Quairading’s monthly publication since 1991. Proudly produced and printed by the Quairading CRC.
HANDS UP IF YOU’RE A WINNER!
A few weeks back history was made when these East Avon Ladies won the Eastern Zone Championship! Their first ever win, the team boasted lots of Quairading bowlers and resulted in very suitable levels of excitement! Congratulations! Photo via Quairading Bowling Club on Facebook.
HEARTLANDS VET COMING TO TOWN Starting date confirmed!
Please contact the Quairading CRC to make updates: admin@quairadingcrc.com.au
CANTO CHOIR
Every Tuesday (except school holidays) 9:30am @ CRC
BETTY’S OP SHOP
Thursdays @ Old Drive In
COMMUNITY CAR & DRIVER
Available for transport to medical appointments
CREATIVE ARTS SOCIETY
On hold
Meetings Second Wednesday of each month.
LOVERS GROUP
Last Friday of the month 9:30am @ CRC
STITCHES
Tuesdays, 9:30am-3:30pm @ CRC
0096 PHOTO CLUB
SecondTuesdayofeachmonth,7:30pm@CRC. PLAYGROUP
Monday 9:00am - 10:30am @ Day Care Centre
2nd & 4th Mondays @ Community Building @ the Oval
AMBULANCE SUB CENTRE 1st & last Thursday - Training 7:30pm - 9:30pm
ACTIVE Thursday 9:30am @ Town Hall
Once a month on Mondays at 10am @ CRC
TIDY TOWNS COMMITTEE
Monthly meeting 4th Monday 9:30am @ Railway Station
2nd Saturday 10am
VOLUNTEER FIRE & RESCUE
First Tuesday of the month, 4:30pm at the Station Saskia Korzonek qfiresecretary@gmail.com
CENTRE
Short little February gets shorter every year, I’m sure! Here’s a bunch of my thoughts this month, in no particular order:
We’re very lucky to have a couple of monthly visiting professionals booked in at the Quairading CRC this year offering FREE services. They won’t necessarily be for everyone, but have a read and see if their service offering might be of benefit to you.
• Roger Hitchcock, Rural Aid (page 23)
• Share & Care, Financial Counselling (page 27)
We’ve also got Richard Dewar, HHG Legal Group (page 22) back for a pop up office every other month, starting in March.
We hear staffing has been challenging for the upcoming State Election being held on Saturday 8th March. If you’re interested in a day’s work, check out www.persolkelly.com.au to see roles they’re still recruiting. Without staff the risk is run of not having a Polling Place in Quairading at all, which would mean definitely no democracy sausage!
The Club’s running a fun week night Trivia Night on Thursday 13th March (page 21) and the Rainmakers Mock Wedding tickets are selling well for Saturday 29th March (page 29).
So exciting to see The Clinic Quairading bringing new life yet again to one of our favourite shop fronts on our main street, and a sure to be thriving local small business! As an incredibly biased community member, Belinda & Braden have done an incredible job and I hope the service brings value to lots of you (page 33). And if you don’t need Chiro, maybe you need a vet (down the main street, next to Tyre & Battery) check out page 11 for their official opening date!
And, we have a vacancy! Do you fancy being our new Finance & Governance Officer? More details on page 8 get in touch.
Happy long weekend to all who get the day off!
Jill Hayes Editor | Banksia Bulletin Coordinator | Quairading CRC
1 Parker Street
Quairading WA 6383
Phone: 08 9645 0096
Email: admin@quairadingcrc.com.au
Website: www.quairadingcrc.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/QuairadingCRC
Instagram: @quairadingcrc
Beth & Kevin Simpson are moving to Perth. St Faiths Anglican Church is holding a farewell service on Sunday 6th April @ 10.00am. All welcome. We will have a lunch, a small plate of food would be appreciated. All enquiries to Lyn on 0447 450 170.
All proceeds from Betty’s Op Shop go toward the running costs of the much needed Quairading Community Car which is used to provide transport to specialist medical appointments out of town. All donations to the op shop are gratefully received and in particular at the moment Towels, T-Towels and Queen Size sheets.
Betty’s Op Shop is open Thursdays 7.30-12.00 located at the Old Drive In, Louden Street.
On 28th October 2024, Telstra’s 3G network was switched off. The Shire of Quairading wants to hear from anyone in our community who may have experienced connectivity issues since then. Please provide as much detail as possible about the location where you experienced the issue. Survey responses are to be submitted by 14th March 2025. Survey link: https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/ PZ99MN6 QR code:
Pair of clear frame Timberland glasses in black case. Found near hospital. Ready to collect from CRC.
Our next meeting is on Friday 28th February at 9:30am. Yearly membership is $10. We will be discussing vegetables, getting ready for Autumn planting. Love to see you there. Contact Lyn on 0447 450 170 or Carmela on 0403 153 661
CWAAGM
AGM will be held on the 28th February at the Golden Grain Cafe. We will meet at 12pm for a light lunch followed by our meetings. Please come and join us for a very exciting year and help us celebrate turning 100. For more information please contact Elaine Johnson (0448 475 597) or Heather Wheeler (0449 569 285)
Blocked ears? Hearing loss? Tinnitus? Pristine Hearing will next be at the Quairading CRC on Tuesday 11th March. Call 6336 7170 to book your appointment.
Wednesday 12th March, 4pm at the Quairading CRC. I have a passion for piano and music and l'll be playing some worship and other songs. I'd love for you to be there. It's a free event. Please feel free to come down and listen with a desire to hear music. Ryder Bradey.
Thursday 13th March. Get a team together or compete solo! Registrations from 6pm. First question at 6:30pm.
No cost to play, just come for some friendly competition! Teams of up to 6 people.
Friday 14th March, 9:30am –11:30am, Roger Hitchcock will be at the Quairading CRC and available to chat, provide information and help farmers apply for assistance. Call Roger on 0460 310 661 to find out how Rural Aid can help you.
The sub centre will be holding a full day first aid course on Saturday 15th March 2025, 8:30am - 4:30pm. Further information or enrolment may be found at: https:// stjohnwa.com.au/first-aidtraining/first-aid-courses As St John is a Registered Training Organisation, this fully accredited course is ideal for those currently in the workplace wishing to upgrade their skills, those seeking employment or for anyone who wishes to learn how to save a life. Quairading Hospital Auxiliary Please be advised that the
Please be advised that the Hospital Auxiliary meeting is to be held at the hospital on Monday 17th March at 2pm. This is the first of two meeting that we hold annually, if you have an hour to spare please come along and be a part of this fabulous cause for our community.
Next visit: Friday 21st March 2025, 9am – 3pm. Senior Associate Lawyer Richard Dewar from HHG Legal will be visiting the Quairading CRC throughout the year. Richard has a great background in agribusiness and is keen to talk to people in each town about how HHG Legal Group can assist them with their legal needs. Contact HHG for an appointment via country@hhg.com.au or 1800 609 945.
Monday 24th March at the Old Railway Station Museum. All welcome.
Thursday 27th March. Our Financial Counsellors are coming to the Quairading CRC once a month through 2025 to meet with you face to face. Appointment times are 9am, 10am and 11 am Call 9622 2828 to book.
Saturday 29th March from 5pm, South Caroling Hall. Leaning into our rich local history of a love for the dramatics, throwing a good fundraiser party and calling anyone anything but their given name, Quairading Rainmakers Inc invite you to join us for a wedding celebration for the ages. Wear your most extravagant retro op-shop formal outfit as we celebrate a gender bending unholy matrimony of two of Quairading’s greats, veiled in poorly written inuendoes and wedding movie cliches. Every corny, cheesy, romantic and rogue wedding trope you can think of, we'll have - and you'll be a part of the action as a dearly beloved wedding guest (who's paying to be there). Tickets are strictly limited and available online only: $50 rainmakersmockwedding.eventbrite .com.au). Your ticket will include canapes plus dinner, all the entertainment you could ask for (including a live band!), free transport to and from the townsite of Quairading (and free camping onsite).
We’re hiring! Join our team in a one day per week role. This position will be based at Quairading CRC and will oversee all bookkeeping responsibilities of the organisation including payroll, HR documentation, insurance, quarterly BAS and annual audit preparation. There may be opportunity to expand the role to two or three days per week to also take on contract management, grant acquittals and other reporting. The ideal candidate will also be willing to learn Reception basics and be willing to cover relief for both Reception and Accounts Officer, when available. For more details or to apply, please email admin@quairadingcrc.com.au ATTN Jill Hayes, call 9645 0096 or pop in for a chat.
The WA Electoral Commission is hiring election staff to work at polling places across regional and metropolitan WA to deliver the upcoming WA State Election on 8 March. These general polling positions are perfect for anyone looking to gain new skills, earn extra income and contribute to your community. Pay rates are around $29 to $70 an hour depending on the role. No experience is needed as all training will be provided. Apply through the WA Electoral Commission’s recruitment partner Persol Kelly: https:// www.persolkelly.com.au/youvegot-a-date-with-your-state/
You can now book chiropractic appointments with Belinda at The Clinic Quairading! Visit our website: theclinicquairading.com or call 0427 936 486, email admin@theclinicquairading.com or visit in person during staffed hours (not currently set hours).
Will be closed on Labour Day, the 3rd of March 2025. Thanks for your support.
We service your area regularly. To find out when we are in your area next call our office on 9279 4126 or email us aussiehomes@westnet.com.au You can also visit our website www.aussiehomesgdwa.com.au
Dr. Yap will be unavailable for appointments on Monday, 17th March, and Tuesday, 18th March 2025. However, the practice will remain open, with our team, including the Nurse and Nurse Practitioner, available on these days. Existing appointments will be rescheduled. For any inquiries, please contact the Practice directly at 9645 1210.
1/2 hour and 1 hour sessions available for all ages! Learn to read music, play songs you love, and understand music theory. Connor Atkins - Cert IV in Music Industry connor.atkins02@gmail.com 0459 268 540
We can come to you to repair and re-gas the air-conditioning in your vehicles. Contact Siri Alice Alluru –Knox 0435 301 066 iknoxautoac@gmail.com
Come and join us this Sunday, 2nd March at our 9am service when we will have the joy of baptising an infant child from Dangin and a twelve-year-old child from South Tammin. It is one of the great moments in the life of any congregation and district to be part of a baptismal service.
STFAITH
Sunday, 2nd March 9am The Last Sunday in Epiphany Eucharist
CATHOLICCHURCH
1st March 6pm J. O’Hare
UNITINGCHURCH
Sunday 2nd March 10:30 am led by Mark Beadle
FORSALE
Saturday 1st March 9am
Quairading Tidy Towns pots with plants for immediate clearance at Courtyard beside Co-Op.
Reasonable offers excepted. Cash only. Any enquires Bec Wilson 0427 951 827
2005 Paramount delta LE caravan 18’6 semi off road. Queen bed, cooktop and oven, microwave, stereo, TV, shower/toilet combo, reverse cycle aircon. New curtains, 5 new tyres, roll out awning. Rego expired July 2025 $27,000 O.N.O. For more Photos contact Jeff –0477 225 689 or Cathie – 0448 279 213
FORSALE
1 x Canon Printer (near new) Pixma MG 3660 - $100.00. Ph Dorothy Hayes 0427 944 698.
House on Airbnb, 3 bedrooms, sleeps 6, air conditioned from $120 per night. STRA6383RVKQ7EVP
REDGUMCOTTAGE
On Airbnb, 3 bedrooms, sleeps 6 from $90 per night. STRA6383G6S95XM0
Got a new addition or an edit? Let us know!
1st Sonya Robinson, Ashley Wray, Sheree Yarran, Murray Taylor
2nd Ann Johnston, Sean Hayes, Susan Walker, Brock Macdonald
3rd Astrid Nundle, Michael Lubach
4th Pippa Peak, Jason Colbung (Jnr)
5th Kylie Hathaway
7th Jasmine Yarran, Thomas Haythornthwaite
9th Raelene Taylor, Nicole Haythornthwaite, Allan Estreich, Zarah Squiers, Dekayla Williams
11th Carla Hinkley, Nicole Hadlow, Archie Saunders
12th Darren Atkinson, Colin Hayes, Alison Caporn, Stephen Hall, Claudia Hadlow
13th Paul Bloom, Alison Kevill, Georgia Hinkley, Jiah Reidy
14th Jim Gimbel, Jason Walker
15th Greg Hayes, Erica Murray, Emily Stone, Stephen Bartlett, Dexter Wingo
16th Emma Johnson
17th Kelly Lawrence
19th Verity Hughes, Walter Fleitmann
20th Jennifer Bavin, Phyllis Brown, Melissa Sutherland
21st Robyn Kevill, Kia Trodler
22nd Benjamin Coakley
24th Allison Gardner
25th Robyn Hinkley, Matthew Stacey
26th Scott Walker, Audrey Woods
27th Joel Hayes, Simone McGinniss, Karla Gors, Kingsley Simpson, Kehlani Simpson
28th Lee Powell, Ryan Powell, Bailey McGinniss
29th Gary Johnson, Phillip Squiers, Russell Green
30th Jill Dawson, Bonnie Hall
31st Oliver Coakley, Dylan Pimlott, Charlie Berry
Dr Sing Jack Yap MBBS, FRACGP, DIP DERM DCH
PRACTICE HOURS
MONDAY - THURSDAY 8:30am 12:30pm 1:30pm 5:00pm
FRIDAY 8:30am 12:00pm
VISITING PROFESSIONALS
Female GP
Dr Irene Dolan 19th & 20th March 2025
OTHER SERVICES OFFERED
• Health Assessments
• Skin Checks
• Flu Clinics
• Immunisations/Vaccinations
• Diabetes Management
• Pathology
• Preventative Medicine
• Chronic Illness Care Plans
• Antenatal Care
• Health Checks/Medical Reports
• PATS Patient Assisted Travel Scheme Applications
• Iron infusions
• Skin cancer removal procedures
In the event of a medical emergency, call 000
19 Harris Street
PO Box 125 Quairading WA 6383
PHONE: 9645 1210
The practice will be CLOSED on Monday 3rd March due to the Labour Day Public Holiday.
Dr. Jack Yap will be away on Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th March. Medical consults will not be available in his absence. He will return to the practice on Wednesday 19th March.
HealthEngine Online Booking Platform
We are excited to announce in the coming weeks, patients will be able to book appointments online via HealthEngine. Some patients may have already received an SMS notification about this as we prepare to launch. We will also be unveiling our new website. All going well, both of these will be launched mid to late March. Watch this space!
A few friendly reminders:
• Please bring your Medicare card to appointments.
• If hearing impaired, please wear your hearing aid device when attending appointments.
• Please bring Drivers Licence renewal paperwork, and your Drivers Licence with you when attending an appointment for a Drivers Licence Medical.
• We are continuing to register patients for SMS reminders. If you would like to receive clinical and appointment reminders, please bring your mobile phone to your appointment so our Admin team can process the set up for you.
• A Pathology request form is required for all Pathology appts. We are unable to perform Pathology testing without a request form. Patients who arrive without a form will be rescheduled and advised to book an appt. with the Dr to obtain the required pathology request form.
• If you are unable to attend your scheduled appointment please contact the practice to cancel or reschedule.
Over the coming weeks, our practice will be encouraging patients to register with MyMedicare. MyMedicare is a free voluntary patient registration initiative aimed at strengthening the relationship between patient, GP, and primary care team. To register, please complete a registration form (available at the practice) or by using the link below https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/register-for-mymedicare
For medical emergencies, please call 000 or present to the nearest hospital.
@ Quairading CRC, Friday 14th March, 9:30am—11:30am
Provide First Aid - 1 day course
HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
The sub centre will be holding a full day first aid course on Saturday 15th March 2025, 8:30am - 4:30pm.
Further information or enrolment may be found at: https://stjohnwa.com.au/first-aid-training/first-aid-courses
As St John is a Registered Training Organisation, this fully accredited course is ideal for those currently in the workplace wishing to upgrade their skills, those seeking employment or for anyone who wishes to learn how to save a life. RTO: 0392
Leaning into our rich local history of a love for the dramatics, throwing a good fundraiser party and calling anyone anything but their given name, Quairading Rainmakers Inc invite you to join us for a wedding celebration for the ages.
Wear your most extravagant retro op-shop formal outfit as we celebrate a gender bending unholy matrimony of two of Quairading’s greats, veiled in poorly written inuendoes and wedding movie cliches. Every corny, cheesy, romantic and rogue wedding trope you can think of, we'll have - and you'll be a part of the action as a dearly beloved wedding guest (who's paying to be there).
Tickets are strictly limited and essential to purchase ahead of time. Your ticket will include canapes plus dinner, catered by Flavour Town Catering, all the entertainment you could ask for (including a live band!), free transport to and from the townsite of Quairading (and free camping onsite). Refunds are not guaranteed.
Cocktail hour and dinner will be catered by Flavour Town Catering. Dietary requirements will be taken at check out.
A bar will be available onsite, so strictly no BYO alcohol is allowed. We recommend bringing cash as phone signal for EFTPOS can be fickle in the bush.
We will be providing a free bus to and from Quairading. You can register for the bus at check out, or by emailing quairadingrainmakers@outlook.com
You're welcome to camp onsite (site map will be available closer to the event) otherwise we'd recommend the Quairading Caravan Park (https:// book.roommanager.com.au/quairading-caravan-park-and-cabins/ accommodation/138198) or check local Airbnb listings.
5pm arrival refreshments
5:15pm wedding ceremony
5:30pm cocktail / golden hour
6:30pm speeches
7:30pm band plays, dancefloor ignites
Email quairadingrainmakers@outlook.com or chat to any of our committee members! Tom Hadlow, Connor Anderson, Braden Hayes, Jill Hayes, Kaiden Johnston, Phoebe Caporn, Jake Stacey, Bevan Norwood, Jack Richards, Hollee Richards, Cody Eva, Oscar Stone, William Hadlow, Greta Milne, Tara Johnston, Ethan Brown, Dylan Johnston, Tom Lee, Maddy Lee and Ryan Powell.
The following is my objection submitted to the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (liquor licensing) in response to the Quairading Coop’s application for a liquor store, plus the response to my objection from page 6 of the Co-op’s follow up submission, and a response on page 7 which I find to be conflicting. I did not feel the response to my objection, which is for public reading, relayed the opinion that I expressed in the objection I lodged with the Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries. I would like for the community to read both sides of the discussion.
The 19th February each year is a national day of remembrance honouring those who served and lost their lives in the attacks on Darwin and across northern Australia during the Second World War. From December 1941, Japanese forces swept southward, invading Thailand, Malaya, parts of the Netherlands East Indies (present day Indonesia) and New Guinea.
On 15th February 1942, the Japanese captured Singapore and four days later, more than 240 bombers and fighters descended on the coastal town of Darwin in two devastating waves. The attack overwhelmed Darwin’s defences, with Japanese aircraft bombing and strafing their targets – the port, ships and the airfield. Eight of the 47 ships in the harbour – three naval and three merchant vessels – were sunk, including the American naval destroyer USS Peary, killing 88 sailors.
Tragically, the two raids claimed more than 250 lives, including members of the three Australian armed services and other Allied personnel. Many merchant mariners and other civilians were also killed, including the postmaster and his family and several postal workers when the trench in which they were sheltering outside Darwin’s post office suffered a direct hit.
A mere two weeks later, Japanese fighters struck Broome without warning, resulting in dozens being killed or wounded and the destruction of more than 20 Allied aircraft. These were the first of almost 100 raids throughout 1942 and 1943, from Wyndham, Port Hedland and Derby in Western Australia, to Darwin and Katherine in the Northern Territory, Townsville and Mossman in Queensland. By mid-February 1942, refugees and soldiers fleeing from the Japanese invasion were arriving in large numbers on the Australian coast. The remote pearling port of Broome, on the north-western coast of Western Australia, had an airfield and a suitable harbour for flying boats ( Roebuck Bay ). It formed a convenient landfall for aircraft coming from Batavia, Tjilatjap, or Surabaya in Java. In the last two weeks of February, 8,000 mostly Dutch refugees, including many women and children, passed through Broome on their way south. On one single day, 57 aircraft landed there.
The human toll at Broome was enormous. Most of the flying boats had been crammed with Dutch refugees, and burning fuel on the water, as well as the strong tidal currents in Roebuck Bay, made escape almost impossible. At least 40 people are known to have died, although the exact figure, thought to be higher, may never be known. Only about 30 bodies were ever recovered from the water. The bodies of the Dutch victims, initially buried at Broome, were moved in 1950 to the Perth War Cemetery at Karrakatta.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
ON the 6th February 1964, HMAS Voyager sailed from Sydney to Jervis Bay for a series of post refit trials and exercises with HMAS Melbourne. On the night of 10th February, 20 Nautical miles south east of Jervis Bay, the Royal Australian Navy aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne was conducting night flying exercises off the coast of Jervis Bay with the Voyager undertaking the role of guard escort. It was a moonless night and both ships had only navigational and operational lights in use. Voyager, lying to the starboard (right) side ahead of Melbourne, received a signal to take up a position behind the aircraft carrier as plane guard, (This position would allow Voyager to recover crew of any aircraft who may not make a safe night landing on the carrier), Voyager then turned sharply to port (left). Last ditch evasive action by both ships came too late to avoid a collision. At 8.56pm, Melbourne struck Voyager amidships with the destroyer Voyager being cut in two. In the 10 minutes following the collision the forward section sank and the after section some three hours later. Melbourne picked up the majority of the 232 survivors, while 70 were rescued by the search and rescue boats Air Nymph and Air Sprite launched from the shore establishment HMAS Cresswell. Despite the frantic efforts that followed, and acts of great bravery and heroism, 81 men from the Voyager crew lost their lives and one civilian dock worker. All the senior officers on the bridge of Voyager were killed by the impact. The accident stands as a reminder of the risks in naval operations. It also calls for the need of the highest standards of training and professionalism.
was a Welsh born sailor and an Australian Recipient of the George Cross, awarded for the heroism he displayed on the night of 10th February 1964 during the sinking of the Voyager. Chief Petty Officer Rogers served 8 years in the Royal Navy (1938 – 1946) and 14 years in the Royal Australian Navy (1950 – 1964). At the age of 18 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for the “coolness and leadership” he showed while serving as a coxswain of Motor Torpedo Boat 698 in action in May 1944. He was serving on the HMAS Voyager when it was struck and sliced in half by the HMAS Melbourne. Rogers, along with more than 50 other men, was trapped in the sinking forward part of the stricken destroyer. Making no attempt to save himself, he helped as many men as possible escape through a small escape hatch and, as the compartment sank ten minutes later, was heard leading his trapped comrades in a prayer and hymn as they met their fate, as his citation read, with ‘’with dignity and honour’.
One of the survivors later related the following: “I could hear the coxswain, CPO Rogers, in the forward cafe, organising the escape of all the young fellows on the ship. I could hear him telling them not to panic, and he led them in a prayer and a hymn. Later on I heard him say to Leading Seaman Rich, 'I can't get out. You get all the young fellows out of the hatch. The last thing that I can remember Coxswain Rogers saying was, 'Well, the water's beat us'. I did not see him again.”
Written by Carmela Kriszyk of Eaglewood Farm
We’re all probably thanking the good Lord that the searing hot weather we had at the end of January and beginning of February is over. Some of us are praying for rain of course, but we will have to wait, because according to the longrange forecasters, the first good rains aren’t expected for at least another month. The cooler weather though at least gives plants a break and allows for root growth to start again. And of course, it also gives gardeners a break too so that we can start imagining the cool days and nights of autumn when all things become possible.
The March meeting of the QGLG is on Friday, 28th at the CRC starting at 9:30 am. If you are new to Quairading please come along and meet the most welcoming group of ladies, and sometimes a gentleman or two. We would love to meet you too.
Plant of the Month – Garlic! March is generally garlic planting time. If you have never grown this wonder plant that over the centuries has been used to cure all manner of ailments and to flavour every savoury dish known to man, now is the time to start. Garlic can take up a lot of garden real estate and for a long time because although it is planted in March it is not harvested till mid to late November. If your garden space is limited you might wonder, is it worth it? Well, let me assure you the garlic you grow is far, far superior to the imported, dry, tasteless excuse for what passes as garlic in the supermarkets. Also if you are short of space garlic is a good companion plant for carrots and all the brassica family, so you can plant it in between these to help with pest protection for them.
Buy garlic bulbs from a seed supplier to grow in your patch because store bought garlic has usually been treated to prevent it from sprouting. Once you have your bulbs prepare the area where they are to be planted. If your soil is on the acidic side, add a top dressing of lime then dig over the soil. Garlic is not fussy whether the soil is sand, loam or clay, however, it does require good drainage. Make a shallow trench into which you will plant the individual cloves. Meanwhile soak the garlic cloves overnight, in a weak seaweed solution, before planting them in the trench pointy end up and about ten centimeters apart. Then backfill, but do not totally cover the cloves, you should still be able to see the tops above ground. We like to wait until the first rains before planting but if by the end of March, the rains have not arrived we plant anyway and water it in with a sprinkler. After the initial watering there should (hopefully) be no more need of additional watering apart from what falls from the heavens. When the cloves shoot and develop leaves fertilise with a complete organic fertiliser. The garlic plants are quite resilient and don’t require much pest control. As long as you practice crop rotation, don’t over crowd and water with a sprinkler there should not be any major pest problems.
In November the leaves will start to brown off and after a dry spell it is the best time to harvest. Do not remove the leaves or roots until at least two weeks of hardening off takes place. This is when you either hang the plants or lay them in a single layer somewhere dry, breezy and shaded. After this time, you will see the cloves go papery and it is time to store the bulbs. They can be platted, or with the roots and leaves removed, hung in mesh bags in a cool dry place. In this way the garlic will keep for months. To keep longer, I mince, place in jars with a slurry of oil and freeze; this way I have ready to use garlic all year long.
It’s time to – plan tree and rose plantings by doing research and preparing the beds where they are to go; Give hedges, summer flowering plants and grevilleas an all over trim; dethatch lawns and water well with seaweed solution; prepare the bed for sweet peas by removing any weeds and aerating the soil and spreading well-rotted animal manure; dead head cannas and bird of paradise; split clivia clumps; repot cyclamen into fresh potting mix and add slow release fertiliser; immediately after first rains weed beds where annuals and bulbs are going to be sown or planted; clean out beds that had summer vegetables; rejuvenate the soil ready for winter veggies; continue watering orchard trees that are ripening fruit or are storing energy for next year’s fruit.
Sow – in our climate we need to wait to sow most of the winter flowering or fruiting plants until towards the end of March or at least until good saturating rains come. The only seeds we’re sowing now are a small crop of carrots which will be kept moist under a double layer of shade cloth until they are sprouted.
Plant – there is still time to plant another crop of beans, zucchini and lettuce.
Harvest – at Eaglewood Farm we’re still enjoying stone fruit; there are Narrabeen plums, Satsuma plums, and Fantasia nectarines. Soon the O’Henry peaches, Yellow Queen peaches and Goldmine nectarines will start. In the veggie garden we have capsicums, snake beans, lettuces, cucumbers, zucchini, spring onions, egg plants, rhubarb, many herbs and the pumpkins this year are the best ever.
The last word – Gardening helps you slow down. When you slow down, you feel. When you feel, you heal. When you heal, you grow.
With recent cyclone, floods and fires I felt it appropriate to write about what may happen to us when we experience or a subject to a natural disaster or an incident that causes high stress. trauma and a reaction in ourselves.
The first and most important factor is that as unique individuals we will react and do what we need to do in our own way and that no way is wrong. Some may move through the event with little personal stress, some may find that they just can’t move and feel numb. Some may be affected immediately after the event, some may be triggered later in a few weeks, months or years. How we react can be shaped by our past experiences, the level of support we have, the connection to others and community we have established and the actual nature of the event itself.
Reactions can be similar to when we experience grief and loss. Grief and loss reactions are not only when someone close passes away. Our subsequent varying emotions that may include anger, guilt, dismay, blaming of self and others and disbelief. These reactionary emotions do not come in a set order or pattern. Greif and loss reactions also occur when we lose something such as property, stock, a relationship and or our physical health.
Common responses we may have can be, being forgetful, feel isolated, feel anxious and or depressed, Denial, Guilt (why them not me), feeling out of control, have nightmares and
Roger Hitchcock
flashbacks, become detached. Physical symptoms may include Nausea, dizziness, have trouble sleeping, lose appetite, headaches, being easily startled or triggered and more. Long term responses maybe emotional detachment, substance abuse to better cope, problems with work, school and relationship issues, PTSD, and fears of the event recurring. Similar weather, smells, media stories and places may trigger a stronger response than usual.
The good news is that you are not going crazy. Your mind and body is doing its best to ensure you are safe, protecting you from any perceived harm. It means well.
Do your best to get back what routine you can, this maybe eating at the usual time each day, going to bed at the same time as you usually do, attending those events with friends, clubs or groups that you are a part of. Control what you are able to. I can’t remember much but I can carry and make a note on a notebook or on my phone. Utilise grounding techniques such as slow breathing. If your body is saying you’re tired allow yourself to rest.
But most importantly seek support and give support. Though challenging, listening to others without judgement and talking through what you are feeling is vey powerful and can also help release some frustration and strong reactionary emotions. Call me or another counsellor, who doesn’t matter who, but make sure you ask for help.
Counsellor & Community Representative West Australia based in Narrogin Rural Aid Australia
M: 0460 310 661 |P: 07 3153 4656 |E: roger.hitchcock@ruralaid.org.au Head Office : 1300 327 624 / Mental Health and Counselling Line 1300 175 594
The time has come to re-evaluate the way we approach suicide awareness and prevention! This is the challenge issued in a recent paper delivered by the Australian Institute of Male Health Studies and Western Sydney University. Renowned advocates for Men’s Health, Dr. John Ashfield, Professor John MacDonald and Anthony Smith propose that a significant paradigm shift is needed to realise a more effective national suicide prevention strategy. They argue that a situational approach is required, one that acknowledges the more predominant association of situational distress with suicide, as opposed to the current focus on mental illness. This is precisely what we advocate here at RMHI.
None of us are immune to the feelings associated with being overwhelmed and challenged by specific events in our lives. These normal life situations such as bereavement or relationship breakdown can impact greatly on our mental and emotional wellbeing. It is at these times, that we draw on our innate capacity/resilience as human beings, and to see the best in others when we connect with them for support. The concern is that too often the distress we feel in certain situations gets aligned with symptoms that are often used to identify a mental illness such as depression. There is no doubt that depression can be a debilitating illness with associations for increased risk of suicide, but it has gone from being a condition of relative obscurity to an apparent major social dilemma. The authors take this a step further and argue that ‘the current mental health narrative has been allowed to encircle, medicalise and redefine as pathological many of our common human experiences’ (Ashfield, MacDonald and Smith).
The paper’s central argument is that when it comes to suicide prevention most initiatives are preoccupied with the identification of mental illness. Instead, we need to be considering all forms of life stressors and the associated experience of distress which doesn’t necessarily embody a diagnosable mental illness but can result in suicidal behaviour. They argue that many suicides are connected to situational distress often involving issues such as unemployment, financial problems and conflict, the signs of which may be missed if we adhere to a purely mental illness agenda. We need to be looking at situational distress and how it influences individual perspective.
As long as the suicide focus remains mostly on mental illness, people will continue to view this problem as that of a professional’s domain. Whilst tertiary services are very important their focus is on people with high intensity mental health difficulties and the associated risks. At RMHI we strongly support the shift to a more situational approach to suicide awareness because it promotes development of initiatives that advocate capacity-building in individuals and their communities, early intervention and a primary care focus, that is; ordinary people looking out for each other.
The Regional Men’s Health Initiative
P: (08) 6314 1436
E: menshealth@4blokes.com.au
St Faith’s Church, Quairading
Sunday, 2nd March
Tuesday, 4th March
Sunday, 9th March
Saturday, 15th March
Sunday, 23rd March
Sunday, 30th March
Sunday, 23rd March
9.00 a.m. The Last Sunday in Epiphany – Eucharist
5.30 p.m. Ash Wednesday with Pancakes
9.00 a.m.
First Sunday in Lent – Morning Prayer
5.30 p.m. Stations of the Cross
9.00 a.m.
Third Sunday in Lent – Morning Prayer
10.00 a.m. St Mary’s Church, Beverley
St Andrew’s Church, Greenhills
5.00 p.m.
Feast of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary With the Blessing of the Fleece
The Season of Lent, the season in preparation for Easter commences with Ash Wednesday. The day before, Shrove Tuesday, is better known as Pancake Tuesday. You are invited to bring to our service your favourite pancakes to share, before or after the services. What is your preference: pancakes with lemon and sugar, strawberries and cream, or nutella? In mediaeval times during Lent, pretzels made of flour water and salt, and configured as the arms of someone praying, were favoured.
Patronal Festival, Guildford Grammar School: The Feast of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Patronal Festival of the Chapel of Guildford Grammar School. A service at 5 p.m. on Sunday, 23rd March at St Andrew’s Church in Greenhills will celebrate the occasion.
Fifth Sunday Service in March: Avon Valley parishioners will gather at St Mary’s Church, Beverley at 10.00 a.m. on Sunday, 30th March to celebrate the Fourth Sunday in Lent, better known as Mothering Sunday. In mediaeval times on Mothering Sunday church goers would visit their “'mother” church in Lent - the main church or Cathedral of the area. As such it became an occasion for family reunions and honouring mothers. A special cake called a simnel cake is baked in celebration. A “bring and share” meal will be follow the service.
The Ashes of Rosemary Talbot will be placed reverently in the garden of the Church grounds alongside those of her husband at the Service on Saturday, 15th March. Anyone who knew Rosemary is welcome to attend.
A special service to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the erection of the present St Faith’s Church in 1965 will take place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, 4th May. A “bring and share” meal to follow.
Heggerty Street
March 2025
Date Saturday 1st March
Father Matthew Hodgson. Phone: 9061 1094 Email: brucerockparish@gmail.com
Confession/Reconciliation: Please approach Father at any time. Anyone who would appreciate a visit from Father, please let us know.
Coraling Street
You are loved. You are precious. This is the first of 4 core truths of the Christian faith. It is better to say “Jesus loves you” because Christianity is all about Jesus but that has been said so many times that it sounds a little corny. It is true; God loves you, Jesus loves you and other people love you too. Christians are commanded by God to show this love to all people, whether Christians or not. We often get this wrong but we also get it right a lot of the time.
Many people have trouble believing that God really loves them because they know that they have messed up and don’t think that they deserve God’s love but the second core truth of the Christian faith is that no one deserves God’s love, but God loves them anyway. God loves us even though we don’t deserve it. God loves me even though I don’t deserve it.
We know that some people in Quairading are feeling unloved and we want to do something to help them. We want to demonstrate that Jesus does love them. How do you think that we could make a difference for people in and around Quairading? We would love to hear your ideas. Call us, drop us a message on our Facebook page or come along to a service
Sunday 2nd March 10:30am led by Mark Beadle
Sunday 9th March 10:30am Café Church led by Arthur West
Sunday 16th March 10:30am led by Peter West
Sunday 23rd March 10:30am Communion led by Arthur West
Sunday 30th March 10:30am “Lent Event” Video Church led by Arthur West
Enquiries: Mark Beadle 0435 698 655 or Arthur West 9645 0081 If you would like a visit please contact Mark Beadle. Check out our Facebook page: Quairading Church
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2025 Deadlines
February Edition: 21 January
March Edition: 25 February
April Edition: 25 March
May Edition: 22 April
June Edition: 27 May
July Edition: 24 June
August Edition: 29 July
September Edition: 26 August
October Edition: 23 September
November Edition: 28 October
December Edition: 25 November
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