Westernnews 2march2018

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Friday, 2 March 2018 ISSUE 54 0403 537 333 Join Western News on facebook to read all the latest news and previous editions online

Fresh Recruits Nursing numbers in western Sydney got a boost in February with 236 graduate nurses and midwives joining Western Sydney Local Health District. Pictured above are Blacktown Hospital registered nurses Mary Daroy, Anuradha Shrestha, Daniel Walsh, Maria Fernandez, Caroline Freitas, Harry Lindon and Renee Keating.

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ursing numbers in western Sydney get a boost in February with 236 graduate nurses and midwives joining Western Sydney Local Health District.

Westmead Hospital will welcome 34 nurses and 15 midwives in February with another 51 recruits joining the ranks in March and May. Twenty one new nurses are already on the job at Blacktown and Mt Druitt hospitals with another 38 nurses to join their new colleagues

by May. Nine new nurses will be on the roster at Auburn Hospital with a further five nurses to start work in community health services Mental health and drug and alcohol health services will employ 17 new nurses. WSLHD executive director of nursing and midwifery and clinical governance Joanne Edwards said the graduates would work in clinical settings including hospital wards, paediatrics, emergency and operating theatres.

“We could not function without these caring staff who provide compassionate care and support to our patients in hospital, at home, or in the community,” Ms Edwards said.

“They are at the forefront of care, providing assistance throughout the patient’s journey.

“I commend each one of our nursing and midwifery graduates for completing their studies and wish them a fulfilled and satisfying career in nursing and midwifery.”

The graduates will attend orientation sessions across the various hospitals in the coming weeks.

› Teen suffers head and face injuries Detectives are investigating the assault and robbery of a teenager on Monday night.

About 9pm on 26 February, two teenagers were walking along Newton Road, Blacktown when they were approached by a group of youths.

One of the teens, aged 17, was assaulted and suffered minor head injuries.

The group fled the scene with the 17-yearold’s schoolbag prior to the arrival of police.

Officers from Blacktown PAC attended and spoke with the two teenagers however they were uncooperative with police.

Shortly after 10pm in nearby St Martins Crescent, a two-year-old child was inside his home when several windows were shattered.

The child suffered minor lacerations and was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics.

About 10.15pm officers were called to Cobb Lane, Blacktown, following reports that a youth had been found on the road suffering facial lacerations.

On arrival officers recognised the youth as being the 17-year-old who had his bag stolen earlier in Newton Road.

He was taken to The Children’s Hospital, Westmead, in a stable condition and will require surgery.

Detectives are now piecing together the three incidents and would like to speak with anyone who may have information that could assist.

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Nursing workforce continues to grow

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Prue Car MP Member for Londonderry

Ph: 9833 1122 154 Queen Street, St Marys londonderry@parliament.nsw.gov.au

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From the Editor’s Desk

By KeRRIE DAVIES

THIS month we celebrate International Women’s Day, and fittingly, we have featured some local women who have absolutely smashed the glass ceiling and are kicking goals all over the place.

Politicians, business owners and charity champions are proving to young girls all over western Sydney that you can be whoever you wish to be. Inspirational stuff.

Long gone are the days where women had no say in the running of our country, had to ask their husband for permission to buy a dress, and cooked the obligatory meat-and-three-veg to be ready at precisely six o’clock for when said man returned home from work.

I can remember the very early days of my childhood being like that, although I think my Dad got ripped off as I only ever remember there being meat-and-two-veg. Never three.

We’ve come a long, long way and there’s lots to be proud of.

I believe though, in order to stay on track we need to be mindful not to take it all too far.

By all means we should call out instances of disrespect, harassment and worse.

But women who feel offended by every single thing a man says to them and those who run with “hashtag me too” because someone whistled at them are trashing our brand.

To me equality of the sexes is showing that women are strong, capable and when needed, formidable members of the human race. Being offended by anything and everything and calling “trauma” at the way a man spoke to us thirty years ago when the rules were completely different is making us look delicate and weak.

We are not that, so let’s not portray that.

Lets stand tall and strong, sisters, and pick the battles that matter!

Your thoughts? kerrie@nepeannews.com.au

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lacktown City Council has planted 358 trees along Carlisle Avenue, in Mt Druitt, as part of a project to “green” the major transport corridors throughout the wider city.

Council’s “Eyes on Blacktown” strategy aims to change the public image of Blacktown City by changing the look of the major transport routes and hubs.

“We are planning to enliven Blacktown and encourage the use of public spaces within Blacktown City,” said Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Stephen Bali.

“Planting trees along our streetscapes is part of the process, and we hope the result will be walking spaces that are more pleasant and inviting.

“It is also proven that the planting of trees creates a cooler climate, and there is no doubt that we all value extra shade in summer.”

Tree plantations are also being planned for the Great Western Highway, Prospect, and Sunnyholt Road, Stanhope Gardens.

Other recent works conducted through the “Eyes on Blacktown” initiative include: • Tees planted for screening along Hambledon Road, Quakers Hill, Jersey Road, Plumpton and Blacktown Road, Prospect • Trees planted along Richmond Road, Woodcroft • Additional planting in playground upgrades • Additional greening and planting in reserve Masterplans such as those at Whalan Reserve, Whalan and May Cowpe Reserve, Rooty Hill

Mayor of Blacktown City Stephen Bali and landscape Blacktown Council landscape designer Amar Zein with part of the plantation on Carlisle Ave, Mt Druitt.

› Scanning for life: Wenty Leagues donation Wenty Leagues Club representatives have dropped into Westmead Hospital to see their $40,000 plus donation of medical equipment in action. As part of their ClubGrants program, the club has generously supported Westmead Medical Research Foundation (WMRF) by funding two new state-ofthe-art ultrasound machines valued at $21,500 each, to better assist pregnant women within the Antenatal

Clinics and Birth Unit.

The ultrasound machines have been named after Star Wars characters C-3PO and R2D2. Westmead Hospital’s Women’s and Newborn Health obstetric registrar Dr Amy Goh thanked the club for their donation.

“Ultrasounds allow clinicians and the mother a chance to see the baby growing in the womb and provide us with medical information which helps us plan for delivery,” Dr Goh said.

Westmead Hospital’s registered midwife and patient Victoria Williams with Wentworthville Leagues Club director Trevor Simpson OAM and Westmead Hospital Women’s Health obstetrics registrar Dr Amy Goh.

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No underdogs this Lunar New Year

The event concluded with a spectacular fireworks display to reign in the Year of the Dog.

Chinese dancing was part of the packed program of entertainment.

More than 30,000 people flocked to Blacktown’s Nurragingy Reserve on Friday evening 16 February to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Mayor of Blacktown City Stephen Bali MP said Blacktown’s Lunar New Year Festival was attended by revellers from many different cultural backgrounds and nationalities.

“Our Lunar New Year Festival is a wonderful reflection of the cultural richness of this great city,” Mayor Bali said.

“We are one of the most multicultural cities in Australia, with 188 ethnicities speaking 182 languages within our borders, and we are proud our festival attracted so many diverse people.”

The Year of the Dog was marked by a packed program of entertainment.

On the main stage revellers enjoyed lion dancing, Japanese martial art performances and traditional Vietnamese dancing.

There was plenty to keep children entertained including face painting, jumping castles and stage show of the popular kids’ television series PAW Patrol.

Celebrations came to a close with a spectacular fireworks display from 9pm.

Mayor Bali said the ice and food sculpting demonstrations were a highlight.

“We were all wowed by the ice carving demonstration by Kenji Ogawa, who sculpted a magnificent giant dog out of a block of ice,” he said.

“This was quite a feat, especially considering the hot weather on the day!

“The fruit carving was also impressive: it was amazing to watch as household fruit like watermelons and pineapples were carved into beautiful pieces of food art.”

Mayor Stephen Bali joined a crowd of 30,000 revellers celebrating the 2018 Lunar New Year at Nurragingy Reserve.

Kenji Ogawa’s ice carving demonstration was a highlight.

Festival goers enjoyed lion dancing at Blacktown’s Lunar New Year Festival.

Western News

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By Keegan Thomson

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lacktown City Council has protested changes to the NSW government’s planning laws by “ceremoniously cremating” the last development application to be voted on by its Councillors.

Two urns commemorating the occasion will be prepared, with the ashes of the DA being split between the two. One urn will stay memorialised in Council and the other will be sent to the office of the NSW Planning Minister, Anthony Roberts.

The council has even created a mock obituary entitled “In Affectionate Remembrance of Accountable Development”.

Under legislation passed last August, from March 1 Blacktown City Councillors will no longer vote on development applications, instead they will now be decided by independent planning panels.

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment said the panels, which are mandatory for all Sydney councils, have been put in place so the processes of assessments of development applications are transparent and accountable.

Mayor of Blacktown, Councillor Stephen Bali said the new legislation will degrade local democracy.

“The basic democratic principle of electing representatives who were accountable through the ballot box for the decisions they made has been the guiding strength of our city,” Cr Bali said.

“That’s not progress; that’s taking us back to the days when those in charge told the community what to do.

“It’s the death of democracy in Blacktown,” he said.

Anthony Roberts, the Minister for Planning, spoke to Parliament after the legislation was voted into the lower house.

At the time he declared the new laws as “an anticorruption bill” that would stamp out any illegal activities undertaken by Sydney councils.

“It is essential the government has a transparent and accountable process in place when assessing DAs of significant value, when there is a conflict of interest for the council or developer, or when they are of a sensitive nature,” Mr Roberts said.

“By making IHAPs mandatory, local councils will be able to focus on providing community services, strategic plans and development controls for their local area.”

Despite this the Mayor of Blacktown says the community will lose their voice and their ability to protest to the powers-at-be.

“The community has lost the power to stand up before the Councillors it elected to voice its opinion about how the neighbourhood takes shape,” Cr Bali said.

“Petitions to Councillors will no longer have any part of the planning process, nor will debate in the chamber, nor direct representations to the planning committee by affected neighbours.

“Open Council meetings are the epitome of accountable, transparent and balanced decisionmaking,” he said.

In 2017 the council only voted on 21 DAs with some 2,500 approved by council officers under delegated authority with the average return time of just over a month, the council said.

The last Development Applications to be voted on by Blacktown’s Councillors went through the chambers on Wednesday night.

They were for three boarding house developments and for a development on ecologically sensitive land in Doonside.

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› Schools swelter According to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Annual Climate Summary, 2017 marked the hottest year ever in NSW since records began in 1910.

Temperatures in Western Sydney have been soaring over the spring and summer months, and yet many local classrooms are still without airconditioning.

Greenway MP Michelle Rowland said in our local schools many students are still enduring the heat in classrooms without air-conditioning. High temperatures, which can exceed 40 degrees, make both learning and teaching more difficult in the classroom.

“During periods of high heat, teachers are required to adjust their learning programs to take account of high temperatures. However, there is little teachers can do to cool down their classrooms, which swelter during sustained heatwaves, impacting on the ability of students reaching their academic potential, Mr Rowland said.

“Teachers and parents have raised with me their concerns about children sweltering in the heat in old classrooms which have still have no airconditioning.”

“I have raised these serious concerns directly with the NSW Minister for Education, The Hon. Rob Stokes MP. Unfortunately, in a response from his Parliamentary Secretary, Gareth Ward MP, the Liberal Government refused to comment directly on when schools in Greenway will be eligible for air-conditioning.

“It’s crucial that the State Liberal Government acts now so that local students do not have to face another summer in sweltering classrooms,” Ms Rowland said.

Easter colouring competition Federal Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowland is encouraging local school students to hop on board her 2018 Greenway Easter Colouring Competition for a chance to take home an Easter hamper.

There will be two prizes available; one for the winning entry completed by a child under 5 years old and another prize for a child in Kindergarten this year.

The competition entry form can be requested by contacting Michelle Rowland’s office on 9671 4780 or at Michelle.

Rowland.MP@aph.gov.au Entries close on Friday, 16 March 2018 and should be returned to Ms Rowland’s office at 230 Prospect Hwy, Seven Hills or by post, stamp-free, to Reply Paid 686, Seven Hills NSW 1730.

The prize will be an Easter hamper and the winners will be announced during the week commencing 19 March 2018.

Bee Man saves the local bees B

By Keegan Thomson

EES are causing quite a bother across western Sydney with some hives relocating into homes and urban environments because of the decline of their natural habitats.

This week a family from Seven Hills had an entire colony of around 35,000 bees removed from their laundry wall. Thankfully the owners called an aphorist (a bee scientist) to remove the hive instead of spraying it with poison.

Carl Skinner is the Bee Man, the founder and operator of Australia’s Penrith and Surrounds Bee Man, and he was the aphorist on hand at the Seven Hills property.

He thanked the owners of the property for calling him instead of killing off the bee hive.

“I’ve got a little saying, save it don’t spray it, that way people might think to remove the colony rather than poison it and kill off all the bees,” Mr Skinner said.

Originally working as a horticulturalist for 15 years, Mr Skinner saw there was a decline of pollinated plants across western Sydney so he did some investigating and realised the problem.

“Bees are losing their natural habitats,” Mr Skinner said.

“The places they usually live, large bush lands, hollowed out trees and stumps, are all being replaced with urban areas and developments.”

Over the past four years Mr Skinner has turned his skills towards apiology, which has seen him learn how to remove bees safely from an unwanted situation.

What is troubling, says the bee man, is there has been a 50 percent decline in the numbers of native Australian bee across western Sydney in the last ten years.

“Numbers are decreasing every year. We’re chopping down a lot of trees where the Australian native bees are living and they’re starting to

disappear,” Mr Skinner said.

“If we don’t act now we’ll be in trouble in 10 years time.

“Not being dramatic, but without bees the human race would start to deteriorate within three years. We would see vegetables and fruit start to die off and we’ll start paying dramatic prices for the food we eat,” he said Another worry for Mr Skinner is the lack of disease testing and screenings of honey and other beeswax products imported from overseas.

“Foreign honey is particularly a worry because we’re letting in potentially tainted products that might bring in diseases that could infect the Australian bee population,” Mr

Skinner said.

Currently New Zealand has controls in place that quarantine any imported beeswax or honey products but Australia doesn’t do the same, according to Mr Skinner.

Despite the dire warnings there is some good news about the current colonies in the west.

“At the moment I’m finding the colonies have been healthy and free from diseases,” Mr Skinner said.

“I’ve not come across any major diseases but things can change in the future, depending on our luck with importing the foreign honey.”

The bee man wants to make sure people are always thinking twice before they kill any bee.

“I’m trying to protect western Sydney’s bee population, make sure we have healthy plants with healthy pollination from the bees and educate people about bees as well,” Mr Skinner said.

If you find a bee hive on your property you can call the Bee Man. He will remove the bee hive and relocate them to his property. You can contact him on 0412 164 171 or on facebook at www.facebook.com/ penrithbeeman.

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ember for Riverstone Kevin Conolly this week visited Quakers Hill Uniting Church to congratulate the church’s Minister, Reverend Grant Atkins and his congregation on the completion of the new safety fencing separating young children attending the play groups held at the church from the carpark area.

This project was made possible by a $5,500 grant from the NSW Government under the Community Building Partnership (CBP) program in 2016.

“This is a great outcome for the safety of the preschoolers and their families attending play groups at the Quakers

Hill Uniting Church. This keeps children well away from the carpark” said Mr Conolly.

“The Community Building Partnership program is about building and restoring local infrastructure for community use as well as supporting local construction jobs,” Mr Conolly said.

Meanwhile, the 2018 Community Building Partnership program is set to open for new applications in June and information will be provided as soon as it is announced on the program’s website at http://www.communitybuildingpartnership.nsw.gov.au

› Dumper fined A Marsden Park resident has been fined $2,000 for illegally dumping rubbish that Blacktown City Council could have collected for free.

The illegally dumped rubbish was discovered in front of a vacant building block on Atkinson Street, Marsden Park.

The Western Sydney Regional Illegal Dumping Squad was called in and they discovered something in the rubbish that linked it to the owner.

The Mayor of Blacktown City, Stephen Bali, says that there is no excuse for dumping rubbish on the kerb.

“Last financial year approximately 94,000 residents and ratepayers took advantage of the service, and I thank them for doing the right thing,” he said.

“Our household clean up service is available to all residents and I urge people to take advantage of it.”

If the rubbish had been collected

by Council or recycled for free at SUEZ Waste Management Centre, Powers Road, Seven Hills or Cleanaway, Bessemer Street, Blacktown, it would have cost the resident nothing.

Bidwill garden springs to life

Blacktown Council Co-ordinator of Cultural Planning and Community Engagement Monir Rowshan, Bidwill residents Therese Wilson and John Aholahi and Deputy Mayor Cr. Tony Bleasdale OAM.

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idwill residents have transformed an unused block of land into a flourishing community garden with help from Blacktown City Council.

Deputy Mayor of Blacktown City Tony Bleasdale officially opened the garden in Lindley Square on Saturday, 24 February.

“Council has supported a number of community projects in Bidwill, and we are thrilled we have again been able to lend a hand in making another positive initiative a reality for locals,” Cr Bleasdale said.

“Lindley Garden is an inclusive place where people from all backgrounds can grow their own

fruit and vegies, or simply enjoy the beauty of the space and each other’s company.

“Looking around the garden, you can see this vision has come to fruition: the community has come together to celebrate a project that has brought out the best in the neighbourhood.”

The garden was the brain child of Therese Wilson, a long term resident of Lindley Square, Cr Bleasdale said.

“Ms Wilson got in touch with Council and asked if the councilowed space in Lindley Square could be converted into a community garden,” he said.

“Council was happy to help and

Bidwill residents flock to the opening of Lindley Square Community Gardens.

successfully applied for funding from the Department of Family and Community Services Social Housing Community Improvement program to develop the garden.

“The funding, worth almost $38,000, enabled Blacktown Arts Centre staff to hire artists David Hawkes and Abbas Makrab to work with Therese Wilson and other residents to develop the designs for the garden.

“I thank all the residents, the artists, Family and Community Services, and Council staff for their joint efforts in bringing this project to life.”

Ms Wilson said she was amazed at what she and her neighbours in

Lindley Square had achieved.

“My goal was simply to grow healthy food and all this extra wonderful stuff has come out of it,” she said.

“Not only do local families have access to nutritional affordable food, but the garden has really brought the whole neighbourhood together.

“Before nobody spoke to anybody.

Now everyone is talking to everyone.

“Petty crime, littering and vandalism has stopped. That’s been achieved by having the garden here and having the bulk of residents on board and being watchful of troublemakers.

“The outcomes have just been amazing.”

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Travel: Best of Budapest Climbing Liberty Bridge

St Matthias

View from Gellért Hill after dark

By BEN CRANNEY

S

ometimes, you’ll build a place up so much that it doesn’t live up to your expectations.

And sometimes it will blow your expectations away. Hungary’s capital, Budapest was one of these places for me: from nights at bars built in ruined buildings that would terrify Sydney’s club inspectors, to climbing 50 metres above the Danube untethered on the bright green Liberty Bridge (beware the strong winds!), or queueing in St Stephen’s Cathedral to see Stephen’s leathery hand safely held in a bejewelled cabinet, and eating far too much of the best cuisine that I didn’t know about.

My favourite spot was the hilltop Castle District.

St Mathias church, with its autumn coloured tile

roof, is one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. Watch the sun set on it and the city while walking the nearby Fisherman’s Bastion to feel like you’re in a fairy tale. Then come back the next day to go under the hill. Here you’ll find the labyrinth caves in which Dracula’s namesake, Vlad the Impala, was held prisoner and the hidden hospital that was used to treat injuries during WW2 and then again during a failed ‘50s uprising against communism and Soviet sponsored rule.

Other signs of communism can still be seen around the city. Liberation monument at Gellért Hill celebrates the Soviet ‘liberation’ of Budapest from the Germans while the House of Terror, the former HQ of the communist secret police, details the darker aspects of communist history. Most telling was one fellow’s story over dinner about life under

communist rule. He received state sponsorship of a couple of chickens for being a decent ice hockey player, a big deal when people had next to no food.

His mum burst in to tears when he gave them to her, because it was such a luxury.

Other underground activities, particularly the dozens of naturally fed hot springs, are a different kind of sobering and the perfect cure from a night at the ruin bars. I tried the Gellért Baths. If St Mathias makes you think you’re in a fairy tale, these baths convince you. Buried in the depths of a big old hotel, it’s a challenge finding them, but when you do, you’ll feel like you’ve walked into something special. Locals lounge under the fountains to absorb the healing qualities of the water, and it definitely took my hangover away so I could continue to explore the best of Budapest.

The Unintentional Medium By Suzi Samuel A Role to Play Back in the far distant 1980’s, strange rumblings were to be heard deep within the Spirit World and like-minded people were coming together in very different ways. Not only did I start to become aware of other-worldly presences at this time, but I also met so many spiritual people lurking about in unexpected guises. Little Sue who ran the then popular exercise beds at the local beauty salon, my friend’s Malaysian accountant, the gardener’s friend who had multiple sclerosis, the little French masseuse whose steely fingers could loosen the worst muscle knots and numerous others not to mention the talented mediums who helped me to develop as a clairvoyant.

The one thing that united us all was a very disturbing belief that there was a huge battle looming between Good and Evil and that we all had to be ready to gird up our loins and play our part in the coming confrontation. What form would this take? What would we be expected to do? Would we literally have to confront demons, crosses held aloft in front of us and our necks wreathed with heads of garlic? We were prepared to face anything.

However, time went by and as the years passed we settled into a form of complacence like our own little Phoney War, but instead of the few months in 1939 presaging the real experience of hostilities, we bided our time for twenty years until that fateful day on 11th September 2001 when the forces of evil were

unleashed big time on an unsuspecting New York changing the face of the world forever.

Since that time, we have been faced with terror attacks, not just by IS who want to subjugate the whole word under one Caliphate, but by lunatics who shoot people at open air concerts or, the worst thing imaginable, students starting out on their lives.

What is more horrendous than leaving your child in a place where you think they are safe and then losing them to some madman whose dream is to shoot up a school?

What is even more pernicious to my mind is the breakdown about society as we know it. What is happening to our world where those of us who

believe in living honest, god-fearing lives are penalised for it. Personally, my own idea is that I don’t care what people do, to paraphrase a grande dame of Edwardian London, as long as they don’t do it in the streets and frighten the horses, but surely there must come a time to make our voices heard.

They say that God moves in mysterious ways, but believe me, Old Nick is more mysterious and a lot more sneaky to boot. Is this now the battle we all foresaw thirty years ago? And can we fight and conquer the afflictions facing our world at this time?

And how can little old me and little old you make a difference?

The lovely Monaghan girls in Canada put a wonderful post on Facebook this weekend. It was a poem by a Chinese philosopher and basically said that before we try to right the world, we should rid ourselves of negative feelings and replace them with Love. Only then will our small voices be heard and if all those small voices come together, our prayers can move mountains.

The wonderful John F Kennedy famously said about America, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” I am asking now that we look at ourselves and our world with love and join together to pray for a peaceful and better world. We will not let the dark forces win.

The Unintentional Medium is available online or from any good book store.

Ladies

Local Leading

Celebrating the region’s female success stories on International Women’s Day

PRUE CAR MP

Shadow Minister

Prue Car was elected as the Member for Londonderry in March 2015. Prue grew up in Penrith and prior to her election to Parliament she served eight years on Penrith City Council. During her time on Council, Prue was a passionate advocate for a number of local issues including leading Penrith Council’s opposition to the transfer of radioactive waste from Hunters Hill.

Prue was appointed to the NSW Shadow Cabinet in March 2016, where she currently serves as Shadow Minister for Skills and Shadow Assistant Minister for Education. In this role, Prue has been leading the NSW Opposition’s campaign to save TAFE and fighting cuts to schools right across the state.

Michelle Rowland MP

Shadow Minister for Communications Member for Greenway

Michelle was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 as the Member for Greenway.

Prior to entering Parliament she was a senior telecommunications lawyer.

Michelle was re-elected in 2013, and at the 2016 election, following which she was appointed Shadow Minister for Communications.

Michelle has served as a Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Blacktown City Council, Chair of Screen NSW, and a Director of the Western Sydney Area Health Service.

Michelle is married to Michael and they have two young daughters, Octavia and Aurelia.

Michelle is passionate about affording everyone, regardless of their background, equality of opportunity.

Kimberley Talbot

Richmond Club

With over 35 years’ experience in the industry, Kimberley Talbot is a pioneer in club management and is the first female CEO of a large registered club in NSW. Beginning her career at 17 in Broken Hill, she has worked across six registered clubs, moving to the Hawkesbury in 1999.

Ms Talbot has over 30 years’ experience in community and voluntary work, particularly in the areas of disability and aged care. To meet the needs of the ex-servicemen as they changed over the years, the club made a move in 2005 to acquire Richmond Community Nursing Home in an attempt for it to remain a community asset and release it from ongoing debt. In cooperation with the Richmond Club Board of Directors, she established Hawkesbury Living – which since then, has turned its financial

Marlene Shipley

situation around to make a profit, while also offering a new and innovative way of improving the experience of aged care.

In 2009, she was also a key figure in the establishment of the Hawkesbury Living Cancer Trust, which successfully brought oncology and chemotherapy services to the local area in 2017.

She was the recipient of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow for outstanding service to the community, as well as the University of Western Sydney’s Women of the West Award. Her role at Richmond Club was also recognised through her success in the Outstanding Contribution to the Club Movement Award.

Ph 4578 1144 | www.richmondclub.com.au

The Bandy

Marlene Shipley is the CEO of the very popular St Marys District Band Club.

She was appointed CEO in 2007 after working as Senior Manager in Finance and Administration, and has been with the Bandy for 25 years.

Even though the Bandy always keeps her busy, Mrs Shipley always finds time for others. Volunteering on numerous boards lets her spread her wings and gain more experience in other fields of business and community.

In 2016 Mrs Shipley even became a civil marriage celebrant, simply because she loves people and loves to share in their stories.

“Driven by the community, I will continue to contribute and give back where I can,” Mrs Shipley said.

“For 25 years I have been working in St Marys, I enjoy the people, the stories and the history. Often I will sit with our club members and listen to the many stories that they have from their many years of living in St Marys.

“There are a lot of good people in our local community and spending time with them the way I do I find extremely satisfying, especially being able to marry them,” she said.

Currently she’s a member of of the Ripples Leisure Centre board and the St Marys Centre Management Corporation, as well as an executive for the St Marys Penrith Liquor Accord.

Mrs Shipley is a mum of three adult children and grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren.

Western News 2 March 2018 Issue 54

12

WESTERN HISTORY

CONVICT Extraordinaire The Story of Arthur Bristol (1808 – 1884)

By Paul Wheeldon

look or word were deemed unpardonable crimes. They were fed more like hogs than men. Neither knives, nor forks were allowed at the tables. They tore their ristol and the other 34 food with fingers and teeth, and drank prisoners in the Parramatta from water buckets”. Further, “not a Gaol No. 1 ironed gang were single place of worship had been erected. under the superintendence of the Asst.

There were no schools, no books”.

Surveyor of Roads and Bridges. The And, “in every way their feelings were gang laboured, from sunrise to sunset, habitually outraged and their self respect on road work and the quarrying and destroyed”. cutting of stone for the Duck Creek Bristol, remained in this environment for bridge on Parramatta Road. In the early a little over four years. The Commandant summer of 1834-35 half the ironed gang  Norfolk Island for most of this time was Major Joseph was reassigned to harvest duties around Anderson. It was a time when major Penrith and Campbelltown. Although building works were being undertaken, including new Military only half way through his year sentence, Bristol was assigned to Barracks, Officers’ Quarters, a 36 bed hospital, a new gaol and a crank Captain Phillip Parker King (retired maritime explorer and son of mill (treadmill). The number of convicts varied between 1200 and former Governor Phillip Gidley King). But in July he absconded from 1500, of which more than a third were engaged in building, about service on King’s dairy farm, ‘Dunheved’, at St. Marys. Within a few another third in agriculture, and the remainder in various services. The days however he was picked up in York Street, Sydney presenting a events leading to Bristol’s earlier than expected return from Norfolk false name and an altered Certificate of Freedom.

Island began in January 1839, when a boat capsized while transferring While awaiting trial he escaped from the watch-house at the Sydney officers from shore to the ‘Pelorus’. The officers were saved from Police Office, but was quickly recaptured at Parramatta. His ensuing drowning by the six members of the boat crew, one of whom was trial for the forgery and uttering of a Certificate of Freedom resulted Bristol. For their heroism they received remissions of their sentences, in a sentence of 14 years transportation to a penal settlement in irons.

Bristol’s being reduced from 14 to 10 years. Then in August 1839 the The appointed penal settlement this time was the notorious Norfolk boat crew were involved in preventing the ‘Indemnity’ from running Island. He arrived there in December 1835 aboard the ‘Governor aground. Proposals of indulgences led to Bristol’s total sentence to Phillip’ with 57 other prisoners, just less than four years after his serve being commuted to eight years. So it was that, in March 1840, discharge from Moreton Bay and with a much bleaker future than Bristol now aged 32, left Norfolk Island on the ‘Nautilus’, the same when he arrived in New South Wales nine years earlier. ship that three days earlier had brought Captain Maconochie to the Norfolk Island had been revived in 1824 as, in Governor Darling’s island. own words, “a place of extreme punishment, short of death”; a place Now back in Sydney, Bristol was transferred to the Woolloomooloo of banishment for the worst type of convicts – multiple offenders to Stockade, in an ironed gang quarrying and dressing stone for the whom the more traditional forms and places of punishment seemed completion of the Darlinghurst Gaol. He then made another daring an ineffective deterrent. As a repeated offender, Bristol fitted this dash for freedom. Prisoners were routinely turned out of their boxes description, though it should be noted that none of his crimes appear to (wheeled, mobile, container-like crates, 14 feet by 10 feet, sleeping have been particularly violent or physically harmful to other persons. twenty gangers on two levels) three quarters of an hour before the 7 Captain Alexander Maconochie, that humane reformer, made the am muster. During this interval, Bristol and six others, all in irons, following observations on the plight of the convicts upon his arrival prised the padlock off the rear gate of the new gaol wall and hid under to take command of the Norfolk Island settlement in March 1840: blankets placed on a clothesline before making good their escape. It “the most horrid vices with acts of brutal violence, or of dexterity in was 21 months before “notorious runaway” Bristol was recaptured in theft and robbery met with little direct censure, while the possession Pitt Street, Sydney in March 1842. of a pipe, a newspaper, a little tea, some clothing not furnished by Continues next issue.... the Government, or the omission of some mark of respect, or a saucy

Continued from last issue....

B

Handy Hints Better dressing - A salad dressing made in a blender or food processor will not separate as quickly as one which is simply shaken in a glass jar.

Capsicum skins - To peel grilled or roasted capsicums, cover them with a damp tea towel. They will cool quickly and the skins will come off easily.

Flowers - Cutting an inch off the bottom of the stems and adding a little bleach in the water will keep your flowers longer because the water is cleaner.

Change water every day.

Pantry moths - Repel by keeping an open packet of Epsom salts on the shelf.

Non Sick - Stop food sticking to pots & pans by bringing vinegar to the boil in it before first use.

Air Con - Clean all filters in your air-conditioning unit annually for effective household environmental control as it can reduce or eliminate airborne particles.

Dusting artificial flowers - put into a large paper bag containing salt and give them a good shake.

Kill grass and weeds in paving cracks and driveway by spraying with a mixture of water and vinegar or salt water. Be sure to keep away from plants you want to keep alive though!

Mosquito bites - Apply toothpaste to relieve itching.

Burnt your tongue - Sprinkle a few grains of sugar on the sore spot to alleviate the tenderness.

Pill stuck in your throat - Eat a banana to dislodge it, the soft bulk of the fruit will move it along.

Chewing gum in children’s hair - dab with a cloth soaked with eucalyptus oil, gum should come out without tears.

Removing bandaids from a child’s skin without tears is easy if you soak a piece of cotton wool in baby oil and rub over the tape.

Eyebrows - Alleviate discomfort when plucking your eyebrows by smoothing baby teething gel over the area to numb the pain

Avoid razor burn - after shaving your legs by moisturising beforehand. While shaving cream is the most popular method, try prepping your leg with hair conditioner for a few minutes before shaving. It will hold moisture on the leg longer and provide a very smooth shave.

Beautiful lips - When you brush your teeth before going to bed, brush your lips as well and then apply lip balm. The brushing removes dead and dry skin, and the moisture keeps them feeling and looking soft.

Make-do hair spray - Getting ready for a big night out and realise you’re out of hair spray? Try dissolving a tablespoon of sugar in a glass of hot water, wait till it cools and then put into a spray bottle. It’s effective and environmentally friendly too Nail polish will last longer if you keep it in the fridge.

Nicotine stains on fingers can be removed by rubbing with nail polish remover.

Black clothing - Help prevent black colours from fading by adding a few drops of vinegar to the wash!

ENTERTAINMENT

SUDOKU: EASY

Western News

WORD SEARCH

Western News 2 March 2018 Issue 54

14

Indoor Games BATTLESHIP

GO FISH

OLD MAID

CAT’S CRADLE

HOTTER, COLDER

SOLITAIRE

CHARADES

I SPY

THUMB WRESTLING

CHECKERS

JACKS

TIC, TAC, TOE

CHESS

MONOPOLY

TIDDLYWINKS

CRAZY EIGHTS

MUSICAL CHAIRS

TWENTY QUESTIONS

SOLUTION: 16 February

INSTRUCTIONS Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 with no duplicates

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Soonest (8) 5 Bordering (6) 9 Amassed (8) 10 Attack (6) 12 Type of chisel (5) 13 Imagine (9) 14 A moon of Mars (6) 16 Speech (7) 19 Deactivate (7) 21 Says “Hello” (6) 23 Overburdens (9) 25 Made a mistake (5) 26 Graduates (6) 27 Ludicrous (8) 28 Pass by (time) (6) 29 Commingle (8)

solution 16/2/18

down 1 Betroth (6) 2 Enhances photographs (9) 3 A valley in France (5) 4 Veers (7) 6 Fundamentally different (9) 7 Pertaining to modern day Persia (5) 8 Three-masted sailing ships (8) 11 City in Norway (4) 15 Mutterings (9) 17 Communicates (9) 18 Lawyer (8) 20 An unfledged hawk (4) 21 Nazi secret police (7) 22 Breed of penguin (6) 24 Mediterranean herbs (5) 25 Surpass (5)

Western News

When was your last home loan health check?

Circumstances can change, leaving your home loan less suitable than it was originally. A home loan health check can reveal if you’re paying too much.

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Your finance broker can do a full home loan health check for you either in person or over the phone. They will check if your loan is still competitive and still suited to your individual needs.

Having an expert do this for you can also take the stress out of the process for you. It is advisable to get this check done at least once a year, or if your circumstances change.

Questions to ask Be aware of what you want checked. Think about the following when you speak to your broker: • Am I paying an unreasonably high interest rate?

• Am I paying high fees?

• Am I happy with the service I receive?

• Does my loan give me the features I need?

• Am I paying for features I don’t use?

• Have my financial circumstances changed?

Benefits A home-loan health check will generally cost you nothing and could save you thousands. Your home loan features could be improved or you could find yourself with a lower interest rate. A better payment structure could also be introduced, making your repayments more manageable.

Checking the state of your current loan could uncover the possibility of taking out additional finance, which can consolidate any other debt you may have or help you purchase an investment property.

Talk to Wealthwiz who can organise your home loan health check to help you understand what your home loan options, borrowing capacity as well as guiding you through the process.

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Giants draw with Adelaide in rainy contest

SPORT

By CONNER LOWE

A

d e l aid e has produced a final-quarter fightback to keep its NAB AFLW defence barely alive with a draw against the Giants.

Both teams battled hard in teeming rain at Blacktown, where the Crows trailed for most of the game which finished 2.7 (19) apiece.

The Crows are last of the eight teams on percentage behind the Giants, with both clubs six points outside the top two with three rounds to go.

Conditions made it hard to produce flowing passages of play and handle the ball, and especially difficult to take marks.

Much of the march was conducted at ground level, where both teams scrabbled furiously for possession in front of 2,409 spectators.

Trailing by nine points at the last change, Adelaide scored the first ten points of the final quarter, before the Giants notched a behind to square the contest.

Each team kicked one goal in the first quarter, with Rebecca Beeson hitting the target for the Giants and returning vice-captain Courtney Cramey replying for Adelaide as the teams went to the break locked at 1.1 (7).

Lively Giants forward Cora Staunton kicked the only goal of the second quarter from a free kick, with the Giants leading by eight points at the long break.

Scoring became even tougher in a goalless third quarter in which the Giants added two behinds to the

Crows’ one.

Adelaide’s Ruth Wallace slashed the gap to two points early in the last quarter with a goal from an opportunistic snap followed by a behind, as the Crows dominated the early minutes of the term.

Ebony Marinoff starred for

Adelaide with a remarkable 19 tackles, the most ever in an AFLW game.

Alicia Eva was superb for the Giants, notching 22 possessions which was nine more than any other Giant and laying six tackles.

15 Western News 2 March 2018 Issue 54

Alex Soncini

REAL ESTATE

Western News Friday, 2 March 2018

SPORT

Wanderers active support hit with ban

By CONNER LOWE

T

he Western S y d n e y Wanderers have had to shut down their active support for their upcoming game against Perth Glory. This is due to the actions of a minority of supporters during the clubs 3-1 loss to arch rivals Sydney FC on Sunday.

John Tsatsimas, CEO of the Wanderers spoke about the decision to shut down the active support against Perth Glory and what will happen if breaches are made again in the future.

“Pursuant to the activities in the active support area at Allianz Stadium last Sunday and in accordance with the letter to Members issued on 12 July 2017, the Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club has resolved to close down the Active Support Area for the upcoming home match this weekend against Perth Glory on Sunday 4 March 2018,” he said.

“The Western Sydney Wanderers maintains its position that it will not accept offensive behaviour being displayed at its matches and also will not accept the illegal use of incendiary devices.

“The Western Sydney Wanderers maintain that the majority of those Members in the Active Area have been outstanding and supportive of the Club and the team. Unfortunately, a small group have made this action unavoidable. Investigation into those directly responsible for the lighting of flares is continuing.

“Members who normally attend in the Active

Area will be subject to alternative seating arrangements that will not be active on the day.

Communication to those affected Members will be conveyed later this week.

“The Active Area will be reopened for the following match against Wellington Phoenix on 10 March 2018, however should there be any further breaches of the terms of admission then the Club reserves the right to close down the Active Area for a further indefinite period.

The Western Sydney Wanderers Football Club is committed to its continued engagement with Active Members to ensure a future for Active Support at this Club,” he continued.

This will dramatically affect the club as the team relies on its active support to bring in a crowd and cheer them on throughout the match. However, with the club wanting to avoid any fines of points removed from the FFA the suspension will be a warning to the active support.