Coonabarabran Times (digital) - 18.12.2025

Coonabarabran Times

• 1677 Vol. 39 No. 21 SINGLE COPY — $3.00 (includes GST) SUBSCRIPTIONS — $300 pa (print) $150 pa (digital)

THURSDAY, 18TH DECEMBER 2025 Local people. Local news.

P: (02) 6842 1844 E: info@coonabarabrantimes.com www.coonabarabrantimes.com

98 years

5,000 editions

100,000 stories

One masthead

1 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

T-shirts, headlines and memories It feels strange to write this – not as a news story, not with deadlines looming, but as a goodbye.

The Coonabarabran Times has been part of our family for so long it’s hard to know where the paper ends and we begin.

Max and I officially took the reins together in 2010, but Max’s history here goes right back to 1978, when he first walked through the doors as a freshfaced apprentice and somehow never left.

I joined more than 25 years ago, and our daughter Kait has been part of the furniture since 2010 as well – learning the ropes, taking the Times to new heights ­– and often reminding us how things should be done.

I f you rang, walked in, or poked your head through the door, odds were you’d find one of us – often all three.

Many of you will remember

Max not just for the paper, but for his ever-rotating collection of T-shirts. From Star Trek’s “Trek yourself until you wreck yourself ” to the unforgettable “Show us your bruises” (perfectly appropriate for a Karate Sensei).

They were as much a part of the office as the computers, the coffee and the Wednesday deadlines.

A nd t he n t he r e wa s t h a t headline – front page no less – a missing “r” transforming “church” into “chuch”. W hen someone politely pointed it out, Max didn’t miss a beat – he explained that a deconsecrated church was, in fact, called a chuch. Problem solved. That, in a nutshell, was Max – always ready with a quick comeback, even if it was rubbish.

I n r e cent yea r s , as M a x ’s

health declined, together Kait and I kept the presses rolling.

It wa sn’t a lways elega nt .

T here were long days, shor t tempers, missed lunches and the occasional (or often) “why are we still doing this?” moments – usually followed by “because it matters.”

And it did matter. For 98 years, this paper has told the stories of this town – big ones, small ones, happy ones, heartbreaking ones – and we’ve been honoured to be part of that tradition.

Max passed away in July this year and losing him has been incredibly hard – on me, our children K ait, Zac and Tori, sons-in-law Lee and Beau, and grandchildren Cash, Jedd and Willa. A lso lost has been my motivation to keep the business

going. So today’s edition will be our last.

Before we close the doors, I want to say thank you.

To my children: Kait, who has kept me sane, mostly, and been my rock and sounding board and who NEVER procrastinates. To Zac, responding to never-ending calls for IT assistance. To Tori, ou r paper g i rl, who brought ceaseless chatter and a hint of chaos to the office.

To ou r adver tisers and stockists who backed a local p a p e r y e a r a f t e r y e a r. T o contributors, correspondents and photographers who shared their time and talent. To current and former staff who helped make it all work – and helped us laugh along the way.

But most of all, thank you

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY •

to the readers. Without you, there would never have been a newspaper to publish. You bought it, argued with it, rang us about typos (fair enough), saved clippings, trusted us with your stories and gave us a reason for each new edition. Without you, there simply would not have been a newspaper.

T he Coonabarabran T imes may be finishing, but its stories – and Max, his T-shirts, and his legendary explanations – will always be part of the town...

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for supporting us.

And thank you for nearly a century of community.

Lynne Estens Director Coonabarabran Times

The Coonabarabran Times acknowledges and pays respect to the Gamilaraay people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work, and pay our respects to Elders both past and present.

We extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country and support the continuation of their cultural, spiritual and educational practices.

2 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

Photo: Eleasha Gordon @ Royal Hotel

EDITORIAL

Next week will be different Winner of the 2025 Country Press NSW Editorial of the Year and Coonabarabran Times editor, Kait Britton, has some parting words for what could be the final edition of the masthead after 98 years serving the community. And she’s leaving no stone unturned.

by KAIT BRITTON Fun fact – the very first newspaper article I ever had published, when I was a wee whipper snapper cadet journalist at The Land, I miss-spelled my ow n n a m e. “ By Ka i t l y Estens” it read. Sans “n”.

I suppose I was never a big fan of bylines. Maybe I’ve a l wa y s fe lt th at stories should speak for themselves and not the author.

It’s not my story.

T h ey we re n eve r my stories.

But this one is.

For full disclosure, my ho r mones a re raging and I’m feeling equally sentimental, so grab a d r ink and strap in as I a t te m pt to a r t i c u l a te some of the insights I’ve g a i n e d f r o m a l i fe i n newspapers.

First up, this one is for the bigots.

The ones who make people feel uncomfortable and “less than” with your misogyny, homophobia and racism.

All I ask is, why? Kindness is so much easier than hatred. This week we’ve seen the most public and horrific ways, where unchecked hatred leads.

Choose love.

Do better.

I could write a whole editorial on this specific topic and the disgusting vitriol that young journalists have to endure on the job.

And if you’re reading this and wondering if I’m talking about you, I am.

Leaving a legacy W h i c h b r i n g s m e to legacies – the kind built quietly, over decades, without outrage or noise.

We’ve l os t some b ig Coonabarabran identities this past year. People who have been the custodians and knowledge keepers of all things local.

T h ese p e o p l e, so m e of w h o m h a ve h a d a profound impact on my life and career, include my dearest Dad, Max Estens.

What legacies these peo p l e l eave b eh i n d!

Thei r pas sion fo r ou r tow n, o u r re g i o n, wa s remarkable.

Thei r depar ture from this wor ld beckons the question – who are the next custodians?

Do they exist?

Or does anyone even care anymore?

What I’ve noticed increasingly over the years is a reluctance for “acts of service”.

You know, helping out a comm it tee, cook i ng snags for the footy club, sel l ing raf fle tickets as a fund-raiser for a local charity.

S a d l y, o u r a g i n g population is only compounding this problem. No one wants to step up.

It gives the impression – it’s okay, someone else will do it. But what happens when they don’t?

It’s just like seeing the same people attending events. The same people organising the events.

The same people

3 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

co m p l a i n i n g b e ca u s e t h ey d i d n’t k n o w t h e event was on and the same people exclaiming nothing good ever happens in Coona anyway.

Then they wheel out the “zoo” or the “Miniland” story again for the millionth time and I laugh and close the browser.

Getting local people to support local is hard work.

I s ta r te d t h i n k i n g a l ot a b o u t t h i s , a b o u t connection, w hen the i nte r n et we nt o ut l a s t week.

Thanks for the heads up Telstra!

No mobile service and no 5G wireless at home.

It felt like living in the dark ages.

It’s hard to think of a time when we didn’t have the whole wide world in our tiny little hands.

But is that the problem in itself?

Has the virtual begun to overtake the physical world?

H a ve we e s s e nt i a l l y tapped out from reality?

There’s no need to catch up with your friends for coffee and chat in person, because now you can just exist on a pure memesharing relationship.

Transparency is a dirty word And nowhe re i s that disconnect more obvious than in the way information i s n ow p rese nte d a n d managed.

T h e fo cu s o n i m a g e and brand control has been a det r i ment to

communities seek ing truth. Transparency.

Trying to get information from larger organisations i s l i ke bang i ng you r head against a br ick wall without a helmet. In the end, you put on the helmet in a bid to save your own sanity.

Police news? Did you know you can only get those briefs if you know what the crime is alleged to be, who was involved, the street address, what day and time?

Are modern journalists s u p p o s e d to b e eve rp re s e nt, eve r- s e e i n g omnipotent beings recording every interaction?

H e a l t h . H a h a . Ye a h r i g ht. A l l t h at n e ed s to be bundled up in a pretty bow and only ever released at a time that is most convenient to them.

Wh at yo u d o n’t s e e from behind-the-scenes i s t h at i n t h e l a s t few years we’ve gone from a mayor who would always make time to talk to us, even when he was flat out on the farm (thanks Amb rose), to one who won’t pick up or return a call, even if it’s something as simple as a comment on War r umbungle Community Care’s Meals o n W h e e l s vo l u nte e r s winning an award.

How can you “lead” a community when you have no voice? That’s your job!

Yo u w i l l s e e i n o u r “Words of Support” across the next few pages, the

absence of messages from cur rent Wa r r umbungle S h i re m a yo r, C r Kat hy Rindfleish, and general manager, Lindsay Mason, who couldn’t even spare a few minutes over a weeklong deadline to respond to our email with some simple, parting, farewell words.

Not one reply for the o n l y m e d i a co m p a ny ci rcu l at i n g a c ro s s t h e whole shire.

No acknowledgement for one of the longestrunning businesses in the shire at 98 years!

What an absolute kick in the guts.

But business is business, right?

In saying this, we have a l so b u i lt so m e p ret t y a m a z i n g re l at i o n s h i p s with local organisations that unde r stand not everything needs to be sugar coated.

That authenticit y is more valuable amongst the Instagram aesthetic.

Because good journalism isn’t about access, it’s about trust.

You can’t get the good news without crap. This is the fourth estate in action.

My hope is that someone will continue to hold these organisations to account, because when something smells bad, the core is usually rotten.

Which is why this last part matters most.

Goodbyes are hard To t h e r e a d e r s , t h e advertisers, the stockists, the cont r i buto r s and everyone I’ve ever worked

with or annoyed for stories and begged photos, including all attendees of my “Post HSC Confidence B u i l d i n g Wo r k s h o ps” – what a hoot it has been!

To o u r j o u r na l i s t s Claudia and Molly, I thank my lucky stars that I had you both on the ro l l e r coa s te r th i s yea r ! B i g, bright futures ahead and no more Tuesday night panic texts.

Huge appreciation to my brother, IT guru and lifter of things, Zachar y Ma rc Batman E stens, and my sister, paper boy and industrial guillotine cutterer of things I can’t, Tori.

To my l ong - suf fe r i ng husband and kids, how cool to have my very own personal cheer leading team. I will “try” to cook more now. Just stop saying 6–7!

And to my bea utifu l Mum, Lynne, the owner of the Coonabarabran Times – your selflessness knows no bounds. Enjoy this time.

Read all the books. Write one too, please.

What a year!

You can bet none of this was on my bingo card for 2025, but here we are.

The last paper.

My mantra in the newsroom, which is even emblazoned on a gifted coffee mug, has always been a self-deprecating, “Next week will be different”.

But ironically for the first time, next week, it really will be.

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COONA TIMES: WORDS OF SUPPORT

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Local print media is vital for communicating with local areas about what is happening with local, state and federal governments and in the c o mmu n i t y . La r g e p o r t i o n s o f o u r communities rely on print media to keep up to date.

We need to keep papers like the Coonabarabran Times operating for the sake of our communities, our democracy and to ensure people are engaged and informed about what is happening in the Parliaments that make laws that impact us.

Coonabarabran Times does an incredible job and is deeply intertwined with the communities it covers. It is incredibly important that this engagement and reporting are ongoing.

Roy Butler Member for Barwon

Farewell to a community pillar The Coona Times has long stood as a cornerstone of our community, offering not only news and updates but also unwavering support to local businesses.

Since the very beginning, the team at Coona Times has been a steadfast partner to David Grant Livestock Agency, always willing to assist with advertising needs in every possible way.

From timely reminders to last‑minute adjustments, the staff consistently went above and beyond to ensure that our messages reached readers in the next issue. Their dedication and professionalism meant that we were never placed second, and their commitment to excellence shone through in every edition.

As a family‑operated business, Coona Times embodied the spirit of community.

Beyond advertising, the paper played a vital role in keeping residents informed about local happenings, events and stories that mattered. The countless long hours spent preparing each issue reflected a devotion that extended far beyond the printed page.

The closure of Coona Times marks the loss of more than just a newspaper – it is the departure of a trusted friend and invaluable asset to our region.

On behalf of David Grant Livestock Agency, we extend our deepest gratitude to the Coona Times team for their outstanding effort, dedication, and unwavering support. You will be sadly missed, but your legacy of service and community spirit will not be forgotten.

David Grant David Grant Livestock Agency

I believe that the Coonabarabran Times has been a vital lifeline for the Baradine community, giving our town a voice and a place to share its stories, achievements and challenges.

For more than twenty years as a correspondent, it has been both my privilege and a joy to help shine a spotlight on the people and events that shape our district. The paper has not only connected our community, but has also given me a meaningful way to serve it, preserving local stories that might otherwise be forgotten.

It is deeply sad to see this much-loved newspaper close after so many decades of service to our district, marking the end of an era for the communities it has so faithfully supported.

Liz Cutts Baradine Community Economic Development Coordinator Baradine correspondent – Coonabarabran Times

Let’s shed a tear Since 1877, (page 2 of the Times 27 November 2025) Coonabarabran has always had a ‘paper’. After a trying year, where congratulations for journalism awards and condolences to the family on the loss of former editor, Max, is appropriate, we are told in that same 27 November edition that it may be no more.

I dug out my Windows 98 operating system computer; it shows that I have contributed articles on behalf of the local Sub-Branch of the Returned and Services League since 2006, three times per year.

There are other organisations of which I am a part, in particular, Rotary.

I simply wish to say thank you to Lynne, Kaitlyn and the team for your support to the RSL, also, as the current Rotary secretary, the support to near weekly Rotary articles (other people’s work) for as long as I have returned to Coonabarabran.

There has also been the odd Rifle Club or associated subject article, too, over time.

While we might shed a tear in so many ways for the loss of our weekly, we might just reflect in appreciation as reality sets in that “the time’s, well, they are a changing”.

I wish the Times team all the best for the next chapter in life; a sale would be good, I know.

Kevin Barrington President Coonabarabran RSL Sub-Branch

As a lifelong resident of Coonabarabran, the news of the prospective closure of the Coonabarabran Times has saddened my heart. The Times has always been there, week in, week out, and no amount of social media can take its place.

In my early teens I was a paper boy working for the Times, picking up my papers after school, strapping them to my bike and heading out to home deliver them. I had to remember under which pot plant or mat the money would be hidden at each house as I made my way around.

The three pubs were a good place to sell papers on a Thursday afternoon and on a big news week I made sure so go through them at least once. I remember that my best afternoon was 84 papers. At five cents per paper, plus tips, that was a nice little earner for a 13-year-old in 1978.

After finishing school and starting work with Dad on the farm, sport was a mainstay of the entertainment for our community. At certain times of the year I played a different sport six afternoons or evenings a week (luckily I had a very good relationship with my employer!) To keep track of the draws, game times and scores for all of these activities required constant references to the sports section of the Times. For a time, I was the publicity officer for the Kookas and I always enjoyed trying to put a good spin on a sometimes tough loss.

As the Mayor I felt that the Times was always fair, and always willing to put the whole story out there. The best outcomes for our community occurred when the Times fostered conversations between the community and the team at the Council to address community concerns. Perhaps the best example is wonderful developments that have occurred at Number Two Oval in recent years. After hearing from the community through the Times, the team at Council secured over one million dollars in four different grants to fund a beautiful redevelopment of the precinct. Something that everyone involved, especially those at the Times, can look at with pride every time that they see them. Concrete proof of the lasting impact of the Times.

Ambrose Doolan Former mayor Warrumbungle Shire Council

We have always appreciated the work of the Coonabarabran Times in reporting the goings-on of our community.

The work of a local newspaper cannot be understated and we will certainly miss it!

We thank you for all the great articles and fond memories!

Dr Eve Tsironis and Dr Aniello Iannuzzi Warrumbungle Medical Centre

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81 John St, Coonabarabran 4 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

COONA TIMES: WORDS OF SUPPORT

For nearly a century, the Coonabarabran Times has been the heartbeat of our community, sharing stories that matter and keeping us connected.

At Cooinda, we’ve cherished the Times as a partner in telling our story, celebrating our people and reaching those who matter most.

On behalf of our residents, staff and Board, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the team for their dedication and the legacy they leave behind.

Leanne Redfern CEO – Cooinda

I have stated before that the Coonabarabran Times newspaper is our communities’ treasure. We will bear the loss.

Today I applaud all those who, over many years, established, nurtured and maintained this important local lifeline. I particularly applaud, appreciate, congatulate and give thanks to Max Estens’ family for their valiant efforts during Max’s illness and death. You are to be admired.

I also acknowledge their loyal assistants. I pray God’s blessings on Lynne, Kaitlyn and their families – and on their staffers – as they each face the next chapter of their lives.

Tony Brain OAM

5 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

As the Coonabarabran Times prepares to close its doors after nearly a century of service, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service pays tribute to a publication that has been more than a newspaper – it has been the heart beat of the community.

From the peaks of the Warrumbungles to the sandy roads of the Pilliga, the publication has carried stories that bound people together: tales of resilience, conservation, celebration and change. The Coona Times has stood beside us in our successes and in our challenges.

But not only that, the Coonabarabran Times has been essential in conveying important infor mation to the local residents. Job advertisements, holiday activities, celebrating our achievements, new buildings or walkingtrack infrastructure, management activities, track closures, staff milestones, the list goes on.

Our tea room will not feel the same without a copy of the Coona Times on the table or in the hands of staff during a break. The Coonabarabran Times has been a fundamental part of daily life in Coonabarabran, and all of us will be sad to see it go.

Though the presses fall silent on 18 December 2025, the legacy of the Coona Times and Max, Lynne and Kaitlyn’s blood, sweat and tears over the years will endure. Regular contributors like Liz Cutts have also been integral in getting the stories into the public domain.

NPWS salutes the Coonabarabran Times for its role in preserving the news of the day and the spirit of our wonderful locality. We wish Lynne and Kait every success and happiness in their post-paper life and we thank them sincerely for their dedication to keeping the community connected.

John Whittall Director, Northern Inland Branch NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service

Siding Spring Observatory has enjoyed a close relationship with the Coonabarabran Times since its opening in 1964. While major events like the inauguration of the AngloAustralian Telescope by the then Prince Charles in 1974 and the opening of the ANU 2.3-metre telescope by Bob Hawke in 1984 have gone straight to the paper’s headlines, it is the smaller stories that are often more important to the community. Too numerous to mention, they keep everyone informed about what is happening at Coonabarabran’s major science facility, and over the years have been a valuable conduit between the observatory and the people of the Warrumbungle Shire.

And the process works the other way, too – most readers of the Coonabarabran Times might be surprised to know how many cuttings from the paper have found their way to major observatories and astronomical institutions around the world.

The astronomical world is a close-knit one, and there would be few senior astronomers anywhere who hadn’t heard of the ‘Coona Times’.

Fred Watson (Astronomer)

When I first started Lamb Jumpers “helping our farmers”, Max, Lynne and Kait were my biggest supporters and support team. Since I needed a place for the little jumpers to be delivered, Max kindly offered to help. He had no idea what he and the Times were about to get themselves into. He would get utes full daily, then the phone calls started.

Lynne could take dozens of calls a day, asking for the pattern, where to send them, were they really needed.

Kait volunteered to design the Lamb Jumper logo at no cost, and everyone at the Times got involved to support farmers affected by the Big Dry. The Coona Times quickly became synonymous with the project’s success, reflecting the true spirit of community support that kept us going.

I was Kait’s first online interview, and when I met Margaret Beazley, Governor of NSW, she said she’d seen it and was impressed, emphasising our good fortune with a local newspaper.

Marie Knight OAM

The Coona Times is key asset for this community, easily taken for granted but incredibly valuable. It brings us news of community events, school news and sports, cultural and other significant events as well as just keeping people informed of smaller but important developments in our community as well as supporting advertising of our many small businesses, which heaps of people rely on.

It’s such a great opportunity for someone to take on.

Fingers crossed that happens soon.

Andrew Freebairn Principal, Forsyths Coonabarabran

COONA TIMES: WORDS OF SUPPORT

I wish the thank the Coona Times team for the professionalism they have offered our array of businesses over the years.

Firstly, the Golden Fleece/Caltex day under Karl and Marilyn Prugger and bus charter that was advertised and promoted via your local paper.

Shady Rock Nursery has been operating for 36 years and you and your members have been there for much of this with promotional adverts, trading time adverts, special events etc. All your design work hasn’t gone unnoticed.

We have had our buses/charter happily advertised on the front ‘ears’ of the paper for years – even though we had many people ringing us to place an advert in the paper...not reading properly!

My family also have other businesses within this shire that also appreciate being able to advertise in your paper.

I think, as a whole, our businesses have grown overall, as I’m sure a lot of local businesses have benefitted as well.

I’ve enjoyed reading articles over time that have contained very interesting information, photos of new babies, including mine, weddings, clearing sales, houses/properties for sale – and has kept us updated over the years of great people who have passed on.

The local paper has certainly been a memorable information source for many.

I would like to extend my many thanks and best of luck to Lynne, Kait and families.

Margaret Prugger Shady Rock Nursery

On behalf of the committee of North West Equestrian Expo and personally, I would like to thank the staff at Coona Times for their support since we became an incorporated entity in November 2007.

Where have the years gone?

You saw us through equine influenza, fire, drought, floods, COVID and many of the other challenges we were dealt.

I have very fond memories of Max with his camera and notepad at our final parade, covering the event.

Your patience in preparing the Expo supplement each year under time pressure, and Kaitlyn your way of looking for different angles and stories to cover what was essentially the same event each year, always added interest.

As a community we will be poorer without our paper and we all wish you the best going forward, but reflect on the many stories and adventures we have shared in the past. Thank you again.

Rebecca Moxham On behalf of the North West Equestrian Expo family

6 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

Rotary has been supported by the Coonabarabran Times as long as there has been a Times. The paper has consistently supported Rotary by sharing its local and international activities and stories.

They kept everyone informed about current events and ways to assist, offering helpful suggestions where support was needed. The team also provided Rotary discounted or free advertising to benefit the community, consistently working hard to keep people updated and engaged.

Max and Lynne received Rotary’s highest honour, the Paul Harris Medal, for their contributions to Rotary and the community.

The Times and its dedicated team, known for their community presence and storytelling, will be missed for their talent and care. Rotary and I wish them all the best in the future.

Marie Knight OAM President, Rotary Coonabarabran

The Coonabarabran Times has been integral part of the local region and it is very sad to hear it will be closing. Local newspapers are the life blood of the community, but require a major personal commitment. I would like thank Lynne and Kait for the many years of service and wish them all the best.

We hope another party will take on the challenge to provide the Coonabarabran community with a local newspaper in the not too distant future.

Edward Higgins Country Press NSW president

The Coonabarabran Times has been a vital voice for the community, reflecting its stories, challenges and triumphs for generations. Its legacy of local journalism has fostered connection, infor med decision-making and celebrated the unique spirit of the region.

The newspaper’s farewell marks the end of an era, reminding us of the importance of supporting regional media to keep communities informed and engaged.

As an organisation committed to education and community wellbeing, I honour the Coonabarabran Times’ contribution and I would like to personally thank the entire Estens family for many years of high quality journalism.

Lucy Evans Principal, Coonabarabran Public School

I started ‘Musings with Huey’ in the Coonabarabran Times in 1998, when I was the National Parks fire-management officer. The response to the column was gratifying. Farmers were always pulling me aside for an analysis of seasonal conditions.

I thank whole heartedly Kaitlyn Britton, our current editor, and past editor Max Estens. The joy of a “local rag” is the sum of its many contributors. Editors, you have been wonderful in your encouragement and patience.

Peter Brookhouse

OBITUARY

Max Estens

10.11.1959 – 27.7.2025

A quick wit, a cheeky grin and a heart as big as the Warrumbungles – that’s how those who loved Maxwell John “Max” Estens will remember him. A devoted husband, Dad, Pop, brother and friend, Max passed away on 27 July 2025, aged 65, leaving behind a legacy built on laughter, love and a lifetime of service to his community.

B o r n i n Coonabarabran on 10 November 1959 to Jane and Maxwell ‘Trigger’ Estens, Max grew up along the Castlereagh River with his siblings, D i a n ne a nd Pe t e r.

His ch i ld hood was o ne o f f r e e d om a nd fun – climbing trees, swimming in the river and testing the patience o f h i s p a r ent s w it h countless cheeky antics.

Even then, his quick wit and sense of humour left an indelible mark on those around him.

F rom a young age, Max showed a natural flair for sport. A student of St Lawrence’s and Coonabarabran High, he excelled across rugby league, athletics, b a s k e t b a l l , h o c k e y, softball and more. In

19 7 7, wh i le i n Ye a r 11 , h i s out s t a nd i n g athleticism earned him gold in triple jump at the Combined High School State Championships and silver at Nationals – a proud achievement for both Max and his home town.

On the rugbyleague field, he was a powerhouse. A proud Unicorn through and through, he pulled on the blue-and-gold jersey for Coonabarabran from juniors right through to first grade. Known for his strength, speed and high-kneed bursts down the field, he was a crowd favourite. “Shut t he g at e , t he h o r s e has bolted!” became a familiar call from the commentary box as Max charged for the try line,

7 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

leaving defenders in his wake.

His talent and fierce competitive spirit saw him selected in multiple representative teams, i n c lud i n g We s t e r n Div ision. T hough his loya lt y l ay w ith the Unicorns, he spent a memorable season w ith the Ba rad i ne M a g pie s – t he ye a r he ma r r ied Ly n ne – forging friendships and rivalries that endured well beyond the sideline.

His love of the game was lifelong, and road trips across the state with his family were often punctuated by the words, “I played footy there,” as he pointed out various ovals.

Max began his printing apprenticeship at the Coonabarabran Times

i n 19 78 , em ba rk i n g on a rema rkable 4 5 year career that would see him g row from a teenager in the print r o o m t o e d i t o r. H e witnessed and helped lead the paper through sweeping cha nges in technology, producing more than 2200 editions and captur ing the life of the community through his lens. A keen photographer, Max was a fixture at local events – quietly present with his camera and a joke at the ready.

H i g h - s c h o o l sweethearts, Max and Lynne married in 1983 in a true country celebration, bui ld ing a l i fe a nd a f a m i ly t ogether. Ma x was a proud and devoted father to Kait, Zachary and Tori, and an adoring Pop to his grandchildren Cash, Jedd and Willa.

H i s f a m i ly wa s t he centre of his world. He was always there – on the sidel i nes, at the finish line, in the crowd – cheering, encouraging and laughing. He never missed a chance to support their activities, whether it was sport, music, school events or simply adventures in the great outdoors.

Family life with Max was rich with shared experiences. He loved bundling everyone into t he c a r for c a mpi ng t r ips , bu shwa l k i ng expeditions through the Warrumbungles – and one memor a ble t r ek through Blue Gum Forest in the Blue Mountains – or summer holidays by the coast. He passed down his love of music to his kids, filling their lives with everything from rock classics to t he o dd u ne x p e c t e d hit...as long as it wasn’t country! His sense of fun and adventure was infectious – a Dad who encou raged cl imbi ng higher, running faster and laughing louder.

Max’s eldest daughter, K ait, followed in his footsteps into the newspaper world, where he became not only her father but her mentor.

He instilled in her a deep respect for storytelling, integrity and community – values that guided both his work and his life. His encouragement and work ethic shaped her career and left a lasting legacy that continues through her own dedication to the craft they shared.

Z a c h a r y a nd M a x shared a special fatherson bond. Zacha r y i n her ited Ma x ’s love of athletics, sci-fi and adventure. Together they spent countless nights watching Star Trek and Stargate, their tradition continuing long after Z acha r y f i rst moved aw ay, w i t h r e g u l a r phone calls to discuss the latest episode.

Max was Zachary’s li felong mentor, at h l e t i c s c o a c h a nd rock-climbing partner.

From weekend trips to Little Athletics meets and spontaneous rockclimbing adventures to quiet Saturday nights watching their favourite shows, their relationship was bu i lt on sh a red passions, laughter and learning.

Tori, Max’s youngest daughter, remembers him as a man of quiet streng th and deep wisdom – her greatest teacher – who devoted himself to his family a nd a lways led by example. She cherishes the memor ies of h i s laughter, the warmth of his hugs and the way he always believed in her.

They shared a spirited relationship – they could a r g ue a b out a l m o s t anything, but beneath it all was a deep and unbreakable love. He was her fiercest defender and proudest cheerleader, always standing by her side no matter what.

Their bond grew even s t r on ger du r i n g t he years they spent doing the newspaper delivery r un t ogether – ea rly mor nings f i lled w ith chatter, laughter...and coffee!

Max was a driv ing force behind community spor t for the next generation. He played a key role in establishing

L ittle Athletics in Coonabarabran, offering not only his time and energy, but his genuine belief in kids’ potential.

He supported the Sw i mm i ng Club a nd ment ored cou ntless young athletes over the years, encouraging them with that trademark grin and quiet confidence.

M a ny r ememb er h i s steady presence – always ready with a joke, a tip or a proud nod from the sidelines.

Outside work, Max pursued many passions.

He b e g a n k a r at e i n Coonabarabran in 1982 and went on to become the club’s instructor, a role that would shape decades of dedication to the sport. Through perseverance and discipline he achieved the ra n k of 8th Da n black belt and the title of Kyoshi, eventually s e r v i n g a s n at ion a l chief instructor of the Shorinjiryu Koshinkai Karatedo organisation.

H i s l o ve o f m a r t i a l arts took him around the world – to Japan, Canada, the U.S. and beyond.

Max loved adventure and learnt the ropes – l it era l ly – of r o ck climbing, tackling not on ly mo st cl i mbs i n t he Wa r r u m bu n g le s but even a route on the Three Sisters.

In later years, cycl ing became h is passion. He rel ished the weekly challenge of riding up Blackman’s Hill on the way to the Observatory and took part in many charity rides, including the Zoo to Zoo – cycling from Taronga Zoo in Sydney to Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. Through the cycling community, he forged many l i felong friendships.

M a x embraced l i fe with a spirit of adventure – canyoning, cycling, camping, rock climbing a n d b u s hw a l k i n g – always finding joy in the simple thrill of doing.

One of Max’s greatest joys came from being Pop. He doted on his g randchild ren and

delighted in thei r l aught er. He wa s s o excited when Kait was f i r s t p r e g n a nt t h at he bought a Tou r de France balance bike for his future grandchild.

A fter Cash was born, every visit saw Max test out the bike with him – even before little Cash could sit up – a glimpse of the playful, loving Pop he would become.

He was enormously proud of his grandson Cash , who i n her it ed his cheeky grin, love of adventure and trivia.

H i s n a mesa ke, Jedd Maxwell has already begun to follow in his Pop’s fo ot st eps w ith natural sporting ability and a spark for athletics – a c on ne c t ion t h at brought Max endless pride and delight. And then there was Willa, his little princess. Pop doted on her completely, melting at her smile, listening to every word she said and lighting up whenever she danced into the room.

In 2020, Max faced his greatest challenge when he was diagnosed w it h dement i a . Yet , throughout the years that fol lowed, h is humour, warmth and love for his family never faded. He always kept that cheeky smile on his face and was always ready with a joke.

Ma x leaves behind his beloved wife Lynne, children Kait, Zachary and Tori, sons-in-law Lee and Beau, grandchildren Cash, Jedd and Willa, sibl i ngs D ia n ne a nd Peter – and a community richer for having known him.

Max was a husband, father, pop, br other, friend, athlete, photographer, martial a r tist , ment or a nd pr a c t i c a l j oke r. H i s legacy lives on in every laugh, every story, every snapshot of a community he helped document and shape. He was strong, kind, devoted and deeply loved.

In true Max fashion, we remember him with a smile – and maybe just a little cheek.

Council decision places Baradine Memorial Hall future at risk Local not-for-profit organisations say increased charges to hire the Baradine Memorial Hall threaten the future of a hall built for the community.

by LIZ CUTTS The recent centenary celebration of the iconic building in Baradine’s main street was meant to be a joyous occasion, but now it seems War rumbungle Shire Council has turned the future of the popular v e nu e i n t o a b i t t e r bu reaucratic pi l l the c om mu n it y i s b e i n g forced to swallow.

A sense of betrayal is r ippl i ng th r ough the commu n ity a f t er Council’s controversial decision to appoint a 355 committee to take control of the Baradine Memorial Hall.

Fo r 10 y e a r s , t h e Baradine and District P rog ress A ssociation has managed the hall w i t h g r e at s u c c e s s , contributing countless volunteer hours working on improvements and upgrades, with it widely accepted as the best hall in the Warrumbungle s h i r e . B ut n ow, t he f ut u r e o f t he i c o n i c v e nu e h a n g s i n t h e balance.

Many residents a re quest ion i ng why Council would disregard this history of effective and trustworthy local management. The decision has lef t the community perplexed and frustrated, as the Progress Association’s management is widely acknowledged as the key

contributor to the hall’s success. Residents say that the change is not only unnecessary, but could destroy the hall’s future.

While Council ma i nta i ns that its hall-hire charges a r e s t a nd a r d , m a ny Ba rad i ne residents argue they are out of step with local realities.

C om mu n it y g r oups say Council’s new fee structure undermines the very purpose of a memorial hall. While the $600 bond and $30 hire fee may be refunded, t he r e q u i r ement for e v e r y o n e , i n c lud i n g not-for-profits, to pay these amounts upfront presents a significant barrier for volunteerrun organisations with limited budgets.

R e s id e nt s p o i nt out that the prev ious ma nagement model allowed broad access to the hall, ensuring it remained a hub of c o m mu n i t y a c t i v i t y while still generating an excellent profit.

Sidelined T he B a r ad i ne a nd District Progress A sso ciation sa id it was sidelined during C o u n c i l ’s d e c i s i o n making process, with no consultation prior to Council advertising for volunteers to form a Section 355 committee t o m a n age t he h a l l .

T he asso ciation a lso

sa id C ou nci l d id not approach P rog ress Association volunteers t o a sk whet her t hey were willing to c ont i nue ma n ag i ng t he f ac i l it y u nder a 355 arrangement.

Association president, Ted Hayman said the l ac k o f c on s u lt at ion was extremely disappointing.

“Our volunteers have managed the hall for years and understand how it op er at e s a nd what the c ommu n ity ne e d s ,” M r H ay m a n said.

“To not even be asked i f we wer e pr epa r ed t o c ont i nue u nder a 355 committee was extremely disheartening and disrespectful; they a re send i ng a ver y cle a r message ab out how little value is being placed on the work of a lon g- st a nd i n g a nd r e l i a b l e c o m mu n i t y organisation. “ Much of what C ou nci l has stat ed i n t he A u g u s t 2 0 2 5 minutes on this issue is pu re bu reaucrat ic nonsense.

“Council also needs to realise that most of the audio and recording equipment in the hall h a s b e en pu r c h a s e d outright by the Progress Association; not Council.

“Likewise, the purchase of the tables a nd cha i rs a nd the installation of the new

Baradine’s iconic Memorial Hall is at the centre of a dispute after Council’s decision to change its management structure without community consultation.

8 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

kitchen was financed and built by the Progress Association; not Council.

“A l o n g w i t h t h e external painting of the hall, the new roof, soundpro of i ng a nd ca r pet , all purchased by the Progress Association, as well as all the sundry works such as the floor sanding, were done and paid for by t he a s s o c i at ion ; not Council.”

The Progress A sso ciation has a lso c r it i c i s e d t he s p e e d o f C ou n c i l ’s a c t i o n s following the December Council meeting, noting that the locks on the hall were changed in less than 24 hours of the recommendation for the acceptance of a 355 committee being passed.

The move is seen by the Association as a clear signal of distrust.

Confronting “ To have the lo cks changed almost immediately was confronting,” Mr Hayman said.

“It sends a message that Council does not trust a proven, reliable community group that h a s r e sp on sibly a nd successfully managed this facility for many

ye a r s . T h at level o f haste was unnecessary and deeply hurtful to our volunteers.”

For many in Baradine, the Memorial Hall isn’t just a building – it’s a symbol of community pride and involvement. “ The Baradine Memorial Hall is central to how we honour our veterans and bring the community together on important occasions,” sa id B a rad i ne R SL president, Michael Ross. “ But the cu r rent charges mean we have to seriously reconsider whether we can continue using the hall. Even if the bond is refundable, f inding $6 0 0 upfront for a volunteer-run subbranch is simply not realistic.

“Our commemorative events a ren’t f u nd r a i s er s , t hey ’r e about remembra nce a nd respe ct. Under the ma nagement of the Baradine Progress Association there was a n u nderst a nd i ng of that. Now we’re being t r e at ed t he s a me a s commercial users, and that’s disappointing for a memorial hall. “ It ’s not about r e f u s i n g t o p ay ou r way, it’s about whether

the system recognises the role community and vet era n g roups play.

The hall exists because of community sacrifice and it should remain accessible to all those groups who use the hall for fundraising events for our town.”

Shock Past-president of the Ba rad i ne A ged Care Committee, Paul Wangmann said the new charges came as a shock after hiring the hall last weekend for an annual two-hour fundraising event for t he t ow n’s medical services. “ We pa id the $6 0 0 bond and the $30 hire fe e , but for a sm a l l c omm it t e e that ’s a big ask, especia l ly when funds are already stretched,” Mr Wangmann said. “ Even though the bond is refundable, the money still has to come from somewhere. That’s money that could have gone d i rectly towa rd supp or t i ng ou r lo ca l medical services. For many g roups, pay ing such a la rge amount upfront just isn’t possible. “ We were fortunate we could cover the cost on this occasion, but it

does make you think t w i c e a b out hold i n g future events. Under the P rog ress A ssociation fees were fair, flexible and still allowed the hall to operate successfully.

This new approach is completely out of step w ith how commun ity f u nd ra isi ng actua l ly works.”

As frustration c ont i nue s t o bu i ld , many in Baradine are left wondering what the future holds for their Memorial Hall. While C o u n c i l ’s d e c i s i o n making process may be rooted in policy, without a more flexible, commonsense approach f rom c ou nc i l , i nc lud i n g a substantial reduction of the bond, or the removal of it altogether where circumstances clearly wa r ra nt , there a re growing fears the hall could fall silent.

A building meant to honour the past and serve the commun ity r isks becoming underused, even derelict, un less accessibility is restored.

Without change, the h a l l i s b ei n g pr ic e d beyond the reach of the very community it was built to serve.

Baradine Aged Care member, Paul Wangmann with fellow committee members Narelle Wood, Dot Skinner and Choccy Lane, were shocked by the fees for hiring the memorial hall for their annual Christmas raffles.

Police presence returns to Baradine A new chapter in local policing has begun in Baradine, with a police officer now stationed in the town following the departure of the last officer in February 2025

by LIZ CUTTS A warm community welcome is extended to 25-year-old Constable Joshua Frost, who has officially commenced duties in Baradine this week.

Originally hailing from the Central Coast, Joshua more recently l i ve d i n Ta mwo r t h before commencing his police training.

“When I joined the police force a few years ago, I decided I want to come back to the

count r y,” Constable Frost said. “ I we nt fo r e i t h e r D ubbo o r Tamwo r th and I was lucky enough to get Dubbo – and I am happy that I trained there for two years.

“I came out to Coonabarabran about six months ago for a weekend because they were short-staffed. As soon as I came out here, I just thought it was right for me. I want to come out here full time and that’s how I ended up in Baradine. My family

l ives i n Gun nedah now and Baradine is really the halfway point between Dubbo and Gunnedah.

“Prior to that, I was at the police academy for four months, but the training took around 18 months. When you finish at the academy, they ask you for five places you would like to be posted to. Some people get them, some peop l e don’t. I was luck y enough to get Dubbo, but because Baradine is still a one-

POLICE NEWS Fatal crash – Mendooran A man has died follow ing a singlevehicle crash near Mendooran.

A b out 1 2 . 2 5pm on Saturday, 13 December, emergency services were called to Gentle Annie Road, Mendooran, about 75km north of Dubbo, following reports a white Toyota utility had left

the road and crashed.

The driver, a 52-yearold man, was assessed

by N S W A mbu l a n c e paramedics, however, died at the scene.

O f f icers attached O r a n a M id -We s t e r n Police District e s t a bl i s he d a c r i me scene and commenced an investigation into

9 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

the crash.

A report will be prepared for the i n formation of the Coroner.

A nyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to c o nt a c t O r a n a M id Western Police District or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

police officer town you can’t get there from the get-go, you need some experience first.”

Constable Frost explained that his training and operational experience strengthened his commitment to serving the community, which was the primar y motivation behind his deci s i on to jo i n the Police Force. “ W h e n I w a s 18 , I want to go into the Army, but I didn't end up going down that path because I had other commitments,” he added.

“I thought joining the police was the next best option and I’m happy that I made the choice.

It’s a challenging job, but it'’ a good job and I enjoy it.

“I know this is a big a r e a to c ove r a n d obviously my priority is being the first response.

H o w eve r, p u t t i n g more focus on duties in Baradine has been discussed so that I am n ot ca l l ed a wa y so much. So, I am aiming to focus on that, so I can actually put my face to the name and be seen out and about in the community. “ D epend i ng,

of course, on circumstances, I plan on being here for a long time. I am very happy to be here.”

Residents have expressed their del ig ht at havi ng a p o l i ce of f i ce r o n ce a g a i n b a sed i n th e town, describing the appointment as an i mpo r tant step in strengthening communit y safet y and connection in the district.

Adrian Worrell driver of the petition for a pol ice p resence in Baradine, descr ibed the return of a police officer as a win for the entire community.

“It’s great that we have an officer back l i v i n g i n t h e p o l i ce station house in Baradine,” Mr Worrell said.

“It is also great to see the efforts of the community rewarded w ith the retu r n of a police officer in our town. The community never gave up, and it’s wonderful to see that persistence pays off.

“Constable Frost’s ar rival is great news fo r t h e tow n a n d a positive step for ward for community safety.”

The Baradine community is delighted to welcome Constable Joshua Frost to the town.

Honouring Elders through culture Coonabarabran Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) brought culture, community and storytelling together last month with a special Elders cultural photo shoot, celebrating the strength and legacy of local Elders on Country.

by MOLLY SHANNON Coonabarabran LALC partnered with Dubbobased phot og raphy business Ochre Up, which specialises in cultural photo shoots. Founded

by Alicia Frail, Ochre Up works to strengthen culture, connection to Country and cultural identity.

This wasn’t the first time that Coonabarabran LALC has worked with Ochre Up, with their previous project sparking interest in local Elders. “ We w o r k e d w i t h Alicia Frail and Ochre Up on a previous project with our local families and once we received the final product our Elders asked if they could have their photos done,” sa id Brandon Ni xon, Coonabarabran L A LC CEO. “Alicia had mentioned that she had done previous Elders’ projects, so we engaged with them to come to Coonabarabran to capture our Elders.”

Ni ne E lders were photographed on the day.

Although Coonabarabran

L A L C had hoped for more, some were unable to attend due to being away or unwell. However, Mr Nixon said the LALC was hoping to organise another cultural shoot t o ensu re a l l E lders have the opportunity to participate. “ W hile we were unable to capture all of our Elders during the day, we will be working with them and Ochre up to organise a future shoot, we will also look for more opportunities and funding to engage Ochre Up,” he said.

E lder s wer e encouraged to use ochre collected on Country and wear traditional pieces such as possum fur and he add r e s s . C u lt u r a l shoots such as these are considered important for the community at large and help keep connection to Country thrive. “ T he E lders were beautiful,” Ochre Up’s Alicia Frail, said. “ They were smiling, rela xed and rea lly embraced the moment.

Many shared how special it felt to be seen and

celebrated.

“The families and staff also spoke about how the day felt peaceful, healing and uplifting. “ B eing on Countr y w ith Elders a l lows everyone to slow down, breathe and listen It creates space for stories, language, laughter and memories to be shared, “ W hen we gather together like this, it strengthens community ties and helps younger generations understand their place and responsibilities on Country.”

The Elders’ cultural shoot wasn’t just about taking photos, it was about keeping stories alive. Part of the project includes a booklet that w i l l fe at u r e a l l t he Elders’ photos, along with their stories. Ms Frail said she does this not just for the Elders, but for their families and the wider community as well. “ I wanted to create something they could hold , ke ep a nd pa ss down,” she said.

“The booklet becomes

a part of their story, a physical keepsake that captures their connection to Country, culture, and family. Many Elders show their booklet proudly at home and families often say it becomes a treasured memory piece for future generations.

“I am grateful to every community who trusts me to capture their story, this work is guided by Country and by our old people and I’m honoured to play a small part in keeping culture strong.”

Trish Oxford, acting D eput y S e c r et a r y of Aborig inal A ffairs, joined in on the day with the Aboriginal Affairs regional team. Ms Oxford was passing through as part of a three-day tour through the communities that regional Aboriginal Affairs work with.

W hile it wasn’t Ms Oxford’s first time in Coona, she said she was pleased to return and be part of the day. “ I 'm s o pr oud a nd privileged to be here, especia l ly w ith the Elders, and being a part of the morning where

they're being painted up – and it's such a special place to be able to do that,” Ms Oxford said. “ It ’s abs olut ely necessa r y t o be able to have activities and initiatives like this that a r e f u nde d t o br i ng people together, to keep culture strong and alive, pa r t ic u l a rly for ou r Elders who have lived here all their lives.

“I think celebrating them and showing some of our younger people the importance of culture as well.”

Mr Nixon was pleased with the day, describing it as a great turnout with overwhelmingly positive feedback. He said the Coonabarabran L A LC had been work ing to incorporate a day like the Elders’ cultural shoot for some time, and were proud to see it come to life.

“These events are so

special, there is nothing better than spending time on Country with our Elders, and to be able to provide opportunities like this for them and for our community is even better,” Mr Nixon said.

“Our Elders have been through it all, they have had it tough so it is great to do something positive for them, there is a real need to provide more opportunities like this for our community.

“Through this project the Elders will have the chance to share their stories, which will allow the community to get to know them, it also provides us with a chance to share culture with community,” he said. “ Having the Elders d r e s s i n t r ad it ion a l dress and share memor ie s a l lows for them to reminisce about the old days and provide opportunities for

community to learn more about our culture.”

The Coonabarabran LALC said the success of the Elders’ cultural shoot has strengthened their commitment to creating more cultural opportunities for lo c a l c om mu n it y members, ensur ing stories, traditions and connections to Country continue to be shared for generations to come.

“A special mention to Alicia Frail for always being so respectful and engaging when working alongside her, she has become our family,” Mr Nixon said.

“Also, a shout out to the Aboriginal Affairs NSW team for always bei ng big suppor ters of us, we really look for ward to prov id ing more opportunities like this for our community.”

Casey and Beryl Dowd, sharing a joke with photographer Alicia Frail, of Ochre Up.

Kathy West and Violet West.

Rea Noir and Brenda Nichols.

10 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

Stitched with kindness, wrapped with love A dedicated group of local makers has once again wrapped warmth and care into dozens of handmade pieces, sharing their craft with communities near and far through the Wrap With Love program.

Once again our small band of knitters, crocheters and ‘sewer-uppers’ have created some beautiful weeps this year.

We are lucky to have two knitters in South Australia, one in Victoria and one in Moree, who are very much appreciated.

Our group donated 24 wraps to Macquarie Homestay, Dubbo, plus a delivery of 30 wraps to the Coonamble Neighbourhood Centre/ Mission Australia. We will also have approximately another 30 to go to Sydney in the New Year.

Our Wrapped With Love group will now of into recess and recommence at the Coonabarabran Library in February 2026.

Overall, 19,257 rugs were distributed by Wrap With Love, Sydney, in 2024 and as of July, 10,000 had ben sent out. The ground total to date since the organisation was created by one woman in 1992 amounts to 647,546 – all carried out by volunteers!

Cynthia Freeman

Coonabarabran’s Wrapped With Love knitters. Back l-r: Leonie Jenkins, Nerida Waterford, Decima Nalder, Kath Heinrich, Cynthia Freeman, Bev Rayner, Sandi Spackman, Wendy Johns. Front l-r: Noelene Gale, Edna Denning, Lorraine Clements, Daphne Howlett.

11 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

IN FOCUS: OP SHOPPING

Community at the beating heart of ADRA For more than two decades, ADRA Coonabarabran has quietly supported the town through generosity, hard work and community spirit – driven by volunteers who give far more than just their time.

by MOLLY SHANNON ADRA has been a part of the Coonabarabran community for 21 years, servicing the town with second hand goods and bric-à-brac.

Sto re m a n a g e r, Maureen Hunt has been volunteering for A D R A fo r a s l o n g a s the store has been in Coonabarabran.

“I have always been an op shopper, and I bel ieve i n AD R A and their message,” Ms Hunt said.

“I think people a re more comfor table coming into op shops now they’ve rea l i sed that its good quality and good prices.

“What makes

co m m u n it y o p s h o ps special is the variety of what we have, as well as affordability, “People f ind things here that they can’t find elsewhere…especially in Manchester and doilies and all those types of things. And we get a bit of vintage clothing in as well.”

For Stephanie Pocock, becoming a volunteer at ADRA helped her regain a sense of purpose. She weas r many hats at ADRA Coonabarabran, cove r i ng the ro l es of a s s i s t a n t m a n a g e r, secretary and treasurer.

Maureen and Stephanie have formed a close bond from working so many hours together and this year they’ve

even planned a special tr ip for themselves as a we l l - e a r n e d b re a k before returning in the new year.

“We’re about to have ou r b reak and we’ve decided to book a cruise,” Ms Hunt said.

“We’re good friends in here.”

The ladies said t h a t w h i l e t h ey l ove re ce i v i n g d o n at i o n s , they encourage people to ta ke ca re a n d b e mindful of what they are turning in.

“We do get a lot of things that we can’t cope with. While we hope to get clean donations, we don’t expect ironed, of co u r s e, b ut c l e a n clothes and saleable good,” Ms Hunt said.

T he vo l untee r wo r k of t h e A D R A te a m i s extensive and not always easy. But, despite the h a rd wo r k , th ey l ove what they do and helping others.

“We sometimes go out and clear houses out for people,” Ms Pocock said.

“Someti mes olde r p e o p l e h a v e n’ t t h e strength to pack up, or they don’t even know where to start.”

All funds made at Coonabarabran ADRA, apart from operational expenses, is returned to the community.

“Very little money goes to the head office, it all goes into the community and surrounding towns,” Ms Hunt said.

“A r o u n d F e b r u a r y,

we’re hoping to donate around $15,000 back into town and surrounds.”

Stores like ADRA are i nteg ra l to keepi ng communities th r iving.

While we may not take note of these spaces every day, it is like losing a l i m b o n ce t h ey’r e gone.

We keep these places alive is by volunteering and supporting them, especially over Christmas time.

ADRA is always welcoming new volunteers. If you are interested in joining the team, visit ADRA and have a chat to either Maureen or Stephanie.

ADRA will be closed from 16 December until 17 January.

ADRA store manager Maureen Hunt and assistant manager, Stephanie Pocock.

Loveable Seconds – community, clothes and care A small community-run op shop is making a big impact in Baradine, offering affordable fashion, sustainability and a welcoming space for locals to connect.

by MOLLY SHANNON

Tina Pech, Nikki Ross and Cherie Williams, volunteers at Loveable Seconds, Baradine.

12 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

Aptly named Loveable Seconds, the small shop operates on Fridays from 1-4pm and typically has two to three volunteers working in the store.

Run solely by local volunteers, Ange Bunner said the idea came to her as a way to become more involved with her community.

“I wanted to connect with my community a little bit more,” Ange said.

“A n d i t ’s a l s o a great way of recycling and having a positive environmental impact.”

L oveable S e c ond s focuses on sustainability,

affordability and being a welcoming place for all.

The shop has proven to be highly popular, with a steady stream of visitors and a constant flow of donations keeping volunteers busy.

“All the feedback I’ve heard is really positive, like ‘oh, this is great’,” Ange said. “ We ’ ve a l s o h ad visitors call in and some people from the MultiPurpose Centre often wait for me when I open up and tell me this is their weekly outing. “ S o th at h a s be en really lovely.”

The op shop operates as a not-for-profit, with all money raised going

straight back into the community.

He lpi n g t he s t o r e get off the ground was the Baradine Progress A sso ciation , wh ich allowed L oveable Seconds to operate from its building. All proceeds made by the op shop feed back into the Progress Association which, in turn, feeds back into Baradine.

The quaint op shop offers more than just affordable clothing, also running a free library that is open to the public and has proven popular with locals.

The store is packed w ith good ies, f rom formal wear and retro

bric-a-brac to CDs, shoes and more.

Ange said Loveable Seconds was happy to welcome new volunteers and she hopes to extend opening hours in the future. “ The goal is to connect people in t h e c o m mu n i t y a n d promote sustainability by reusing things that would otherwise go to landfill. “ That part is really important to me – and it’s fun too!”

I f y o u w o u ld l i k e t o j oi n t he t e a m at L oveable S econds, email Ange Bunner at: a ngebu n ner5 @ gma i l. com.

Royal Hotel marks first year

The Royal Hotel Coonabarabran is celebrating its first anniversary, marking a year of community, learning and growth since reopening under the helm of the Rickert family.

Regina Rickert said it was hard to believe a full year had already passed.

“Can you believe it? It has already been one year since we opened our doors to this beautiful community — or should we say, has it only been one year?” Regina said.

“This year has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, filled with unforgettable highlights, unbelievable challenges and

milestone moments.”

Regina said the family wanted to sincerely thank loyal customers for the patience, kindness and understanding shown during the early months.

“From the beginning, the community supported us as we learned, adjusted and found our feet,” she said.

“Once we settled in, we could really feel how the Royal Hotel filled a gap in town, and

13 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

we began to see our vision come to life.”

She said the hotel’s Europeaninspired menu and homemade gelato had become a highlight for many locals.

Looking back on the year, Regina pointed to standout events including Oktoberfest, Thursday trivia nights and the Sydney Hotshots, along with live music from local artists.

“These events brought

excitement, energy and fun to the venue, while also giving local talent a platform to shine,” she said.

Looking ahead, the team at the Royal Hotel are preparing to host its first wedding reception and plans to make Oktoberfest even bigger in 2026, as well as welcome more birthdays, family gatherings, business meetings, wakes, Christmas parties and weddings in the years ahead.

Regina also thanked local businesses, trades and service providers for their support with repairs, maintenance and dayto-day operations.

“Our team has grown into something truly special – a blend of international workers and locals who bring enthusiasm and heart to everything they do.

“Here’s to many more years of community, connection and celebration.”

2025 COONABARABRAN CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

Anna Goard, Lincon Goard, Milly McEvoy, Nicole Goard and Michelle McEvoy.

Nic Stone, Paula Duggan and Juanita Bunn.

14 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

Cyndi Smith with her parents, Steven and Di Wood.

2025 COONABARABRAN CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

Erin and Nicole Devenish from E.D Gift & Glow and Life in Pieces Collective.

Grace Watton, from Grace and Mya’s Cookies.

15 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

Members of the 254 Army Cadet Unit - Coonabarabran.

Photos: Claudia Heaney

CLASSIFIEDS •PUBLIC NOTICE

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info@coonabarabrantimes.com www.coonabarabrantimes.com •POSITION VACANT

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•PUBLIC NOTICE SHAYNE RIORDAN CHIROPRACTOR Visiting COONABARABRAN fortnightly on Tuesdays 26A Little Timo rLane (Off Timor Plaza) APPOINTMENTS: 6742 3733 0427 628 118

•PUBLIC NOTICE BIBLE GEMS from Tony Brain

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into the Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News.

Mark 1: 12, 13

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DAM CLEANING and DE-DE-SILTING 24-tonne machine available PHONE

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COMING TO THE MARKET IN 2026 Coonabarabran: 2-bedroom brick home • Large back yard • Garden shed • 2 x RC AC • One-car garage with automatic roller door • Freshly painted with new floor coverings

For mor information contact: 0437 421 561

MANAGING EDITOR – TEMPORARY CONTRACT

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COONABARABRAN

CHRISTMAS CAROLS Friday 19th December Coonabarabran Showground From 6pm

Coonabarabran Men’s Choir St Lawrence’s Children’s Choir Anglican Ladies Choir Coonabarabran Community Choir Orbital Swing Band + Churches from across the community

16 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

We are seeking an experienced news editor to manage our two publications based out of Coonamble in western NSW for 3 to 6 months beginning 21 January 2026.

The Coonamble Times is a 20-page local newspaper published weekly in print and digital formats.

The Western Plains App is a mobile news app+website that serves 11 local government areas. News is published 3-4 times each day, seven days a week.

You would be managing an editorial staff of two full-time journalists and three remote part-time contracted journalists plus 1.6 FTE administration/sales/production staff.

The current editor is stepping aside but will be available for support and guidance.

To express interest or find out more please contact: Lee O’Connor 0428 222 517 or email locolee329@gmail.com

AROUND THE SCHOOLS Coonabarabran Public A s the term and year draw to an end, we farewell our Year 6 students as they move on to high school and exciting new beginnings.

We were both happy and sad to celebrate with them at the Farewell Dinner and social, while a lso c ong ratu lati ng them on the leadership a nd f r ie nd s h ip t hey have shown to the entire school community.

E ver y cl a ss ac r o ss the school celebrated the end of the year and Christmas with a class party.

Class 5/6M took a bus tr ip t o P i l l iga Pottery, where students c r e at e d c l ay h o u s e s and enjoyed pizza. Mrs Meyers certainly knows how to bring the fun to her opportunity class i n recog n ition of the hard work they achieved throughout the year.

K-2 s t udent s wer e

t h r i l le d when S a nt a arrived in a fire truck before enjoying water games.

Class 4L, as always, had a wonderful time thanks to the hilarious surprises Mr Lowe had in store for them.

It was truly a week of celebration and cong ratu lations a l l around at CPS. As an era comes to an end, Coonabarabran CPS would like to thank and cong ratulate the Coonabarabran Times, expressing our deepest appr e c i at ion for t he c om mu n ic at ion a nd sense of community it has brought to this part of Gamilaroi countr y we call home. The paper will be greatly missed, as will Max Estens, and CPS wishes everyone involved with the paper every success in their future ventures.

Year 6 with their beloved Mrs Tara Meyers, Mr Ed Yabsley, Ms Merilyn Neville, Mr Will Robinson, Mrs Trudi Roberts and Ms Ebony Whalan.

Richards takes the world

Coonabarabran Public School’s 2026 leadership team (l-r): Thomas McMillan (prefect), Wade Jenner (vice captain), Elijah Hartberg (captain), Rebecca Staniforth (captain), Emma Johnston (vice-captain), Sophie Aylett and Cash Britton (prefects). Absent - Ivana Stanton (prefect).

Tooraweenah Public

Local apprentice Jack Richards (third left), has been on the tools alongside Team Australia in Taipei, Taiwan, as they prepare for the National WorldSkills competition in Shanghai, China, set for September 2026.

17 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

Swim School Our Swim School came t o a n exciti ng f i n ish , w ith students lea r n i ng lifesaving strokes to help keep themselves and others safe around water.

Students wore life jackets and clothes while in the pool to practise swimming to safety using lifesaving strokes like sidestroke and backstroke.

We’re really proud of how

our students gave their best each day and improved their swimming and water-safety skills. A big thank you to our amazing swimming teachers, Mrs Jenkin and Mrs Quilter, Gilgandra Learn to Swim a nd a l l t he add it ion a l helpers who made Swim School so successful.

C ong ratu lations t o everyone on a great Swim School.

Amelia Hutchison, Maddison Jenkin and Eloise Jenkin enjoying Swim School.

TRADES & SERVICES D I R E C T O R Y PHIL AND MICK KURAS

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Office: 6842 1100 Mobile: 0427 253 406 E: sales@edwardsair.com.au

Grundfos Pumps Solar pumps, submersibles and pressure systems Welding and Fabricating Ph: 6842 4038 or Phil: 0427 424 038 Mick: 0437 424 038 Over 40 years experience Fully licensed and insured

Castlereagh Couriers Servicing • Dubbo • Mendooran • Binnaway • Coonabarabran • Baradine Owned & operated by David & Wendy Goodridge

Clarke & Cunningham SOLICITORS

Pamela McCaffrey - Principal & Lawyer Brian Mockler - Lawyer ~ Ashleigh Smith - Lawyer 12A JOHN STREET, COONABARABRAN Ph: 6842 1455 E: admin@clarkeandcunningham.com.au

0428 852 705

ENQUIRIES

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Phone: 6842 1844

Kait Britton

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info@coonabarabrantimes.com

editor@coonabarabrantimes.com

accounts@coonabarabrantimes.com

news@coonabarabrantimes.com

claudia@coonabarabrantimes.com

Circulating throughout the Warrumbungle Shire

www.coonabarabrantimes.com

18 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

VIEW CLUB NEWS Telstra upgrade causes mass disruptions

Coonabarabran VIEW Club held its f i na l meeting for the year at the CWA rooms. This meeting was the annual f u nd-ra i si ng d i n ner, where members catered for the dinner.

T h i s ye a r, i nv it e d guests included those who opened their gardens to the public

for the V IEW Garden Trail, held in September.

Other guests were Linda Davis, Anne Dicks and hu sba nd s of V I E W members.

T he C WA ha ll was beautifully decorated in a Christmas theme by Lindy Swanson and her team. VIEW president, June McW hi r ter

prov ided a ga rdenthemed bingo for all to pa r ticipate a nd then she regaled us with a poem for the evening’s entertainment.

All guests agreed the setting, the meal and the entertainment were a credit to the V IEW ladies.

G.H.

Coonabarabran VIEW Club members and guests enjoyed a Christmas dinner at their end-of-year meeting.

Recent upgrades to Telstra’s mobile base station in Coonabarabran have brought 5G to the area, but not without disruption, with extended outages in early December significantly impacting local businesses and residents.

Upgrades were recently been made to Coonabarabran’s mobile base station to deliver 5G to the local area and enhance the existing 4G network.

Telstra stated that 5G will improve efficiency by delivering more consistent speeds, reducing download times and providing smoother streaming.

However, the upgrades were not smooth sailing for m a ny r e s ident s , particularly business owners.

The Telstra outages spanned eight business days, 4-11 December, often lasting the majority of the day. This had a strong impact on local bu s i ne s s e s i n a r e a s such as communication, E F T P O S a nd on l i ne banking.

Vicki Hayes, owner of Hayes Homemaker Heaven, said the outages changed the way sales were made, forcing staff to rely heavily on trust with customers.

“We had to ask people

to duck up to the bank when they were open or go home to their wi-fi network, and trust that they would deposit the money there,” Vicki said.

Waiting for deposits to clear during the outage had further implications for the business.

“It was a bit of a juggle to wait for the payment to come through on our account before we could deliver,” Vicki said.

Communication from Telstra detailing the ex t ent of the outage was limited, meaning many cust omers and business owners did not understand what the impacts would look like over the eight days. “ We received a text message saying that we could expect service to be impacted at various times,” Vicki said.

"I do think it could have been made a bit c l e a r e r t h at i t w a s going to be a complete outage, so customers were prepared that we would not have EFTPOS available."

Vicki recognised that t h e s e up g r ad e s a r e required from time to time; however, in the lead-up to the holiday season, she sa id the impact was felt more strongly.

Telstra reg ional manager, Mike Marom said the upgrade to the current 5G network had set the base for further enhancements in the future.

“The work will make the sit e r e ady for a further upgrade to our even faster 5G in the

future,” Mr Marom said.

He highlighted the importance of efficient mobile ser v ice in all areas of Australia. “ We k now how important mobile connectiv ity is for Australians, whether you’re in the city or the country.”

For many local businesses and residents, the hope now is that the promised improvements will outweigh the d i s r upt i o n fe lt t h i s month.

The power of carbon Carbon is the catalyst for soil health and productivity in primary production. Managing this resource has become more important now than ever for the longevity and resilience of our farming systems.

by CLAUDIA HEANEY AgSTAR consultant, Callen Thompson has spent his career working alongside industry professionals, keeping up to date with current science and emerging technologies to equip farmers with the knowledge and tools they need to build healthier soils and strengthen production.

Throughout his career, carbon has remained a strong focus; not just in the context of emissions, but as a foundation of soil function, biological activity and long‑term farm resilience.

With growing attention on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and increasing soil carbon sequestration, carbon continues to play a vital role in both environmental outcomes and the health of the soils that form the foundation of primary production.

Emissions The Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is a national initiative focused on helping Australia’s agricultural sector transition toward low‑emissions and climate‑resilient farming.

Callen attended t h e a n n u a l Z e ro N e t E m ission s Agri cul ture CRC conference, joining industry professionals to explore the developments shaping the sector. He said that although the organisation is new, the initiative has been met with promising

support from professionals and producers.

“Those in New Zealand are doing a lot of work in this space, so it was great hearing about some of the technologies they’re researching and starting to implement,” Callen said.

“We heard from people sharing their experience who have already started to make change in the industry.”

The conference provided an important opportunity to engage with industry peers and exchange ideas. “ Wo r k i n g a s a professional in Coonabarabran, you’re not in large offices or universities talking to people in this space all the time,” Callen said.

“So it was good just to catch up with a few colleagues.”

C a l l e n h a s collaborated with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) to deliver training that helps producers understand carbon’s impact on their operations and how to manage it effectively and maximise it’s value.

“Carbon Edge is a MLA extension program run as a two-day workshop,” he explained.

“It aims to give producers a better understanding of their own emissions profile, where we use a carbon calculator tool.

“We are then able to work out what your carbon emissions potentially are and discuss ways to reduce

19 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

them.”

Carbon emissions can often be reduced through appropriate management practices and timing.

“Increasing the efficiency of your land is a great way of reducing emissions while also increasing productivity and yield.

“Soil and tree carbon sequestration also plays a role in reducing emissions.”

Soil health From the start of his career in the industry, Callen said carbon has been recognised as an important element to build upon for soil health.

“I’ve been doing this sort of work for the last 20 years, working as an agronomist and now consultant,” he said.

“For the last 20 years, we’ve been talking about trying to get an increase in soil carbon, not to sell carbon; but because we know a soil with high carbon levels is a really healthy soil.”

Appropriate levels of soil carbon benefit a wide variety of processes, dramatically increasing the activity and function of the soil.

“We know that if we can increase our soil biology, improve our structure and have adequate soil chemistry or soil nutrients, we know that we’ll have a healthy soil,” Callen said.

“Soil carbon improves the way our soils both hold and cycle nutrients, it also has the ability to improve moisture-holding

capacity.”

Increasing soil carbon Callen said that soil carbon levels fluctuate due to controllable and uncontrollable factors.

However, farmers are able to maximise their levels through appropriate management practices.

“The biggest driver for soil carbon is climate, a lot of that’s around rainfall,” he said. “ To i n c r e a s e s o i l carbon, you have to have something green growing; it has to put roots down into the soil.

“That organic matter that we grow with plants, then feeds the biology of the soil and that gets everything cycling.”

Callen said that soil type often dictates the soil’s ability to sequester carbon.

“Soil type and texture are really important.

Sandy soils often don’t have the capacity to have a higher soil organic carbon compared to some of our clay soils,” he said.

“Next is management.

If you’ve got a nutrient deficiency, adding that nutrient to increase plant growth.”

Stocking density and rotation between paddocks also have a direct impact on soil carbon.

“Then we start thinking about how grazing management can increase our soil carbon,” Callen said.

“Ensuring you are allowing your plants to stay in active growth stages and maintaining

deep root systems is essential.

“Ground cover also acts as a barrier, retaining soil carbon from being emitted into the atmosphere.”

Carbon credits As interest in emissions reduction grows, many producers are beginning to explore carbon-credit agreements as a possible income stream. Credits are created when a far ming business can demonstrate it is storing additional carbon or reducing emissions beyond normal practice.

These carbon credit trading platfor ms are facilitated through certified carbon project developers and industry organisations.

Farmers are needing to account for their own carbon emissions, making it more important now than ever to ensure they have the capacity to sell their carbon credits to other corporations.

“I’m working with producers now that are actually being asked what their emissions numbers are, by either their suppliers or their banks,” Callen said.

“We’re all part of that whole supply chain that’s emitting carbon dioxide.

“If I’ve gone and sold my carbon credits to somebody else to reduce their emissions, I can no longer use those.”

Callen emphasised the importance of understanding your own operation before jumping into an agreement and urges producers

considering a carboncredit agreement to educate themselves thoroughly and speak with trusted industry professionals before committing.

“It is important to have a good understanding of your own emissions’ profile and your soil’s ability to increase soil carbon levels,” he said “ Ta l k t o c a r b o n traders, agronomists and consultants.

“Attend a training course – whether it be from the Department of Primary Industries or Meat Livestock Australia, or any other company that’s running these courses – so that you’ve got a better

understanding of what this all looks like.”

Callen said factors such as strong climatic conditions can significantly influence carbon levels, increasing the level of risk involved in any long‑term agreement.

Ultimately, he said the focus should remain on soil health first and foremost.

“Soil carbon is very critical for production,” Callen said. “ We s h o u l d a l l b e looking to increase soil carbon, whether we’re trying to be involved in a carbon sequestration plan or not.”

Agronomist and consultant, Callen Thompson.

20 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

21 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

Peter Nelson’s

WEATHER WATCH Over the past few days, thunderstorms brought heavy rainfalls to isolated places in our region – the heaviest falls were over 80mms in Coonabarabran, making this, to date, the wettest December since 2020.

Other heavy falls were 62mms at Gunnedah, 61mms at Mungindi, 36mms at Coonamble and 33mms at Tamworth.

It has been notably dry elsewhere, with maximum temperatures well above normal for December.

Northern Victoria and the Riverina have been very dry since the end of August; the driest since 2019 when widespread bush fires did a lot of property damage from about 8 November right up to the end of January 2020.

Townsville has just completed its warmest November since 1971. The highest temperature recorded was 37.4 degrees on 25 November, which was the highest for November since 38.2 degrees in 2018.

Other very-high November readings were in 1939 and 2008. All led to very hot summer over most of the nation.

Mackay had its hottest November in over 115 years of records; the previous hottest Novembers were in 1939, 2001 and 2019.

Along the Queensland coast, Willis Island, near Cairns, has had its driest ever October-November period despite sea-surface temperatures being abnormally high. That situation could very well enhance tropical cyclone activity this summer.

After all, Townsville’s warmest November since 1971 led to the town’s destruction when cyclone Althea struck on 24 December 1971.

VETERANS’ GOLF Tuesday, 9 December The winner of the Coonaba rabran G ol f C lub’s vet era ns competition played on T uesday, 9 December was Dick Clark.

Runner-up was Bob Guichelaar.

Tuesday, 16 December The winner on Tuesday, 16b December was Bill Brown, followed

by Mick Noy in second and Geoff Gasior placing third. All won hams.

S.L.

McWhirter holds her own at Golf NSW state playoffs Coonabarabran golfer Jane McWhirter has delivered a strong performance at the Golf NSW Gold Medal State Playoffs, held on Tuesday, 10 December, at the prestigious Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club in Sydney.

Competing against t h e s tate’s to p c l u b g o l fe r s, McWh i r te r finished sixth in the scratch standings and 12th net in Division 1, a commendable result in a field that attracted 6482 competitors from 180 clubs across N SW th roug hout the qualifying process.

“To even get there was a feat in itself,” McWhirter said, reflecting on the achievement.

“I played pretty well, even with a couple of tough holes thrown in, including a nine and a n e i g ht (th e d eep, s teep bun ke r s won), but it was a really good experience and a great day overall.”

M cWh i r te r e a r n e d her place at the s ta t e p l a y o f f s a f t e r claiming the Division 1 (handicaps 0–18) title at the North West regional final at Quir indi Golf Club in October.

The bluster y conditions made scoring difficult on the

day, with her winning net score of 78 proving the best in challenging weather.

Stonecutters Ridge, rega rded as one of NSW’s premier courses, hosted the state final,

where only regional winners progressed to compete.

M cWh i r te r’s res u lt

caps of f a standout season and places her a m o n g th e l ea d i n g club golfers in the state.

Jane McWhirter proudly represented Coonabarabran and North West Zone at the Golf NSW Gold Medal State Playoffs in Sydney.

Kooka’s rugby season looking positive There’s plenty of excitement around local rugby following a successful annual general meeting of the Coonabarabran Rugby Club, with strong signs that the Kookaburras will be back on the paddock for the 2026 season.

A new executive has stepped up, ma rk i ng a fresh chapter for the club after a challenging ye a r th at saw the Kookas withdraw from competition due to low player numbers.

Ha m ish Fauchon h a s b e e n app o i nt e d president , suppor t ed by vice presidents Stu T homas and T ylor B a l l a r d . S t eve For d t a ke s on t he r ole of secretary, while Neville McCarty will handle the dual roles of publicity officer and treasurer.

Stu Thomas will also serve as team manager,

22 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

and Brent Mor r issey has been named club captain.

This leadership group and committee r epr e s ent s a s t r o n g blend of yout h , old experience and passion, all committed to reinvigorating the club and building momentum heading into next year.

The club would like to sincerely than k outgoing president L onnie Stone and secretary Dolly Duggan fo r t hei r de d i c at ion and hard work during what was a particularly difficult period. Their commitment helped keep the club together when it mattered most.

Newly-elected president, Hamish Fauchon emphasised t h at 2 0 2 6 w i l l b e a year of rebuilding and reconnecting, w ith a strong focus on reestablishing the famous social side of Kookaburra rugby. “ O nc e we get th at right, the players and supporters will follow – and success on the field will come,” he said.

T he team w i l l be coached by Alexander K n ight , w ith L ach ie Stokie joining him as assistant coach.

M a ny pl ayer s a nd supp or t ers , mysel f included, perhaps didn’t fully appreciate just how important the Rugby Club was to our t ow n u nt i l it wasn’t there. T hat renewed appreciation has created a strong desire to see the Kookaburras thrive again, and hopefully it will translate into encouraging numbers turning up for training early in the new year.

Ever yone w i l l a lso be look ing for wa rd to making use of the new change rooms and canteen, which the club proudly supported both financially and through volu nt e er l a b ou r. It was a g reat thrill to see the facility officially opened by mayor Cathy Rindfleish in September.

F i n a l ly, it i s w ith great sadness that we acknowledge the closure of the Coonabarabran T im e s. For de c ade s , t he T im e s h a s b e en a cor nerst one of ou r commun ity a nd a ti reless suppor t er of local sport, including our Rugby Club. Across the club’s 41-year history, it ’s ha rd t o i mag i ne surviving without their weekly game coverage, promotion of events and

unwavering support.

Many former publicity of f icers w i l l fond ly remember racing the clock to get copy in to Lynne Estens, who was always so gracious and ac c om mod at i ng. T he T imes w ill be deeply missed, and we sincerely tha n k them for the

wonderful contribution they have made to our community over so many years.

After a tough period fo r t he K o ok a s , it ’s exciting to see the club heading in a positive direction and gearing up for 2026.

Harry

Hamish Fauchon, new-elected president of the Coonabarabran Rugby Club.

Presentation night for golfers Ozzie Antaw’s generosity made for a memorable day at the Coonabarabran Golf Club on Saturday, 13 December, with a strong turnout, great prizes and plenty of golfing action.

Ozzie Antaw dropped into the club on Saturday as the sponsor of the Doc Antaw Day. Ozzie is very generous with his prize pool and we had a fantastic turn out.

T h e d ay f e at u r e d a s i n g le s t a ble for d , followed by a draw for partners to determine the winners.

The drawn winners were the two players that had the most points! So there was no way anyone else could have caught them. T he w i n ners were John Davis with 39 points and Damien Bennell with 42 points.

Second place went to Steve Morrissey 38 and Zoe with 35 points.

The best male (who had not won a ham yet) was Aden Larance and the top woman was Lou Dowsett.

O z z ie t hen held a raffle open to the whole club. Thanks so much for the hams and all the other prizes.

Presentation Night T h e c l u b ’ s P resent at ion Night was held on Friday, 12 December, with a small crew in attendance. The highlight of the evening was Jo Isedale ( Dow)

giving us a run down on her Dad, who was a great golfer. Jo is now the sponsor of the Medal of Medals, one of our major events of the year.

Kat Christoff collected several trophies during the night.

Thanks to Trish and Elaine for the cooking – and your elves also. The food was great!

This weekend will be the Christmas Golf Day, sponsored by Swanny and Floody. It will be a two-person ambrose and

everyone is welcome to join us that day. That w i l l end t h i s ye a r ’s calendar.

Keep up to date over the holidays on Facebook or WhatsApp for all golf news.

Z.H.

Damien Bennell, one of the winners of the Doc Antaw Golf Day, with sponsor, Ozzie Antaw.

Kat Christoff, who was awarded several trophies on Presentation Night, with Jo Isedale, sponsor of the club’s Medal of Medals.

CHICKEN RUN Sunday, 14 December The Coonabarabran Golf Club’s Sunday morning chicken run was played over the back nine on 14 December, with Kurt and Matt Pincham the winners, scoring 26 points.

Vouchers were won by Dave Bunyan and Mick Noy. 25 points on a count

back, Matt Pincham and Cody Higgins 25 points, and Eric Watton and Geoff Gasior 24 points.

Ball winners were Butter Jones and Dennis O’Brien, 22.

Next Sunday’s chicken run, on 21 December, will be will be played over the front nine. It will be an individual stableford,

23 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

with draw of card after play. Lots of prizes on offer, but you must be present to collect your prize. There will also be a NTP on the 4th hole.

This chicken run will be sponsored by six of the chicken run players – and we thank them very much for putting the run on.

All are welcomed to come along and play.

We would like to thank Lynne and Kait for supporting the golf news every week.

Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year.

Backchat and Chook

Our final edition

Thanks for the yarns!

24 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 18 December 2025

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Rylan flying high thanks to Little Wings Cherry auction soars to new heights raising record-breaking $260,000 for vital medical service

By ALI SMITH

journalist@nwcourier.com.au

Like most three-year-old country boys, Rylan Wyborn is a big fan of monster trucks, motorbikes, outdoor skate parks, pigging and fishing.

“He’s very energetic and really enjoys playing outside – he loves riding his scooter,” said Rylan’s mum Brooke.

Rylan has a beaming smile on his face as he tells the North West Magazine about all his favourite things and hopes for the future, including a Christmas present with a motor – a car, perhaps remote control, would be very well received under the tree.

He also has a much-loved pet goat and looks forward to being big enough to ride a bull one day.

Rylan is outgoing, kind, friendly, and has this journalist charmed within minutes of meeting.

He has an older sister Zarlie who is 10 and two brothers - eight-year-old Brock and one-year-old Colton.

In many ways, Rylan is just a typical Narrabri boy soaking up the joys of a rural childhood.

However, he lives with a medical condition – a rare lymphatic disorder - which causes swelling and it can also severely compromise Rylan’s immune system, leaving him vulnerable to infection.

“Rylan was born with lymphedema down the right side – from the top of his eyebrow to the tip of his big toe,” explained Brooke.

Continued on page 2 THUMBS UP: Narrabri’s Rylan Wyborn was born with a rare lymphatic disorder that severely compromises his immune system. Being able to access vital treatment at The Children’s Hospital in Westmead, Sydney thanks to the charity air and transport service Little Wings has been a ‘game changer’ for his family. Rylan is pictured right with his dad Zane and mum Brooke.

This is the last edition of the North West Magazine for 2025.

The next North West Magazine will be published on January 15, 2026.

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!

Photo source: Little Wings.

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NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Page 2

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Little Wings connects country kids to medical care Continued from front page “It’s rare, we never knew about it (lymphedema), and normally you’re not born with it,” added Rylan’s dad Zane.

“I think it is normally something that happens after surgery or some sort of trauma.

“So, for Rylan to be born with it was a big shock. Even the nurses at the hospital weren’t sure at the start,” added Zane.

“So, none of the fluid drains back into his body unless it’s forced by compression. His lymphatic system doesn’t work, which helps the fluid in your body drain and helps your lymph nodes,” added Brooke.

“That’s why he’s got special compression stockings that he wears, and we need to have those garments remeasured as he grows.”

Navigating Rylan’s rare condition has presented unique challenges for his family. And while they love living in the bush, the Wyborns understand all too well the hurdles, sacrifices and costs rural people face when it comes to accessing healthcare such as the tyranny of distance and the pressures of balancing work and other family commitments while attending appointments and receiving care a long way from your hometown. The journey to find a diagnosis and treatment has been

long and arduous for Rylan and his family, from Narrabri hospital to Tamworth and eventually to specialist care at John Hunter in Newcastle and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney.

It is still an ongoing process.

For Zane and Brooke, the real ‘game changers’ for the family happened when a physiotherapist told them about Little Wings and Ronald McDonald House.

“We went from Narrabri to Tamworth, and then back–and-forth to Tamworth - they threw their hands up in the air and didn’t know what they could do for Rylan and we got sent to John Hunter and a specialist there managed his legs with compression stockings but she wasn’t sure what to do about his arm so sent us down to Westmead in Sydney,” said Brooke.

“We’d made about three trips to Sydney for different appointments and then we found out about Little Wings.

“By car, it’s about an eighthour trip and we’d be stopping at our parents’ houses along the way – both of our parents live in Cessnock.

“At one point we moved down there to Cessnock for six months to be closer to Sydney but Zane was back here (Narrabri) for work,” said Brooke.

SHOWING @ THIS WEEK

“So, the family was split up for a bit, which did make it super challenging. That was life before Little Wings, and Ronald McDonald House - which has been a massive help too.”

One of the reasons Zane and Brooke are sharing Rylan’s story is because they want to raise community awareness including about his condition.

“We know there aren’t any children around that you see looking like Rylan with one side swollen,” explained Brooke.

“We love him and it might make his life a little bit easier if people know more about his story, it might mean less questions and it might help other families too if their child has a condition.”

The couple also want to share key messages about the incredible and critical services offered

by Little Wings and Ronald McDonald House to country families seeking health treatment far from home. “The Narrabri community has been amazing, but we don’t have family here,” said Zane.

“We moved here 10 years ago together to start our own family, we love it here, but we don’t have parents or grandaparents or cousins, aunties, uncles around so to have these services behind us makes life just so much easier.”

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Ronald McDonald House serves as ‘a home away from home’ with the goal of ‘keeping families under the one roof and close to the hospital’. With 19 Ronald McDonald Houses across Australia, the charity offers families a comfortable place to stay with support from staff, volunteers and other families with shared experiences. The Houses include private family bedrooms, many with ensuites and communal kitchens, lounges, quiet spaces and play areas. Providing free accommodation for families with seriously ill or injured children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.

Little Wings is a non-for-profit organisation providing sick children and their families, throughout regional NSW, ACT and Queensland with free ongoing flight and ground transport during the treatment process, which also means less time on the road and less time apart for families.

In the last financial year, Little Wings supported 5,110 children and delivered 109 regional Medical Wings clinics, providing preventative care, early diagnosis, and health literacy support to children and families.

Little Wings said it understands that ‘discovering your precious

child has a life-threatening illness can be truly heartbreaking. It’s even harder when the waves of pain come with the emotional and financial strain of being away from your family and home, while your child braves treatment.’

For Rylan’s family, Little Wings allows them to fly from Narrabri airport to Bankstown in Sydney, where a vehicle then takes them straight to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

The trip from Narrabri to Westmead is more than 500 kilometres by road.

It is a lifesaving and life-changing service for rural families.

Rylan is required to go to Westmead up to three times a year, and often those visits might need to be extended, and at short notice.

“To have this support for our family is just massive,” said Zane.

“Every pilot is a volunteer pilot, they’re amazing,” added Brooke.

Rylan couldn’t agree more; the Little Wings pilots make him feel comfortable and at ease, giving him earmuffs for the noise and another highlight he says is “the tiny teddies” handed out during the flight.

Continued on page 3 LEFT: The Wyborn family at the Sydney Markets Foundation Cherry Ball, which raised $260,00 for charity partner Little Wings.

Pictured, Zane, Colton, Brooke, Zarlie, Brock and Rylan Wyborn.

Little Wings connects country kids, like Rylan, with medical care.

Photo source: Little Wings.

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Thursday, December 18, 2025

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Page 3

Rylan flying high thanks to Little Wings Continued from page 2 Rylan even tells the North West Magazine that he might like to fly a plane one day himself.

It’s clear Little Wings has had an enormous impact on the Wyborns as they express their sincere gratitude to the charity and speak so fondly about their experiences with the pilots.

It’s a vital medical service and one that deservingly received a sizable financial boost as the 2025 charity partner for the Sydney Markets Foundation Cherry Ball.

The Sydney Markets Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organisation that aims to assist members of the community, including those associated with the fresh produce industry, during times of crisis. Its charitable activities have provided funding to help communities through drought, floods, bushfires and sickness, and lend a helping hand to people associated with SydneyMarkets and the industry who are doing it tough.

Held on November 29, there was super sweet success at the annual Cherry Ball auction when a five-kilogram box of cherries from Warby Ranges in Victoria was auctioned off for a record-breaking $260,000, with the proceeds going to 2025 charity partner Little Wings.

For the first time in its 44-year history, the cherry auction saw two businesses named cherry royalty, with both Parisi and Trims Fresh Merrylands taking the crown of Cherry King and Queen.

Both businesses placed winning bids of $80,000 each, with Trims Fresh Merrylands’ bid supported by a secondary donation. Additional pledges totalled $20,000 from Sydney Markets Credit Services and $80,000 from a consortium of Sydney Markets businesses.

“The Cherry Ball is a highlight of our summer produce calendar, bringing together growers, retailers, and community supporters to celebrate our incredible Australian produce and make a real difference,” said Meegan George, Sydney Markets Foundation chief executive office.

“The highly coveted box of cherries hand selected to go under the hammer was from Smiths Fruit in Wangaratta, for the second consecutive year. Its Royal Hazel Premium Cherry was chosen by the judging panel as the prize varietal from nine different entrants.”

For the second year running, all proceeds from the cherry auction will go to charity partner, Little Wings.

“This year’s record-breaking auction result of $260,000 demonstrates the generosity of our community and ensures children in regional and rural areas can access the vital care they need, no matter the distance,” added Meegan George.

“Every bid truly changes lives and this result highlights the way our community has joined forces and dug deep, surpassing all expectations.”

The proceeds from the 2024 Cherry Auction enabled the

organisation to run an additional two missions per week, expanding its reach significantly across rural and regional communities.

This year’s impressive donations will see Little Wings soar to new heights.

“We are incredibly grateful to Sydney Markets Foundation and everyone who supported the Cherry Auction this year,” said Clare Pearson, chief executive officer of Little Wings.

“Every single dollar counts, and these much-needed funds will allow us to maximise the impact of our work as we continue to expand our services and support even more families, ensuring that seriously ill children in rural and regional communities can get the medical care they need when they need it most.”

Chief executive officer of Sydney Markets Anthony Boyd said: “The Cherry Auction is one of our most treasured traditions, celebrating the first cherries of the season and the generosity of our Markets community.

“Since its inception, the auction has raised more than two million dollars and continues to bring the community together year after year. We especially thank Parisi and Trims Fresh Merrylands for their support and partnership in helping us turn a simple cherry into something life-changing.

“It’s a wonderful reminder of what makes Sydney Markets so special and a place where our industry unites to make a real difference.”

Wishing you and your family a safe and happy New Year.

LEFT: Little Wings is a non-profit organisation providing free flight and ground transport services for seriously ill children in rural and regional NSW and the ACT. Pictured,

Zarlie, Brock, Colton, Brooke and Rylan Wyborn.

Little Wings helps Narrabri’s Rylan access vital medical care at The Children’s Hospital, Westmead, Sydney.

Photo Source: Little Wings.

Rylan’s dad Zane described the record-breaking auction result as “phenomenal”.

Almost lost for words, the Wyborns were overwhelmed by the generosity of people in supporting Little Wings through the Sydney Markets Foundation but know first-hand how critical the charity transport service is and what an amazing difference it can make to assist families, just like theirs.

“The support is just crazy,” said Zane. “It’s unfathomable”.

The Wyborns also expressed their deep thanks to family and the local community for all the support, with a special mention for Patti Lettice for her kindness.

The family were thrilled to be able to attend the Cherry Ball in Sydney, and with the help of local businesses, Rylan looked very

handsome in his shirt and tie, kindly donated by McDonalds Fashion.

“SportsPower is another one who has been great because Rylan has two different show sizes, we would have to buy two pairs of shoes but they have helped us,” said Brooke.

“Thank you also to Sahar and Rosette from NutRoasters who made our night fun dancing with Zarlie and Brock, the ladies attend on behalf of the owner who kindly invited us to the Cherry Ball.

“And to Paul Lahood (OAM) and his beautiful wife. Paul is a gentlemen - we shared a table with them a Rylan fell fast asleep in his arms while we ate.”

“The support from everyone really means a lot – thank you – it’s been phenomenal,” added Zane.

JAMIE CHAFFEY

Broken Hill: Brookfield House, 275 Argent Street, Broken Hill NSW 2880 08 8087 7649 Wishing you and Wishing youmpand Wishing Dubbo: Suite 3, 153 Brisbane Street, Dubbo NSW 2830 02 6882 0999 your family family aa safe safe your your FEDERAL MEMBERfamily FOR Parkes jamie.chaffey.mp@aph.gov.au jamiechaffey.com.au jchaffey and happy happy New New Year.

Year. and Year.

Authorisedand

by Jamie Chaffey happy MP, National Party, BrookfieldNew House, 275 Argent St, Broken Hil NSW 2880.

JAMIECHAFFEY CHAFFEY mp mp JAMIE JAMIE CHAFFEY FEDERAL MEMBER FOR Parkes mp FEDERAL MEMBER FOR Parkes

Broken Hill: Brookfield House, 275 Argent Street, Broken Hill NSW 2880 08 8087 7649 Broken Hill: Brookfield House, 275 Argent Street, Broken Hill NSW 2880 08 8087 7649 3, 153 Brisbane DubboStreet, NSW 2830 02NSW 68822880 0999 Dubbo:Hill: Suite Broken Brookfield House,Street, 275 Argent Broken Hill 08 8087 7649 Suite 3, 153 Brisbane Street,jamiechaffey.com.au Dubbo NSW 2830 02 6882 0999 Dubbo: jamie.chaffey.mp@aph.gov.au jchaffey Suite 3, 153 Brisbane Street, Dubbo NSW 2830 02 6882 0999 Dubbo: jamie.chaffey.mp@aph.gov.au jamiechaffey.com.au jchaffey jamiechaffey.com.au jchaffey Authorised by Jamie Chaffey MP, National Party, Brookfield House, 275 Argent St, Broken Hilljamie.chaffey.mp@aph.gov.au NSW 2880.

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR Parkes

Authorised by Jamie Chaffey MP, National Party, Brookfield House, 275 Argent St, Broken Hill NSW 2880.

Authorised by Jamie Chaffey MP, National Party, Brookfield House, 275 Argent St, Broken Hill NSW 2880.

Page 4

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Vic Melbourne remembered as pioneer cotton grower

By DAVE ANTHONY

The key role of pioneer cotton grower the late Mr Vic Melbourne in the development of the Namoi Valley cotton industry was recalled in a tribute by former Auscott chairman Mr David Anthony AM, at Mr Melbourne’s recent funeral service in Narrabri.

Mr Anthony spoke of the close association of Mr Melbourne and Auscott from the early days of the industry, an association spanning decades.

Tribute to Vic Melbourne and Auscott To Vic’s family, on behalf of all the Auscott personnel who knew him please accept our condolences.

Today we remember Vic as an important member of the Narrabri and Namoi Valley communities and an icon of the Australian cotton industry.

On advising Jim Boswell, CEO of the Boswell Company which owned Auscott up until recent years, of Vic’s death, Jim said he wanted to convey that Vic was a great cotton producer, an early cotton pioneer in Australia and a loyal neighbour and customer to Auscott.

He was Auscott’s first ginning and marketing customer.

Some years back I had a long conversation with Vic about the early days of cotton in the Namoi Valley and how he began growing cotton and in particular his relationship with Auscott.

With Kahl and Hadley setting up their cotton operation in 1961 near Wee Waa considerable interest in this new crop was being generated in the district. It caught Vic’s attention.

In the early 1960s the Australian government encouraged American cotton growers to set up farming operations in Australia as we were importing around £50 million in raw cotton, which was impacting our foreign currency reserves following WWII. Through the Trade Commissioner, Ben Dawson, the federal government was promoting: the good land, good water and an ideal climate for cotton production.

The NSW government at the time was completing the construction of several dams including Keepit and Burrendong with the goal of using these dams to underpin agricultural development in regional NSW. Like Kahl and Hadley before them, two Arizonan cotton growers, Jim Blasdell and Richard Rhodes were attracted to the Namoi Valley.

Blasdell moved to Australia while Rhodes largely remained in Arizona looking after their farms where they had a crop loan agreement with the JG Boswell Company.

Blasdell selected three soldier settler blocks north of Vic’s property and the Perry family’s ‘Wentworth’ for his cotton operation.

His vision was to develop a 10,000 acre (4000 ha) irrigated cotton operation including a cotton gin.

This was a huge private irrigation development unheard of in Australia at the time.

While his vision did come about it was not an easy road.

Vic remembers the debates at the time, many of which featured in the NSW parliament.

It’s a long story and involves numerous controversies over buying

and consolidating three soldier settler blocks and acquiring multiple water licenses.

But finally, Blasdell had the approvals he needed to plant a crop in a very wet 1963.

The problem was however that with these land and water approvals came with a condition – Blasdell had to make a profit over five years and then sell up to Australian farmers.

Vic came to know Blasdell very well.

He watched in amazement as Blasdell’s vision turned into reality.

Equipment arrived from America. Tractors, dozers and numerous implements that Vic said he had never seen before.

When they arrived, it was too wet to get up to Blasdell’s workshop, so Vic agreed to let them park all the gear on his land near the Narrabri-Wee Waa Road The tillage equipment came in lots of crates and had to be put together - go devils, Lillistons, etc. that Vic had never seen before.

It was all four-row equipment.

Today of course its 12-row equipment – quite a jump.

Vic said he wouldn’t have a clue how to put all these thousands of metal pieces, discs, springs and tool bars together.

In contrast Vic had minimal equipment.

He had a tractor, a disc plough, and a two-row furrowing device.

He purchased a two-row planter and furrowed out 150 acres in a two-row configuration ready for his first commercial crop.

One of the things that amazed Vic was when Singh’s earthmoving contractor from Tamworth arrived and started moving dirt to develop fields for irrigation and building big channels to convey water away from the river.

Vic had been a spray irrigator and had some idea on water but what was going on north of him was a whole new ball game.

In his words, ‘massive’. This was a professional outfit!

Vic said cotton production was all new to him. He didn’t know much about furrow irrigation.

He was a spray irrigator – growing lucerne and cow feed.

He said he had a bit of an idea about water but not about largescale irrigation development.

Of course, years later Vic was to develop and build a large scale and successful cotton operation.

He had never seen anything like the work going on building channels and levelling land to a grade to run water.

At the time people thought you can’t move dirt.

You work with the ground levels you have.

His developments were about finding high spots on his land and then put in a channel round the high spots so he could run water down into the low end and then try and work out how to get the water out at the bottom.

It was simple contour development. Some of Blasdell’s development designed head ditches partly along contours but with head ditches sometimes over 3.5 kilometres long they moved lots of dirt to get the right slope in the field for furrow irrigation along with efficient tailwater return systems.

The other thing Vic noted was Blasdell moving water well away from the river to his development

using substantial channels.

While Vic tried a small area of cotton in 1961 basically for seed for Kahl and Hadley, he managed to destroy it accidentally when spraying 2,4-D around the property for burrs.

The sensitivity of cotton to hormone sprays was not well appreciated.

He also planted a small area again for Kahl and Hadley in 1962-63 again for seed increase.

He planted what he called his first commercial crop in 1963, the same year that Blasdell planted their first crop on Auscott.

Blasdell visited Vic not long after the crop had emerged and told Vic his crop was too thick.

Blasdell had an Allis Chalmers thinner and took it down to Vic’s.

Vic wasn’t too impressed with it.

It went amuck taking out too many plants left right and centre.

Vic told Blasdell what to do with the thinner.

I can just see Vic telling him what to do with the machine.

Vic reckoned the thinning didn’t make much difference, with the thinned area yielding the same as the untouched crop.

The 1963-64 season was not easy.

It was very wet with floods.

Blasdell’s crop had not been treated with any herbicides for reasons I don’t know but Vic used some diuron on his cotton and got reasonable weed control.

Weeds overtook Blasdell’s crop as did insects and lots of rain.

Vic remembers JG Boswell II coming out early in 1964 after Blasdell called for financial help as he was out of funds through fighting the weeds and insects along with all his large development expenses.

Blasdell and Rhodes operation in Arizona had a loan from the Boswell Company.

Boswell quickly identified that most of the crop was beyond redemption, and he had 78 per cent of the first years 4200 acres ploughed in.

The remaining area yielded 0.7 bale/acre.

Boswell was not going to extend further finance to help Blasdell with the Auscott operation.

Boswell Company assumed control of all Auscott’s assets again accepting the condition of making a profit in five years and then selling up.

Boswell sent out a young agronomist Jim Fisher from one of his ranches to see whether the situation could be turned around in a second year.

Fisher told Boswell that these were some of the best soils in the world and the cotton that was not impacted by weeds was very good.

It just needed herbicides.

Fisher became a good friend of Vic’s and highly regarded Fisher and his advice.

Auscott ginned 988 bales that first year which included 309 bales from Vic – almost a third of the through put.

Vic was Auscott’s first ginning and marketing customer.

He also yielded almost three times Blasdell’s yield.

Vic remembers the herbicide trials Fisher ran under lights and heaters in the Auscott office through the winter of 1964 sharing the information freely with Vic who visited the experiments on numerous occasions.

Fisher took weed seed loaded soil

NAMOI VALLEY COTTON PIONEER: The late Vic Melbourne.

ACRI cotton researcher Dr Robert Mensah with Vic Melbourne.

from numerous fields and placed them in trays under the lights and with heaters on.

He treated the trays with various herbicide types and rates and various combinations and sowed cotton into them.

He soon worked out the best treatment to use for the next crop.

Again Fisher shared all this with Vic. Based on those small pot trials in the office Fisher decided to treat the whole 5200 acres he was planting in the second year with his most successful treatment.

The second crop was a great success.

Vic believed it was those herbicide trials that really got Auscott back on track and turned it into a success.

Vic had a lot of admiration for Fisher.

Fisher was a frequent visitor to Vic’s and was always providing information on cotton and equipment and any trials Auscott was doing.

Vic respected him as he was always a straight shooter.

In Vic’s words “Fisher was a professional farmer. So, I tried to copy him and organise my show on his ideas and methods”.

Strong praise from Vic. And of course, Vic was also a straight shooter.

You knew where you stood.

Vic’s early cotton harvesting machines were quite primitive.

The first machine was an International Harvester where you mounted the picking head on a tractor and drove it backwards.

Vic said you had one forward gear and four reverse gears as a result.

Note – I didn’t mention this next paragraph in the eulogy In those days trailers were used to take cotton to the gin.

Fisher needed nearly 200 cotton trailers with the expanding Auscott

cotton area.

His order with a fabrication company in Newcastle included some trailers for Vic, Bob Wilson and perhaps the Carberrys.

The company was taken back at the size of the order.

Vic went on to make many of his own.

Vic told me that several local fabricators tried making trailers.

One in particular had over eight tyres on each trailer on little Holden rims – Vic called it a nightmare on wheels.

Trailers caused many headaches for Vic as they did for most cotton growers.

When they broke and were full of cotton you couldn’t weld them due to the cotton in them, so you had to get the cotton out.

They would blow tyres on the way to the gin.

Sometimes they’d come unhitched on the way, ending up in the channel, or heading off through a fence.

Hence, Vic was a very early adopter of the module system.

Vic remembered the 1972-73 season known as the Year of the Heliothis.

The caterpillar caused huge damage across the industry.

Vic reckoned he ran out of chemicals to spray them and out of around 2000 acres he only picked 400 and that yielded about a bale per acre.

Vic had huge praise for Dr Norn Thomson from the ACRI at Myall Vale.

Quoting Vic: “I reckon Norm, with all due respects to other people, did more for the cotton industry as far as varieties and so forth than anybody.”

So today we remember and celebrate one of the icons and pioneers of cotton in this district and a very successful agriculturalist - Vic Melbourne.

Thursday, December 18, 2025

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Page 5

WILD SUMMER FUN AT TARONGA WESTERN PLAINS ZOO New arrivals are making a splash at Taronga Western Plains Zoo – NSW’s Best Major Tourist Attraction – this summer. The Dubbo Zoo, which claimed the gong at the recent NSW Tourism Awards, has welcomed four Black-handed Spider Monkey babies, three African Lion cubs, two Quokka joeys and a critically endangered Scimitar-horned Oryx calf this year.

“Lion cubs Kaari, Mzuri and Nguvu have turned into quite the handful for parents Marion and Lwazi as well as their four big sisters,” said Director Steve Hinks. “They love playing with and pouncing on their siblings, as well as anything they find in their exhibit from balls to sticks and even tree roots!” The best time to see the cubs is between 10am and 10:30am when they venture onto exhibit for their daily enrichment scatter feed, or on board the Pride Lands Patrol Tour which enters the lions’ den. The Pride

Lands Patrol Tour departs from the Savannah Plaza at 10:30am MondaySaturday. Booking is essential.

The Black-handed Spider Monkey troop has welcomed four new arrivals to the Primate Islands on Svannah Lake, and the awesome foursome can be spotted from Cafe Wild. “Spider Monkey babies cling to their mums for the first few months of life before they start to get more adventurous, curious and playful,” Mr Hinks said. “It makes summer the perfect time to see them running and swinging around their island home.”

The best time to see the troop is at the Spider Monkey feed between 12:30pm and 1pm daily, or from a Pedal Boat on the Savannah Lake.

Pedal Boat hire is available between 9am to 12pm on Saturday and Sunday outside NSW school holidays, and 9am-12pm on Thursday to Sunday during NSW school holidays.

The festive season isn’t always easy, and that’s okay

Whether you’ve had a tough year or endured some recent setbacks, it’s okay to pause and reach out for support.

Looking after your mental health and wellbeing doesn’t mean making big changes. Often, it can start with something simple like checking in with yourself, or someone you care about.

For more information to support your mental health and wellbeing, visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/support or call the Mental Health line on 1800 011 511.

The final new arrival is a Scimitarhorned Oryx calf who has joined the herd near The Waterhole. “This calf is a fantastic little ambassador for his species, which is a true conservation success story,” Mr Hinks said. Once extinct in the wild, Scimitar-horned Oryx were reintroduced to their native Chad by a coalition of zoos from the USA and Europe in recent years and have since been reclassified as critically endangered. “Our breeding herd is a crucial part of the global genetic bank for this species,” Mr Hinks said.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is open every day of the year including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. All tickets are valid for two days and include access to more than 10 free keeper activities, as well as The Waterhole waterplay area, Waterhole Cafe and Frozen Coke Kiosk between 10am and 3pm.

Page 6

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE CLASSIFIEDS Phone: 6792 1011 | Fax: 6792 3476 Email: classifieds@nwcourier.com.au POSITION VACANT

VACANT POSITION - Chief Executive Officer Nurruby Children’s Services Inc. Narrabri NSW Employment Type: Full-Time Permanent Salary: Commensurate with experience Applications Close: 5pm Monday, January 19, 2026 Nurruby Children’s Services Incorporated is a community-based, not-for-profit organisation committed to delivering high-quality, inclusive education and care for children and families across three regional NSW communities. We proudly operate eight services, including four Out of School Hours (OOSH) programs and four Early Years services.

We are currently seeking a visionary and dedicated Chief Executive Officer to lead our organisation into its next phase of growth and sustainability.

Reporting directly to the Management Board, the Chief Executive Officer will be responsible for the overall strategic leadership, governance, financial oversight, and operational management of Nurruby Children’s Services Incorporated. This includes ensuring compliance with all regulatory and funding requirements, supporting service managers, and maintaining strong connections with families, staff, and the wider community.

Key Responsibilities • Lead and manage the organisation in alignment with our values and mission • Oversee the delivery of high-quality education and care across all eight services • Work collaboratively with the Management Board to implement strategic plans and goals • In conjunction with Chief Financial Officer, ensure financial accountability and sustainability • Manage funding agreements and government reporting • Lead, support, and develop a committed team of staff • Foster partnerships with stakeholders, including families, communities, and funding bodies.

• To manage all risks according to risk assessments and risk management plan.

The ideal candidate will be a confident and compassionate leader with: • Demonstrated experience in executive or senior management within the early childhood, education, community, or not-for-profit sectors • Strong understanding of governance, compliance, and funding in a not-for-profit context • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and motivate teams • Strategic thinking and financial acumen • A commitment to inclusive and community-focused practices • Relevant tertiary qualifications in education, business, or a related field (or equivalent experience)

Thursday, December 18, 2025

New cohort announced for national grain leaders program GrainGrowers has announced the next cohort of the Australian Grain Leaders Program, a unique professional development opportunity for growers and industry participants exploring future leadership roles in the grains industry.

The 2026 Australian Grain Leaders Program (AGLP) participants are Lachlan Day, Lockhart, NSW (grower), Sam Donaldson, North Star, NSW (grower), Amelia Gooding, Darkan, WA (grower), Danielle Hamlyn, Freeling, SA (grower /industry), Andy Hunt, Lameroo, SA (grower), Brad McLean, Mount Barker, WA (grower), Julia Payne, Perth, WA (industry), Lucy Powell, Julia Creek, QLD (industry), Jess White, Maryborough, VIC (industry), and Thomas Winter, Moree, NSW (grower).

The AGLP is a bespoke year-long program tailored to young growers aged 18-35 and designed to develop industry-wide capacity and skills.

GrainGrowers CEO Shona Gawel said the program had built a strong alumni since its inception over 17 years ago.

“Since the program commenced, GrainGrowers has managed to successfully tap into the enthusiasm and passion of people who genuinely want to help shape the future of Australian grains,” she said.

“Given how previous participants have brought back new skill sets to their farms, contributed to the industry, and in other areas of endeavour, I am always excited to see where our Australian grain leaders go with their individual development.”

To maximise impact, the course is highly customised and includes three face-to-face group workshops, field visits, coaching sessions, an individual leadership project, and training and integration with industry participants and events.

Program participants will also gain access to major industry events and join Cultivate, the newly established alumni network, to help drive an ongoing journey of leadership and collaboration beyond graduation.

Ms Gawel said building leadership capacity was a very worthwhile investment in the long-term growth of the wider industry.

“GrainGrowers mission is to empower Australian grain growers, and this program is an excellent example of that in action.” Ms Gawel said.

Why Nurruby?

• Make a real impact in the lives of children and families in regional communities • Lead a passionate and professional team • Work in a values-driven, community-led organisation • Enjoy the lifestyle and sense of purpose that comes with working in regional NSW Commitment to Child Safety Nurruby Children’s Services Incorporated is committed to the safety, wellbeing and support of all children and young people. Management, educators, staff and volunteers will treat all children with the utmost respect and understanding. We are committed to following the Child Safe Standards, creating environments where children are safe, and we act in the interests of children first.

To Apply: Please submit your resume and a cover letter addressing the selection criteria to: board@nurruby.com For more information please contact: Prue Jamieson 0429 926 566.

Nurruby Children’s Services Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to child safety and wellbeing. We welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of all backgrounds.

Reach thousands of readers every week with advertising solutions in the North West Magazine. Email hello@collective-media.com.au

GRAIN LEADERS PROGRAM: Among the participants in the Australian Grain Leaders program are Sam Donaldson (above) and Thomas Winter (left).

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Page 7

Thursday, December 18, 2025

REGIONAL NSW DAM LEVELS

Blowering Dam

Brogo Dam

Burrendong Dam

Burrinjuck Dam

Glennies Creek Dam

Hume Dam

Keepit Dam

Lake Wyangala

Split Rock Dam

Toonumbar Dam

34%

98%

51%

53%

99%

40%

99%

84%

99%

102%

Carcoar Dam

Chaffey Dam

Copeton Dam

Glenbawn Dam

Lostock Dam

Menindee Lakes

Oberon Dam

Pindari Dam

Windamere Dam

98%

100%

79%

100%

97%

65%

98%

70%

89%

As at December 15,­­2025 - https://www.waternsw.com.au/nsw-dams/nsw-storage-levels/regional-nsw-dam-levels Ring 02 6792 1011 or email Advertise here to sponsor our Dam Levels and reach hello@collective-media.com.au almost 15,000 readers every week in the North West. for more information!

Congratulations Zoo Pass WI WINNERS! CONGRATULATIONS TO Frances Ward

Kruiz McCann

Favourite animal: Giraffe

Favourite animal: Giraffe

Tobias Reading

Tony Phelps

Favourite animal: Meerkat

Favourite animal: Horse

WINNERS ARE NOT NOTIFIED - CHECK HERE FOR YOUR NAME

Winners are required to contact The North West Magazine by Thursday, December 18, 2025 to collect their tickets.

Please phone 6792 1011 or call into the office at either 60 Maitland Street, Narrabri or 177 Conadilly St, Gunnedah.. If not claimed, winners will be redrawn.

There were 41 entries received in the Taronga Western Plains Zoo/Sydney Taronga Zoo competition for three family passes.

Thank you to all who entered!

Friday, December 19 ABC TV

(2)

SBS

(3)

TEN

(5)

SEVEN

(6)

NBN

(8, 80)

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 ABC News Mornings. 10.00 Portrait Artist Of The Year. (PG) 11.00 The Forsytes.

12.00 ABC News At Noon.

1.00 Royal Carols.

2.05 Grand Designs Australia: Yarraville Pigeon. (Final) (PG) 3.00 QI: Messy. (PG) 3.30 Nigella Bites.

3.55 Grand Designs New Zealand: Whanau Share.

4.45 Long Lost Family: What Happened Next. (PG) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow.

6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG) 7.00 ABC News.

7.30 A (Very) Musical Christmas.

9.00 The Yearly With Charlie Pickering. (PG) 10.20 Spicks And Specks. (PG) 10.50 Silent Witness: Effective Range Pt 1. (M) 12.35 Rage Best New Music Videos Of 2025. (MA15+) 5.00 Rage. (PG)

6.00 WorldWatch. 7.30 France 24 English News.

8.00 DD India News Hour. 9.00 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites. 9.05 Paul O’Grady For The Love Of Dogs Xmas. (PG) 10.00 Inside Oxford Street. (PG) 10.50 Who Do You Think You Are? (PG) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 France 24. 1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Amazon: The Lost World. (PG) 2.55 Nick Knowles Into The Grand Canyon. (PG) 3.45 The Cook Up. (PG) 4.15 Westminster Abbey: Behind Closed Doors.

(PG) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers.

6.00 Mastermind Australia.

6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Indiana Jones: In Pursuit Of An Icon.

8.30 Starring Dick Van Dyke.

10.30 SBS World News Late.

11.00 Sisi. (M) 11.55 Culprits. (M) 2.05 Soldiers. (M) 3.50 Growing A Greener World. 4.20 Rediscover Victoria. 4.45 Destination Flavour Down Under Bitesize. 4.55 Destination Flavour: Singapore Bitesize. 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Ent. Tonight. 6.30 Good Chef Bad Chef.

7.00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Schofield.

7.30 Farm To Fork. 8.00 The Bold And The Beautiful. (PG) 8.30 Deal Or No Deal. 9.00 Lingo. 10.00 Entertainment Tonight. 10.30 Jamie’s Cook Ahead Christmas. 11.30 My Market Kitchen. 12.00 Farm To Fork. 12.30 Family Feud. (PG) 1.00 10 News: Lunchtime.

2.00 Deal Or No Deal.

2.30 Lingo.

3.30 10 News: Afternoon.

4.00 Bondi Rescue. (PG) 4.30 The Bold And The Beautiful. (PG) 5.00 10 News.

6.00 10 News+.

7.00 Deal Or No Deal.

7.30 Movie: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.

(2016) Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Danika Yarosh. (M) 9.55 10’s Late News.

10.20 10 News+.

11.20 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 12.30 Home Shopping.

6.00 Sunrise.

9.30 The Ashes: Pre-Game Show.

10.30 Cricket. The Ashes. Third Test. Australia v England. Day 3. Morning session. From Adelaide Oval.

12.30 The Ashes: The Lunch Break.

1.10 Cricket. The Ashes. Third Test. Australia v England. Day 3. Afternoon session.

From Adelaide Oval.

3.10 The Ashes: Tea Break.

3.30 Cricket. The Ashes. Third Test. Australia v England. Day 3. Evening session. From Adelaide Oval.

6.00 7News Local.

6.30 7News @ 6:30.

7.00 NSW Schools Spectacular. (PG) 9.30 Victorian State Schools Spectacular. (PG) 12.30 Harry’s Practice.

1.00 Miniseries: Any Human Heart. (M) 2.00 Home Shopping.

4.00 Million Dollar Minute.

5.00 NBC Today.

6.00 Today.

9.00 Today Extra Summer. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning.

12.00 Movie: Unforgettable Christmas.

(2023) Celeste Desjardins. (G) 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG) 4.00 9News Afternoon.

5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 6.00 NBN News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Space Invaders. (PG) 8.40 Movie: Elf. (2003) Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel. (G) 10.40 Movie: Four Holidays. (2008) Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Mary Steenburgen. (M) 12.20 Tipping Point. (PG) 1.10 Hello SA. (PG) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo.

4.30 Global Shop.

5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

5.30 Postcards Summer. (PG)

6.00 Children’s ABC FAMILY (22) Programs. 5.45 Kangaroo Beach. 5.55 Knee High Spies.

6.05 PJ Masks. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington.

6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Gardening Australia Junior. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 8.00 Scooby-Doo And Guess Who? 8.25 My Adventures With Superman. New Series. (PG) 8.45 Robot Wars: Battle Of The Stars. 9.45 Merlin. (PG) 10.30 Officially Amazing. (PG) 11.00 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning VICELAND (31) Programs. 1.20 WWE Legends. (M) 2.55 Bamay. (PG) 3.25 Fashionista. 3.40 BBC News At Ten. 4.10 France 24. 4.40 PBS News. 5.40 If You Are The One. (PG) 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. (M) 8.30 The Count Of Monte Cristo. Final. (M) 9.35 Secrets Of The Female Orgasm. (MA15+) 10.30 Homeland. (M) 12.40 Letterkenny. (M) 1.40 The Bloody Decade. (MA15+) 2.35 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.

6.00 Shopping. 8.00 DRAMA (51) Escape Fishing. 9.00 Living Room. (PG) 10.00 JAG. (PG) 12.00 Days Of Our Lives. (PG) 12.45 The Young And The Restless. (PG) 1.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PG) 2.30 JAG. (PG) 4.30 All 4 Adventure. (PG) 5.30 JAG. (PG) 7.30 NCIS. (M) 10.20 The Hunt For The Family Court Killer. (M) 11.20 Blue Bloods. (M) 12.15 48 Hours. (M) 2.15 Home Shopping.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 7TWO (62) Escape To The Country. 2.00 Australia’s Deadliest. (PG) 2.30 Weekender.

3.00 The Great Australian Doorstep. (PG) 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Better Homes. 5.00 Escape To The Country. 6.00 Bargain Hunt.

7.00 Better Homes And Gardens Summer. 8.30 Escape To The Country. 11.30 Wildlife ER. (PG) 12.30 Escape To The Country. 1.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. (PG) 2.00 Harry’s Practice.

2.30 Medical Emergency. (PG) 3.00 Better Homes. 5.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs.

9GEM (82) 1.00 Movie: Summer Holiday. (1963) (G) 3.15 Explore. 3.20 Antiques Roadshow. 3.50 Movie: A Shoe Addict’s Christmas. (2019) (G) 5.30 Yorkshire Auction House. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Antiques Downunder. 8.30 Movie: A View To A Kill. (1985) Roger Moore. (M) 11.10 The Equalizer. (M) 12.10 Shakespeare And Hathaway. (PG) 1.10 Creflo.

(PG) 1.40 Movie: Summer Holiday. (1963) (G) 3.55 Explore. (PG) 4.00 Gideon’s Way. (PG) 5.00 Yorkshire Auction House.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.10 Dr Karl’s How Things Work.

1.35 Whose Line Is It Anyway? (PG) 2.00 ER. (PG) 2.45 Heartbreak High. (PG) 3.35 A Bite To Eat. 4.05 Would I Lie To You? At Christmas.

(PG) 4.35 MythBusters. (PG) 5.30 Car S.O.S. (PG) 6.15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent. 7.05 House Of Games. (PG) 7.35 QI. (M) 8.05 Would I Lie To You At Christmas? 8.35 Movie: Semi-Pro. (2008) (M) 10.05 ER. (M) 10.50 Late Programs.

6.00 The Three Musketeers. Cont. (1973) 7.40 The Movie Show.

(PG) 8.50 A Room With A View. (1985) (PG) 11.00 The Nugget. (2002) (M) 12.50 Up In The Air. (2009) (M) 2.55 The Movie Show. (PG) 3.30 The Bookshop. (2017) (PG) 5.35 Moonlighting.

(1982) (PG) 7.30 The Last Castle. (2001) Robert Redford. (M) 9.55 Driving Miss Daisy. (1989) Jessica Tandy. (G) 11.45 Reservoir Dogs. (1992) (MA15+) 1.35 An Unfinished Life. (2005) (M) 3.35 Unruly. (2022) (Danish, M)

6.00 Morning Programs.

12.00 Taskmaster Australia. (PG) 1.00 Ridiculousness. (PG) 2.00 Stephen Colbert. (PG) 3.00 Becker. (PG) 3.30 Frasier. (PG) 4.00 Farm To Fork. 4.30 Frasier.

(PG) 5.00 Becker. (PG) 5.30 Frasier. (PG) 6.30 Friends. (PG) 7.30 Movie: Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves. (2023) (M) 10.10 Becker. (PG) 10.35 Frasier. (PG) 11.30 Ridiculousness. (M) 1.00 Shopping. 2.30 Bold.

(PG) 3.30 Stephen Colbert. (PG) 4.30 Shopping.

5.30 Joseph Prince.

7MATE (64) 3.30 Billy The Exterminator.

6.00 Morning ABC NEWS (24) Programs. 1.00 ABC News Day. 3.00 News. 4.00 ABC News Summer. 6.00 ABC News Hour. 7.00 National News. 7.30 7.30 Special. 8.00 News Tonight.

8.30 Aust Story. 9.00 The World. Final. 9.30 The Business. 10.00 Nightly News. 10.30 The World In 2025. 11.00 News. 11.30 7.30 Special. 12.00 News. 12.15 Four Corners. 1.00 DW News. 1.30 The Business. 2.00 DW News. 2.30 DW Focus On Europe. 3.00 DW News. 3.15 BTN High.

3.30 The World. Final. 4.00 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning SBS FOOD (33) Programs. 2.00 Easy Eats. 2.30 On Country Kitchen. (PG) 3.00 My Greek Table. 3.30 Taste Of Aust. 4.00 Lidia’s Kitchen. 4.30 My Market Kitchen. (PG) 5.00 Freshly Picked. (PG) 5.30 Everyday Gourmet.

6.00 Nigellissima. 6.30 Rachael Ray’s Holidays.

7.00 The Cook Up. 7.30 Hotel Chocolat At Christmas. 8.30 Jamie’s Night Before Christmas. (PG) 9.30 Cook And The Chef. 10.00 Everyday Gourmet. 10.30 The Cook Up. 11.00 Cheese Slices. 11.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs.

NITV (34) 1.35 Anthem Sessions. 2.00 On Country Kitchen. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Spartakus. (PG) 3.25 Cities Of Gold. (PG) 4.25 Little J And Big Cuz. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters. 5.25 Black As. (PG) 5.30 Living Black. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 Yiyili. (PG) 6.40 Wildlife Rescue New Zealand. (PG) 7.29 NITV Weather. 7.30 Movie: Crackers. (1998) (M) 9.10 First Nations Bedtime Stories. 9.20 Movie: This Christmas. (2007) (PG) 11.20 Proud Histories: Past, Present & Future. 12.00 Late Programs.

ABC ENTERTAINS (23)

WORLD MOVIES (32)

COMEDY (52)

6.00 Morning Programs.

6.00 Children’s Programs.

9GO! (83,88) 8.00 Seinfeld. (PG)

(PG) 4.30 American Resto. (PG) 5.00 Storage Wars. (PG) 5.30 American Pickers. (PG) 6.30 Pawn Stars. (PG) 7.30 Road Wars. (M) 8.30 Movie: Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life.

(1983) Graham Chapman, John Cleese. (M) 10.50 Movie: Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo.

(2005) (MA15+) 12.35 Storage Wars. (PG) 1.00 American Pickers. (PG) 2.00 Road Wars. (M) 3.00 NFL. NFL. Week 15. Replay.

8.30 Nanny. (PG) 9.30 Addams Family. 10.00 Bewitched. 10.30 Jeannie. 11.00 The West Wing. (PG) 12.00 Explore. 12.10 Australian Ninja Warrior. (PG) 2.00 Golden Girls. (PG) 2.30 Nanny. (PG) 3.30 Seinfeld. (PG) 4.30 Addams Family. 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 Jeannie. 6.00 Golden Girls. (PG) 6.30 Nanny. (PG) 7.30 Movie: The Flash. (2023) (M) 10.20 Movie: Snatchers.

(2025) (MA15+) 12.00 Ghost Hunters. (M) 12.55 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 9.00 7FLIX (66) Shopping. 10.00 The Food Dude. (PG) 10.30 My Kitchen Rules. (PG) 12.00 Movie: A Furry Little Christmas. (2021) (PG) 2.20 Sean’s Kitchen. 3.20 First Dates UK. (PG) 4.30 Bondi Vet. (PG) 6.15 Movie: Fatherhood. (2021) (PG) 8.30 Movie: Friends With Benefits. (2011) Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson.

(MA15+) 10.50 Movie: Bodies Bodies Bodies.

(2022) (MA15+) 12.55 Shopping. 1.55 The Goldbergs. (PG) 2.20 The Blacklist. (MA15+) 3.15 Pretty Hard Cases. (M)

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.30 9LIFE (84) Restored By The Fords. 2.30 Garden Gurus Moments. 2.40 The Block. (PG) 4.00 Home Town. 5.00 Fixer Upper. (PG) 6.00 House Hunters Int. 6.30 House Hunters. 7.30 Barnwood Builders. 8.30 Maine Cabin Masters.

(PG) 9.30 Renovation Wild. (PG) 10.30 Colin And Justin’s Sub Zero Reno. (PG) 11.30 House Hunters Int. 12.00 House Hunters. 1.00 Maine Cabin Masters. (PG) 2.00 Renovation Wild. (PG) 3.00 Colin And Justin’s Sub Zero Reno. (PG) 4.00 Getaway. (PG) 4.30 Late Programs.

CLASSIFICATIONS: (PG) Parental Guidance Recommended (M) Mature Audiences (MA15+) Mature Audiences Only (AV15+) Extreme Adult Violence (R) Repeat (CC) Closed Captions PLEASE NOTE: Listings are correct at time of print and are subject to change.

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Page 8

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Saturday, December 20 ABC TV

(2)

SBS

(3)

TEN

(5)

SEVEN

(6)

NBN

(8, 80)

6.00 Rage Best Of The Charts 2025. (PG) 7.00 Weekend Breakfast. 9.00 Rage. (PG) 10.30 Rage Best Of The Guests 2025. (MA15+) 12.00 ABC News At Noon.

12.30 Return To Paradise: Chapter One – Murder. (PG) 1.25 Royal Carols: Together At Christmas.

2.30 All Creatures Great And Small Christmas Special. (PG) 3.25 A (Very) Musical Christmas. (PG) 5.00 Spicks And Specks. (PG) 5.30 Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now. 5.55 Hard Quiz Battle Of The Networks. (PG) 6.30 When The War Is Over: Changi. (PG) 7.00 ABC News.

7.30 Return To Paradise: Til Death Do Us Part. (Final) (PG) 8.30 Vera: Tender. (M) 10.00 The Forsytes. (Final) (PG) 10.55 Bergerac. (Final) (M) 11.45 Rage Best Of The Guests 2025. (MA15+) 5.00 Rage. (PG)

6.00 DW English News. 6.30 Al Jazeera. 7.00 BBC News At Six. 7.30 France 24 English News. 8.00 DD India News Hour. 9.00 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites.

9.05 Destination Flavour China Bitesize. (PG) 9.15 Matched. (PG) 10.10 Inside The Steam Train Museum. 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 France 24 International News. 1.00 PBS NewsHour. 2.00 When The World Watched. 3.25 Ethnic Business Awards. 5.30 Bettany Hughes: History Of Mother Earth.

6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Building The Vatican. (PG) 8.30 A Warwick Castle Christmas: Christmas At The Castle.

9.30 Harrods: The Rise And Fall Of A British Institution. (M) 10.25 Movie: Robin’s Wish. (2020) Susan Schneider Williams. (M) 11.45 Homicide: Life On The Street. (M) 3.10 Growing A Greener World.

4.10 Rediscover Victoria. (PG) 4.40 Bamay.

5.15 France 24 Feature.

5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 What’s Up Down Under. (PG) 6.30 Camper Deals. 7.00 Reel Action. 7.30 Escape Fishing With ET. 8.00 IFISH. 8.30 On The Fly. 9.00 Pat Callinan’s 4x4 Adventures. 10.00 My Market Kitchen. 10.30 Good Chef Bad Chef. 11.00 Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service. (PG) 12.00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Schofield.

12.30 Farm To Fork.

1.00 Silvia’s Italian Masterclass.

1.30 The Yes Experiment. (PG) 2.00 Pat Callinan’s 4x4 Adventures.

3.00 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PG) 4.00 All 4 Adventure.

5.00 10 News.

6.00 Movie: Dear Santa. (2024) Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key. (PG) 8.20 Love It Or List It Australia.

Series Return.

9.30 The Dog House. (PG) 10.30 Jamie Oliver: Christmas.

11.30 Jamie’s One-Pan Christmas.

12.30 Home Shopping.

5.00 Hour Of Power.

6.00 NBC Today.

7.00 Weekend Sunrise.

9.30 The Ashes: Pre-Game Show.

10.30 Cricket. The Ashes. Third Test. Australia v England. Day 4. Morning session.

(Please note: alternative schedule may be shown due to changes to cricket coverage).

12.30 The Ashes: The Lunch Break.

1.10 Cricket. The Ashes. Third Test. Australia v England. Day 4. Afternoon session.

From Adelaide Oval.

3.10 The Ashes: Tea Break.

3.30 Cricket. The Ashes. Third Test. Australia v England. Day 4. Evening session. From Adelaide Oval.

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Animals Aboard With Dr Harry. (PG) 8.00 Carols In The Domain. (PG) 10.30 NSW Schools Spectacular. (PG) 1.00 Miniseries: Any Human Heart. (M) 2.30 Home Shopping.

4.00 It’s Academic.

5.00 Million Dollar Minute.

6.00 Christmas In WA. 6.30 ACA. 7.00 Weekend Today. 10.00 Today Extra Summer. (PG) 12.00 Surfing Australia TV. (PG) 12.30 Find My Beach House Australia. 1.00 Drive Safer. 1.30 My Way. 2.00 Ready Vet Go: The Vet Paramedics. (PG) 2.30 Movie: Christmas In Scotland. (2023) Jill Winternitz, Dom Watters, Toby Rolt. (G) 4.30 The Garden Gurus. 5.00 9News First At Five.

5.30 Find My Country House Australia.

6.00 NBN News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Movie: Nugget Is Dead: A Christmas Story. (2024) Vic Zerbst, Jenna Owen. (M) 9.30 Movie: Bad Moms 2. (2017) Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn. (MA15+) 11.35 Movie: Christmess. (2023) Darren Gilshenan. (M) 1.05 Find My Beach House Australia.

1.35 Surfing Australia TV. (PG) 2.00 The Incredible Journey Presents. (PG) 2.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

4.30 Global Shop.

5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

5.30 Helping Hands. (PG)

6.00 Children’s ABC FAMILY (22) Programs. 4.45 Gardening Australia Junior. 5.00 Peppa Pig. 5.10 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 5.35 Peter Rabbit. 6.00 Octonauts: Above And Beyond.

6.10 PJ Masks. 6.20 Bluey. 6.30 Paddington.

6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.50 Andy And The Band.

7.05 Piripenguins. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Merry Madagascar. 8.00 Kung Fu Panda Holiday. 8.25 Chopped Jnr. 9.10 Fresh Off The Boat. (PG) 9.50 Abbott Elementary. (PG) 10.10 Speechless.

(PG) 10.35 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning VICELAND (31) Programs. 10.00 Mastermind Aust. 12.00 Tiny Beautiful Things.

(M) 12.35 Bamay. 1.00 Curse Of Oak Island.

(PG) 3.30 SBS50. 3.35 BBC News At Ten. 4.05 France 24. 4.35 PBS News. 5.35 Mastermind Aust. 6.35 Inside Legoland: A World Of Wonder.

(PG) 7.35 Impossible Engineering. 8.30 Icons Unearthed: Fast & Furious. New Series. (PG) 10.20 Snowpiercer. (M) 12.10 Letterkenny. (M) 1.50 The Bloody Decade. (MA15+) 2.45 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.

6.00 Shopping. 9.00 I DRAMA (51) Fish. 9.30 On The Fly. 10.00 JAG. (PG) 3.00 Camper Deals. 3.30 Tough Tested. (PG) 4.30 Soccer. A-League Men. Round 9. Newcastle Jets v Sydney FC. 7.00 Football Tonight.

7.35 Soccer. A-League Men. Round 9.

Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory.

From AAMI Park, Melbourne.

10.00 NCIS. (M) 12.50 NCIS: Hawai’i. (M) 1.45 48 Hours. (M) 3.45 Home Shopping.

6.00 Morning Programs. 8.30 7TWO (62) Better Homes. 11.00 Medical Emergency. (PG) 11.30 Harry’s Practice. 12.00 Horse Racing. Royal Randwick Raceday and Pakenham Cup Day. 6.00 Dog Patrol. (PG) 6.30 Bondi Vet. (PG) 7.30 The Yorkshire Vet. (PG) 8.30 Escape To The Country. 11.30 Heathrow.

(PG) 12.30 The Yorkshire Vet. (PG) 1.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. (PG) 2.00 Medical Emergency. (PG) 2.30 Creek To Coast. 3.00 Weekender. 3.30 Weekender. 4.00 Harry’s Practice. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Shopping.

6.00 Morning Programs.

9GEM (82) 11.00 Explore. 11.05 Edgar Wallace Mysteries. (PG) 12.25 Movie: The Sound Barrier. (1952) (PG) 2.50 Movie: The Hallelujah Trail. (1965) (G) 5.50 Movie: A Perfect Christmas. (2016) (PG) 7.30 Death In Paradise.

(M) 8.30 Movie: The Living Daylights. (1987) Timothy Dalton, Maryam d’Abo. (PG) 11.10 The Equalizer. (M) 12.10 Movie: Blood From The Mummy’s Tomb. (1971) (M) 2.10 Movie: Mutiny On The Buses. (1972) (PG) 4.00 Gideon’s Way. (PG) 5.00 Avengers. (PG)

6.00 ABC ENTERTAINS (23) Morning Programs. 1.40 QI. (M) 2.10 ER. (M) 2.55 Heartbreak High. (PG) 3.50 Portrait Artist Of The Year. (PG) 4.40 MythBusters. (PG) 5.30 Car S.O.S. (PG) 6.15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent.

7.05 Spicks And Specks. (PG) 7.35 QI. (M) 8.05 Live At The Apollo. Series Return. (M) 8.55 Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala 2023. (M) 10.55 Ab Fab. (PG) 12.20 ER. (PG) 1.05 Rage.

(MA15+) 2.10 Adam Hills: The Last Leg. (M) 2.50 If You’re Listening. 3.10 Late Programs.

6.00 Moonlighting.

Cont. (1982) 7.55 The Three Musketeers. (1973) 10.00 The Last Castle. (2001) 12.25 Say It Loud.

(2020) 2.10 A Room With A View. (1985) (PG) 4.20 Driving Miss Daisy. (1989) (G) 6.10 The Family Man. (2000) (PG) 8.30 The Royal Hotel.

(2023) Julia Garner. (MA15+) 10.10 Stars At Noon. (2022) (MA15+) 12.40 The Worst Person In The World. (2021) (Norwegian, MA15+) 3.05 Reservoir Dogs. (1992) (MA15+) 4.50 The Movie Show. (M) 5.25 The Family Man. (2000) (PG)

6.00 Bold. (PG) 8.30 The Neighborhood. (PG) 10.00 Ridiculousness. (PG) 11.00 Farm To Fork.

11.30 Deal Or No Deal. 12.00 Stephen Colbert.

(PG) 2.00 Ridiculousness. (PG) 3.00 Frasier.

(PG) 4.00 Friends. (PG) 6.30 The Big Bang Theory. (PG) 10.00 Frasier. (PG) 11.00 Ridiculousness. (PG) 12.00 South Park. (M) 1.00 Home Shopping.

1.30 South Park. (M) 2.30 Home Shopping.

7MATE (64) 1.00 Blokesworld. (PG)

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 News.

1.30 7.30. 2.00 News. 2.25 Expanse: Nowhere Man. 3.00 News. 3.30 If You’re Listening. Final.

3.50 BTN High. 4.00 News. 4.30 Boyer Lecture Series. 5.00 News. 5.30 The World In 2025. 6.00 Evening News. 6.30 Culture By Design. 7.00 National News. 7.30 Compass. (PG) 8.00 News Tonight. 8.30 Aust Story. 9.00 Nightly News.

9.30 The Pacific. 10.00 Late News Weekend.

10.30 The Best Of Asia News Week. 11.00 News. 11.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.00 Christmas Cookalong. (PG) 3.30 Jamie’s Festive Feast. 4.25 A Taste Of Island Dreams. 4.30 Everyday Gourmet Christmas. 5.25 Destination Flavour. 5.30 Fast, Fresh And Easy Food. (PG) 6.00 Sachie’s Kitchen. (PG) 6.30 Hairy Bikers Go Local. 7.35 Secret World Of Snacks. 8.30 Mediterranean Escapes. (PG) 9.40 A Cook’s Tour. (PG) 10.30 Wild Game Kitchen. 11.30 Marcus At Christmas. (PG) 12.30 Hairy Bikers Go Local. 1.35 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.40 Wildlife Rescue New Zealand.

(PG) 2.30 Movie: Mama Africa. (2011) (PG) 4.10 Precious Leader Woman. (PG) 5.00 Faboriginal.

(PG) 6.00 The Barber. (PG) 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.40 The Other Side. (PG) 7.30 Alone Australia. (PG) 8.30 Movie: Seeds. (2024) (MA15+) 10.00 Australian Music Vault: Kutcha Edwards. (PG) 11.20 Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again. (PG) 12.00 Soh Presents: Generations And Dynasties. (PG) 1.25 Late Programs.

ABC NEWS (24)

WORLD MOVIES (32)

SBS FOOD (33)

COMEDY (52)

NITV (34)

6.00 Morning Programs.

1.30 Cool Cars & Bikes. (PG) 2.00 Rides Down Under: Workshop Wars. (PG) 3.00 Motor Racing. National Drag Racing Championship.

Top Fuel Championship. 4.00 Desert Collectors.

(PG) 5.00 Counting Cars. (PG) 6.00 Pawn Stars.

(PG) 7.00 Storage Wars. (PG) 7.30 Movie: 47 Ronin. (2013) (M) 9.50 Movie: Dante’s Peak.

(1997) (PG) 12.10 Storage Wars. (PG) 1.00 Pawn Stars. (PG) 2.00 Desert Collectors. (M) 3.00 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs.

6.00 Children’s Programs.

9GO! (83,88) 8.00 Innovation Nation.

8.10 Jeopardy! UK. (PG) 9.10 Movie: Christmas Hotel. (2019) (G) 11.00 Ice Hockey. NHL. Florida Panthers v Carolina Hurricanes. 1.40 Soccer.

English Premier League. Crystal Palace v Manchester City. 3.40 Movie: Radio Christmas.

(2019) (PG) 5.30 Movie: Santa Hunters. (2024) (PG) 7.30 Movie: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. (2013) (M) 10.25 The Winter King. (MA15+) 11.35 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs.

7FLIX (66) 10.00 Weekender. 10.30

Weekender. 11.00 Ed And Karen’s Recipes For Success. 12.00 Yummy Mummies. (PG) 1.00 Starstruck. (PG) 2.30 Dancing With The Stars: All Stars. (PG) 4.00 Extended Family. (PG) 4.25 Animals Make You Laugh Out Loud. (PG) 5.30 Movie: A Dog’s Journey. (2019) (PG) 7.30 Movie: About A Boy. (2002) Hugh Grant. (M) 9.35 Movie: Sisters. (2015) Amy Poehler. (MA15+) 12.05 Movie: The Big Street. (1942) (PG) 2.00 Shopping. 3.00 Pretty Hard Cases. (M)

9LIFE (84) 1.30 Colin And Justin’s Sub

Zero Reno. (PG) 2.30 Barnwood Builders.

3.30 Find My Country House Canada. (PG) 4.30 Renovation Wild. (PG) 5.30 My Lottery Dream Home. (PG) 6.30 Our Dream Farm With Matt Baker. 7.30 Farmhouse Fixer. (PG) 8.30 House Hunters. 9.30 House Hunters Int. 10.30 Lakefront Empire. (PG) 11.30 Renovation Aloha.

(PG) 12.30 House Hunters. 1.00 Barnwood Builders. 2.00 Lakefront Empire. (PG) 3.00 House Hunters Int. 4.00 Late Programs.

Sunday, December 21 ABC TV

(2)

SBS

(3)

TEN

(5)

SEVEN

(6)

6.00 Rage. (PG) 7.00 Wknd Brekky. 9.05 Annabel Crabb’s Civic Duty. (PG) 9.55 Eat The Invaders. (PG) 10.30 New Leash On Life. 11.00 Compass. (PG) 11.30 Praise. 12.00 News. 12.30 A Dog’s World With Tony Armstrong. Final.

1.25 Gardening Australia: Christmas Special.

2.25 Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat: Christmas Special. 3.25 Long Lost Family. Final. (PG) 4.15 Extraordinary Escapes: Christmas Special. 5.00 Antiques Roadshow.

6.00 Grand Designs Australia. (Final) (PG) 7.00 ABC News.

7.30 Spicks And Specks. (Final) (PG) 8.00 Portrait Artist Of The Year. (Final) 8.50 Return To Paradise: Til Death Do Us Part. (Final) (PG) 9.50 When The War Is Over: Australian Wars. (Final) (PG) 10.20 War Stories.

10.30 Anh’s Brush With Fame. (M) 11.00 Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat: Christmas Special. 12.00 Rage Vault Guest Programmer.

(MA15+) 3.10 Dream Gardens. 3.40 The Art Of. (PG) 4.10 Gardening Aust. 5.10 Annabel Crabb’s Civic Duty. (PG)

6.00 DW English News. 6.30 Al Jazeera. 7.00 APAC Weekly. 7.30 France 24 English News.

8.00 DD India News Hour. 9.00 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites. 9.05 Destination Flavour China Bitesize. 9.25 Matched. (PG) 10.15 Inside The Steam Train Museum. (PG) 12.00 APAC Weekly. 12.30 PBS Washington Week. 12.55 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites. 1.00 Speedweek. 3.00 Figure Skating. ISU Grand Prix 4. Highlights. 5.30 Hotel Chocolat At Christmas.

6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Cleopatra: Cracking The Enigma. (PG) 8.30 Ken Burns’ The American Revolution. (PG) 10.35 Mayhem: Secret Lives Of Georgian Kings: George III Mad Or Misunderstood? (M) 11.30 Australian Fashion Past, Present, Future. (PG) 12.35 Empires Of New York. (MA15+) 3.05 Growing A Greener World. 4.05 Rediscover Victoria. (PG) 4.30 Bamay. 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.15 France 24 Feature.

5.30 APAC Weekly.

6.00 Mass For You At Home. 6.30 Key Of David. (PG) 7.00 Joseph Prince: New Creation Church. 7.30 Start Me Up. (PG) 8.00 Intrepid Adventures. 8.30 What’s Up Down Under.

9.00 Australia By Design: Architecture.

9.30 Luca’s Key Ingredient.

10.00 Farm To Fork.

10.30 The Dog Hospital With Graeme Hall. (PG) 11.30 Pooches At Play.

12.00 The Dog Academy. (PG) 1.00 Deal Or No Deal.

1.30 Lingo.

2.30 Basketball. NBL. Round 13. Tasmania JackJumpers v Perth Wildcats. From MyState Bank Arena, Tasmania.

4.30 Deal Or No Deal.

5.00 10 News.

6.00 The Dog House Australia. (PG) 7.00 Selling Houses Australia.

8.00 The Imposter. New Series. (M) 10.00 FBI. (M) 12.00 Home Shopping.

4.30 CBS Mornings.

6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 9.30 The Ashes: Pre-Game Show. 10.30 Cricket.

The Ashes. Third Test. Australia v England. Day 5. Morning session. (Please note: alternative schedule may be shown due to changes to cricket coverage). 12.30 The Ashes: The Lunch Break. 1.10 Cricket. The Ashes. Third Test.

Australia v England. Day 5. Afternoon session.

3.10 The Ashes: Tea Break. 3.30 Cricket. The Ashes. Third Test. Australia v England. Day 5.

Evening session.

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League.

Match 8. Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes. From GMHBA Stadium, Victoria.

10.30 Unfiltered: Cricket. (PG) 11.00 7NEWS Spotlight.

12.00 MacGruber. New Series. (MA15+) 1.15 Travel Oz. 2.00 Home Shopping.

3.30 Million Dollar Minute.

4.00 NBC Today.

5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 Children’s Programs. 2.50 Wiggle And Learn. 3.00 A Very Play School Christmas. 3.45 Thomas. 4.45 Gardening Australia Junior. 5.00 Peppa Pig. 5.10 Piney: The Lonesome Pine. 5.35 Peter Rabbit. 6.00 Octonauts: Above And Beyond. 6.10 PJ Masks.

6.25 Bluey. 6.30 Paddington. 6.45 Hey Duggee.

6.50 Andy And The Band. 7.05 Piripenguins.

7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Movie: Paddington. (2014) (G) 9.00 A (Very) Musical Christmas. 10.30 Fresh Off The Boat. (PG) 10.55 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 8.40 CBC The National. 9.30 Small Business Secrets.

10.00 Mastermind Aust. 12.00 Dark Side Of The ‘90s. (M) 1.50 WWE Rivals. (M) 2.40 Jeopardy!

4.45 France 24. 5.15 PBS Washington Week.

5.45 Icons Unearthed: The Lord Of The Rings.

(PG) 6.40 Abandoned Engineering. (PG) 8.30 Miracles. 9.50 Liaison. (M) 10.50 Myths: The Greatest Mysteries Of Humanity. (M) 12.50 Am I Being Unreasonable? (M) 2.50 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.

6.00 Shopping. 8.00 Reel Action. 8.30 Pooches At Play. 9.30 Camper Deals. 10.00 Pat Callinan’s 4x4 Adventures. 11.00 JAG. (PG) 4.00 IFISH. 4.30 Basketball. NBL. Round 13. Sydney Kings v Cairns Taipans.

6.30 JAG. (PG) 7.30 NCIS. (M) 10.20 Blue Bloods. (M) 12.15 48 Hours: Closing The Cold Case Of Robin Lawrence. (M) 1.15 Home Shopping.

7TWO (62) 10.00 Escape To The Country.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.55 ER. (PG) 2.40 Heartbreak High.

(PG) 3.35 A Bite To Eat. 4.05 Would I Lie To You At Christmas? (PG) 4.40 MythBusters. (PG) 5.30 Car S.O.S. (PG) 6.15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent. (PG) 7.05 Spicks And Specks. (PG) 7.35 QI. (PG) 8.05 The Piano UK. (PG) 9.00 Lucy Worsley: Agatha Christie Mystery Queen. Final.

(PG) 10.00 ER. (PG) 10.50 My Family. (PG) 11.20 Rage. (MA15+) 12.20 Louis Theroux: Law And Disorder In Lagos. (M) 1.20 Late Programs.

6.00 The Family Man. Cont. (2000) 7.45 The Movie Show. 8.55 The Red Turtle. (2016) 10.25 On The Basis Of Sex. (2018) 12.35 The Bridges Of Madison County.

(1995) 3.00 Moonlighting. (1982) 4.55 Miyazaki, Spirit Of Nature. (2024) (PG) 6.30 The Boy And The Heron. (2023) 8.50 Freud’s Last Session.

(2023) Anthony Hopkins. 10.50 A Beautiful Mind. (2001) (M) 1.10 The Boy And The Heron.

(2023) 3.15 Solace. (2015) (MA15+) 5.00 The Movie Show. (M)

6.00 Deal Or No Deal.

8.00 Frasier. (PG) 10.00 Ridiculousness. (PG) 11.00 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 2.00 Ridiculousness. (PG) 3.00 Frasier. (PG) 4.00 Friends. (PG) 6.30 The Big Bang Theory. (PG) 9.35 Frasier. (PG) 10.30 Ridiculousness. (PG) 11.30 South Park. (M) 12.30 Home Shopping.

1.30 South Park. (M) 2.30 Home Shopping.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 News.

1.30 The World In 2025. 2.00 News. 2.30 Heywire. 3.00 News. 3.30 That Pacific Sports Show. (PG) 4.00 News. 4.30 Landline. 5.00 News. 5.30 Regional Roundup. 6.00 Evening News. 6.30 The Pacific. 7.00 National News.

7.30 Back Roads. (PG) 8.00 News Tonight. 8.30 If You’re Listening. Final. 9.00 Nightly News.

9.25 Foreign Correspondent. 10.00 Late News Weekend. 10.30 7.30 Special. 11.00 News.

11.30 The Business. 12.00 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.30 Sara’s Istanbul Delights. 3.00 Plat Du Tour. 3.30 American Adventure. (PG) 4.35 A New Zealand Food Story. (PG) 5.00 Food Trail: South Africa.

5.30 Cheese: A Taste Of Place. (PG) 6.30 Spanish Adventures. (PG) 7.30 Tales From A Kitchen Garden. 8.00 Outback Gourmet. (PG) 8.30 Cornwall. (PG) 9.30 A Cook’s Tour. (PG) 10.30 Wild Game Kitchen. 11.30 Cheese: A Taste Of Place. (PG) 12.30 Spanish Adventures.

(PG) 1.25 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs.

1.00 Rugby League. Koori Knockout. Walgett Aboriginal Connections v Sydney All Blacks. Replay. 2.00 Road Open.

2.10 Black And Dusty. 3.10 Ethnic Business Awards. (PG) 5.10 Australian Music Vault: Kutcha Edwards. (PG) 6.30 Living Black SBS 50 Interstitials. 6.35 NITV News: Summer Yarns.

6.45 Wildlife Rescue New Zealand. (PG) 7.35 Aerial Australia. (PG) 8.30 Nat King Cole: Afraid Of The Dark. 10.10 Movie: Vacant Possession.

(1994) (M) 11.50 Late Programs.

ABC FAMILY (22)

ABC ENTERTAINS (23)

ABC NEWS (24)

VICELAND (31)

WORLD MOVIES (32)

SBS FOOD (33)

DRAMA (51)

COMEDY (52)

NITV (34)

6.00 Morning Programs.

1.00 Harry’s Practice. 1.30 Medical Emergency.

(PG) 2.00 South Aussie With Cosi. (PG) 2.30 Christmas With The Salvos. (PG) 3.00 Hornby: A Model Empire. (PG) 4.00 Escape To The Country. 7.00 Greatest Escapes To The Country.

7.45 Mrs Brown’s Boys. (M) 8.30 Vera. (M) 10.30 Murdoch Mysteries. (M) 12.30 Harry’s Practice.

1.00 Better Homes. 2.00 Vera. (M) 4.00 Million Dollar Minute. 5.00 Our Town. (PG) 5.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. (PG) 6.00 Morning Programs.

7MATE (64) 1.00 Fishing Addiction.

(PG) 2.00 Tackling Australia. (PG) 2.30 Merv Hughes Fishing. (PG) 3.00 Duck Dynasty.

(PG) 4.00 Mt Hutt Rescue. (PG) 5.00 Counting Cars. (PG) 6.00 Border Security: Int. (PG) 6.30 Border Security: America’s Front Line. (PG) 7.00 Border Security. (PG) 8.30 Movie: 1917.

(2019) (MA15+) 10.45 Movie: 71. (2014) (MA15+) 12.55 Blokesworld. (PG) 1.30 Counting Cars.

(PG) 2.30 Border Security: Int. (PG) 3.00 Late Programs.

6.00 It’s Academic. 7.30 Get

7FLIX (66) Arty. 8.30 Flushed. 10.00

Ed And Karen’s Recipes For Success. 11.00 Animals Make You Laugh Out Loud. (PG) 12.00 Sean’s Kitchen. 1.00 Zumbo’s Just Desserts.

(PG) 3.30 Dr Harry’s Animal Encounters. (PG) 4.30 Dog Patrol. (PG) 5.30 The Conners. (PG) 6.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly. (PG) 7.30 Law & Order: Criminal Intent. (M) 8.30 Law & Order: SVU. (MA15+) 10.30 Bones. (M) 12.30 Grimm. (MA15+) 3.00 Zero Hour. (M) 4.00 Covert Affairs. (M)

NBN

(8, 80)

6.00 Hello SA. (PG) 6.30 ACA. 7.00 Weekend Today. 10.00 Cross Court. 10.30 GolfBarons.

(PG) 11.00 Fishing Australia. 11.30 Explore TV. 12.00 Find My Beach House Australia. 12.30 Movie: The Most Colorful Time Of The Year.

(2022) Joanna Douglas, Christopher Russell.

(G) 2.10 Movie: Destination Christmas. (2022) Natasha Wilson, Edward Ruttle, Eva Tavares.

(PG) 4.00 Great Getaways. (PG) 5.00 9News First At Five. 5.30 RBT. (PG) 6.00 NBN News.

7.00 Christmas With Delta.

8.30 Movie: Vacation. (2015) Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Chris Hemsworth. (MA15+) 10.30 Red Eye. (M) 11.30 World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners: Pike. (MA15+) 12.20 Wild Cards. (M) 1.10 Explore TV: Uluru.

1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PG) 4.30 The Garden Gurus.

5.00 Today Early News.

5.30 Today.

6.00 Morning Programs. 8.00

9GEM (82) Beyond Today. (PG) 8.30 The

Incredible Journey. (PG) 9.00 Turning Point.

(PG) 9.30 TV Shop. 10.00 My Favorite Martian.

10.30 Avengers. (PG) 11.40 Movie: Attack On The Iron Coast. (1968) (PG) 1.35 Movie: Sabata.

(1969) (PG) 3.45 Movie: The Train. (1964) (PG) 6.30 M*A*S*H. (PG) 8.30 Movie: Licence To Kill.

(1989) Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi. (M) 11.15 Mrs Sidhu Investigates. (M) 1.15 Movie: Sabata. (1969) (PG) 3.25 Movie: Laxdale Hall. (1953) (G) 5.00 Avengers. (PG) 6.00 Movie: Barbie Big

9GO! (83,88) City Big Dreams. (2021)

(G) 7.15 Children’s Programs. 8.00 Jeopardy!

UK. (PG) 9.00 Movie: Jingle Belle. (2018) (G) 10.45 Movie: The Christmas Pact. (2018) (G) 12.30 Basketball. WNBL. Southside Melbourne v Bendigo. 2.30 Soccer. EPL. Manchester United v Bournemouth. 4.30 Premier League Stories. (PG) 5.05 Explore. 5.15 Movie: ScoobyDoo. (2002) (PG) 7.00 Movie: The Polar Express.

(2004) (G) 9.00 Movie: The Dark Knight Rises.

(2012) (M) 12.15 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs.

9LIFE (84) 1.30 Renovation Aloha.

(PG) 2.30 Maine Cabin Masters. (PG) 3.30 Our Dream Farm With Matt Baker. 4.30 Farmhouse Fixer. (PG) 5.30 House Hunters. 6.30 House Hunters Int. 7.30 Home Town. 8.30 Christina On The Coast. (PG) 9.30 Fixer To Fabulous.

10.30 Making It Home With Kortney And Dave.

11.30 House Hunters. 12.00 Home Town. 1.00 Christina On The Coast. (PG) 2.00 Postcards Summer. (PG) 2.30 Getaway. (PG) 3.00 Late Programs.

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Page 9

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Monday, December 22 ABC TV

(2)

SBS

(3)

TEN

(5)

SEVEN

(6)

NBN

(8, 80)

6.00 Great Australian Stuff. (PG) 7.00 News Breakfast. 9.30 Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen.

10.00 Take 5. Final. 10.30 Vera. (M) 12.00 News.

1.00 Ningaloo Nyinggulu. Final. 2.00 Death In Paradise. (M) 3.00 QI. (PG) 3.30 Nigella Bites.

3.55 Grand Designs New Zealand. 4.40 Long Lost Family: What Happened Next. (PG) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow.

6.30 Hard Quiz Kids: Roblox, Bluey, Godzilla And The Monsterverse And The Solar System. (PG) 7.00 ABC News.

7.30 I Was Actually There: Boxing Day Tsunami. (M) 8.00 Movie: Songs Inside. (2024) Nancy Bates. (M) 9.30 Movie: Girls Can’t Surf. (2020) Layne Beachley, Pam Burridge. (M) 11.15 Creative Types With Virginia Trioli: Tony Albert. (MA15+) 11.45 Grand Designs New Zealand.

12.35 Long Lost Family. (PG) 1.20 Rage. (MA15+) 3.30 Parkinson In Australia. (PG) 4.35 Gardening Australia. 5.35 Nigella Bites.

6.00 WorldWatch. 7.25 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites. 7.30 WorldWatch.

9.00 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites. 9.05 Destination Flavour China Bitesize.

9.15 Paul O’Grady For The Love Of Dogs Xmas.

(PG) 10.10 Inside Oxford Street. (M) 11.00 Who Do You Think You Are? (PG) 12.10 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 France 24. 1.00 PBS News Weekend. 1.30 Al Jazeera News Hour. 2.00 Amazon: The Lost World. (PG) 2.55 Such Was Life. 3.05 Going Places. 3.35 Plat Du Tour. 3.45 The Cook Up. 4.15 Westminster Abbey: Behind Closed Doors. 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. 6.00 Mastermind Australia.

6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Secrets Of The Tasmanian Tiger. (PG) 8.30 Never Mind The Buzzcocks Christmas.

9.25 Jimmy Carr’s I Literally Just Told You. (M) 10.20 The 2010s. (MA15+) 11.50 The Man Who Died. (M) 12.40 Culprits.

(M) 2.45 Pagan Peak. (MA15+) 4.30 Growing A Greener World. 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Entertainment Tonight. 6.30 Good Chef Bad Chef. 7.00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Schofield. 7.30 Farm To Fork. 8.00 The Bold And The Beautiful. (PG) 8.30 Deal Or No Deal.

9.00 Lingo.

10.00 Entertainment Tonight.

10.30 Jamie’s One-Pan Christmas.

11.30 My Market Kitchen.

12.00 Farm To Fork.

12.30 Family Feud. (PG) 1.00 Deal Or No Deal.

1.30 Movie: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. (2004) Tom Kenny. (G) 3.30 Lingo.

4.30 The Bold And The Beautiful. (PG) 5.00 10 News.

6.00 Bondi Rescue. (PG) 6.30 Deal Or No Deal.

7.30 Love It Or List It Australia.

8.40 The Imposter. Final. (M) 10.40 NCIS. (M) 12.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping.

4.30 CBS Mornings.

6.00 9.00

Sunrise.

The Morning Show Summer Series.

Series Return. (PG) 12.00 Movie: Christmas In Pine Valley.

(2022) Kristina Cole, Andrew Biernat, René Ashton. The owner of a successful company garners the attention of a major magazine. (PG) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies.

3.00 The Chase.

4.00 Seven News At 4.

5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 7News Local.

6.30 7News @ 6:30.

7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League. Match 9.

Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat. From Manuka Oval, Canberra.

10.30 Big Bash League Post-Match.

11.00 Chicago Fire. (M) 12.00 Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce. (MA15+) 2.00 Home Shopping.

4.00 NBC Today.

5.00 Sunrise Early News.

5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 Today.

9.00 Today Extra Summer. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning.

12.00 Movie: Just Like A Christmas Movie.

(2023) Marlie Collins, Brad Harder. (PG) 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG) 4.00 9News Afternoon.

5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 6.00 NBN News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Travel Guides. (PG) 8.40 Movie: Raiders Of The Lost Ark. (1981) Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John RhysDavies. (M) 11.00 Sight Unseen. (M) 11.50 Tipping Point. (PG) 12.40 Pointless. (PG) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

2.30 Global Shop.

3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PG) 4.30 A Current Affair.

5.00 Today Early News.

5.30 Today.

6.00 Children’s ABC FAMILY (22) Programs. 4.40 Vida The Vet. 4.50 Bluey. 5.00 Peppa Pig. 5.10 Big Lizard. 5.20 Millie Magnificent. 5.30 Peter Rabbit. 5.45 Kangaroo Beach. 5.55 Knee High Spies. 6.05 PJ Masks. 6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Paddington. 6.40 Hey Duggee. 6.50 Shaun The Sheep. 6.55 Tiddler. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. (PG) 8.00 Operation Ouch! (PG) 8.30 TKO: Total Knock Out. (PG) 9.15 The Crystal Maze. 10.00 Merlin.

(PG) 10.45 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning VICELAND (31) Programs. 12.00 France 24 English News. 12.30 Rex In Rome.

(PG) 3.50 BBC News At Ten. 4.15 France 24.

4.45 PBS News Weekend. 5.15 Al Jazeera.

5.45 Travel Man: 96 Hours In Iceland. (PG) 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. (M) 8.30 I Am Luke Perry.

10.05 The Billionaires Who Made Our World.

(M) 11.05 Question Team. (M) 11.55 Django.

(MA15+) 12.55 Love Around The World. (M) 2.20 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.

6.00 Shopping. 8.00 Reel DRAMA (51) Action. 8.30 Everyday Gourmet. 9.00 Living Room. (PG) 10.00 JAG. (PG) 12.00 Days Of Our Lives. (PG) 12.45 The Young And The Restless. (PG) 1.30 The Dog House. 2.30 JAG. (PG) 4.30 The Living Room.

(PG) 5.30 JAG. (PG) 7.30 NCIS. (M) 8.30 Blue Bloods. (M) 10.20 Fire Country. (M) 12.15 48 Hours: The Han Family Murders. (M) 1.15 Home Shopping.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 7TWO (62) Hornby: A Model Empire.

(PG) 2.00 Weekender. 2.30 Hornby: A Model Empire. (PG) 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. (PG) 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Doc Martin. (PG) 8.30 Endeavour. (M) 10.30 Air Crash Inv: Accident Files. (PG) 11.30 Doc Martin. (PG) 12.30 Bargain Hunt. 1.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. (PG) 2.00 Harry’s Practice.

2.30 Medical Emergency. (PG) 3.00 Better Homes. 4.00 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs.

9GEM (82) 1.00 Movie: Shalako. (1968) (PG) 3.20 Antiques Roadshow. 3.50 Movie: Double Holiday. (2019) (G) 5.30 Yorkshire Auction House. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Death In Paradise. (M) 8.40 Movie: GoldenEye. (1995) Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean. (PG) 11.20 Shakespeare And Hathaway. (PG) 12.20 Antiques Roadshow. 12.50 Creflo. (PG) 1.20 Movie: Shalako. (1968) (PG) 3.40 Innovation Nation. 4.00 Gideon’s Way. (PG) 5.00 Yorkshire Auction House.

6.00 ABC ENTERTAINS (23) Morning Programs. 1.10 The Piano UK. (PG) 2.05 ER. (PG) 2.50 Heartbreak High. (PG) 3.40 A Bite To Eat. 4.05 Would I Lie To You At Christmas? (PG) 4.40 MythBusters. (PG) 5.30 Car S.O.S. (PG) 6.15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent. 7.05 House Of Games. (PG) 7.35 QI Christmas Special.

(PG) 8.05 Would I Lie To You? (PG) 8.35 Penn & Teller: Fool Us. (PG) 9.20 Whose Line Is It Anyway? (M) 9.40 Spooks. (MA15+) 10.35 Late Programs.

6.00 The Movie Show.

6.10 Under The Cover Of Cloud. (2018) 7.50 The Movie Show. 8.25 The Snow Foxes.

(2023) 10.00 A Beautiful Mind. (2001) 12.25 The Hummingbird. (2022) 2.45 The Boy And The Heron. (2023) 5.00 The Red Turtle. (2016) (No dialogue, PG) 6.30 Ponyo. (2008) (G) 8.30 Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. (2009) Richard Gere. (PG) 10.15 Year Of The Dog. (2007) (M) 12.00 Ponyo.

(2008) 1.55 La La Land. (2016) (M) 4.05 Freud’s Last Session. (2023)

6.00 Morning Programs.

9.30 Bold. (PG) 10.00 Family Feud. (PG) 10.30 Ridiculousness. (PG) 11.30 Deal Or No Deal. 12.00 Taskmaster Australia. (PG) 1.00 Ridiculousness. (PG) 2.00 Stephen Colbert. (PG) 3.00 Becker. (PG) 3.30 Frasier. (PG) 4.00 Farm To Fork. 4.30 Frasier.

(PG) 5.00 Becker. (PG) 5.30 Frasier. (PG) 6.30 Friends. (PG) 8.00 Big Bang. (PG) 10.00 Becker.

(PG) 10.30 Frasier. (PG) 11.30 Ridiculousness.

(MA15+) 1.00 Shopping. 2.30 Bold. (PG) 3.30 Stephen Colbert. (PG) 4.30 Shopping.

7MATE (64) 1.30 Rides Down Under:

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 ABC News Day. 2.30 Compass. (PG) 3.00 News. 4.30 Culture By Design. 5.00 ABC News Summer.

6.00 Evening News. 6.35 If You’re Listening.

7.00 National News. 7.30 Back Roads. (PG) 8.00 News Tonight. 8.30 Aust Story. 9.00 ABC News Summer. 9.30 Foreign Correspondent.

10.00 Nightly News. 10.30 7.30 Special. 11.00 News. 11.30 Deep Time. 12.00 News. 12.15 Four Corners. 1.00 DW News. 1.30 Landline.

2.00 DW News. 2.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.00 Key Ingredient. 2.30 On Country Kitchen. (PG) 3.00 My Greek Table. (PG) 3.30 Taste Of Aust. 4.00 Lidia’s Kitchen. (PG) 4.30 My Market Kitchen.

(PG) 5.00 Freshly Picked. 5.30 Everyday Gourmet. 6.00 Nigellissima. 6.30 Rachael Ray’s Holidays. 7.00 The Cook Up. 7.30 Donal’s Family Kitchen. New Series. 8.00 Shane Delia’s Malta. (PG) 8.30 Searching For Spain. (PG) 9.30 Cook And The Chef. 10.00 Everyday Gourmet.

10.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.00 Strait To The Plate. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Spartakus. (PG) 3.25 Cities Of Gold. (PG) 4.25 Little J And Big Cuz. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters.

5.25 Black As. (PG) 5.30 The 77 Percent. 6.00 Bamay. (PG) 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns.

6.40 Wildlife Rescue New Zealand. (PG) 7.30 Who Do You Think You Are? (PG) 8.30 Karla Grant Presents. (PG) 9.05 Diana Ross: Supreme Sensation. (PG) 9.55 Movie: Saturday Night Fever. (1977) (MA15+) 12.00 Late Programs.

ABC NEWS (24)

WORLD MOVIES (32)

SBS FOOD (33)

COMEDY (52)

NITV (34)

6.00 Morning Programs.

Workshop Wars. (PG) 2.30 Motor Racing.

National Drag Racing Championship. Top Fuel Championship. Replay. 3.30 Billy The Exterminator. (PG) 4.30 American Resto. (PG) 5.00 Storage Wars. (PG) 5.30 American Pickers.

(PG) 6.30 Pawn Stars. (PG) 7.30 Outback Opal Hunters. (PG) 9.30 Aussie Salvage Squad. (M) 10.30 The Mightiest. (PG) 11.30 Engineering Disasters. (PG) 12.30 Storage Wars. (PG) 1.00 Late Programs.

6.00 It’s Academic. 7.30

7FLIX (66) Get Arty. 8.30 Flushed. 9.00

Shopping. 10.00 My Kitchen Rules. (PG) 11.50 Ultimate Tag. (PG) 3.00 Baking It. (PG) 4.00 The Goldbergs. (PG) 4.30 Bondi Vet. (PG) 6.30 Judge Judy. (PG) 7.30 Law & Order: Criminal Intent. (M) 8.30 Law & Order: SVU. (MA15+) 9.30 Bones. (M) 11.30 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. (M) 12.30 Grimm. (MA15+) 3.00 Covert Affairs. (M)

6.00 Children’s Programs.

9GO! (83,88) 8.30 Nanny. (PG) 9.30

Addams Family. 10.00 Bewitched. 10.30 Jeannie. 11.00 The West Wing. (PG) 12.00 Australian Ninja Warrior. (PG) 2.00 Golden Girls.

(PG) 2.30 Nanny. (PG) 3.30 Seinfeld. (PG) 4.30 Addams Family. 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 Jeannie.

6.00 Golden Girls. (PG) 6.30 Nanny. (PG) 7.30 Seinfeld. (PG) 8.30 Movie: Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past. (2009) (M) 10.35 Seinfeld. (PG) 11.35 The 100. (MA15+) 12.35 The Vampire Diaries.

(MA15+) 1.25 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00

9LIFE (84) Renovation Wild. (PG) 2.00

Fixer To Fabulous. 3.00 The Block. (PG) 4.00 Home Town. 5.00 Christina On The Coast. (PG) 6.00 House Hunters Int. 6.30 House Hunters.

7.30 House Hunters Reno. 8.30 Scott’s Vacation House Rules. (PG) 9.30 Island Of Bryan. (PG) 10.30 Beachfront Bargain Hunt: Renovation.

11.30 House Hunters Int. 12.00 House Hunters.

1.00 House Hunters Reno. 2.00 Scott’s Vacation House Rules. (PG) 3.00 Island Of Bryan. (PG) 4.00 Late Programs.

Tuesday, December 23 ABC TV

(2)

SBS

(3)

TEN

(5)

SEVEN

(6)

6.00 Great Australian Stuff. (PG) 7.00 News Breakfast. 9.30 Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen.

10.00 The Art Of... (PG) 10.30 Death In Paradise. (PG) 12.00 News. 1.00 Killer Whale: Australia’s Megapod. (PG) 2.00 Death In Paradise. (M) 3.00 QI. (PG) 3.35 Nigella Bites.

4.00 Grand Designs New Zealand. (PG) 4.45 Long Lost Family: What Happened Next. (PG) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow.

6.30 Hard Quiz Kids: Young Sheldon, Mr Olympia, Harry Styles And Cassowaries.

7.00 ABC News.

7.30 The Piano UK: At Christmas. (PG) 8.25 The Piano UK: The Incredibly Talented Lucy. (PG) 9.25 The Assembly: Ray Martin. (PG) 10.55 Escaping Utopia. (M) 11.55 A Country Road: The Nationals. (Final) 12.55 Grand Designs New Zealand. (PG) 1.40 Long Lost Family. (PG) 2.30 Rage. (MA15+) 3.30 Parkinson In Australia. (PG) 4.35 Gardening Australia.

5.35 Nigella Bites.

6.00 WorldWatch. 7.00 BBC News At Six. 7.30 France 24 English News. 8.00 DD India News Hour. 9.00 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites. 9.05 Paul O’Grady For The Love Of Dogs Xmas. (PG) 10.00 Inside Oxford Street.

(PG) 10.50 Who Do You Think You Are? (PG) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 France 24.

1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Darcey Bussell’s Royal Road Trip. 2.55 Such Was Life. (PG) 3.05 Going Places. 3.35 Plat Du Tour. 3.40 The Cook Up. 4.10 Westminster Abbey: Behind Closed Doors.

5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers.

6.00 Mastermind Australia.

6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Great British Railway Journeys: Edinburgh To Queensferry.

8.30 Who Do You Think You Are? Olly Murs. (PG) 9.40 Australia In Colour: Crime And Punishment. (M) 10.40 The 2010s: Music On Demand. (M) 11.30 Families Like Ours. (MA15+) 12.30 De Gaulle. (M) 2.30 Nordland 99. (M) 4.30 Bamay. 5.00 NHK World English News Morning.

5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Ent. Tonight. 6.30 Good Chef Bad Chef.

7.00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Schofield.

7.30 Farm To Fork. 8.00 The Bold And The Beautiful. (PG) 8.30 Deal Or No Deal. 9.00 Lingo. 10.00 Entertainment Tonight. 10.30 Jamie’s Christmas Shortcuts. 11.30 My Market Kitchen. 12.00 Farm To Fork. 12.30 Family Feud. (PG) 1.00 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PG) 2.00 Taskmaster Australia. (PG) 3.00 Deal Or No Deal.

3.30 Lingo.

4.30 The Bold And The Beautiful. (PG) 5.00 10 News.

6.00 Bondi Rescue. (PG) 6.30 Deal Or No Deal.

7.30 The Dog House Australia. (PG) 8.30 Movie: The First Wives Club. (1996) Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Diane Keaton. (PG) 10.35 Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To All. 12.30 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping.

4.30 CBS Mornings.

6.00 9.00

6.00 Children’s Programs. 4.40 Vida The Vet. 4.50 Bluey. 5.05 Peppa Pig. 5.10 Big Lizard. 5.20 Millie Magnificent. 5.30 Peter Rabbit. 5.45 Kangaroo Beach. 5.55 Knee High Spies. 6.05 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.20 Bluey. 6.30 Ben And Holly. 6.45 Supertato.

6.50 Stick Man. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. (PG) 8.00 Operation Ouch! (PG) 8.30 Animals Up Close With Bertie Gregory. 9.10 Super Shark Highway.

10.00 Merlin. (PG) 10.45 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 9.30 BBC News At Six. 10.00 Mastermind Aust. 12.00 DW The Day. 12.30 Homicide. (M) 2.15 Heroines.

3.45 BBC News At Ten. 4.15 France 24. 4.45 PBS News. 5.45 Travel Man: 96 Hours In Jordan. (PG) 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. (M) 8.30 Our Guy In Vietnam. 10.20 Hoarders. (M) 11.15 Dark Side Of The Ring. (MA15+) 12.10 Bad Education. (M) 1.20 Count Abdulla. (M) 2.10 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.

6.00 Shopping. 8.00 Escape Fishing. 9.00 Living Room. (PG) 10.00 JAG. (PG) 12.00 Days Of Our Lives. (PG) 12.45 The Young And The Restless. (PG) 1.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PG) 2.30 JAG. (PG) 4.30 The Living Room. (PG) 5.30 JAG. (PG) 7.30 NCIS. (M) 8.30 Law & Order: SVU. (M) 10.20 Fire Country. (M) 12.15 48 Hours: Tracker Dakota Black. (M) 1.15 Home Shopping.

7TWO (62) Escape To The Country. 2.00

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.05 Spooks. (M) 2.00 ER. (M) 2.45 Heartbreak High. (PG) 3.35 Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen. 4.05 Would I Lie To You? (PG) 4.40 MythBusters. (PG) 5.30 Car S.O.S. 6.15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent. 7.05 House Of Games.

(PG) 7.35 QI. (PG) 8.05 Would I Lie To You At Christmas? (PG) 8.35 Fisk. (M) 9.35 Spooks.

(M) 10.30 ER. (PG) 11.15 My Family. (PG) 11.45 Rage Best Of The Charts 2025. (PG) 12.50 QI. (PG) 1.20 Late Programs.

6.00 The Movie Show.

7.05 The Red Turtle. (2016) 8.30 The Movie Show. (PG) 9.00 Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. (2009) (PG) 10.40 La La Land. (2016) (M) 1.00 Freud’s Last Session. (2023) 3.00 Ponyo. (2008) (G) 5.00 The Snow Foxes. (2023) (PG) 6.30 Kiki’s Delivery Service. (1989) (G) 8.30 Starring Dick Van Dyke. 10.25 Divorce American Style. (1967) (M) 12.25 Kiki’s Delivery Service. (1989) 2.30 Year Of The Dog. (2007) (M) 4.20 Under The Cover Of Cloud. (2018) (PG)

6.00 Morning Programs.

9.30 Bold. (PG) 10.00 Family Feud. (PG) 10.30 Ridiculousness. (PG) 11.30 Deal Or No Deal. 12.00 Taskmaster Australia. (PG) 1.00 Ridiculousness. (PG) 2.00 Stephen Colbert. (PG) 3.00 Becker. (PG) 3.30 Frasier. (PG) 4.00 Farm To Fork. 4.30 Frasier.

(PG) 5.00 Becker. (PG) 5.30 Frasier. (PG) 6.30 Friends. (PG) 8.00 Big Bang. (PG) 10.00 Becker.

(PG) 10.30 Frasier. (PG) 11.30 Ridiculousness.

(M) 1.00 Shopping. 2.30 Bold. (PG) 3.30 Stephen Colbert. (PG) 4.30 Shopping.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 ABC News Day. 2.30 Compass. 3.00 News. 4.30 Culture By Design. 5.00 ABC News Summer.

6.00 Evening News. 6.35 If You’re Listening.

7.00 National News. 7.30 Back Roads.

(PG) 8.00 News Tonight. 8.30 Aust Story.

(PG) 9.00 ABC News Summer. 9.30 Foreign Correspondent. 10.00 Nightly News. 10.30 7.30.

11.00 News. 11.30 Indonesia Down Under. (PG) 12.00 News. 12.15 Four Corners. 1.00 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.00 Key Ingredient. 2.30 On Country Kitchen. (PG) 3.00 Mary Berry’s Everyday. (PG) 3.30 Taste Of Aust.

4.00 Lidia’s Kitchen. 4.30 My Market Kitchen.

(PG) 5.00 Freshly Picked. 5.30 Everyday Gourmet. (PG) 6.00 Nigellissima. 6.30 Rachael Ray’s Holidays. 7.00 The Cook Up. 7.30 Silvia’s Italian Masterclass. 8.00 The Big Irish Food Tour. (PG) 8.30 José Andrés And Family In Spain. (PG) 9.30 Cook And The Chef. 10.00 Everyday Gourmet. (PG) 10.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.25 Yarning Culture Through Film.

1.30 Our Law. (PG) 2.00 Strait To The Plate.

2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Spartakus. (PG) 3.25 Cities Of Gold. (PG) 4.25 Little J And Big Cuz. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters.

5.25 Black As. (PG) 5.30 Indian Country Today News. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.40 Wildlife Rescue New Zealand. (PG) 7.30 Water Worlds. (PG) 8.30 Unleash The Beast. 9.30 Hunting Aotearoa. (PG) 10.30 Late Programs.

ABC FAMILY (22)

ABC ENTERTAINS (23)

ABC NEWS (24)

VICELAND (31)

WORLD MOVIES (32)

SBS FOOD (33)

DRAMA (51)

COMEDY (52)

NITV (34)

Sunrise.

The Morning Show Summer Series. (PG) 12.00 Movie: Candy Cane Candidate. (2021) Jacky Lai, Jake Epstein, Edwina Renout.

A woman returns to her home town only to run into her old high school rival. (PG) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies.

3.00 The Chase.

4.00 Seven News At 4.

5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 7News Local.

6.30 7News @ 6:30.

7.00 Cricket. Big Bash League. Match 10.

Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Stars.

From Adelaide Oval.

10.30 Seven’s Cricket: The Spin.

11.15 Lopez Vs. Lopez. (PG) 12.15 Miniseries: London Spy. (MA15+) 1.30 Travel Oz. 2.00 Home Shopping.

4.00 NBC Today.

5.00 Sunrise Early News.

5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00

Creek To Coast. 2.30 Air Crash Inv: Accident Files. (PG) 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. (PG) 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Call The Midwife. (M) 8.45 Judge John Deed.

(M) 10.45 Miniseries: Without Sin. (M) 11.45 Bargain Hunt. 12.45 Room For Improvement.

1.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. (PG) 2.00 Harry’s Practice. 2.30 Medical Emergency. (PG) 3.00 Better Homes. 4.00 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs.

7MATE (64) 11.30 American Pickers.

(PG) 12.30 Pawn Stars. (PG) 1.30 Outback Opal Hunters. (PG) 3.30 Billy The Exterminator.

(PG) 4.00 American Resto. (PG) 5.00 Storage Wars. (PG) 5.30 American Pickers. (PG) 6.30 Pawn Stars. (PG) 7.30 Outback Truckers. (PG) 9.30 Railroad Australia. (PG) 10.30 Ice Road Truckers. (M) 12.30 Storage Wars. (PG) 1.00 American Pickers. (PG) 2.00 Pawn Stars. (PG) 3.00 Outback Truckers. (M) 4.00 Ice Road Truckers. (M) 5.00 Swamp People. (M) 6.00 It’s Academic. 7.30

7FLIX (66) Get Arty. 8.30 Flushed. 9.00

Shopping. 10.00 The Food Dude. (PG) 10.30 My Kitchen Rules. (PG) 12.00 Ultimate Tag. (PG) 3.00 Baking It. (PG) 4.00 The Goldbergs. (PG) 4.30 Bondi Vet. (PG) 6.30 Judge Judy. (PG) 7.30 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. (M) 9.30 CSI: Miami. (MA15+) 11.30 CSI: New York. (MA15+) 12.30 Grimm. (MA15+) 3.00 Covert Affairs. (M)

NBN

(8, 80)

6.00 Today. 9.00 Today Extra Summer. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning.

12.00 Movie: 12 Dares Of Christmas.

(2023) (G) 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG) 4.00 9News Afternoon.

5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 6.00 NBN News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo: Emu Rescue. (PG) 8.30 Jamie Durie’s Future House.

9.35 Beyond The Build.

10.35 Wild Cards. (M) 11.30 La Brea. (M) 12.15 Tipping Point. (PG) 1.05 Cross Court.

1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

2.30 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo.

3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PG) 4.30 A Current Affair.

5.00 Today Early News.

5.30 Today.

6.00 Morning Programs.

9GEM (82) 1.00 Movie: My Brother

Jonathan. (1948) (G) 3.20 Antiques Roadshow.

3.50 Movie: Welcome To Christmas. (2018) (G) 5.30 Yorkshire Auction House. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 New Tricks. (M) 8.40 Movie: Tomorrow Never Dies. (1997) Pierce Brosnan.

(M) 11.05 Major Crimes. (M) 12.05 Shakespeare And Hathaway. (PG) 1.05 Creflo. (PG) 1.35 Movie: My Brother Jonathan. (1948) (G) 3.50 Innovation Nation. 4.00 Gideon’s Way. (PG) 5.00 Yorkshire Auction House.

6.00 Children’s Programs.

9GO! (83,88) 8.30 Nanny. (PG) 9.30

Addams Family. 10.00 Bewitched. 10.30 Jeannie. 11.00 The West Wing. (PG) 12.00 Talking Honey. (PG) 12.10 Australian Ninja Warrior. (PG) 2.00 Golden Girls. (PG) 2.30 Nanny. (PG) 3.30 Seinfeld. (PG) 4.30 Addams Family. 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 Jeannie. 6.00 Golden Girls. (PG) 6.30 Nanny. (PG) 7.30 Seinfeld. (PG) 8.30 Movie: Elf. (2003) (G) 10.30 Seinfeld. (PG) 11.30 The 100. (MA15+) 12.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.30

9LIFE (84) Beachfront Bargain Hunt:

Renovation. 2.30 The Block. (PG) 4.00 Home Town. 5.00 Scott’s Vacation House Rules. (PG) 6.00 House Hunters Int. 6.30 House Hunters.

7.30 Help! We Bought A Village. 8.30 Chateau DIY. 9.30 Britain’s Most Expensive Houses.

10.30 Beyond The Farm: Men At Work. 11.30 House Hunters Int. 12.00 House Hunters. 1.00 Help! We Bought A Village. 2.00 Chateau DIY. 3.00 Britain’s Most Expensive Houses. 4.00 Late Programs.

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Page 10

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Wednesday, December 24 ABC TV

(2)

SBS

(3)

TEN

(5)

SEVEN

(6)

NBN

(8, 80)

6.00 Great Australian Stuff. (PG) 7.00 News Breakfast. 9.30 Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen.

Final. 10.00 Movie: Songs Inside. (2024) (M) 11.30 Maggie Beer’s Christmas Feast. 12.00 News. 1.00 The Piano UK. (PG) 1.55 Death In Paradise. (M) 2.55 Would I Lie To You? (PG) 3.30 Nigella Bites. 3.55 Grand Designs NZ. 4.40 Long Lost Family: What Happened Next. (PG) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow.

6.30 Hard Quiz Kids. (PG) 7.00 ABC News.

7.30 Shaun Micallef’s Eve Of Destruction: Christmas Special. (PG) 8.10 Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee: Christmas Special. (PG) 9.00 QI: Variety. (M) 9.30 Would I Lie To You? (PG) 10.00 Spicks And Specks. (Final) (PG) 10.30 Utopia. (PG) 11.25 You Can’t Ask That. (M) 12.35 Grand Designs New Zealand. 1.20 Long Lost Family. (PG) 2.10 Rage. (MA15+) 3.30 Parkinson In Australia. (PG) 4.35 Gardening Australia. 5.35 Nigella Bites.

6.00 DW English News. 6.30 Al Jazeera. 7.00 BBC News At Six. 7.30 France 24 English News. 8.00 DD India News Hour. 9.00 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites. 9.05 Paul O’Grady For The Love Of Dogs Xmas. (PG) 10.00 Inside Oxford Street. (PG) 10.50 Who Do You Think You Are? (PG) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 France 24. 1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Darcey Bussell’s Royal Road Trip. 2.55 Such Was Life. 3.05 Going Places With Ernie Dingo.

3.35 Plat Du Tour. 3.40 The Cook Up With Adam Liaw. 4.10 London Zoo At Christmas.

(PG) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers.

6.00 Mastermind Australia.

6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Big Fat Quiz Of Everything. (M) 9.05 Rock Legends: Elton John. (PG) 9.35 Crime. (MA15+) 10.30 The 2010s: Obama – Legacy On The Line. (M) 11.20 Mirusia: Live In Concert.

12.50 Daddy Issues. (M) 4.00 Growing A Greener World. 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Ent. Tonight. 6.30 Good Chef Bad Chef.

7.00 Everyday Gourmet With Justine Schofield.

7.30 Farm To Fork. 8.00 The Bold And The Beautiful. (PG) 8.30 Deal Or No Deal. 9.00 Lingo. 10.00 Entertainment Tonight. 10.30 Jamie’s Cook Ahead Christmas. 11.30 My Market Kitchen. 12.00 Farm To Fork. 12.30 Family Feud. (PG) 1.00 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PG) 2.00 Taskmaster Australia. (PG) 3.00 Deal Or No Deal.

3.30 Lingo.

4.30 The Bold And The Beautiful. (PG) 5.00 10 News.

6.00 Bondi Rescue. (PG) 6.30 Deal Or No Deal.

7.30 Airport 24/7. (PG) 8.30 The Cheap Seats. (MA15+) 9.30 Movie: Patriot Games. (1992) Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, Sean Bean. (M) 11.50 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.00 Hour Of Power Christmas Eve Special.

2.00 Home Shopping.

4.30 CBS Mornings.

6.00 Sunrise. 9.00 The Morning Show Summer Series. (PG) 12.00 Movie: Murder, She Baked: A Plum Pudding Mystery. (2015) (PG) 2.00 Bridge Of Lies.

3.00 The Chase.

4.00 Seven News At 4.

5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 7News Local.

6.30 7News @ 6:30.

7.00 The 1% Club UK. (PG) 8.00 Movie: The Holiday. (2006) Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law. Two women who live on opposite sides of the Atlantic impulsively switch homes for Christmas. (M) 10.40 Chicago Fire. (M) 11.40 Border Security: Australia’s Front Line. (PG) 12.05 Movie: The Other Me. (2021) Sheena Peña, Jim Klock. A woman searches for her missing daughter. (M) 2.00 Home Shopping.

4.00 Larry The Wonder Pup. 5.30 NBC Today.

6.00 Today.

9.00 Today Extra Summer. (PG) 11.30 9News Morning.

12.00 Movie: Under The Christmas Sky. (2023) Jessica Parker Kennedy, Ryan Paevey, Andrew Bushell. (G) 2.00 Pointless. (PG) 3.00 Tipping Point. (PG) 4.00 9News Afternoon.

5.00 Tipping Point Australia. (PG) 6.00 NBN News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Christmas With Delta.

8.00 Carols By Candlelight. (PG) 11.00 Movie: Noel Next Door. (2022) Natalie Hall, Corey Sevier, Joanna Douglas. (PG) 12.40 Tipping Point. (PG) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

2.30 Global Shop.

3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PG) 4.30 Nine Perth Presents: Christmas In WA. 5.30 Thunderbirds.

6.00 Children’s ABC FAMILY (22) Programs. 5.10 Peppa Pig. 5.20 Millie Magnificent. 5.30 Peter Rabbit. 5.45 Kangaroo Beach. 5.55 Knee High Spies. 6.05 PJ Masks Power Heroes.

6.20 Bluey. 6.25 Hey Duggee. 6.35 Ben And Holly. 6.45 Supertato. 6.55 Tabby McTat. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. (PG) 8.00 Merry Madagascar.

8.25 Movie: The Night Before Christmas In Wonderland. (2024) (G) 9.45 A (Very) Musical Christmas. 11.20 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning VICELAND (31) Programs. 1.35 If You Are The One. (PG) 3.35 Fashionista. 3.45 BBC News At Ten. 4.15 France 24. 4.45 PBS News.

5.45 Travel Man: Jon Hamm In Hong Kong.

(PG) 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. (M) 8.30 Adam Hills: The Last Leg. (M) 9.20 Movie: Gremlins.

(1984) Zach Galligan. (M) 11.20 Tis The Season: The Holidays On Screen. (M) 12.55 Show Me The Father. (PG) 2.35 NHK World English News.

5.00 Al Jazeera.

6.00 Shopping. 8.00 DRAMA (51) Escape Fishing. 8.30 Living Room. (PG) 10.00 JAG. (PG) 12.00 Days Of Our Lives. (PG) 12.45 The Young And The Restless. (PG) 1.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PG) 2.30 JAG. (PG) 4.30 The Living Room. (PG) 5.30 JAG. (PG) 7.30 NCIS. (M) 8.30 Law & Order: SVU. (M) 10.20 Fire Country. (M) 12.15 48 Hours: A Man With A Past. (M) 1.15 Home Shopping.

6.00 Morning Programs.

7TWO (62) 1.00 Escape To The Country.

2.00 The Zoo. 2.30 The Master. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Medical Emergency. (PG) 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country.

6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Heartbeat. (PG) 8.45 Inspector George Gently. (M) 10.45 Charles: The Monarch And The Man. (PG) 11.45 Bargain Hunt. 12.45 Room For Improvement. 1.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. (PG) 2.00 Harry’s Practice. 2.30 Medical Emergency. (PG) 3.00 Better Homes. 4.00 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 9GEM (82) Movie: Wonderful Life. (1964) (G) 3.20 Antiques Roadshow. 3.50 Movie: It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. (2019) (G) 5.30 Yorkshire Auction House. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Keeping Up Appearances. (PG) 8.40 Movie: The World Is Not Enough. (1999) Pierce Brosnan. (M) 11.15 How We Celebrate.

(PG) 12.15 Shakespeare And Hathaway.

(PG) 1.15 Creflo. (PG) 1.45 Movie: Wonderful Life. (1964) (G) 4.00 Gideon’s Way. (PG) 5.00 Yorkshire Auction House.

6.00 ABC ENTERTAINS (23) Morning Programs. 1.05 Spooks. (M) 2.00 ER. (PG) 2.50 Heartbreak High. (PG) 3.40 A Bite To Eat. 4.05 Would I Lie To You At Christmas? 4.40 MythBusters. (PG) 5.30 Car S.O.S. (PG) 6.15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent. 7.05 House Of Games. (PG) 7.35 QI. (M) 8.05 Would I Lie To You? (PG) 8.35 Death In Paradise. (PG) 9.35 Spooks. (M) 10.30 ER. (PG) 11.20 My Family.

Final. (PG) 11.50 Rage Vault. (MA15+) 12.50 QI. (M) 1.20 Late Programs.

6.00 The Movie Show.

6.35 The Snow Foxes. (2023) 8.10 All Quiet On The Western Front. (1979) (PG) 11.00 Year Of The Dog. (2007) (M) 12.55 Starring Dick Van Dyke. 2.55 Kiki’s Delivery Service. (1989) (G) 4.55 Mosley. (2019) (PG) 6.50 My Neighbour Totoro. (1988) (PG) 8.30 Bye Bye Birdie. (1963) Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret.

(PG) 10.35 The Comic. (1969) (PG) 12.25 My Neighbour Totoro. (1988) 2.05 Divorce American Style. (1967) (M) 4.05 Mosley. (2019) (PG)

6.00 Morning Programs.

9.30 Bold. (PG) 10.00 Family Feud. (PG) 10.30 Ridiculousness. (PG) 11.30 Deal Or No Deal. 12.00 Taskmaster Australia. (PG) 1.00 Ridiculousness. (PG) 2.00 Stephen Colbert. (PG) 3.00 Becker. (PG) 3.30 Frasier. (PG) 4.00 Farm To Fork. 4.30 Frasier.

(PG) 5.00 Becker. (PG) 5.30 Frasier. (PG) 6.30 Friends. (PG) 8.00 Big Bang. (PG) 10.00 Becker.

(PG) 10.30 Frasier. (PG) 11.30 Ridiculousness.

(PG) 12.30 Shopping. 2.30 Bold. (PG) 3.30 Stephen Colbert. (PG) 4.30 Shopping.

7MATE (64) 1.30 Outback Truckers.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 ABC News Day. 2.30 Compass. (PG) 3.00 News. 4.30 Culture By Design. 5.00 ABC News Summer.

6.00 Evening News. 6.35 If You’re Listening.

7.00 National News. 7.30 Back Roads. (PG) 8.00 News Tonight. 8.30 Tracy: A Force Of Nature. (PG) 9.30 Foreign Correspondent. 10.00 Nightly News. 10.30 7.30. 11.15 News. 11.30 Expanse: Nowhere Man. 12.00 News. 12.10 Four Corners. 1.00 DW News. 1.30 Landline.

2.00 DW News. 2.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.00 Key Ingredient. 2.30 On Country Kitchen. 3.00 Mary Berry’s Everyday. 3.30 Taste Of Aust. 4.00 Lidia’s Kitchen. 4.30 My Market Kitchen. (PG) 5.00 Freshly Picked. 5.30 Everyday Gourmet.

(PG) 6.00 Nigellissima. 6.30 Rachael Ray’s Holidays. 7.00 The Cook Up. (PG) 7.30 Cook Like A Chef. New Series. 8.00 Global Soul Kitchen. 8.30 Two Greedy Italians. (PG) 9.40 Cook And The Chef. 10.10 Everyday Gourmet.

(PG) 10.35 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs.

1.30 Off Country. (PG) 2.00 Strait To The Plate. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Spartakus. 3.25 Cities Of Gold. (PG) 4.25 Little J And Big Cuz. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters. 5.25 Black As. (PG) 5.30 News. 6.00 Bamay. 6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.40 Arctic Secrets. (PG) 7.30 Ocean Warriors: Mission Ready. (PG) 8.30 Movie: Scrooged. (1988) (M) 10.15 Uncharted With Alicia Keys. (M) 12.00 Supreme Team. (MA15+) 1.00 Late Programs.

ABC NEWS (24)

WORLD MOVIES (32)

SBS FOOD (33)

COMEDY (52)

NITV (34)

6.00 Morning Programs.

(PG) 3.30 Billy The Exterminator. (PG) 4.30 American Resto. (PG) 5.00 Storage Wars. (PG) 5.30 American Pickers. (PG) 6.30 Pawn Stars.

(PG) 7.30 Highway Patrol. (PG) 8.30 The Force: BTL. (PG) 9.30 Caught On Dashcam Holiday Specials. (PG) 10.30 World’s Wildest Police Videos. (M) 11.30 Live PD Presents: PD Cam. (MA15+) 12.00 American Resto. (PG) 12.30 Storage Wars. (PG) 1.00 American Pickers. (PG) 2.00 Pawn Stars. (PG) 3.00 Late Programs.

6.00 It’s Academic. 7.30

7FLIX (66) Get Arty. 8.30 Flushed. 9.00

Shopping. 10.00 The Food Dude. (PG) 10.30 My Kitchen Rules. (PG) 12.00 Ultimate Tag. (PG) 3.00 Baking It. (PG) 4.00 Jabba’s Movies School Holiday Special. (PG) 4.30 Bondi Vet. (PG) 6.30 Judge Judy. (PG) 7.30 House. (M) 10.30 CSI: Miami. (MA15+) 12.30 CSI: New York. (MA15+) 1.30 First Dates UK. (M) 4.30 10 Years Younger In 10 Days. (PG) 5.30 Fresh TV.

6.00 Children’s Programs.

9GO! (83,88) 8.30 Nanny. (PG) 9.30

Addams Family. 10.00 Bewitched. 10.30 Jeannie. 11.00 The West Wing. (PG) 12.00 Innovation Nation. 12.15 Australian Ninja Warrior. (PG) 2.00 Golden Girls. (PG) 2.30 Nanny. (PG) 3.30 Seinfeld. (PG) 4.30 Addams Family. 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 Jeannie. 6.00 Golden Girls. (PG) 6.30 Nanny. (PG) 7.30 Seinfeld. (PG) 8.30 Movie: Unseen Enemy.

(2025) (MA15+) 10.40 Movie: A Savage Christmas. (2023) (M) 12.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.30

9LIFE (84) Help! We Bought A Village.

2.30 Garden Gurus Moments. 2.40 The Block.

(PG) 4.00 Home Town. 5.00 Chateau DIY. 6.00 House Hunters Int. 6.30 House Hunters Ho Ho Home. 7.00 House Hunters. 7.30 Home Town.

8.30 Good Bones. (PG) 9.30 Windy City Rehab.

(PG) 10.30 TBA. 11.30 House Hunters Int. 12.00 House Hunters Ho Ho Home. 12.30 House Hunters. 1.00 Home Town. 2.00 Good Bones.

(PG) 3.00 Windy City Rehab. (PG) 4.00 TBA. 5.00 Home Town.

Thursday, December 25 ABC TV

(2)

SBS

(3)

TEN

(5)

SEVEN

(6)

6.00 Rage Christmas Special. (PG) 9.00 ABC News. 9.30 The Pope’s Christmas Mass.

11.25 QI. (PG) 12.00 News. 12.30 Guy Mont Spelling Bee. (PG) 1.20 Shaun Micallef’s Eve Of Destruction. (PG) 1.55 Death In Paradise. Final.

(M) 2.55 Would I Lie To You? (PG) 3.25 Nigella Bites. 3.50 Movie: A Boy Called Christmas.

(2021) Henry Lawfull, Maggie Smith. (PG) 5.30 Royal Carols: Together At Christmas.

6.30 Hard Quiz Kids: Australian Politics, Elephants, The Toy Story Movies And Stray Kids. (PG) 7.00 ABC National News.

7.30 HM The King’s Christmas Message.

7.40 The Royal Variety Performance. (PG) 9.40 Portrait Artist Of The Year. (Final) 10.25 A (Very) Musical Christmas.

11.55 The Art Of: Memory. (M) 12.30 Grand Designs New Zealand: Concrete Californian.

1.15 Long Lost Family. (PG) 2.00 Rage Christmas Special. (MA15+) 3.20 Parkinson In Australia. (PG) 4.35 Gardening Australia.

5.35 Nigella Bites.

6.00 DW English News. 6.30 Al Jazeera. 7.00 BBC News At Six. 7.30 France 24 English News. 8.00 DD India News Hour. 9.00 The Point: Road To Referendum History Bites. 9.05 Paul O’Grady For The Love Of Dogs Xmas. (PG) 10.00 Kew Gardens: Season By Season. 10.50 Who Do You Think You Are? (PG) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 France 24. 1.00 PBS News.

2.00 Darcey Bussell’s Royal Road Trip. 2.55 Such Was Life. 3.05 Going Places. 3.35 Plat Du Tour. 3.40 The Cook Up. (PG) 4.10 Christmas Carols From London Coliseum. 5.05 Jeopardy!

5.30 Letters And Numbers.

6.00 Mastermind Australia.

6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration.

9.20 Vigil. (MA15+) 10.30 The 2010s: Trump – The Disruptor. (M) 11.20 Vienna Blood. (M) 12.15 Outlander. (M) 1.35 House Of Promises. (M) 3.20 Growing A Greener World. 4.20 Rediscover Victoria. (PG) 4.50 Destination Flavour: Japan Bitesize. 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Jamie Oliver: Christmas.

7.00 Jamie’s One-Pan Christmas.

8.00 MTV Greatest Christmas Hits.

12.30 The Graham Norton Show. (PG) 1.30 The Dog House. (PG) 2.30 The Living Room. (PG) 3.45 The King’s Christmas Message.

4.00 Bondi Rescue. (PG) 4.30 Deal Or No Deal.

5.00 10 News.

6.00 The King’s Christmas Message.

6.15 The Dog House. (PG) 7.15 The Graham Norton Show.

8.30 Basketball. NBL. Round 14. Sydney Kings v Illawarra Hawks. From Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney.

10.30 Movie: The Lost City. (2022) Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe. (M) 12.45 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping.

4.30 CBS Mornings.

6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Carols In The Domain.

(PG) 9.30 Alinta Energy Christmas Pageant. (PG) 10.30 Mayor’s Christmas Carols. (PG) 11.30 St John Ambulance Carols By Candlelight. (PG) 2.00 Christmas With The Salvos. (PG) 2.30 Movie: Last Train To Christmas.

(2021) (PG) 5.00 The Chase Australia.

6.00 Seven News.

7.00 7News: Sydney’s Christmas Lights.

7.30 Movie: Love Actually. (2003) Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson.

Explores a series of interlocking vignettes about love and romance in Britain in the weeks before Christmas. (M) 10.15 Movie: Last Christmas. (2019) Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding. An aspiring singer gains a new perspective. (PG) 12.25 Life. (M) 1.25 Travel Oz. 2.00 Home Shopping.

4.00 NBC Today.

5.00 Sunrise Early News.

5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 Children’s Programs. 5.55 Knee High Spies. 6.10 Shaun The Sheep. 6.15 Bluey. 6.25 The Gruffalo. 6.50 The Gruffalo’s Child. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. (PG) 8.00 Wallace And Gromit: A Grand Day Out. 8.20 Wallace And Gromit: The Wrong Trousers. 8.50 Wallace And Gromit: A Close Shave. 9.20 Wallace And Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death. 9.50 The Wonderful World Of Puppies. 10.35 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 10.00 The Movie Show. (M) 12.20 DW The Day. 12.50 Australia’s Sleep Revolution. (PG) 1.55 Devoured. (M) 2.45 Insight. 3.45 BBC News At Ten. 4.15 France 24. 4.45 PBS News. 5.45 Travel Man: Rebel Wilson In Florence. (PG) 6.40 Jeopardy! 7.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. (M) 8.30 History’s Greatest Mysteries. (M) 10.10 The UnXplained. (PG) 11.00 Homicide. (M) 12.45 Normal People. (M) 2.25 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.

6.00 Shopping. 8.00 Escape Fishing. 9.00 Living Room. (PG) 10.00 JAG. (PG) 12.00 Days Of Our Lives. (PG) 12.45 The Young And The Restless. (PG) 1.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia. (PG) 2.30 JAG. (PG) 4.30 The Living Room. (PG) 5.30 JAG. (PG) 7.30 NCIS. (M) 8.30 Law & Order: SVU. (M) 10.20 Fire Country. (M) 12.15 48 Hours. (M) 1.15 Home Shopping.

7TWO (62) Escape To The Country. 2.00

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.15 Spooks. (M) 2.10 ER. (PG) 2.55 Heartbreak High. (PG) 3.40 The Cleaner: A Clean Christmas. (PG) 4.10 QI. (PG) 4.40 MythBusters. (PG) 5.30 Car S.O.S. (PG) 6.15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent. 7.05 House Of Games. (PG) 7.35 QI. (M) 8.05 Would I Lie To You? At Christmas. 8.35 Guy Mont Spelling Bee. (PG) 9.25 Shaun Micallef’s Eve Of Destruction. (PG) 10.05 A (Very) Musical Christmas. 11.35 Late Programs.

6.00 All Quiet On The Western Front. (1979) (PG) 8.40 Bye Bye Birdie.

(1963) (PG) 10.40 The Comic. (1969) (PG) 12.25 Sisi & I. (2023) (German, M) 2.45 The Movie Show. (PG) 3.15 My Neighbour Totoro. (1988) (PG) 4.55 Selkie. (2000) (PG) 6.30 Spirited Away.

(2001) Daveigh Chase. (PG) 8.55 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (1968) (PG) 11.30 Operation Mincemeat. (2021) (M) 1.50 Spirited Away. (2001) 4.10 The Most Beautiful Day In The World. (2019) (Italian, PG)

6.00 Morning Programs.

9.30 Bold. (PG) 10.00 Family Feud. (PG) 10.30 Ridiculousness. (PG) 11.30 Deal Or No Deal. 12.00 Taskmaster Australia. (PG) 1.00 Ridiculousness. (PG) 2.00 Stephen Colbert. (PG) 3.00 Becker. (PG) 3.30 Frasier. (PG) 4.00 Farm To Fork. 4.30 Frasier.

(PG) 5.00 Becker. (PG) 5.30 Frasier. (PG) 6.30 Friends. (PG) 8.00 Big Bang. (PG) 9.30 Becker.

(PG) 10.00 Frasier. (PG) 11.00 Ridiculousness.

(PG) 12.00 Shopping. 2.30 Bold. (PG) 3.30 Stephen Colbert. (PG) 4.30 Shopping.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 ABC News Day. 1.30 Breakfast Couch. 2.00 ABC News. 2.30 Compass. (PG) 3.00 News. 3.30 Back Roads. (PG) 4.00 ABC News. 4.30 Culture

By Design. 5.00 ABC News Summer. 5.30 Breakfast Couch. 6.00 Evening News. 6.30 7.30 Special. 7.00 National News. 7.30 Back Roads.

8.00 News Tonight. 8.30 Aust Story. 9.00 ABC News Summer. 9.30 Foreign Correspondent.

10.00 ABC News. 10.30 The Pacific. 11.00 News. 11.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.00 Key Ingredient. 2.30 On Country Kitchen. 3.00 Mary Berry’s Everyday. 3.30 Taste Of Aust. 4.00 Lidia’s Kitchen. 4.30 My Market Kitchen. (PG) 5.00 Freshly Picked. 5.30 Everyday Gourmet.

(PG) 6.00 Nigellissima. 6.30 Rachael Ray’s Holidays. Final. 7.00 The Cook Up. 7.30 Hong Kong Kitchen. 8.30 Food Heroes. (PG) 9.30 Cook And The Chef. 10.00 Everyday Gourmet.

(PG) 10.30 The Cook Up. 11.00 Cheese Slices.

11.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.40 Road Open. 2.00 Strait To The Plate. 2.30 The Cook Up. 3.00 Spartakus. 3.25 Cities Of Gold. (PG) 4.25 Little J And Big Cuz. 4.35 Motown Magic. 5.00 Harlem Globetrotters.

5.25 Black As. 5.30 Going Places. 6.00 Bamay.

6.30 NITV News: Summer Yarns. 6.40 Arctic Secrets. (PG) 7.29 NITV Weather. 7.30 Going Places. (PG) 8.30 Reservation Dogs. (M) 9.30 Movie: New Jack City. (1991) (MA15+) 11.15 Warrior Spirit. (M) 12.05 Garma Bunngul 2023.

1.00 Late Programs.

ABC FAMILY (22)

ABC ENTERTAINS (23)

ABC NEWS (24)

VICELAND (31)

WORLD MOVIES (32)

SBS FOOD (33)

DRAMA (51)

COMEDY (52)

NITV (34)

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00

South Aussie With Cosi. (PG) 2.30 Charles: The Monarch And The Man. (PG) 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Christmas With The Salvos.

(PG) 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain Hunt. 7.30 Father Brown.

(M) 8.30 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. (M) 10.30 Murdoch Mysteries. (M) 11.30 Father Brown. (M) 12.30 Bargain Hunt. 1.30 The Great Australian Doorstep. (PG) 2.00 Harry’s Practice.

2.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs.

7MATE (64) 1.30 Highway Patrol.

(PG) 2.30 The Force: BTL. (PG) 3.30 Billy The Exterminator. (PG) 4.30 American Resto.

(PG) 5.00 Storage Wars. (PG) 5.30 American Pickers. (PG) 6.30 Pawn Stars. (PG) 7.30 American Pickers. (PG) 8.30 Movie: Ghost Rider. (2007) Nicolas Cage. (M) 10.45 Movie: Anaconda. (1997) (M) 12.40 American Pickers.

(PG) 2.00 Pawn Stars. (PG) 3.00 NFL. NFL. Week 16. Carolina Panthers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Replay.

6.00 It’s Academic. 7.30

7FLIX (66) Get Arty. 8.30 Flushed. 9.00

Shopping. 10.00 My Asian Banquet. (PG) 10.30 My Kitchen Rules. (PG) 12.00 Ultimate Tag. (PG) 3.00 Baking It. (PG) 4.00 The Goldbergs. (PG) 4.30 Bondi Vet. (PG) 5.30 First Dates UK. (PG) 6.30 Judge Judy. (PG) 7.30 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. (M) 9.30 Ramsay’s Costa Del Nightmares. (M) 11.30 First Dates UK. (M) 12.30 CSI: NY. (MA15+) 1.30 Kitchen Nightmares. (M) 3.30 Ramsay’s Costa Del Nightmares. (M) 5.30 Fresh TV.

NBN

(8, 80)

6.00 Thunderbirds. 6.30 National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant. 8.30 Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols. 10.30 CMA Country Christmas. 11.30 Christmas With Delta. 1.00 Carols By Candlelight. (PG) 4.00 Movie: Blizzard. (2003) Jennifer Pisana, Brenda Blethyn, Paul Bates. (G) 6.00 NBN News.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 Movie: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. (1989) Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo. (M) 9.30 Movie: National Lampoon’s Vacation.

(1983) Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid. (M) 11.30 The King’s Christmas Message.

11.40 Movie: The Jazz Singer. (1980) Neil Diamond. (G) 1.40 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

2.30 Global Shop.

3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping.

4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PG) 4.30 GolfBarons. (PG) 5.00 A Current Affair.

5.30 Today.

6.00 Morning Programs.

9GEM (82) 12.00 How We Celebrate.

(PG) 1.00 Movie: Christmas Reservations.

(2019) (PG) 2.45 Movie: A Christmas In Tennessee. (2018) (PG) 4.30 Poirot. (PG) 6.30 Antiques Roadshow. 7.30 Clarkson’s Farm.

(M) 8.30 Movie: Die Another Day. (2002) Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry. (M) 11.10 Major Crimes.

(M) 12.10 Australia’s Top Ten Of Everything. (M) 1.10 Creflo. (PG) 1.40 Poirot. (PG) 3.35 Antiques Roadshow. 4.00 Gideon’s Way. (PG) 5.00 How We Celebrate. (PG) 6.00 Children’s Programs.

9GO! (83,88) 8.00 The Nanny: Oy To

The World. (PG) 8.30 Nanny. (PG) 9.30 Addams Family. 10.00 Bewitched. 10.30 Jeannie. 11.00 The West Wing. (PG) 12.00 Explore. (PG) 12.15 Movie: Christmas On Holly Lane. (2018) (PG) 2.00 Golden Girls. (PG) 2.30 Nanny. (PG) 3.30 Seinfeld. (PG) 4.30 Addams Family. 5.00 Bewitched. 5.30 Jeannie. 6.00 Golden Girls.

(PG) 6.30 Nanny. (PG) 7.30 Seinfeld. (PG) 8.30 Movie: The Circle. (2017) (M) 10.45 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00

9LIFE (84) TBA. 2.00 Home Town. 3.00

The Block. (PG) 4.00 Home Town. 5.00 Windy City Rehab. (PG) 6.00 House Hunters Int. 6.30 House Hunters Ho Ho Home. 7.00 House Hunters. 7.30 Fixer Upper. (PG) 9.30 My Lottery Dream Home. (PG) 10.30 Restored By The Fords. 11.30 House Hunters Int. 12.00 House Hunters Ho Ho Home. 12.30 House Hunters.

1.00 Fixer Upper. (PG) 3.00 My Lottery Dream Home. (PG) 4.00 Restored By The Fords. 5.00 Home Town.

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Page 11

Thursday, December 18, 2025

The Magazine’s Puzzles Page PUZZLES

10

11

12

DOWN

13

14

15

18

1 Bare skin (coll) (4) 2 Big classical music

16

ensemble (9)

17

19

21

20

22

23

24 25 27

26

28

29

13 14 15 18 20 21

1 3 10 11 12

Floating marker (4) Rundown (10) Components (7) Crossed strips structure (7) Mirrors (8)

9-LETTER

4 Partner; colleague (9) 5 Public auctions (5) 6 French resort town (7) 7 Musician, – Urban (5) 8 Gracefully (9) 9 Young horse (4) 14 Planned (9) 16 Flood (9) 17 Elusively (9) 19 A Jewish language (7) 22 Become liable to (5) 23 Pushes (5) 24 Unusual (4) 25 Surrender (4)

State of Brazil (5) Location (4) Vexation (10) Hard rock music (5,5) Umpteen (4) Removed moisture (5)

No. 307

Using the nine letters in the grid, how many words of four letters or more can you list?

The centre letter must be included and each letter may only be used once. No colloquial or foreign words. No capitalised nouns, apostrophes or plural nouns ending in ‘s’.

U

X E

11 words: Very good

A

E

N

Today’s Aim: 7 words: Good

SOLUTION

ACROSS

23 Intrepid (8) 26 Bolting (7) 27 Retinue (7) 28 County town of Dorset (10) 29 Wood heap for burning (4)

T E

T

15 words: Excellent

CODEWORD

No. 297

Each number corresponds to a letter of the alphabet. Two have been filled in for you, can you work out the rest?

11

18

12

5 4 13

1

25

N

12

16

25

N

24

N

5

26

N

5

11

3

10

19

17

12 18

Q

25

5

21

21

17

12

7

N

24

24

26

17

Q

18

16

6

7

8

6

21

22 13

7

15

2

N

22

5

5

2

11

12

6

5

5

18

16

17

25

N

5

N

6

23

21

11

6

21

16 15

17 19

14

20

12

10

24

N

25

9 17

N

21

6

25

25

19

8 2

25

5

11

N

5

20

25

25

5 24

25

24

18 24

6 10

11

15 24

17

5

18 13

21

5

6

1

14

20

2

15

20

3

16

12

4

17

2

5

18

5

6

19

7

20

8

21

9

22

10

23

11

24

5

11

24

1 17

25

N

20

7

12

25 N

1

13

26 Q

24

SUDOKU

W I S P Y

6. Is a brouhaha a laugh, drink or an uproar?

2. Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas (pictured) is married to which Jonas brother?

7. In Greek mythology, what was the name of Jason’s ship?

3. If something is squamous, what is it covered with?

8. By what modern name is the Victorian era ‘snap dog’ known?

SLEWS SLIPS SMOKE SPELL STATE SWELL TAKER TAPER THETA TIGER TSARS WASN’T WISPY

6 LETTERS CHIDES EIGHTS ENTERS LEDGER PREENS STEERS

1411 | PUZZLES AND PAGINATION ©

EASY

1 2

4 8 5 2 6 5 2 9 3 5 6 4 6 1 9 8 3 3 7 6 4 3 1 7 5 7 9 4 2 8

10 LETTERS DETENTIONS TESTAMENTS

8 LETTERS ANTEATER LAVENDER PESTERED PETULANT

7 LETTERS DILATES DIOCESE INERTIA SCARRED SEEPAGE WEARIES

No. 306

MEDIUM

7

4

1 9 7 6 5 3 2 9 1 2 3 8 8 5 9 8 1 9 6 7 1 2 8 7 2 6 9 5

WORD SEARCH

1. What is the birthstone for the month of May?

5. Which is closer to Australia: the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn?

4 LETTERS EATS KISS LIAR NAGS SAID SASH SLUM SOCK TREE YARN

5 LETTERS ADAGE AGREE ALIBI APART AREN’T ARISE EARLS EARNS EASES ENACT ENTRY GOUGE GRANT GREAT IDEAL INCUR IOTAS KITES LAGER LEACH MANIA MISTS NASAL NICER OLIVE OVENS PENDS PRANK RADII RESTS REUSE RIVAL ROACH ROGUE SEEDY

To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in: each of the nine vertical columns, each of the nine horizontal rows and each of the nine 3 x 3 boxes. Remember, no number can occur more than once in any row, column or box.

QUICK QUIZ

4. What do the letters of the company IBM stand for?

3 LETTERS ACE ADO AMP ASH EEL END EWE GEE HUH LAW NUN NUT ORE PIE PIN RAN RIP SEW SIT TEA THE USE

SOLUTION

8

SOLUTION

7

SOLUTIONS SOLUTION EASY

MEDIUM

9. Leopold Bloom is the protagonist of which 20th-century novel?

10. What nationality was the folk hero William Tell?

No. 217

H O K O O K A B U R R A O U R U T O U C A N M S W I F T W A M O H S K W B R O A D B I L L M C Y R W O O D P E C K E R N I A A S U A R O S E L L A Y G N L C T T S L M D F T I N A E G I E A B E H L A C F R H E B B R G A W I R A O K O S E T O I H O H G H R C E W A C R L W R S E U T L H D A G E I K P E D T W R S J E G L T O D N L R F O K A O E A O R W C O R O B J R E I N N R R I E R H S V I A K E M W B D U C K B E E E R Y N D S U I Q U A I L E N R D

Can you find all the words listed?

The leftover letters will spell out a secret message.

BOWERBIRD

JAY

RHEA

BROADBILL

KIWI

ROSELLA

BROLGA

KOOKABURRA

SHAG

CATBIRD

LARK

STORK

DUCK

MACAW

SWALLOW

EAGLE

MAKAIN

SWAN

EMU

NIGHTJAR

SWIFT

GOOSE

OWL

THRUSH

GREBE

OYSTERCATCHER TOUCAN

GROUSE

PETREL

WOODCOCK

HERON

PLOVER

WOODPECKER

HUMMINGBIRD QUAIL

WREN

SECRET MESSAGE: Our many fine feathered friends

6

CODEWORD: 1 = H, 2 = Y, 3 = Z, 4 = X, 5 = E, 6 = A, 7 = G, 8 = J, 9 = W, 10 = M, 11 = D, 12 = O, 13 = C, 14 = P, 15 = K, 16 = T, 17 = I, 18 = U, 19 = V, 20 = L, 21 = R, 22 = B, 23 = F, 24 = S, 25 = N, 26 = Q

5

No. 216

7 6 5 3 8 4 9 1 2 8 1 4 5 9 2 7 3 6 3 2 9 1 7 6 8 5 4 2 3 1 8 4 5 6 9 7 9 7 8 2 6 1 5 4 3 5 4 6 7 3 9 2 8 1 4 9 3 6 5 7 1 2 8 1 5 7 4 2 8 3 6 9 6 8 2 9 1 3 4 7 5

4

WORDFIT

1 2 6 4 8 5 3 7 9 7 5 8 9 3 2 1 4 6 9 3 4 6 1 7 8 5 2 3 8 5 2 7 6 4 9 1 4 6 7 1 5 9 2 8 3 2 9 1 3 4 8 7 6 5 6 4 9 8 2 3 5 1 7 8 7 2 5 6 1 9 3 4 5 1 3 7 9 4 6 2 8

3 9

ante, attune, eaten, exeat, extant, extent, EXTENUATE, neat, next, tauten, teat, tenet, tent, text, tune

2

B U O Y R A M S H A C K L E R F S A N E L U L A T T I C E F A C T O R S H A O E I T G F R E F L E C T S B A H I A S I E N H A R A S S M E N T S I T E R T V V L C M A N Y H E A V Y M E T A L I L S E D R I E D U N A F R A I D U N D R N A V C C O R T E G E L O C K I N G U S E H E L D E P Y R E D O R C H E S T E R

1

No. 307

G R E A T S L I P S E A R L S M A N I A I D E A L R O A C H O V E N S G O U G E A G R E E N U N T A K E R H U H S E W T E S T A M E N T S S T E E R S A P D I O C E S E W I S P Y L E A C H L I A R K I S S O R E A N T E A T E R S C A R R E D D I L A T E S N A G S P E T U L A N T N U T E A S E S M I S T S T R E E W E A R I E S E B P R E E N S D E T E N T I O N S T H E P E N D S L A W R A N A D A G E A P A R T A R I S E T I G E R R I V A L N I C E R K I T E S S E E D Y S P E L L

CROSSWORD

ANSWERS: 1. Emerald 2. Nick Jonas 3. Scales 4. International Business Machines 5. Tropic of Capricorn 6. Uproar 7. Argo 8. Whippet 9. Ulysses by James Joyce 10. Swiss

NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Page 12

Happy Birthday!

NORTH WEST

MAGAZINE

December 15, 2025 Happy 4th birthday to Maxwell McDermott

January 11, 2026 Happy 8th birthday to Winnie Macey.

Editor: Dylan Smith editor@nwcourier.com.au

The North West Magazine is inserted into The Courier, Gunnedah Times and Wee Waa News reaching:

December 24, 2025 Happy 12th birthday to Maggie Lawty.

January 12, 2026 Happy 5th birthday to Laikan Walsh.

Advertising: hello@collective-media.com.au

• Boggabri • Bellata • Baan Baa • Rowena • Burren Junction • Pilliga • Carroll • Mullaley • Breeza • Kelvin • Tambar Springs • Emerald Hill

December 25, 2025 Happy 11th birthday to Annabel Blackett-Brooks.

Commercial Print: collectiveprint@collective-media.com.au

December 28, 2025 Happy 3rd birthday to Noah Taylor.

A weekly magazine published by

January 3, 2026 Happy 7th birthday to Luca Jones.

ABN 68 680 483 523

Happy 4th birthday Maxwell McDermott!

E RE

!

Include your child's birthday in



F

Thursday, December 18, 2025

60 Maitland Street, Narrabri NSW 2390

It’s a thrill for every child to see his or her name in print, especially on their birthday!

Child's name: (First & Last) ...........................................

Date of birth: ................./................./.................

THE NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

Phone: ..................................................................

Send this form to The North West Magazine, 60 Maitland Street, Narrabri 2390 or drop it into The North West Magazine office.

and distributed weekly in the Coonabarabran Times and Quirindi Advocate and at outlets across Moree Shire including: Australia Post-PO Box NewsPower Balo Square Puma Roadhouse Inserts Pallamallawa and Gurley Greenbah Store Moree Tourist Info Coles & Woolworths Centre Supermarkets Moree Moree Pumps, Irrigation Greenbah BP Roadhouse and Plumbing Jillaroo Coffee Shop Café 02 6792 1011

hello@collective-media.com.au

What happens when you don’t advertise?

Very little.

Book your advertising space on 02 6792 1011or email hello@collective-media.com.au

Email: ...................................................................

THIS ONLY NEEDS TO BE SUBMITTED ONCE.

THIS IS A FREE SERVICE FOR CHILDREN AGED 1-12 YEARS. YOU MAY INCLUDE A PHOTOGRAPH WHICH WILL BE PRINTED IF SPACE ALLOWS.

What’s on in December and January

2025/2026 December and January

Sun 14

1 Child Under 12 Eats Free Sunday Nights (with one paid adult meal) @ Club Gunnedah!

Gunnedah RSL Sub Branch General Meeting, 11am @ RSL Office.

21

1 Child Under 12 Eats Free Sunday Nights (with one paid adult meal) @ Club Gunnedah!

Wee Waa Markets, 9am1pm @ 65-67 Rose St.

28

1 Child Under 12 Eats Free Sunday Nights (with one paid adult meal) @ Club Gunnedah!

4

1 Child Under 12 Eats Free Sunday Nights (with one paid adult meal) @ Club Gunnedah!

Mon 15

Parmi Nights @ Club Gunnedah! Only $20!

Christmas Pop-Up Shop @ 1/100 Maitland St, Narrabri, 10am-5pm.

22

Parmi Nights @ Club Gunnedah! Only

$20!

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

Min Min Aboriginal Corporation Annual General Meeting, 5pm @ Gunnedah Office.

29

Parmi Nights @ Club Gunnedah! Only $20!

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

5

Parmi Nights @ Club Gunnedah! Only $20!

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

Tue 16

Asian Special Night @ Club Gunnedah!

Only $17!

Christmas Pop-Up Shop @ 1/100 Maitland St, Narrabri, 10am-5pm.

23

Wed 17

Seafood Lover Night @ Club Gunnedah! Only $24!

Narrabri Shire Council Meeting, 5:30pm.

Christmas Pop-Up Shop @ 1/100 Maitland St, Narrabri, 10am-5pm.

24

Asian Special Night @ Club Gunnedah! Only $17!

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

CHRISTMAS EVE

30

31

Asian Special Night @ Club Gunnedah! Only $17!

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

6

Asian Special Night @ Club Gunnedah! Only $17!

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

Thu 18

Surf & Turf @ Club Gunnedah! Only $24!

Gunnedah Jockey Club AGM, 6pm @ Gunnedah Jockey Club, Riverside Racecourse.

LAST NORTH WEST MAGAZINE , THE COURIER, GUNNEDAH TIMES AND WEE WAA NEWS FOR 2025

Fri 19

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

RETURNING JANUARY 15, 2026 (WEE WAA NEWS RETURNS JAN 22, 2026)

25

26

Seafood Lover Night @ Club Gunnedah! Only $24!

NEW YEAR’S EVE

1 JANUARY 2

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

Seafood Lover Night @ Club Gunnedah! Only $24!

7

Seafood Lover Night @ Club Gunnedah! Only $24!

8

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

9

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

Got something on? Notify The North West Magazine!

Sat 20

Gunnedah Country Markets @ Wolseley Oval, 7:30am-2pm.

Verandah Saturday, 9:30am, home-made & baked goods @ The Craft Shop, 35 Dangar St, Narrabri.

Narrabri Rotary Markets, On the river walk behind Leitch Oval.

The Crossing Theatre’s Christmas Carols, 6-7:30pm.

27

Gunnedah Wood Workers Club Association, 8am12pm.

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

3

Gunnedah Wood Workers Club Association, 8am12pm.

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

10

Gunnedah Wood Workers Club Association, 8am12pm.

Waste into Art Exhibition @ Gunnedah Bicentennial Creative Arts Gallery, Dec 19, 2025 ‘til January 30, 2025.

Your event MUST be advertised to be added to this calendar. Phone 6792 1011 or email editor@nwcourier.com.au with your event details.