Coonabarabran Times (digital) - 19.12.2024

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Coonabarabran Times THURSDAY, 19TH DECEMBER 2024

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Just in time for Christmas... wattle 4.0 blooms With summer settling in, ‘wattle 4.0’ has unfurled its pages, with the official launch held on Saturday, 14 December at Coonabarabran’s SPACE gallery. by ELEANOR RAPLEY It was spr ing’s sweeping last ‘hurrah’ – co m fo r ta b l y wa r m weather bringing skirts, dresses and heels out, cake lining the table, and a constant chatter of people young and old, men and women, strangers and long-time acquaintances alike. ‘wattle 4.0’ is more than a collection of stories – it’s a curated piece of art from storytellers, photog rapher s and ar tists, encompassing p e o p l e, c o m m u n i t y, humour, nostalgia, joy and empathy. I t’s a n ex h i b i t of humanity in a neat 108page package, in a way that could only ever be achieved by small towns and communities built by dusty backroads and resilence. It’s something that the latest ‘wattle’ cover star, Kaitie Nash has relished, – and built a life around. A self-confessed ‘first t i m e fa r m e r’, Ka it i e’s j ou r ney f ro m the b i g smoke to life in the bush has resonated and drawn cu r iosit y f rom a l most 40 thousand people on social media. It’s been a jou r ney and a half and was tied together in wattle by Ash Molloy, a photographer who recently returned to the area. “It was my first time doing this sort of thing, so it’s a bit out of my realm, but I just felt so lucky to be able to come back and be a part of this whole process,” Ash said. “There’s some incredible stories, and the fact I got to contribute in the smallest part to wattle makes me really proud. “It was a wor k in process for the whole te a m , b u t w h e n t h e natural surrounds offered

so much inspiration, the result was worth it. “ I’m l uck y to have known Kaitie for a few years, so I’ve been out to their property a few times. “You go out there and there’s these beautiful snak ing roads, with mountains in the distance that just reach up forever. “And when you see it, you fully understand exactly what magic drew her in,” Ash said. For Kaitie, she’s not moving any time soon,

and ha s p l an ned an exciting new chapter, with a project called ‘The Country in Common’. Initially, Kaitie envisions creating a small event for people who have moved to the country from the city to offer them support. “Whether that’s just connection and meeting other people who are from afar or who aren’t from the country,” Kaitie said. “People can come together and talk about their experiences and

know that they’re not alone in what they’re feeling.” Editor, Kait Britton said the wattle project was born of sleepless nights, clashing deadlines and devotion. “It’s prett y craz y to t h i n k t h at t h i s i s t h e fourth wattle that we’ve published in the last two yea r s, a nd we rea l l y couldn’t have done it without the amazing, ver y la rge (this time) team behind the scenes, helping up create this

edition. “For our first edition we had 10 people working on it, and about 20 stories. “This time, if you count the kids that contributed entries for the creative w r i t i n g co m p et i t i o n , we’re u p to ove r 3 0 people!” The magazine is currently on sale, and f u l l of s o m et h i n g fo r everyone and will make a terrific Christmas present for last-minute shoppers.

APPRENTICE TAKES GOLD PAGE 3

MORE PICS: PAGE 7

RIVER WALK COMPLETED PAGE 6

XMAS LIGHTS WINNERS PAGE 9 wattle editor, Kait Britton, pictured with the latest cover star, Kaitie Nash, and photographer, Ash Molloy.

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81 John St, Coonabarabran 1 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday,19 December 2024


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