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Our deadline day really does seem to come around quickly! And only five more publications until Christmas!
Do you go all out with the decorations at Christmas time? While I don’t mind stringing up a few lights, a colleague here in the office has been astounding us with details of the effort her mother goes to each festive season. The six Christmas trees were the first things that caught our attention, along with stories of the vast Christmas village, a dangerous amount of lights and ornaments (and the container to store them all), the ‘Christmas Eve’ boxes for all with festive pyjamas and treats, and still making it to church. Then there is the baking! Some 90 Christmas cakes for hungry friends and family all over the state! We think our colleague put forward a prett y convincing claim for her mother to be declared the ‘Queen of Christmas’, but if there’s anyone you reckon can top this level of Christmas cheer, let us know!
I heartily commend the Orange Regional Museums’ new exhibition celebrating the centenary of Bloomfield Hospital. I took a little sneak peek before the official opening last week and the amount of work that has gone into putting it all together is astounding. The exhibition is a real credit to the whole museum team and everyone involved. I look forward to heading back for another look soon.
And while we are talking history, don’t forget the launch of the new book Mapping Orange: How explorers, surveyors and cartographers made their mark, written by members of the Orange & District Historical Society. It’s a magnificent bit of research they’ve compiled and I’m sure they will have a few tales to tell about it all at the launch, which takes place at the Orange City Library on Thursday, November 20, from 5pm.
Until next week!
Significant donation for palliative care.
By JONATHAN ROE
They were off and racing at Clifton Grove on Wednesday as Riding for the Disabled (RDA) Orange held their very own ‘big race’ to celebrate Melbourne Cup week.
An annual tradition for the local volunteer-run organisation, the race saw a field of four riders make a ‘dash’ down the horse paddock to the applause of the small gathered crowd, which included Member for Orange Phil Donato, who presented ribbons to the
winners.
“So we hold a mock Melbourne Cup day each year with our riders, and they go around the course led by our clerk of the course, and we have a pretend race at walking pace,” said RDA Orange publicity officer Celia Klinger.
“And then later on, the volunteers have a hat parade, that’s why you’ll see some of them are in prett y hats.”
Cup Day along with the Horse’s Birthday (August 1) are just a couple of the annual traditions to add a bit of fun to the riding days for the 25 or so
kids who take part in the weekly RDA activities.
“We do have a Christmas party and play games at Easter, but Melbourne Cup Day and the Horse’s Birthday are the big events here,” said Celia. “But we have different activities every week, lots of games that the kids play… it definitely gives them confidence and skills, they learn about communication, they learn balance and it’s fun!”
RDA Orange is all volunteer-run and relies totally on donations for the upkeep of their facilities and feed for
their horses, Celia said.
“We have 12 horses at the moment, all various ages, and a lot of them are close to retirement. They’re all donated or we’ve bought them, some are on lease… but if anybody does have any horses they are not using, we would very gratefully be interested to trial them out,” she said, adding that the horses must be of good temperament.
“Quiet horses, that don’t mind a bomb going off next to them!” she said. “And new volunteers are always welcome!”
The Orange Hospital Auxiliary is the latest community organisation to boost fundraising efforts of Orange Push for Palliative as part of the expansion of palliative care facilities at the hospital.
In July, Orange Push for Palliative launched a fundraising campaign in order to purchase three additional ‘cuddle beds’ valued at more than $100,000, as well as additional furnishings and home comforts for patients and their families.
Within 24 hours, donations were received from NSW Farmers Orange Branch, followed a few days later by the Lions Club of Orange.
Donations then followed from OCTEC, Cancer Care Western NSW, Country Women’s Association, Kate Jones 119, Orange Daybreak Rotary, Canobolas Lions Club, Verto, Orange Aboriginal Medical Service and Orange quilting groups.
Recently, members of the United Hospital Auxiliary local branch added to the fundraising total with a donation of $33,000.
President of Orange P4P Jenny Hazelton said the group is overwhelmed at the community response.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support of community organisations and individual residents who have donated so far,” Mrs Hazelton said.
“It just goes to show our community is very passionate about palliative care and end of life choices.”
President of the United Hospital Auxiliary Orange Branch, Christine Hannas said as soon as the group knew Orange Push for Palliative was fundraising for state-of-the-art doublesized cuddle beds it was keen to be
supportive.
“For our group, it is important to support everyone in the hospital and we were so impressed with the new development our decision was unanimous as we really wanted to contribute,” Ms Hannas said.
Mrs Hazelton said Push for Palliative is working closely with NSW Health in the lead up to the extensions, which are currently under construction on Level 1 of the hospital as part of a World Class Project.
“We are so grateful to be able to contribute to this groundbreaking project and it will be a wonderful boost to palliative care services at the hospital, bringing the number of dedicated private rooms to five,” she said.
In the meantime, Orange Push for Palliative volunteers continue to visit the hospital daily to supply emergency meals out of hours for families who are staying close to loved ones at end of life.
“All the funds raised will not only allow us to purchase three cuddle beds (valued at $36,000 each) and equipment, but will enable us to purchase additional furniture and other soft furnishings to create a home-like atmosphere for patients and their families,” Mrs Hazleton said.
She said the group regularly receives feedback about the excellent quality of care and compassion of the palliative care staff at Orange Hospital, and they are looking forward to the opening of the new extension.
“The next couple of months will be an incredibly busy time for our small group, but it will be so rewarding,” she said.
If you would like to find out more about the fundraising project or donate, visit: www.op4p.org.au/donate
From Tedeschi’s virtuosic solo moments to Nexas’ sizzling renditions of Summertime and
An American in Paris, the night brims with colour and vitality. Add to that a sparkling new Medley of Gershwin’s greatest hits, and the stage is set for the ultimate finale: a thrilling reimagining of the legendary Rhapsody in Blue. Presented by the Orange Chamber Music Festival, this is Gershwin as you’ve never heard him before—bold, fresh, and irresistibly alive.
FRIDAY MARCH 13 - 8:00PM
Author Kim Kelly has edited more than 300 books, and written more than 14 of her
By STUART LLOYD
Kim Kelly has published more than fourteen books, won shelves of praise, and taught hundreds of emerging writers ˗ yet she still calls herself “an anxious person” riddled with self-doubt. So much so, that her latest awardwining publication ‘Touched’ is the memoir of her anxiety.
“I think people can’t tell that I’m the one who has anxiety because I have this sort of performer button that gets pressed as soon as the lights are on,” she laughs. “As soon as the lights are on, I’m away.”
That mixture of nervous energy and effervescent storytelling seems to define her. Kelly speaks in torrents ˗ laughter and philosophy tumbling together ˗ with the kind of generosity you might expect from someone raised in what she calls “a house full of books and stories and people.”
Kelly grew up in Sydney’s La Perouse, “a very historical area in terms of the settlements,” she recalls. Her childhood was steeped in stories ˗ from Aboriginal friends whose elders’ histories were simply part of everyday conversation, to her own family’s tales of struggle and reinvention. Her family is Irish on
her mum’s side and part-German on the paternal side with an English Ashkenazi Jew in the mix, too.
“I don’t remember a time of not knowing about colonialism,” she says. “When you grow up with close Aboriginal friends and the stories of their elders, it’s just part of your knowledge base.”
The Kelly dinner table was famously lively. “Entertaining Dad when he was in a good mood was an important family thing to do,” she smiles. “I was expected to be an entertaining oral storyteller. That was expected ˗ both my brother and I.”
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Music played too: “We did not end a family dinner without ‘Zorba the Greek’ being played and crazy dancing. Laughter and talking, talking, talking.”
Her parents were both readers ˗ her father an English teacher and her mother “a big reader of Australian fiction and crime thrillers… everything from Dickens to Dan Brown.” She devoured Frank Hardy’s ‘Power Without Glory’ feeling it was her own story, and re-read ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ at least six times.
But it was her family’s ordinary dramas that planted the deeper seed.
“All of the financial misfortunes in my family are very much tied to the misfortunes of ordinary people in Australian history,” she says of her family’s history of serial bankrupts. “I’m fascinated by the epic in the ordinary. Whatever has brought us here to this moment… whoever they were, they made massive decisions, faced massive challenges.”
From that fascination grew her drive to write the “real” Australia ˗ not the mythologised one of diggers and battlers, but a country seen from kitchen tables and back lanes. “Every person you meet almost is an immigrant in some way,” she says. “All that movement is epic when you think of the disruption.”
Kelly’s path to authorship wasn’t straightforward. “I thought books were made by clever people. I thought there was magic, witchcraft , warlockery involved ˗ that an otherwise ordinary kid like me didn’t have access to.”
After university and a few “shit-happens life events”, she landed a maternity-leave fill-in job at Random House as an editorial assistant. “Within two weeks I was sitting there with a bunch of page proofs… and I went, this is how books are made. And they’re full of mistakes!” she laughs. “The scales fell from my eyes.”
Ten years of editing for Random House and HarperCollins, producing around 300 books, became her apprenticeship: “That combination of creativity but also hard work and learning that goes into making books.” Even then, she hesitated to share her own writing.
“I’d always written,” she says, “but it was just something I didn’t think was shareable.”
Eventually, she took three months off work, lied to her clients that she was “too busy,” and wrote her first novel ‘Black Diamonds’. Her mother ˗ “not an incredibly supportive mother, but supportive of my desire to write” ˗ urged her on. “She said to me, stop talking about it, just get on with it.”
When her mother died suddenly before finishing the manuscript, Kelly turned the loss into purpose: “I’ve never stopped writing since. I used her name ˗ Kelly ˗ for all my writing. Mum’s in everything.”
Despite her success, self-doubt is still part of the process. “Absolutely,” she says. “But if I didn’t have those moments, I’d worry.”
She sees doubt as a creative tool. “Most of writing a narrative is problem-solving ˗ whether it’s at the sentence level, the paragraph level, or
the structural level. It’s all about identifying and fixing problems.”
Her advice to students at Macquarie University, where she now teaches creative writing, is both practical and compassionate. “If you’re not interested at a deep level in what you’re writing, you’re going to find it that much harder to get there. But if you’ve got that deep drive, that little engine’s gonna keep ticking over.”
And she reassures them: “It’s normal... ‘This is terrible, Oh, I’m a failure, I shouldn’t be writing’ it’s part and parcel of learning anything. You don’t decide to run a marathon and then do it next weekend.”
Kelly’s fiction seeks to uncover what she calls “the ground-up truths” of Australia ˗ the overlooked, the inconvenient, the human.
“Part of my consciousness in writing stories set in regional areas is to say, look at this from a different perspective. This isn’t about the big ticket items of Australian history. It’s about what’s interesting at the everyday level.”
When she and her partner Dean moved to the Central West in 2013, she found a new dimension of the country she loves. “As much as I say I don’t belong anywhere, I do feel a sense of peace where we are. It’s one place where I don’t feel unwelcome.” They now live on an acreage outside Millthorpe. But forget the illusion of the successful author secluded in a grand study: Kim sits and types on the sofa, oblivious to whatever noises and distractions happen around her.
“I don’t have a connection to place ˗ I have connection to people,” she says. “Maybe it’s a chicken-and-egg thing. Does the anxiety exist because I don’t have the connection to place? Or am I an outsider because of the anxiety?”
She insists that reading is still the best teacher.
“Your favourite authors ˗ or authors even that you don’t like ˗ are your first training ground. If you don’t understand what you love, how can you formulate your own stuff ?”
After decades of writing, teaching, and editing, she’s still chasing the same impulse that filled her childhood home: curiosity. “I make connections really easily,” she says. Her La Perouse upbringing ˗ “highly multicultural, lots of different languages, lots of different cultural backgrounds” ˗ taught her that “everybody’s got a story, and most people actually do want to tell it.”
kimkellyauthor.com
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I am having one of those weeks where I realise that I know nothing. Parenting can be HARD.
The fun thing about having kids is, once you have them figured out, you’ve followed all of the so-called experts’ guidelines, and you feel completely confident in your decisions, something will come along and blow all of that out of the water. However, I’m clinging to the idea that I occasionally do figure stuff out, and I’m here to share the lessons I’ve learned.
My motivation for being a “school mum” isn’t ‘Gilmore Girls’ or some Hallmark movie where the mum joins the P&C and volunteers. I get my inspiration from the movies ‘Bad Moms’ or ‘Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol’. Am I missing out on vital experiences of my children’s childhoods? Probably. But I’m in ZERO school WhatsApp groups.
Some kids stuff can be fun: promote
those activities. My children swim, play cricket, do gymnastics, and read. Every time netball has been mentioned I make non-committ al noises until the subject is dropped. Miss 11 and I are currently reading a book series called ‘The Whisperwicks’ which she found browsing in Collins one day, and I am HEAVILY invested in the story. We read a few pages each night while snuggling together, and that makes it really easy to refuse to watch ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ earlier in the day with her.
If you have a child who is not a morning person it’s okay to let them sleep in their school uniform. School uniform uncomfortable? Make them wear their sports uniform! Not sports day? ANY day can be sports day if you refuse to read the school newsletter.
I KNOW I harp on about this, but cereal, toasted sandwiches, and bbq chook plus salad are great dinners.
Ignore ‘MasterChef’ and Instagram; the kids will be fine. If your dinner is two king-size Mars bars eaten while hiding in the pantry then good for you for ensuring you are getting enough calcium and antioxidants.
It’s OK to not understand what your kids are talking about. You are not mid, no matter what your mean children say. You have rizz, I promise. If math homework contains the numbers six or seven, it’s OK to throw it across the room. It’s self-care.
Speaking of self-care, make that a priority. Not in the psychologist’s way of prioritising your physical and mental health, or in the advertising way of eating that crap expensive Dubai chocolate as you use a face mask, but REAL care of yourself. Speak kindly to yourself in the mirror (despite what Miss 11 says, my anti-wrinkle cream IS working), spend time with people who don’t say you’re mid for not buying the
new Taylor Swift album, and have an identity away from parenting.
You need a team. Find parents who are like you, who will help you see the bright side and have no judgment. I was having a really bad day recently and messaged my best friend and told her I was a bad mum. She reminded me that at least I had hit zero of my children with my car that day. The day before Miss 11 had tried to climb into the tray of my ute after opening the gate and I ever so slightly reversed into her (at very low speed, she was unharmed I swear), and now our metric is: did you hit a child with your car? If not, you’ve had a great day.
Repeat after me: “I have made it this far; I can do this. I am a smart capable person who is worthy of love. I am not perfect, but I have hit zero children with my car today. I’m doing great!”
Saturday 29 November,2025 10am to 1pm
By JONATHAN ROE
Get ready to start the silly season with a bang as two of Orange’s most loved musical acts ˗ Wild Things Run and Matt Arthur ˗ unite for a Christmas concert with a difference.
“This won’t be your Silent Night or Good King Wenceslas,” says Pat O’Donnell of Wild Things Run.
“More like Chuck Berry’s ‘Run Rudolph Run’, ‘Making Gravy’ by Paul Kelly and ‘Please Come Home for Christmas’ by the Eagles and all those sorts of songs.”
The December 5 concert, A Wild and Lazy Christmas, is a new idea for both artists; a high-energy rock, pop, and soul-infused Christmas concert featuring songs from legendary artists Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Paul McCartney, The Eagles, and more.
Each band will do a set, with both groups uniting on stage for a big finale.
“Both bands will come back on with two drum kits and two bass players and all that and have a bit of fun,” says Pat
“Maybe even some ‘We are the World’ and ‘Do they Know it’s Christmas’ by Band-Aid and all that sort of thing. We’re just gonna have a lot of fun with it and by the end, it’ll be just one big ruckus on stage!”
Putting together the set list for ‘A Wild and Lazy Christmas’ was a lot of fun, says Pat, who adds that the artists included may surprise.
“Matt ’s doing one from Cold Chisel and Amy Winehouse’s version of ‘I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus’,” he says.
“There’s one we’re doing with Elton John and Ed Sheeran, who do a song together that I’d never heard before. One we’re really looking forward to doing is Bruce Springsteen’s version of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’.
“There’ll be a bit of Joni Mitchell, Fairy Tale of New York’ from the
Pogues and we’re finishing on a really rocky version of Little Drummer Boy by Blink 182.
“So it’s a weird mishmash for us, but we’re really excited about it and it’s going to be a good show!”
Tickets for A Wild and Lazy Christmas are selling fast, and Pat says they hope to make the show an annual party to get the holiday season started.
“It’s a debut idea and we hope to try to bring it back to Orange once a year or every two years,” says Pat.
“But look, we just want people to come and have a good time. It will be relaxed, we’re going to have a lot of fun and it will be a good way to finish the year!”
Join in the fun of A Wild and Crazy Christmas at the Orange Civic Theatre, 7.30pm Friday, December 5. Tickets via Ticketek.com.au or phone 63938111.8111.
TICKETS TO A WILD AND LAZY CHRISTMAS
For your chance to win a double pass to see A Wild and Lazy Christmas on December 5, simply scan the QR Code and enter your contact details.
By JONATHAN ROE
A large crowd gathered at the cenotaph in Robertson Park on Tuesday morning to commemorate Remembrance Day.
Tuesday’s service, held on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, marked 107 years since the armistice that brought an end to the horrors of the First World War - a war which claimed the lives of some 60,000 Australians.
“Today, we gather on the 11th day of the 11th month to commend and
respect those who have served our country and those who continue to serve today,” said Orange High School Captain Emma Chimenti, who delivered the occasional address at the memorial service on Tuesday.
“Remembrance Day is about the people who were ordinary Australians who did significant things when their country and their mates needed them… we remember all who have served; from the trenches of Gallipoli, to the mud of the Western Front, the deserts of North Africa, the jungles of Vietnam, the peacekeeping missions
across the world, and the soldiers, navy and air force personnel who serve today.
“We remember nurses, medics, engineers, pilots, families waiting at home, and communities forever changed.
“Their service reminds us of the true cost of conflict and the value of peace. Let us reflect with respect and gratitude. Let us carry forward the lessons of the past and let us strive to create a future built on understanding, compassion and unity.
“Lest we forget.”
Our nation paused at 11am on Tuesday to remember and reflect on the enormous sacrifice that our servicemen and women have made for our country through the generations.
I laid a wreath at the Remembrance Day ceremony in Orange and it was one of the largest turnouts I have ever seen.
My sincere appreciation goes to all RSL SubBranches, veterans’ organisations, and community
groups who organise services of remembrance across our region. It is vitally important to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service.
Special thanks to the Orange High students and Cadets, who were outstanding and helped make this important occasion so memorable and moving.
It was also a pleasure to catch up with distinguished veterans afterwards at the Orange Ex-Services’ Club. Lest we Forget
Igave a big shout-out to the amazing Central West Charity Tractor Trek Group Inc in Parliament recently.
Their latest 300km trek around the Central West on vintage tractors raised thousands for Little Wings, a charity that flies sick kids from the bush to the city for medical treatment.
Besides the Tractor Trek, the Trekkers hold a 24-hour Central West Tractor-thon where vintage tractors run for 24 hours around Canowindra Showground. This year alone, the Tractor Trekkers have donated $60,000 to help keep Little Wings in the air. They fly in and out of the Central West daily.
In my speech to parliament I pointed out that Little Wings costs $6 million a year, of which the federal government contributes $500,000. This funding ends in 2027. I called on the government to increase its funding and make it permanent.
A huge thanks to all the Tractor Trekkers and the Little Wings team for their incredible work!
All the major parties have let us down on delivering an expressway to Sydney! I called them out on it!!
After the Minister for Infrastructure, provided a disappointing response to my Great Western Highway question in Question time. I backed it up with this speech in Parliament:
In 2007, the National Party turned the first sod on the Bells Line of Road expressway. This kicked off a golden age of broken promises, delays and funding raids on a fast road over the Blue Mountains that all major parties are guilty of.
The Bells Line of Road expressway was abandoned by the National Party when city people objected. So much for standing up for the bush! When they had the chance to build it, they squibbed it—12 years in power in New South Wales, nine years in power federally, and nothing's ever been built.
out of power for years and have been reduced to a complaints desk.
Then, when it came to power, the current government grabbed $2 billion that the previous coalition government had allocated to the Great Western Highway, and we never saw it again.
Not one of these major parties has any vision for an expressway to Sydney—not one. The federal National Party, for all its talk, has not put forward any plans for an express road to Sydney. They are going to be
The state and federal Labor parties have no plan either. While the major parties dither, the traffic jams from the Central West to Sydney are worse than ever. Country people deserve better than this. We demand better from the major parties. We demand an expressway to Sydney.
I will not stop calling on the Federal Government to start investing in the Central West.
In the midst of a national housing crisis, I challenged the Housing Minister in Question Time on why the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) is failing regional NSW. Our country communities are missing out on this key national housing funding.
Community housing providers like Housing Plus can’t get a look-in, while the stats show the Central West is being dudded by the fund. In response to my question, the Minister offered to meet with our local community housing providers to discuss opportunities with the remainder of the HAFF allocation.
This week, I met with Housing Plus CEO Justin Cantelo to help make that meeting with the Minister happen. It’s time for our region gets its fair share.
It was an honour to officially open the 13th Neville Show recently.
On behalf of our community, a huge thank you to the awesome Neville Show Committee of President Kate Burrell, Secretary Katrina McDonald, Treasurer Michelle Dowsett, Chief Steward and Socials Guru Ben McDermaid, Dog Event Steward Lucy Wellsted, Bullride Steward Charlie Webster and Committee member Alicia Maclure.
Great job and well done to all the volunteers – we really appreciate all your hard work.
It was also terrific to get the band back together with Neil Gill (under sufferance!) and hear great new talent Jackson Gill.
What a wonderful day for Neville! Thank you to everyone who’s supported this wonderful regional show that brings our communities together.
You just can’t beat a country show!
Huntley Berry Farm is gearing up for an exciting summer season with gates opening to visitors on Saturday, November 22.
Over 20,000 strawberry plants were planted during winter, with large and juicy fruit now ripe for the picking. Raspberries, another favourite, will also be available soon, with blackberries, boysenberries, blueberries, red currants and blackcurrants ripening later in the season.
Huntley Berry Farm manager, Tony Belmonte, says this summer season promises to the biggest one yet.
“We’ve have a very productive off season, which means a great strawberry crop ready for picking next weekend. All of the berries are looking good,” said Tony.
Beyond berries, Tony said there is a nursery with strawberry plants available.
Summer vegetables have been planted, ready to be picked after Christmas. These include tomatoes, capsicums, eggplants and zucchinis. You’ll also be able to get lost in the sunflowers once again.
The Marang Indigenous Edible Garden has also undergone a recent transformation. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore new plant varieties and engage in a unique educational experience about Indigenous edible flora.
Tony said you can also come and meet the farm’s friendly animals, including Gretel the goat, mini horses, sheep, birds and Jack the farm dog.
Huntley Berry Farm promises a fantastic season filled with fresh produce, engaging events, and fun for all ages! They open from 10am to 3pm each Saturday and Sunday, just 10 minutes from Orange, at 1024 Huntley Road.
Saturday 22 Nov, 10am
By JONATHAN ROE
Local school students took part in a special cricket coaching day at Wade Park last Thursday.
Organised by local Rotarians, the annual Dream Cricket Gala Day is all about giving local children the opportunity to play cricket, no matter what their level of ability.
“Dream Cricket is a program for special needs students in primary school,” gala day coordinator Murray Peterson said.
“It first started in Bowral in 2008 by Dr Roly Bigg. He’d been in America and saw special needs kids playing baseball… He thought, ‘We don’t play baseball in Australia, we play cricket!’ So with a team of physiologists, modified cricket so that we get a series of cricket-related activities that special needs kids can do.”
The modified activities are all based on cricket skills like bowling, batting, throwing, and catching, Murray said, and children move from station to station throughout the gala day, assisted by Year 10 students from James Sheehan Catholic High School.
“The important thing about it is that every student can succeed in each of the activities,” he explained. “So we can modify each of the activities to make sure that whatever level of ability, whether you are blind, deaf, or have any sort of physical disability, the kids can succeed in whatever they’re trying to do.”
And they all have fun doing it, he added.
“And we put it on in the best sports facility in Orange, Wade Park, and give the kids the best place they can go to play,” Murray concluded.
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By DALLAS REEVES
A creative body and mind has helped Kenny Feather become a prolific a singer-songwriter with strong contacts to the local music scene.
In his formative years, Kenny followed an unconventional path away from the peace and quiet of rural life. He grew up in Townsville, and gave away the piano at four to go into ballet. Kenny’s aunt was a dance teacher, and he reckons turning to ballet proved a smart choice.
Moving to Melbourne to attend the Australian Ballet School in the late80s and early-90s, Kenny says it was working within ballet that gave him access to great musical talent and inspired his music.
“It’s kind of like an invisible thread,” he said. “You can jump in the air (while dancing), but you have to land on the note. You need to leave the floor at one point, and land at the right time.”
Kenny lived with concert pianists and worked with music maker Jeremy Alsop, one of Australia’s best bass guitarists.
“In the corner, you usually have these people, quiet generally, who are just amazing piano players,” he said of ballet. “Eventually, you start performing with bigger companies and you start to work with very interesting musicians and start to enter the land of soundscape.”
In 1994, Melbourne had an incredible number of independent record labels in the world, and Kenny’s own was among
them. Christine Anu even borrowed a two-inch tape machine from Kenny to make an album, he recalls.
Kenny would also play bass and write songs, and recalls playing in “just about every pub in Melbourne. I got to play in that field of working musicians,” he said.
He then moved to Sydney for a decade or so, working professionally as a dancer in Sydney, with the Australian Opera.
A career in the circus also “opened up” to him through life in Sydney and, while fire-twirling was his main gig, he would also choreograph and edit music.
“As a bassist, I had the great pleasure of touring Europe with Alan Dargin, famous didgeridoo player, and playing with Mark Aikens as well,” Kenny said.
But fifteen years ago, life took a different turn.
Sydney was simply starting to become too intense. Kenny and his partner Charmaine moved to Mandurama, living on around 200 acres and running alpacas. Kenny is also now a talented weaver, making baby wraps with alpaca fleeces as well as music.
The decision to go bush was also influenced by Kenny’s love of tai chi and peace.
“It’s a wonderful world out here,” he said of the Central West. “People will look after you.”
Kenny made an independent CD in 2011, which Charmaine and other family members also played on. He sold more than 650 copies of that album at just one gig.
Playing acoustic, electric and bass guitar, as well as piano and a little bit of cello, Kenny says he enjoys dabbling with almost any instrument.
He says he writes music that aims to “move the consciousness” of the listener, and he is a keen student of etymology and rhetoric.
“Lyrically, I’m more than happy to trip over the same syllable or word,” he said. “In its repetition, there is a whole other thing that happens. I think the body understands more than the mind, which is part of the sorcery of words.”
Among the musicians who have inspired him, Kenny lists Tim Buckley, who had a beautiful sentiment that he could put out behind the microphone, Kenny said.
Syntax Error is another band that impresses him, along with Australian rock band The Church, American country and western singer Gillian Welch, and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band — a big-band ensemble that played behind a lot of 60s and 70s music.
Two years ago, Kenny teamed up with drummer Mark Welch and bassist Craig Mills to form the Kenny Feather Band, who are active on the local music scene and regular performers at The Victoria Hotel in Orange, a venue he says is special for its support of original live music.
A prolific songwriter, Kenny has penned more than 200 songs in the past 18 months. He once got up at 4am and wrote an entire album in a day.
So every time the band sees him, they are getting a new album, he jokes.
Kenny Feather recently released a new song ‘Humble Pie’ which you can find at soundcloud.com/kennyfeather
Cast: Juliana Grigoryan, Heidi Stober, Freddie De Tommaso, Lucas Meachem, Sean Michael Plumb, Jongmin Park, Donald Maxwell... conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson
With its enchanting setting and spellbinding score, the world’s most popular opera is as timeless as it is heartbreaking. performance.
Consumer Advice: Classification exempt November 23
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, Idris Elba
Detectives Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootopia and turns the mammal metropolis upside down.
Genre: Family, Animation
Cast: Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca, Laurel Marsden, Gaia Wise
A widowed fisher-woman, travelling alone through snowbound northern Minnesota, interrupts the kidnapping of a teenage girl. Hours from the nearest town and with no phone service, she realises that she is the young girl’s only hope.
Genre: Action, Thriller
An exhibition marking the centenary of Bloomfield Hospital has opened at Orange Regional Museum.
Bloomfield: 1925-2025 traces a century of changing care, social attitudes, community life and culture in Orange and the Central West. It draws upon Bloomfield Hospital’s collection, Orange Regional Museum’s collection, and community loans and donations.
Bloomfield Hospital’s history has been deeply entwined with that of Orange and the Central West since it opened as Orange Mental Hospital on 6 November 1925, from employment and education to sport, arts and community events.
Orange Mayor Tony Mileto said the exhibition shared the history of Bloomfield from the dedication of the site in the late 19th century to the present.
“One hundred years is an extraordinary span of time, and Bloomfield Hospital has been a cornerstone of life in our region throughout it,” Cr Mileto said.
“The sheer volume of stories, records and memories connected to this place is immense, and this exhibition is a vital opportunity to preserve and share that legacy with the community.”
Orange City Council’s Recreation and Culture Policy Committee Chair, Cr Tammy Greenhalgh said
the exhibition featured a wealth of material including rare photographs and film, compelling objects, personal stories and interactive displays.
“This exhibition is a rich archive of Bloomfield’s past and offers a comprehensive insight into how mental health care has evolved over the last century,” Cr Greenhalgh said.
“It’s a powerful reflection of how deeply Bloomfield has shaped our community over the past century. I urge everyone to visit the exhibition and take the time to gain a comprehensive insight into the experiences of those who lived and worked there.”
Bloomfield: 1925-2025 will be open until 26 July, 2026. Orange Regional Museum is open from 9am to 4pm daily.
Free, supportive workshops to help you think about and voice your end-of-life wishes
WORKSHOP DATES:
November 2025: 18, 20, 25, 27 December 2025: 4, 9, 11, 16, 18
BOOK YOUR SPOT NOW
Limited to 20 participants per session. Call (02) 6393 8600 to book or email communityservicesadmin@orange.nsw.gov.au
Music in Colour
PRESENTED BY ORANGE REGIONAL CONSERVATORIOUM
Join musicians from Orange Regional Conservatorium as they perform works that creatively respond to the Wynne Prize 2025 exhibition. All proceeds go towards acquisitions for Orange Regional Gallery’s permanent collection.
Orange Regional Gallery
149 Byng Street
Thursday 13 November, 6pm
Cost $60 (plus booking fee). Contact the gallery or visit Eventbrite.
Hugh Mackay ‘Just Saying’ BOOK LAUNCH
Warm, witty, wise – and occasionally challenging –Just Saying is bestselling social psychologist Hugh Mackay’s highly personal reflections on twenty-five quotations from some of the world’s greatest thinkers and writers, from Confucius and Plato to Susan Sontag and Miles Franklin.
Orange City Library
147 Byng Street
Tuesday 25 November, 5.30pm
Bookings: Eventbrite
Justice Crew RUN IT BACK TOUR
The boys are back and this time they’re taking it up a notch, with big hits, big moves and big memories. This is the Run It Back Reunion Tour and it’s going to take you straight back to all the hits you remember. Grab your crew. Grab your spot.
Orange Civic Theatre
135 Byng Street
Saturday 29 November, 5pm
Bookings: Ticketek
BECOME A VOLUNTEER WITH MY CARE FUTURE
Support others in planning for their future care.
No experience needed –just a willingness to help. Training provided.
By CEC TILBURG
A large crowd attended the official opening of a new exhibition at the Orange Regional Museum celebrating the anniversary of the Bloomfield Hospital. The locally-developed exhibition ‘Bloomfield Hospital 1925–2025’, draws upon Bloomfield Hospital’s collection, Orange Regional Museum’s collection, and community loans and donations. It covers the history of the health facility from its conception to today and looks at the changes in care and social attitudes towards mental health care. Those attending the launch of the exhibition included many former staff members and their families. The exhibition was officially opened by Orange Mayor Tony Mileto.
4 1 3
Land Size: 843sqm FOR SALE
Contact Agent
Elders Emms Mooney
Martin Lyden 0404 070 391
Set in an elevated position with sweeping views across Orange, this solid four-bedroom home offers comfort, convenience, and space for the whole family.
Inside, you’ll find a practical floor plan featuring four bedrooms and a central bathroom. The light-filled living spaces make the most of the home’s aspect, while the elevated outlook provides a sense of privacy and connection to the surrounding scenery.
Outside, the property offers plenty of room for vehicles and storage, with three dedicated car spaces. Positioned for lifestyle and convenience, this home is just moments from schools, shops and the heart of Orange.
Whether you’re a first home buyer, investor, or family looking for space in a central location, 283 Dalton Street is an opportunity not to be missed.
Farm/Machinery 2 axle farm trailer, 1x 130HP SAME tractor 4x4, Rotary Hoe, Small farm tractor (red) 2 axle, CELEBRITY 270 Boat with 2 axle trailer, SUNBEAM Supermatic Hydraulic wool press, 1x shearing plant, Shearing Knife sharpener
CATERPILLAR motor small tractor 4x4 with 3 in one bucket, slasher and forks for the front end loader, old Triton ute 4wd (not going), Fork lift (yellow), FURPHY water container, 1 x 20 ft shipping container, 2 x axle trailer (yellow), Car hoist 3000KG capacity, MANRIDER winches, Old International (small) baler, Water pumps, water cooled diesel generator (blue), COMPAC yellow and blue PERKINS electric generator
JAGUAR CARS
1. 1980s (maroon) Jaguar (for parts)
2. 1980 (light blue) Jaguar (for parts)
3. XJSport (black)
4. 1980s (blue)
5. V12 Sovereign Jaguar (sea green)
6. Sovereign (brown)
7. Jaguar S type
8. Coupe
9. DAIMLER Vanden Plas
10. Sovereign (blue) 1988
11. XJSC coupe (soft top) Hamilton motor
• Refreshments available on the day.Directions; Take Icely Road turnoff from Northern Distributor, head East,( 14 kms approx) follow signs, property RHS
• Saturday November 15th Inspections from 9am Sale Begins 10.30am
Selling Agents: PRD Orange Scott Munro 0428 650 675
Auction. If not sold prior.
‘Glenrose’ is an attractive rural lifestyle property set on 17.8ha south of Blayney.
• 4-bedroom, 1 bathroom
• Open plan kitchen and dining
• French doors opening from the northfacing rooms to the garden
• Reverse-cycle air conditioning, slow combustion wood heater & ceiling fans
• Fenced into 5 paddocks with improved pastures and scattered native timber.
Auction Friday 21 November at 10:30am
*
Real Estate
Ben Redfern 0457 770 062
ben.redfern@elders.com.au
Marty Lyden 0404 070 391 martin.lyden@elders.com.au
Grazing and cropping opportunities.
A versatile 123ha (304ac*) rural holding ideal for cropping and livestock.
• An older four-bedroom weatherboard home with sweeping views
• 3 x 50-ton silos, hay shed & workshop
• Steel cattle yards
• Equipped bore supplying a header tank for stock and domestic use
• Divided into four paddocks with excellent access and layout.
* Approximately
Ben Redfern 0457 770 062
ben.redfern@elders.com.au Joe Simpson 0439 262 402 joe.simpson@elders.com.au
A lifestyle like no other.
Set on 2.6ha (6.5ac) along the Bell River, this property offers two homes and flexible options for family living, guest accommodation, or a farm stay.
• Two homes linked by a spacious entertainment courtyard
• Homestead: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, country-style kitchen, hardwood floor
• Cottage: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reverse cycle air-conditioning.
Real Estate
Ben Redfern 0457 770 062
ben.redfern@elders.com.au
Katie Christopherson 0400 637 559 katie.christophersen@elders.com.au
Space and breathtaking views.
• 8 bedrooms with walk-in wardrobes
• Master wing with ensuite, lounge and study
• Modern kitchen with butler’s pantry
• Ducted heating/cooling & electric fireplace
• 11.2KW solar system, 120,000L water tank & bore with pump
• Fully fenced with double garage & treelined driveway.
10.00 - 10.30 1396 AMAROO ROAD BORENORE 226AUCTION 11.00 - 11.30584 HUNTLEY ROAD, ORANGE534CONTACT AGENT
12.00 - 12.30 16 STABBACK STREET MILLTHORPE 521$750,000
11.00 - 11.30 20 BURREBURRY CRESCENT CALARE 421$760,000 TO $780,000 ELDERS
9:45 - 10:15116 SPEEDY STREET, MOLONG 524 AUCTION
11:00 - 11:301170 MITCHELL HWY, ORANGE 745 AUCTION
ONE AGENCY
10:00-10:304/71A MOULDER STREET321$825,000 - $850,000
10:00-10:30 2DONPETERSPLACE,CLIFTONGROVE 434$1,250,000 - $1,350,000
10:30-11:006 LINDEN AVENUE, ORANGE532$1,475,000 - $1,525,000
10:45-11:157 DIAMOND DRIVE, ORANGE422$875,000 - $900,000
10:45-11:157 KITE STREET, ORANGE322$1,400,000 - $1,500,000
11:15-11:458 EMILY PLACE, ORANGE422 $950,000 - $975,000
11:30-12:005 TRAINOR COURT, ORANGE422$825,000 - $850,000
11:30-12:00132 WARRENDINE STREET312$830,000 - $870,000
12:00-12:30933 ICELY ROAD, ORANGE422 CONTACT AGENT
12:15-12:4561 CORONATION DRIVE432$800,000 - $820,000
12:15-12:45138 MARCH STREET, ORANGE321$1,000,000 - $1,100,000
01:00-1:3034 GEORGE WEILY PLACE422$970,000 - $1,030,000
01:00-1:305 MESSINA STREET, ORANGE424$785,000-$835,000
ORANGE REAL ESTATE
10.00 - 10.3061A BOTANIC WAY 322 $715,000.00
-
- 12.1510 GIRRAHWEEN PLACE433 $1,485,000.00 - $1,550,000.00 12.00 - 12.30288 BYNG STREET 311 $589,000.00 12.45-1.1522 JUBILEE
PETER FISHER
9:30 - 10:0065 EUCALYPTUS CLOSE 624CONTACT AGENT 9:45 - 10:15 7 GOROKA PLACE 311$580,000 - $600,000 9:45 - 10:154/155-159 SAMPSON STREET
10:30 - 11:007 REGENCY PLACE
- $899,000 10:30 - 11:006/209-215 HILL STREET 321$610,000
10:30 - 11:30 3470 CARGO ROAD 427EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CLOSING 5PM ON 12TH DECEMBER 2025 10:45 - 11:15 19 THOMAS KITE LANE 5412$2,300,000 - $2,500,000 11:15 - 11:45107 CLINTON STREET 211$900,000 - $950,000 11:15 - 11:45 99 ICELY ROAD 311$630,000 - $650,000 12:00 - 12:30 5 BRAEMAR CIRCUIT 423$899,000 - $929,000 12:15 - 12:45 121 BATHURST ROAD 311$630,000 - $670,000 12:45 - 1:00 7/27 NILE STREET 111$410,000 - $420,000 1:00 - 1:30 1 DUFF STREET, MANILDRA 311$600,000 - $650,000
10:00 - 10:30568 Borenore Road, Orange332$875,000 - $915,000
10:00 - 10:302/64 Icely Road, Orange312$649,000
11:00 - 11:30117 Dalton Street, Orange311$550,000 - $570,000
11:00 - 11:3012 William Street, Millthorpe532Contact Agent 11:30 - 12:0018 Thompson Street, Cargo422$799,000
12:00 - 12:3078 Hillside Lane, Forest Reefs528AUCTION 1:00 - 1:3019 Carcoar Street, Neville315$750,000
If you are thinking of buying or selling property, need a Will, or would like to update your existing Will or Power of Attorney, then call me for a chat or send me an email to discuss your situation
reception@oclife.com.au Have something of interest to share?
Someone once told me they would catch fire if they went into a church. This mildly amusing joke was due to him feeling he was ‘too bad’ to be welcome inside. It’s ironic actually, as a fundamental concept of Christianity is that all humans sin and thus need the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus to be reconciled with God. Therefore church should be full of ‘bad’ people, including everyone who walks (or rolls) in the door. Over time a cultural idea developed that church was only for ‘good’ people with sorted out, sinless lives. That’s just not true. Jesus tells a tale of two people at church, one who was praying about how good he was especially compared to others, versus another who only prayed that God would be merciful to him - a sinner. Jesus said the second guy was the one who left right with God (see Luke 18).
Admittedly a church can seem strange to those not used to it. A new church service has opened Sunday 10 AM at PCYC, styling themselves as ‘a church for people who don’t go to church’. All are welcome. However out of place you might feel, you would actually fit right in.
Steve Peterson
If you have any questions you would like answered, ideas for articles, or would like to find out more about Jesus click this QR code
Name and age: Sienna, 11
Who is your favourite teacher and what do you love about them? Mrs Hay, because she’s a super nice, sunny, sweet and epic person. What’s your favourite subject at school this year? History. Who is your best friend and what do you like to do together? Connor, and we love to do Karate together and we like to make jokes and draw. Also Tilly is my friend and we love to play games and have fun together.
If you were principal for a day, what’s the first thing you would do? I would make it pizza day where each kid gets a whole pizza and we’ll watch movies and play games all day long. What is your favourite food? Pizza!
What is something that makes you really happy? Dogs and cats. What is the most important job in the world? Mum, police, firefighter. If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be? I would be an archer and shoot arrows and be able to be invisible and be able to fight.
1- Scan the QR code 2- Enter your name and contact details. 3- Submit your competition details.3- answers. Automatically go into an additional draw for a chance to win a $20 food and beverage voucher from the Orange City Bowling Club!
Win a $50 Gift Voucher at The Village on Summer St Proudly
By CEC TILBURG
Congratulations to Peter Hanes who celebrated his 50th birthday on Saturday night surrounded by family and friends at the Ophir Hotel. It was a fantastic night filled with laughter, memories, and plenty of fun for everyone!
By JONATHAN ROE
Music lovers gathered at at the Orange Regional Art Gallery on Friday, November 7, for the official program launch of the 2026 Orange Chamber Music Festival.
Tickets are on sale now for the 2026 festival , March 12-15, which will feature performances by Lior, The Sydney Symphony Fellows, Acacia Quartet, Andrew Goodwin, Gryphon Baryton Trio, Ensemble Offspring, and pianist Simon Tedeschi.
Guests at the program launch also enjoyed a performance by the Nexas Quartet, teasing a few items from their upcoming festival show ‘Gershwin’ which will be held at the Orange Civic Theatre with special guest, piano virtuoso Simon Tedeschi.
By CEC TILBURG
Orange CYMS had a convincing win over Centrals at Wade Park on Friday night in their opening match of the BurMac Bonnor Cup competition. CYMS set a 169run target for their opponents, with Aditya Adey making an impressive 48 runs off 23 balls. Central managed just 91 in reply, with Riley Krause and Max Richards taking four wickets apiece.
By DAVID DIXON
Total destruction in a fire in 2019 of the original Wentworth Golf Club seemed likely a death-knell for “The Wenty”; but fate still had a hand to play.
Having only just passed its halfcentury a few years before, it looked like this beloved local institution, might not meet the 60th anniversary which it celebrates this week.
Fortuitous events, however, led to its amalgamation with Orange Ex-Services Club, and they haven’t looked back since, Servies’ Chief Operating Officer, Mark “Fez” Fliedner believes.
“It was a tragedy when the 50-year plus club house burnt to the ground however, at that time, the Orange ExServices Country Club ˗ which had its own course ˗ lost our lease out at Bloomfield,” Fez explained.
“So, we eventually formed an amalgamation between Orange ExServices Club and Wentworth, which has been beneficial for both parties,” he added.
Half-century member, Stan Streatfeild, said that the amalgamation with the Ex-Services Club, was a lifesaver after the devastating inferno of May 18, 2019.
“In the end, it was probably the best thing to happen for all concerned,” Stan said.
“The Servies lost a country club, and got a first-rate golf course as a swap,” he added.
Bricks-and-mortar of the new clubhouse is one sign of the
successful marriage between one of the top courses in the bush and Orange’s biggest community organisation.
“The cost was about $25 million to build, making it one of the most modern buildings and golf courses in NSW,” Fez said proudly.
“We’ve got a pro-shop, two golf simulators, a sports bar, a main restaurant, two cafes and function spaces, and a kids play area.”
With the fine and ancient game of golf now struggling for numbers in many towns across Australia, “The Wentworth”, as it is now known, has only grown and thrived.
“At the time of the re-opening, we had about 550 full members, now we have about 760 members, and that doesn’t include the 26,000 social members across the group,” Fez revealed.
He emphasised not just the good work in recent years, but also the hard labour of those who founded the club all those years’ ago.
“The golf course, wouldn’t be where it is, if not for founders like John (Bankovic)’ with the events of 2019 shattering for the members.
“It’s been a home away from home for so many, and it was sad for everyone but, saying that, it gave us the opportunity to benefit the whole community,” Fez said.
He points to the long-standing commitment of so many at the club to its ultimate success now and into the future.
“We have 48 juniors, an increase on previous years, which is great; Todd (Brakenridge, Club Pro), does everything,
“We have a beautiful 18-hole, par 69 course in top condition, that is a testament to the work of so many people over the years,” Fez said. For many members, he believes, the club is so much more than just another golf course.
“I used to work out here since I was 16, Todd’s been here since he was 16, for all of us, it’s a special place,” Fez said.
“In the end, they’re not members, they’re friends.”
Early days of the club for everyone, only £5 a year!
Drinks between a group of golfloving friends way back in 1965 was the catalyst for the establishment of The Wentworth, now one of the best clubs in country NSW.
Increasing popularity of golf in the post-war years ˗ a sport until then traditionally associated with the wealthy upper middle class ˗ had led to a crisis, where Orange’s established centuryold course, simply could not cope with application numbers.
“At Duntryleague, you couldn’t join unless your father or grandfather had been a member, there was just too long a waiting list,” Wentworth Golf Club founding member, John Bankovic recalled.
“So, it was six local businessmen, over a beer at the old Orange Hotel, who decided to go ahead and build another golf course,” he added.
This led to a public meeting being called, where the unmet demand for the course, was starkly illustrated with a huge attendance.
“We had a meeting at the Amoco Hall (Orange Function Centre) where more than 750 people turned up, at the end of the meeting, everyone paid ¬£5 to become founding members,” John said.
“Then the next year, it went up to $10, a 100 per cent increase,” he joked (conversion to the new decimal currency in February 1966, was at one pound to two dollars).
For John though, at the time a recent migrant from the Croation province of communist Yugoslavia, the club has been a second home.
“You couldn’t find a better place to play golf, the first golf ball I ever hit in my life, was there, the first game I ever played, was there” John said. “It is more than a club, it is a family.”
for
A few more Stars than last week, so let’s get going with a look at the Wednesday 7.30pm league where Cody Frecklington scored 176 over average, and he was followed by Joseph Talidong from the Monday 7.30pm league who scored 163 over average next in line was Joshua Johnstone from the Tuesday Scratch Singles with 147 over average, then came Dean Wells from the Thursday 7.30pm league with 119 over average, and finally there was Harrison Walker from the Monday 6.30pm league with 110 over average for the series.
Star Bowler of the week and winner of the voucher from Race Track Car Wash was Cody Frecklington who scored that marvellous 176 over average for the series.
The High Roller champion for the week and winner of the three free practice games was Noah King, who scored a great 245 (PB).
Of course there were plenty trying hard to beat Noah, among them being Nic Culverson 202, Cameron Smith 201, Greg Shapter 211, Harrison Walker 205, Lachlan Turner 235, Joseph Talidong 231 (PB), Blake Frecklington 244, Brock Gallagher 215, Gary James 215, Will Rollo 234, Monique Slaczka 213, Jason Brown 215, Travis McMahon 236, Matt Woodham 208, Joshua Johnstone 231, Jacob French 223, Hayden Swallow 247, Brody Jadezak 229, Jordan Trenholm 214, David Haywood 264, Nathaniel Mason 258, Hudson Howard 225, Barry
Archer 223 and Dean Wells 235. The Almost Made it Hero this week and winner of the open order from Kings Takeaway at Greengate was Cody Frecklington who score a fantastic 187 (PB). As this score was 66 over average and part of his 176 over average for the series Cody was named the first Man of the Moment for November and first in the queue hoping for the voucher from Guys Cuts.
Others feeling hungry included Chelsea McClennan 149, Jerome Zelukovic 136, Matt Bryant 167, Helen Newling 171, Kez McCarthy 172, Lesley Murphy 149, Julie Hoogenboom 191, Braxton Lossano 169, Todd Lossano 166, Anne-Marie Johnstone 193, Paul Chate 172, Leanne Hovey 173 (PB), Neville Barden 176, Paddy Keen 121, Arno Williamson 137, Isaac Crothers 140, Noah Alcorn 123, Darren Schneider 132, Gae Claydon 165, Will Peate 193, Kevin Heng 181, Tori Downey 188, Ian Middleton 185, Jonah Thomas 140 (PB), Nic Culverson 192, Jayden Osborne 152, Ben Tysoe 152, Xavier Mason 192 and Keilan Holder 169.
Junior of the week and winner of the free game of tenpin, compliments of the Tenpin Bowl was Arno Williamson who scored 137 which was 56 over average.
The first Female of Note for November and first in line praying to win the gift certificate from MJ’s All Hair-All Occasions was Leanne Hovey, who scored a great 173 (PB,) which was 54 over average.
Hello Bowlers,
Attention, our AGM will be held on Saturday, 13 December. Time to be announced later.
Member fees are due and can be paid at the Country Club.
The pennant nomination sheet is in the alcove if you are interested in playing.
Tuesday Socials were cancelled due to the inclement weather.
On Saturday, we had 13 social bowlers and proudly representing our club at Millthorpe’s Black Dog Fundraiser were 15 members of the club. Raffle winner was Col Rosser. Lucky Rink winners were Jim Duff y and Matt Gamble.
Sunday Singles Championships results: Kev Kelly 25 def Marty Rickards 9. Brad Lamont 25 def Roy
on Saturday.
Leonard 8. Geoff Lockwood 25 def Matt Gamble 21. Phil McGarity 25 def Peter Lange 19.
Thank you to all the players, especially the markers over the weekend ˗ very much appreciated.
Hoping our members who are on the sick as well as the recovery list are on the mend. Our thoughts are with you all.
Saturday 15 November and Tuesday 1 November please call Jim Finn on 0418 651 382, or the club 6361 3210. Names in by 11:30pm for a 12:30pm start.
Bowls Etiquette tip: Players’ Code Of Conduct asks that you maintain a high standard of personal behaviour at all times.
Happy bowling, Christine, Committee & Publicity Officer.
Thursday, 6 November: We had 21 ladies bowling on a beautiful sunny day. Five games of pairs were played with Val and Vi sharing a game. Verna and Judy defeated Donna and Veronica, Denice T and Yvonne defeated Kathy and Trish, Kerry and Helen defeated Lorraine and Vicki, Phoebe and Denise L. defeated Jane and Annette and Val, Vi and Julie had a draw with Louise and Maryanne
Our Melbourne Cup luncheon, organised by our Wonderful Entertainment Director Lorraine, was a great success with lots of laughs, fun and fabulous food had by all. I believe there were a few ladies who also backed the winner.
A reminder that Trish has a list for our Pennants Teams if you wish to put your name down to play.
There is also a list for our Presentation Day to be held at the Country Club on the 5th of December. This will be our last day of bowls for 2025 so I hope to see you all there.
Our best wishes to those who
are feeling under the weather – we hope you are feeling better soon. Practice and coaching is available every Tuesday commencing at 10.30am, at the Country Club. These sessions are for our existing members and any ladies who would like to try their hand at lawn bowls.
Please contact Trish 0400379294, or Jane 0419620077 for further information.
Follow us on Instagram oesc_ womensbowls or Facebook Orange Ex-Services’ Country Club Womens Bowls
HAVE A GREAT WEEK! Julie Pitt , Public Relations Officer
It’s been a brilliant month of dragon boating for the Colour City Dragons, who did what they do best — showed up, paddled hard, laughed harder, and made new waves.
Twenty-three ‘Older’ dragons travelled to Canberra for the XX Australian Masters Games as part of the Colour City XX Australian Masters Crew.
On Day One, competing in the Senior A and Senior B competitions, our best finish was third. Our Senior C Women’s 10s crew did well in the first heat, coming second.
On Day Two, the Council man got out of bed in time to open the gate and there was no repeat of the debacle of Day One. We clocked a third in the Senior Bs Opens and another third with the Senior C Women’s 10s, which wasn’t enough for a medal, but we performed well.
Day Three was a great day as we were in Race 3 of 24 races and we watched a boat tip over in the first race on the first bend of a 1000m turn race. This was a bit of a spectacle, but no one was hurt and it was a good reminder for crews not to panic when things go awry. Phil proved his excellence in his craft as sweep by encouraging us all the way, and at one point wanted ‘everything we
had and more” and “everything we had hidden”. The old dragons rose to the challenge and gave him everything we had and everything we had hidden.
Congratulations to our very own Sharon Cooper who was part of the Dragons Abreast Crew for bringing home three medals, one gold, one silver and one bronze. What a fantastic effort!
The next Regatta on our schedule was at our very own beautiful Lake Canobolas and welcomed paddlers of all ages and abilities: The Western Region Regatta 2025.
We fielded three women’s crews, one men’s, one mixed 20s, and one mighty “Dash for Cash” crew featuring everyone from Auroras to State to Western Region Representatives. The full report can be found at www.orangecitylife.com.au.
Four Person Ambrose, 5 November 2025
Everyone enjoyed the Four Person Ambrose last week and there were some magnificent scores.
The winners with a very impressive 59.5 were the team of Di Selwood, Helen Ross, Shirley Grenfell and Trish Harvey who combined extremely well. They held their nerve to finish just .25 of a shot from the team of Katrina Ferris, Cindy White, Kerry Bruton and Rachel Kelly, who were also in top form, finishing with a brilliant 59.75 with each player contributing. Third place went to Sue Healey, Coral Britt, Sue Gander and Helen Laffey not far away, finishing with a wonderful 60.125, they played some very consistent golf.
Nearest the pins were won by Jane Gunn (3rd) Anne Field(5th) Shirley Grenfell (6th) and Cindy White (13th) Ball Competition winners were Robyn Newey, Robyn Forrester, Helen Laffey, Sue Hennessy, Shirley Grenfell and Robyn Cannon.
Next week we will be playing the November Monthly Medal.
The Medal of Medals set down for November 19 has been changed and will now be played next year on February 18.
Last Friday, a team from Duntryleague participated in the Western District’s Silver Team event 2025 held at Wellington Golf Club.
This is a tough game off scratch. The five best scores from each club are taken from a group of eight players. Twelve clubs were represented.
Duntryleague came first with a score of 111, while the Bathurst team were runners-up with a score of 105.
A great effort also from Duntryleague as Susan Fenwick won the individual event, with Sally
Kay,
This was almost a hat-trick for Duntryleague, who were winners of this event in 2023 and narrowly
missed winning on a countback in 2024.
Save the dates for this year are for our Christmas Party on Friday, 5 December (theme is boots and bling) and our Christmas Cheer and Presentation Day on Wednesday, 17 December. We will have more information re: tables, cost, etc in the next couple of weeks.
Our Tournament is set down for Sunday, February 15, so make sure you save the date for this event and invite any friends or family from other Clubs to come along and have a game.
Silver teams are being played in Wellington on Friday. Good luck to the Wentworth Representatives.
Have a great week!
Sweet
Obley St. Cumnock.
8.00am Sat 15th Nov.(Same
Cumnock.
The day you left and gained your wings
Our hearts broke in two We wished you could have stayed But heaven needed you.
Our hearts still ache in sadness
Our silent tears still flow for what it meant to lose you No one will ever know remembering you is easy. We do it everyday
But missing you is a heartache that never goes away. 8 years have passed some days seem an eternity other days seem like yesterday All our love Chris Mum & Dad
May the winds of heaven blow softly and whisper in your ear
How much we love and miss you and wish that you were here
Forever in Our Hearts
Our Love Always Shaz, Chris, Maddi & Kels
Sad are the hearts that love you Silent are the tears that fall Living here without you is the hardest part of all Loved and Remembered Every Day Jan, Andrew & Vicki, Leanne & Jamie and their families
FLORAL TRIBUTES & ARRANGEMENTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS
0428 627 227 janelle.beath6@bigpond.com
Specialist Clinicians - Gentle - No syringing - All Ages MICRO-SUCTION WAX REMOVAL CLINIC Visiting
Dates for November 19th, 20th, 21st Pinnacle Dermatology. 272 Anson St, Orange contact@ear2ear.com.au 0455 629 905
Professional Bra Fitter By Appointment
Mob: 0499 991 650
Bras for all women through every stage of life
Thomsons Garden Centre WOULD SUIT GAP YEAR
17 to 21 year olds in gap year required for casual positions in a garden related retail outlet. Applicants will need to be reliable and have good communication skills. Business operates seven days and hours are rostered and flexible. The work will include maintaining shop displays, sales and unpacking stock. Some heavy lifting is involved so the applicant needs to be fit and strong and have the ability to follow correct lifting procedures.
Resumes to be emailed to: office@greenwest.net.au and printed copy delivered to 213 McLachlan St, Orange
Free Delivery Fencing & Gates Call 0488 289 892
Congratulations to our November 6 winners:
NAME THAT BUSINESS ANSWER: JUNO’S MOUNTAIN TEA HOUSE
WINNER: Annette Baker PINNY
ANSWER: PAGE 29 WINNER: Moira Johns WHAT AM I WATCHING ANSWER: SPRINGSTEEN:DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE WINNER: Rachelle Hutchinson
EMAIL: reception@oclife.com.au | 6361 3575
THUMBS UP to the museum committee who organised the opening event for the Blomfield Hospital Centenary Exhibition at the Orange Museum. From the opening speeches that were held in the forecourt to allow for the large crowd, many who had worked at Blomfield over the 100 years caring for the patients, to the refreshments that led up to the wonderful Exhibition that made you realise what a valuable asset Blomfield Hospital was and still is to Orange. In the early days, Blomfield would have been the major employer in Orange. Although it had all the facilities to form a unique village, it required Orange to supply the workforce to make it into a caring and loving village to care for the patients.
THUMBS UP and thank you to Steph ( from Maryborough), who did ultrasounds on two elderly ladies (and friends) at Bloomfield Medical on Thursday, 30th October. It was lovely to meet you and receive such kind and professional service. You did such a detailed and excellent ultrasound on both of us, and we really appreciated your friendliness and care while we were there. We hope you are here to stay and enjoy all that Orange has to offer. Thanks Steph, you are a real asset!
THUMBS UP to Virginia at Barnson in Cameron Place, Orange. Such a friendly, efficient and helpful person to deal with. I had a sample tested for asbestos and the results were delivered in a very timely manner. She even sent a follow-up email to reassure me. A real asset to the company! She absolutely put my mind at rest. Thank you, Virginia!
THUMBS UP to the amazing RNs at Orange Family Medical Centre. They are all legends in their chosen fields and I thank you all for what you do for us , especially the elderly.
THUMBS DOWN to the television station showing betting ads during the 6 o’clock news broadcast, usually during the sports section that often features children’s sports that children would be viewing. One ad I believe should not be shown at any time. I thought gambling ads were banned at that time?
THUMBS UP for the exceptional care I received last weekend, following a potentially serious horse riding accident. I was treated by paramedics, nurse Tracey, Dr Matt , and staff at the Emergency Department. I was particularly touched by the kindness and compassion shown to me during what was a very stressful time. Although I was fortunate not to have sustained serious injuries, it was incredibly reassuring to be in such capable and professional hands. We are truly lucky in Orange to have such a dedicated and professional healthcare service. Thank you again for everything.
THUMBS UP to Col from Pakman Waste, who goes above and beyond to provide a wonderful, reliable garbage removal service. Your dedication and kindness is greatly appreciated.
THUMBS UP to the team behind the excellent Blomfield Hospital Centenary Exhibition at the Orange Museum. It is obvious that an incredible amount of work went into putting together the exhibition, which is of a very high quality.
Thumbs represent thoughts and opinions of readers and do not necessarily reflect those of Orange City Life. Every care is taken not to publish thumbs that are considered derogatory or defamatory in nature . Please note that thumbs may be edited for clarity, space or legal reasons.
ACROSS
1 Floating marker (4)
3 Rundown (10)
10 Components (7)
11 Crossed strips structure (7)
12 Mirrors (8)
23 Intrepid (8)
26 Bolting (7)
27 Retinue (7)
3 LETTERS
28 County town of Dorset (10)
29 Wood heap for burning (4)
DOWN
1 Bare skin (coll) (4)
2 Big classical music ensemble (9)
4 Partner; colleague (9)
5 Public auctions (5)
6 French resort town (7)
7 Musician, – Urban (5)
8 Gracefully (9)
9 Young horse (4)
14 Planned (9)
16 Flood (9)
17 Elusively (9)
19 A Jewish language (7)
22 Become liable to (5)
23 Pushes (5)
24 Unusual (4)
25 Surrender (4)
13 State of Brazil (5)
14 Location (4)
15 Vexation (10)
18 Hard rock music (5,5)
20 Umpteen (4)
21 Removed moisture (5)
apostrophes or plural nouns ending in ‘s’.
Each number corresponds to a letter of the alphabet. Two have been filled in for you, can you work out the rest?
solve a
4 LETTERS
By JONATHAN ROE
Boxing returns to Orange this Saturday evening, with local promotion Battle in the Bush 12 boasting five title fights on the stacked line-up scheduled to take place at Endeavour Oval.
Among those hopeful of bringing home a belt is 16-year-old Billy Littlefield who will be stepping in the ring at the Emus Rugby Club home ground to contest an Australian Junior Welterweight title.
It was only just a few short weeks ago, on October 18, that the 16-year-old won his first state junior welterweight title against a previously undefeated opponent in Newcastle. On Saturday, Billy faces a challenging fight against an experienced and skilled fighter with a state title of his own.
“I’m excited for it, and that’s going
to be a good challenge for me,” says Billy, who truly does seem to relish the opportunity to test himself in the ring.
“I like how hard it is and how challenging it is,” he says. “And when you win… it’s probably the best feeling I’ve ever felt!”
Billy’s October title fight was also his first four-round contest, but neither the fight itself nor the state title on the line phased the young boxer.
“I realised the pressure wasn’t on me,” he says. “He was the undefeated fighter and he had the title and everything to lose, so yeah, it was just really fun going into it.”
Billy began training seriously only two years ago, but he is no stranger to the boxing world. His father and trainer, Dave Littlefield, has numerous titles on his record, as do Billy’s older brothers Jack and Finn.
16-year-old Billy Littlefield with his father and trainer, Dave Littlefield.
Twenty-year-old Finn will be looking to claim a state title fighting in the main event in Orange on Saturday.
“It’s a real family aff air at the moment,” says Dave Littlefield, who adds they have all been surprised by the resilience and mental strength Billy has shown in the ring despite his limited experience.
“To be honest with you, Billy’s got some good power and is really picking up the skill side of the game, but it’s probably the mental side that’s impressed us most,” Dave said.
“There’s nothing that phases him… the harder the fight, the more excited he gets - even before his state title fight, you couldn’t get the grin off his face!”
“But he’s been watching that game, watching me and his brothers fight all the time and we think he must have
been taking it in subconsciously.”
Billy will need that resilience on Saturday, says Dave, who describes his opponent as one of the top juniors in the country.
“It’s going to be a close fight,” says Dave. “The good thing about this is that Billy’s just focusing on boxing. He was trying to juggle footy and have a fight every six or seven weeks as well, but now he’s just focusing on boxing, prepping as a boxer, as a fighter, and that hopefully will put us in good stead.
“Either way, it’s going to be a very exciting fight of two different styles. His opponent is very flashy and skilful and Billy is very tenacious and aggressive. It’ll be a real thinking battle.”
Battle in the Bush 12 takes place at Orange Emus this Saturday, November 15. Gates open at 3pm and the first fight is at 4pm.
