
WESTER Sydney local and TAFE NSW Diploma of Civil Construction Design graduate, Gabrielle Durney, has been named Trainee of the Year at the TAFE NSW Excellence Awards, an achievement the former retail manager did not expect after making a career switch.
Women are under-represented in trades and the NSW government aims to bolster the lack of women entering the construction, electrical, engineering, automotive, and plumbing sectors via Women in Trades initiatives like the Trade Pathways Program. Currently, women make up only 2% of qualified trade workers, according to data gathered for the Productivity Commission White Paper.
Today, Ms Durney is a Structural Drafter at Northrop Consulting Engineers and is an advocate for women in construction. She is currently a mentor for the Property Council of Australia’s Girls in Property program.
“It’s great to be a mentor for a program that captures young women at a critical career planning age.
“Hopefully we’ve got a few future leaders in construction,” Ms Durney said.
Ms Durney had been working in the retail industry for seven years and was previously employed as a manager in a retail store, but was unsatisfied and unhappy with the work she was doing.
“So, I used the NSW Government Smart and Skilled list to try and identify a new career path, seeking a career in a future growth area.
“Something that was based in technology that
I could begin as a trainee or an apprentice,” Ms Durney added.
A previous TAFE NSW graduate, Ms Durney returned to facilitate her career switch due to the supportive learning environment. After completing a Certificate IV in Engineering Drafting, she commenced the Diploma in July of 2021 during COVID-19 lockdown.
“I previously studied at TAFE NSW, and I enjoyed the supportive learning environment, and that the coursework was structured around being able to perform a job in the industry you’re studying in.
“I was drawn to the technical aspect, the future technology but also how drafting is linked to a
traditional career like construction.
“I identified drafting as a career that I felt I would enjoy and enrolled in the Certificate IV in Engineering Drafting,” Ms Durney said.
With the support of Nadejda Chevel, TAFE NSW Teacher, Civil Structural (CAD and Drafting), Ms Durney secured a traineeship in Structural Drafting with Northrop Consulting Engineers, six months into studying the TAFE NSW Certificate IV in Engineering Drafting.
“The traineeship required enrolment into the Diploma of Civil Construction Design, but Northrop supported me in completing the Certificate IV first.
“There were some units that involved Autocad that I struggled to complete, and my mentor at Northrop organised another team member with experience with Autocad to help me complete the tasks,” Ms Durney said.
Women are vital to addressing trade skill shortages and can improve economic security for women via several rewarding career pathways. Whilst COVID-19 was challenging, Ms Durney was able to progress studying her Diploma of Civil Construction Design during the lockdown. Due to the speed in which TAFE NSW transitioned into fully remote learning, she was able to leverage on the online delivery and completed all the units for the Diploma by the time lockdown was over.
“TAFE NSW was able to transition to distance learning very quickly, and I used the flexibility of online learning to complete units around my project work,” Ms Durney concluded.
PENRITH High School’s Aatish Budhwani wins the 33rd Bateman Battersby Law Bursary.
Aatish completed the HSC in 2022 achieving an ATAR of 99.75 and has been admitted to the University of Sydney to study for a combined Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws degree.
The Bateman Battersby Law Bursary has been awarded since 1990. It was instigated by the partners of Penrith legal firm Bateman Battersby Lawyers to encourage high school students in the Penrith and Blue Mountains local government areas to undertake legal studies at a tertiary level and to assist them financially in their initial year of legal study.
Many of the previous Bursary winners have achieved great success in practising Law in a variety of fields, working in high level management positions in both the private and public sectors and teaching law at universities both in Australia and overseas. They are all representative of the depth of talent that exists in Western Sydney and include:
• Melinda Roylett (1997) formerly the head of Small and Medium Business for PayPal in Europe and currently the Managing Director, Merchant Services, Lloyds Banking Group based in the UK.
• Dr Kristin Van Zwieten (1999) a UNSW Law Medal winner and currently the Professor of Law and Finance at the University of Oxford.
• Jacqueline Edwards (2008) currently the Assistant Parliamentary Counsel at the NSW Parliamentary Counsel’s Office. • Tom Synott (2011) a Western Sydney University Law medal winner, former Executive Officer at New South Wales Bar Association and currently Privacy Counsel at Cochlear
As the 33rd winner of the award, Aatish was presented with the Bateman Battersby Bursary trophy and bursary winner’s cheque by firm partners John Bateman and Michael Battersby.
Applications for this year’s Bateman Battersby Law Bursary are now open and more information and an application form can be found at: Bateman Battersby Law Bursary - Bateman Battersby Lawyers
NOLA has been one of Ripples Leisure Centre’s longest standing staff members. Nola began her journey as a member in March 1995 before she commenced working with Ripples in October 2001 within the fitness department as a Group Fitness Instructor.
During this time, Nola has successfully been involved in a variety of programs Ripples has delivered.
Nola is a Level 3 AUSactive Fitness professional, a Childrens trainer, an Older Adults trainer, Aqua instructor and Cert 3 Fitness qualified.
Nola has been teaching Aqua Aerobics since she became qualified in 2001. From here she has further developed with ongoing training and development, especially in the Aqua field, which has built on her knowledge and skills to become the professional she is today. These opportunities not only increased her repertoire, but also allowed her to build relationships with staff and members some of which grew into friendships along the way.
In 2002, Nola became a Les Mills Bodybalance instructor. In this space, she has mentored instructors in her time teaching this program, developing them into certified instructors for our facility. She continued her Les Mills journey with certifying in Bodyvive in 2007, another program she taught in for many years.
Nola is highly regarded in the Older Adult community. In 2003 Nola became a Heartmoves instructor and was actively teaching in the program from 2003-2016, before she moved into the Young At Heart program, both land based and aqua. In 2004, Nola started her 12 year teaching journey with the Vietnam vets. Nola has also taught gentle exercise in the hydrotherapy pool and completed her Ezybeat training which she has been able to incorporate into her classes.
Over the years she has been involved in many team projects including Les Mills launches, team teaching, YAH Christmas parties and mentoring opportunities.
In 2004, Nola was given the opportunity to present in the team at the Aqua Summit in Melbourne. In 2005, was then provided another team opportunity to present at the Filex Fitness convention in Sydney.
Nola has seen many Ripples milestones and was included in the Ripples 20-year birthday celebrations in 2014 and the YAH 25 years anniversary Morning Tea in 2020.
Nola has played an integral part of the Ripples team, which saw her staff member of the year in both 2002 and 2007.
“We congratulate Nola on reaching such a memorable milestone and appreciate her continued efforts and contributions in the Ripples team!” a Ripples spokesperson said.
develop gradually over time, affecting one or more joints (typically the hips, knees and elbows) and causing much inflammation and pain.
Arthritis is not limited to certain breeds and it can affect any pet at any age. It can influence a pet’s quality of life and prevent it from enjoying simple, daily activities such as walking, running or playing.
BY KELLIE TICKNER, ORCHARD HILLS VETERINARY HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR
AS winter temperature arrive, we often see an increase in arthritis cases in both young and old pets. One in five dogs suffers from the pain and disability caused by arthritis. Cats can also suffer from the damaging effects of this condition and may have difficulty grooming themselves or going to the toilet.
Arthritis is one of the most common conditions affecting dogs but as pets are unable to communicate their pain, the early signs of this illness are often missed or simply attributed to old age. Yet arthritis is a chronic, painful, degenerative condition that can
Signs that a pet may be suffering from arthritis
• reluctance to walk or play
• limping
• stiffness of joints in the morning or after a sleep
• licking or biting of joints
• difficulty in rising from a resting position
• difficulty in climbing stairs
• change in personality – less happy and playful or sometimes aggressive and irritable
Managing Arthritis - Arthritis cannot be cured. The key to controlling the pain associated with arthritis is managing the inflammation within the joints. The added benefit to this is that
with proper management, progression can be slowed.
• Weight control is extremely important when managing the symptoms and minimising the progression of arthritis. Excess weight will put additional pressure on already affected joints.
• Walking and swimming are the best forms of exercise for dogs with arthritis.
• Omega 3 fatty acids help block the inflammation around joints that causes pain. They also suppress the activity of an enzyme that causes cartilage damage, thus slowing the progression of arthritis.
• Joint cartilage protective medications aim to increase joint fluid production & increase blood supply to joint surfaces. The use of polysulphate injections have been proven to slow the progression of arthritis and help control the pain associated with the disease. Anti-inflammatory medications can also be used to help control the pain associated with arthritis
• Newly available injections for both
dogs and cats for cats are proving to be highly beneficial in treating the pain of arthritis. These products are a monoclonal antibody that is injected under the skin and targets a protein that stimulates pain in arthritic patients.
• Neutraceuticals such as Green Lipped Mussel have also shown good results in assisting dogs with arthritis. These products contain chondroitin and or glucosamine which are the ‘building blocks’ of cartilage.
• There are many prescription joint diets for both dogs and cats that have been shown to assist in alleviating the discomfort and improving the workings of diseased joints.
To have your pet assessed for arthritis contact Orchard Hills Veterinary Hospital on 4731 3055.
FRIENDS 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.
At 5 months Lincoln is only a pup and has a lot to offer his new family. Lincoln will need an owner that is willing to spend time with him teaching him basic obedience and giving him the time he needs to settle in. Lincoln does have a sweet but shy personality and he will need some extra TLC so his real personality that’s hiding underneath can shine through..
Cost: $49.00 Age: 5 Months
Type: Puppy Breed: Bull Arab X
Sex: Male
All prices include microchipping, lifetime council registration, desexing and 1st Vaccination. R251000145
Elton is a super outgoing kitten that will keep his new family on their toes! He loves to be with people and is very affectionate and cuddly. Elton is ready to add his crazy antics to your household so please come and meet him...
Cost: $29 Age: 4 Months
Type: Kitten Breed: Maine Coon Cross
Sex: Male
All prices include microchipping, lifetime council registration, desexing and 1st Vaccination. R251000145
Raven is a lovely friendly boy who just loves to play ball games with you. If you are interested in adopting this lovely boy please come to the shelter with your family dog and the children to meet him.
Cost: $49.00 Age: 11 Months
Type: Dog Breed: German Shepherd
Sex: Male
All prices include microchipping, lifetime council registration, desexing and 1st Vaccination. R251000145
THE Rotary District 9685
Western Sydney Annual Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) was held over 2 days this past weekend at Nepean Creative & Performing Arts High School.
MUNA helps senior high school students develop an awareness of the United Nations at a simulated UN Assembly. The event provides an excellent forum for students to develop and practice their public
speaking skills whilst debating on topical world issues.
Schools are invited to enter teams of 3 or 4 students for the competition, with each team being assigned a country, which they then represent over the weekend debating up to 20 different resolutions. The teams research their assigned countries’ views on pre-determined resolutions, and debate those against the other country teams. As well as researching their countries, each team dresses in
their assigned country costume or national dress, making for a very colourful event.
There are a number of categories judged throughout the weekend with the winning team and the runner up teams going on to represent the District at the National MUNA in Canberra in August.
• The winning team for the 2023 Blue Mountains/Western MUNA was the team from Baulkham Hills High School, representing Iceland.
• The Runner up was the team from The Kings School, representing Israel.
• The best speaker was Jonathan Hur, representing China, from Baulkham Hills High School.
The Peace Prize was awarded to the t • eam representing The Netherlands, from Caroline Chisholm College
• Best dressed was the team representing the Ukraine, from Penrith Anglican College.
WESTERN Sydney University researchers have used over 15,000 sightings of turtles reported by citizen scientists to develop a world-first nesting location predictive tool.
The predictive tool shows nesting locations for a range of turtle species across Australia and was developed through data uploaded to the TurtleSAT mobile application by dedicated citizen scientists and partner groups, as part of an initiative of the 1 Million Turtles (1MT) Community Conservation Program.
By mapping likely nesting sites for freshwater turtles, researchers, conservationists, and the community will now have an even greater opportunity to take action to monitor and protect turtle nests from predators.
Associate Professor Ricky Spencer from the University’s School of Science said this unique tool would not be possible without the help of citizen scientists and partner groups and has many applications to help turtles.
He explained that globally turtles are among the most threatened species with over 60 per cent of all species being listed as endangered, threatened or vulnerable, with Australian freshwater turtles not immune from this trend.
“The purpose of the TurtleSAT is to increase knowledge of freshwater turtle distributions across Australia and identify hotspots for future conservation through data collection and this tool is the next step forward,” said Associate Professor Spencer.
“The new modelling tool shows us that predicted nesting sites are in areas with some of the highest abundances of wetlands occurring throughout Australia, meaning we can focus our conservation efforts on these known sites when it matters the most.”
1MT facilitates a hands-on approach to conservation where individuals and community groups can participate in
activities such as turtle rescues, habitat restoration, nest monitoring and protection.
“We are empowering community conservationists to make a difference in their own local areas. The nest protection campaign trains participants to find and protect real turtle nests,” he said.
“This gives citizen scientists the opportunity to directly protect turtle nests from foxes and other invasive predators, and dramatically increases the survival rate of turtle nests in their local areas.”
This World Turtle Day, the researchers behind 1MT are calling
on the wider community to help them validate the tool by using it and monitoring known turtle nest locations for signs of disturbance.
“Even during the colder months when turtles are less active there is still an opportunity to visit likely turtle nest locations using the tool and document disturbed turtle nests – you’ll notice broken eggs around the dug-up nests –and report the findings to TurtleSAT,” added Associate Professor Spencer.
1MT is a national community conservation citizen science program that promotes a strong collaboration between scientists and the community to support initiatives aimed at conserving threatened Australian freshwater turtle species.
The program currently partners with La Trobe University, University of New England, University of Sydney, Aussie Ark, Australian Reptile Park and passionate communities throughout the country, and is funded via a Citizen Science Grants – Round 2, Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
To access the new modelling tool and for more information about joining the program, please visit The 1 Million Turtles web page at https://1millionturtles.com/ predicting-turtle-nesting
WESTERN Sydney high school students are using this year’s World No Tobacco Day to share a powerful message to all young people, “Vaping is a toxic habit – ghost it!”.
The students collaborated with Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD)’s Centre for Population Health, the Prevention Education and Research Unit (PERU) and the Corporate Communications team to develop scripts, act and direct on two vaping prevention videos to encourage young people to quit vaping.
The videos, which include question and answer clips, will be shared widely via social media, school communication channels, community organisations and local councils in the coming weeks.
The first video addresses the number of young people who vape to cope with stress and poor mental health by creatively expressing how vaping is not the solution for dealing with mental health struggles, and instead encourages the seeking of professional help.
“If you’re already dealing with stress or anxiety, it can make things worse.”
The second video emphasises avoiding unnecessary artificial e-cigarette flavours, protecting the environment and quitting together with friends, with fun messages to encourage the involvement in other activities and hobbies instead of vaping.
The video ends with a cheeky message, “Would your Grandma?”.
“We thought it would be funny to end the video with a highlighter to show how ridiculous vaping looks,” another student said.
Growing evidence shows that the use of e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, contributes to serious health harms to the body, including lung disease and injury, respiratory illness, and seizures.
WSLHD Centre for Population Health director, Dr Shopna Bag, was delighted to see the high school students advocate against the use of e-cigarettes and empower their peers to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing.
“The rise in e-cigarette use among young people is alarming and schools have found themselves at the forefront of this issue,” said Shopna.
“Young people in our community are very clued-in and aware of the negative health impacts caused by vaping.
“There is still work to be done to provide greater support for people to quit, but this is a district priority, and we are committed to supporting efforts to reduce the harms caused by e-cigarette use.”
For information to quit smoking or vaping, please speak with a health professional, contact NSW Quitline on 13 7848, or visit the ICanQuit website.
THIS Men’s Health Week, to be held 12-18 June, men and boys are encouraged to identify small changes they can make to build healthy habits that benefit their health and wellbeing.
Coordinated by Western Sydney University’s Centre for Male Health, the annual initiative will see thousands of community members across the nation host or attend events in support of the theme, ‘Healthy Habits’.
This year’s theme aims to support men and boys to create physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy environments in the home, workplace and in social settings.
Associate Professor Emma George, Director of the Centre for Male Health, said the ongoing importance of supportive environments can play an important role in shaping habits and health behaviours.
“This Men’s Health Week we are calling on men and boys to make a change in their lives and improve their health and wellbeing by building sustainable, healthy habits,” said Associate Professor George.
“This could be taking the time for regular health checks, increasing exercise and improving diet, joining a new social group, or simply checking in with a mate for a chat.”
Men’s Health Week will be launched by the Centre for Male Health at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta on Tuesday, 13 June, with special guests Cam Merchant from Gotcha4Life and a range of representatives working to support men’s health in the community.
A number of important themes – ‘check-up’, ‘check in’, ‘healthy lifestyles’ and ‘get involved’ – will be explored at the event and across the week.
Dr Neil Hall, also from the Centre for Male Health, highlighted that we can all play a role in increasing awareness for men and boys’ health.
“As a community, we all need to work together to support the men in
our lives and to improve male health outcomes more broadly,” said Dr Hall.
“Creating ‘healthy habits’ speaks to men making simple, daily changes that will have a great impact and there is no better time to start making a change than during Men’s Health Week.”
The Centre for Male Health within Western Sydney University brings together researchers from a diverse range of disciplines to improve the health and well-being of men and boys. It works with community and government organisations across Australia to develop networks and partnerships in support of men’s health.
In addition to changes men can make as individuals, workplaces and
community groups are also encouraged to host an event or activity that supports or promotes men’s health.
There are so many great initiatives already taking place in local communities – from group exercise programs, workplace information sessions, or barbeques that bring communities together – these events can help to foster a sense of belonging and support men to build healthy habits into their routines.
For more information about Men’s Health Week, or to access digital resources, register an event, or get involved in an event or activity near you, please visit the Men’s Health Week website.
What some young people don’t realise is that vapes have nicotine which can get you hooked and can mess with your mood, said one of the students involved.
AHHH the Joys and the pitfalls of giving birth…… your wonderful bundle of joy has turned 18 and guess what? You as the doting parent have been asked (told, informed, directed) that it is your duty to throw a party in honour of them getting to this milestone.
Now, I will inform you that before you even order the cake or write the short invite list with Aunt Myrtle and Uncle Bob and a few second cousins. It’s already on the social media hitting about 2000 people that are (salivating) more than happy to gate crash your house and trash it for the occasion.
So what do you do? My answer is control, control, control. Take the party away from your house; hire a hall, its controlled by a finish time. Write a list and
With Gina Field, Nepean Regional Security
send out invitations, and be strict, no invitation no entry (Sorry Grandma Jo).
Access control, hire security to check off lists and hand out wrist bands and let them deal with the uninvited. The youth of today do like a drink and some are like fish drinking water, never know when to stop. My suggestion is that if there is going to be alcohol, have it controlled and no, not by grandad that has had 15 beers already and can’t stand up, telling war stories. A designated bar attendant (controller) and preferably someone with RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol).
Oh also just a hint, the head of the party should also stay sober, I don’t know how many times I have spoken to the hall hirers that can’t even string two
words together. (Not a good look…seriously now… come on). Another suggestion is just hiring a venue that can do all of this for you. Relax!
Music is very important so playing kungfu fighting at midnight when you are trying to clear the joint out is not a good idea. Try Beethoven’s greatest hits, in extended version.
So there you have it ….control is the answer. Your child may hate you for embarrassing them in front of their friends , however the party was a success (tick), no one was hurt (tick) your house wasn’t trashed (tick) your child will get over it (tick) and now you have time to organise the 21st. Good Luck!
Oh and don’t forget to tell the local Police you are having an 18th.
WESTERN Sydney University has once again been named number one in the world for its social, economic and environmental impact in the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings.
For the second year in a row, the University has placed first overall in the prestigious annual rankings – a first for an Australian university.
The Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings is the main global ranking system that assesses universities on their commitment to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Rankings are based on universities’ teaching, research, outreach and stewardship.
Western Sydney University topped the list for 2023 out of over 1,700 institutions from 115 countries – a 21 per cent increase in participating institutions from last year.
The University’s work has been recognised in the following SDG categories:
• 1st in the world for SDG 5 Gender
Equality, SDG 12 Responsible
Consumption and Production, and SDG 17 Partnership for the Goals
• 2nd in the world for SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 15 Life on Land
• 3rd in the world for SDG 10
Reduced Inequalities
• 4th in the world for SDG 3 Good Health and Wellbeing
• 5th in the world for SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
• 7th in the world for SDG 13 Climate Action.
WSU EucFACE
Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Barney Glover AO, said it is an extraordinary achievement for the University to be recognised as best in the world two years running.
“Achieving this outstanding result two years in a row is testament to the dedication and passion of our staff, students, researchers and community partners who have contributed to this landmark result,” said Professor Glover.
“Western Sydney University is proud to be an institution that is working with its students, staff and communities to make the world a better place. We are a young and modern university and tackling the most pressing social and environmental challenges has always been important to our core mission.
“The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings recognises that commitment and brings into sharp focus the need for urgent collaborative action to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all.”
Professor Glover said the University is pleased to have scored highly in a number of SDG categories, including
being ranked top 10 in the world in nine of the seventeen SDG categories.
For many years the University community has worked to ensure its teaching, research and international partnerships are fully aligned to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and embedded across all its operations.
“For example, our world-leading researchers are finding practical solutions locally and globally on important issues like food and water security in the face of climate change, and addressing housing affordability and creating more sustainable, resilient urban communities,” said Professor Glover.
“The University has also met its ambitious target to be carbon neutral by 2023 – a significant milestone in our journey to becoming climate positive by 2029.
“Importantly, our innovative
teaching and learning programs are encouraging students to be a force for positive change.
“We are also pleased to see our longstanding efforts in opening up access to higher education being recognised, along with our longestablished equity and diversity policies that promote inclusiveness and flexibility in our workplace.”
Western Sydney University’s decadal strategy, Sustainability and Resilience 2030, showcases the University’s roadmap towards a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous future, whilst the strategy’s digital engagement platform provides a way for communities to participate.
The 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the UN in 2015 and provide a framework for developing the world in a sustainable way.
Tickets are still AVAILABLE for our upcoming fundraising event.
Saturday 01 July 2023
7pm till 11pm St Mary’s Band Club
411 Great Western Hwy, St Marys
Tickets are $50 per head or table of 8 for $400.
Includes entry, 2 course meal and Trivia. Drinks available for purchase on the night. Bring some extra cash along for raffles, auctions and extra games. This event is strictly for 14 years + TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE!
www.eventcreate.com/e/
orchardhillsrfbtrivianight23
Mark your calendars and join us for the Orchard Hills RFB Trivia night! Feelin’
https://fb.me/e/2uV7GxNig
Penrith Council is developing a plan to ensure the St Marys Town Centre continues to transform into a vibrant and welcoming space – and we want to hear your ideas for events, activities, street improvements and the new Central Park.
You can get involved by:
Completing an online survey by Friday 9 June 2023 for your chance to win 1 of 3 x $100 St Marys Village gift cards!*
Chat in person at one of our community drop-in sessions.
Find out more at: ww.yoursaypenrith.com.au/ stmarys
Badgerys Creek
MP Tanya Davies recently held a string of mobile office events. Many local residents popped in to say hello and ask questions.
“It was a chance to discuss the issues that matter to you, seek assistance, and have a direct conversation with me. I’m here to listen, support, and be your voice in Parliament!”
Tanya Davies said.
THE talented chefs at Kelly’s Bar and Kitchen at Panthers have entered the 2023 Perfect Plate Awards with their take on a classic pork roast, a perfectly cooked cutlet topped with a tangy apple cider jus and crackle crumb. If you have enjoyed their dish as much as the Panthers crew do, they’d love for their members and guests to vote for their dish, plus there are loads of prizes to be won when you vote.
How to enter
1. Taste the Perfect Plate dish and keep your receipt
2. Vote for it via the QR code
3. Win $100 dining vouchers daily and Foodie Getaways for 2 valued at $3,000
If you need any help voting for the dish please let the friendly Kelly’s staff know and they will be happy to help.
PENRITH City Choir is seeking a new Musical Director following the decision by our current Director, Lucy McAlary, to step down from the position after 19 years of continuous service to the choir.
Lucy was appointed Musical Director and Conductor of the choir in 2005 following her return from the UK and a highly successful career in the field of Arts Education and choral conducting. A highly experienced musician and educator, Lucy has worked to develop the vocal skills of the choir members and has prepared and presented numerous performances in the local Penrith area
Lucy has also been instrumental in the development of the choir’s program for young voices, including both Youth and Children’s Choirs. For the past 10 years she has been Chorus Director for Penrith Symphony Orchestra’s performances of major choral works.
Penrith City Choir has been in existence since 1977, producing many major concerts as well as being involved in local community and civil events. Performances include a range of choral repertoire, both popular and classical, often collaborating with Penrith Symphony Orchestra in performances of full-scale works. The choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings during school terms.
Prospective applicants for the position of Choir Musical Director will be invited to conduct a trial choir rehearsal on a designated Wednesday evening towards the end of term 2.
Expressions of interest accompanied by a current CV or Biog. should be forwarded in writing by 9th June 2023 to choir@ penrithcitychoir.com.au. Please mark as “For the attention of the President”. Phone 0400 516 630 for further details.
IT’S all happening at Open Fridays in June at The Joan with Live and Local featuring Hawkesbury singer-songwriter Mady Disbray, a polymer clay earring making workshop and Round 4 of the Best in the West song competition.
Live and Local: Mady Disbray on 16 June - Mady amazes audiences with sweet and soulful sound, unique stylings, original works, and beautifully reimagined covers. For her musical contributions to the community, she was awarded with the Australia Day Community Arts Award in 2020.
Art Attack Polymer Clay Earring Workshop on 23 June - Local artist Molly Ballardin will instruct in the techniques of designing and creating polymer clay earrings. Each participant will take home a set of their own handmade earrings and can purchase additional kits to bring home. Suitable for ages 16+.
Best in the West on 30 June - It’s Round 4 of the on-going competition where some of western Sydney’s best singer-songwriters perform original songs in a chance to win a top prize at The Joan!
ABOUT OPEN FRIDAYS - On Friday nights, The Joan’s Borland Lounge comes to life. Pop in for a drink and nibbles and some easy entertainment. From local musicians, to art classes, community projects, cabaret and theatre, trivia and games; there’s a great mix of fun on offer. Come along for a relaxed end to the week – the Borland Bar opens from 5pm.
Open Fridays: Live and Local - Mady Disbray is on at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre on Friday 23 June 2023, 5:15pm. Tickets: FREE. www.thejoan.com.au/events/ live-and-local-mady-disbray/
Open Fridays: Art Attack Polymer Clay Earring Workshop is on at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre on Friday 23 June 2023, 6pm. Tickets: Standard $30. www.thejoan.com.au/events/art-attackclay-earrings/
Open Fridays: Best in the West is on at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre on Friday 30 June 2023, 6pm. Tickets: FREE. www.thejoan.com.au/events/best-in-thewest/
By Lyn Forde – President/Research Officer of St Marys & District Historical Society Inc.
PENRITH settlement began in the Castlereagh area along the Nepean River, but the Hawkesbury area was already settled. In September 1808, Hugh Dowling was on trial before A Bell, Esquire for armed burglary at the Hawksbury, stealing cash and clothing from the dwelling house of William Styles. Hugh was brought before the court on a charge of being in company with several other people who broke the front door and entered William Styles’ house and inhumanly beating and wounding James Seal who was sleeping in the house. From the testimony of William, his wife and James, it appeared that three people entered the house, leaving several others outside. It was decided that James getting out of his hammock in the outer room was easy to knock down and secured and then they went into the room where William and his wife slept. One of the party whose face was covered presented a musket at William’s breast and commanded them both to be silent while they ransacked the place saying that they were bushrangers and insisted on having everything they wanted, and they took bills to the amount of about £15 and all William’s wearing apparel and demanded his watch saying they would find it very useful. They then stopped to smoke a quantity of tobacco and made off taking all of James Seal’s wearing apparel. With much suspicion against the prisoner, he was fully committed to the county gaol for trial. In the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction Hugh was indicted for burglary, entering the dwelling house of William at the Nepean on the night of Tuesday the 13th of September and stealing a considerable property of money and wearing apparel, including the items of clothing his wife was sewing for Simeon Lord. In support of the charge, William said that between the hours of 11 pm and 12 pm his front door was violently burst open and soon after two men entered the inner room where his family laid, and as he got out of bed on hearing the noise they pointed a musket and threatened to kill him if he did not immediately return to bed and remain quiet, and his hands were bound by the prisoner. William swore positively that it was the prisoner, saying that he wore a cap over the upper part of his face and he had a clear opportunity of observing him as one of his accomplices held a lighted candle in his hand while the prisoner was examining one by one a number of notes that he took out of the pocket book and by doing this he had removed the cap sufficiently to give William a perfect view of his countenance. With the prisoner holding the contents of the book in one hand and the musket in the other he asked him several questions. They declared they were poor fellows in the bush who wanted some provisions and a little money and that they were determined to have it, and after ransacking the apartment they went out, but the prisoner returned shortly after saying “I’ll thank you for the loan of your watch”; but his wife told them that it could not be of any use to them as it was well known to many people in Sydney, so the prisoner replied “I ask your pardon madam” and the watch was given back and the prisoner again quitted the room and later returned again requesting the loan of a pipe and was told that two were on a shelf and he took one saying “I have taken one and left you one.” The prisoner then told William that they might thank themselves for being robbed and that if he offered to make any alarm they would return and be revenged. Afterwards they remained at the door smoking tobacco for nearly an hour and then went leaving an unfortunate family with their severe loss. James Seal who lived in the house said that upon the door being burst open he leapt from his hammock that was in the front room and was immediately knocked down and severely beaten and he was then compelled to return to his bed where he lay while the
plunderers were employed on rummaging the house. They lit a fire, but his hammock was hanging high, and he dared not look downwards and could not identify any of the people. His personal chest was broken open and robbed. The testimony given by the wife of William was clear and conclusive. She swore positively that the prisoner at the bar was the man who tied one of her hands and was proceeding to bind the other one but desisted upon her remonstrating against the inhumanity of the act, as she had an infant at her breast. It seemed that the witness had a strong and perfect recollection of the prisoners features, having observed him attentively examining the notes with the cap pushed from his face and she was still more positive in the identity of his person because he had taken from her husband’s pocket book one note which he considered to be of no value to him and saying when he gave it to her “here is the book with the note in, take care of it.” She said that he had been in the house on the day before the robbery and was passing by the house the day after it, where he was challenged by her husband as the chief actor in the outrage. The whole of her testimony strictly coincided with that given by her husband and she entertained not the slightest shadow of a doubt with respect to the person of the prisoner. She pathetically remonstrated the distress which the barbarous outrage had entailed upon her unhappy family as they had been inhumanly deprived of every article of comfort and of every common necessary as her poor children were left in a state of nakedness, eating only mushrooms and Indian Corn their only food and unhappily they remain a prey to the calamities of real want. Hugh had set up an alibi that was contradictory in its most material point which carried with it every other mark of fabrication. Upon testimony so strong, so clear and so conclusive the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction found the prisoner Hugh Dowling guilty and to be hanged. In October 1808 Hugh was recalled to the bar to receive sentence of condemnation which was accompanied with a pathetic exhortation from the Acting Judge Advocate and on Thursday the awful sentence was carried into execution. (PS: The Court of Criminal Jurisdiction was a criminal court established in 1787 under the auspices of the First Charter of Justice in the British Empire of New South Wales and was the first criminal court in the colony).
Sources: Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser Sunday 25 September 1808 & Sunday 2 October 1808, Trove, Australian Biographical Database online.
Florist. Don’t forget to add a cuddly soft toy and delicious box of chocolates to your order for the ultimate wow factor. We can deliver your flowers and gift to Kingswood, NSW or nationwide.
BY NOEL ROWSELL
85 golfers teed off on Monday 5th June at Stonecutters Ridge GC, in the 2023 Super Senior (Over 65’s) Championship.
The field was highlighted by the presence of 34 players on single figure handicaps, led by Douglas Cullam (Monash GC), playing off 1.
The main prize of the competition was for the best Nett score, which was taken out by David Hemming (Gosford GC) with a score of 39 c/b, ahead of Mark Foley (Castle Hill GC) 39, Niren Sharma (Lynwood CC) 37, James Cunnington (Kooindah Waters GC) 36 c/b and Brett Sansome (Horizons GC) 36 c/b.
Cullam finished with the best Scratch score of the day and also placed 8th in the Nett scores.
ROUND Four of the 2023 Golf NSW Master Pennant competition saw local clubs win 3, draw 2 and lose 3 games of the home and away series.
In home games, Dunheved drew 4-4 with Stonecutters Ridge, Penrith lost 6-2 to Long Reef, Springwood won 6.5-1.5 over The Coast, Richmond won 5-3 over Carnarvon,
In away games, Beverley Park lost 5-3 toTwin Creeks, Cumberland drew 4-4 with Glenmore Heritage Valley, Antill Park won 4.5-3.5 over Leonay, Wallacia had a bye.
This Sunday’s home games are: Stonecutters vs Pennant Hills (11am), Glenmore vs Bayview (10am), Twin Creeks vs Ryde-Parramatta (8am), Leonay vs Massey Park (10am) and Wallacia vs Bardwell Valley (10.30am).
Dunheved is away to Liverpool, Penrith is away to Castle Hill, Springwood is away to Macquarie Links, Richmond is away to Bankstown
Chloe Bloom has signed to play with the Penrith Panthers senior women’s team and began the season on Saturday night against the Canberra Nationals, in Round 12 of the 2023 Coles Express NBL1 East competition.
Chloe attended Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the United States and during the 2021-22 College season, played 21 games as a Junior. She started in 8 of those games, averaging 7.1 points and 4.8 rebounds for the season, including a career-high 16 points at Buffalo in August, 2021. She also recorded her 3rd career double-double against N.C. Central in July, 2021, with 12 points and a season-high 11 boards.
During the 2020-21 season, Chloe played 26 games as a Sophomore, with 18 starts, averaging 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. During that season, she recorded a then career-high 13 points and 16 boards against Davidson, in November, during the quarter-finals and finished with two double-doubles for the season.
Prior to joining VCU, Chloe played 4 games at Oklahoma in 2019-20, after red-shirting the 201819 season.
Chloe had been rated a 4-star recruit by
Prospects Nation and a 3-star recruit by ESPN. Prior to playing in America, Chloe had been a member of the Australian Youth Team system.
The highlight of her junior career was averaging a double-double at the 2017 U18 Australia Nationals, finishing with 11.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
There are also two younger players who have recently joined the Panthers NBL1 squad, Georgia Toscam and Afdeet Deyb.
“Georgia has been with our junior representative and Youth League women’s (YLW) programs and is a very athletic player, who was originally targeted for the NBL1 group but was unable to commit due to studies,” said Penrith & Districts Basketball Association General Manager Leonie Moore.
“Afdeet also played junior reps with us and St Clair club teams, but then moved to Blacktown and was in their YLW last year. She has now returned and is another tall, young athlete from the Savannah Pride group and will help out when she can.”
THE Penrith Panthers men’s and women’s senior teams have both suffered losses in Canberra on Saturday night, in Round 12 of the 2023 Coles Express NBL1 East basketball competition.
The Penrith women continued their horror run with player absentees in their clash with the Nationals, with starting forward Emily Matthews (wisdom teeth) missing the road trip to the nation’s capital, although her absence had been filled by Chloe Bloom, who has just returned from College in the US.
Canberra raced away to a strong early lead and maintained the pressure through the first two quarters, leading 21-9 and 42-16 at the first two breaks.
Penrith upped the ante in the third but the Nationals could not be reined in, leading 74-34 at the end of the term and 93-48 at full time.
Four Canberra players finished in double figures, led by Isabelle Bourne 30 points, 8 boards and Lizzy Tonks 17 points, 12 boards. Meg Jefferson led the Panthers with 15 points.
“Another tough road game for the Penrith Panthers NBL1 women’s team in Canberra ,” said Panthers head coach Bernie Slattery.
“Canberra came out at full tilt and pressed aggressively from the opening tip, and the young panthers appeared to be playing rugby for much of the game as many of them hit the floor repeatedly. The level of physicality permitted has been a real challenge for our young and inexperienced group of girls. We are learning and adapting to the tempo and physicality of the league, and over the coming weeks will face teams we can compete with after a run of three straight finals contenders.
“The panthers did not give up and after being down 44-16 at the half, came out more motivated in the third term and dominated the first six minutes of the period, hitting a string of baskets on the back of great teamwork, whilst defending grimly at the other
end. Canberra again however asserted their physical dominance late in the period and powered away. The final score 93-48 reflected the speed, power and physicality of a ‘finals bound’ Canberra team, a team with four potential Canberra Capitals (WNBL) players.
“It has to be said that the young Panthers have been very resilient and maintained their camaraderie and team spirit over a challenging three-week period. We look forward to being more competitive in coming weeks.”
The Penrith men were missing centre Luke Griffith due to personal commitments but the game started fairly evenly, with the Gunners holding a 19-12 lead at the first break, then continuing to build the margin through the second term to lead 53-35 at half time.
The Gunners dominated the third quarter to lead by as many as 25 points, before holding a 23-point advantage 83-60 at the final break.
Canberra maintained that margin through the majority of the fourth quarter, before the Panthers made a determined but belated run home over the
final 5 minutes of play, out-scoring the home team 13-2 before eventually falling 101-85.
Six Canberra players hit double figures, led by James Toohey and Austin Clarke with 21 points apiece, ahead of Glenn Morrison 13 points, 12 boards. Jaedyn Fetui-Fa’amoe led the Panthers with 19 points, ahead of Pranaya Sakya 13, Tomas Ramos 13 and Caleb Fetui-Fa’amoe 12.
The Panthers have a bye over the Kings Birthday Long Weekend, before hosting the Inner West Bulls on Saturday 17th June (women 5.30pm, men 7.30pm) at the Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre, Cambridge Park.
The Bulls women (13th) are one spot ahead of the Panthers (14th) on the competition ladder, with almost identical stats, but this week’s outcome could well rest on whether Tahlia Tupaea makes her return for the Panthers.
The Bulls men (2nd) are one of the powerhouse teams of the competition and are currently sitting comfortably in second spot on the competition ladder, whilst the Panthers have dropped to 14th.
Jessica Fox stamped her authority on an elite Women’s Canoe (WC1) field in Augsburg, Germany on Saturday, winning gold in emphatic style at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup, in what organisers described as a phenomenal performance.
Jess went into the Final as the fastest qualifier, having completed the semi final a second and a half clear of her nearest rival.
Going last in the Final, Jess enjoyed a near-perfect run, avoiding penalties to finish 6.51s ahead of France’s Angele Hug, whilst Germany’s Elena Lilik finished more than half a second further back.
Having missed a gate in the kayak (WK1) semi finals on Friday and therefore missing the WK1 Final, Jess showed her ability to regroup was never in doubt and put her competitors on notice for the remainder of the season.
“It was a tough day on the water yesterday in the kayak and I was really frustrated, so I just wanted to
come back today and put down some good paddling,” Jess said.
“The first step was making that final, so there was relief there, but then in the final, last to start, and
putting out a really good run, I was so happy. It was a really tricky course from start to finish.
“It’s always nice to start well. It is a long season, so hopefully we can
keep building throughout the season. I’m really pleased to start off well in C1, hopefully next weekend (Prague, Czech Republic, June 8-11) will be better in the kayak as well.”
WESTERN Sydney football fans have the chance to get up close to the greatest prize in women’s football when the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour 2023 comes to Penrith this week.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour 2023 will visit Jamison Park, Penrith on Saturday, 10 June as part of a tour across Sydney and regional NSW over the long weekend, to give football fans the chance to celebrate and share in the excitement of the build-up to next month’s tournament.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour 2023 has visited each of the 32 qualified countries as part of a mission to inspire and spotlight future female football talent and build excitement and support for the tournament.
As well as viewing the FIFA Women’s World CupTM Original Trophy, Penrith football fans will have the chance to win great giveaways and prizes.
Member for Penrith Karen McKeown said “Penrith has a proud history of producing some of the greatest players to ever wear the Matildas jersey, including Bryleeh Henry and Teigan Allen.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour 2023 will inspire more Penrith girls to pull on the Matildas jersey and represent our nation on the world stage. Make sure you get down to Jamison Park on Saturday, 10 June and share in the excitement of the build up to the greatest women’s sporting event on the planet.”
Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said “The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will see 32 teams compete across 64 matches during July and August with 11 games in Sydney, including a Semi Final and Final. The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour 2023 is an opportunity for communities across our State to unite in their love of football and celebrate the tournament coming to our shores.
There’s going to be some great games in Sydney, and I encourage anyone that hasn’t purchased their tickets yet to do so.”
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said “The NSW Government is committed to breaking down barriers in women’s sport. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 shows young female footballers across NSW that anything is possible and if you work hard, dreams can come true. Thanks to events like this, the next generation of Matildas will be inspired to follow in the footsteps of their heroes Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter.”
Clare Hunt (Matildas cap #224) said “The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is the pinnacle of our sport and the tournament that every women’s footballer dreams to be a part of. Every moment you get a chance to represent our nation is special, but to potentially do so on home soil would be an
unforgettable once in a lifetime experience. With the Trophy Tour in NSW it makes it that more real that the world’s best footballers are coming to our shores. I hope that this moment really excites everyone to make sure they are involved in a truly special moment for Australian football and Australian sport.”
Football NSW CEO John Tsatsimas said “This is a positive initiative which will see hundreds of our junior footballers take part in a once in a lifetime opportunity, promoting the biggest female football spectacle there is, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Such an opportunity will help aid and assist in building a strong legacy for the future of female football in NSW.”
For further information on FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour 2023 activities visit: www.sport.nsw.gov.au/fifawwc
JUNIOR coaching programs should never include traditional fitness or conditioning drills. Fitness should never take precedence over the development of skill and the enjoyment of athletes at the junior level. Fitness can easily be implemented into your coaching sessions through adopting the ‘less talk more action’ approach from a coaching perspective, get the players moving as much as possible for as long as possible. Within a one hour training session athletes should be moving for a minimum of 50 minutes. Fitness will be achieved during the drills and games which you have set up to be competitive, fun and challenging within each session. The best part of having games and drills achieve your fitness outcomes is that the athletes do not associate fitness with any specific aspect of your training sessions which maximises their enjoyment. It should also eliminate the ‘oh no, not this again’ comment which can become all too common from players!
Coaches who have players repetitively run laps or sprints to achieve fitness goals in my opinion are wasting and burning critical time which would be much better spent developing skills and teaching the fundamentals of their specific sport. Junior athletes sign up to learn, have fun and play! So create an environment which allows them to do so. For the coaches doubting this approach… Firstly when do players ever run a lap during a game? When do players ever run in a straight line for any more than 10-20 metres during a game? The answer is rarely if ever. This type of fitness training does not directly relate or improve the skill of Rugby League, Netball, Soccer, Rugby or AFL players. No wonder the players are saying ‘oh no, not this again’!
As a coach if a drill or game I am running does not directly flow into an improvement or development of a skill or tactic for my players when transferred onto the field on game day then I must
ask myself: What is the benefit of me running this drill or playing that game within my training session? We must always be working on the process of building the skills of our players which will in turn over time improve the performance of our teams.
The best type of fitness junior athletes can get is within live games. Encourage players to get to training early and allow them to create their own games and own rules. There will be plenty of time for your players to focus on fitness and conditioning once the game becomes serious as young adults. But as coaches if we are not providing a fun, engaging and challenging environment the players will not stay within the game long enough to even get that chance. The main priority as a junior coach should be to retain our players within each of our individual sports through fostering an environment of learning through fun, challenging and engaging coaching programs.
IN the 14th minute of last Sunday’s game between the Panthers and the Dragons, the 17,000 hearty Panther fans at the game all held their collective breath. Star playmaker and co-captain Nathan Cleary clutched at the back of his left leg as he grimaced in pain.
As he tried to hobble back into the defensive line it was quickly evident that he’d either pulled, strained or torn his hamstring.
Scan results on Monday morning confirmed the Panthers and NSW Blues worst fears, a grade two hamstring tear which will see him out of the game for up to 6 weeks!
You knew it wasn’t going to be the news that everyone wanted by the way in which he limped from the field somewhat resigned to the fact.
Nathan Cleary is a real tough footballer, one that leaves no stone unturned when it comes to his own strength and fitness. His mental application is also up with the game’s best too. So you just knew by the way in which he reacted that the injury was significant.
Playing 80 minutes of State of Origin only 4 days prior wouldn’t have helped.
Remember Rueben Cotter after game 1 of last year? He was warming up on field about to play the Sea Eagles a few days after origin 1 when the exact same thing happened to him.
Then on the weekend Jai Arrow and Cam Murray both succumbed to injuries
as well. The way in which our game and its players have exploded with size and strength is quite eerie. Players who play in Origin, which is the fiercest form of our game, probably shouldn’t be playing a club game 3 or 4 days after the brutality of Origin. But how’s that fair to the clubs or the fans? It’s not. But what’s the solution?
Play origin once the season has ended? What, and risk more injury for the players who make origin but haven’t played in finals footy? No way. Shut down the comp mid season and play 3 straight weeks of origin on concurrent Wednesdays? The broadcasters wouldn’t like it but I think its the only fair thing to do.
You could subsidise the lack of NRL games over those 3 weeks with test matches between NZ, Samoa, Fiji, PNG, Tonga …..etc, from all of the players ineligible from playing Origin.
You could play 3 games of the women’s Origin over the 3 week layoff as well. Sometimes our rugby league players have to be protected from themselves as they’d play every day if they had to, and injuries are always going to be a part of our game. But asking our best to play 3 or 4 days after leaving the origin colosseum is almost cruel!
See ya at the game
