NEW ENGLAND
Feature Story Susannah
December 2016 // Issue 115
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FIND COMPANIONSHIP AT OAK TREE THIS CHRISTMAS
Oak Tree Retirement Village Armidale prides itself on encouraging social interaction
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social lives have improved since moving n today’s technical age communication with thousands of to one of our Villages and that the friends they have made have helped them to feel people is as simple as a push of happier and less lonely,” said Oak Tree’s a button, but loneliness caused by Managing Director Mr Mark Bindon. isolation remains one of Australia’s “The families of our residents also feel a most sinister threats to seniors as sense of peace in knowing that mum and many no longer move in the social dad are not alone.” circles which allow them to meet Oak Tree Retirement Village Armidale and connect with new people. offers a well-appointed Community Oak Tree Retirement Villages prides itself on encouraging social interaction and companionship amongst residents, slowly breaking down the burden of loneliness.
Centre equipped with resources to encourage social activity. With the support of the Village Manager, a wide variety of external services are also promoted through the Village Centre to support the residents’ changing needs and social interests.
Relaxed and comfortable living opportunities see like-minded people of a similar age, and at a similar stage of life, coming together as neighbours which “Residents don’t need to be socialites – opens the channels of communication and we have many who enjoy their privacy creates common ground for residents to – but even these people enjoy the sense connect and socialise with one another. of security village living offers and the knowledge that someone is there if ever “Those who have made Oak Tree their home often attest to the fact that their they need,” said Mr Bindon. 2 focus. Street, Armidale 89 Martin new england
1300 367 155
“The real value of retirement living is more than just an address - It’s a community hub geared to help residents achieve a sense of belonging and a social network that they can tap into whenever they please.” “Loneliness really takes hold this time of year, especially around Christmas, but as a resident of Oak Tree you can take advantage of all of the activity taking place around you from residents’ events as well as family and community focused events which sees almost everyone getting involved. “The end result is a friendly community of residents and friends who remain socially engaged and connected well into their retirement years.”
To start your retirement journey visit Oak Tree Retirement Village Armidale or phone Village Manager Kate Pigram on 1300 367 155.
www.oaktreegroup.com.au
focus team.
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Welcome to the December edition of New England FOCUS.
EAM NOTE Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas is only a few weeks away! To celebrate, we thought we would put together some ideas for you in the form of a super Christmas special feature. Armidale is about to “Ka-bang” in the words of Steph K (local resident)! With so many festivities, there is something for everyone to attend! ON THE COVER Eilish Morgan looking up excitedly to the new Christmas tree, Armidale Regional Council’s gift to the communities of Armidale and Guyra. We are getting a Christmas tree, and it’s being unveiled to the community on December 1st in the Beardy Street mall. How excitement! INSIDE THIS ISSUE Not only do we have a huge Christmas feature, we have a great feature on Locals 4 Locals. With many different shops to choose from, we’re sure you can get all your holiday season shopping done locally. Well known and iconic store, Black Dot
contacts. Looking to advertise in FOCUS? Contact us for more information.
Music, run by Tony Elder and family, is celebrating 30 years of business - and he’s excited to tell us more about some of the special offers he has for you! Let’s reel on another ten years, and you have the Thunderbolt Fishing Club, who are celebrating 40 years in their club. Ellen-Ruth Foster tells us all about it, who’s involved, when and how it began and how you can be involved. Sometimes we forget that Christmas Day isn’t great for everybody and sometimes you have nowhere to go. Well, for the past 25 years Martin Hazell has been putting on an Armidale Community Christmas Lunch. This heartfelt event has its doors open for everyone; people from all walks of life are more than welcome. What a great service he’s doing for the community. Christmas in the Mall is going to be huge this year! With multiple events, there is something planned for all age groups. There will be inflatables at the pool, Kids’ Day in the mall, Christmas movies in the mall and then a huge wrap EDITION CO-ORDINATOR ADVERTISING CONSULTANT:
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Joey Dable
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ADDRESS: 5/164 Beardy Street, Armidale PHONE: 02 6771 5551 FAX: 02 6772 5551 WEB: www.focusmag.com.au FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/ne.focus TV: www.focustv.com.au
up at the NYE community event. After being absent for many years, the Armidale Showgirl Competition is on again for 2017. The new dynamic show committee has been pivotal in getting the ball rolling again. Do you think you have what it takes to be Miss Armidale Showgirl? If you are between 18 - 25 years old and are keen, you fit the criteria. Lastly, you may find a special message from our staff member, Jimmy - go and find it! Keep your fingers crossed! FINAL SAY “Don’t marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can’t live without” - James Dobson.
ADVERTISING CONSULTANT: James Brooks james@focusmag.com.au
MANAGING EDITOR: Jay Beaumont jay@focusmag.com.au
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Comments and opinions of our contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinion or view of the Publishers or Editor. All reasonable efforts have been made to trace copyright holders.Information appearing in Focus is believed to be correct at the time of going to press however no liability will be held for inaccurate information approved or supplied by advertisers or contributors. While all care is taken it is recommended that readers confirm dates, times, prices and any other material including advice with individual businesses and industry professionals. New England Focus is produced and published by Creative House Publications Pty Ltd ABN: 62128786005. Material in New England Focus is Copyright © Creative House Publications Pty Ltd 2016 and may not be reproduced whole or in part, in any form, without permission of the Publisher. All rights reserved.
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C H R I S T I N A
K E N N Y
Pambanisha is a Swahili phrase meaning “come together”, and that is Christina’s mission. Working with women in disadvantaged areas of Kenya, Christina shares the story of Camilla, one of these women, with us ... i Christina. Introduce us to yourself; where did you grow up, and how did you come to call New England home? Hi, I’m Christina. I was born in Nowra, but I grew up near Strathfield in Sydney. I spent several years working in Sydney across a range of social justice areas, including Indigenous social justice, refugee rights and the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce. While I was working, I was also studying and preparing to travel to Nairobi to conduct interviews for my PhD research project on women’s rights in Kenya. When I’d finished my field work at the end of 2014, I moved up to Armidale to write up my thesis with my partner, Matt, who is a Lecturer in Historical Criminology, here at UNE. Tell us about Pambanisha; how was it founded, and what is its mission? As part of my research examining the effectiveness of human rights programs for grass roots women in Kenya, I lived in Nairobi for about a year, over two trips (August 2012 - April 2013, and again in August - November 2014). My work involved talking to groups of women about what they thought of the new Kenyan constitution (promulgated in 2010), and other mechanisms designed to protect women’s rights in Kenya. I needed support to organise meetings, and safe spaces for women to talk, as well as to find women who were willing to talk to me! I was introduced to Camilla by a nurse at a health clinic in Kangeme, a very low income area of Nairobi, where Camilla worked as a community health educator. Camilla supports women in her community who are living with HIV, making sure they were taking their medication correctly, and helping women who were breastfeeding to ensure their children remained HIV negative. I worked closely with Camilla over several months and witnessed her incredible work ethic. I also met her three 4 new england focus.
wonderful children, Chetina, Shorn and Ephraim. Although Camilla worked tirelessly to support her family, for her, and so many single parent families in Kenya, the fees and costs associated with educating her children were out of reach. Living in Nairobi impressed on me the enormity of the privilege I had been afforded growing up in Australia. I also understood that without the immense good will of the people I worked with, my research would not have been possible. Travelling around low income and slum areas, as well as what Kenyans call “up country” to rural villages, I came to trust that my facilitators would choose the safest paths. It wasn’t long until we became firm friends, and I wanted to find ways to support these people who had so tirelessly supported me. When I left Nairobi, I promised Camilla that I would support her children to graduate high school, something she was simply not able to do herself, in spite of her considerable talent and intelligence. I started Pambanisha, named for a Swahili phrase meaning “come together”, to form a platform where I could support the people who had so generously supported me while I was in the field. I run the Pambanisha Christmas treats fundraiser each year to ensure that Chetina, Shorn and Ephraim have their school fees, uniforms, books and equipment, to complete the new school year free to focus on their studies. As school fees increase as you move through the grades, any extra we raise each year is saved in a separate savings account and rolled over for the next year. Pambanisha also supports other wonderful people I’ve met through my research - one of our first projects was to support Caren and her grass roots support group, Nyabende Human Rights (named for a local flower) to purchase a sewing machine and overlocker, so that women could supplement their income by making reusable sanitary pads for themselves, and also to sell
Christmas treats fundraiser is on! We’re them to local women. I met Caren on my first trip to Kenya, a passionate and articulate baking lemon and thyme shortbread, advocate for her community. Caren’s Persian spiced marshmallows, and group was already sewing almond macaroons for this sanitary pads by hand and year’s baking extravaganza. with a rented machine, The best and tastiest d te ar I st but at that time, renting way to support us, is Pambanisha the machine meant a rm to buy some of these fo to ... the enterprise wasn’t delicious boxes for platform where cost effective. With I could support your friends and the support of our the people who family. All profits ly had so generous Pambanisha community, go directly towards supported me.” women in Australia were supporting Chetina, able to directly support Shorn and Ephraim’s 2017 the health and economic school year. We aim to fund stability of these Kenyan women their school fees, which includes by donating funds to purchase the lunch each day for the brothers, and machines and start up materials. Camilla’s full board for Chetina at her boarding and Caren’s stories are at our website: high school, as well as uniforms and school www.pambanisha.com equipment. The projects I am involved in are guided by Any extra funds we raise are held in a separate some principles which have become important account and rolled over to the next year, to to me in my own work - the project needs to ensure that the kids are funded throughout their be already on foot, and at a point where extra primary and high school education. capital will allow the idea to reach the next level You can meet the kids at our website http:// of development; there are no costs in overhead www.pambanisha.com/our-local-kenyan- all money raised for any project is donated partners/camilla-and-her-children/ and donate directly to the implementation of that project (all and order treats at our fundraising page advertising, online platforms and labour costs here at: https://www.youcaring.com/camillafrom my end are cost neutral or free), and that I mwenda-and-her-children-chetina-ephraim-andknow that the project itself and the people more shorn-672674 involved in designing and running it are experts I also want to thank the amazing people in their area. Finally, the project itself needs to be here in Armidale, who have already been a social justice project - for instance, not only are busy volunteering their time helping me make the sanitary pads a good business idea, they are handmade boxes, lending me their ovens and essential for women’s health, and to support girls tastebuds to help me perfect this year’s selection to stay in school consistently through the year. of treats, and we’re looking forward to another These principles keep me grounded and help me amazing, tasty year of fundraising with your help. to understand which causes Pambanisha could Thanks so much for your support of consider supporting. Pambanisha, nashukuru sana (with great How can our readers get on board and appreciation)! support your cause? Right now, the 2016 Pambanisha Thanks Christina.
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KYLIE & MITCHELL WOODS.
The Woods family have certainly had a colourful journey full of highs and lows; their story is unique and presents nothing short of an amazing family bond and strength, from their family farm, to their medical journeys and now their newest venture crafting bespoke cricket bats … Kylie and Mitchell share their incredible life with us.
ARMIDALE SHOWGIRL. After being absent for six years, the 2017 Armidale Showgirl Competition is shaping up to be a great event, thanks to many local sponsors. The dynamic show committee tell us how we can get involved.
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CHRISTMAS IN THE MALL.
Armidale’s Christmas in the Mall activities to feature something for everyone.
Christmas cheer at the powerhouse If you’re excitedly planning an end of year get together for the office, family or friends, then look no further than Azka Wine & Tapas Bar. We offer casual, social dining with shared plates and a fun drinks list. Sit back and relax in comfy lounges, taste delicious tapas and select from 40 exciting drops by the glass. Our bartender also makes fantastic festive cocktails! Azka Wine & Tapas Bar is open every day until late. Head Chef David Hill has released his new seasonal dinner menu at Azka Restaurant – just in time for summer! With plenty of delicious staples such as seafood, local New England beef and lamb and amazing desserts, treat yourself to an evening of great food, atmosphere and attentive service. Azka Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and public holidays.
At The Powerhouse we can also help you check off the Christmas gift list. What better gift to give this Christmas than a gift voucher to experience The Quality Hotel Powerhouse or Azka Restaurant, Wine & Tapas Bar. Gift vouchers of any denomination are available and can be used towards both accommodation and dining. For further information, call 6772 7788, email info@qhparm.com.au or visit qualityhotelpowerhouse.com.au
Celebrate in
style Christmas Day Lunch Indulge in a festive Christmas Day lunch with family & friends at The Powerhouse. Feast on an extravagant seafood buffet with all the trimmings!
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R EGU L A R S 18. 49. 54.
Share the magic of Christmas Day with a sumptuous seafood buffet lunch at The Powerhouse. Indulge with fresh seafood platters, Christmas favourites such as roast turkey, pork and beef accompanied by delicious salads and vegetables. And don’t forget the traditional Christmas pudding with brandy custard! Best of all leave the organising and the washing up to us! Book early to avoid disappointment.
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Christmas Cheers Catch up with your nearest & dearest for drinks & delicious share plates at Azka Restaurant, Wine & Tapas Bar. Open every day until late for social dining & end of year celebrations.
WHAT’S ON FOR DECEMBER TOURISM WITH KATRINA GEORGE ICING ON THE CAKE WITH SUSIE DUNN
Christmas Gift Vouchers Whether it’s for a family member, friend or colleague, a Powerhouse Gift Voucher will let them experience life’s simple pleasures. For further details visit qualityhotelpowerhouse.com.au
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new england focus. 5 10/11/2016 6:09 pm
focusinterview.
SUSANNAH OPERA NEW ENGLAND ONE IS A UNIQUE OPERA COMPANY BASED IN ARMIDALE, WHICH IS PREPARING ITS FIFTH PRODUCTION, CARLISLE FLOYD’S SUSANNAH, TO BE PERFORMED AT THE TAS HOSKINS THEATRE 19TH TO 22ND JANUARY 2017. FOCUS SPEAKS WITH DIRECTOR GEORGE TORBAY AND CONDUCTOR BRUCE MENZIES ABOUT ONE AND SUSANNAH.
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ow did ONE begin? Bruce: I have long been a fan of Glyndebourne Opera in England, that accesses singers and orchestral musicians in recess over summer who are available to rehearse and perform opera in the idyllic Sussex countryside. It occurred to me that in January, a similar situation existed in Australia. George: ONE naturally grew out of the working relationship with a group of very professional and committed people both Bruce and I had done theatre with in Armidale. I had expressed a desire to start a company of some kind, and Bruce suggested an opera company. We started with nothing but raw enthusiasm and belief. Around the dinner table, I suggested we call ourselves Opera New England and Greg Balcombe (Producer) said, “Oh … ONE!” It was as simple as that. Why Armidale? George: We all care deeply about this region, and ONE really works because of where we live. We have been asked many times to take the operas to other places, but we want people to come to Armidale and see what we have here. Bruce: This is where we live and work and have the extraordinary generosity of The Armidale School, that supports us with the theatre and board and lodging for our young cast and orchestra. 6 new england focus.
It is one of the
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You also have day George: I don’t know most popular t bu as jobs; how do you er of any in Australia that American op ed m or rf pe manage? t are geared towards doesn’ t ge be ill w rs ou , ct fa George: I spend young and emerging In here . uction od pr nd co se most of my working artists. e th story.” life away from in Australian hi What is unique about Armidale and am ONE? currently the Lecturer in George: We are Musical Theatre at Lasalle essentially a summer program College of Arts in Singapore in opera for aspiring young singers and also the advisor in musical theatre ... An opportunity to experience a fully and examiner for the Australian Music realised production in as professional a Examinations Board in NSW and QLD. setting as possible. Armidale is the beneficiary The team that makes up ONE are all highly of this undertaking. Our audiences get to hear skilled professionals and also consists of the best voices currently knocking on the door Greg Balcombe, Robyn Bradley (Repetiteur), of the professional world. Pat Bradley (Set Engineer), Deborah Hunter Bruce: We are also a dedicated and expert (Costumes), Pam Menzies (Props) Carolyn group of friends that manage, unpaid, every Shepherd (Cast Manager), Warren Bartik aspect of opera production (and still get on (Business/Stage Manager). well together!) Bruce: The opera involves huge preparation This is your fifth opera in five years - how from every member of the team and prior to do you decide what to produce? our intense rehearsal and performance period; George: We consider what we think our this is usually done in the evening, weekends, singers can manage, what we can realistically and out of work hours. January is full on, stage and something that we are excited to but we are proud to deliver quality theatre in do. Bruce chose the first opera, Marriage Armidale. of Figaro. I selected both La Bohème and Carmen. Our vocal mentor, Rowena Cowley Are there similar companies such as ONE from the Sydney Conservatorium, suggested around the world? La Traviata. I chose our current production Bruce: I am sure there are probably similar of Susannah. It is a glorious piece that I have companies around the world, but I am always wanted to do and not well known unaware of any that work on the same model in Australia. It is one of the most popular here in Australia.
American operas, but doesn’t get performed here. In fact, ours will be the second production in Australian history. Bruce: A difficult choice. Firstly, we must choose a work that the team likes; it must be a substantial work but that is within the range of the young voices who participate. We are enormously indebted to Rowena Cowley for her advice in these matters. Do you have a favourite from the ONE operas? Bruce: Perhaps my favourite has been La Bohème and the most demanding for me to conduct. But who knows, Susannah may turn out to be top of my list. George: Right now La Bohème remains at the top; we achieved so much with that production technically, and we had a stunning cast. I should say that we really do plan to top it all with Susannah - so don’t miss it! Future plans? George: I am fairly certain that if we had our way, we would want to create a summer program similar to Glyndebourne Opera, several operas, multiple casts, and a true feast of opera in Armidale during the summer. I can actually hear the rest of the committee groaning! The work to put on one opera is huge … Several is beyond us right now. However, I can dream! Bruce: Who knows what the future holds! Thank you George and Bruce.
OPERA New England
Susannah Carlisle Floyd
Sung in English That pretty face must hide some evil
Bruce Menzies Conductor
George Torbay Director
The Hoskins Centre - TAS January 19, 20, 21 @ 7:30 pm 22 @ 2:30pm
www.operanewengland.com OR Carr’s Newsagency Armidale Mall
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A R C H I B A L D
L E C T U R E R
SEAN GORDON
SEAN GORDON, CEO DARKINJUNG LOCAL ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL, CHATS TO FOCUS ABOUT HIS DELIVERY AT THIS YEAR’S FRANK ARCHIBALD LECTURE … Hi Sean. Introduce yourself and your role at the Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture… My name is Sean Gordon. I am the CEO of Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Chairperson of NAISDA Aboriginal Dance College and the Chairperson of the National Empowerment Leadership group. I’m speaking at this year’s Frank Archibald lecture at the University of New England. I am very honoured to be invited to speak at the lecture and also to have done the research to be able to add a little more about Frank Archibald, and I’m looking forward to it. For those who are unfamiliar with the Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture, what is the concept behind the lecture ... What I’ve tried to do with the research into Frank’s life is understand the era he lived in, when you consider he was born in around 1884 - 1885 ... What it was like to be an
Aboriginal man at that point, and also what it was like to experience a whole range of things that were around your world at that time. It was early colonisation, then going into Federation in 1901 it must have been an pretty amazing time. I guess that’s one of the inspiring things I get out of Frank’s story - everything he experienced and everything that he’d seen and been through, it really didn’t change him as a man; it added to the man he was. The number of children he raised to work the way he did, and to be able to provide for his family ... They were pretty tough times. With my lecture I’ve tried to capture this; that the more things change, the more things stay the same. When I look at Frank’s life ... to have the independence to be able to work, to be able to provide for our family and do all those things, then leading up to 1901 when you then start to look at the introduction of the White Australia policy and the removal of
Aboriginal people in the missions and reserves - I think it’s from that point it really spiralled out of control. This is where the dependancy of Aboriginal people on government really started to set in. I can imagine when you look at Frank’s world prior to that, he was a very independent person. I guess the downfall or struggle for Aboriginal people trying to find a rightful place in this country started to spiral with those policies that led to the removal of kids. We have more kids being removed from their homes today than we did back in the
original removal policy movement. The challenge I see is where have we gone wrong; how do we learn from the past to create a better future for ourselves, what are the type of enablers or things we need to put in place - and the really big one for me is how do we empower a group of people who have been disempowered for such a long period of time? How do we give them control of their own affairs; how do we support them to better provide for their communities? Thanks Sean.
2016 Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture
The sorry business of doing things to us presented by
Sean Gordon CEO, Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council “It will only be through an empowerment and development agenda, and having greater control over our own lives, that conditions will improve for Aboriginal people culturally, socially, spiritually and economically.”
Armidale Bowling Club 6:30 pm Thursday 1 December 2016
RSVP: Thursday 24 November 2016 e: events.pr@une.edu.au • p: 02 6773 3217
Please advise us of any special dietary requirements
culture • community • partnership
OoralaAboriginal AboriginalCentre Centre Oorala
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Hidden in plain sight at the University of New England (UNE) is one of Australia’s great art collections.
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he works span from the late 19th Century to the early 21st, and the collection contains paintings signed by familiar names - among them, Arthur Streeton, Norman Lindsay, Thea Proctor, Russell Drysdale and William Dobell. Much of this collection, the accumulation of many donations, bequests and gifts over 78 years, graces the walls of Boolominbah and other UNE buildings, in plain view but seldom seen by the public. That will change when a curated selection of works is put on open display to the public for the 2016 Vice-Chancellor’s Community Open Day on Sunday, December 4. UNE’s Art Collection manager, Michelle Arens, spoke to FOCUS about the significance of the collection. What makes UNE’s collection special? Most art collections represent the taste and outlook of their curators. They are put together with a particular perspective. This collection has been put together from donations - if you like, it is the work of many curators, who have then contributed their efforts to UNE.
•THE UNE•
ART COLLECTION
For example, we have the works donated by James McGregor, who was a contemporary of Howard Hinton - the New England Art Museum’s initial benefactor - and who collected many of the same artists. That’s how we came to acquire many artists who helped Australia develop a new sense of itself after World War One. Those household names, like Streeton, Heysen, Preston, the Lindsays, came from McGregor.
And since 2009, we have used our own funds to collect the work of contemporary artists working in regional Australia. As you can imagine, across more than 1000 works, including prints, there is a little bit of something for everyone. Is there a theme to the works that will be on display? Across such a diverse collection of artwork, there is no special theme other than Australian-ness. But what you do see is this consistent Australian preoccupation with landscape. Even the painters who studied in Europe returned and tried to capture these immense, scantily-peopled landscapes we live in. They would do their time in the “old world”, painting old-world landscapes in old-world tones, but when they returned to Australia they tried to capture what it is about our scenery, our light, that makes this country so distinctive.
Then we have the artworks accumulated as a result of the Adult Education “Summer Schools”, started in 1959 as a sideline to summer schools on agriculture. Artists like Alun Leach-Jones and Stanilaus Rapotec taught here, and during the 1980s the university purchased a number of artworks by current and former tutors. The residential colleges amassed their own collections through donation and purchase, and we have become home to other donated collections, like the David Phillipps collection of Hermannsburg School artists, the Chinese children’s works donated by the local Rotary club and, everyone’s favourite, the School of Education’s prize winning art by regional school children.
What are your own favourites? I tend to enjoy contemporary work, and the work of Stanislav Rapotec is a particular favourite. Of the older works, I am drawn to the watercolours - particularly Perugia, Italy by Will Ashton and Cairo by Arthur Streeton.
VC COMMUNITY
OPEN DAY
booloominbah, university of new england 10am-4pm SUNDAY, 4 DECEMBER 2016
Photo courtesy of Terry Cooke.
For one day only view the hidden treasures of UNE’s private art collection at the 2016 Vice-Chancellor’s Community Open Day. Renowned Australian artists including Arthur Streeton, Norman Lindsay, Thea Proctor, Russell Drysdale and William Dobell will adorn the walls of Booloominbah for this special community event. Soak in live music as you enjoy complimentary cake and tea on the lawns. UNE Discovery will also keep the kids entertained with hands-on science activities. Booloominbah’s Cafe will be open for lunch with family friendly options. For more details visit: une.edu.au/vc-open-day
Art
Music
Food
Kids Activities
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On s r 30 Yea B L AC K D O T M U S I C I S O N E O F T H E C U LT U R A L P I T S T O P S I N T H E M U S I C S C E N E A N D T H E H U B O F E V E RY M U S O I N T H E N E W E N G L A N D. OW N E R T O N Y E L D E R T E L L S U S A B O U T I T S H U M B L E H I S T O RY A N D H OW T H E S C E N E H A S C H A N G E D OV E R T I M E … ony, tell us how Black Dot Music began? Black Dot Music began its amazing journey 30 years ago this month, after Bruce and Linda MacKenzie bought Cheapa Music (Armidale) from Peter Harkins. It was the same year, by coincidence, that I came to study at UNE, and it wasn’t too long before I was a regular at the shop. I still have my first classical guitar bought second hand for $50 hanging on the wall at home. There was an immediate connection made with Bruce and Linda; the people working at Black Dot Music have always been friendly and welcoming. It was a great music scene back in the late '80s and early '90s. How has the scene changed locally in your time? There is always ebb and flow with the number of bands and musicians on the scene at any one time. We are fortunate to have some venues still providing live entertainment for their clientele and local musicians need to support these venues, so the trend continues. I think that musicians these days have to take an entrepreneurial approach to getting heard. The advent of social media, particularly FB, has made creating events easy. Have you sold instruments to many famous 12 new england focus.
music industry is you get to meet and get insight people? It all depends on your definition of famous. into the lives of so many interesting people. The There are too many to name, but here are a few. common thread is we all play, perform, write Al Heeney, Dustin Tebbutt, L J Hill, Jess Ribeiro, and love music. Music is a universal connection Ash Hall, Rick Cuthel, Kerry Watson, Georgia between us; it is an integral element in our Smith, Brendan Mooney, Steve Tafra, Steve memories, our present and our future. Music is a Thorneycroft, Len Streeting and binding element that creates emotional many, many more. responses that stay in our hearts Tell us about working at and minds. Black Dot. What is your biggest e We are fortunat I love it. I consider brand name at Black to have some myself very lucky to g Dot? in id venues still prov be doing something t en Fender by far … It is live entertainm that is part of me. d an e el nt the largest name in the ie for their cl to Armidale is a great ed ne ns ia ic us guitar industry. Most local m es , so town, and I am nu ve e es th t or famous musicians have supp ues.” grateful to be living the trend contin been associated with and working here. There a Fender guitar, Fender is something very satisfying amplifier or Fender bass at about connecting someone some time or another. Some with an instrument. People legends have made the Fender guitars come into our shop with an idea to get iconic, like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie started, they feel anxious and excited all at Ray Vaughan, to name a few who used Fender once, and then the process of instrument Stratocasters almost exclusively. Bands like the selection begins. The experience of buying Beatles and the Stones leaned more towards the your instrument should be fun and informative. Fender Telecaster released in 1951. There are a We like to take a consultative approach to the myriad of players and with the new generations, sales scenario. There is magic in new beginnings. the list appears infinite. The Fender Stratocaster One of the great elements of working in the released in 1954 is still the most popular guitar
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on the planet. The Fender starter pack says it all: “Stop Dreaming and Start Playing”. These packs are fabulous value at an RRP of $549. During our 30 year anniversary sale they are an amazing $389. Very popular with young budding players who want to play an instrument which will help enhance their experience and inspire playing, rather than an inferior deterrent cheap throw away instrument. Tell us about your family. How have they contributed to the success of Black Dot Music? Carol and I were both lucky to be brought up in a loving and supportive environment. Our parents are always saying “Let us know if we can help”. We care about our family, friends and community, and hopefully that comes across when people come into the store. My son, Alex, has started working part-time in the business and Carol, my gorgeous, talented wife, is my rock. We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for your support and wish you all the best for the festive season. Thanks Tony. Visit our Facebook and Youtube pages to always keep up to date with Rud Rug concerts, new products and our interesting Youtube preformances.
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KYLIE
MITCHELL
The Woods family have certainly had a colourful journey full of highs and lows. Their story is unique and presents nothing short of an amazing family bond and strength, from their family farm, to their medical journeys and now their newest venture crafting bespoke cricket bats. Kylie and Mitchell share their incredible life with us … ell us a bit about your family, who makes up your tribe and how you came to call New England home? Mitchell is born and bred from Guyra stock and imported blood from Gordonvale in Far North Queensland. His mother’s family have been in the area since the 1800s. His father was a sugar cane farmer near Cairns who came to Guyra playing football. Kylie is a self-professed Airforce brat, having lived in most states throughout her childhood. She met Mitchell whilst she was teaching in Glen Innes, through her flat-mate, who played Rugby Union with him for the Glen Innes Elks. Kylie now teaches part-time at Armidale City Public School. They married in 1999 and now have three children. Morgan - 15 - attends Armidale High School. He loves his computers and is the family techo. He has recently embarked on a foray into the theatre, performing with the Felt-Tip Theatre Company in their production Grimm Tidings. He has also recently followed his grandfather’s footsteps, joining the Airforce Cadets in Armidale. Hamish - 12 - is about to finish his primary schooling at Armidale City Public School. He is 14 new england focus.
the family animal fiend, loving all and sundry. The family’s most unusual output we guess, He plans to become a vet and open a pet are our cricket bats. Mitchell has always been shop. He plays cricket for the Guyra Under 12s a keen cricketer, playing first grade almost Bushrangers. every season since leaving school in 1987. He Reeghan - 9 - is completing Year 3 at still plays first grade, currently for the Dorrigo Armidale City Public School. She is the Buzzards in the Coffs Harbour Comp. other family performer, being part He’s also good with his hands, of the Cantilena Singers with having built various pieces NECOM, learning piano and of furniture, the lovely participating in gymnastics deck on the north of our Once the basic shape has been on a weekly basis. house and cattle and will hone The kids are sixth sheep yards on the crafted, Mitchell gularly re the bat, testing it el , generation on the land farm. fe for ‘pick-up’ and aining here. In 2013 Hamish was nt focusing on mai ted and You live on a family diagnosed with Type an weight where w run farm, which is 1 Diabetes. This was ” e. creating balanc a producer of many a very stressful time for agricultural products, but the whole family, juggling you’ve recently embarked the doses of insulin to try on a different journey and maintain his blood glucose producing cricket bats. What’s the level (bgl) within a safe range. This inspiration behind this? is far from easy. It also entails through Mitchell runs the family farm “Glenella”, the night bgl checks, as Hamish is prone to which runs Superfine Merinos, a “Glenella hypoglycaemic episodes, which can be deadly White Suffolks” Sheep Stud, and Hereford if not treated quickly with glucose. Sleep and Red Wagyu Cattle. We’ve recently added became a rare commodity. a small herd of goats, with the aim of beating To add to the stress of the year, another year the blackberries and, in time, providing of drought on the farm, Kylie was diagnosed animals to a local goat processor in Dorrigo. with invasive breast cancer in October. This led
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to bilateral mastectomies and a full lymphatic clearance in November, intense Chemotherapy from January to June 2014 and Radiation therapy in July. Of course, this meant that Kylie was not able to teach for the 12 months from diagnosis, which put added financial strain on us too. In early 2015 Mitchell saw a course advertised on the internet, on cricket bat making. It was being run by Ian Callen of Callen Cricket. Ian was an Australian Test player in the ‘70s and now has a thriving business, selling handcrafted cricket bats and other cricket gear. He has been making bats for 35 years. Under the name Willow Blue, Ian and his wife, Susan, grow English Willow trees on their property in Victoria’s Yarra Valley and harvest the trees to craft his bats. As part of his retirement plan, Ian decided to train around 60 batmakers, to have an ongoing market for his willow and to keep the craft alive. Mitchell thought it might help take his mind off the stress of the past years, and provide a bit of income to the farm as well, so applied, and was part of the first intake of six in March 2015. Ram’sHead Bats was born. Talk us through the creative process … Mitchell sources his clefts from Ian. The
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Australian grown English Willow has its own unique characteristics, ones that produce beautiful bats. They are air dried, so maintain enough moisture to reduce the likelihood of splitting. When a batsman comes to choose their cleft, they look for different things. Some like the way the cleft feels, others like to have a knock with a cricket ball to see how it bounces, and others look at the grain and other characteristics of the wood. Then, down in the Bat Cave, Mitchell fits and sets the handle for 12 hours. He then uses hand
tools such as a drawknife, spoke shave and plane to shape the cleft to the batsman’s specific liking. This takes a minimum of six hours per bat. Once the basic shape has been crafted, Mitchell will hone the bat, testing it regularly for “pick-up” and feel, focusing on maintaining weight where wanted and creating balance. Mitchell likes the batsman to have a couple of looks throughout the process, to fine tune the customising of his or her bat. There follows lots of hand sanding with various grades of paper and finally treating the
face and edges with an oiled shin bone. (No animals are harmed in this process.) Kylie takes over then with the branding, adding our distinct Blue and Pink Ram’sHead stickers and numbering each bat. She can tell you where every bat produced has gone. Has there been much trial and error in perfecting your process? The process hasn’t really changed, but Mitchell trials different shapes. This can be in response to a specific request or after seeing something new from other batmakers or companies. The only “error” we’ve encountered so far, was a problem with the original binding used on the handles. It was a bit slippery and the grips slid a little. We’ve sourced a better material and have had no further issues. Your bats can be seen all over Australia now. How did you market your product, and what is the feedback you’ve received? We don’t have terrific internet out here, being too far from town to access ADSL, no fixed wireless or NBN and in a mobile black spot. This means our only access to internet is via satellite. We are still s ll’ he on the interim satellite, hoping itc M teammates in for the SkyMuster install in late er rm fo d an , go ri November. Even then however, or D teammates and we will be limited to around rmidale, adversaries in A and 40 GB per month in peak us have supported r of (usable) time. This makes be there are a num in the running a website difficult, ell Rams scoring w North so we’ve had to rely on our d New England an Facebook page and word of Co ast.” mouth from friends and clients. We have Senior bats from Nowra to Brisbane, Moree to Coffs Harbour. Mitchell’s teammates in Dorrigo, and former teammates and adversaries in Armidale, have supported us, and there are a number of Rams scoring well in the New England and North Coast. Paul Schmude at Armidale Sportspower
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also supports us, keeping a couple of bats in the public eye. And Armidale City Signs, who print our stickers, have passed the word about too. Uralla Central School purchased a couple of Lambs (junior bats) for their school kit, and the PSSA team coach in Newcastle borrowed Hamish’s for a while in the off season and then ordered one to use with his team. Hamish’s teammates have also gotten behind us, and there are three more in the Bushrangers alone. Several others are with junior players in the Armidale local and representative competitions. What are your future plans for the bats? We hope to continue selling well into the future. It would be terrific to reach a wider client base, selling into all areas of Northern NSW. Producing and selling 50 bats a year would be a nice start. We have also planted 100 English Willows here on Glenella, sourced from Willow Blue, and plan to harvest from them in … oh … 15 to 20 years! In time we are also considering adding to our product range, with bags, gloves and pads. One of the important things we do with Ram’sHead Bats is donate 10% of each sale to JDRF, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and to the Garvan Institute’s Cancer Research Programme. Our colours come from these two causes, blue for JDRF and pink for breast cancer. We want to help fund a cure! How do you juggle such a busy lifestyle and still make time for simple pleasures? (Kylie) Ha ha ha … I don’t sleep. And I clock up a lot of km every week. (Mitchell) I don’t know. It’s just what we do. Thanks guys. Mitchell and Kylie can be reached through the Ram’sHead Bats Facebook page, or on (02) 6779 2355.
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a r m i d a l e
SHOWGIRL AFTER BEING ABSENT FOR SIX YEARS, THE 2017 ARMIDALE
SHOWGIRL COMPETITION IS SHAPING UP TO BE A GREAT EVENT THANKS TO MANY LOCAL SPONSORS. THE DYNAMIC SHOW COMMITTEE EXPLAIN HOW WE CAN GET INVOLVED. As a previous Armidale and owgirl New England Sh ows kn entrant, Emma is t ha w d an -h st fir girls e ic nt needed to e best w ho d an to enter r the fo to prepare them competition.”
“ hat was the driving force behind bringing this exciting event back to Armidale? There is a dynamic show committee, who are breathing life back into the iconic local show. After a six year break, the local show society has decided to re-introduce the Showgirl competition to its show schedule. After re-joining the show society, Emma Hooper was trying to track down the Showgirl trophy that she had previously donated. Further investigation found that the showgirl competition has been absent from the schedule now for six years. It’s time for young ladies to be recognised and promoted through their local show. As a previous Armidale and New England Showgirl entrant, Emma knows first-hand what is needed to entice girls to enter and how best to prepare them for the competition. With a small band of helpers, all made up of volunteers, the group is well on its way to making sure the 2017 Showgirl competition showcases the local young ambassadors that exist within the community. Why should young ladies consider becoming an entrant in the competition? The answer is simple; it’s great fun and 16 new england focus.
you can make friends for life. It gives young women an opportunity to network with other young women with similar interests, as well as being mentored by some excellent community leaders. It encourages community involvement, as well as personal development, self-promotion and is an excellent medium for expanding their career and personal ambitions. The Showgirl competition has a long running history. It commenced in 1962 with 20 ladies. In 2017 there will be 500 women entering the competition nationwide, with 100 show societies hosting these events. They help contribute to the overall development of rural youth, and contestants meet other young women from rural NSW. The state finals for this competition are conducted by the RAS at the Sydney Royal Easter Show each year. Whilst the prize you get for entering is richer than money can buy, there are some monetary prizes for the finalists who make it through to the Sydney Royal. Finalists receive a seven day all expenses paid stay during the Easter show. First prize is $7,500 courtesy of the RAS of NSW and The Land Newspaper. Second prize is $3,500 supported by the Agricultural Society Council of NSW and third prize is $2,000 courtesy of RAS
NSW and Agricultural Society Council of NSW. When will the event be held? The Showgirl selection process will take place on the weekend of 11th February 2017, prior to our show, which will be held on the 10th and 11th of March. This allows the Armidale and New England show society’s winner to attend the Zone 4 final in Walgett on Saturday 25th February 2017. At the zone finals, there will be finalists from 23 towns. The winner of this zone final will then attend the Sydney finals. What is the criteria? First and foremost, it is not a beauty contest! We are looking for enthusiastic ladies who are aged between 18 - 25 years old as of the 1st May 2017. You can be single or married, and you can also be a mother. Entrants must be available to attend the zone and state finals. Other criteria that the ladies will be assessed on are personality, confidence, ambitions and goals, general knowledge of local, national and international events, personal presentationgrooming, diction and speech and also volunteer or community involvement. Whilst it is a competition, women should not be put off by
the broad and extensive list. Entrants will be mentored and encouraged throughout the process. Tell us about the 2017 Armidale show? The 2017 Armidale and New England Show is going to be one of the best shows yet, and it is one that the whole community can be involved in. The committee are working hard to ensure that all parts of the community are represented and there are some new sections in the schedule, including the window display competition, the Showgirl competition and the business/community group house challenge, as well as all the usual sections and major attractions highlighting what makes the local community and local show so great. Plans for the future? The show society has plans to return some old favourites to the show in the coming years. The Armidale and New England Show Society has been selected to host the zone finals for the Showgirl competition in 2018. The committee also hopes to bring back a show ball in 2018, so there are plenty of things to look forward to and to ensure that the society can showcase the region’s finest produce and local producers. We Hope To See You There!
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focus_What’s On New England
2016
December
FRANK ARCHIBALD LECTURE The Sorry business of doing things to us, presented by Sean Gordon. Where Armidale Bowling Club. When 6:30pm; Thursday 1 December. RSVP (02) 6773 3217.
NOCTURNE
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HIDDEN TREASURES
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The hidden treasures of the University of New England’s Art Collection will be on display for the Vice-Chancellor’s Community Open Day. Works by famous artists like Arthur Streeton, Norman Lindsay, Thea Proctor and Russell Drysdale will be available for viewing from 10am - 4pm. There will also be live music, and complimentary tea and cake on the Booloominbah lawns. When Sunday, December 4. Where The University of New England.
THE POP UP STORE
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Located in the shop next door to ISPA Kebabs, outside IGA. Something quirky, something different, lots of local businesses and gorgeous handmade products. When from Friday 9th December - Sunday 18th December. Follow on Facebook for special events and shop updates.
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CRAFT & PRODUCE MARKET
The final Kentucky Seasonal Craft & Produce Market for 2016 is soon. We now have a Facebook page! If you are on Facebook, we’d love it if you would click on the link below to “like” and “share” it, so we can get the word out. www. facebook.com/KPA2354 When Sunday 11 December 2016, 9am - 1pm. Where Kentucky Memorial Hall.
A selection of these re-photography images will be on display in the Armidale Art Gallery from December 3 - 13.
FIRST SATURDAY CHATS
Our next First Saturday chats will be hosted by Morgan Quaife (Solicitor) from 10am to 1pm at the Legal Minds office at 157 Beardy Street, Armidale, on Saturday 3 December 2016. As this is a popular programme, bookings are essential on (02) 6788 1100.
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NEW ENGLAND TOY DRIVE The New England Toy Drive is on again in 2016. Please drop new or very good quality used toys and/or Christmas wrapping paper to the following drop off points by Friday 9 December. • Hutchinson & Harlow Real Estate Office - 103 Dangar St, Armidale. • Forty Winks Armidale - 8/140 Miller St, Armidale. • Apsley Motors - 50E Fitzroy St, Walcha. • Ray White Rural - 115 Bradley St, Guyra.
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ASHWINS CAFÉ RESTAURANT
When 25th December (Christmas Feast with Christmas Carol, bookings only.) 31st December (New Year’s Eve Party with Alfresco Dining, Cocktails and Music in the Garden.) When 208 Dangar St, Armidale NSW 2350. Phone 0497 918 590.
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I S A B E L L E D E V O S I S T H E N E X T E X H I B I T O R AT G A L L E RY 1 2 6 , W I T H A N E X H I B I T I O N T I T L E D . . .
Where the
MAY TAKE YOU
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an you describe the type of artwork you specialise in? Over the past 20 years of being a painter, photographer and conceptual artist, painting took over as my main area of work. From originally painting expressionistic works of dreams and imaginings, the landscape took my interest, quite suddenly and by surprise. From my first very simple rendering of the views from my home in a semi-rural area, the work grew to include many different types of landscape and townscapes, but most often the paintings were of the very familiar places I knew well and passed by often. How long have you lived in the area? I have been living in and near Armidale for the past 12 years, after moving to Australia from Canada with my family. We chose Armidale because of the university, vibrant arts and cultural sector, four distinct seasons and a Waldorf school for our children. It only took a few weeks to fall in love with the area, from John and Steve Harvey’s Merino sheep property where we rented our first home to the wonderful bush, gorge country and national parks at our doorstep in every direction. You never know where a road may lead
you … I was born in Belgium, and my parents migrated to Canada. Later on, I settled down in a small university town in New Brunswick after completing art school. After meeting my Australian husband, we I try to evoke a decided to move to Armidale, certain feeling in s just which turned out to be a my work, perhap ified pl m perfect fit for us all! a dream or a si , where Where do you get your version of reality t to ou ab st ju a story is inspiration from? the unfold , a door on Inspiration for my work ” g. verge of openin comes from the dramatic light in the New England area and the rich colours and shadows in late afternoon and early evening, whether visiting galleries and vintage on the trees and paddocks or on buildings shops and working in the local in town. The roads I travel along often end community. Working in the field up in my paintings and help give a sense of of health and wellbeing is something entering into the work, imagining I am there, I enjoy very much. The rest of the week I in that light, at the particular time of day. I try spend time in the studio and enjoy weekends to evoke a certain feeling in my work, perhaps with my family. just a dream or a simplified version of reality, The title of the exhibition is where the road where a story is just about to unfold, a door on may take you, and speaks about travel and life, the verge of opening. about not knowing where a particular road Other than your artworks, what are your will bring you or what it may make you think other interests? or feel along the way. It’s how I feel about life I enjoy exploring the area for inspiration, as well … having travelled throughout many
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countries and relishing the sense of wonder and curiosity about not really knowing what was around that corner or down the road, whether that road is in your own town or somewhere further from home. When is your exhibition at Gallery 126? where the road may take you opens at Gallery 126 on Friday 25th November at 5pm until 7 pm. Everyone is welcome to come to the opening, enjoy some refreshments and have a look around. The exhibition will be up until 23rd December. Thanks Isabelle.
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Business Minds with Ingrid Rothe of VIVID Thinking
BUSINESS minds
RAG AND TRADER’S BECKY SMOUHA - EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABILITY WINNER IN THE ARMIDALE BUSINESS CHAMBER AND THE REGIONAL NEW ENGLAND NORTH WEST 2016 BUSINESS AWARDS.
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hat does Rag and Trader do? We are a retail and online store offering women’s fashion, gifts and a selection of children’s wear. We source all our products sustainably and ethically. Our garments are sweatshop-free, use only organic materials, and a selection are handmade locally. For example, we have leather bags that are made solely from offcuts that would otherwise end up in landfill. What led you to start Rag and Trader? My family are in the rag trade and while I never intended to join them, starting out as a journalist, I somehow ended up in fast fashion. Increasingly, I was drawn to sustainable fashion and was exploring this prior to moving to Armidale. The actual start in Armidale was almost spur of the moment. The opportunity for a little pop up shop arose, and it was here I introduced my own line of handmade and hand dyed garments. The local interest in handmade goods conscious of its carbon footprint gave me the courage to pursue the Rag and Trader concept. Why slow fashion? Fast fashion is thrown away, with all the profits going back to the corporate and nothing to the community. I realised quickly that I couldn’t make money off someone else’s misfortune. What if I ran a store completely 20 new england focus.
based on sustainability, offering fair wages and working conditions? A grand experiment! My focus is on localised fashion, reducing our carbon footprint and offering fashion choices that you not only feel great wearing, but can feel proud of making. I am passionate about supporting emerging and local designers. Many stores only stock designers that have an existing following. How do you do that without being given that first chance? For most regionally-based designers, their only alternative is to sell online. I take a mentoring approach, collaborating on logistics such as sourcing swing tags and branding. By building a store based on slow fashion that is organic, handmade and fair trade, we are selling more than garments: we are selling beautiful stories. Tell us more about your local approach? We currently have ten local brands in store; the number fluctuates depending on the capacity of the individual designer at any given time. All our offerings are organic and handmade locally. From time to time we can help a client with a custom order. As our designers are local, we can talk to them directly. With our focus on local, our stock is suitable for season and climate. For example, one of our beautiful designers knits all Australian Merino scarves and gloves, and we are still stocking weights suitable for Armidale’s frequently brisk evenings and unseasonable cold snaps.
My focus is on n, localised fashio on rb ca r ou reducing fering footprint and of at th fashion choices great el fe you not only el fe n ca t bu wearing , ” g. in ak m of proud
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Tell us more about your sustainable business model? I had started eating organically and thinking about clothing as a by-product of agriculture. I was keen to not only sell organic goods and have a fully transparent supply chain, but to ensure we practiced what we preached in store. Every business decision we make is based on its potential impact on our carbon footprint. Our bags and wrapping paper are made from recycled paper, packaging is recycled or biodegradable, made of a plant compound that will break down in less than a year. We use green electricity and all our furnishings are upcycled. We are always looking for new ways to be more sustainable. I started the store with my own money, which helped me focus on making each dollar go further. Can a sustainable business be profitable? In many ways, there is less risk. We are not trying to work to the deadlines of fast fashion, and we are not trying to sell clothing in volume. Once something is sold, we get something new in. As a result, we get new stock in every two weeks, keeping our offering unique and fresh. Our products particularly appeal to people
who are connected to the land, and the connection here in the New England is so much stronger than in the city. Any advice for a business just starting out? When you first start out you
need to give it at least a year. As much as you believe in your idea, it takes time to get over to others and for people to take you seriously. Being hands-on in your business is critical. The first year in store I worked six days a week, no lunch break, focused on meeting people and testing my ideas. Where to from here? I have lots of different plans. I have my own in-house label in development. I’m also hoping to expand to another area, utilising the same principles as my Armidale store. I will stock sustainable brands local to that region. I like to think that the Rag and Trader is at the forefront of a community shift to sustainability. After all, we don’t own the land, we only borrow it from the future. Becky is representing Armidale at the 2016 State NSW Business Chamber Awards. Good luck, Becky.
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The concept behind the project founded by creative duo Spowart and Cooper is to capture a place in nocturnal light and then recreate that same image in daylight - showcasing how different light changes our perception of place. FOCUS caught up with Doug and Vicky about the project …
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ell us about the concept behind Nocturne; where and how was it founded? We began with an interest in exploring the zone between day and night when our everyday, prosaic surroundings can become unfamiliar or at times, unsettling. Fundamental to our project is the photographic documentation of this transient light. These images evoke an unseen presence within the stilled interstitial filmic moment of the street. Houses and public spaces of habitation illuminated by the afterglow of sunset or by the shaft-like rays from the occasional streetlight seemingly become uncanny shadowy places. In this work we explore the idiosyncratic nature of the small town street and its architecture. Each image reveals a different insight of the town through the light, colour and form of the twilight hour. Our first major project, Nocturne Muswellbrook, engaged with the community through posting our nocturne photographs of the town on Facebook. Through this social media channel the community “friended” our page, followed our nocturnal photography pursuits and recounted personal narratives and their connections with the places we photographed. The link between the photographs and viewers’ memories was vibrant and enlightening for us. As such, most of our Nocturne Projects are created for, and include, community collaboration. A Nocturne project we organised in Bundaberg involved local photographers documenting what they considered important locations in the region, and selected images were subsequently incorporated into the a community image archive. In another project in Miles in southern Queensland, community members participated in a week-long professional development exercise where after
everyday places. a workshop in photography, they completed Supported by the team at NERAM and with daily projects and submitted them online. the support of the New England Art Society, we Their photos were presented online as well as began the project by conducting a workshop in a screen in the Dogwood Crossing Library in re-photography. This included practical and Gallery. At the end of the week these shootouts around Armidale from which participants met and produced a handmade images were then optimised and uploaded booklet or “zine” of their images. to “Nocturne: Armidale Project” Facebook What are your backgrounds with creative page to share with the wider community. A processes and photography? highlight of the practical work was Our arts practice is informed by a shootout at the National our ongoing and evolving Trust Home, Saumarez, connection with Place. Our coordinated by Les Davis. Place-Projects are influenced Concurrent with Over two separate by the context and the this showing of nights, images were consequences of living ale will Nocturne Armid made that highlighted within a constantly n tatio be other presen ez the beauty of this ar changing landscape. We of works of Saum colonial architecture. work with a range of Homestead at , ad This provided for the photographic concepts, te the Homes s Le by d te participants a unique from the camera obscura, coordina .” opportunity to put into through analogue film Davis practice their nocturne processes to the digital photography skills. forms of the medium. Our work is presented as visual Now a selection of these narratives in artists’ books, photobooks, re-photography pairs of images will exhibition images and, more recently, blogs be on display in the Armidale Art Gallery and social media. For further information, from December 3 - 13. Concurrent with this follow our blog, wotwedid.com. showing of Nocturne Armidale will be other Talk us through the Nocturne workshop presentation of works of Saumarez Homestead you recently held here in Armidale … at the Homestead, coordinated by Les Davis. In September we worked with a group of What different dynamics do you get photographers from the Armidale region and when photographing in the daylight vs Brisbane to highlight the city of Armidale. photographing at night time? Key to this community photo-documentary Nocturne photography captures a time of project was the idea of capturing the town day where the afterglow of sunset and the in both the early evening’s nocturnal light as glow of streetlights can transform the everyday previous Nocturne projects had done, but this experience of place. In these photographs, time a second photograph of the nocturne street scenes and buildings that may be familiar subject during daylight was made. This “rein normal daylight take on the dramatic photography” project has resulted in a number appearance of movie sets. Some photographs of comparative pairs of images revealing the created at this time can require long camera beauty of nocturne light and how it transforms exposures and therefore produce images that
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can capture blurred movement of people and car headlight trails. These images offer to the community a different perspective to their daily experience of place. What are the different processes and equipment used? Participants in Nocturne workshops over the years have used all kinds of cameras, from sophisticated professional large format cameras to DSLRs and even phone cameras. The bigger the camera, usually the slower the picturemaking - cameras are placed on tripods and long exposure times are used. Point-n-shoot and phone cameras are best used for the more spontaneous photos. Tell us about some of the other projects you personally work on … We make bespoke books based on creative forms of the book. Importantly for us is producing a story using mainly photographs to form an imaginative and visual experience of reading. We also use photography in many different ways to capture images of places and the natural environment. In this project we can use both traditional analogue and digital photography. To follow or view some of these projects, go to ww.cooperandspowart.com.au or www.wotwedid.com How can our readers sign up for next year’s Nocturne? Just “like” us and “follow”, then in your newsfeed tick “see first” on the Nocturne Armidale Facebook page, and we will keep you informed of new Nocturne projects as they develop. Thanks Doug and Vicky. Thank you. new england focus. 21
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Plastic Cosmetic & Laser surgery Cryolipolysis - Non Surgical Fat Removal Cryolipolysis is the most innovative, safe, non-surgical body contouring treatment available. It is used to target annoying bumps and bulges of stubborn fat. Clinical studies have shown that this revolutionary technology is an effective means of targeting and freezing away unwanted isolated areas of fat within your body, such as love handles, tummy, back rolls, arms and knees. What is Cryolipolysis? Cryolipolysis is the non-invasive controlled cooling of adipose tissue (Fat Cells) to induce lipolysis (breaking down) without causing damage to other surrounding tissues.
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The result over time is a noticeable, natural-looking reduction in fat. How does Cryolipolysis work? Cryolipolysis is based on the principle that fat cells are more vulnerable to energy extraction (cooling) than surrounding tissues. A non-invasive applicator is attached to the targeted procedure area to extract energy from the underlying fat tissue, while protecting the skin, nerves, muscles and other tissue. The cooled fat cells undergo apoptosis (controlled cell death) and are gradually eliminated, reducing the thickness of the fat layer. Permanent results after the slimming treatment. Noticeable changes are often seen as soon as three weeks after treatment. Results will continue to improve over the following four months. Please contact us for more information.
KYLIE
MITCHELL DESIGNS
Kylie Mitchell, of Kylie Mitchell Designs, is a well known local personality who has been designing beautiful homes in the New England region for over 10 years now.
er work stands out within the community for its unique and sensitive approach to design, visual appeal and beauty. Kylie’s most prominent house - Art House One - won a number of awards a few years back and put Armidale on the architectural map. Kylie’s next Art House project - Art House Two - is due to start early in 2017. As reported previously, this home was to be built of shipping containers. While this has changed, the house itself will still embrace Kylie’s Art House principles and will become another eye catching home within the New England. This will be a family Art House and will be opened to the public once it is completed. Kylie’s passion for unique, compact,
sustainable homes has come from a passion for both architecture and visual arts, Kylie having exhibited as an artist many times over the years. The Art House concept is the combination of these passions, allowing people to immerse themselves in visual arts while enjoying the benefits of creative, functional, compact buildings. Kylie’s aim is to build Art Houses across Australia, every one of them different and unique, allowing the whole country to enjoy these amazing buildings. To follow the progress of Art House Two, jump on Kylie’s business Facebook account for regular posts that will let you inside the build process. There is now also a BLOG following her work accessible from her website at www.kyliemitchell.com.au
FIELD DAY Great success
Alex Cunningham boasts great success for the recent 2016 New England Antique Machinery and Heavy Horse Field Day.
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his year’s 2016 New England Antique Machinery and Heavy Horse Field Day at the Armidale Showground was held in excellent weather, with a variety of events including heavy horse demos, small engines, steam engines, tractor pulls, cars, trucks, tractors, with Army and RFS presence, as well as club displays. There was access to our shed to view the Hillgrove Engine restoration and to view various projects of interest. The
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club catered for food and there was an excellent roll up for all at the evening BBQ meal. The opening was carried out by the ABC’s Jennifer Ingles on a wagon load of wool bales. The highlight of the Sunday was the removal of a large stump with various bulldozers. The final removal was carried out by two very young members, Harry Simpson and Toby Nelson. The club is in good hands for the future. The rally committee and members wish to thank all sponsors and the public for making it a great weekend.
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Christmas at
NERAM
This Christmas, make sure that your first gift stop is at the Museum Shop for a great range of art books, craft items and unique presents.
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he shop at the New England Regional Art Museum has a great reputation amongst locals for its wonderful selection of products, which cater to a wide range of tastes. Discover NERAM’s new boxed set of gift cards drawn from the array of beautiful artworks in The Howard Hinton Collection, which includes everyone’s favourite images - Tom Roberts’ Mosman’s Bay, Esther Paterson’s The Yellow Gloves and many others. Art books on offer include biographies of leading Australian artists such as Brett Whiteley, Sidney Nolan, Margaret Olley and William Dobell, as well as more offbeat offerings such as artist and photographer’s cookbooks, jigsaw puzzles, colouring-in books and other items. Inspiring children’s
Super Moto Armidale
books by leading authors and illustrators such as Shaun Tan, whose ground breaking exhibition The Lost Thing was shown at NERAM earlier this year. Jewellery, ceramics, design, glassware, fashion items, homewares and gifts by leading artists and craftspeople around Australia are also on offer, alongside the work of local makers and creators. There are also a great range of cosmetic products inspired by the photography of Rennie Ellis from the leading store Klein’s Perfumery in Melbourne. Don’t forget you can also pick up an artwork by a number of local artists, whose works are on display in the exhibition Kangaroos in my Blood, inspired by the book of poetry by artist and writer Lizzie Horne.
Another option is to give a gift membership of the Friends of NERAM, which will provide the lucky recipient with the opportunity to get more involved in the NERAM community through a range of great special events, invitations to openings and lots of membership offers. Remember too that when you buy a gift at the Museum Shop, you are showing your support for NERAM and its work helping the local New England community to access a wide range of quality artistic and cultural exhibitions and events. Christmas opening hours: NERAM: closed 25, 26, 27 December 2016 and 1, 2 January 2017. Studio 52 café: closed 25 December; reopens Tuesday 3 January 2017.
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LOCALs 4 Locals GIVEAWAYS
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ith so many Locals 4 Locals members located in town, you’d be hard pressed to shop anywhere else! Shopping locally is a must this Christmas. Not only does it boost our local economy, businesses spend dollars in the community too! When you spend your hard earned dollars, why not spend it where it matters?
Christmas is a time for giving, and Locals 4 Locals have been giving the Christmas cheer out again this month. Another five lucky winners have won $100 in L4L gift cards to spend at their favourite shops!
Look for the Locals 4 Locals sign in the shopfront of your favourite stores. Simply spend $25 or more. Register your entry at the counter. That’s it! You have one entry in the L4L prize pool. The more time you shop at participating businesses, the higher your chances to win! This could be you holding some easy money! Like Chris and Rick, who shopped at Jackson’s Quality Meats. Armidale Golf
Super Moto Armidale are a locally owned and operated business who specialise in everything associated with motorcycles, ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) and buggies (side by sides) as well as motorised garden equipment. In terms of the garden equipment, Super Moto Armidale stocks Husqvarna Lawn Care products and chainsaws. They also stock a range of Honda outdoor products, mowers, brush cutters and generators. Super Moto Armidale stock a full range of motor cycles from Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki, which are all high quality Japanese brands. The beauty about being a customer of Super Moto Armidale is that you will receive support from the first moment you enter the shop. You will encounter amazing service when purchasing your goods from someone who is passionate and knowledgeable about the products. The Super Moto Armidale team will then service and/or fix the goods as they age. Then if you want to sell your goods, Greg Frost and the team will usually help you out with a trade in. Christmas is a terrific time to purchase garden equipment or a motorcycle from Super Moto Armidale, as this is the peak buying season for these goods. This means that there are many specials on these popular summer products! Supporting this locally owned and operated business allows Greg and Lynda, the owners of the shop, to make donations to many important local charities and causes!
Club had a winner, Di, who shopped at the Pro Shop. Graham won from Things With A Difference. Judy won from getting her gardening supplies at Cedar Nursery and Design. Locals 4 Locals continues to give back to the community every month. Let’s see your face here next month! All you need to do is shop at Locals 4 Locals! new england focus. 23
the french coq Hungry? Excellent! The French Coq has just opened our door, and we are ready to serve you for lunch and dinner. From super fresh salads like baby beetroot + feta + bean salad, coleslaws, crunchy garden salads and more. Fresh gourmet rolls backed up by rotisserie chicken, or perhaps a special crumbed schnitzel. These are just a few of the delights available from Talai Barnier, AKA Tillsy, with her new venture, "The French Coq - Gourmet Takeaway". Tillsy and her husband have recently relocated to Armidale and missed the convenience of their former local rotisserie shop in Woollahra, so decided to create something similar of their own. The former Charcoal Chicken store @ 109 Dangar Street seemed the ideal location. Tillsy has transformed the interior into a French modern feel, with a mock green wall and French bar stools giving the opportunity to eat in as well. What’s behind the name, you ask? It’s a combination of both Tillsy and her husband's heritage, passion for rugby and love for the Sydney Roosters. The French Coq will be introducing artisan burgers and gourmet hot dogs, with the menu ever-changing with the seasons. However, the size 16 rotisserie chickens will always be a staple of the menu. For 2017, we aspire to start taking on private functions and catering. The French Coq is open 6 days - Tues - Sun - 11:30am - 7:30pm
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thi si
sc ool
focus_local recipe
M a n g o PA NNA COTTA Turbo horn EXCITING MOTOR BIKE SOUND! Slip it over your handlebars and rev your engine like a real motor bike, and be the coolest kid on the block! From Things With A Difference, Centre Mall, Armidale. 6771 9668.
with Ross from Daily Ritual Armidale
CHRISTMAS TEA ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, all the creatures were stirring a lovely cup of tea. Christmas Eve. It’s the biggest night of the year for Santa and with all the travelling he has to do, it’s nice to come down the chimney to a welcome treat.
not put out a steaming pot of Christmas Tea!
But if we stopped to consider how much milk, fruit juice, and the odd tipple that Santa must consume, not to mention all the biscuits, cakes, and slices he must eat in that one evening, you could imagine he’d be feeling pretty bloated by the morning.
Description The scent of cloves, vanilla, and cardamom break through the flavoursome black tea base. A must have for the Christmas season, but still tastes great all year round.
So instead of the usual Christmas Eve spread, why
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Fruity, spicy, and sweet, this blend is reminiscent of a traditional Christmas fruit cake with marzipan icing.
Brewing tip Pre-heat a cup or teapot. Use 1 tsp per cup or 1 rounded tsp per person for a teapot. Pour freshly boiled water
over the leaves and infuse for 3 - 5 minutes. Add milk or sweetener as desired. Ingredients Black Tea, Orange Peels, Chopped Almonds, Cloves, Flavouring, Vanilla Pieces, Cardamom. CONTAINS ALMONDS. Our Christmas Tea is quality tested to comply with strict European standards for any chemical or pesticide residues. Uniquely, the teas are then air freighted to Australia to maintain the finest quality and freshness for your enjoyment.
Find out more about other quality blends at www.dailyritual.com.au
served with raspberry sorbet, clove and chilli spiced pineapple and mint syrup. INGREDIENTS
(Serves 9 - 10)
500 ml mango puree 500 ml cream 250 g caster sugar 3 gelatin leaves ½ cup water (to cover gelatin)
method Lightly grease 9 or 10 ½ cup capacity pudding moulds. Pour water into a small bowl, stir in gelatin sheets and set aside until soft. Pour cream and mango puree into a saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. Whisk in sugar until dissolved. Drain softened gelatin and whisk into hot panna cotta mix. Set aside to cool for
Chef David Hill
Azka Restaurant, Wine & Tapas Bar 31 Marsh Street, Armidale NSW 2350 Phone (02) 6772 7788
15 minutes. Strain the mixture and pour into prepared moulds. Refrigerate for at least four hours, or until set. To serve, dip the outside of each mould in hot water for 10 seconds, run a sharp knife around the inside of each mould and invert onto a serving plate. Serve with fresh seasonal fruit. new england focus. 25
ESCAPING THE HUSTLE OF THE BIG CITY AND MOVING TO THE COFFS COAST IS THE DREAM OF MANY PEOPLE. PAUL AND VICTORIA HARPER HAPPENED UPON AN AMAZING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, WHICH LED TO THEM SUCCESSFULLY OPENING THE CEDAR BAR IN BELLINGEN. THEY ARE LIVING THE DREAM ...
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cedar
Bar & kitchen
an you tell us a bit about your connection to the Coffs Coast? Twelve years ago, in Sydney, I met Victoria, who was born and raised on the Coffs Coast. We have visited the area several times a year over that period. We talked for years about leaving Sydney, and the Mid North Coast was full of great memories for us both, then this business opportunity developed very quickly - so we jumped. When did you start the business? We opened the doors as Cedar Bar & Kitchen in mid December 2015. After months of setup and planning, we really wanted to start serving customers and getting some experience before the Christmas and January rush. To add to the excitement, Victoria gave birth to our twin girls three days after opening. So needless to say, the last nine months has flown by. With support from family, friends, our staff and customers, it has made the exhaustion lots of fun. What inspired you to start Cedar Bar & Kitchen? Aside from our love of food and wine, we fell in love with the 108 year old building and thought the space would be perfect for a restaurant and the large hall, ideal for functions. “The Old Church,” as people lovingly call her, really is beautiful, with 7-metre high ceilings and original stained glass windows; she has an incredible aura, which we knew would appeal to customers. Venues that have inspired us include The Grounds in Alexandria, The Farm in Byron and Harvest at Newrybar. We wanted to
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create an atmosphere where people can enjoy an affordable dining experience, function or wedding. Have you had past experience in hospitality or is this new ground for you? This is a new venture for both of us. Victoria, with her background in marketing and events, and me with a sales and consulting career also having run my own business previously, I feel we both bring skills that translate really well to the management as well as the customer experience focus of what we are achieving here. When we were married two years ago, we found that experience of choosing a wedding venue very impersonal - we were handed a wedding pack with pricing, and that was it: “like it, or leave it”. We want to work with couples to create their own unique celebration. We understand that it is probably the most expensive party you will ever throw yourselves, so you want it to be right! How would you describe Cedar, and what are the key elements that attract your patrons? We set out to build a venue that Victoria and I would want to sit and relax if we were going out. We are like most people, so we’ve tried to create a space which is inviting for everyone, that profiles local food in a simple yet tasty way, a small changing wine list, relaxed surrounds and friendly staff. We also wanted to create a regular hang out for locals, through our pricing and that we offer most wines by the glass, also changing our menu seasonally; we aim to keep regulars coming back. Is there a theme or style of food on the
menu? Our style changes with the season and what produce is locally available. Customers have described the food as honest, clean and fresh. If we have a great idea to bring a Spanish influence to a dish, then we will. If we feel that the Snapper is best served with an Asian sauce, then we’ll do that too. Ultimately we believe in produce that comes straight from the ground, branch or beast, we believe in sourcing local, sourcing what is in season and then making everything from base ingredients, in-house. Since opening, I’ve slowly been able to build relationships with local producers for our pasture raised eggs, buffalo milk haloumi, micro-leaf greens, amongst others. Most importantly, our team of chefs are foodies too, and we bake all of our cakes and treats in-house, including gluten-free options. Are you open from breakfast to dinner? We are open seven days, serving all day breakfast and lunch, plus dinner from Thursday to Saturday. Do you have live music for entertainment at times? We were so glad to be a major venue for this
year’s Bellingen Winter Music Festival. Since then we’ve hosted a handful of live gigs, including live music every Friday night, and have more local, national and international acts planned for the coming months. What are you plans for the future of the business? We plan to be a buzzing event destination, create custom weddings and host unique functions. We are throwing a huge Melbourne Cup celebration in November, and tickets are selling fast. We want to be the first place people think of when they consider having a party or event. We encourage everyone to drop in for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a drink, and see what we’re doing with the space. What do you love about the Bellingen area? The people here make it a great place to be. As new parents, we love having the opportunity to raise our girls in the wonderful Bellingen community. We also love the local food scene and are passionate about contributing to the vibrant culture. Thanks guys.
It's not
WITHOUT SMITH MRS FOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PASSION OF YOURS; WHERE DID THIS COME FROM, AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW "POP UP SHOP"?
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e have re-opened at 156 Beardy St, right on the corner in the beautiful old building which was once the front bar of the Imperial Hotel. We're focusing on amazing and unusual cooking condiments, gourmet foods like emu patĂŠ and specialty deli items. Where possible, we stock locally produced items like Sunhill Goats Cheese, Uralla. I come from a rural background and large family. Amazing family events were always conducted with lots of home cooked foods. I learnt to cook different foods from my grandmother and great aunts. My mum still makes the most amazing pavlova. When my husband and I travelled around Australia for a couple of years, we encountered people of all sorts of backgrounds and
were introduced to a lot of different food. I wanted to keep enjoying those types of food, so I started introducing them to my shop 14 years ago. What products do you have in stock at Foodie Bliss? We stock Sunhill Goats Cheese, Persian fairy floss, emu patĂŠ, duck confit, over 40 different cheeses, Arc En Ceil Smoked Trout, chicken and duck, prosciutto, chorizo, gift hampers ... and so much more! What specialty products have you got for the up coming festive season? We have Stilton, Fromage D'Affinious, Double Brie, Gwydir Grove Olives, anti pasti platters, choc filled bonbons, locally made Christmas cakes/puddings and fresh flowers. What are your plans for the future? All I can say is, watch this space. new england focus. 27
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with Dan Emery and Tom Croft
Daily The
RITUAL
dan & TOM - the welder’s dog
FRUIT BEERS WHILST PERUSING THE NATIONAL CRAFT BREWING PUBLICATIONS OVER GARA’S RIVER DELICIOUS AMBER ALE, WE STUMBLED ACROSS AN INTERESTING ARTICLE ABOUT A BUNDABERG BREWERY (BARGARA BREWING COMPANY) THAT USES FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SECONDS TO CREATE INTERESTING AND LOCALLY DERIVED BREWS.
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ot only is this creating we dialled up Deepwater Brewing legend interesting and varied Marshall Wiles, AKA The Godfather, and ran beers for the customer and the idea by him. For those of you who don’t using ingredients that may know Marshall, he’s a bloody legend. He’s otherwise go to waste, we made more styles of beers than Dr Dan’s understand this is a way of getting your five Carries. Plus an added bonus; they’re always serves of vegies and two fruit servings per spot on. day. He happily jumped on board, as long as We have had a number of fruit we pick all the mulberries. And beers and fruit infused beers on he was reluctantly happy to tap, including a Blueberry reduce his brew from an Hefeweizen, Red Flemish 18.5% Belgian Fruit Beer So will this taste Cherry Ale, Mango Sour (mid-strength for him) any good? If it Ale, Lime Gose (NE to a more palatable , well was up to just us Brewing) and even a 4.8% Mulberry t probably not, bu a Hard Lemonade made Infused Lager. ix throw into the m agic, traditionally from By the time you m little D eepwater ing er fresh lemons, all of read this, we hope id and we’re cons k ar em ad which have been super the berries have Tr lodging the t gh ri r ge La y rr popular. ripened and we have for Mul be We thought, why not escaped Greg’s booby now.” get on a health kick too trapped orchid, or the and throw our hat in the lager could be a tad on the ring and try our own fruit beer bitter side. collaboration? So will this taste any good? If it What fruit? was up to just us, well probably not, We know that local (let’s call him Greg but throw into the mix a little Deepwater W.) does not stop talking about his prized magic, and we’re considering lodging the mulberry tree in his organic orchard. Since Trademark for Mulberry Lager right now. coining this brew a few weeks back, we So if you’re being told to increase your have been sneaking in every few days to fruit and veg intake, be sure to ... check on Greg’s prized crop and when the Drink less, Taste More! time is right (i.e. when G. Windred is at the P.S next on the boil - perhaps a bar) we will sneak in and strip harvest all Marmalade IPA made with local Marmateer branches and berries. Fruit sorted. John Lemon’s homemade marmalade. If it’s What brewer? as good as it is on Goldfish Bowl sourdough, After locating the trusty Nokia 3310, the brew is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
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LOOKING FOR A QUALITY GIFT FOR A DISCERNING FRIEND OR TEMPTING TREATS TO ENTERTAIN DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON? AT THE DAILY RITUAL, WE OFFER THE NEW ENGLAND’S MOST EXTENSIVE RANGE OF COFFEE AND TEA ACCESSORIES: PLUNGERS, COFFEE MACHINES AND NESPRESSO COMPATIBLE COFFEE CAPSULES, HAND-MADE JAPANESE TEAPOTS, INFUSERS, AND TEA CADDIES.
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nce again, available exclusively in Armidale are Pudding Lane’s high quality, traditional puddings. Always in high demand, many missed out again in 2015; don’t be disappointed and shop local to ensure your Christmas table is graced with an authentic Pudding Lane pudding, handmade from the finest Australian ingredients, boiled in the cloth, then hung to naturally dry, age and mature to perfection. We also proudly stock Nina’s handmade chocolates and the quirky Cecily giftware range. New this Christmas at the Daily Ritual Recipe In A Jar is a ready-to-go hot chocolate. Just mix and add hot milk, making 6 - 10 drinks. Recipe In A Jar's new product range is exclusive to Daily Ritual, with four tempting blends: • Classic, - with a rich milk chocolate taste is a sure winner for any chocolate lover. • Forget an after-dinner mint, try our Mint Cocoa instead - always a crowd favourite. • Strawberry - with its richly sweet strawberry and chocolate flavours will satisfy any sweet tooth. • Mexican - the perfect Hot Chocolate gift for those who like a little spice. Delicious flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg, with a slight touch of cayenne pepper. Duck Creek Macadamias is an artisan grower and producer of premium macadamias. From their plantation in the pristine Byron Bay Hinterland, they grow the world’s finest macadamias, roast them, coat them in rich coverture chocolate, dip them in pure harvested honey and flavour them. Hand packed with care, these indulgent, awardwinning treats are a perfect treat.
Rivsalt (grated salt) is a gastronomic experience. Natural Himalaya salt is grated onto the dish with a Japanese stainless steel grater of the highest quality. The salt and grater becomes a centerpiece of the dining table when placed in the accompanying stand made from untreated natural oak, all delivered in an attractive cardboard gift tube. The original Rivsalt is the natural centrepiece of the dining table, while the much bigger kitchen product is a great tool when preparing dishes. New Liquorice brings a tasty kick to just about any dessert as well as fantastic results while cooking, baking or making drinks. Blue, Refill, Taste and the latest addition Taste Jr represents rock salts in their various tastes, shapes and origin. Or, are you simply looking for a respite from Christmas shopping? Take a break from the stresses of holiday preparations and treat yourself from our award-winning coffee, our vast array of loose leaf teas, handmade chocolates, tasty light meals, or choose from our selection of great cakes and tempting gluten free offerings. We offer Armidale’s only multi-award winning coffee, as well as an extensive selection of over 160 finest quality loose leaf teas. We are the New England’s most awarded tea and coffee exhibitor, with 12 bronze and 2 silver awards and a gold for our chocolate covered coffee beans. All our products are of the highest quality, and we buy and source only from independent, responsible and ethical traders. Pop into the Daily Ritual in-store or on-line, where you are sure to find something to delight.
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FOCUS chats to Martin Hazell about the Armidale Community Christmas Day lunch, as it approaches its 25th year of operation.
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he history of our lunch ... When I was about 11-12 years of age, living on a farm on the outskirts of a small hamlet in the Gloucester area, I often had this dream of having a Christmas day celebration where the entire community came together to share a meal and enjoy a good old fashioned party. But, being so young, I had no idea of how to make this happen. When I was about 18 - 20 years of age, and living in a much bigger town, I remember having a discussion with some of my mates about my dream, but still not having the necessary skills to do something about it; nothing happened. My dream was put on the backburner until early 1992, at one of our normal Uniting Church social gatherings in Armidale I mentioned my dream to the group, and a woman spoke up and said that this was also her dream. After much discussion, we decided to hold a public meeting to gauge the feelings of the townsfolk. At this meeting, besides our own members, only two people turned up, and they spent the entire night telling us that we were stupid, don’t do it, no one will come to it ... Needless to say, we didn’t take their advice! We decided regardless we were going to give it a go. 30 new england focus.
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support
The We then started Over the years our from the contacting some of numbers steadily grew, ss Armidale busine the business houses until it peaked at 450 community and to in Armidale to see a few years back, e pu blic alike is on , an d who would support but now has levelled of d ou pr ry ve be h uc m ry such an idea of a out at somewhere in ve one we are .” of e tiv Community Christmas excess of 300 people apprecia Day Luncheon; the each year, plus another three businesses that 40 - 50 people who come agreed to support us on Christmas Eve to prepare back then were Peter Jackson the food and set up the venue, from Jackson’s Quality Meats, with another 40 - 50 coming on Armidale Wholesale Fruit Market, and Christmas Day to help in whatever way Charcoal Chickens. The first two are they can. still supporting us today, along with many Let me assure you that our Community others who have come on board over the Christmas Day Luncheon has totally fulfilled years. We then advertised for any support my lifetime dream of us coming together to possible, and we were overwhelmed with celebrate our Saviour’s birth as a community. the response from our most generous Who can come? community. This continues to this very day; The invitation is for anyone and everyone the support from the Armidale business to come. There is no criteria; come by your community and public alike is one to be self, bring the family, bring your friends, if very proud of, and one we are very much you would like to celebrate Christmas and appreciative of. be part of a big party to do so, you are At our first ever lunch we had 56 people most welcome - and it’s free. We welcome turn up, and I believe that 30 of them were everyone, there is always enough to go helpers, but we had a great time and it gave around, and it is a great community event. us the incentive and enthusiasm to carry on. What happens on the day? I believe that enthusiasm is still as strong We begin our celebrations at 11am with today as it was way back then, and I hope drinks and nibbles on the lawn outside our will still be in another 25 years. Youth Centre Hall, followed by the luncheon
at Noon inside the hall, where the younger people are catered for, and the luncheon takes on a buffet style smorgasbord. In our lounge room we cater for our senior members, where they are attended by waiters and waitresses, who will provide all their needs. There is always some form of entertainment; however, this is never planned for, as musicians just turn up to delight the crowd who has gathered for our luncheon - we never know who they are going to be. Other services we provide ... We provide transport for anyone who needs it - we also provide a full Christmas meal delivered to the home of anyone who is unable to attend. If you are in need of such services, please do not be afraid to make contact with us, and we will deliver. Please contact Martin Hazell on 6772 5916 for any queries regarding the Community Christmas Day Luncheon. Do we need additional help? We always need help, and all help is very welcome and appreciated. This year we particularly need helpers for getting people to and from the luncheon and to help deliver a meal to those who cannot get out and about. If you think you could help out, we would love to hear from you. Thanks Martin.
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NOUNOU HAIR PRODUCTS Reflections Hair Studio
PAMBANISHA SHORT BREAD $15ea or 3 for $35 All funds raised pay for school fees, uniforms, and school equipment for school children.
www.pambanisha.com
AQUA ONE MINI REEF MARINE ACQUARIUM Armidale Pet Shop Ph. 6771 1040
MAXWELL WILLIAMS MINDFULNESS RANGE House WorX Ph. 6771 3514 MOLLY & ME CANDLE Dooners Ph. 6772 4726
CONF3SS INTERCHANGEBLE SHOES Lyn’s Shoetique Ph. 6772 9077
PETALS NETWORK Flowers $93.46 SCULPTURE Weemala Pottery
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Including delivery with our 15% discount. Use the promo code FOCUS to get your discount. (Normally retails for $109.95) www.petals.com.au
Petals Florist Network We often spend so much time ensuring that our friends and family have that perfect gift for Christmas, that we forget to reward ourselves! There is nothing better than the scent of beautiful fresh flowers drifting through your home at this time of the year. As many of you start to plan the party you’ll be hosting or prepare for those friends who drop by to share a bit of Christmas cake, why not consider ordering from our new Christmas range and bring your home to life with flowers. Petals Network has a wide variety of designs to suit your individual style this holiday season, and we would like to offer our New England customers a 15% discount off all orders placed in the lead up to Christmas. Simply go online to www. petals.com.au to place your order and when you get to the checkout, enter the word FOCUS into the promo code field to receive your holiday discount. This discount applies not only to our Christmas range, but our entire catalogue and for orders going within Australia and overseas should you wish to treat a friend or family member to the gift of flowers or a treat filled hamper.
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Armidale Pet Shop What’s on the wishlist this Christmas? If you are thinking of a new pet, then look no further than Armidale Pet Shop. Brad and Sunnie are a wealth of information when it comes to your pet’s needs. With many years of experience providing excellent service and quality products, Armidale Pet Shop has got it. Armidale Pet Shop boasts the best equipment in aquarium supplies. Combine that with the knowledge of the team, and you have a winning combination. We supply a large range of freshwater and saltwater fish to choose from. We have most sizes and the leading brands of fishtanks to complement any home. From complete systems, to build your own we give the choice to you. Toys, Toys, Toys. Why not get Fido a present while you’re here! We have a multitude of chews, balls and throws. We have heaps of leads, collars and muzzles for all sizes. For the habitual chewer we have deer antlers and premium feeds for even the fussiest pet. Our hottest product at the moment is the ready to go Aqua one mini reef systems. These charming tanks come in a range of colours and sizes for all budgets. These self contained tanks are beautiful to look at, and you can even set them up for saltwater use. Christmas Special Buy any Siamese Fighter tank and receive a free standard Siamese Fighter free! So whether it has four legs, fins, wings or scales, at Armidale Pet Store we have the right products to keep your friend happy!
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June’s Jewellery and Gems June’s Jewellery and Gems, located in the East End Mall in Beardy Street, has been providing a service to the Armidale Community for over twenty years. June’s Jewellery and Gems stocks jewellery items made in Australia, from local sapphires, topaz and zircons (to name only few) and you can design your own unique piece of jewellery. There is a large array of natural stone beads, crystal, pearls and all beading supplies for you to make your own, or have June design and make something special for you in store. Has your watch lost its tic or toc? You can leave your watches or clocks for repair and replacement batteries and bands. June is a qualified Jewellery and Gemstone Valuer and will value your items on premises. June and her friendly staff can help you choose a unique gift for yourself or that special person in your life. There is our range of Pets with Personality, Australian made birds and animals, crystal vases, ornaments, clocks and watches, pearls galore and much more. Polished rocks, fossils, natural crystals cut and uncut gems can still be found in this unique little store. A true treasure trove.
Weemala Pottery Rick: I am doing the best work of my life right now. I love making pots, and I love teaching children and adults how to work with clay. In the past year I have developed new, powerful colour combinations that are exciting for me to work with. I feel like my skill as a painter is really coming together. It is a special challenge to paint the curving form of a pot, but the reward is unique. Because the fire transforms clay into stone, the pot lasts forever. In my teaching work, I delight in fostering the ongoing development of all my students. If you or your children are interested in giving clay a go, please come into our shop at 165 Beardy St. and talk to me. Suzanne: During the course of this year we had a workshop at Weemala Pottery in which we taught simple techniques to sculpt clay figures. The subject was a cello player, and we had a cellist as a model. I found this inspiring, and subsequently developed a series of small sculptures of musicians. I have also done a couple of sculptures of a fox and a magpie that are inspired by the children’s book Fox by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Rod Brooks. Figurative work suggesting a story is what interests me. I love using colour on the works, making them into three dimensional paintings.
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Christmas
in
Armidale’s Christmas in the Mall activities to feature something for everyone.
S
omething very exciting is happening on December 1; tell us more? On Thursday 1st December, Armidale will be leaping into holiday season festivities at "Christmas in the Mall". This event marks the start of Armidale Regional Council’s month-long program of free, community activities to celebrate the 2016 Christmas season! The event will be held between 5pm and 10pm in Armidale’s Central Mall. Armidale shops will be open late - trading alongside Market Stalls by local and visiting stallholders and offering the community a chance to sneak in some Christmas shopping, while enjoying the activities and entertainment on offer. Locals 4 Locals will run a chocolate wheel, and there will be live music throughout the evening thanks to a great program of popular well-known local acts. Of course, the special guests at the event will be Santa and his elves. A highlight of the evening will be the community’s first glimpse of Armidale’s new Christmas tree! The Christmas tree will be a sparkling centrepiece when Christmas lights are turned on throughout the city centre to mark the
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start of the season. The The first of its kind in The Christmas whole community is Australia, the Armidale tree will be a invited to be a part Christmas tree has piece sparkling centre of the celebration been designed by Chas when Christmas and enjoy the Clarkson, the same on lights are turned evening of activities. body who has produced city throughout the What was the some of Australia’s e centre to mark th .” driving force best Christmas tree on start of the seas behind this gift to constructions - including our communities? the one which resides in the It has been some Sydney city centre of Martin time since Armidale had a Place. Christmas tree. What else can we expect to see The east and central malls were through the month of December? festooned with lights in 2014 and an Council has developed a diverse program event was created to mark the "turning of fun, festive activities and events on of the lights". throughout December. There should be That year, Council decorated the tree something for everyone. outside the courthouse with Christmas "Christmas in the Mall" launches a lights. However, the community program of activities that runs right through seemed underwhelmed, and there was to Christmas. disappointment expressed to Council. The "Schools Out Pool Party" will be held It was this response that inspired Council at Monckton Aquatic Centre on Friday 16th to seek a new tree! December from 3pm to close. Fortunately, the old Christmas decorations This is a chance for children and young committee kindly donated $4,000 left in people to celebrate the end of the school their account towards the tree. year with friends. All of the Centre’s Tell us about the tree ... inflatables will be out and available for those The 7 metre tall tree promises to light up who are keen to make a big splash. Then the City Centre and add some extra sparkle when it is time for a break, everyone can to the community’s celebrations this year. take advantage of the free sausage sizzle.
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On Saturday 17 December, between 9am and 12pm, Council is hosting "Kids Day in the Mall". The day will include creative, fun and entertaining activities for children and young people, as well as community performances, live music and entertainment. Children might take the opportunity to work with local artists and craftspeople to create some unique Christmas gifts. And the whole community will have a chance to experience a showcase of performances that will be provided by some of Armidale’s talented local young people. To ensure that everyone has felt the spirit of the season, "Christmas Movie in the Mall" will be held on Thursday 22nd December starting at 7:45pm. Then we will wrap up 2016 with a big community New Year’s Eve event. Come and join in the fun for the huge countdown to 2017 at the Armidale Creeklands and Rologos Fields from 6pm. There will be food, entertainment, rides, games and of course, fireworks! Each of these free community events promises to add seasonal cheer and fun while bringing the community together over the holiday season. More information and event updates can be found by following Armidale Regional Council’s Facebook page.
Happy Holidays from Ella Baché Celebrate Great Skin with Ella Baché’s Summer Essentials. We all love the summer sun and warmer temperatures, because we can all spend more time outdoors doing the things we love. However, fun in the sun comes at a price, and it is our skin that pays the price. The hottest season of the year requires careful thought for our skin, even as you enjoy the heat and freedom of summer. Let us help you to survive the summer and silly season. As well as our brilliant Christmas Treatment Packages (as listed in our ad below) we have our much anticipated summer essential boxed gift set, which includes “Great SPF50 Sunglow Spray 20 ml, Special Eye Cream 15 ml and Refining Exfoliating Gel 20 ml” and our beautiful Ella Baché beach towel. Our retail offers include: Spend $100 on Ella Baché products and receive
the 3-piece Essentials Boxed Gift Set. Spend $200 on Ella Baché products and receive the 3-piece Essentials Boxed Gift Set PLUS summer towel. We also have some skincare packs still available or alternatively, we can build your own skincare box with the latest skincare solutions. Speak to the girls about all of your holiday and New Year needs. Remember to get in early with your appointments to avoid disappointment, as we are extremely busy over the Christmas period. Keep an eye out on Facebook and Instagram for daily and weekly deals and tips and tricks for the holiday period. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year! Thank you to our wonderful clients for all of your support in our 10th year in Dangar Street!
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keep up to date on Christmas upon todate date on Christmas activities keep upkeep tokeep date up to Christmas onactivities Christmas activities activities facebook.com/arc2350
facebook.com/arc2350 facebook.com/arc2350 facebook.com/arc2350 www.armidaleregional.nsw.gov.au www.armidaleregional.nsw.gov.au www.armidaleregional.nsw.gov.au www.armidaleregional.nsw.gov.au 38 focus. new england
Regional Council Regional Council
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focusinterview.
I N 2016, T R A DI T IONA L OW N E R S OF T H E L A N D NOW K NOW N A S OR A R A E A ST STAT E FOR E ST, T H E GU M BAY NG G I R R NAT ION E L DE R S, G R A N T E D FOR E ST RY COR P OR AT ION PE R M I S S ION TO T E L L T H E STORY OF GU MGA L I T H E B L AC K G OA N NA.
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umbaynggirr people are the as “postcards” due to its perfectly positioned garlugun-gi girrwaa, or “first viewing frames in the timber; a great opportunity mob” of the Coffs Harbour for Instagram users to instantly frame and share area. The partnership has their experience with the world. Further along resulted in a 400 metre the 400 metre walking track, a Tallowwood seat walking track that tells the provides a picturesque rest stop on the way to story of Gumgali through sculpture, mural art, the lookout, whilst a life-like goanna sculpture signage and sound - in Gumbaynggirr rests in the bush along the track. language, a language still strong Local artists Snarly and Yowa today. Gumgali Track was have been collaborating on developed in collaboration walls and cross pollinating NSW forests with Gumbaynggirr graffiti culture with contain a rich Elders, local artists and Gumbaynggirr culture, ginal history of Abori designers. a mix of the old and the cultural heritage s of At the Korora new, for some time. ie following centur t Lookout carpark, Their stunning murals en skilful managem visitors are greeted along the track tell the by traditional with interpretive .” Gumgali story, combining landowners signage telling the Story contemporary patterns of Gumgali, and the forest with graffiti-style in sharing environment provides the the Gumbaynggirr culture. context for the visitor experience Upon arrival at Korora Lookout, along the walk. visitors can take in the breathtaking A series of public art sculptures lead north coast ocean views from tree-shaded visitors along the track to the lookout. seating or a sunny viewing deck. The ocean, The sculptures have been crafted from locally or gaagal, is very important to the Gumbaynggirr grown Brushbox, Tallowwood and Ironbark people. It is here at the lookout that the story of timbers, both tactile and beautiful. The first Gumgali can be listened to at the “sound bar” sculpture reflects the landscape in a 3 metre in Gumbaynggirr language, sharing a local story high timber monolith with carved relief. Visitors that has been passed down through generations are encouraged to interact with the second of people using these forests, in a language that sculpture along the track, known colloquially is still strong today.
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NSW forests contain a rich history of Aboriginal cultural heritage following centuries of skilful management by traditional landowners. Today, Forestry Corporation works closely with local Aboriginal land councils and traditional owners to protect and manage Aboriginal cultural heritage and significant sites and create sustainable partnerships with the Aboriginal community. GETTING THERE Korora Lookout featuring The Story of Gumgali can be found in Orara East State Forest, on the Scenic Drive up to Sealy Lookout, just north of Coffs Harbour. Travel north on the Pacific Highway and take the “Sealy Lookout” turn off just past the Big Banana. Follow the winding road up through banana plantations and scenic views until you reach the Orara East State Forest. Turn left at The Gap and follow the road up to Korora Lookout carpark. When you’ve finished enjoying Korora Lookout, don’t forget to drive 500 metres up the road to Sealy Lookout and the famous Forest Sky Pier. Cost: Your visit to NSW State Forests is absolutely free. Share your experience on social media - search #VisitNSWForests Download our free VisitForests app www.forestrycorproation.com.au/visit
THE STORY OF
Jalumbaw yarrang Gumgaliyu nyaawang niigarrin biguurr-garri waruungga juluumba. Long ago that Gumgali saw men with spears high in the mountains. “Galang, Yaam ngaya wambi. Ngaya yaarri yarraang giili,” yirraang Gumgaliyu. “Oh gosh, I’m scared. I’m outta here now,” said Gumgali. “Ngaaja yaanggu jaliija wajaada gaagalgu waalgaw yarrang muniim barrway manggarla.” “I’ll go underground to the ocean and push that big rock ahead of me.” Yaarrigay yarrang Gumgali burraabading gaagala. Wanaawang niigarrin wajaada. And then Gumgali arrived at the ocean, leaving the men behind on the land.
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LOCALS
LOCALS
nTech and Communications nTech and Communications has been providing quality IP Phone systems for two years. Our IP phone systems give clients full flexibility and keeps costs low by hosting the Personal Business Exchange in the cloud. This means that setup and configuration costs are a fraction of the cost of traditional phone systems. The systems are on the Vonex network, who have been providing IP Phone solutions to Australia and internationally for the last seven years. What led you to set up nTech? We saw a significant gap in the market, where large Telcos were providing expensive and unreliable solutions. We previously worked with Vonex in a business capacity and developed a partnering relationship to provide these solutions to our clients. Since then we have saved local business thousands off their phone bills, in some cases up to 70% of their existing bill. We have also set up systems for clients in
Tamworth, Coffs Harbour and Sydney. What makes nTech unique? We provide great solutions in a timely manner, communicate succinctly with our clients and follow up when we say we will. However, what our clients say is our greatest testimony. “I can recommend nTech & Communications as a provider for information, communication and technology support services and solutions. “I have found nTech to be professional, reliable and prompt at responding to requests from either my ICT team or the operational teams we support. nTech have helped staff with a range of technical difficulties, and been instrumental in deploying new on-premise and cloudhosted infrastructure and software solutions. “I have also engaged nTech to maintain legacy and incumbent ICT solutions
inherited from previous internal and outsourced providers, and found their manner and attention to detail refreshing. “It has been a pleasure working with nTech and we owe much of our ICT success to the support and solutions provided by nTech.” - Matthew Wysel – ICT Manager – Pathfinders. How do clients go about getting an IP phone system with you? We make the process as easy as possible. Clients simply email their most recent phone bill, including the number of handsets they currently have, to us and we provide a free no obligation comparison quote that shows how much it costs to set the system up, and how much they will save. We also include several buying options for the systems, including finance, which some clients can use and still save money off their existing phone bill. Once they have this information, we can provide implementation support.
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LOCALS
LOCALS
Regional Finance solutions Let us do the shopping! Why use a finance broker; getting a loan can't be that hard, can it? Sure, you can go to your bank. They will show you only what they have to offer. As a finance/mortgage broker we can show you loans from over 40 different banks and finance companies. More importantly, we can work through these options with you to find the one that suits you the best. Our aim is gain a full understanding of clients’ particular needs and allow a broader look at finance options. This provides an informed choice when making such important financial decisions. We also may be able to assist in finding solutions for a funding problem, as we know not everyone fits into the same box. We have the ability to look beyond the traditional boundaries, to perhaps find a solution to your specific problem and allow options that may suit you to achieve your goal. Then we deal with the bank or finance institution on your behalf, so you don't get hassled. If you want a credit card or transaction account, we will also arrange these for you as part of the process. Best of all - it generally costs you nothing for our assistance. Call me for a no obligation appointment to discuss your specific finance requirements.
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LOCALS
LOCALS
Hutchinson and harlow Cedar Nursery + design Cedar Nursery + Design is the largest nursery and growing nursery here in Armidale. We started as a wholesale nursery, progressing to a retail nursery in 2011. We pride ourselves on stocking and knowing cold hardy plants suitable for the New England. We are backed by our Growing Nursery 7 km from Armidale’s CBD. The benefits of the Growing Nursey is that the plants are grown here, maximising survival and vigour. This lowers production costs, by cutting out the middle man, passing the savings on to the customer. We can also grow what you want, when you want it. We started our online business to showcase the variety and quantities that we have at the Growing Nursery. Plants can be bought online, then brought into the retail for collection the following day or delivered within the Armidale town boundary free of charge. In a generation where technology is not only a necessity but is also an obsession, gardens and gardening are becoming popular for all ages. They can be a source of stress relief, exercise, fun and achievement. A beautiful garden, big or small, makes a house a home and adds a lot a value and appeal to your property.
Hutchinson and Harlow are proud supporters of the 2016 New England Toy Drive. 2015 was our first year contributing towards the Toy Drive, and it was a great success. We saw truck load after truck load of toys delivered to children across the entire north and morth-west area just in time for Christmas. Once again we are asking the community from Guyra to Walcha and everywhere in between to ensure no child misses out this Christmas. Our own Luke Fahy is passionate about this cause, which works to support St Vincent De Paul. Luke, along with Meg, Peter, Rhonda, Helen, Ari and Katrina all contribute to the Toy Drive and even got to help wrap the presents for delivery last year. This year, we hope to beat the amount of toys received last year and aim to make Christmas enjoyable for all our region’s disadvantaged children. If you have any new or second hand toys in good condition that you’d love to see go towards a good cause and be loved again, drop them into our office at 103 Dangar Street, Armidale.
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LOCALS LOCALS
Armidales Newest
GRADUATING
PHARMACISTS
JOSH LEE AND AMIEE HETHERINGTON
W
JOSH LEE
hat brought you to Armidale? When I finished high school, I knew I wanted to go to university and I knew I wanted to do something in the field of science. I had the chance to go to university at Newcastle, but I wanted the college experience while completing university. I had visited Armidale to inspect the university and thought that it was a very beautiful town, though the deciding factor was that I thought the degree that I was offered at UNE (Bachelor of Biomedical Science) sounded cool. Where did you do your Internship? Armidale Discount Drug Store (formerly Hannon’s Mt View Pharmacy). What have you enjoyed most about this journey? I have enjoyed the progression from starting as a pharmacy assistant and learning the theory in university and seeing how it was
W
AMIEE HETHERINGTON
hat brought you to Armidale? I first moved to Armidale in February 2011 with my sister to start our university career. Initially I began in a Bachelor of Biomedical Science, as I was not sure what I wanted to do with my career. I had worked in pharmacy after school and in my gap year and had a small interest in the area. It wasn’t ‘til I started working for Greg Hannon in 2011 and saw the support a small pharmacy could give to a community that I decided to transfer into a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 2012. Where did you do your internship?/When do you graduate? I was fortunate enough to be hired by Greg Hannon in 2011 as a part-time employee during university. I was then offered an internship by Greg Cotterell at the end of 2015 alongside Josh. I graduated together with Josh in April this year, and have know completed my Internship training and am a fully registered Pharmacist with Honours. Over the last year working full-time it has been great using the knowledge I have learnt at university, but also still learning life experiences that they cannot teach at university that will
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applied in practice. The ability to help people of all ages and with a huge variety of issues. I enjoy solving problems, as well as having the option to rely on health professionals with more experience and different perspectives. Talking to customers and hearing about their life experiences makes every day interesting and unique. Lastly, the appreciation from the community is enough to make the most stressful and depressing day or week instantly enjoyable, such as when our loving and generous customers bring in home cooked treats - something that all the staff are grateful for. When do you graduate? I graduated in 2015 and have know completed my internship training and am a fully registered Pharmacist. Plans for the future? I am staying on with this pharmacy and have no immediate plans.
enhance my profession in the future. What have you enjoyed most about this journey? It’s hard to say what I have enjoyed most over the past five and a bit years. I have enjoyed being welcomed into a community by many people and being taken under their wing, particularly as I was away from my hometown and family. I have enjoyed being able to help customers to the best of my ability and being able to solve problems for them. It has been fun and enjoyable to become friends with the locals and being able to enjoy what the New England region has to offer. Plans for the future? My plans for the future are to continue working at Armidale Discount Drug Store. I wish to help promote compounding to the community, as this is an area of pharmacy where we can cater to each person individually. I want to be able to make an impact on the community’s health and offer the best possible advice to patients. The first step of this journey has been wonderful, and I look forward to contributing to the health and wellbeing of the community.
LOCALS
Celebrating 30 years How has your industry changed in 30 years? The biggest change in car audio sound installation over the last 30 years has been the change in technology. In the early days of business it was fairly straight forward; however, in 2016, when installing anything into vehicles, the challenge is that there are multiple computer systems in all modern vehicles and even poking around with a conventional test light could leave you with expensive repair bills or at worst, exploded airbags. It requires an expert to install anything into vehicles now; it’s not like the good old days, when vehicles were simpler and Uncle Bob could do it for you - those days are gone. Thankfully, at Westend Sound we can offer an expert service, tailoring our installation to your specifications, as well as your vehicle type, shape and size. Whether it’s a car, caravan, motorbike, boat or even a bob cat, we have the knowledge and 30 years' experience to get it right the first time - saving our customers time and money! What services do you offer at Westend Sound? We specialise in all car audio, accessories and window tinting. We provide a full range of car audio and communications products. At Westend Sound we only use the highest quality products at very competitive prices.
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intersport loves summer
Renee Maree
We love summer at Intersport, and here’s why … We are the biggest stockists of Skechers in Country NSW! Skechers in men's and ladies' in a variety of styles and colous ... We love our Skechers, and you will too! We have super specials running on selected Skechers at the moment, from $49!
FOCUS chats to Sue from Renee Maree about what shoppers can find this Christmas in store …
At Intersport we also have the biggest and best range of swimwear from brands like Funkita, Speedo, Zoggs, Funky Trunks and Arena - all chlorine resistant, great designs, awesome colours and many different styles. Intersport has the biggest range of joggers and school shoes in the New England region! We have the best prices and can suit all budgets and with great specials each week. Need school uniforms? At Intersport we specialise in that too! We do most schools from Armidale, Uralla and Walcha … and school shoes as well! Clarks, Grosby, Diadora, Roc and Converse - so why go anywhere else? Intersport has everything you need this summer for sport and for school. Intersport support all local schools and many fundraisers and sponsor many local teams. Our staff, three ermanents and 10 casuals are all locals and all enjoy different sports, but most of all love mixing it in the community, so call in today - 151 Rusden Street, Armidale or give us a call on 677 1344. We love to see you!
Sue, what can shoppers find for Christmas at Renee Maree? I have a wide selection of specialist brand bags, luggage, backpacks, and wallets, all of varying sizes, shapes and styles. I have all sorts of stylish designer handbags made from leather, vinyl and material. I have gift vouchers for those you have trouble picking just the right thing for. I have a large range of travel goods for those heading on a holiday, including international electric adaptors. Little girls are not forgotten, with a range of girlie bling and very cute bags. RFID protected wallets have been popular this year for protecting your credit cards from being skimmed. I even have a stand full of umbrellas for those rainy days we have been having lately. Now is a great time to be laybying, so the budget stretches for Christmas, and this is available right up 'til Christmas Eve. How has your year been in 2016? It has been a great year in my shop. I would really like to thank everyone who shops at Renee Maree; the Armidale community are very supportive, and I appreciate all those who love to shop in locally owned and operated businesses. I look forward to welcoming you into the shop over the coming weeks leading up to Christmas.
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Christmas time ... time for moxon’s What yummy things has Moxon's got on offer this
MyCar Sound & Communications
year for our Christmas tables? Moxon’s has a range of
MyCar Sound & Communications ... Keeping the New England on the move.
We have our all time favourite rum balls, our homestyle
Over the last 13 years, MyCar has set the standard for sales and installations of the highest quality car audio and communications products available on the market. We pride ourselves on recommending the perfect solution that fits both your needs and your budget. From a simple replacement stereo to fully integrated multi-media systems featuring front and rear cameras, street navigation, HEMA mapping, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, we’ve got everything you need to make your journey more enjoyable. You may not know that we specialise in caravanning and camping solutions? We can supply and fit the highest quality electric brake controllers, LED driving lights, solar battery charging, DC-DC battery chargers, Anderson plugs, TV equipment, we’ve got the lot! No matter where you’re going or what you’re towing, we’ve got the equipment to keep you safe and relaxed! With brands such as Redarc, Cotek, Voltech, Fiamma, Coast to Coast and Camec we’ll keep the beers cold and you on the move.
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mouthwatering treats available this year for Christmas. coconut ice, our flavour packed white Christmas and our delicious shortbread. Our Christmas cakes and puddings are always a delight and for those who just can’t get enough or simply can’t decide, our Christmas packs come in a range of sizes and have a taste of all our amazing products. Don’t forget about our irresistible fruit mince tarts! Do you take orders for Christmas? Placing an order this Christmas for all your favourite Christmas sweets is a fantastic idea, to ensure you don’t miss out! If you happen to forget, all our stores are fully stocked with Christmas goodies, and we will also have a stall in the Christmas markets in case you forget during the week! What final words do you have for the year? Roger, Ann, management and staff at Moxon’s Bakery would like to thank the community for their continuous support throughout 2016. We wish all our customers and suppliers a happy Christmas and a wonderful and safe New Year, and we look forward to seeing you all in 2017!
BBQs galore Armidale Barbeques Galore has been owned and operated by John and Pip Grills for the last 25 years. We are situated in front of Dan Murphy’s and Priceline Pharmacy off Rusden Street. We sell a large range of barbeques, ranging from the portable ziggys to the large six burner turbos with the radiant quartz burners, as well as the Australian owned Heatlie flat plate range. Out outdoor furniture ranges from the patio three piece or lounge setting to the large wicker and timber furniture, and even a mixture of both wicker and timber. Umbrellas from small beach styles to the large patio cantilever are also available at Barbeques Galore Armidale. We have a large range of wood and gas heaters to suit the New England climate. We sell the Australian made Eureka range of heaters, with the through wall and straight versions. The Lopi range of gas heaters is available at Barbeques Galore Armidale, and these have the look of wood heating, without the mess. John added a range of spas to our Barbeques Galore business many years ago now. We have since joined the Just Spas group - we always have spas on the floor to admire.
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Sportspower Armidale
Jackson’s Quality meats FOCUS chats to Greg from Jackson’s Quality Meats … What has been happening at JQM this year, Greg? We have had a lot happening this year at JQM. The biggest thing has been the ramping up of our online shopping on our website: www.jqm.com.au - this has meant people can shop from the comfort of their homes for their meat. Everyone is busy, and we understand they don’t always have time to get into the store and since we home deliver, this has been a great way for people to do their shopping out of hours and get their meat delivered directly to their home. We have weekly specials to order online, as well as a selection of all our favourites at JQM. We have been lucky enough to have Big Kev join the team. Kevin brings a lot of experience to the team and is our in house gourmet. He is continually coming up with new and interesting recipe ideas and loves mixing with customers and help them to plan their menus. What can people find at JQM this Christmas for their table? Hams, hams, and more hams. We also have all the other Xmas favourites, including a fresh turkey range, both raw and cooked, a full range of poultry and pork as well. Got a favourite seasoning? Bring it in and have our boys stuff and roll it for you!
FOCUS chats to Paul from Sportspower Armidale about all the great things on offer this Christmas … So Paul, what great things do you have for Christmas 2016? Our Sportspower December catalogue is now out, and it is jam packed with all sorts of great gift ideas for active people this Christmas season. Our popular items include Portable Basketball Systems from $199 save $50, an Indoor Table Tennis Table priced at $299 save $100, a Jumpking 15’ Trampoline combo for $699 save $300, a 7 ft Billiard Table coming in at $799 save $100 with bonus accessories valued at $80, and a 54” Foosball Table for $399 save $100. These are just some of the items available; the best way to see everything is to grab a copy of the catalogue from our shop at 116 Dangar St, or find it online at www.sportspower.com.au. Do you have any other great promos for Christmas? We certainly do … When shoppers purchase anything from us during the Christmas catalogue time (between now and 25 Dec 2016) they then go online to register in the draw to win one of five $1000 gift cards - what a bonus for some lucky shoppers! What final words do you have for 2016? We would like to wish all our valued customers a safe, happy Christmas and a festive New Year. We look forward to seeing everyone over the coming weeks leading into Christmas and 2017.
Ex-SERVIES FOCUS chats to the Ex-Servies about 2016 ... What sort of year has 2016 been for the Servies? A busy one! We have launched our very own Servies App, which is exciting new territory for us. We now offer free Wifi as well. The Servies has always held a lot of raffles through the holiday season. What raffles can we look forward to this year? We always have a lot going on around Christmas! Our Ham, Pork and Turkey Raffles have already kicked off and will continue every Thursday until the 15th December. On top of that we have our Monster Ham Raffle on the 17th December, where 180 hams are up for grabs. And don’t forget our huge Toy Raffle on Saturday 3rd December. What else is happening at the Servies this December? Our Servies annual Christmas Banquet always promises to be a good night on Friday 9th December. We will also be giving away $10,000 to the winner of our 12 weeks of Christmas promotion. Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about the kids either! On Sunday 4th December we have our Annual Kids’ Christmas Party, complete with a visit from Santa and a jumping castle! Do you have any last words for 2016? We at The Servies would like to thank all our members for their support and wish everyone a happy and safe holiday.
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the Big Light bulb FOCUS chats to Derek from The Big Light Bulb about lights for Christmas … With Christmas just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about presents for the ones you love. At The Big Light Bulb we not only sell lights, but have a large range of table lamps, floor lamps and novelty lights for people of all ages. We have a large range of novelty lights, including lava lamps (the old retro style every body can remember) to the new my dreamlight kids’ nights lights. Just to let all our customers know, The Big Light Bulb building IS for sale, but it is business as usual; we aren’t going anywhere. I would like to thank all our customers who have supported us this year and to remind everyone that we are part of Locals 4 Locals, supporting the local community. So don’t forget to drop in say hello and have a browse around the shop and see what you can find. If you can’t find what you are looking for, it is possible to find something similar. Wishing all our customers a very merry Christmas and safe and happy New Year.
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Roberts Air conditioning Roberts Air Conditioning and refrigeration has been a locally owned and operated business in the New England since July 2010. Our staff consists of: my wife, Kerrie, who is the office administrator; Tim, who is a qualified electrician and air conditioning technician; Mike, who is a 3rd year apprentice; Ben who is a 2nd year apprentice; and me, Jyr, a qualified refrigeration and air conditioning technician, with over 23 years’ experience in this trade and of the 23 years I have been self employed for 14 years of that time. We as a team thrive on quality workmanship, being punctual and rely on good old fashioned service. “Customer Satisfaction is our speciality.“ We specialise in all areas of commercial and domestic air conditioning, refrigeration and electrical, which includes maintenance, repairs, cool rooms, freezers, split systems, ducted air conditioning, gas ducted heating and electrical work, whether in an existing home or in the building process. We would like to wish all our customers a merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year. Jyr Roberts - 0459 336 868.
Peter and Janet Cooke FOCUS chats to Janet and Peter Cooke about 2016 and Richardson & Wrench … What happened in 2016 for the Cooke family? This year has been a big one for us. We are now a couple of empty nesters, with all three of our boys in happy relationships with lovely partners/wives. With the sale of our house “Loloma” recently, we are now looking forward to the next chapter of our lives and who knows - we might hear the patter of tiny feet in 2017! At the moment we are most looking forward to two weeks away early in the New Year at a Southern Highlands health retreat. What is it you love about your business? We really enjoy meeting the clients who come to us and interestingly enough, we have formed many amazing relationships and enduring friendships during the process of selling their homes. We are very proud to be part of the Richardson & Wrench family ethos of having the “Best Reputation in Real Estate”, and we live by this on a daily basis. Any last words for 2016? We would like to wish our valued clients and the FOCUS readership a very happy Christmas and safe travel over the holiday period, and we look forward to seeing you all in 2017, relaxed and refreshed after the holiday break.
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with Katrina George from the Armidale Visitor Information Centre
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with Katrina George from the Armidale Visitor Information Centre
tourism UPDATE
TOURISMININDECEMBER AUGUST TOURISM ONCE AGAIN WE HAVE A VERY WINTER HOLIDAY HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED WONDERED WHY YOU BUSY ARE SEEING AN PERIOD AT THE ARMIDALE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE. WE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MOTORBIKES ALONG THE HAVE RECEIVED VISITORS CHASING THE SNOW, FROST AND OPEN FIRES ... WATERFALL WAY, OXLEY HIGHWAY OR THUNDERBOLTS WAY? AND THE SPECTACULAR WATERFALLS WAS AN ADDED BONUS.
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n April last year, the New England year end High ourism Countryfigures groupfor ofthe Councils 2015 have been recently released launched the My Favourite Corner by Destination NSW. These figures motorcycle marketing campaign, show a very healthy growth, which proved to be a great success accommodation up with operatorswith registering increasedrevenue business 14.9% for Armidale when compared to 2014. from that sector. My Favourite Corner Phase 2 This is signifi cant when the growth is now in market, with compared the aim oftobuilding on in the New England North West region the campaign’s earlier achievements. of just 2.8%. this in mind, it is60% therefore exciting WhyWith motorbikes? Some of motorbikes that the New England High Country has recently are owned for pleasure and not used for the signed a partnership with Bauer Media, who daily commute. This market segment for NSW will continue thelast production and has increasedtobyassist 30%usininthe five years and distribution of our New England High Country motorcycle tourism is the fastest growing road Tourism marketing campaigns. user sector, nationally experiencing an 8% The next campaign, due last to commence in growth per year over the 10 years. This spring, is an Adventure Touring campaign, marketing campaign identifies an untapped targeting a younger/active caravanning andgrow niche market which has the potential to camping market who are looking for excitement the tourism sector in New England High such as mountain biking and bushwalking, whilst Country. enjoying the wineries, museums and for excellent Motorbike riders like to go away weeklocal produce our region has to offer. capture ends and are limited with what theyTo can carry. thesuch, beautiful Bauerbed Media As theyautumnal book intocolours, farm stays, and were in region to and film the videos autumn. We breakfast, motel hotels andineat in the local hope to share these with you once we have a pubs and restaurants. Today’s bikers are reliving finished product. If you to be included their youth, though thiswould time like on an expensive on the Armidale Tourism mailing list to stay bike and in comfort. informed, pleaseall email kgeorge@armidale.nsw. We welcome businesses to assist us in gov.au becoming Australia’s most Motorbike Friendly We are very excited to have new event destination. The following areasome sugon our tourism calendar this year. Thebecome Guyra gestions on how your business can Spring Trout Festival will be held from the 30th motorbike friendly: September to the 2nd October to coincide with Cafés/Pubs the opening of the Trout season. There are Strong coat hangers/hooks to take weightsome of wonderful jackets activities planned, including fishing armoured competitions, tours of local fishing enterprises Shelf or storage areas to put helmets/gloves and a market day with stallholders from the New Visor cleaning kit England region, antique car displays, train rides, Small towels to dry off seat/ mirrors music, entertainment and a Guyra Foodies tasting Maps sourced from Visitor Information Centre event. For more information, please call 6775 Motels 5735. Secure/undercover parking We have high received some washer excellent feedback “Karcher” pressure recently from visitorsand whorags have taken the time to Cleaning solutions Chain lube Strong coat hangers/hooks to take weight of armoured jackets
Shelf or storage areas to put helmets/gloves write cleaning letters, emails comment on TripAdvisor. Visor kit inand room Congratulations to the staff volunteers at the Small towels to dry off seat/and mirrors Visitor Information Centre. Maps sourced from VIC in room “You have to go on the tour. Our guide Retail was Jennifer and she ‘made’ the tour. She was Postage paid on all purchases over $X interesting, funny - great sense of humour, Service Station informative and patient. Great time had by all.” Maps sourced from Visitor Information Centre TripAdvisor review. Visor Cleaning Kit “Last week we had the pleasure of If you are interested in becoming Motorbike participating in the Guided Heritage Tour. Our Friendly and involved in this guide and busgetting driver for the tour was wonderful Alan, who campaign, please do not hesitate was both extremely informative andtoa contact wonderful Katrina George on 6770 3906. ambassador for Armidale. This is our fifth trip to has some great forarea. locals theDecember Eastern States, but our firstevents to your We and visitors which the perfect would like toalike, provide our provide compliments to the excuse out andtour, enjoy some city for to thisget enjoyable which is of runour by beauyour tiful warmer volunteers so weather: professionally.” Christmas in here the Mall: Decem“The people were Thursday welcoming1st and pleased give advice. It feltnew like they loved tree ber fromto5pm. A sparkling Christmas whatdazzle they were found themSanta to beand will in thedoing. mall, We market stalls, veryelves, knowledgeable aboutChocolate their local Wheel, region.”live his Locals 4 Locals TripAdvisor review. music and our wonderful retailers will be open “My husband and I needs. were in Armidale for a for all your shopping couple of days and had this4th tour. The Booloominbah Openread Day:about Sunday volunteer was so knowledgeable and articulate, December. The first public exhibition of over patientUNE and artworks, obliging, and he is clearly 1,000 including worksvery by proud of his city. It was all wonderful, but the highlight renowned Australian artists such as Arthur was our visit to the university. Thank you, Streeton and Norman Lindsay. There will be live Armidale, we will certainly be back to visit your music and UNE Discovery will be entertaining beautiful city.” TripAdvisor review. the kids with hands-on science activities. A Visitors to the Armidale Visitor Information free shuttle bus will be operating between the centre are always on the lookout for local Visitor Information Centre and Booloominbah products. We have a good range of local every 30 minutes from 10am. products, including Freshly Berried, Sunhill Goats, Schools Out Pool Party: Friday 16th DecemSister Spice, Maydwell, and Mountain Lotus. ber. Celebrate the end ofyou yearare with your school If you are a producer and interested in mates, free products sausage sizzle, and inflatables selling your through thethe Armidale Visitor will be out. Centre, please call Katrina George information Movies thebeMall: onChristmas 6770 3906. Theseincan fromThursday anywhere22nd December. Christmas movies in the New Back-to-back England High Country region, from from 7:45pm Walcha, Uralla, Guyra, Glen Innes, Tenterfield and For more information on these events as Armidale. well as all the other wonderful things happening in the Armidale region, please visit www.armidaletourism.com.au
PORT MACQUARIE Beer & CIDER FESTIVAL Say cheers to the Port Macquarie Beer & Cider Festival 2016 ... For the second year, the country’s best boutique and craft brewers will be taking over the idyllic coastal town of Port Macquarie. At 11am on Saturday 24th September, Westport Park will play host to the Port Macquarie Beer and Cider Festival, offering unprecedented access to the most exciting brews, tunes and food Australia has to offer. The family friendly event will see the kids’ games arena blown out of proportion, with a giant double slide, mechanical bull for kids of all ages and countless games and activities to keep the small humans occupied while mum and dad enjoy all things beer and cider. 2016’s festival will showcase at least 20 local and national brewers, jostling to take out the inaugural People’s Choice Award and the coveted notoriety that comes with being crowned Port’s favourite brew. The Stunned Mullet VIP Marquee is also a new introduction, offering an exclusive experience for those with a taste for the finer things in life. The Port Macquarie Beer & Cider
Festival has teamed up with Port Macquarie’s finest restaurant, The Stunned Mullet, to offer a trendy pop up restaurant and the ultimate festival upgrade. The first round of brewers have been announced, offering an unprecedented opportunity to engage with some of the country’s best and most passionate brewers, boasting Black Duck Brewey, Murrays Craft Brewing Co, Stone & Wood Brewing Company, New England Brewery, MooreBeer, Wayward Brewing, Pagan Cider, Dusty Miner Craft Brewery, Hopdog Beerworks, Four Pines Brewing Company, Frank’s Cider, and Hops And Tales Brewery. The best of local food vendors will be on hand to ensure bellies are full; and after the raging success of last year’s inaugural Keg Toss, organisers have also introduced a far less physical option: “The Keg Roll”, offering prizes for individuals and taking registrations for corporate teams. A great opportunity to address any friendly rivalry that needs levelling. Information on tickets, buses and VIP tickets available at portmacbeerandciderfestival.com
WESTPORT PARK • PORT MACQUARIE
FOR A LIST OF BREWERS, TICKETS BUS TIMETABLES VIP & ACCOM INFO VISIT...
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Thinking Neighbourhood Dogs – with Jane McCarthy (Solicitor)
THINKING
NEIGHBOURHOOD DOGS
D
ogs make loyal pets but problems can occur when dogs bark a lot causing a nuisance problem, or if dogs in rural areas attack other animals – particularly farm animals. BARKING DOGS Domestic/pet dogs bark for many reasons. Usually dogs bark as an alert when someone is approaching their home. If a dog is barking far more than this so that the dogs barking unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort and convenience of any person in other premises then something needs to be done. REMEDIES TO SOLVE A BARKING DOG PROBLEM A lot of the time dogs will bark when they are alone and their owners are either away or at work. In this case many dog owners are simply not aware of the problem as they simply have not been told. If you are unfortunate enough to be dealing with this issue, the best place to start is a discussion with your neighbour to allow them the opportunity of finding a solution to the problem themselves. In this case owners might consider a solution that might offer some company to the dog, another location for the dog to be housed during working hours or a citronella type collar that discourages barking If unsuccessful with this initial approach, someone suffering from the nuisance of a barking dog might consider approaching their local Council. Dog ownership in NSW is largely regulated by the Companion Animals Act 1998 and Companion Animal Regulation 2008. Local Councils also have remedies pursuant to the Local Government Act 1993 (section 124) and access to other remedies pursuant to the Companion Animals Act 1998; the Companion Animal Regulation 2008 and the Environmental Operations Act 1998 (which deals particularly with noise from barking dogs). URALLA SHIRE COUNCIL AND BARKING DOGS When the Uralla Shire Council is advised by a resident of a barking dog problem the first step they take is to locate the owner of the dog and advise them of the problem. If this fails to address the problem the Council will then issue the resident with a Noise Monitor sheet. 50 new england focus.
Council then will look over this sheet and if the problem is persisting they will then consider a Nuisance order being placed on the dog for up to six months. If the problem is still not resolved the Council can then issue fines to the owner of the barking dog. Court action may then be sought as an option of last resort if the dog is still barking at nuisance levels. ARMIDALE REGIONAL COUNCIL AND BARKING DOGS Armidale Regional Council require you to carefully identify which dog is causing the problem. Once this is established, a written complaint is required and also have a Barking Dog Complaint Form available on their website. The Council will then contact the owners and allow them a period of time to address the problem. If the matter remains unresolved the Council may then issue an official notice followed by fines and, if necessary, pursue Court action including the issue of a Nuisance Order. COURT ACTION AND LEGAL REMEDIES Nuisance Orders If a Council has issued one of these orders the owner of the dog has a short period of time to object. The order tells the owner exactly what they are to do and the order lasts for the period of six months. A Noise Abatement order If you do not feel that you are getting the response that you require, or if it all seems to be taking too long, an individual can contact the Police for a Noise Abatement Direction or approach the Court to apply for a Noise Abatement order under the Protection of Environment Operations Act 1997. Court Orders If you are unable to resolve an issue involving a persistently barking dog despite previous approaches, a visit to your solicitor may be able to assist you to apply for a Court order. Courts offer various solutions from the seizure and destruction of animals, to training, or specific control measures. Court orders are enforceable and fines of up to $11,000.00 can be issued if dog owners fail to comply. Talk to us. You’ll be inspired! Jane McCarthy Solicitor
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Retroclean FOCUS welcomes Bryan Gardam to the team of Retro Clean. We hear you have been very busy gaining some amazing training and certification? Yes, who knew there was so much to know about carpet cleaning, stain removal, and rejuvenation of hard surfaces! I have spent considerable time training to become certified with the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification). The following are the things we are now able to offer the people of the New England: Carpet Cleaning & Intensive Stain Removal - the cleaning of all soft floor coverings to the AS/NZ 3733:1995 Standard without any hidden extras, including intensive stain removal, for all the common or not so common stains. If there has been an accident, we offer stain removal as a separate service. Hard Floor Care - the deep cleaning and restoration of all hard floors, such as vinyls, tiles, cement, stone and floorboards, either inside or outside. We also offer sealing solutions for each hard floor type, to bring them back to life. Colour Repair & Restoration - for carpets. We understand the dying process of carpets and can offer solutions for restoring colour to bleached or faded areas. Upholstery Cleaning - we can look after any of your upholstery cleaning needs. Offering very short drying times, so you’re not without your favourite chair or lounge. Odour Control - we can help with any nasty odours, from stubborn pet odour to cigarette smoke for your house or car.
Helloworld FOCUS chats to Leigh from helloworld about what 2016 has meant for her and the staff … How has 2016 treated you at helloworld? It has been a year of great achievement for us here at helloworld. Myself and Janelle had our hard work recognised by receiving Sales Awards, placing us among the top consultants Australia wide. These awards, of course, would not have been possible without the support of our valued clients in the New England, and we particularly would like to thank everyone who trusted us to book their holidays in 2016. What makes helloworld Armidale such a fabulous place to book a holiday? At helloworld Armidale our aim is to offer our clients industry leading service and the best value, tailor made holidays. We are passionate and experienced travellers ourselves and travel far and often. We understand what goes into making the perfect trip, and we go the extra mile to ensure our clients’ next holiday is their best one yet. Do you have any last words for the year? I would like to wish our clients the very best for the festive season and a safe and happy break, and we look forward to seeing everyone in 2017.
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Allingham’s removals & Storage new england autos FOCUS talks to Darrin from New England Autos about 2016, the year that was … What have been the highlights in 2016 for New England Autos? 2016 has been a very successful year for us here at New England Autos. This year has seen a focus on commercial vehicle and SUV sales. As we are going into our 12th year of operation, we are very proud of the fact that we service, not just the New England region, but the whole north and north western NSW area. We offer the highest quality used vehicles, which come standard with workshop testing, serviced and after sales warranty. We pride ourselves on being able to offer customers the highest quality, used motor vehicles at competitive prices, competitive finance options and extended vehicle warranties. In the past five years we have been awarded six NSW MTA Motor Industry Awards of excellence for our sales and service, which is a testament to our successful business structure, wonderful staff and loyal customer base across NSW. Any final words for 2016? We would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. If you are travelling over the season, we wish you safe travels and we look forward to seeing you in 2017. Our Christmas trading hours are as normal; closed public holidays only.
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FOCUS chats to Greg from Allingham’s about their great new service ... Tell us all about your new container service? Our new container service saves anyone moving house time and money. With the purchase of a number of 20 ft and 40 ft containers and a container trailer for transportation, we are able to offer a very unique service to those on the move. We pack everything into the required container; we then hold the items in the container on our premises and deliver the contents when the customer is ready to move into their new premises. This saves on removal costs, packing and packing time and the cost of extra storage. Let’s face it, many times when you have to move there is a time lag between getting out of one place and getting into the next one; our container service offers a cost effective solution for this problem. What other removal services do you offer at Allingham’s? Another unique service we offer over and above the normal transport of furniture and personal belongings from Sydney to Armidale, Tamworth, Moree, Inverell, Gunnedah, Narrabri, Walcha, Guyra, Muswellbrook, Glen Innes, and everywhere in between, is we also offer back loads from locations like Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Our Facebook page is the best place to find what back load options are available at any given time.
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Icing on the cake with Susie Dunn
you have
a choice Alice Cairns and Justine Kavanagh
Icing ON
cake HULLO SANTA ... IS THE EARTH STARTING TO MOVE UNDER OUR FEET IN THE REGION? WILL WE LIKE WHAT WE FIND UNDER OUR TREE IN THE MORNING? ALL OF US CAN'T OPEN THE SAME PRESENT ... WE ALL WANT TO STAY IN OUR OWN HOME AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. THIS IS NOW EASIER THAN EVER, THANKS TO CHANGES IN AUSTRALIA’S AGED CARE SYSTEM. FROM 27 FEBRUARY 2017, YOU HAVE A CHOICE OF WHO PROVIDES CARE IN YOUR HOME.
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new national system is being introduced, called the “national queue”. Once you have been assessed for a home care package and been allocated one by MyAgedCare, you can now decide and control which organisation you prefer for your care and support.
your needs today or in the future. More value for your hard-earned money Consumers increasingly demand higher quality, greater choice and more flexibility in how their home care is delivered. Home care not only provides a better quality of life, it is more affordable than traditional aged care.
Exceptional care in your home Almost all Home Nursing Group clients We are fortunate that our are eligible for Commonwealth community is served by an support for their care costs. organisation dedicated and And since Home Nursing Locally-owned to helping you live a operated , Home Group is committed to is a fullsafe and healthy life Nursing Group efficient operations, they lity in your own home for service, high-qua . They keep their administration ider as long as possible. home care prov fullyfees below the industry n Since 1985, Home employ their ow aff, average. An unlike some st g in rs Nursing Group qualified nu ng home care providers, Home oi -g on e iv who rece has been delivering t.” or pp Nursing Group have no su d an ng traini exceptional home care hidden “exit fees”. for people across our Call Home Nursing Group today region. for a free, no-obligation service Locally owned and operated, review to learn how Home Nursing Home Nursing Group is a full-service, Group compares with your current provider. high-quality home care provider. They They can often provide you with more support employ their own fully-qualified nursing and better value for money. staff, who receive ongoing training and support. And best of all, Home Nursing Group takes care Their workers are proficient in first aid, CPR, of everything - their team will make your choices infection control, medication management and and decisions easy. other skills needed for excellent home care. Many
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also have specialist training in dementia and palliative care. They are backed by industry leading intake, coordination and clinical teams in local offices across the region. With HNG, you always talk to real local people, not a far-away call centre. And you are always welcome to drop in for a cuppa! This range of skills and local support means that Home Nursing Group offers you peace of mind: they can always care for you - no matter what 54 new england focus.
Be where you want to be Most importantly, being cared for at home ensures a higher quality of life, and for most people, that is beyond price. Home Nursing Group is passionate about helping you be where you want to be. Please call Home Nursing Group today on 1300 698 693 to find out how they can help you, or visit the website: www.homenursinggroup.com.au for further details.
S
ince the State Government moved to amalgamate Local Government Councils and an Administrator arrived here, there seems to have been a generally cautious feeling of optimism that a new attitude and tightening of the structure would streamline advantageous change. Accelerated decision making seemed welcome. But then some didn’t like some of the decisions when the parcels were unwrapped. I tend to always be an optimist and look for the possibilities opening up. New libraries appear to be having a resurgence in council areas. Perhaps the decision on the Armidale library move may have benefits (although I hate the idea of losing any drawcards from the CBD), and it may not be forever. So many possibilities. One I would like to see under my tree is a reimagined plan for a single theatre/conference centre on part of the old Cinders Lane site - a more cost-effective solution to a recognised problem. Yes, this would involve a flexible, pragmatic rethink, but that’s not really the end of the world. I’m rather keen on doing the do-able rather than missing out. One of the happiest community events of the past few years has been Council’s Turning On The Christmas Lights in the Armidale Mall. Even the year the weather wasn’t the best, it was still fun! Do come in to town on December 1 (5 - 10pm) and bring family and friends. There‘s a special Christmas tree this year, promising to be bigger and better, and you can graze on all sorts of goodies as you visit the shops and stalls, listening to great live music as you go. Santa and his elves will also be in attendance. Don’t forget the Schools Out Pool Party at the Aquatic Centre on December 16, 3pm to close. And on Saturday December 17 it’s Kids’ Day in the Mall, 9am - Noon - fun activities and music. And there’s more ... Christmas Movies in the Mall on Thursday, December 22 from 7:45pm. These free community events bring us all together - something for
everyone. The Armidale CBD really is the heart of our region’s presentation to the world, and so many of us are passionate about ensuring it has the future it deserves - as well as remembering its past glory days. It’s a case for the power of positive thinking, and the energy and attitude of some of the businesses surely deserves results. Relative newcomers to the Central Mall, such as Michelle and Roy Wheatley of Readers Companion have certainly shown by their approach that you can build loyal customers. When Lizzie Horne launched her book of poetry, Kangaroos in my blood the place was packed with an appreciative audience and a long line of buyers. With poetry nights, book launches and book clubs, they’ve shown how to hit their spot. And of course, Jane Hannon’s emporium “Things With A Difference”... well, that’s certainly what she’s got in her treasure cave! And Country Concepts is another successful business which seems to have expanded to clothe the whole family in style. Then there’s the elegance of Lyn’s Shoetique, Savages menswear to the district for decades, the wonderful Boobooks full of those special preloved books, the edgy, smart FRAME boutique women’s wear and, just nestling up to the Central Mall Foodie Bliss with its goodies ... oh, gosh, I can’t list them all, can I? One of the transformative moves for the CBD undoubtedly would be for Council to make a positive push for development of the East Mall into appropriate, well designed, well priced apartments ... I can see it now, with cafés open in the Central Mall in the evening, lights, people, window shopping, and a whole new chapter whose time has come. This region has so much to offer, and there’s a fresh new year ahead for making things happen. Do have a happy festive season, and be kind to each other. Susie Dunn.
New england travel
Elders Insurance AVOIDING UNDERINSURANCE A common problem that many Keeping your home insurance up to business owners in Australia face is scratch over Christmas. underinsurance. The Christmas period is more often than not a Review your business insurance policy time filled with fun, family and much deserved regularly. over-indulgence. However, whilst those three Once aare year a good idea, or moresure your things all is well and good, making frequently if you're taking on new employees home insurance policy is up to date over the or looking to sell a new product or holidays is crucial if you want to reallyservice. relax and We can you with this. In fact, one of enjoy thehelp festivities. the benefits of arranging your policy through After you've put in the time and effort to Elders Insurance is that we can visit your find the policy that's right for you, it can be business in-person and discuss your insurance incredibly easy to file away the paperwork and options with you. dismiss it. However, one key thing that people Keep up-to-date with how much construction tend to forget is that your home and contents and repair work generally costs. cover may need to be amended if you have When people are organising business
property insurance deciding much continually gatheredand more items ofhow value. to insure their premises for, they often neglect This is never more relevant than at Christmas. to factor in how much it will cost to repair Those gifts - the new mountain bike, laptop or reconstruct if and- when disaster strikes.in the or games console may not be covered Elders Insurance agents have a rough idea event of accidental damage or worse, theft. of the cost of construction and repair work Informing us that your circumstances have in your region, but it pays to get a qualified changed is absolutely key in ensuring that all of builder to come an those new lovely out newand giftsgive get you the appropriate estimate. coverage they deserve. Remember that lower premiums are not Ensuring your home and contents cover is at always better. its most competitive is key at any time, but it's It can be tempting to save money by only only amplified over Christmas. Elders Insurance covering the bare necessities in your business, can offer both accidental damage and defined but this could leave you with significant events cover, which could well be the perfect out-of-pocket expenses if your company is for those with ever-changing needs. affected by a loss-causing event.
new england focus. 51
FOCUS congratulates New England Travel on
like a volcanic ash cloud or an airline strike, a
their move across the mall into the former
travel agent is your safety net. We provide a 24/7
Dymocks Building …
emergency phone service which, for anyone
What prompted your move across the mall?
who has tried to sort out changes themselves, is
We had been in our old location in the IXL arcade
invaluable. By all means we encourage clients to
(next to Caffiends) since 1987 and prior to that
do their own research on the internet; however,
in what is now the HCF office from 1978, so we
clients need to know that it isn’t a magic place.
thought that a change was as good as a holiday!
We have access to almost anything you find
Seriously, the opportunity came up when the old
and can add the advice that years of experience
Dymocks building was for sale, so we decided to
brings. We love to travel, it's our job, so we know
buy the building and set up on the other side of
what are the best places to stay in particular
the mall. It’s a lovely office, much more spacious
locations - usually because we have been there
and easier to furnish.
or have sent clients there. We listen to what you
Can you tell us what the advantages are
want and then go about finding the best options
booking a holiday with a travel agent? There
for your particular holiday within your budget or
are so many reasons to book any holiday with a
requirements and can save you hours finding the
travel agent, including personal service, time sav-
best airfare or accommodation deal. When you
ing (yes time saving!), value for money by making
are on holidays you don't want to spend your
sure that you get the right product for your
time deciding where to stay or what to do …
needs, first-hand insider knowledge of a destina-
that takes up valuable holiday time. If you do it
tion, product knowledge including advice on visas
all before you go, it's done and makes for a more
and passports. And, if something goes wrong,
enjoyable, relaxed holiday for everyone.
new england focus. 55
focusinterview.
EXPERIENCE NAURUANS EXPERIENCE ARMIDALE FOR A SECOND TIME. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR PEP SEROW TELLS FOCUS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE AND THANKS THE SCHOOLS AND ORGANISATIONS IN ARMIDALE FOR THEIR SUPPORT. hat brings a group of Nauruans to Armidale? The School of Education at the University of New England has been working with the Department of Education in Nauru for the past six years, with the assistance of DFAT Australia. One of our projects enabled thirteen Nauruan UNE education students to undertake a professional experience program in Armidale schools. This year, we also partnered with the School of Health at UNE to offer a program targeting community welfare and wellbeing. We had five Nauruans working in community-focused organisations in Armidale. Which schools were they working at? For a second time, our project team was delighted with the response from the Armidale schools. Despite the increased workload, six schools in Armidale have provided a supportive professional learning environment for the Nauruan students. These schools are Armidale Community Preschool, Minimbah Aboriginal School, Armidale City Public School, Sandon Public School, Martin’s Gully Public School, and Armidale High School. What organisations supported the Nauruan UNE health students? The organisations that worked with and supported the Diploma of Community Welfare and Wellbeing students are Backtrack, Ascent Group, Armidale Women’s Shelter, Armidale Neighbourhood Centre, and various local and regional schools accompanied by School Counsellors. This 56 new england focus.
was the first-time UNE has ventured into this particular professional Harbour YHA. Apart I used to just experience for a the Youth in k or w from enjoying the Nauruan group, and t; now I want en tm ar ep rooftop view, they D we are very lucky to with the youth k or w to enjoyed shopping, have such innovative, e ru to create som au N in restaurants, Taronga professional, and d ace for them an sp Zoo, and a range of community-minded em .” connect with th public transport. The programs on our highlight of the Sydney doorstep. trip was the Backstage Tour The health students of the Opera House. Stephen also attended a number of Adamson shared the backstage academic workshops facilitated by workings of putting on the current School of Health staff, addressing topics show, My Fair Lady, and they had the once such as alcohol and drug counselling, in a lifetime experience of singing a Nauruan sexual and gender diversity, counselling song on the Opera House stage. skills, STIs, remote and rural work, disability Edward’s Coaches provided the daywork and public health. Group trips to to-day transport, and I believe Armidale BackTrack and the Coledale Community Taxis received a lot of calls for trips around Centre in Tamworth provided opportunities Armidale. The Nauruans experienced life as to consider issues related to family support, on-campus university students. St Albert’s domestic violence, and general issues related College provided a home away from home to health care. fi lled with friendship and a high level of How were they supported locally? pastoral care. A few of the social highlights The support provided to Nauru is very in Armidale have been the Welcome intensive all year round. Dr Greg Burnett, Ms Reception at Legal Minds, with local wines Dianne Smardon, and Dr Kathy Mackay are from Blickling Estate and Why Worry Wines. based at the UNE Nauru centre, providing They enjoyed local restaurants, the Belgrave face-to-face support. Dr Terry Sullivan, Ms Cinema, the Armidale Markets, the Armidale Jodana Tarrant, Ms Emily Angell, and Ms Golf Club, BBQs, and a farewell party at The Ellen Nyberg provide support from UNE in Stro. The group enjoyed a weekend trip to Armidale. We also have a large number of Leconfield Farm for a taste test of a Jackaroo academics who travel to Nauru each year to and Jillaroo school. They had a wonderful provide specialist support as the need arises. time working with sheep, collecting bushWhat did they do in their spare time tucker, horsemanship, whip-cracking, and while they were here? lassooing. On their arrival to Australia, the group had Whilst in Armidale, the students celebrated a weekend in Sydney staying at the Sydney
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and commemorated a special Nauruan day called Angam Day. This is a day of national significance and was acknowledged by a formal dinner at St Albert’s College. Welcome speeches were delivered by the PVC (Academic) Professor Joyce Kirk, and Deputy Head of School, Education, Dr Anne-Marie Morgan. The Nauruans shared cultural songs and dances. An informative speech was delivered by Mr Horasio Cook. How did the students enjoy Armidale? We wish to thank each of the Armidale schools and community organisations involved for the commitment they have shown to building local capacity in Nauru. The students leave with a multitude of ideas and resources to take back to their nation. Some of the students have conveyed that this opportunity to work alongside professionals in Armidale has been professionally life changing. One Health student summed it by saying: “I used to just work in the Youth Department; now I want to work with the youth in Nauru to create some space for them and connect with them”. We greatly appreciate the level of support offered by supervisors and organisations in the Armidale region. They each conveyed a genuine interest in the Nauruan students and their experience, supporting them to gain skills and knowledge to take home. Real friendships were formed, and there were lots of jokes about lost passports that would enable them to stay and work for their placement organisation or school. Thanks Professor Serow.
new england focus. 57
focusinterview.
THE THUNDERBOLT FISHING CLUB URALLA IS CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF OPERATION. FOCUS CHATS TO ELLEN-RUTH FOSTER, WHO SHARES THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CLUB'S 40 YEARS OF FISHING …
W
have helped raise much needed funds for Westpac hen and where did the Thunderbolt Fishing Club Helicopter in conjunction with the Uralla Golf Club first begin? with golf days, and the Uralla Bowls Club with bowls It first began at the days and funds raised from Movember activities. We Thunder Bolt Inn on the 2nd have raised money for the Armidale New England November in 1976, after a Hospital and McMaugh Gardens in Uralla. We have freak storm caused havoc at the Melbourne Cup. funded fingerlings release over many years to restock The club was formed to have some fun fishing, but our rivers and dams with fish. One of our early most importantly to support the people of initiatives was to establish a glass recycling the Uralla community. The first money project, which we ran ourselves for raised, to get the Club started, years until we donated it to the was the result of Bill Geldorf Uralla Shire in 2010 to use at the demolishing a couple of houses We have some waste and recycling centre. We members who and selling off the bricks, have had many, many, many us the have been with windows and doors. In the street stalls over the years to which whole 40 years, ing beginning, the club members raise money, and thanks to the az indicates an am e would provide wood and Uralla Shire Council we don't th commitment to r mowing services to widows in ou have to brave the elements to d an community .” le the Uralla township and also to op now that we have our shop pe e es club by th organise trips away to the coast front location in Bridge St - this for the older Uralla residences. In has been a Godsend. the early '90s the club started the Does the club have any fond first driver reviver station in conjunction memories or funny moments they with Apex, due to an alarming number of can share? driving fatalities in the area. The club has always Other than the too many that got away, one had a community focus. of the fondest memories was one year we had Tell us about the activities the club is involved a Thunderbolt Fishing Club Float in a local Uralla in? parade. Some CWA ladies were set up on the back Fishing, fishing and more fishing of course! But of a Peter Rhodes truck with their knitting, sewing other than that, the Club has been involved in all machines and cooking demonstrations. One of the men jumped off the float and threw flour bombs at manner of community projects over the years. We
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58 new england focus.
everyone - the crowd included. Not to be out done, the Fire Truck next to us turned on the fire hose, knocking all the CWA ladies over (some of them off the truck!) as well as all their props. As it was a hot day, we all dried out pretty quickly and got on with the parade. The CWA ladies may not have been happy at the time, but it is very funny to look back on. Tell us about the members? Our membership has ebbed and flowed over the years. In the beginning the membership consisted mostly of men, but today our membership is made up of women, men, young and old. We have some members who have been with us the whole 40 years, which indicates an amazing commitment to the community and to our club by these people. The club is only as good as its membership and we are lucky, as we have some of the most fabulous people involved. How can interested people get involved in the club? The Thunderbolt Fishing Club meets at the Uralla Bowling Club the first Tuesday of every month at 7:30pm. New members are always welcome so if you are interested, please come along. Plans for the future? We hope to have many more years of fishing, and we aim to be around for our 50th Anniversary in ten years' time. Thanks Ellen-Ruth.
VIL L $42 AS FRO M 9
,00 0*
Last remaining villas selling now at Newling Gardens Don’t miss your last chance to secure one of our final luxury villas! The brand new villas at Newling Gardens are spacious, bright and thoughtfully designed for casual, modern living. Each one offers either two or three bedrooms and exudes style and sophistication with a light, open plan layout and quality fittings and fixtures throughout. For residents’ comfort and ease, our villas are also single level with no stairs and incorporate a range of senior-friendly features, such as wide hallways and doorways, high power points, mixer taps, non-slip flooring and large shower recesses. Each villa also comes equipped with a 24 hour emergency call system for added security and peace of mind. With limited villas remaining, now is the time to act! Call 6772 4440 or join us at our upcoming open house - see below for details.
Our community centre is under renovation and will soon be doubling in size! Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/newlinggardens for regular updates and photos.
OPEN HOUSE 10.30am - 12.30pm, Saturday 3rd December & 12.30 - 2.30pm, Tuesday 6th December Come along and inspect our stylish display villa, tour our beautifully maintained grounds and chat with our residents over a complimentary morning tea!
*Price correct at time of printing
Phone us today for more information on 6772 4440 173 Taylor Street, Armidale | www.retireaustralia.com.au new england focus. 51
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