New
Central West
LIFE ST Y LE welcome
to the west
meet the businesses and characters of our region
Winter 2013
discover Rylstone a small town with a big personality
JEWELS IN THE CROWN ABERCROMBIE HOUSE AND BISHOP’S COURT ESTATE
$8.80 inc GST
MAYFIELD & BLAIR ATHOL AT THEIR BEST ACHIEVERS IN AGRICULTURE | CHIFLEY HOME: THE MCKENZIE STORY THE unique LIFE OF THE ULAN COWBOY | CUISINE TO WARM THE SOUL country operas | FOUR GENERATIONS ON THE LAND AT NEVERTIRe
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Winter 2013 Volume 1
glorious gardens
capturing the best in the west
CENTRAL WEST LIFESTYLE PTY LTD trading as Central West Magazine ABN 151 6322 9418 ADDRESS PO BOX 1050 DUBBO NSW 2830 PHONE 0429 441 086 FAX 02 6867 9895 WEBSITE www.centralwestmagazine.com.au FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/CentralWestLifestyle PUBLISHERS, ACCOUNTS & ADVERTISING Elizabeth & Alex Tickle info@centralwestmagazine.com.au
DISTRIBUTION Central West Lifestyle magazine is published quarterly (available on the first day of each season) and distributed to selected newsagents and retail outlets within the Central West and in the bordering regions of the Far West, North West, Southern Highlands, Canberra, Goulburn, Northern and Eastern suburbs of Sydney, in addition to a selection of other rural and coastal areas of New South Wales. In addition, unsold magazines are distributed to cafes, health waiting rooms, quality hotels/motels, bed and breakfast establishments, hair and beauty salons and tourist outlets.
EDITOR Elizabeth Tickle editor@centralwestmagazine.com.au FEATURES EDITOR & CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Jake Lindsay jake@centralwestmagazine.com.au ART DIRECTOR & DESIGN Kate Boshammer design@centralwestmagazine.com.au Š Central West Lifestyle Pty Ltd 2013 All Rights Reserved No part of this magazine may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the publisher. While every care is taken in the publication of Central West Lifestyle magazine, the publishers will not be held responsible for omissions, errors or their subsequent effects.
Environmentally responsible, Titan Plus Gloss, produced in an ISO 14001 accredited facility ensures all processes involved in production are of the highest environmental standards. FSC Mixed Sources Chain of Custody (CoC) certification ensures fibre is sourced from certified & well managed forests.
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13 CONTENTS winter 2013 4
From the Publishers
6
From the boundary gate
7
Meet your CWL team
53 Bathurst mayoral welcome
9
Orange mayoral welcome
54 Snapshots of Bathurst
10 Snapshots of Orange
56 Love and devotion
12 Dressed for success
A Warren farming mother’s mustard hits the spot
Bathurst’s historic Abercrombie House Kinross Wolaroi leading the way
24 In a class of their own
Off the beaten track at Marra Creek Public School
A local experience at Orange’s Racine Restaurant
Recipes to relish this winter
77
74 It’s a woman’s world
Zonta advancing women in Orange
76 Music of the night
28 Fresh is best
Bathurst’s boutique B&B Bishop’s Court
69 Pleasures of the season
21 School of thought
62 Bless this house
13 House proud
Chifley Home: The McKenzie Story
Brucedale’s twilight concert
77 Town feature: Rylstone/Kandos
30 A roaring success
The drive behind The Lions Pride
33 A Settler’s Cottage
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Accommodation to take you back in time
34 Cold comfort
Winter gardening guide
34
38 Land of plenty
The prestigious Mayfield Garden
46 Merle power
The culinary achievements of a country woman
48 Home and style
Identify your style and create the perfect vignette
On the COVER Mayfield Garden, Oberon, is one of the world’s largest privately owned cool-climate gardens (page 38). Photography: Angus Waddell
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From the Publishers Welcome to our first edition of Central West Lifestyle! It has been an amazing journey for us, since our humble beginnings when this magazine was just a dream. I can honestly say that for both of us, this has been an awesome experience. It has been such a huge privilege to be able to meet the wonderful people who call the Central West home. Central West Lifestyle is a family business. We have spent many years of our working lives involved in beef cattle production on a property near Dungog in the Hunter Valley. Our four children all have their own individual cattle studs and represent the sixth generation on the family property. As this magazine is being released we are in the process of relocating to Dubbo, a centre which has held a special place in our hearts for some time. Although we still have agricultural interests in Dungog, much of our time will now be spent in the Central West. It was a love of meeting and getting to know people that drew us into the magazine industry. We consider it such an honour to be able to tell the stories of the people, places, businesses and events in this unique region. Our aim is to highlight what the people in the Central West are doing, particularly those in environments that can be challenging at the best of times. The Australian bush is full of great characters and we hope you enjoy reading about them in every issue of our magazine. You will notice a country feel about our magazine and we hope you will be mesmerised by the magnificent rural scenery and the images that portray our traditional bush events such as livestock sales, shows and rodeos. We have met some great people along the way. Our very first advertiser and an outstanding Bathurst community member, Maureen Lewis from Annie’s Ice Cream Parlour, is just one of the many truly memorable business people with whom our paths have crossed. To every one of our 124 advertisers, who showed great faith in us and came aboard, we take our hats off to you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope that you can find a cosy spot to curl up and read our magazine. If you like it, tell your friends about it, but most of all, enjoy and celebrate! The Central West is a truly remarkable region! Until next time. Warm regards,
Elizabeth and Alex Tickle
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Above: CWL Publishers Alex and Elizabeth Tickle; enjoying the best of Rylstone’s hospitality during a visit to this edition’s feature town. Pictured are Virginia Hollister, Elizabeth and Alex, Richard and Janet Beaurepaire and Andrew Thomas.
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winter 2013 89 Forever young
122 Where the grass is greener
The tall tales of Jimmy Westwood
Blair Athol’s gracious garden
94 Rockley rodeo
127 To market, to market
A wild ride
Century 21 Golden West’s bold new premises
97 Mudgee mayoral welcome
128 Artist Bill O’Shea
98 Snapshots of Mudgee
100 On a high note
132 A fortunate life
Opera in Mudgee
The iconic Brewery of Mudgee
Creative bush art Orange orchardist working with nature
Justin has the goods to sell
Experiences to enjoy in the Central West Millamolong polo, St Pat’s at Jack Duggans
149 Country pub
112 Sale-o, sale-o
146 Events in the west
110 Young achiever
Irresistible Sorrento
142 Essential Adventures
108 The Max factor
Nostalgic winter recipes
140 Travel
106 Roadside attractions
Four generations on the land at Nevertire
138 Country cuisine
103 Beer and skittles
The lure of the land
All action at Dubbo sheep sale
Gulgong’s Prince of Wales hotel
115 Dubbo mayoral welcome
150 Central West weddings
116 Snapshots of Dubbo
156 Upcoming events in the west
119 Contemporary home
158 Reaping rewards
A vision splendid
122
RuralBiz training awards at Dubbo
159 Our advertisers 160 The last laugh
112
The 84-year-old who soars like an eagle
146
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FROM THE BOUNDARY GATE A big, warm country welcome to all our new readers of Central West Lifestyle, the magazine that will keep you in touch with some of the great characters, unique businesses, homes and gardens and a whole lot more throughout the Central West. When I got the call for this job last year I was tickled pink, as writing and photographing country people is what I have been doing for the past 23 years from my Tamworth-based studio. Having spent my formative years growing up in Coonabarabran, the chance to be let loose in the central west once again was too tempting to refuse! Now that we have finally got our first “baby” off the ground, it’s all systems go! One of CWL’s primary goals is to feature a lot of photography from throughout the region, highlighting the different seasons and documenting people’s everyday lives. Armed with my well-worn trusty Nikons and an old black jeep, I have enjoyed getting lost along bush roads, meeting more people than I can remember and discovering many hidden gems along the way. One of my favourite shoots in this edition involved a few hours at Dubbo’s weekly sheep sale, chock-a-block full of country characters, some not used to a man in a black hat pointing a camera, with a long lens attached to it, in their general direction! It is in such places that I sometimes stumble upon characters like the country gent featured on this page. I’ve always reckoned blokes like this are the real deal, fair-dinkum Aussies who go about their jobs with minimum fuss. I may never find out his name but he, and others like him, such as The Ulan Cowboy, Jimmy Westwood, who appears in subsequent pages, will forever be engraved in my photographic memory bank. Apart from shooting old timers with a lifetime in the bush etched into their faces, I also enjoy shooting crops that are grown with precision and skill and homes that have been built lovingly from the first brick. Taking photos is one thing, but learning from the individuals about what makes them tick is another. In the coming issues we are going to take you on a colourful journey that will highlight the best in your region and in that regard, would appreciate any leads for stories of people you know who deserve a special write-up. Just like the bumper sticker I saw on a ute the other day that read, “One Life, One Chance”, our aim at CWL is to inform and entertain you while we all try to find balance and happiness in our action-packed lives.
Shot by Jake
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ORANGE MAYORAL WELCOME Dear Central West Lifestyle magazine readers, Firstly, I would like to confess to a little bias of mine. I love Orange and the region around it. Congratulations to the team behind Central West Lifestyle and more power to you; anything that showcases this great region is great news. To the readers of Central West Lifestyle I give you this assurance. If you get to know Orange and district through this magazine, and I am sure you will, it won’t take long for you to share my bias. If you are a local you already know some of the secrets. If you are a visitor from near or far you can be assured you are welcome and we are happy to share. I have lived and worked in Orange for most of my life. I went to school here and have children now bringing up their families here. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. For good reason, every day new residents are calling Orange home. Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in April last year found that the population of Orange was growing faster than almost any other country centre in the state and was ahead of many parts of Sydney. Nine of the 10 fastest growing local government areas outside Sydney were in inland NSW, and Orange was third on that list. The most recent Census data shows that Orange’s population grew by 7.7 per cent up from 35,339 in 2006 to 38,057 in 2011. And the largest age group in Orange is the 0-4 year-olds and anyone who has been to an event in Orange can attest to the happy stampede of young families, of toddlers and strollers. I understand the allure. In Orange, I see the best PCYC in NSW with indoor courts, cutting-edge gymnastic equipment and more than 3000 members. I see a Regional Conservatorium with more than 900 talented young students finding their feet and hitting the right notes in the world of music. I see an indoor aquatic centre that delivers year-round activities and I see more than 500 hectares of open recreation space and parks. If there is a better example in Australia of a Victorian era park than Orange’s Cook Park then it would certainly be worth seeing. In Orange, I see a growing education sector and a university with vision to expand. I see at a cost of $290 million plus the newest and best hospital in the state offering services to close to half of NSW. I see a city at the heart of regional economy with a gross regional product of around $2 billion. I see wide tree-lined streets and a buoyant retail sector. And I see Orange as a food and wine destination rivalling and surpassing longer established areas across the country. I see a diversity of industry and employment opportunities from mining to health and from winemaking to boiler making. I see four distinct seasons of which my highlights are the colours of autumn and the vibrancy of spring. I see a thriving city at the heart of a vibrant region. But most of all I see opportunity, which should be the benchmark for all communities.
Cr John Davis OAM - Mayor of Orange
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orange
country business
DRESSED FOR
Success
IT WAS A REMARKABLE RECIPE, and Warren farming mother Rosie Turnbull couldn’t believe her luck. There she was in a kitchen in the middle of Canada, helping make this “fairly special” family dressing and probably thinking how great life was. Little did she know that within a few years the honey mustard dressing recipe would consume her life and spread her name across the land. Today Rosie produces 600 bottles of the dressing a day, in three different sizes, from her Warren distribution outlet, about an hour’s drive north-west of Dubbo. Most of her product is destined for discerning food lovers in restaurants and homes all over the country. Business is growing by the day. Rosie has often been asked how it all began and she doesn’t mind repeating the story. Her husband, Simon, a third-generation grazier from Mayfield, Warren, won a coveted Nuffield Farming Scholarship in 2005. This led to studying farming practices in Europe, Japan and the US. During Simon’s stint in Canada, Rosie was able to briefly join him. One day she found herself in a Canadian kitchen, simply helping another mum make a much-loved dressing that the locals were raving about. Preparing food was nothing new for this mother of four daughters Katelyn, Emily, Annabelle and Holly – now aged from 10 to 17 – but something was different. Rosie clearly remembers the time she first tasted the dressing that would have such a great impact on her life. “It was definitely like something I’d never tasted before,” she said. “It was unique and versatile and not your typical salad dressing. I soon found out it was great for fish and chicken as well as steak and vegetables. It turns an ordinary meal into something really special. “I had no intentions of doing anything with it, but when I returned home and made some for friends and family it proved such a hit I decided to produce 60 bottles for the local Warren markets one Christmas. “I only had a few days to produce that first batch and was making the dressing in the kitchen throughout the night after a day’s work on the farm.”
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Glowing reports fuelled Rosie’s confidence in her humble project. People told her they liked the fact the dressing had an excellent 12-month shelf life, was hand-made and gluten-free. Before long the thriving small business had consumed practically every room in the house. The entire family helped produce, bottle and label the dressing in that first year but they were clearly running out of room. Rosie laboured in a demountable for another three years before taking the next logical step of renting commercial premises in Warren. Since moving in late 2011, Rosie and her hard-working team have been run off their feet meeting demand. Initially she distributed her product through strategic farmers markets and local retail but her reach is expanding thanks to food fairs like Narrabri’s Nosh on the Namoi, Moree on a Plate and Bush Christmas in Toowoomba. Participating in the Sydney and Melbourne Fine Food Trade Shows further exposed her to new distribution outlets in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, the north coast and soon into Queensland. The way this dressing is moving it could soon end up overseas. “It’s considered a high-end product but once people try it and I see their look of satisfaction, it makes all the work worthwhile,” the former school teacher said. “It’s a win-win for everyone. Simon’s glad to have his house back, I enjoy helping out financially and the girls have more time to devote to their true love of horses and helping Dad on the farm.” Words & image: Shot by Jake.
HOUSE PROUD
Nothing can prepare you for the first sight of historic Abercrombie House on the outskirts of Bathurst. Words & Images: Shot by Jake