Western News 25 November 2022

OLLO w wESTERN N E w S ON FACE b OO k

The committee of the Historic Sport and Race Car Association invite drivers and spectators to join them for their final race meeting of the year, to be held at Sydney Motor Sport Park over the 3rd and 4th of December. See page 14 for full details.

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Vibrant festivals across western Sydney celebrate

‘harmonious’ approach to mental health

Western sydney Local Health District (WsLHD) has celebrated Mental Health Month last month with several lively events across the region.

the theme was ‘tune in this Mental Health Month’, with a focus on selfcare, community, connection and resilience.

these are sentiments that Professor Bill Brakoulias, executive Director Mental Health services WsLHD, said are crucial to mental wellbeing. Bill said the Mental Health Month festivals have served as a fantastic resource for people to bond and share with their community.

“We are encouraging people to get help for their mental health issues, to reduce stigma, to enable people to see that mental health is just as important as physical health,” Bill said.

“We want people to see that there are many opportunities to get help, and these uplifting events encourage us all to look after our mental health and work together in a harmonious way to share kindness and good mental health.”

starting at the Blacktown Civic Centre, attendees were welcomed with a free coffee and treated to live performances and breathing exercises. there was also face painting, colouring-in and information available from experts on hand.

Just like the highs and lows of mental health, the weather went from torrential rain and storms in Blacktown

to sweltering heat and sunshine in Parramatta.

Peer Worker Andrew Fleming spoke candidly about his lived experience with mental distress and suicide to the crowd gathered at Centennial square in Parramatta.

Along with the dancing, drummers and performances, Andrew said that the

ability to hear from different speakers and access information face-to-face was a huge benefit from these events for the community.

“It’s so important to get out there and raise practical awareness – not just Zoom or leaflets and forms and things like that – and also network between the teams,” he said.

Mental health support contacts:

• WSLHD Mental Health Services: https://www.wslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/ mental-health-services

• NSW Mental Health Line – 1800 011 511

• Beyond Blue helpline – 1800 512 348

• Lifeline – 13 11 14

• Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800

• Transcultural Mental Health Line 1800 648 911. For more information on transcultural Mental Health Line, please visit: www.dhi.health.nsw.gov.au/ transcultural-mental-health-centretmhc/transcultural-mental-healthline/transcultural-mental-health-line

• Check out the mental health support services and programs here: www. health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/ Pages/default.aspx

New Tallawong Primary School to open in 2024

tHe new primary school in the tallawong area will open its doors to students and staff in 2024 with a second site now acquired for additional school facilities to further support the growing community.

Member for Riverstone Kevin Conolly said it was exciting news to have a new school in sight for Day 1 Term 1 2024.

“Preparations will continue over coming months, including recruiting for a new principal, confirming the enrolment area and starting the consultation process for the school’s new name,” Mr Conolly said.

“In parallel, planning for the new school continues. the purpose is to ensure that it aligns with the long-term plans for the region and adds maximum benefit for our future students and the community.

“the Department of education has recognised that additional transport and critical infrastructure around the original site at 91 Schofields Road is still required to enable construction of the new school there.”

to ensure that projected enrolment

growth will be met, the department has acquired a second site on 100 tallawong road and planning for the school on the new site has begun.

the planned school on this new site will later be complemented by a school at the original Schofields Road site when the site constraints there have been resolved and the area’s development has further progressed.

Minister for education sarah Mitchell said that detailed timelines for

construction would be developed once planning approval has been received and a builder appointed.

“the department will continue consultation with key stakeholders for both sites and keep the community informed as more information becomes available.

“this project is part of the nsW Government’s $2 billion infrastructure pipeline over the next four years to deliver 50 new and upgraded schools

in Western sydney,” Ms Mitchell said. the secretary’s environmental Assessment requirements (seArs) has been requested from the Department of Planning and environment (DPe) for both sites, which provide a very early proposal of the projects.

next steps will be to establish a Project reference Group (PrG) for the project, with representatives from the Department of education, school and parent representatives from surrounding schools, architects, planners and design professionals.

the concept design for both sites will be developed in consultation with the PrG, considering educational, operational and service delivery requirements.

the nsW Government is investing $8.6 billion in school infrastructure over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 160 new and upgraded schools to support communities across nsW. this builds on the more than $9.1 billion invested in projects delivered since 2017, a program of $17.7 billion in public education infrastructure.

Executive Director Mental Health Services WSLHD, Professor Bill Brakoulias, spoke at the Parramatta event.

Blacktown City names Youth Ambassadors for 2022-23

Blacktown city council has named its Youth ambassadors for 2022-23 – Darshanik aryal from James Ruse agricultural High School and Giovanna anika tabanag from the Ponds High School.

Darshanik and Giovanna were formally announced as the city’s Youth ambassadors for the coming year at a presentation dinner at the colebee centre in Doonside.

the talented students were selected for the prestigious positions by a panel of judges after a rigorous application process consisting of interviews, assessments and public speaking.

The pair was selected from a group of six finalists to represent the youth of Blacktown city over the coming 12 months.

outgoing Youth ambassadors Bilvika abburi (the Ponds High School) and nandika Prasad (Evans High School) handed over the baton to the new representatives.

Blacktown city Mayor tony Bleasdale oaM said he looked forward to seeing the new ambassadors become agents for positive change for the youth of the city.

“I am very proud of the success of the Youth ambassador Program and the opportunities it has offered the young people of Blacktown city since 1983,” Mayor Bleasdale said.

“Each year, the program’s applicants continue to impress the judges and we again witnessed an extremely high calibre of nominees.

“I congratulate Darshanik and Giovanna on their selection – I know this opportunity will provide many valuable experiences.”

Darshanik said he was encouraged to apply for the role for a second year running after narrowly missing out on the position in 2021.

“I initially saw the ad for the Youth ambassador program on council’s Facebook page and decided to give it another shot this year after getting to the final round last year,” he said.

“I do a lot of debating, public speaking and advocacy at school so I thought this would be a great opportunity to explore this further.”

the school captain said he had a list of projects he wanted to champion during his time as Youth ambassador.

“My idea is getting all the schools in Blacktown

city together to select a member of their student body to engage with council,” he said.

“I am also really passionate about youth mental health. coming out of coVID, I’d like to see an improvement in this area, especially in terms of school wellbeing programs.”

Giovanna, who is also school captain, said she was inspired to apply for the role and give back to the community after first moving to Blacktown City 3 and a half years ago.

“when I came to Blacktown city, I admired council so much and wanted to give back to the city in any way I could,” she said.

“as someone of Filipino background, I felt so welcome when I moved to Blacktown and I quickly felt at home.”

the 16-year-old said she was most looking forward to networking and public speaking in her role.

“I love public speaking – it’s one of my favourite things to do. I also can’t wait to see changes and help youth feel more connected.”

Giovanna is also Editor-in-chief of her school newspaper and has been a member of her school leos club since 2019.

For almost 40 years, the Youth ambassador program has provided young people the chance to gain invaluable experience representing Blacktown city, speaking at public events including citizenship ceremonies and civic Receptions.

ambassadors have the opportunity to meet highprofile individuals at special events and have the chance to attend a local Government conference. they also get to participate as members of both the Sister cities and Youth advisory committees.

Blacktown City Deputy Mayor Julie Griffiths with new Youth Ambassadors Darshanik Aryal and Giovanna Anika Tabanag.

Icaught a city train last weekend for the first time in years. Everyone was quiet in my half-full carriage, mostly checking out their phones.

Somewhere between Mt Druitt and Doonside, the silence was interrupted when a fellow stood and politely introduced himself.

“I’m very sorry for the interruption everyone,” he said as he stated he was homeless. “I’ve had no sleep and nothing to eat for a while. If anyone can help with a meal or a shower or warm bed it would be very appreciated. I’m sorry to interrupt your afternoon but I’m at the point where I’m basically living on this train so I am reaching out. God bless and thank you all for listening.”

I looked around the carriage and the reactions from the passengers varied. Some looked sad for him and shrugged helplessly. Others never lifted their heads from their phones. Some laughed and sniggered.

“He should get a job then,” the stranger beside me said to nobody in particular. Homelessness in NSW reportedly increased by 10 per cent following the peak of the pandemic.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel and I’ve seen that its a global problem.

In Europe there are lot of middle-aged homeless women. I can’t imagine how they ended up in this situation, but I noticed most dismiss them as gypsies.

In San Francisco we stayed at a fancy hotel with a bell man in top hat and coat tails opening doors for us. Ten metres away a family with young children had made a home out of cardboard boxes. The perspective overwhelmed me and I was overcome with embarrassment at the contrast.

Last year we caught a Greyhound bus from Cairns to Townsville. When we arrived at the bus terminal at 6am, homeless people were camped out under the shelter. Security came through calling out that the sun is rising, time to pack up and move on. To my horror, an indigenous couple well into their 80s crawled out from under their makeshift tent, piled their life possessions on to their mobility walkers and shuffled slowly off as directed. I cried all the way to Townsville.

I’m always affected by it, but the reality is my pity does nothing to help them. Charities and government programs are the only hope these people have got. I really don’t know what the answer is, but it certainly isn’t sniggering or dismissing them as people who don’t want jobs.

If you have any ideas on what we can do collectively as a community to help with this increasing problem, please email me: kerrie@nepeannews.com.au

By K E RRIE DAVIES

In this crazy preChristmas season, it is often hard to find some stillness and peace. But when you do have the opportunity, it is good to reflect on your achievements this year. It could be that you have done something that you have always wanted to do, or you have achieved a personal best at work or with sport, or that you have travelled somewhere very special to you.

For members of Toongabbie CWA, the joy of creativity is something that we treasure and it is great to see what we have achieved this year. Our social craft days are where we learn new skills and create things to sell at our regular stalls. We support several charities from the money that we raise from our stalls, and this Christmas we can reflect on a job well done that helps so many people in our community.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, from Toongabbie CWA.

For enquiries email: ToongabbieCWA@gmail.com

To find us on Facebook, search for CWA of nSW –Toongabbie Branch

Western Sydney’s ‘Hospital

Two and a half decades of Hospital In The Home (HITH) assisting some of western Sydney’s most vulnerable community members in their home environment is certainly a cause for celebration.

HITH in western Sydney Local Health District (wSLHD) was established in 1997 and comprised of a team of allied health and nursing staff working out of westmead Hospital.

Matthias Langer, wSLHD Nurse Manager, HITH, co-ordinated the anniversary event at the Sheltered Shed in the Cumberland Precinct and said, “wSLHD’s HITH has evolved over the years to include various models of care delivery and referrals”.

“It’s important to bring us all together to celebrate the partnerships we have developed over the years and all of the great work the HITH service does every single day.”

wSLHD’s general manager for Integrated and Community Health, Jasmin Ellis, took to the microphone at the celebration and shared her joy saying, “what an exciting day today, 25 years, and I am absolutely proud to be part of a team that has such a long history at looking after the communities in western Sydney”.

one of the patients who has benefited greatly from the HITH service is Mr Jeffrey Brown who first

In The Home’ celebrates 25 Year anniversary

for within the community”.

“Keeping them out of hospital is the key component of that, as they are able to be in the comfort of their own home, eat their own food and see their family.”

The next step for wSLHD’s HITH service is to expand by looking at other key models of care that can be embraced to take patients out of the hospital setting and bring them back into the home to continue to minimise hospital bed stays.

Happy birthday wSLHD’s HITH!

heard about the program when he was admitted to westmead Hospital two years ago and was told it was possible to get out of hospital and attended to by nurses at home.

Jeffrey has great admiration for the service saying, “If the HITH service didn’t exist then I probably would’ve spent months in hospital so the service to me is very convenient”.

WSLHD’s HITH Medical Officer, Varun randhawa, works actively in the program and said “It’s a pleasure to deliver lifesaving treatment to patients at home in an environment they are comfortable in”.

Past and present HITH staff attended the ceremony for celebratory speeches, cake cutting and good oldfashioned reminiscing.

“ “

It’s a much better option because mentally you feel so much better being at home and I think when you’re mentally better off it’s much better for your physical recovery. Mr Jeffrey Brown

Matthias was eager to thank all involved saying, “Today is a recognition of the service of the staff within HITH over the last 25 years and recognising the wonderful work they do especially going out into the community in the recent pandemic, as well as prior to that, making sure patients are safe and holistically cared

Giving back to Westmead Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

after two decades

wESTErN Sydney locals

Cathy and Joe Bracks have generously donated $8,140 to westmead Hospital Foundation through their Seven Hills business, Acron Building Services, to help purchase equipment for westmead Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

After his birth almost two decades ago, Cathy and Joe’s now 19-year-old son spent time in the NICU and the appreciative parents wanted to “say thank you by giving back” with the donation.

The donation, which was funded by both the Bracks’ and the staff incentive scheme, will be used to purchase a much-needed new LED phototherapy light for treating jaundice in newborn babies and infant humidifiers to help babies breathe.

To provide real-life context to

the donation, staff from Acron Building Services were given a tour of the NICU and viewed the complex specialist care and medical equipment used to care for babies born prematurely or with complex health problems.

During the tour, staff from Acron Building Services shared stories about their own children and connections to westmead NICU.

“while discussing the NICU Unit, we discovered that several of our staff and their family members have personal connections here too,” said Office Manager Stacey Pritchett. General Manager, Kevin wilson said “Seeing these babies in NICU made me realise how lucky my wife and I were to have had three healthy babies, and to have brought them home straight after their birth.”

Head of westmead Hospital

NICU, Dr Melissa Luig, shared her appreciation of the Acron Building Services donation and said “Every donation, no matter how small, helps.”

“

westmead Hospital’s NICU provides specialist neonatology care to 1,500 babies annually and is the largest Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in NSw.

To donate to westmead Hospital Foundation please visit www.westmeadhf.org.au/nicu

WSLHD’s Hospital In The Home 25 year anniversary event

Left to right: Jasmin Ellis (General Manager Integrated & Community Health), Matthias Langer (WSLHD Nurse Manager | Hospital In The Home )

We are extremely appreciative of the generosity of the staff of Acron Building Services for selflessly donating their bonuses to make a real difference to the quality of specialist care we provide to our tiniest and most vulnerable newborn babies, she said.

“

Exceptional Blacktown students receive STEM Award

Almost 40 Year 11 students from the Blacktown region have been awarded a Victor Chang school science Award for their outstanding achievements in the field of science.

these bright young minds are being highlighted for their passion for stEm – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics –subjects that are increasingly out of favour with students across Australia.

Enrolments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stEm) subjects are continuing to fall or stagnate with less than 10 percent of Australian year 12 students now studying the highest level of maths. It’s seen Australia drop in global rankings for math results from being in the top 10 in 2003 to 30th – a huge decline.

It’s hoped this year’s awards will help reverse this trend and inspire a future generation of scientists.

“Children are naturally curious, and we need to encourage students across the country to embrace science and understand just how important stEm skills can be in critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity,” said Professor Jason Kovacic, Executive

Director

“these budding scientists are already demonstrating incredible skills in the classroom that we hope will lead to a new generation of scientific leaders.

“It’s vital that we tackle this brain drain in Australia and demonstrate that a career in science can be incredibly rewarding and help improve lives the world over.”

this year 39 students from the following schools were recognised for their achievements: st John XXIII Catholic College, Wyndham College, mitchell High school, Richard Johnson Anglican school, st Andrews College, the Hills sports High school, tyndale Christian school, st John II Catholic College, Evans High school, Nagle College, toongabbie Christian College, Chifley College senior Campus, East Hills Boys High, the Ponds High school, and Blacktown Girls High school.

the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, with the support of Blacktown City Council, wants to encourage students to embrace science and be inspired to consider a fulfilling career in research.

“there has never been a more exciting time to study stEm with incredible advances taking place in robotics, genetics, biomedicine and artificial intelligence,” Professor Kovacic said.

Blacktown City mayor tony Bleasdale oAm said the Victor Chang school science Awards presented fantastic opportunities for local students to foster an interest in science.

“I am very proud of all the students from schools in our City who work hard in science, and are setting the foundations to be part of the next generation of Australian researchers,” mayor Bleasdale said.

“Receiving this science award comes with a great opportunity to learn first-hand about the Institute’s activities and a career in science. these awards come with a great heritage, and I congratulate these talented students on continuing the memory of one of Australia’s greatest minds.”

the Victor Chang school science Awards were established to celebrate young, gifted students excelling in science, honouring Dr Victor Chang’s legacy in fostering education.

New campaign to boost organ donation

NsW residents are being urged to decide to give the gift of life, with a four-week campaign encouraging people to register to be an organ donor via the service NsW app.

minister for Customer service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said a new tile would feature prominently on the service NsW app during this month’s campaign, re-directing customers to the Donatelife website where they can register and find out more information about organ and tissue donation.

“For the next month we’ll be using the service NsW app to boost the number of people registered on the Australian organ Donation Register,” mr Dominello said.

“Registering is important because it lets your family and the doctors and nurses know that you want to be a donor. It takes less than a minute and has the potential to save up to seven lives or transform many more through tissue donation.

“In NsW, 41 per cent of adults are registered to be an organ donor, but we want to improve these numbers and potentially save lives with a few taps on the phone.”

minister for Health Brad Hazzard said organ donation saves more than 1,000 lives in Australia each year.

“By registering, you leave your family with no doubt about your decision to want to become a donor. this campaign is a great opportunity for people to have a conversation with their loved ones to let them know their wishes,” mr Hazzard said.

minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active transport Rob stokes said many people who had previously consented to be organ donors were unaware they were no longer on the register.

“When the organ donation registry became a single national system, many people who had previously ticked ‘yes’ to organ donation when

applying for their NsW drivers licence were no longer listed as organ donors,” mr stokes said.

“this campaign is a great opportunity for people to sign up to the national register and to have a conversation with their loved ones to let them know their wishes.

“We encourage NsW residents to take a few moments to jump online and pledge to give the gift of life to those in need.”

the NsW Government is working to make the tile a feature in the service NsW app in July of each year as part of Donatelife Week.

the option to become a donor is no longer available on your driver licence renewal form, with customers who have not registered on the Australian organ Donor Register in the past encouraged to do so through the service NsW app.

For more information on organ donation, please visit the organ and tissue Authority website www.donatelife.gov.au

The 2022 recipients of the Victor Chang School Science Award from the Blacktown region.

of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.

Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM and Dr Osvaldo Contreras from the Victor Chang Cardiac Institute with local student Elsa Hunter.

More ultra-fast nBn services now ready for order

eli G i B le residential homes and businesses in parts of Western Sydney can now place an order to upgrade their NBN connection to Fibre to the Premises (FTTP).

Residents in parts of Guildford, Guildford West, Old Guildford, Merrylands West, south Granville, Woodpark, Yennora, eastern Creek and minchinbury may be eligible.

These upgrades will be available on demand where a customer in an eligible premises seeks a higher speed service through their Retail service Provider.

Minister for Communications, the Hon michelle Rowland mP said this will allow residents and businesses to take advantage of the faster speeds which are increasingly important in a digital society and economy.

To further expand the benefits of fibre connections, the albanese Government’s 2022-23 Budget has invested $2.4 billion to enable an additional 1.5 million premises to transition from Fibre to the Node (FTTN) to Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) by 2025 – over 660,000 of which will be in regional areas.

Ms Rowland said the result of the albanese Government’s investment was to enable the NBN’s full potential:

• Close to 90 per cent of the NBN fixed-line footprint will have access to plans based on wholesale speeds of 500mbps to close to gigabit speeds.

• Around 80 per cent of all regional and remote premises will have access to plans based on wholesale speeds of 100 mbps or more by late 2025. This

was estimated at 33 per cent in march 2022.

• 93 per cent of all Australian homes and businesses will have access to plans based on wholesale speeds of 100 mbps or more.

“The NBN is a key investment in the nation’s future. Since 2009, the network has kept australians connected, supported tele-health and remote education, and boosted economic productivity by expanding access to new customers for small businesses,” ms Rowland said.

“The albanese Government is committed to ensuring that australians

get the full benefit of the NBN’s potential by enabling as many NBN lines to access full fibre connections as possible. Our $2.4 billion investment in the Federal Budget will help ensure the NBN reaches its full potential.

“eligible local residents and businesses in parts of Western Sydney will now be able to take advantage of higher speed services as a result of this announcement. Expanding fibre access will ensure australians are at the forefront of digital connectivity and will help bridge the digital divide.”

Member for McMahon, the Hon Chris Bowen mP said the albanese

Government’s investment to expand NBN fibre access is a gamechanger.

“This announcement is an opportunity for eligible local families and businesses to enjoy the benefits of a faster, more reliable fibre connection,” he said.

“i welcome NBN Co’s commitment to supporting the families and businesses in mcmahon, and encourage the community to check the NBN website to see whether they are eligible for an upgrade.”

For more information on upgrade eligibility, visit www.nbn.com.au/ fibreupgrade

Universal pre-kindergarten year underway in nsw

Families in mount Druitt, Wagga Wagga, Kempsey, Nambucca, Bourke, Cobar and Coonamble will be the first to benefit from the NSW Government’s landmark reform to introduce a universal pre-Kindergarten year of education for every child in NsW.

Early childhood services in these first seven locations will begin rolling out the first stage of the universal pre-Kindergarten policy in early 2023, with interested providers urged to register.

more locations across NsW will be added ahead of the full state-wide implementation of a full new year of education for children by 2030.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the $5.8 billion 10-year investment in universal pre-Kindergarten is of a scale not seen before in Australia and will benefit our youngest learners’ physical, cognitive, social and emotional development.

“This is a life changing investment that the NsW Government is delivering to ensure our

children benefit from a full year of quality preschool education at no cost to parents,” mr Perrottet said.

“The liberals and Nationals in government are building a brighter future for NSW, with international evidence demonstrating a quality, playbased preschool program underpins a child’s longterm success.”

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said families and services in the first stage of the universal pre-Kindergarten reforms will help shape the rollout of the initiative across the state.

“This first stage of universal pre-Kindergarten will allow us to gather crucial information ahead of implementation of the program across the NSW,” Ms mitchell said.

“We are continuing to work collaboratively with families, peak bodies, service providers and schools to develop the best model of universal preKindergarten for NSW.”

eligible services are invited to have their say and ask questions at several workshops to be held in pilot regions during November 2022.

The NsW Government’s $15.9 billion early Years Commitment, announced as part of the 2022-23 budget, will deliver a brighter future for every child in NsW.

Through the introduction of a universal preKindergarten year, a suite of Brighter Beginnings initiatives to support the first 2,000 days of life, a workforce package for early childhood educators and Affordable Preschool subsidies available to all families, the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government is ensuring NsW is the best state to live, work and raise a family.

Expressions of Interest are now open and close on 16 December 2022. For more details, visit: https:// education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education/ early-years-commitment/universal-prekindergarten/universal-pre-kindergarten-pilots

Blacktown City Art Prize finalists and exhibition announced

Blacktown arts are thrilled to announce that the Blacktown city art Prize exhibition will open the 2023 summer program at the leo kelly Blacktown arts centre.

the Blacktown city art Prize is a much loved, open-themed art prize and exhibition.

Blacktown city Mayor tony Bleasdale oaM said the prize had celebrated extraordinary artistic talent for 27 years.

“this prestigious prize provides artists the opportunity to share, develop and enrich their practice and it is regarded as the leading regional art prize in australia,” Mayor Bleasdale said.

“It represents the creativity of Blacktown, western Sydney and beyond, and provides local artists with the opportunity to exhibit alongside artists from across australia.

“I congratulate all artists who have been selected as finalists and I have no doubt this exposure will be a fabulous stepping stone in their future artistic endeavours.”

the exhibition showcases the work of the 72 finalists, including a significant number of First Nations (15%) and local artists (22%).

the works span a range of styles and media including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photo and mixed-media. a number of submissions reflect a growing sense of hope, resilience and positivity.

the independent judging panel commented that diverse and versatile

styles were reflected amongst the selected finalists’ work which included a mix of emerging and established artists.

this year, Blacktown arts received 514 entries from over 400 artists across australia. alongside the art Prize, Blacktown arts will also be showcasing artworks from the Young artist Prize. kids

and young people aged 3-14 years from Blacktown city are encouraged to create an artwork in response to the theme of caring for waterways, to be submitted at the leo kelly Blacktown arts centre on 2 and 3 December.

awards for the Main Prize, aboriginal artist Prize and local artist Prize will be announced on

Saturday 21 January 2023. Visitors can vote for their favourite artwork in the People’s Choice Prize. the winner will be announced within the last week of the exhibition. the Blacktown city art Prize exhibition is open to the public from Tuesday, 10 January to Friday, 17 February, 2023. Entry is free and all are welcome.

Historic Rectory Demolished

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

At the Easter meeting of the St Mary Magdalene church at St Marys in 1885, a resolution was passed stating that a rectory should be built in the parish and in that year the Honorable Philip Gidley King later donated two acres of land and the conveyance was signed on November 8th 1888. During the previous year His Lordship the Primate Dr Barry visited St Marys and laid the corner stone of the Church of England Parsonage to the delight of about 200 residents of the district and members of other churches. Apparently, the festivities were hastily arranged to the point that “a member of the press had to make a writing desk out of a stack of bricks” the Choir sang several selections and the following clergy present were:- Dr Corlette and Reverend’s R L King (later Canon), A C Corlette, Baber, Wheeler, Spooner, Fryer and tate. A platform had been erected at the south-west corner of the building for the accommodation of His Lordship and a few other gentlemen. the Architect of the Parsonage was Mr Arthur Blackett of Blackett Brothers Sydney and the Contractor was Mr A M Allen. the corner stone of the building bore the inscription A.D. 1897 which reads:

- the Venerable Archdeacon of Cumberland, R L King. the Rev G Brown, Rural Dean.

The Rev A C Corlette, first incumbent of St Marys and St Albans.

Churchwardens: John King Lethbridge, William Beacroft, William J B Neale. Sidesmen: George turner, thomas E Dryhurst, James Gow, John Herford Joseph H Sainsbury, George Bennett, John Stevens. Sexton, Henry Burgess.

Alexander M Allan, Summer Hill, contractor. Robert Robinson, Hon secretary, building committee.

the Bishop preached at the church in the evening to a crowded congregation and the commemoration stone was unveiled by Reverend A C Corlette who was to be the first clergyman to occupy the Rectory when it was built. the stone originally formed part of the old private observatory alongside Dunheved near St Marys that was the home of Anna Josepha the widow of Governor King. In 1931 a Building

Committee was appointed with a loan of £200 and tenders were called for electric lighting of the Rectory. the Jubilee year of the Gidley Street Rectory was commemorated by a special gathering in the grounds on a Saturday in October 1937. the rectory at 34 Gidley Street was demolished in May 1957 as the building became uninhabitable with the walls cracking and plaster falling off and the movement of the ground was just too much for the old structure and on the advice of the building inspector from Penrith Council and Messrs. Collier Madge who were the building consultants from Sydney, it was decided to recommend to the Archbishop that the building needed to be demolished. the Archbishop replied saying that Archdeacon F W tugwell and a builder Mr R B Ashley had also recommended the demolition as it would be uneconomic to spend further sums of money patching it up. In the emergency the rector and his family found it necessary to vacate the premises. the parish council of St Marys called for tenders for the demolition of the building and the clearance of the site. It was anticipated that the new rectory would be built on a new site near the church. At that time the scroll was found giving details of the history of the rectory and was signed by the Rector and churchwardens and around ninety past and present parishioners that had been placed in a sealed tube and deposited by John King Lethbridge in a prepared cavity in the stone along with a copy of the Sydney Papers, coins of the realm and the Nepean times Newspaper that had been sealed in a bottle. Also enclosed was a scroll on engrossed parchment that was the handiwork of Mr t E Dryhurst of St Marys Public School that read “This corner stone was laid by the Right Reverend Alfred Barry, Bishop of Sydney and Primate of Australia on the 18th November and during the jubilee year of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria in the year of our Lord 1887 and during the Governorship of the Right Honorable Charles Robert Baron Carrington a member of Her Majesty’s Most Honorable Privy Council, Knight Grand Cross of the most Distinguished order of St Michael and St George, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of New South Wales and Its Dependencies.”

Source: Nepean Times – November 1887, Jan 1958.

 Photo of the rectory in Gidley Street – Original Unknown

Key questions home buyers should asK themselves to find their property

Soncini

EvEry home buyer is unique and has different priorities when it comes to finding their dream home. But it can be near impossible to find a property that ticks all your boxes, and it’s also easy to get distracted by a new or renovated home, incredible views, closeness to your favourite place, beach or cafe.

So, how can buyers stay focused on the core elements of a property and neighbourhood that can’t be easily changed but will have an enduring impact on the lifestyle and finances after you move in?

1. What mortgage repayments can I comfortably afford?

Most often everyone wants a more expensive property than their budget allows, regardless of whether they have $600,000 or $6 million to spend.

To avoid budget blow-out, buyers need to determine what their maximum budget is and what their preferred budget is. One needs to review and know what the resources are available to them if they were to lose their job or something else happened that affected their ability to earn an income.

Calculating your borrowing power is an important part of applying for a home loan that can be as simple as using an online borrowing power calculator. Lenders typically determine borrowing power by considering factors such as the size of your deposit, your income and any ongoing financial commitments.

Everybody loves to dream big but try to stay within your capabilities. Knowing the amount of money you have and expect gives you a clearer perspective of the process before you start looking at homes. It’s up to you to figure out what are your goals and prioritise.

2. Do I want a house, a townhouse or an apartment?

Buyers can be adamant about their preference for dwelling-type and with Australia running low on housing, you may have to compromise between dwelling type and other aspects of your life.

Your strategies will depend on your choice: do you want an established home, or do you want to build/renovate one to your taste?

An established home is more likely to have social

amenities surrounding it. These are parks, churches, shops, transport, and even neighbours. So, if it is social entertainment you want, you’ve got it. On the other hand, you can like the environment but not the home, so you need to renovate. Check out the feasibility of renovation before getting knee-deep.

Many buyers have a mix of prerequisites, for example a big block for their kids to play on and want to be within walking distance of a train station. Some buyers want an inner-city apartment to be close to bars and restaurants.

One major item to consider is whether the property you’re buying is a short or long-term strategy. There will be life changing situations as for instance, if you’re a young couple looking at apartments and you don’t want to move once you have children, you’ll need to think beyond the requirements of two working adults and size.

A lot of buyers will find it difficult to fast-forward into the future.

3. How do I spend my free time?

If you spend most of your free time curled up on the couch with a book, that couch can be in a home located almost anywhere. But if you’re a gym junkie, a foodie or a parent of active young kids, you’ll probably be looking for nearby amenities to make your weekends more relaxing.

The trick is to figure out where you spend most of your free time. Is it at the park? The local cafe? The gym or aquatic centre? Exploring bush trails? Playing golf? Visiting art galleries and museums? Will the kids need soccer or netball clubs, karate or dance classes?

Some of us need space for hobbies at home; others make good use of local facilities. Make a list of your must-haves and use it to narrow down your preferred location.

4. Do I need to be close to schools, work or public transport?

A short commute to school or work comes down to two main factors: access to public transport and the distance you live from school and work hubs. Access to public transport tends to be a priority for many buyers no matter if they are an owner occupier or investor.

Travelling to work by car each day can be very

time consuming and no one wants to be in a car for an hour each way. Many want convenience and everything at their doorstep to enjoy living and lifestyle.

If you’ve got school-aged kids, living close to your work will limit your options as you review the local school catchment areas and the boundaries for your property search.

5. Do I need to be close to my network of family and friends?

You may be hunting for a home close to friends and family as your mum helps with looking after the children, or you look after your elderly parents. There are plenty of reasons we choose to live close to our family and friends.

The more distant and disconnected you are from your family and friends will impact your assessments on where you live from being in a country town to living in the city.

6. Is convenience the key?

Its hard to imaging living without any convenience and the affect on your daily life.

Who does not want to be close to work, school, family, parks, beaches or public transport? We move towards what’s most convenient most often.

In many cases people know what they want and have difficulty prioritising their needs. This can cause stress in deciding the qualities for your lifestyle and change your perceptions of what you want versus what you need.

7. Seek advice

From upfront buying costs to taxes, mortgage applications, interest rates and settlement requirements, there’s a lot of information to review and appreciate before making any big decisions.

Speaking with a mortgage broker can help you understand the buying process, get your finances in order and find the right home loan for your circumstances, contact Alex today on 0419 600 177 or email to alex.soncini@wealthwiz.com.au.

Disclaimer:

Alex

SMSP Hosts HSRCA Summer Festival in December

By Noel Rowsell

tHe committee of the Historic Sport and race car Association (HSrcA) invite drivers and spectators to join them for their final race meeting of the year, to be held at Sydney Motor Sport Park (SMSP) over the 3rd and 4th of December.

the meeting will offer races for all of the usual

fifth category vehicles, as well as speed events for vehicles manufactured up to the 1990s and invited cars deemed compatible with those groups.

In addition, the committee hope to have groups for Formula 5000 and Sports Sedans, and look forward to the traditional Dawson-Damer trophy race for M & o and the always entertaining Group S enduro race.

the committee look forward to catching up with everyone and a weekend of good racing to wrap

up 2022’s historic motorsport season, with an entertaining and well-supported summer meeting at SMSP.

Spectator passes are available online through eventbrite and will also be available at the gates on the day.

tickets are $25 for Saturday, $20 for Sunday and $30 for a weekend pass. concession tickets are $20 for Saturday, $15 for Sunday and $25 for the weekend. Kids 12 and under attend for free.

Stonecutters Ridge hosts NSW Women’s Medal Final

StonecutterS ridge Gc will host the 2022 Golf nSW State Medal on Wednesday 30th november, with all players teeing off in a shotgun start at 8:00am.

90 ladies from golf clubs throughout nSW will play across three divisions, including Joanne ogle (Penrith Gc) in 1st Division, Maxine Mcnally (Leonay Gc) and Anne reidy (Fox Hills Gc) in 3rd Division.

the nSW Women’s Medal is a competition conducted over six stroke-play rounds at club level and held between January and September each year.

the winner of the Medal in each division at club level is the player returning the lowest nett aggregate of three (3) scores at the end of the six rounds.

All club level qualifiers competed in their

respective District & Metropolitan Gold, Silver or Bronze Playoffs, with the winner of each District (the leading 3 players in the case of Metropolitan finals) progressing to the Golf NSW Medal State Final.

The field for this year’s Final is twice its normal size, with the qualifiers from both 2021 and 2022 competing due to last year’s Final being cancelled due to covid.

Windsor Polo Club hosts polo and jumping events

I n DS or Polo club continued the Hawkesbury Summer Series Polo on the weekend, with the Giddiup cup hosted at Killarney Polo club.

Bellevue Polo - Heather torrey, tom Dalton-Morgan, Henry

WBatchelor, Peter Handbury - took out the 4-Goal competition, with a very convincing win over cutcliffe Polo.

Giddiup Polo - Anna Dowling, Hamish Dowling, James Parryokeden, tom Parry-okeden- won the 0-Goal over trFD Polo and Stone Polo - Archer Buchert, olivia McIntosh, teneille Murray, Adam Buchert - won the

Sub-Zero over Killarney and enviroganic.

Best Playing Pony went to Indy, played by tom Dalton-Morgan for Bellevue Polo.

the weekend’s sponsor was Giddiup, which donated fantastic prizes and has been supporting polo for many years - and will be for many years to come.

the Hawkesbury Summer Series

continues next weekend, with the cutcliffe Properties cup featuring 8, 4, 0 & Subzero.

Windsor Polo club also hosted the Sydney Jumping Association on the Windsor Polo Fields, with practice on Saturday before the main event on Sunday. Strong winds however severely hampered the competitors on Sunday, forcing organisers to cancel the event.

By Noel Rowsell

Equestrian action from Saturday - photos by Noel Rowsell (www.photoexcellence.com.au)

4-Goal Polo winners Bellevue Polo. Photo supplied

Action from the HSRCA round in June this year. Photos by Noel Rowsell

Blacktown Rules: A football factory that helped produce five World Cup Socceroos

By Bo B Turner

Blacktown city Fc continues to be one of the national Premier league powerhouse clubs following the news that five Socceroos squad members including Mathew Ryan, aaron Mooy, Mitchell Duke, Milos Degenek and keanu Baccus will all be gearing up to take part in the 2022 FIFa Men’s world cup in Qatar kicking off this week. All five came through the Junior ranks of Blacktown city, which has long been regarded as one of Australia’s top developmental clubs.

Along with the five players mentioned, you can also add in Socceroos goalkeeper coach John Crawley and the influence on the Socceroos from a Blacktown City perspective is enormous. Crawley, is an ex-Demons junior, who also captained and coached the team at senior level.

“I do not believe there would be another semiprofessional club in the world at this very moment that helped contribute 20% of a national team makeup” said Blacktown City Executive Chairman, Bob turner.

Huge credit for this success goes to current 1st grade head coach, Mark crittenden, who has overseen many of these up and coming youngsters during his tenure at the club. “Mark has set the culture of Blacktown city as one that not only wins but is committed to the development of young players”, said turner. “He has a disciplined and ‘Old School’ approach that has stamped Blacktown city’s authority as one of australia’s premier football production lines,” turner added.

Mark Crittenden, first became involved with Blacktown city nearly 20 years ago when his son joined their under-11s team, which he coached. He slowly worked his way up the hierarchy, serving as senior boss for the past decade and, for the past three, the club’s head of football as well.

In the case of Matt Ryan, Socceroo Captain and the 75-cap goalkeeper who plays for Danish side Fc copenhagen, he genuinely wouldn’t be where he is today without Blacktown city and in particular coach crittenden.

“He was on the verge of being let go,” said crittenden. “we won the under-14s competition, and I was then given the under-15s the year after. The club was considering whether to retain him, basically due to the fact he was probably quite small for a keeper in those days. I’ve always been someone that goes with his gut feel, and there’s something about him

that I really liked. I remember just saying, ‘look, I want to give him another go”, Crittenden added. The rest is history.

Set to celebrate 70 years of football existence in 2023, there is much to be excited about at Blacktown city who hope to see more success stories continue from its Seven Hills precinct. To celebrate their 70 year milestone, Blacktown city has designed a new logo for the coming season. the team is now in full training with the defence of their 2022 NSW Championship foremost in the mind of Coach crittenden.

In other big news for the club, leading goal scorer, Travis Major, will be taking on an additional role with the club to become their full time operations Manager. Scoring his 100th goal for the club in this years championship game, Major will combine both playing and administration in 2023. the club took

over full operational control of its home stadium (recently renamed Blacktown City Sports Stadium) late last year and the task ahead for Major is to maximise full use of the facility.

Blacktown city Fc will continue to build on its reputation and service to the community it represents. Go Blacktown city!

Western NeWs

Young Tyros final round of 2022 Oceania Junior Cup

By Noel Rowsell

November 25-27, 2022 has the best Australian Superbike (ASbK) riders on hand at the worldclass venue of The bend motorsport Park, SA for the 2022 mi-bike motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by motul.

The Bend Motorsport Park is one of the most significant developments in Australian motorsport history. A state-of-the-art, world-class motorsport facility, the bend delivers an exhilarating experience for competitors, enthusiasts and spectators alike.

The bend’s international circuit is 4.95km long and its 18 turns are designed to encourage thrilling racing, with corners offering passing opportunities and innovative racing lines.

12-year old local juniors elijah Andrew (marayong) and William Hunt (Mulgoa Rise) will both suit up for their final round of the 2022 bLU crU oceania Junior Cup on that weekend and both young boys will be keen to lift their yearly rankings.

Phillip Island was a disappointing result for both youngsters, who finished down the list after the three races across two days. Elijah also had a major accident in race 3, brought down by another rider and finishing his weekend being checked over in hospital for some hours.

His lap speed prior to the accident was the 3rd-fastest lap time recorded in the race, so there will be plenty of interest in how he bounces back from the incident.

The final round of the OJC Oceania Cup will however signal a temporary swansong for William, as he will be taking a 12-month sabbatical to concentrate on his schooling. Good scholastic results in 2023 should see the talented young rider return to competitive motorcycle racing in 2024.

Elijah Andrew