Tamar Valley News August 2023

Launceston's Newest Youth and Community Centre – The Ark

By Ezra Davidson

Launceston's newest youth facility has just launched in St Leonards. Following the purchase in August 2019 of what was known as Avalon, 9 Killafaddy Road, Launceston City Mission developed a plan to create a home for services to children, young people and families.

“We had a vision for The Ark to become this safe place for children and youth, because all kids deserve that. The Ark in the history of the Bible was a safe place, a safe haven,” said City Mission CEO, Stephen Brown, “And the dream is coming to fruition.”

Unique in its design, The Ark is a large building with the room to cater for the masses.

Since mid-July the Ark has accommodated City Mission programs for children, youth and adults; Inside Out for Kids, teaching emotional literacy to primary school students; The Mish, supporting teenagers emerging to adulthood, and Mission 2 a Future, supporting people to build pathways to education and employment,

mentoring them to have the confidence to achieve their goals. It will also house City Mission’s Community Development team who support people in neighbouring communities.

“A lot of the issues we see in later life in people come down to stories about what happened between the ages of 0 to 12. I think once they have safety, they can heal

and grow, and that's really what we're hoping to help them with,” said Mr Brown.

The Ark represents a bigger, more holistic approach to supporting young people all the way from children to adulthood and those critical evolution points in the middle years.

The Ark Youth and Community Centre opened on

Wednesday 26th July 2023.

“This Launceston City Mission Arts Centre is a testament to your commitment to support every child, regardless of background or circumstance. So, I now have the greatest pleasure to declare this Launceston City Mission, Art, Youth and Community Centre officially open.” Announced Her Excellency the Hon-

The ARK is the culmination of concerted effort, collaboration, and a shared vision to uplift our community. The aim is to provide a safe refuge for healing and restoration while creating opportunities for learning, development, and transformation.

“The Ark will be a longterm asset for the people of this community as we work with children, young people and parents. We're looking forward to the future with a flexibility, and the safe spaces, to respond to what the community needs.” said Stephen Brown.

ourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania

New Spider Species Discovered in the Tamar Valley

species.

While completing the process of creating a new record for this species in the Australian Journal of Taxonomy, Framenau, Douglas and Fearn agreed to name the newly discovered species in celebration of long-term QVMAG Natural Sciences Collection Officer, Judy Rainbird.

After having worked in the Natural Sciences department for 45 years, the venator judyrainbirdae will now remain a part of Tasmanian natural sciences history in celebration of the contribution Judy has had toward the QVMAG collection.

“It’s a very fitting and important honour for someone involved in natural science, and Judy deserves it,” Fearn said.

“The amazing state of the collections reflects her stewardship over the past four decades, and this was a great way to acknowledge her significant contributions.”

General Manager Creative Arts and Cultural Services

Shane Fitzgerald said it was a delight to support this process in honour of Judy’s work at QVMAG.

While light trapping for moths and other insects at Beechford in the summer of 2022/23, QVMAG Collections Officer Simon Fearn made a unique discovery.

While hunting around

with a head torch on, Fearn noticed the shine of spider eyes glittering on the ground beneath him.

After closer inspection, Fearn realised those shining eyes belonged to a species of

wolf spider; but a species he was not familiar with.

Several were collected in case they were something of interest.

Soon after contacting

QVMAG Spider Honorary Research Associate John Douglas, and through liaison with Western Australian wolf spider expert Dr Volker Framenau, it was confirmed that what Fearn had collected was an undescribed

QVMAG Collections Officer Simon Fearn said it was only fitting to acknowledge the positive impact Judy has had during her 45-year tenure working in the QVMAG collection.

“Forty-five years is an incredible length of time to work within a collection, making this a fitting celebration of Judy’s contribution to our Natural Sciences team,” Fitzgerald said.

“I can’t think of a better way to acknowledge how proud we all are of her work within the QVMAG collection.”

Batman Bridge to undergo maintenance

At over 50 years old, the Batman Bridge continues to stand tall, but time continues to take its toll, leaving the bridge looking very sad and dreary in recent years.

The Department of State Growth is continuing to paint the Batman Bridge to protect and prolong the useful life of this iconic asset that has been connecting the East and West Tamar for over half a century.

The lower support beams were painted in mid-2022, however its not time to pain the large A-frame of the bridge.

Years of exposure to the elements and the passage of countless commuters and vehicles have inevitably left their mark on the bridge's appearance. Fading paint

and signs of wear have been evident, prompting city officials to embark on this crucial restoration journey.

The much-needed maintenance is set to take place over the next 8 months and motorists can expect reduced speed limits and lane closures during the working hours of 7am to 6pm.

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Dirt, Grime & Rust observed covering the structure

QVMAG Natural Sciences Collection Officer, Judy Rainbird with the Museum's Collections Officer Simon Fearn. (PHOTO: QVMAG)

Word on the Street: Are Locals Wanting to Stay in Launceston?

Australians are the most likely to be on the move, statistics show.

According to census data, Queensland is the top destination for people moving from other states and territories.

The sunshine state has a reputation for the night life and sunny days it gives.

All this information combined reads that young people are moving for the liveliness and perhaps the warmer weather.

By Leila Yarrow

Launceston is known for its nature and landscapes, which is usually the primary reason for tourists to venture down.

A busy, city-like area can be suffocating to many and a place like Launceston can offer a more country-esque atmosphere that a lot of people find relaxing.

As many reasons there is to leave, there’s also many reasons to stay in your hometown. For example, you may want to stay with family or

friends, or it’s the simple reason of feeling comfortable with familiarity.

Older folks tend to want a more stable and relaxing lifestyle, which can make a small hometown perfect.

However, as a common theme throughout time, young people tend to want new experiences and may be more interested in a city with fun events and fun people.

Is Launceston satiating this need for its locals?

Young people are known

to be gravitated towards a livelier lifestyle.

Whether it be partying, shopping, going to the latest events, or socialising, many of these factors can contribute to where someone decides to live.

Is this simply not the case for the young locals of Launceston, or are these reasons the most common for locals to be leaving?

I approached young locals strolling about their day and asked them the question: Do you plan on staying in

Launceston in the future?

Summer, aged 19, answered, “I’m gonna be honest, probably not, but I probably would come back.” She went more in depth, “I just crave adventure and exploration, and Tasmania is beautiful. Launnie is beautiful, actually. But I need excitement.”

The common denominator seemed to be the need for new things and wanting more than what you have. Which is perfectly normal for a young person. Younger

Hannah, a young adult who currently lives in Queensland but was visiting Launceston, commented on Queensland, “Yeah, it’s nice. Like very busy so it’s nice, not too quiet.”

Another young adult who moved from Launceston to Hobart, talked about Hobart, “Night life is a lot better. It’s very lively.”

Although, this ‘liveliness’ that is seen in more places than Launceston, can also be a con to people.

Sharon Shaw, aged 64, said, “We wanted somewhere quieter to live.” Having

originally been from Sydney, they travelled down to Launceston, comparing the two.

“We wanted a laid back lifestyle. Easy going, not so rushed, you know…” Sharon went further in depth.

Her husband, Garry Shaw, aged 65, talked about their love of Tasmania, “I’m amazed, as I said.

My dad was born and bred here and I used to come here every year when I was young and there’s so much apart of Tasmania I haven’t seen… So you know, we’re doing a lot of travelling around here.”

Launceston has its own unique atmosphere that many grow to love and can’t quite fully leave.

Regardless of what environment you want to live in, Tasmania keeps their locals and newcomers coming back for more.

Perhaps, younger locals will feel the same in time.

This article was originally published in The Launceston Lively

Retaining walls to be replaced in Ockerby Gardens

The City of Launceston is set to replace several spaces in the city. to Carr Villa before it was rehabilitated and turned

gaged a specialist archaeologist to undertake a potential centre of gardens, while a similar section alongside disruptions to an absolute minimum, with all works

Find Local Businesses All In One Place

Tamar FM Celebrates 20 years of local radio in the Tamar Valley

about the technical side.

“I enjoy the technical side of things, so I’ve learned a fair bit about I.T. since I’ve been here, I knew a fair bit before but working with it everyday, all day, it’s certainly broadened my knowledge of that,”

“I’ve met different lots of people over the years, and some have stayed and some sort of move on to different things.”

“We’ve certainly had a real cross-section of volunteers over the years and that’s been good” added Mr. Button.

more volunteers, adding that the team are incredibly dedicated and it’s important to find volunteers who are team players.

“We’re not so much worried if your skills aren’t there, as long as you can get on with people.” Said Julie.

For Julie and Steve, after deciding to leave their home in Adelaide, a search for a new home around Australia lead them to George Town, and it was only a matter of time before they got involved with Tamar FM.

By Zac Lockhart

Ears throughout the Tamar Valley are well served by the dedicated volunteer team of Tamar FM, who for 20 years now have been broadcasting music, community information and a sense of connectedness on the local airwaves.

Tamar FM President Kevin Ellis said that it’s about more than just music.

“For those people that haven’t got a family, or people that visit, it [Tamar FM] becomes their best friend, and

the fact that they can ring in perhaps on Sunday morning for the country show and have a song played especially for them, it makes them feel loved, in a way.”

Mr Ellis has been involved in the station for 20 years, and has been president of the organisation on 3 separate occasions, demonstrating a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion for local radio, and is thankful to everyone who has helped along the way.

“We’ve had some wonderful assistance, people have

helped raise money that have helped build our stations, and all those volunteers, it’s been a wonderful thing.”

Tamar FM has two unique properties in how it operates, which they are quite proud of.

Firstly, they are self-sufficient when it comes to funding, unlike many other community radio stations which rely on government or community Grants, Tamar FM operates a regular monthly market which is its

main fundraiser, and also has some sponsorship from local businesses.

In addition to this, Tamar FM is broadcast live around 9-10 hours of the day, unlike many other radio stations, including commercial ones, which broadcast mainly pre-recorded shows with a lineup of hundreds of ads.

Peter Button, a long-time volunteer at Tamar FM said that his experience at the station has broadened his knowledge of music, and has helped him to learn a lot

Tamar FM are currently looking for more volunteers, with Mr. Button stating that it helps to have a bit of a technical background, but added that if you haven’t got general computer skills, you could still volunteer.

“Like everything nowadays, everything’s computer based. If you haven’t got those general computer skills, we can certainly take people and train them and help them along the way.” Julie and Steve Fraser, both volunteering as co-managers of Tamar FM also emphasized the need for

“It’s a great little town, it really is” added Steve, “All your day-to-day things are here and you’ve got a superb road up to Launceston if anything is not available here.”

Tamar FM will be celebrating it’s 20th birthday on the 29th of August, and invite the community to drop in and say G’day, take a look around the museum, and maybe learn about opportunities to volunteer at Tamar FM.

Find out more at tamarfm.net

Bookings open for Myrtle Park camp grounds

The City of Launceston has opened bookings for the Myrtle Park Camping Ground for the summer season ahead, with the popular park set to open to campers from Friday, September 1, through until Friday, May 31, 2024.

Bookings for camp sites are now open through the Launceston Visitor Information Centre and online via the City of Launceston

website at launceston. tas.gov.au/MyrtlePark

Thirty campsites will be available to the public, with 15 sites boasting river frontage.

The hall will be available for bookings, while dayuse areas such as the tennis courts and the café, will also reopen.

Overnight camping fees at the site are $21 per campsite

or $26 for a campsite with fire pit.

Fees are inclusive of two adults, while children 15 years of age and under stay free of charge when accompanied by an adult.

Extra adults incur a $5 per night charge and sites can accommodate a maximum of ten people.

State-of-the-art teaching and learning at the River’s Edge in Launceston

The University of Tasmania’s new Launceston campus has reached a milestone on 28th July 2023 with the opening of the River’s Edge, a state-of-the-art learning and teaching facility for students and staff in the North.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black said it was exciting to see the second major building of the new campus at Inveresk come alive in Semester 2 after years of planning and construction.

“This campus is an important investment to expand access to outstanding education and research in the North for generations to come,” Professor Black said.

“Education provides access to opportunities and jobs that help people change their lives. If we want a more equal society where people get a fair go they need to be able to access higher education. It provides the key to unlock most of the jobs of the future. We want all Tasmanians to have those opportunities.”

The $45.5m million River’s Edge development was part of the Northern Transformation Program, funded through the Launceston City Deal, with contributions from the Australian and Tasmanian Governments, City of Launceston

and the University.

The building is now home to Humanities, Social Sciences, Law, Education and Business, while supporting students with study spaces across all disciplines.

It offers student counselling, accessibility and learning support and hosts the Riawunna Centre for Aboriginal Education.

It also includes a hub for students studying Higher Degrees by Research, a recording studio, parenting room and a variety of classrooms and computer labs.

The building was designed with input from over 150 students, staff and the community members as part of a co-design process.

To support modern teaching, classroom style spaces which are digitally enabled have been chosen to support face-to-face learning.

Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences

Nicholas Hookway said he was excited about being in a building that was not only beautiful but also fit for how we now work and teach.

“I teach first year Sociology with a large cohort of students, and I can’t wait to teach them here – it’s a place our staff and students can

feel proud; a place where students will want to be,” Dr Hookway said.

“The connection to the city and the wider community is clear too. With buildings visible and publicly accessible, this provides new and exciting ways for our research and teaching to connect with business, community organisations and the wider public.”

Designed by Wardle Studio and built by local firm Fairbrother, the four-storey River’s Edge building elegantly uses the industrial language of the buildings while it opens out to the spectacu-

lar views of the lakekeller/ the North Esk river and the mountains to the east.

Featuring extensive use of Tasmanian timber, the building was constructed with 32.5 percent less embodied carbon than similar projects setting nationally lead benchmark in low carbon building in line with the University’s globally recognised commitment to sustainability.

Professor Black said the new campus was designed to celebrate and enhance Launceston’s historic and muchloved Inveresk precinct for the whole community.

“Wardle Architects, Fairbrother’s many fine craftspeople and all the trades who worked on this build have created a truly great piece of architecture. It is a truly beautiful place for students, staff and the community alike. It is celebration of so much that makes Launceston one of the world’s great regional cities.”

The River’s Edge follows the opening last year of the Library, a new facility that has been warmly welcomed by the community and shortlisted for a national architecture award.

The next major transition of students and staff from Newnham to Inveresk will be in late-2024, into The Shed on Willis Street with a focus on Sciences, Allied Health and Nursing.

Volunteer grants available for northern Tasmanian community organisations

Expressions of interest are now being sought from northern Tasmanian community organisations for the 2023/2024 Volunteer Grants round.

Federal Member for Bass Bridget Archer said

grants of $1,000 to $5,000 are available for eligible organisations to buy small equipment for volunteers, reimburse volunteer fuel, transport or training costs, or support promotional activities.

“The last grant round assisted over 35 organisations in our community, including the Beaconsfield Cricket Club, local Girl Guides, the Lilydale Fire Brigade, and the Tamar Rowing Club funding important activities such as first-aid training or

fuel vouchers,” Mrs Archer said.

“Volunteers across our region freely give their time to support local organisations in a variety of ways and make an extraordinary contribution to our com-

munity.”

An Expressions of Interest form is available to download via Bridget’s website www.bridgetarcher.com. au or by calling the office on 6334 7033 or by emailing

bridget.archer.mp@aph. gov.au

Expressions of Interest close on Friday, September 8, 2023, at 5:00 pm.

University of Tasmania, Inveresk Campus design (PHOTO: State Growth Tas)

Timber industry receives Labor’s backing

Certainty over the future of Tasmania’s timber industry has been undermined recently with the State Government failing to support local millers in favour of mainland companies.

There is a real fear that Resources Minister Felix Ellis and Sustainable Timbers Tasmania are preparing to award a major plantation sawlog contract to a mainland saw miller.

They plan to do this by bringing forward sales of plantation sawlogs that saw millers had previously been assured would form part of their resource security from 2027 when the amount of native timber sawlog production reduces by more than half.

Labor Leader Rebecca White met with key repre-

sentatives from Tasmania’s timber industry to listen to their concerns regarding local jobs and businesses.

“I was pleased to meet with a delegation of saw mill operators and forest industry leaders today, but disturbed as they outlined their grave concerns for the future of their businesses and industry under Minister Felix Ellis and the minority Liberal Government,” Ms White said.

“The saw millers supported the Regional Forest Agreement and the Tasmanian Forest Agreement reduction in native sawlog supply based on the promise of the plantation resource being made available to them in 2027.

“If Minister Ellis and the Liberals are allowed to sell

off the plantation resource to a mainland saw miller, then intergenerational businesses will be forced to reduce jobs or even close. We have seen the consequences of the government’s failure to put Tasmanian businesses first with the recent decision to award a contract to a mainland company over local company Bennett’s.”

Terry Edwards, former Chief Executive of the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania, talked about his concerns regarding Minister Felix Ellis’ plans and the impact they will have for local jobs and businesses.

“STT are seemingly looking to sell the Tasmanian plantations to mainland-based interests at the expense of Tasmanian businesses and Tasmanian employment, and that is not acceptable,”

Mr Edwards stated.

“We expect much better than that from the Tasma-

nian Government.”

“If these forests are exported to Victoria the wealth creation and employment

will all be in Victoria, not in Tasmania, and that is unacceptable.”

Tasmania's Employment Rate Shows Disparity for Overseas-born Individuals

By Ezra Davidson

Tasmania's employment landscape has come under scrutiny as concerns arise over potential discrimination against people born overseas.

The focus on this issue comes after a conversation with a job seeker, whom we will refer to as Ben, who shared his frustrations with the job application process in the region.

Ben stated, "I've applied for hundreds of jobs and never hear back from most

of them. I am more than enough qualified. But all my friends who are born here don't seem to have a problem. I wonder if using an Australian name would lead to better responses from potential employers, like the rest of my friends."

According to the Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) 2022 released in February, there is a notable discrepancy in the full-time employment rate between local postgraduate students and international students.

The GOS revealed that local

postgraduate students enjoy an 89.4 per cent full-time employment rate, while their international counterparts lag behind with only 57.9 per cent.

In an attempt to shed some light on this issue, we reached out to employers in the area, however, none were willing to admit to any discriminatory practices against internationally born individuals.

Nevertheless, it remains a matter of concern for many job seekers.

One possible reason for the disparity in hiring rates could be the lack of familiarity employers have with institutions outside of Australia, making it more challenging for them to trust the credentials of overseas-born applicants.

Ben expressed another concern, saying, "Maybe they believe that when I get my full residency, I will move away or to another state in Australia."

Amidst these concerns, there is a silver lining in the overall employment force

in Tasmania. The region has seen a rise in demand for employment opportunities across various sectors.

The latest data from Flinders University shows that total employment increased by 498 (0.2%) to 291,227 people. Over the past year, employment in Tasmania has seen a promising increase of 9,913 (3.4%).

The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.0%, with total unemployment increasing by 68 (0.6%) to 12,032 people.

While Tasmania's overall employment outlook is positive, there is a pressing need to address the challenges faced by individuals born overseas seeking employment opportunities in the region.

Creating an inclusive and equitable job market is essential for Tasmania to continue its growth and development.

Jokes

Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts!

Did you hear about the mathematician who’s afraid of negative numbers? He’ll stop at nothing to avoid them!

At a party, a young wife admonished her husband, “That’s the fourth time you’ve gone back for ice cream and cake. Doesn’t it embarrass you?”

“Why should it?” answered her spouse. “I keep telling them it’s for you.”

There are three types of people in the world: Those who can count and those who can’t.

Why don’t ants get sick? Because they have little antybodies.

What do you call a haunted chicken? A poultry-geist

Riddle

The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?

Answer (Turn page upside down)

Footsteps

City Mission creating positive change and transforming lives

Without a home, feeling lost, feeling alone, sitting on the footpath in the dark of night, that’s the circumstances some of the people who are now accessing City Mission’s Safe Space service experienced. “I came to City Mission with the clothes on my back wearing my slippers” City Mission Client.

“City Mission has supported hundreds of people this year through Safe Space Launceston; but the service provides so much more than emergency accommodation for people” said City Missions Key Development Coach, Erin.

Safe Space has provided a foundation to build on, but people still have some work to find a place to consider a home.

“We encourage people, but let them do things at their own pace, as they are ready,” said Erin.

“From being there to listen to their stories, assisting people get to appointments that help secure a place to live, we’ve helped transform many people’s lives this year.”

“Our aim is to ensure every

person who seeks our help has every opportunity to leave in a better place than when they arrived,” Erin said.

Erin’s role as Key Development Coach has been pivotal in transitioning people from experiencing homelessness into something more stable.

Assisted by the ongoing partnerships with Housing Connect, Anglicare and Catholic Care and with the support of Homes Tasmania, individuals are supported to move from situations of crisis into having stable accommodation.

Working alongside people this role has seen people achieve remarkable outcomes. Some people have been in and around the housing system for some time and have benefited from Erin’s availability and flexibility. This important role however has only been funded for 6 months.

“Having the Key Development Coach imbedded in the service has been a positive change for people who may require extra support and the ability to engage

when they are ready” said the Operations Manager of Emergency Relief and Housing at City Mission, Stephen Hill.

“The possibility of daily contact means people are able to act on opportunities to improve their circumstances as they arise” said Mr Hill. “For people feeling the impact of being without a home, this represents a meaningful way for them to feel in control, build their self-worth and feel as though they are of value.

In all, 38 people this year

have been able to use the foundation of staying in a safe space that encourages, supports and cares, to support their move into stable, longer-term accommodation. Some of these outcomes include:

• Secured a housing unit and has now attained furniture assistance via Family Services.

• Has been approved for a car via Mad Wheels program, with support from Erin. And secured a place to live.

• Were successful in attaining public housing

unit.

• Left service after successfully linking-in with a long term supported accommodation service.

• Secured Centerlink payments for the first time before leaving safe space service.

• Attained a unit via Housing Connect.

• Gained a private rental

• Gained Housing in the Launceston area and remains in contact with some of his close friends.

• Gained a private rental and has recently joined

the LCM volunteer team.

• Moved into supported accommodation.

• Moved back to the family home.

Through the hard work of the people themselves, the safe space team, the generosity of the Launceston community and our partnerships with local and state governments and other service providers, we are seeing lives transformed and people taking up chances that some had thought had passed them by.

Mental Health First Aid

Word on the Street: Younger Generations Find it Harder to Get a House

By Leila Yarrow

It’s a well-known fact that times have changed, especially when it comes to owning properties for young people.

Buying a house used to seem like a target goal for the majority in their 20’s, maybe even at the ripe age of 18, but is now only a hopeful possibility for the younger generations.

Perhaps for many, not even a goal. Many are wondering about the decline of housing affordability and the decline of young adults who aspire to have their own house.

Not only has homes gotten expensive, but living has gotten expensive too.

It is important to hear from people directly about such issues, which is why we took it upon ourselves to interview numerous people in Launceston about housing and property related topics.

When anyone was asked if it was hard to buy your own home nowadays, everyone said it was.

From old, to young, it seems as though it’s just a fact that it has gotten way more difficult. Interviewees that were aged below 25 did not own a house of their own.

Middle-aged to older locals spoke about how being a young adult is very different, comparing the past to now.

When the topic arose of wanting a house, to get married and to have kids, Garry Shaw responded, “I don’t know how old you are,

but I guarantee you it’ll be hard for you now to do all that, what you just said and compared to what we did back in our days.”

The independence of young people seems to have been stripped away.

When asked about how hard it was to buy your own house, Summer, aged 19, replied, “Nowadays, very difficult. Very trial and error though, especially with trying to find a suitable environment for your family or even just yourself to try and manage independently.”

Australian home ownership data from the 2021 Census show that the home ownership rate of 67% has gone down, comparing it to the 70% in 2006. The percentage has been stable, remaining around 65-70% from the early 1970’s.

However, the striking difference in rates has been the age groups that own a house.

The home ownership rate of 30-34 year old’s was 64% in 1971, and has since decreased to 50% in 2021.

For younger Australians, aged 25-29, the difference was the same decrease of 14% - instead going from 50% to 36%. Imagine the low numbers for those aged 18-24!

“I’m 65 and I’ve never seen so many kids live with their parents to a long age.”

– Garry Shaw, 65.

It’s a common theme to joke about the full-grown adult living in their mum’s

basement, and it seems to be coming to fruition for many.

Since 1981, there’s been increasing numbers of people living with their parents past the age of 20, data shows.

This is to be expected due to housing affordability declining drastically since then, however, it may also be due to rent affordability declining as well.

Australian rental affordability has dropped to a new time low with shocking data showing that the average household spends a third of their income on rent. This has many consequences for how people will be living their lives today.

“And I think that’s where a lot of mental health comes into it as well, because, you know, a lot of the young

kids, when they do move back to their mums and dads, they think they’ve failed,” Garry commented, “when they haven’t.”

The cost of living has noticeably gotten higher, too.

Some have been slightly affected by the food prices going up, but some have taken a greater hit to the wallet.

“I mean, it’s either we don’t have breakfast but we get to have a little bit of lunch,” Summer continued, “But if we have most at dinner, we don’t have anything for tomorrow.”

Hannah, a young person we spoke to said, “I feel like it’s affected a lot of people. Lots of people have to buy different foods and budget accordingly.”

Not only does food prices

going up make it so some people have to go hungry, but it can also make the price of being healthy a lot more expensive.

I think we can all agree that it can take a toll on your mental and physical health having to have a diet mostly made up on fast food and cheap junk food.

All of this may contribute to a new way of living and a delay in wanting to have kids.

Many studies show that women are becoming mothers at a later age and a lot of families are having less children.

This change may be due to numerous factors, such as people valuing jobs and not wanting to settle down so soon, however the cost of living would certainly be a

Future of Local Government Review Community feedback hearings are on soon.

reason for many.

As time goes on, it’s natural for our way of living and how we view the world to change.

You may be able to see this change in real life around you and on social media.

There’s been an uprise of people making their own “tiny homes” and many living in a caravan.

What used to be a choice has turned into a necessity for some.

Whether this will shift or not, depends on the people as well as those who dictate the prices of living.

This article was originally published in The Launceston Lively

Community hearings for the Future of Local Government Review are fast approaching. Nine public hearings are scheduled to be held this August, where both councils and community members will be presenting the Local Government Board with their ideas for the future of local government in Tasmania.

Community sessions will be held at the following locations:

• Tamar Valley • Windsor Community Centre, 1 Windsor Dr, Riverside • Friday 11 August 2023

• North-East • Scottsdale Mechanics Institute Hall, 11 King St, Scottsdale • Monday 14 August 2023 Council sessions will also be held on these days, which community members can also register to attend. Hearings will be livestreamed where possible. If you wish to attend a hearing, you must register your interest prior.

To find out more about the hearings and to register, visit engage.futurelocal.tas.gov.au/community-hearing-registration

Susan Fereday – Botanical Artist (1810 – 1878) Tales of the Tamar

forge;infactheisalmost betteratanytradethan divinityandIfinditdifficult tokeepawakeduringhis sermons......Thereare noservantstobefound inGeorgeTownandMrs Feredayherself,andher children,havetocleanthe house.... Mrs.Feredayisa goodcook.”

Nevertheless, as well as her cooking and cleaning duties, Susan still found time to provide many preserved species and she helped Harvey to lay out to dry those he had collected. He was so appreciative of her efforts that he later named two species after her - Dasya Feredayaeand Nemastoma Feredayae.Harvey later wrote:

collecting spots in Australia for seaweed and plant species. Baron Ferdinand von Mueller was Victoria’s Government Botanist and Director of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens and he wanted to compile a flora of Australia which formed the basis of what is now the National Herbarium of Victoria. Many of the collectors in the George Town area were women, including Susan Fereday, her daughter Elizabeth Fereday, Eliza Cox and Sybella Goodwin. Their specimens were sent to von Mueller in Victoria as well as museums and herbariums in England, Sweden and France.

By Marita Bodman

As a young woman, Susan Georgina Marianne Apthorpe was a trained and accomplished artist who travelled widely on the Continent, painting and sketching the classical scenes and buildings of the ‘grand tour’. She met and married John Fereday in 1837, a well educated man, who had undertaken medical as well as theological training, and graduated as Master of Arts becoming a Fellow of Worcester College at Oxford University. He had already been ordained a priest in 1835.

Susan and John Fereday and their six children sailed to Van Diemen’s Land in 1846 in the ‘Aden’ and settled in George Town, named in 1811 after King George III by Governor Lachlan Macquarie, who intended the town to be the Chief Settlement in the north of the island. That lasted only until 1825 when the Bigge Report saw Launceston take

over that role.

John Fereday was appointed the rector of St Mary Magdalene Anglican Church and they purchased one of the earliest residences in George Town, ‘The Grove’ in which to live. They were both interested in education, and they had plans of setting up a school.

Both Susan and John were also interested in the natural world, particularly in algae and shells. Susan painted many of the native species around her, including a native Correa peculiar to the George Town area, Correa Speciosa and Eucalyptus Viminalis. They both collected the different seaweeds and algae of the Tamar River Estuary, collating, listing and drying them. John had a dredge and a boat and when William Henry Harvey, professor of Botany at Trinity College, Dublin visited George Town in 1855, he stayed with the Feredays who helped him

collect thousands of species as they all explored the area together.

Apparently William Henry Harvey, this visiting academic dignitary from Dublin, was quite shocked at the living arrangements of his hosts and the following extract comes from his book “The Contented Botanist”, published after he returned to Ireland where he painted a delightful picture of the Feredays and the conditions of the time (1855):

"…ReverendFeredayisa real‘MasterofArts’being abletoturnhismindto almosteverything–for instance,hemakeshisown clothesandhisownshoes andboots–bakesbread, carpentizesandcabinet makes.Hemadethepulpit andreadingdeskwiththe carvedcrosswithhisown hands.Hecleansandmends watches–heputupand tunesorgans.Hecutshair (hecutmine).Hehasa chemicallaboratoryanda

"...Mr.Feredaytendered methemostefficientaidin prosecutingmyresearches. Hisboatandstrongarms werealmostdailyatmy serviceandmanythousands ofspecimenswerecollected underhisauspices……to Mrs.FeredayIamindebtedformanybeautifully preservedspecimensand foraidin“layingout”and dryingthetubfullofdelicatespecimensofdelicate algae.”

Harvey also dedicated the 5th and 6th volumes of his book ‘Phycologia Australica’ to Susan and John Fereday.

By the early 19th century, collection and preservation techniques had been established and networks of collectors around the British Empire sent specimens and drawings to Kew Gardens and the British Museum in London, in the mid 1800s. George Town, in the Tamar Valley where the Feredays lived, was one of the major

Tragically Susan’s husband, the Reverend Fereday, met with an accident when his horse bolted on a trip to a gold mine near George Town in which he had an interest, and he was thrown from his gig and died.

After that, Susan moved across Bass Strait to Sale in Gippsland where she lived with her daughter, Susan Palmer, and son-inlaw. While living there she exhibited botanical watercolour paintings of local native and plants and algae at the Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition of 1866-1867 for which she received a special mention. More than fifty of her works are held in the National Library which include her watercolours of Tasmanian scenery and George Town buildings, algae, flora and plants along with portraits of herself and her husband. Examples of her work are to be found in the Latrobe Regional Gallery, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston as well the Allport Library in Hobart. She was a very early citizen scientist.

GEORGE TOWN & DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC.

Meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of the month, starting at 7.30 pm with most meetings held at The Grove in Elizabeth St and are open to the public

The next meeting will be held on MONDAY, 21st August at the The Grove.

Speaker: Marita Bodman

Topic: The ‘Olivia’- A Shipwreck and a Pocket Watch.

FOR UPDATES SEE: George Town & District Historical Society Facebook Page. www.facebook.com/George-Town-and-District-Historical-Society-1375090549395357/ Email info@gtdhs.com or Phone 6382 4412.

Self-portrait_of_Susan_Fereday (PHOTO: Supplied by GTDHS)

Nemastoma feredayae (PHOTO: Suplied by GTDHS)