PCP20250313

CELEBRATING PARKES SHIRE WOMEN

Grand vision for nature park

By CHRISTINE LITTLE

There are grand plans to enhance and conserve a nature reserve in Peak Hill but Parkes Shire Council needs your feedback rst.

Council agreed to create a masterplan of the Peak Hill Flora and Fauna Nature Reserve, paid out of the Peak Hill Town Improvement Fund, last June and it’s now on public exhibition until April 4.

The dra was tabled and accepted at Council’s February 18 meeting, with councillor and Peak Hill resident Louise O’Leary describing the area -

also known as the Peak Hill Nature Walk - as a diamond in the rough.

It’s located on the eastern outskirts of Peak Hill, about 450m from the main street, Caswell Street/Newell Highway, on the Golf Club Road and in its current form, has a gravel frontage with steel fencing and gates around an overgrown native garden, and a sign sitting back in the bushland.

The report said because of its close proximity to the Peak Hill township, the Newell Highway and the Peak Hill Open Cut Gold Mine Experi-

ence, the reserve is regularly visited by locals and visitors.

The dra plan was initiated by the Peak Hill Community Consultative Committee and developed with the support of a number of government authorities, organisations, community groups and individuals.

It features 10 improvement projects that will ultimately transform the site.

“It’s taken a bit of planning by the Peak Hill Community Consultative Committee,” Cr O’Leary said at the Council meeting.

The projects include wid-

ening Golf Club Road and extending the shared footpath along Golf Club Road to connect Euchie Street to the reserve.

Council and stakeholders would like to formalise a parking bay, including space big enough for caravans and a U-turn bay, demolish an unused storage shed and develop walking trails and picnic areas.

The plans suggest repurposing the old native garden into a learning space with rock seating and calling it the Ray Keed Outdoor Learning Space, establish a lookout to

the Hervey Ranges with signage and eagle artwork, and explore the use of interactive technology to enhance visitor experiences.

Ray Keed was a predominant member of the Peak Hill Indigenous community who was involved in the instigation of the park.

The plan also includes having a structured maintenance regime, preparing a dra cultural burn plan to manage the grass and vegetation fuel load and reduce the risk of res, and preparing a dra stormwater management plan and erosion control plan.

Community members are encouraged to submit their feedback and any possible suggestions by 12pm Friday, 4 April, by either emailing Council at council@parkes. nsw.gov.au or writing to the General Manager, Parkes Shire Council PO Box 337, Parkes NSW 2870. At the end of the exhibition period Council sta will make the necessary amendments to the plan and report back to a Council meeting for its nal adoption.

It is hoped the nal plan will aid and strengthen future grant funding applications.

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Rhonda

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Girl Guides are back in Parkes

Parkes women, back, Sarah Wilkinson, Ati Jhajj, Kelly Hendry, Natalie Williams, Fiona Francis and Helen Magill; front, Katrina Swi , Kerry Stewart, Nichole Priest and Leanne Arndell enjoying the Parkes QUE Club’s International Women’s Day luncheon on Sunday. PHOTO: Jenny Kingham

Donato recognises efforts

Member for Orange, Phil Donato held his fourth annual Community Recognition Awards event at Borenore where more than 150 people from the Orange Electorate were honoured.

From the 150, 23 Parkes individuals, organisations and events were recognised for their e orts and achievements.

Mr Donato personally presented a certi cate to each award recipient, endorsed with the speech he delivered in the NSW Parliament to o cially recognise them.

“It’s amazing to discover the contributions made by individuals and organisations to our local community, as well as people’s remarkable personal or professional accomplishments,” Mr Donato said.

“Most of these people do not do what they do for any recognition whatsoever, which makes this presentation so much more worthwhile when I see these humble individuals being recognised by members of their community.

“We should all be proud of these people’s e orts, because their motivation and their values are what help to make our region bloom and such a great place to live,” Mr Donato said.

gade and the Secondary School RFS Cadet Program, Terry Job was recognised by the Member for Orange for his service.

Terry was recognised last year at the NSW RFS Young Volunteer Awards for 2024 with a special award marking his two decades of involvement in the Secondary School Cadet Program.

VINNIES VOLUNTEERS

Betty Ackroyd, Patrica Byrne, Lorraine Carty and Deborah Nelson are a part of Parkes St Vincent de Paul and were recognised for their work as volunteers.

Mr Donato conveyed his gratitude to the four ladies who are involved in keeping Parkes Vinnies thriving.

the Parkes Elvis Festival is now recognised as one of the top three festival events in Australia and commended Bob and Anne on their vision 32 years ago.

“As with all rural re service brigades and their SES counterparts, Parkes RFS is a critical service for this rural township and Terry’s commitment to keeping it robust and ourishing must be commended,” Mr Donato said in NSW Parliament.

BOB AND ANNE STEEL

Parkes Elvis Festival founders, Bob and Anne Steel were awarded for their work.

Mr Donato acknowledged that

Munn was also recognised at the NSW RFS Young Volunteer Awards for 2024 as NSW RFS Young Volunteer of the Year.

“The future of the Rural Fire Service in Parkes looks healthy if young brigade member Marshall Munn is an example of the calibre of their recruiting,” Mr Donato said.

WHAT’S ON in and around Parkes

PILOT SAFETY SEMINARS

Thursday, March 13

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s AvSafety Advisors will be heading to our region to deliver the latest safety seminar for pilots of all license categories: “Loud and clear”.

Clear communication is essential for ight safety, especially in non-controlled aerodrome environments.

Topics covered will include: The basics of human communication, aviation communication rules and procedures, real-life examples of how things can go wrong, techniques and strategies to improve your transmissions, how to use of an AFRU (Aerodrome Frequency Response Unit) and standard aviation communication practices. This seminar will complement any level of technical knowledge, whether you’re a novice or experienced pilot. The Parkes seminar will take place at the Parkes Aero Club at the Parkes Airport from 6pm-8pm on March 13. There are also seminars at the Cowra and District Aero Club on March 12, 6pm-8pm and Temora Flyers Inc in Temora on March 15, 6pm-8pm. To register visit www.casa.gov.au, click on the Resources and Education tab and then Seminars, Workshops and Education, or head to the Parkes Aero Club’s Facebook page.

TRUNDLE BACK IN TIME

15-16 March

It’s here! This celebration of heritage returns to Trundle with the theme Show Us Ya Tracks.

There will be all the regular favourites - the tractor pull, sheaf toss, swap meet, market stalls and kids zone with live music too. 2025 also marks 100 years of John Deere tractors.

COMMUNITY FIBRE ARTS EXHIBITION OPENING

Saturday, 15 March

The opening of the Community Fibre Arts Exhibition will be held at 10am to 12pm on Saturday, 15 March in the Coventry Room at the Parkes Shire Library where entry is free. The exhibition will be opened until Saturday, 12 April. The exhibition will see art entries including applique, knitting, crochet, felting, sculptural, basketry, creative embroidery, collage, weaving and more. Make sure to check it out.

EXPRESSIVE DRAWING AND MARK MAKING WORKSHOP

Sunday, 16 March

From 9:30am to 3:30pm at the Marramarra Makerspace immerse yourself in a whirlwind of creativity and delve into the realms of expressive, gestural and innovative drawing and mark making techniques. This workshop is $110 per person and bookings are essential. Fork further details and bookings contact Karen Ritchie by emailing karenritchieart@gmail.com

PARKES CHRISTIAN SCHOOL EXPO

Monday, 17 March

Whether you are interested in joining the Parkes Christian

School or wish to see what Parkes Christian School has to o er, everyone is welcome to attend their school expo from 6pm to 8pm.

ROBOTICS WORKSHOP

Tuesday, 18 March

Western Enrichment

Learning Lab is excited to be back in Parkes. At the Marramurra Makerspace from 3:45 to 4:45pm junior robotics will be held for children in Years 2 to 5 and from 5-6:30pm intermediate robotics will be held for children in Years 5 to 10. Use LEGO spike robotics kits and computers to build a robot and complete a coding challenge. To book your spot visit trybooking.com.au

Parkes combined land value rises by one per cent

Across regional NSW, land values have risen by almost $9 billion according to a new analysis from the NSW Valuer General Sally Dale.

Between 1 July, 2023 and 1 July, 2024 the total land value for regional NSW experienced a combined increase of 2.7 per cent across all property types from $329 billion to $338 billion.

Parkes experienced a combined total of 1.1 per cent across all property types.

“Regional NSW has experienced a slight increase in land values, with continued demand for property and constrained supply,” Ms Dale said.

Residential land values saw an average of 2.7 per cent increase across regional NSW with Parkes seeing a 1.0 per cent increase.

Cobar experienced the strongest growth with a 45.4 per cent increase and Bland saw the biggest decrease in residential land value with a decrease of -6.7 per cent.

“The state’s constrained housing supply and resulting population shifts continue to support increases in residential land values across western NSW as people look for more affordable and available housing,” Ms Dale said.

She believes it will be interesting to see if this trend continues over the longer term and whether the ‘tree change’ remains a trend in the future.

Rural land values also increased by 2.7 per cent across regional NSW with a 1.3 per cent increase across Parkes.

TRUNDLE BACK IN TIME 15 AND 16 MARCH

now be held on March 22 with its men’s rst grade team in a trial match against the Geurie Goats at 3.30pm at Spicer Oval.

PARKES HIGH SCHOOL OPEN DAY

Tuesday, 18 March

Everyone is invited to attend Parkes High School’s upcoming open day for 2025. Check out the fantastic learning opportunities and facilities Parkes High o ers their students. From 5:30pm to 7:30pm there will be an information session, school tour and BBQ provided. The open day begins at the school hall so make sure not to miss seeing what your local public high school has to o er.

SEASON LAUNCH

Saturday, 22 March

(date change)

The Parkes Boars Rugby Union Club’s season launch will

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RED BEND OPEN DAY

Sunday, 23 March

Explore what Red Bend Catholic College has to o er students at their annual open day. From 10am to 1pm there will be guided tours and light refreshments available.

HOMEGROWN PARKES

Saturday, 29 March

Another Homegrown Parkes is fast approaching for everyone to enjoy. All homegrown, handmade, homemade and repurposed around the Parkes Shire and further a eld, the day features markets, music, crop swap, performances and demonstrations in Cooke Park.

Gwydir recorded the highest rural land value percentage change at 23.0 per cent while the Greater Hume experienced the biggest decrease at -11.1 per cent.

continue to increase, overall land values

“While commercial and rural markets continue to increase, overall land values growth in the sector has remained marginal for the 12 months to 1 July, 2024, and this is expected to continue in the current year,” Ms Dale said.

Parkes did not see a percentage change in commercial or industrial land value while regional NSW saw a minor increase in commercial land values with a 2.4 per cent increase and industrial land values experienced the highest growth across property categories with a 9.9 per cent average increase in regional NSW.

Overall, land values across all of NSW increased by 6.4 per cent, from $2.8 trillion to $2.98 trillion.

These new land values will be used by Revenue NSW to calculate land tax for the 2025 land tax year for landowners subject to land tax.

2023 and July 2024.

Parkes experienced a combined total of 1.1 per cent increase in land value across all property types between July

Aunty Rhonda celebrated for her devotion to others

After a life-changing accident

Aunty Rhonda Towney from Peak Hill wanted to devote her self to helping others.

More than 10 years on, she’s founded Yindyamarra Aborigi nal Services and provides aid and thousands of hampers to those in need around the state each year.

These are among the many reasons why Aunty Rhonda, a Wiradjuri Elder, was named a finalist in the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year Award.

While she didn’t take home the main award following a ceremony for the 2025 NSW Women of the Year Awards on 6 March, held during NSW Wom en’s Week, Aunty Rhonda was one of five state finalists recog nised for her incredible dedica tion to Peak Hill and the broad er Parkes Shire community.

The NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year Award celebrates and recognises role models who pro mote economic, cultural and so cial opportunities for Aboriginal people in NSW.

A er a bad accident in 2012, Aunty Rhonda was le bedrid den and in aged care for three years.

During this time, she decided to turn her life around and de vote herself to helping people.

She learned to walk again and started Yindyamarra Aboriginal Services.

Her sel ess commitment to her home town of Peak Hill and other communities like it now sees her deliver more than 3000

both Indigenous and non-Indig enous.

It began as a once-a-week delivery that quickly spread over ve days and Aunty Rhonda soon found herself with a team of volunteers in neighbouring towns and towns she helps.

The now 77-year-old commu-

and has spent her entire life, Aunty Rhonda runs a drop-in service o ering donated food and goods, and referrals to other services.

As Aunty Rhonda watched businesses close its doors and services move away from her

ney advocating for change and raising awareness of the struggles so many little towns like hers face.

Aunty Rhonda has said the joy in people’s faces and the relationships she’s made is what she loves most about the work she does.

Irish twist at next country music muster

By CHRISTINE COX

Well, how Irish can you be to celebrate St Patrick’s Day the day before the day.

Just come along and enjoy an a ernoon of country, Irish and popular music.

Help us set the scene by coming dressed in your favourite shade of green (let’s see how many shades we can come up with).

Musters commence at 1pm, upstairs in the comfy surrounds of the Starlight Lounge at the Parkes Services Club.

Our featured artist, Craig “Chooka” Manderson, needs no

introduction being a welcome supporter of our Musters over many years. Craig is President of Dubbo Orana Club and performs regularly as a walkup artist here in Parkes.

What a great Muster we held in February.

No less than 13 walkups supporting our featured artist Garry Hemming, who stepped in at the last minute due to our advertised artist Dougie Watson falling sick and unable to attend.

Such a great supporter of our club and gentleman of country music.

Garry happily lled the posi-

tion and performed a fabulous, featured spot much to the enjoyment of listeners and dancers in attendance.

Garry was supported by walkups Stephen R Cheney, Bill Little, Grace Little, Bill Dixon, Jock Charlton, Lindy Charlton, Craig Manderson, Joy Rice, Chris Gorton, Lyall Strudwick, Sue Gillett, Freda and Scotty Drinkwater and Janet from Sydney.

Band duties were performed by Craig, Stephen, Chris, Brian, Pam and Lindy. Thankyou to the band.

It was with great sadness we learned of the passing early this

week of one of our treasured members and Life Member Frances Charlton.

We will certainly miss her beautiful smile and friendly greeting to everyone who walked through the door.

Frances has been a stalwart of our club for many years. Condolences to all her family and friends.

Hoping to see all our wonderful supporters and friends this weekend to enjoy our Country with a lilt of Irish Muster.

Remember Sunday 16th March, 1pm at the Parkes Services Club wearing your favourite shade of “green”.

Man charged after woman assaulted, airlifted to Sydney

A man has been charged with grievous bodily harm a er an alleged assault that resulted in a woman being airli ed to Sydney with serious head injuries.

Emergency services were called to reports of an assault at Bedgerabong about 8.45pm on Sunday, 10 March, NSW Police said in a statement issued to media.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated a woman with serious head injuries on scene, before she was airli ed to Westmead in a critical condition.

A 54-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Parkes Police Station.

He has been charged with cause grievous bodily harm to person with intent (DV) and hinder/resist law enforcement o cer in execution of duty. He was refused bail to face Parkes Local Court that same day.

Vinnies in need of local volunteers

Want to help keep the great work of St Vincent de Paul continue in the local community?

The Parkes Vinnies retail shop is in need of more volunteers.

Volunteering is one of the best ways to make new friends, build relationships and learn new skills.

The society o ers their volunteers a creative, supportive and rewarding environment.

By volunteering at the Parkes Vinnies retail shop you will get the chance to be creative with shop displays and visual merchandising, item pricing and tagging, arranging stock and sorting donated items. You will be involved with everything from customer service, shop maintenance, admin and computer support.

By volunteering you will also learn on the job skills that can be added to your resume.

No experience is needed the society welcomes everyone of all ages.

You will have the opportunity to meet with other like minded people, assist in helping those in need and make our environment healthier.

Do you need a challenge, love fashion or have some spare time?

Reach out to Vinnies now and start your volunteering journey by calling 6862 5758, emailing wcfsvdp@vinnies.org.au or call into the Vinnies Shop to enquire.

Kiddie Academy now open

By CHRISTINE LITTLE

After a busy open day last month, Parkes’ newest childcare centre Kiddie Academy is officially open.

More than 300 families have signed up to the centre that’s been operating for a number of weeks now out of its brand new purpose-built Woodward Street location.

A centre director has been appointed - that being Maxine Vincent from Eugowra - so too have room leaders and a full-time off-the-floor educational leader who supports trainees and educators.

The facility also employs additional support staff to assist all of its educators and allows for programming and study time.

Owner/operator Lloyd Williams said the staff response ahead of and during the centre’s opening has been really good.

The facility boasts seven rooms but only four are operational at the moment as they seek more qualified staff with diplomas and

Certificate III both in early childhood.

With opening hours from 7.30am to 6pm, Lloyd said they aim to be exible for families and sta .

Sta are progressively working their way through the centre’s waiting list and contacting families with enrolment o ers.

Karen Gerdes, who’s also from Eugowra, is the friendly face that greets families at the front counter as she looks a er the o ce administration.

And room leaders are Karen Smith of the babies room (six weeks to 12 months), Rhiannon Sheil (1-2 years), Teresa Ward (2-3 years) and Allana Matheson (preschool 3-5 years).

Director Maxine has 14 years’ experience in the early childhood sector.

She was a preschool director in Eugowra for eight years before doing Family Daycare out of her home for two years until the devastating November 2022 oods wiped out her business.

“That’s when I became a

consultant in long daycare in Canberra and Yass for a year,” Maxine said.

That role saw her visit other centres and directors o ering advice and guidance.

When the travel from Eugowra became too much, Maxine took some time o before working as an assistant director at a childcare centre in Cowra.

“Then this position came up which was closer to home,” she said.

“It’s going great - the families are nice, the sta are really good, the resources are fabulous and the management and owners are amazing.”

Maxine said she’s looking forward to the day they will have a fully operational centre.

“There’s room for growth for sta too with the other centre coming in the future and the need for an educational leader, second-incharge and a director,” she said.

Families had the opportunity to meet Maxine and her team and explore the new fa

cility during its open day on February 1.

The day included a jump ing castle, petting zoo and play time on the water park, a special feature of the out door area.

“It was constant all day,” Maxine said.

“We saw other services come in for a look too which was really good and the feed back has been really good.

“They were amazed at how big it is, it’s very deceiving looking up from the road, it’s not what you expect.”

Those who are still inter ested in seeing what Kiddie Academy o ers are welcome to call 5319 0560, visit their website www.kiddieacademy. nsw.edu.au or email parkes@ kiddieacademy.nsw.edu.au.

The Child Care Subsidy is available at Kiddie Academy Parkes.

Once the rst centre is fully established and operational, Lloyd said they plan to move onto stage two which is to build a second centre of the same capacity at the back of their premises in Woodward

Pavers

Phone: 02 6862 2253

Email for free Quote Email: gary@pottsgroup.com.au Website: pottsgroup.com.au

Karen Gerdes from Eugowra is the friendly face that greets families at the front counter as she looks a er the o ice administration.

Haizley Gavin, Finley Bennett and Olive Bartrop love the water feature.

Tavia Ward, Olive Bartrop (climbing), Haizley Gavin, Scarlett Terrill and room leader Allana Matheson have fun in the ball pit at Kiddie Academy.

Girls Guide the way back to Parkes

By MADELINE BLACKSTOCK

Girl Guides is back in Parkes and has already seen a huge response from local families.

The historic community group for girls had stopped operating in town when Covid hit the country.

The Parkes Girl Guides teams have been overwhelmed with the response from girls in the community wanting to try guiding after more than 40 girls have been attending their come and try sessions.

District manager Jen Harris said through a series of fun activities and opportunities, girls have the opportunity to discover new interests, develop their talents and share the experience with a group of friends.

Parkes Girl Guides acknowledges how girls can grow and learn in a safe and supported environment.

“Guiding is girl-led which allows girls to choose, plan and undertake their activities and events,” Jen said.

“Guides work together in

small groups while assisted by volunteer adult leaders who encourage Guides to learn new skills and take on new challenges in a safe environment.”

You will nd friendly leaders at Parkes Girl Guides including Angela Fitzpatrick and Jessica Neilsen.

Activities girls participate in range from cra , games, cooking, outdoor activities and involvement in community-based activities and events.

Girl Guides run on Monday a ernoons through school terms from 4.30pm to 5.30/6pm for girls aged seven to 10.

They hope to expand to accommodate older girls as they progress.

The next come and try a ernoon will be held on Monday, 17 March from 4.30pm at the Parkes Girl Guides Hall located in Cecile Street.

Register your interest via contacting Jen on 0468 510 596 or parkesdm@girlguides-nswactnt.org.au

The how and why of naming bridges

There’s been much talk and many questions raised among Parkes residents regarding the naming of ve new bridges that have been constructed.

It has led Parkes Shire Council to address some of the questions to help people better understand the naming process.

These include why the bridges are being named, how the names were chosen and the guidelines for naming roads and bridges.

We’ve decided to include the questions and answers from Council below too, for everyone’s convenience.

The ve bridges up for naming are on Victoria Street, East Street, Hartigan Avenue and two within the SAP.

Council has suggested two names for each - all but one a er a Parkes Shire councillor and a Wiradjuri name. All the information has been included on the opening page of the survey that Council is asking the community to complete by 5pm on Friday, 14 March.

Why name these bridges?

Due to the construction of the

Road upgrades, a number of new bridges have been built.

Naming roads and bridges helps acknowledge local history, culture, and identity while also improving navigation for residents, visitors, and emergency services.

It ensures consistency with state and national naming standards and recognises signi cant local heritage, Indigenous culture, and historical gures or events.

Who decides the names?

Parkes Shire Council is responsible for naming local roads and bridges, with all proposed names required to meet the Geographical

Names Board of NSW (GNB) crite-

ing Committee, made up of elected Council members, reviews and endorses names before approval.

How were the names selected?

The Road Naming Committee met on 17 December, 2024 to review potential names.

Indigenous-themed names and other historically signi cant options were considered and assessed against GNB criteria.

For each bridge, a primary name and alternative options were chosen for public consultation.

Naming rules

All proposals must follow NSW

Geographical Names Board guidelines, including:

Avoiding duplicate names in the region.

Re ecting local history, Indigenous language, or cultural signi cance.

Honouring people only posthumously, with a historical connection to the area.

Ensuring clear pronunciation and spelling.

Following standard formats (no commercial or promotional names).

How to have your say

Vote for your preferred name on the ‘Your Say’ section of the Parkes Shire Council website.

Suggest an alternative name using the free-text option on the consultation form.

All feedback will be reviewed at the next Road and Place Naming Committee meeting on 18 March before nal decisions are made.

“We welcome your input and appreciate your involvement in shaping the identity of our shire’s infrastructure,” Parkes Shire Council said.

Former councillor says bridges need ‘more suitable’ names

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

In regard to the suggestions put forward for the naming of the new bridges at Parkes, I don’t believe we should use Parkes excouncillors, or Wiradjuri names for these bridges.

I think something generic or meaningful, like say Shallow Rush Bridge or Victoria Street Bridge for that one, or East Street Bridge or PAC Park Bridge for that one.

Goobang Loop Bridge would be appropriate for the first SAP bridge and Nelungaloo Bridge probably okay for the second one.

I have no suggestion for the rail overpass bridge, but I am sure there are more suitable names for all the bridges than those suggested by Council.

Ian Chambers, Parkes

Parkes Girl Guides learn a variety of skills including cra and cooking.

PHOTO: Supplied

In exciting news for a historic local community group, the Parkes Girl Guides are back, and leading the way are Guide Leaders Jessica Neilsen, Angela Fitzpatrick and Jen Harris.

The new bridge over Hartigan Avenue and the rail line.

Moscow Circus entertains all

The great Moscow Circus was in town last week and put on ve amazing shows under the big top at the Parkes Showground.

From aerialists on tight ropes, ribbons and trapeze, acrobats on trampolines, dancers, a singer, to BMX, scooter and motorbike stunts there was something to entertain the whole family at the Great Moscow Circus.

Performers le the audience on the edge of their seats as they performed in front of crowds which

‘WENDOUREE’ 2643 Back Trundle Rd, Cooks Myalls, NSW

Two Houses on 2,580 Acres – Estate Must Be Sold

35 main paddocks, excellent water with 8 dams, 20 troughs, three bores.

• 2000 ac leased with 20 years cropping. Red loam soils, avg rainfall of 548mm/PA.

• Improvements inc, shearing shed, lrg mach sheds, work shop, 8 silos plus more.

Approx 640 olive trees at maturity and approx 400 acres sown to lucerne.

2 x homes. Main being 4 BR brick homestead. Second 3 BR manages house/rental.

The Acret Family at the circus - Melinda, Ezra, Evie, Sienna And

Averie Smith, Lucas Picker and Everly Smith were excited to see the Great Moscow Circus.

State MP opens office in Forbes

MP Philip Donato has ofcially opened an o ce in Forbes, giving him a base in the west of his electorate.

While the o ce will not be permanently sta ed, it will provide a comfortable space to hold face-to-face scheduled meetings with locals, saving people from having to travel all the way to Orange to see their

State Member of Parliament.

Mr Donato thanked councils for allowing him to host meetings in their o ces in the past - and also took the opportunity to acknowledge the work our councils do for the community.

Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller extended a warm Forbes welcome to Mr Donato as councillors from both Parkes and

Forbes stopped by to check out the new location.

The new o ce is in Templar Street in Forbes, next to Ray White Real Estate and opposite the taxi rank.

If you wish to schedule a meeting with Mr Donato, please phone (02) 6362 5199 or email Orange@electorate.nsw. gov.au.

McGrath, Joy Paddison, Parkes Deputy Mayor Marg Applebee, Forbes acting general manager Richard Jane and Aidan Clarke.

Donato continues the fight on issues that matter

STATE MATTERS WITH PHIL DONATO

As we move through 2025, I remain committed to advocating for the needs of our region and ghting for the issues that matter most to our communities.

In my recent sittings in Parliament, I have raised critical concerns a ecting the Central West - from improving road safety and strengthening regional health services to pushing for vital reforms in mental health legislation and advocating for life-saving measures in schools and aged care facilities.

I have called for a comprehensive review of road conditions and increased state funding to upgrade critical road networks in the region.

FORENSIC PATIENT SECURITY

The security and wellbeing of regional communities remain a top priority.

Minister Rose Jackson introduced a bill to parliament which substantially addressed the management of forensic mental health patients and access to social media.

I strongly supported this legislative reform, and I am pleased to advise this bill passed the NSW Legislative

The tragic loss of lives on our roads, particularly on Lake Canobolas Road, highlights the urgent need for greater investment in road infrastructure and safety measures to prevent further heartbreak.

DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT MATTERS

50% of people with glaucoma don’t know they have it.

Assembly, unopposed. This now means that forensic patients are better managed, and the community is afforded greater protection - which better aligns with community expectations.

I also called for additional protections for the community through amendments to the Mental Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2024, ensuring that forensic patients granted leave from mental health facilities are electronically monitored to prevent situations like those we have recently witnessed.

While my amendment to mandate ankle bracelets was voted down, I will not give up on pushing for common-sense reforms that prioritise community safety

over flawed administrative processes.

NSW FARMERS BEING LEFT IN THE DUST

I once again called on the NSW Government to act on my virtual fencing reform initiative.

This ag technology is already advancing in Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria.

NSW farmers are at a competitive disadvantage while outdated legislation stalls access to this innovative livestock management tool.

I asked the Minister for Agriculture what steps her department has taken following the 2024 parliamentary report on virtual fencing, and whether work has yet commenced on developing a code of practice.

Like many frustrated farmers, I await her response. FREE GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP

Have you been frustrated when applying for grants, and disappointed to be told you’ve been unsuccessful a er you’ve done all of the hard yakka putting a submission together?

You’re de nitely not on your own! I hear this routinely from many frustrated grant applicants.

To help remedy this I will be hosting my second annual Grant Writing Workshop.

Expert tuition will be delivered by the guru - professional grant writer Keith Whelan, aka The Grants Guy, to help you achieve increased chances of success on your next application.

BOOK YOUR EYE EXAM TODAY

World Glaucoma Week aims to raise

to the nerves at the back of your eyes. The

outside in. It usually occurs so slowly

Glaucoma can cause blindness.

The comprehensive 3-hour grant writing workshop will be held in Orange Ex-Services Club’s Greenhouse Function Room, 231243 Anson Street Orange, at 6pm sharp on Wednesday, 9 April, bump-in from 5.30pm. This event is completely free-of-charge.

Positions for this workshop are limited to organisations based in the Orange electorate.

There will be limited spots so get in quick to reserve your place - bookings are essential.

To avoid disappointment, book your place by contacting my o ce by email orange@parliament.nsw.gov. au. RSVP by COB Monday, 24 March.

Why study at the Country Universities Centre

Parkes?

It's FREE to register

Dedicated study spaces

Dual screen computers

Fast, reliable internet

Free printing

Free academic support

Scan to submit an expression of interest. We are a safe, secure study facility open 24hrs, 7 days a week.

Find us in the Parkes Shire Library Complex.

Having that dedicated space purely for study gets me in the right mindset, whereas at home there are chores to be done and I would be torn between study and family life. At the CUC my priority is to study without distractions while being around like-minded academic peers

torn pp peers. ort

essica

Jessica Macdonald

Bachelor of Education (Birth-5yrs)

Charles Sturt University

Over 200 Local Students Supported: CUC Parkes Celebrates a Major Milestone in Regional Higher Education

CUC Parkes has now supported over 200 students in their higher education journeys—a testament to the strength of regional education in Parkes and beyond. This milestone represents lives changed, barriers broken, and futures reimagined.

Since opening its doors in 2020, CUC Parkes has become a lifeline for students across the region who are pursuing university study without leaving home. For many, the Centre represents opportunity, empowerment, and connection, giving them the tools to thrive while staying close to family, work, and community.

"This milestone is about so much more than a number," said Jacob Cass, Centre Manager of CUC Parkes. "It’s 200 stories of courage, perseverance, and success. We’re incredibly proud to have played a role in supporting these students as they shape their futures and strengthen our region."

CUC Parkes Set to Open New State-ofthe-Art Facility in 2025

CUC Parkes will open its new purposebuilt facility on Monday, April 7th, 2025, at 7–9 Court Street, Parkes. The upgraded Centre will o er expanded services to meet the growing needs of regional students.

"The new Centre represents the next chapter for CUC Parkes," said Jacob Cass. "We’ve listened to our students, and we’re delivering a space that not only meets their study needs but exceeds their expectations. Whether you need a quiet place to write an assignment, somewhere to sit your exams, or space to collaborate on a project, this new facility has it covered."

stand, barstool, traditional options) workshops

Centre to host larger workshops, networking

events, and professional development opportunities, strengthening the connection between students, local industry, and the wider community.

"It’s an exciting time for us," Jacob Cass said. "As we celebrate the milestone of supporting over 200 students, this move symbolises our ongoing commitment to providing world-class support right here in Parkes."

Making Higher Education Possible, Close to Home

Regional students o en face barriers like distance and relocation costs. CUC Parkes removes these obstacles, o ering free internet, modern study spaces, and academic support.

"CUC Parkes has proven that when regional students have access to the right support, they thrive," said Tracie Robertson, Chairperson of the CUC Parkes Board. "This milestone is not just about academic achievement—it’s about creating opportunities for people to remain in their communities, develop their skills, and build careers that benefit the region."

The Centre supports students studying various degrees, from medicine to engineering and social work, from any university or VET provider.

Student Success Stories: The Heart of

determination.

Jay Smith – Engineering a New Career Path While Staying Local Jay Smith switched from Zoology to Civil Engineering, balancing work with study through CUC Parkes’ flexible, supportive environment. Wanting a career with local opportunities, he transitioned to a role with Transport for NSW and began studying an Associate Degree of Engineering (Civil) through Western Sydney University.

"The Associate Degree was the perfect opportunity," Jay said. "It combined my interest in science and math with design, and let me stay close to home."

More Than a Study Space: Building Regional Capability and Community

CUC Parkes is not just a place to study; students from di erent backgrounds and fields of study come together to support one another, participate in workshops, and develop both personally and professionally.

"It’s an exciting time for us," Jacob Cass said.

"As we celebrate the milestone of supporting over 200 students, this move symbolises our ongoing commitment to providing campus like support right here in Parkes."

CUC Parkes played an essential role in helping Jay balance work and study. "Having a dedicated quiet space with everything I needed made a huge di erence," he explained. "The atmosphere at CUC Parkes encouraged me to focus and hold myself accountable."

Now a graduate, Jay continues his engineering journey with Forbes Shire

The Centre also works closely with local employers and industries, ensuring that the skills students gain translate directly into opportunities in the local workforce. By supporting students in areas like health, education, business, and engineering, CUC Parkes plays a vital role in addressing workforce shortages and boosting regional capability.

"When you see students graduate and then take on vital roles in our schools, hospitals, and businesses, it’s a powerful reminder of why we do this work," said Jacob Cass. "We’re not just supporting students, we’re investing in the future of our entire region."

A Regional Success Story, Written by Students

CSU Medical Students: Chanse McLean Antez Varghese, Jessica Burnett, Tom Fryer, and Jacob Cass.

School expands with growing demand

Parkes Christian School is now welcoming enrolments for the 2026 and 2027 academic years in response to increasing student numbers.

With enrolments open now until the end of May 2025, parents are encouraged to apply early to secure a place for their child at this growing school.

Over recent years, Parkes Christian School has experienced significant growth, particularly in Kindergarten and Year 7.

The school now has over 400 students across all year levels, reflecting its strong reputation for providing quality education within a supportive community.

School Principal, Mr Glen Westcott, highlighted the school’s commitment to maintaining a smallschool environment while managing this growth.

“Some time ago we made the decision to limit our class sizes, including capping enrolments and splitting year groups across two classes,” Mr Westcott said. He also urged parents considering enrolment for

any year level to apply as soon as possible, as several classes are nearing capacity. Enrolments for all year groups are now open, and demand continues to rise.

Mr Westcott emphasised that while the school is expanding, it remains dedicated to retaining its closeknit, community-focused feel.

“We are still small enough to get to know each student individually and cater to their unique needs,” he said.

“At the same time, we are large enough to offer a full range of HSC subjects, competitive classroom environments, sports teams, musicals, and so much more.

“This balance ensures that every student has the opportunity to participate and feel a strong sense of belonging.”

Parkes Christian School is also excited to invite prospective families to its School Expo on Monday, March 17.

This event is open to anyone interested in learning more about the school, so come along and see what Parkes Christian School

has to offer. A sausage sizzle will be available during the evening, providing a great opportunity to meet staff and experience the school’s welcoming community first hand.

Parents interested in enrolling their child at Parkes Christian School should act quickly to secure a spot, as some year groups are already full and have waitlists.

For more information about the application process or to arrange a school tour, contact the school office at 02 6862 4164 or email enrolments@ parkescs.nsw.edu.au.

An online enrolment application form is also available on the school’s website at www.parkescs.nsw. edu.au/enrolment.

With its strong commitment to nurturing a welcoming and supportive school community, Parkes Christian School continues to provide outstanding education for its students. As enrolments for 2026 and 2027 open, parents are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to become part of the Parkes Christian School family.

Que Club host successful IWD luncheon

The Parkes Services Club was buzzing with a full house for the Parkes Que Club’s annual International Women’s Day luncheon on 9 March.

The theme this year was #Accelerate Action and the two guest speakers, Deputy Mayor Margaret Applebee and businesswoman Rachel Kerin, inspired the 190 guests present as they told of their lives and the amazing women who have

to encourage, guide and support women in their current roles, as they challenge discrimination, call out unfairness, and seize opportunities that will enhance the role of women.

Entertainment from the fabulous Ukulele Players was well received with many singing along, and the parade of international costumes from China, Japan, India, Philippines, Peru, Wales, and Pakistan added to the atmosphere of ‘inter-

All the tables were decorated

with dolls from 20 di erent nations.

There were also raffles and lucky door prizes, three local artisans displayed and sold their craftwork, and local artists and quilters displayed their amazing creations.

“Thank you to the amazing people of Parkes who support our town and especially our notfor-profit QUE Club which raises money to support our local com-

“Thank you too must go to the Parkes Services Club who work so tirelessly to make sure our event runs smoothly.

“Our ra e on the day allows us to pay for two senior students and a teacher from three local high schools to attend.

“The three high schools have

SASHA KINGHAM IS OUR STUDENT OF THE WEEK

Year 2 student Sasha Kingham is our student of the week and attends Parkes East Public School in class 2O.

What is your favourite colour?

Pink and blue

What is your favourite food?

Spag bol - Dad makes the best

What would you like to be when you grow up?

A nurse

What are your strenghts?

Painting and helping my little sister

What do you like about your school?

Lots of new faces

What do you like to do outside of school?

I like cutting shapes out of paper and playing with slime

TESSA DUGAN IS OUR STUDENT OF THE WEEK

Tessa Dugan Is the Star of the Week for demonstrating our Core Values (In Praise, Love, and Trust) and for always being kind and hardworking.

What is your favourite subject?

English In your free time, what do you like to do?

Dancing

What is your favourite food?

Spaghetti Bolognese

What do you like most about our school?

My friends and all the teachers

What are your strengths?

Spelling and writing

What would you like to be when you grow up ?

A vet

supports and contributes to the Parkes and surrounding communities through several initiatives and activities.

They meet on the rst Wednesday of every month for a dinner meeting.

If you are interested or require further information contact the

Naomi Dunn, Parkes Christian School - Chloe Amery, Angelique Bland and Hollie Oates and Red Bend Catholic College - Asha and Dee Mundodawafa.

Guest speaker Marg Applebee, QUE President Karen Ritchie and guest speaker Rachel Kerin.

Many local women attend the annual QUE International Women’s Day Luncheon.

6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 The Morning Show: Weekend. 12.00 Horse Racing. Coolmore Classic and Peter Young Stakes. 5.00 Seven News At 5. 5.30 Border Security: Australia’s Front Line. 6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Border Security: Australia’s Front Line. 7.30 MOVIE: RED. (2010) Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker. 9.45 MOVIE: Atomic Blonde. (2017) Charlize Theron, James McAvoy. 12.05 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 11.30 GetOn Extra. 12.00 Escape To The Country. 2.00 Better Homes. 3.00 The Yorkshire Vet. 4.00 Escape To The Country. 5.00 Horse Racing. Coolmore Classic and Peter Young Stakes. 6.00 Dog Patrol. 6.30 Bondi Vet. 7.30 The Yorkshire Vet. 8.30 Escape To The Country. 10.30 I Escaped To The Country. 11.30 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 12.00 Destination WA. 12.30 My Way. 1.00 Let’s Eat With George. 1.30 Hybrid Horizons. 2.00 The Pet Rescuers. 2.30 Bondi Vet. 3.30 David Attenborough’s Mammals. 4.30 The Garden Gurus. 5.00 9News First At Five. 5.30 Getaway. 6.00 9News Saturday. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 Space Invaders. 8.30 MOVIE: San Andreas. (2015) Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino. 10.45 MOVIE: Volcano. (1997) 12.40 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 2.35 Doctor Who. 3.25 A Bite To Eat. 3.55 Penn & Teller: Fool Us. 4.35 MythBusters. 5.30 Heartbreak High. 7.00 Spicks And Specks. 7.30 QI. 8.00 Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee (NZ) 8.45 Ab Fab. 10.15 ER. 11.00 Ghosts. 11.30 Rage. 12.35 Heartbreak High. 1.20 Late Programs. 6.00 Morning Programs. 2.00 Surf Life Saving. Surf Life

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 Blokesworld. 1.30 Cool Cars & Bikes. 2.00 Rides Down Under: Workshop Wars. 3.00 Motor Racing. National Drag Racing Championship. Round 2. New Year Nitro. 4.00 Carnage. 5.00 Counting Cars. 6.00 Football. AFL. Round 1. Sydney v Brisbane Lions. 9.00 MOVIE: Total Recall. (1990) 11.25 Late Programs.

6.00 Rage Charts. 7.00 Weekend Breakfast. 9.00 Rage. 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 12.30 Death In Paradise. 1.30 Poh’s Kitchen. 2.00 Under The Vines. 2.45 Extraordinary Escapes. 3.40 The Role Of A Lifetime. 4.30 Muster Dogs: Collies And Kelpies. Final. 5.30 Landline. 6.00 Australian Story. 6.30 Back Roads. 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 Death In Paradise. 8.30 Vera. 10.00 The Newsreader. Final. 11.00 Unforgotten. Final. 11.50 Rage. 6.00 Kids’ Programs. 4.05 Grace’s Amazing Machines. 4.20 Odd Squad. 4.45 Gardening Australia Junior. 5.10 Thomas. 5.50 Paddington. 6.40 Ben And Holly. 7.05 Riley Rocket. 7.30 Kids BBQ Championship. 8.10 Chopped Jnr. 8.55 Fresh Off The Boat. 9.35 Speechless. 10.00 Officially Amazing Goes Bunkers. 10.25 Dragon Ball Super. 10.50 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 8.30 Beat Bugs. 9.00 Get Clever. 10.00 Weekender. 10.30 Weekender. 11.00 Ed And Karen’s Recipes For Success. 12.00 Malaysia Kitchen. 12.30 Dream Home. 2.10 Holey Moley Australia. 3.40 Britain’s Got Talent. 5.40 MOVIE: Stuart Little. (1999) 7.30 MOVIE: A Knight’s Tale. (2001) 10.15 MOVIE: The Count Of Monte Cristo. (2002) 12.55 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 MOVIE: Mr Forbush And The Penguins. (1971) 3.10 MOVIE: Fire Over Africa. (1954) 4.50 MOVIE: Kings Of The Sun. (1963) 7.00 Rugby Union. Super Rugby Pacific. Round 5. Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs. 9.30 Super Rugby Pacific PostMatch. 9.45 MOVIE: Rocky III. (1982) 11.45 Late Programs.

6.00 Mass For You At Home. 6.30 Key Of David. 7.00 Joseph Prince: New Creation Church. 7.30 Farm To Fork. 8.00 The Yes Experiment. 8.30 Motor Racing. Formula 1. Australian Grand Prix. Day 3. 5.00 10 News First. 6.00 The Sunday Project. 7.00 Australian Survivor. 8.30 Matlock. 9.30 FBI. 11.30 The Sunday Project. 12.30 Home Shopping. 4.30 CBS

6.00 Morning Programs. 3.50 Doctor Who. 4.40 MythBusters. 5.30 Heartbreak High. 7.00 Spicks And Specks. 7.30 QI. 8.00 Louis Theroux: Drinking To Oblivion. 9.00 Planet America: Weekend Edition. 9.50 ER. 10.30 Ghosts. 11.00 Rage. 12.05 Heartbreak High. 12.50 QI. 1.20 Mayfair Witches. 2.10 ER. 2.55 Late Programs. 6.00 Morning Programs. 1.00 Cycling. ProVelo Super League. 4.00 Yachting. Vendee Globe. H’lights. 5.00

AFL. Round 1. Melbourne v GWS Giants. 6.00 The Wash Up. New. 7.00 Border Security. 8.30 MOVIE: A Good Day To Die Hard. (2013) 10.35 MOVIE: Big Trouble In Little China. (1986) 12.45 Late Programs.

6.00 Morning Programs. 12.00 News. 12.30 Landline. 1.30 Gardening Aust. 2.30 Monty Don’s Adriatic Gardens. Final. 3.30 Sue Perkins’ Big Adventure: Paris To Istanbul. 4.15 Extraordinary Escapes. 5.05 A Dog’s World With Tony Armstrong. 6.00 Antiques Roadshow. 7.00 ABC News. 7.30 Darby And Joan. Return. 8.20 Unforgotten. Return. 9.05 Boat Story. New. 10.05 MOVIE: The Turning. (2013) 1.00 Late Programs. 6.00 Kids’ Programs. 4.20 Odd Squad. 4.45 Gardening Australia Junior. 5.10 The Monster At The End Of This Story. 5.50 Paddington. 6.40 Ben And Holly. 7.05 Riley Rocket. 7.35 Moominvalley. 8.00 Horrible Histories. 8.30 Fresh Off The Boat. 9.10 Abbott Elementary. 9.55 Speechless. 10.20 Merlin. 11.00 Late Programs.

Road TV. 3.00 Rugby League. NRL. Round 2. Parramatta Eels v Wests Tigers. 6.00 9News Sunday. 7.00 Married At First Sight. 8.40 60 Minutes. 9.40 9News Late. 10.10 See No Evil. 11.10 The First 48. 12.00 Late Programs. 6.00 Morning Programs. 8.30 The Incredible Journey. 9.00 Turning Point. 9.30 TV Shop. 10.00 AFL Sunday Footy Show. 12.00 Getaway. 12.30 Avengers. 1.30 Dad’s Army. 2.00 MOVIE: West Of Zanzibar. (1954) 4.00 MOVIE: What Did You Do In The War, Daddy? (1966) 6.30 M*A*S*H. 8.30 MOVIE: The Fugitive. (1993) 11.10 The Closer. 12.10 Late Programs. 6.00 Flushed. 7.00 It’s Academic. 8.30 Beat Bugs. 9.00 Get Clever. 10.00 Holey Moley Australia. 11.30 Dream Home. 1.10 Zumbo’s Just Desserts. 2.20 Home And Away. 4.20 TBA. 5.30 Dr Harry’s Animal Encounters. 6.30 Puppy School. 7.30 Law & Order: Criminal Intent. 8.30 Law & Order: SVU. 10.30 Bones. 12.30 The Blacklist. 1.30 Ordinary Joe. 2.30 Prison Break.

problems might exist and how they can be overcome. Keep the lines of communication open.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) It’s not easy to bring order to a chaotic situation, whether it’s in the workplace or at home. But if anyone can do it, you can! A pleasant surprise awaits you by week’s end.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Be careful that you don’t make an upcoming decision solely on the word of those who might have their own reasons for wanting you to act as they suggest. Check things out for yourself.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A personal relationship that seems to be going nowhere could be restarted once you know why it stalled. An honest discussion could result in some surprising revelations.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) An unexpected attack of self-doubt could be a way of warning yourself to go slow before making a career-changing decision. Take more time to do a closer study of the facts.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A workplace problem needs your attention now before it deteriorates to a point beyond repair. A trusted third party could be helpful in closing the gaps that have opened.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A recent family situation could give rise to a new problem. Keep an open mind and avoid making judgments about anyone’s motives until all the facts are in.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Rely on your always-sharp intuition to alert you to potential problems regarding someone’s attempt to explain away the circumstances behind a puzzling incident.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Although you still need to do some snipping off of those lingering loose ends from a past project, you can begin moving on to something else.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) With your self-confidence levels rising, you should feel quite comfortable with taking on a possibly troublesome but potentially well-rewarded situation.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Travel is favored, both for business and for fun. The end of the week brings news about an upcoming project that could lead toward a promised career change.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You might feel suddenly overwhelmed by a flood of responsibilities. But if you deal with each one in its turn, you’ll soon be able to hold your head above water and move on.

Homegrown Parkes is nearly here

By MARG APPLEBEE CENTRAL WEST LACHLAN LANDCARE

Have you seen the sign? Our Homegrown Parkes sign is up.

We have a fantastic line up of speakers lined up for our event on Saturday, 29 March.

We have three fabulous work shops that we are providing for free to our community.

Chef Jack Brown will be provid ing a workshop from 11am.

Jack is an Indigenous chef trained in traditional French cui sine and he is on a mission to redefine Australian cuisine by in corporating native Indigenous in gredients into everyday cooking.

Join us in welcoming Jack to provide a workshop in the Cooke Park Pavilion from 11am to 12pm.

Please reserve a seat for this free event during Homegrown Parkes.

Kath Whitchurch will be proHomegrown Parkes. Make sure to register for Kath’s at 2pm. We will welcome Elizabeth Brit-

Prices

CATTLE SALE

Monday, 10 March

Yarding 681 (down 1036)

Numbers more than halved this sale with agents yarding just 681 head.

Quality was very mixed with both well finished and secondary cattle penned.

The usual buyers were present and competing in a firm to dearer market.

Yearling steers to feed lifted 4 to 5c/kg to sell from 320 to 382c/kg.

Finished types to processors received from 330 to 380c/kg.

The heifer portion also improved with those to feed selling from 293 to 330c/kg.

Processors paid from 290 to 350c/kg for better types.

Heavy steers were limited and reached 360c/kg.

Grown heifers sold to 296c/kg.

Cows were rm to 3c easier with heavy 2 score from 255 to 271c and 3 score from 276c to 298c/kg.

The best heavy bull reached 312c/kg.

SHEEP SALE

Tuesday, 11 March

Yarding36,500 (down 500)

Numbers remained steady this sale with agents yarding 36,500 head.

There was 26,300 lambs penned and quality was similar to that of previous sales with good numbers of nished trade and heavy lambs penned along with the secondary types.

The usual buyers were present and competing in a fairly steady market that uctuated with quality.

Trade weight lambs 2024kg held rm to $3 better to sell from $156 to $215/head.

Heavy lambs to 26kg received from $201 to $230/ head.

Extra heavyweights were also rm to range from $225 to 299.60/head.

Carcase prices averaged from 790c to 849c/kg.

The best heavy Merino hoggets reached $210/head.

Mutton numbers were made up of mostly Merinos and quality was fair with good numbers of heavy sheep available.

Prices were strong with Merino ewes selling from $78 to $178/head.

Crossbreds received from $83 to $178 with heavy Dorper ewes reaching $142/ head.

Merino wethers sold from $74 to $150/head.

FROM MLA’S NATIONAL LIVESTOCK REPORTING AGENCY

on to speak about landscape de-

Elizabeth is a talented landscape designer, with a fantastic knowledge of local plant species and design concepts.

As the Homegrown day draws to an end, we have the opportunity to hear from Elizabeth and deepen our knowledge of garden design so make sure to register for the Landscape Design workshop.

Lastly but not least, we are thrilled to welcome The Bee Man to provide more informal workshops on the lawn in front of the

Clancy Lester will bring his knowledge and enthusiasm for Bees and Creating Bee Hotels to Homegrown Parkes.

We hope that you will make him very welcome.

Homegrown Parkes highlights processes for using locally produced food and products with the

aim of encouraging locals to have a go and grow in their own backyard, your cupboard or your porch and make it yourself.

The Homegrown Parkes Committee, made up of members of Central West Lachlan Landcare, Parkes Community Arts and Parkes Shire Council contributors, are looking forward to delivering two fabulous, encouraging and inspirational events in 2025.

Make sure that you put 29 March in your calendar and join us at Cooke Park.

Bring your shopping bags, bring cash, bring your cards and invite your friends to share in the free entertainment, good regional food and produce and share in some of our learning opportunities.

For further information on this article, please go to www.centralwestlachlanlandcare.org, twitter, facebook or Instagram @cwllandcare

heavy sheep available.

PHOTO: File

Classifieds

Lachlan Valley Rams

White Su olk and Poll Dorset Rams for sale

Good Lamplan gures, Bruco free, Gudair vacc. Alan Sharrock 0427 511 397 or agsharrock@gmail.com

Mick Simpson Plumbing

Scho eld, Lee Vincent

20/5/2068 - 11/3/2022

Thinking of you everyday Missing you is a heart ache That doesn’t go away In loving memory ~ Noeline

Scott Stephenson “Rooki”

16/3/1998 - 15/3/2014

In memory of our son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, uncle, and husband.

They say there is a reason, They say that time will heal. But neither time nor reason, Will change the way we feel. For no one know the heartache, That lies behind our smiles.

We have broken down and cried, We want to tell you something. So there the won’t be any doubt, You’re so wonderful to think of. But so hard to live without, Sadly missed but never forgotten.

From your loving family

CHARLTON, Frances Josephine

Late of Basil Ave, Parkes and formerly of Cookamidgera, who passed away peacefully on Monday, March10, 2025. Aged 92 years.

Dearly loved wife of the late Colin Charlton. Much loved mother and mother-in-law of Geo and Lindy, Peter and Dorothy, Christine and Neil Cox, Liz (dec) and Fred Brook, and Maree and Steven Mulligan. Loved Grandma of her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. “In Gods Care”

The Cortege is appointed to leave the Holy Family Catholic Church, Parkes a er a Requiem Mass commencing at 10am on Friday, March 21, 2025 for interment in the lawn section of the Parkes Cemetery.

Central West FUNERALS

Trundle Central School recently held one of their most successful annual school swimming carnivals with six students breaking a total of 13 records in the pool.

The most successful record breaker was Thomas Sanderson who broke a record with every event he competed in, writing his name in the record books six times.

The talented swimmer broke the 14 years 50m freestyle and 14 years 100m freestyle which were both last broken in 2013.

Thomas also broke the 2023 record for the all age secondary 200m freestyle and three 2024 records including junior secondary 100m breaststroke, junior secondary 50m breaststroke and junior secondary 100m butter y.

Aphellia Robson also

swam her heart out on the day breaking three records.

Aphellia claimed the 12 years 50m freestyle which was last broken in 2017, the senior primary 50m backstroke and the all age primary 100m freestyle which were both last broke in 2024.

Four 2020 records were also broken by four additional students.

Myall Orr broke the junior primary 50m backstroke record, Emmanuel Robson broke the junior primary 50m butterfly, Chloe Budd broke the over 17 years 100m freestyle and Jessica Morgan broke the senior secondary 100m breaststroke.

Trundle Central School’s swimming success continued on 21 February at the Gobondery/MARRAF district swimming carnival in Warren.

A chosen group of primary school swimmers from Trundle Central School competed in the carnival.

Aphellia Robson earnt the senior girls champion medal and Mackenzie Bolam won runner-up senior girls champion.

On 7 March secondary school students continued their success in the pool at the Western Schools Swimming carnival. Thomas Sanderson won all six of his individual races. These included the 14 years 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 100m butter y, 100m backstroke and 12-14 years individual medley.

Thomas was also a part of the Trundle Central School relay team who placed fourth with Jessica Morgan, Hailey Bolam and Seth Prebendarcik.

More clubs benefit from defibrillator program Students break 13 records in the pool

Sporting organisations across the Orange electorate have shared in $500,000 funding from the NSW Government for new potentially life-saving de brillators.

The funding was awarded to 193 sport and recreation organisations under the NSW Government’s Local Sport De brillator Grant Program which provides up to $3000 for the purchase, installation and training in new automated external de brillators.

Five clubs or organisations in the Orange electorate were successful, including the Parkes and District Kennel Club and Forbes PA & H Association.

State Member for Orange Phil Donato said the allocation brought the number of devices awarded since the program started to more than 2500.

“With more people than ever participating in sport and active recreation in the Orange electorate, it’s vital that our local facilities are equipped with these potentially life-saving devices,” Mr Donato said:

Minister for Sport Steve

Kamper said the Local Sport De brillator Program equips sports clubs to be able respond to potentially lifethreatening emergencies at their sports facilities.

Founder of Heartbeat of Football Andy Paschalidis applauded the NSW Government for the ongoing debrillator rollout program which he said “is saving

“Last year at least six footballers in Sydney alone were saved because of de brillator access at their grounds and the rapid response by individuals trained in CPR,” he said.

“It’s wonderful to see 200 sporting clubs will now be able to purchase and install these life saving devices.”

State Member for Orange Phil Donato with an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Trundle Central School age champions pictured with Trundle Central School Principal John Southon. (Back) Seth Prebendarcik, Vashti Williams, Hailey Bolam, Thomas Sanderson and Jessica Morgan. (Front) Myall Orr, Isabelle Kerin, Aphellia Robson and Harlen Corney. PHOTO: Supplied

Parkes Forbes

Great day for swimmers of all abilities

The popular Regional All Abilities Swimming Carnival was held on 5, March with all who participated reporting they had a fantastic day.

Disability services from Forbes, Cowra, Temora, Trangie and Bathurst participated in the carnival hosted by Currajong Disability Services Parkes.

This year marked the eleventh year of the swimming carnival with 56 participants competing over the day.

A er lunch the swimming didn’t stop with swimmers having fun competing in across the pool races dem onstrating their best way to get across the pool by having fun or by dancing to music.

Currajong Disability Services day program coordinator, Doug Pout said the day wouldn’t be possi ble without the 25 support workers who were in attend ance at the event.

“Everyone has fun getting

Participants danced to YMCA while swimming.

Peter Rawson competed in swimming

Stacey Fordham competed in

Mark Madden, Bonitta Brady and William Madden.

Bonitta Brady, Chris Spicer and Peter Rawson had a great day at the swimming carnival.

carnival together.

Close games in Major Pairs

PARKES BOWLS

By COLIN MILLER

Good day all, what a great week of bowls, for a start there were four games of major pairs.

The rst Major Pairs game was between Brett Frame and Mick Went playing Mick Simpson and Mark Dwyer.

The Frame, Went team were the slight favourites and the game started that way with them leading 8 to 4 in the 6th end. Simpson and Dwyer found their form and the score was 10 all in the 9th.

The score was a seesaw between the two teams until the17th end where Simpson and Dwyer scored a 5 to take the lead 20 to 16 and the crowd thought they were on their way to a win, then on the 20th end Frame and Went scored a 7 to take back the lead.

In a nail-biting finish Simpson and Dwyer scored a 3 to come home winners 25 to 24.

In the second game of Major Pairs Steve Turner and Wilbur Harris challenged Alec Bateson and Greg Townsend.

This was an even game with Steve and Wilbur holding a lead of 10 to 4 in the 11th end.

Alec and Greg fought back to take the lead 12 to 10 in the 15th end.

Steve and Wilbur won

the next 4 ends to take back the lead 18 to 12 in the 19th.

Alec and Greg won the next 2 ends but run out of ends with Steve and Wilbur running out winners 18 to 15.

The third Major Pairs game was between Andrew Reynolds and Mark Fitzalan and Warwick and Matt Parker.

The favourites on paper were Andrew and Mark but someone forget to tell the Parker combination.

Warwick and Matt lead the game from start to nish and the closest Andrew and Mark came with in the 8th end when they were only behind by one shot 5 to 6.

Warwick and Matt played consistent bowls to run out winners 23 to 14.

The fourth game in the Major Pairs was played on Monday evening between Warwick Parker and Matt Parker and Darryl McKellar and Gary McPhee.

The game started with Warwick and Matt taking a small lead 11 to 5 in the 10th end then Darryl and Gary started a fight back to take the lead in the 13 end 12 to 11.

Towards the end of the game Darryl and Gary started winning the ends by big margins taking full control of the game and winning the game 27 to 15.

The Major Pairs nal will now be between Mick Simpson and Mark Dwyer and Darryl McKellar and Gary McPhee.

Social Bowls on Thursday, 22 bowlers took to the green.

Rink 1 Noel Johnstone, Al A eck and Col Mudie challenged Ian Simpson, Bob Freeman and Brian Townsend but the Townsend team had a good win 20 to 10.

Rink 2 George Bradley and John Corcoran had a close game against Graham Davis and Geo Freeman who won 16 to 15.

Rink 3 Ray Jones and Col Hayward had a win 16 to 15 over Warren Bevan and John Ward.

Rink 4 Arthur Corbett and Geo Smith had a solid win 16 to 10 over Col Woods and Mike Valentine.

Rink 5 was a draw 17 all between Ron Hornery and Steve Turner and Jim Blake and Tony Riordan.

Social Bowls on Saturday 26 bowlers played in the ne conditions.

Rink 1 Ron Hornery, Ray Jones and Jo Simpson had a big win 29 to 7 over Col Woods, Geo Smith and Rob Lacey.

Rink 2 Rod Ford and Dave Reilly won easily 27 to 11 over Col Hayward and Steve Turner.

Rink 3 John Ward and Mick Simpson in another one-sided game won 23 to 11 over Mike Valentine and Brian Townsend.

Rink 4 the only tight game was a 16 all draw between Martin Tighe and Tony Riordan and Scott Allen and John Wright.

Rink 5 Noel Johnstone and Col Mudie went down 11 to 29 against Ethan Lacey and Gary McPhee.

Rink 6 in another onesided game George Bradley and Warren Bevan 23 to 5 winning over Terese Glasheen and Geo Freeman.

On Sunday we had our three Pennants teams playing at home which meant we had 72 bowlers on the greens what a great spectacle.

The No. 2 side playing West Dubbo No.1 lost their 3 games and lost the big board 66 to 52.

The No. 5 side playing Molong only won one game and lost two and lost on the big board 70 to 61.

The No. 7 won two games and only lost one but won the big board 64 to 61.

Masters’ weekend of friendly competition

The Parkes Masters Games is set to return bigger and better than ever from 28-30 March.

This exciting event will bring together athletes of varying ages for three days of competition, camaraderie, and celebration of sport in the heart of the Central West.

A er a successful launch in 2024, the 2025 edition promises to be an even more thrilling experience, featuring a variety of sports including golf, lawn bowls, and hockey.

Participants from across the region will gather to compete, show their skills, and make new friends.

“We look forward to welcoming athletes, spectators, and volunteers to Parkes in March 2025,” event organisers said.

“It will be an unforgettable weekend of sports and fun, bringing together people of all ages and abilities.”

With the generous support of our major

sponsors Evolution Mining Limited and Parkes Shire Council, the Parkes Masters Games has already become a signi cant event in the local community.

The 2025 games are poised to continue this tradition, o ering an opportunity for sponsors to make a meaningful contribution to the success of this growing event.

Parkes Masters Games would like to also thank their generous sponsors who have supported in getting this event o the ground.

If any businesses are willing to provide sponsorship please contact the event at info@parkesmastersgames.com.au

For those looking to get involved, registrations are now open.

Visit the Parkes Masters Games website at www.parkesmastersgames.com.au for more information and to register your team or individual participation.

All the latest news on the action from the Railway bowling greens

RAILWAY BOWLS

By PAUL LEWIN

Wednesday, 5 March we had 18 players for social bowls.

Winners were Alan A eck, John Chew and Paul Lewin winning 18+11.

Runners-up were Mike Valentine, Mick Furney and Rob Hill winning 16+19.

Marble 27 came out and the Margins were 2, 11 and 19. The jackpot this week is $798.

Saturday, 8 March we had 26 players for social bowls.

Winners were Geo Leonard and Alan Curteis winning 17+21. Runners-up were Laurie and Cathy Thompson winning 15+8.

Maureen and Jan claim Major Pairs title

WOMEN’S

BOWLS

By LEA ORR

As all card players know, three-of-a-kind beats pairs every time.

Not on Tuesday however, it was the pairs that held all the trump cards.

The highly anticipated final of the Major Pairs had all the punters mesmerised, especially when Betsy Johnstone and Cherie Frame made up a deficit of 9 tricks to level the scores against Maureen Miller and Jan McPhee at the 9th end. Their skilled play and luck unfortunately didn’t last, with Team McPhee being crowned the Champions 27 – 15.

Congratulations Jan and Maureen on your successful defense of the title.

Well done, Cherie and Betsy; the full house of spectators enjoyed the entertainment. Thanks to Liz, our trusty clerk who kept everyone honest.

Ground Control, our Kings of the green, had the surface in prime condition, as always. We would lay money on this being the best country green in the state.

Club Championships

In the Major Singles we had Junior Thorne play Joey Van Opynen.

Joey led 10-1 a er 8 ends and 12-7 a er 12 ends. Joey led 14-8 a er 14 and 21-9 a er 20 ends.

Joey went on to win the game 25-11.

In more Major Singles action Blake Strudwick played Peter Creith.

Blake led 9-3 a er 5 ends and 13-9 a er 12 ends. Blake led 1711 a er 16 and 22-12 a er 20 ends. Blake went on to win the game 25-17.

In Major Pairs action we had Shane Hodge and John Chew play Brenden Weeks and Joey

Van Opynen. Shane and Chewy led 28-11 a er 19 ends and went on to win 30-16.

In Club Triples we had Terry Hetherington, Wal Austin and Col Boehm play Myra Townsend, Marty Fitzpatrick and Tony Latter. Team Boehm led 6-3 a er 4 ends and 11-4 a er 9 ends.

Team Boehm led 23-23 a er 22 and went on to win 23-16.

Open Gender Pennants

Grade 4 went down 10 nil to Manildra.

Grade 6.1 got up 9-1 over West Dubbo.

Grade 6.2 went down 9-1 to Dubbo City.

Grade 7 went down 9-1 to Manildra.

This week we have Grade 4 away to Forbes, Grade 6.1 away to Dubbo Macquarie, Grade 6.2 have the BYE and Grade 7 away to Eugowra. Parkes Masters Games

The Annual Parkes Masters Games start Friday, 28 March and run through Saturday, 30 March for over 40s Triples, culminating in a BPL style game on Saturday evening. Please get your teams sorted and nominate online at www. parkesmastersgames.com.au or speak to Lewi 0419 126 465. Social Bowls

This week we have social bowls on Saturday, 15 March at 1pm.

A social game of pairs kept Lil Thomson/Robyn Morgan & Irene Allen/Marja Iffland shuffling

Team Morgan scooped the pool and busted the hopes of their opponents, 19 – 8.

In a 3-of-a-kind (triples) social game on Table 4, Ann Smith/Carol Reed/Merilyn Rodgers played their cards right, leading throughout, seldom allowing Irene Trueber/Lea Orr/Lorraine Baker to win a trick, leaving them with a

A clean sweep to Team Rodgers, 19 – 7.

In another 3-of-a-kind social game, Ann Tracy/Lynn Ryan/Brenda Davies, across the table from Janice MacMahon/Kay Craft/Rhona Went, all upped the ante as the game began on

Team Davies drew ahead slightly, Team Went dug deep with their spades, winning a few good hands and found themselves just one trick in arrears at the bell, 15 – 14.

The jackpot was not won by Table 4, it’s

The dealers drew from the bottom of the deck to give Brenda two wins in the 100’s club.

Lea, Rhona, Irene T & Jan followed suit with cash wins.

We are all saddened by the loss of dear Frances Charlton, a long-time member of our club, this week.

The club extends sincere condolences to all Frances’ family, and especially to her daughter, Chris Cox, a regular player on Tuesdays.

Members will proudly form a guard-of-honour at her service.

Nominations for Club Triples are now open, make up your team now.

Next Tuesday, 18 March, is our Gala Day Garden Party.

If you are playing social bowls, your name must be on the list already, there will be no calling in to play on the day.

Members $20, all others $25, bowls and lunch.

Savoury food will be made in the club kitchen, ladies asked to bring a small plate of cake/slices/sweet treats.

Set up on Monday 3.30 pm.

One last carnival before state champs

By MADELINE BLACKSTOCK

Parkes Little Athletics Club held their annual Gala Day on 9 March.

The gala day saw over 125 competitors from clubs around the state including, Forbes, Cowra, Woy Woy, Gri th, Leeton and Sydney with Lismore competitors not being able to make it on the day due to ex cyclone Alfred.

The annual Parkes Little A’s gala day has been held for well over 25 years.

The day was originally established to give country athletes one more chance to compete, prior to attending the State Championships held in March.

This tradition has continued with athletes also travelling from all over the state for this opportunity.

The Gala Day began with deputy mayor, Marg Applebee welcoming competitors and families to Northparkes Oval with Parkes Little Ath-

letics competitor Lucas Edwards leading the Acknowledgement of Country.

Despite the windy conditions many records were broken on the day.

This weekend four Parkes Little Athletics athletes will be competing in the NSW Junior Championships.

“We wish Vashti Williams, Addison Wild, Ryker Moore and Toby Morgan all the best as they compete this weekend at the NSW Junior Championships,” Parkes Little Athletics said.

“We look forward to sharing news of their results and introducing seven more Parkes athletes, who are travelling to Sydney the following weekend for the Little Athletics State Championships.”

Parkes Little Athletics couldn’t have held their successful gala day without their sponsors, Central West Funerals, Club Lime, Lindner Transport and Deja Brew.

Gaidzionis ‘streets ahead of the field’

GOLF

By PETER BRISTOL

Saturday’s results

Saturday was an 18 par event sponsored by the format lover Ken Keith OAM, who makes sure the par event gets a regular run.

Ken is a great supporter of the club and regular player since the body has aged.

Members do appreciate his sup port and sponsorship.

The par event is a bit di erent from the norm.

Players score a plus if they better their handicap par and a square if they level it, and a minus for a missing.

The course was renovated earli er in the week, but the greens are already looking good and with Al fred dropping o some moisture they should come back a treat.

Well done Logan and Brenton.

There were 64 starters this week.

The winner, who was streets ahead of the eld, was Victor Gaidzionis on +7.

Victor played 7 better than his handicap on the day, which was a good result for him, scoring a 46 on both sides.

Unfortunately, the handicapper won’t have missed the excellent round.

Ben Thomson also had a great day on the fairways scoring a +5 and was strong on the back 9. Once again, the handicapper won’t miss him in the wash-up,

but he is more capable than his current handicap.

Other notable scores on the day were Craig Matthews who had a +4 with a 1 over 37 on the front 9 and he is starting to hit his straps again.

Mick Smith scored a +3 with a 42/39 round and he also is enjoying the little bit of extra run which aids his shot making.

Andy Brownlow is also playing well and his +3 came o a 1 under and a 1 over split o a 3 handicap.

Michael Thomas, making a rare

appearance on the PGC fairways, had a 38/38 split for his +3, also picking up the lottery ticket from Max Keith. Paul Cowie had a +3 with a 2 over 38 on the front o his 12 handicap.

The rare air must have frightened him as he weakened a bit on the back 9.

The New Nearest The Pins winners were – Bridgestone Mining 1st by no-one scoring, Gri ns Leading Edge by Michael Dellaca at 146cm, Parkes Ready Mixed

Concrete 9th by Phil Bishop at 78cm, the Westlime 11th by Ben Thomson at 124cm, the Gulf Western Oil 17th by Mick Bond at 55cm.

The lucrative money hole was won by Mick Bond with his tee shot bouncing into the pin and just bouncing away.

Ball winners were Craig Matthews +4, Todd Fisher, Mick Smith, Andy Brownlow, Mickey Thomas, Paul Cowie +3.

Next week is a 4 Ball Aggregate Medley Stableford.

Winning high short-lived

GOLF

VETS

By BARRY SHINE

With a host of players away for personal and medical reasons, plus a dozen Forbes members playing on the South Coast, only 23 took to the Parkes golf course for the twin towns weekly competition last Thursday.

After enjoying winning the twin towns shield the week prior the host club was brought back to earth with their best six individual scores from 12 reps totalling 205 points to Forbes’ 216 points out of 11 players. There were two visitors.

The course was well presented, however the sandy greens due to maintenance tested most but it did not deter Forbes players taking all honours.

Winner with a creditable 39 points was Ted Morgan from Ken Sanderson next best on 38.

Keeping it in the ‘stable’ Allen Res took home the encouragement award.

Nearest the pins - 9th A grade Ken Sanderson (F), B grade Gordon Pritchard (P), 11th A grade Rob Cheney (P), B grade nil.

Ball sweep to 33 points – 36 points Rob Cheney (P), Barry Parker (F), Alex Mackinnon (F), 35 Gordon Pritchard (P), Barry Shine (F), 34 Lindsay Elliott (P), John Fowler (P), Peter Grayson (F), Alf Davies (F), 33 Brian Bourke (P), Rob Staples (P), Nym Dziuba (P), Dale Stait (P), Peter Jackson (Port Macquarie). Twin Towns 18 holes on Thursday in Forbes, 8.30am, nominations for a 9am shot gun start.

Leonard who volunteers his time to run coaching sessions with them in Trundle. PHOTO: Supplied

Abbey Lovell earnt a third place podium with her 800m run.

800m girls podium. Olivia Whitton from Cowra placed second, Ava Sinclair from Forbes placed first and Abbey Lovell from Parkes placed third. PHOTOS: Madeline Blackstock

800m boys podium. Toby Patton from Forbes placed second, Emrys Cassidy from Parkes placed first in a record time, and Knox Calabro from Parkes placed third.

Bogan Gate celebrates 16th Grinsted win

CRICKET

Bogan Gate took on Grenfell on Sunday, 9 March for the Grinsted Cup and came away with another victorytheir 16th in a row.

Bowling rst, Grenfell put pressure on Bogan Gate with 3/29 o 18 overs, making the Bogan Gate squad nervous.

Opening batsman Paul Dunford, who’s had a stellar few weeks, was out LBW without troubling the scorer to the bowling of H Starr. But a 159 run partnership between Ryan Dunford and Tom Caldwell made all the di erence before Ryan fell for 88.

Bogan Gate were able to nish batting with the strong score of 5/257.

Caldwell was 97 and not out at the end of the innings.

Peter Thomas was 22 not out.

Grenfell sent C Mitton and B Edwards to the centre to chase down the runs but Bogan Gate was quick to strike.

Andrew Britt (2/20 o eight overs) took the rst to see Grenfell 1/7 in the second over.

Edwards held on for 25 and was the best with the bat for Grenfell, having also taken three wickets for 63 when bowling.

A Beasley was the only other Grenfell batsman to reach double gures as Bogan Gate showed their dominance of the competition.

Grenfell were bowled out for 68.

Tom Caldwell took 2/14 o ve overs.

Jack Dunford, Paul Dunford and Brett Smith took a wicket apiece.

The next challenge scheduled for 16 March will be against West Wyalong.

Tough conditions at shooting range

By BRIAN DRABSCH

At last month’s shoot 14 shooters attended the Deep Lead Shooting Complex and shot in a 75 target day.

Dave Tanks 69, Clint Du y and Je Hall 66 each, Des Shead 65, Brian Drabsch 64, Mitch McGirr 62, Ben Smith 60, Neil Cleal, Brett Dean and Mat Du y 59 each, Mel Trapman 55, Kyle Hando 43 and Israil Trapman 42. Our next shoot is at 1pm on Saturday 15 March.

SSAA Smallbore

Last Sunday saw 14 shoot at standard targets at both 25 and 50 metres. The wind wasn’t bad at 25 metres but cruel at 50 metres as the scores re ect.

TARGET RIFLES: 25M, 50M, Total

• John Davis 249, 243, 492.

• Je Charlton 250, 242, 492.

• Brian Drabsch 248, 243, 491.

• Dave Tanks 249, 236, 485.

• Steve Mitchell 250, 232, 482.

FIELD RIFLES

• Ron Cunningham 247, 242, 489.

• Alan Briton 249, 239, 488.

• Rett Cowling 249, 237, 486.

• Harry Schaumburg 230, 238, 468.

• Wally Rudenko 242, 223, 465.

• David Shanks 249 for 25m only. Next shoot is at 1pm Sunday 16 March.

FootyNRL TIPPING

What a season of junior cricket

Junior cricket is done and dusted for the summer and what a season it’s been for Parkes’ Under 17s.

Parkes 17s took on Forbes in the grand nal at Woodward Oval on Friday night, emerging champions a er an outstanding performance.

Winning the toss and batting rst, Parkes was defending 174 runs going into the second innings a er only three wickets falling.

The team bowled Forbes out for just 57 runs in a thrilling display of skill and determination.

Eamon Moody scored 43 o the bat while brother Ewan Moody and Harry Yelland were not out for 32 and 25 respectively.

Parkes’ Under 14s has also had an amazing year of cricket, with Parkes District Junior Cricket Association and coaches describing their season as incredible.

While it wasn’t meant to be in their grand nal clash against Con-

balls, landing himself four fours, while another team mate (unnamed on score sheet) hit 37 runs o 57 balls.

The nal score was Condobolin 3-129 and Parkes 7-128, with Condobolin winning by seven wickets.

Parkes Colts reign supreme

tinued his probing bowling spell to end up with the ne gures of 4/21 o 7 overs.

ward Oval car park.

on Saturday, 8 March when Parkes Colts scored a 62 run victory over Cambridge Cats at Woodward Oval.

Match scores were: Parkes Colts 7/167 o 40 overs (Paul Dunford 42, Phil Dunford 30 not out, Ryan Dunford 26, Ewan Moody 14, Jock Yelland 11 not out, Harry Yelland 11, Zac Bayliss 4/21 o 7 overs, Hunter Hawke 2/23 o 7 overs) defeated Cambridge Cats 10/105 o 34.4 overs (Zac Bayliss 20, Billy Porter 15, Hunter Hawke 13, Mitch Wright 12, Harry Bayliss 12, Cameron Rosser 12, Ryan Dunford 3/38 o 10 overs, Ben Houghton 3/23 o 7.4 overs, Brent Tucker 1/15 o 7 overs, Phil Dunford 0/10 o 5 overs).

capably umpired by Messers Trevor Chatman and Michael Fyfe, and Parkes Sports Council presented Woodward Oval in pristine condition.

The game was played before a sizeable crowd who enjoyed the pleasant end-ofsummer conditions.

A er winning the toss Colts elected to bat.

Cats’ opening bowlers Zac Guy and Billy Porter were di cult to score from in the early overs before Colts’ inform opening batsman Paul Dunford began to launch a series of powerful wellstruck strokes.

Cats dropped a couple of chances as Ryan Dunford combined with his uncle

score standing at 73.

Paul Dunford 42, with 3 fours, led the way as he continued his impressive recent form.

Ryan Dunford in scoring 26 runs (with 2 fours) proved himself to be a ne opening partner.

The introduction of Hunter Hawke to the Cats bowling attack secured 2 wickets prior to Ben Haughton being run out before he could get going.

Zac Bayliss proved himself to be Cats’ best bowler when he took 2 wickets in his rst two overs.

Colts batsmen Ewan Moody and Harry Yelland added useful runs for their team while Zac Bayliss con-

HGH Motor Group Young

Phil Dunford (30 not out with 3 fours) and Jock Yelland (11no) added brisk runs in the nal few overs of the Colts innings to give Colts a total of 7/167 o their allocated 40 overs.

In reply Cats openers

Mitch Cambourn and Mitch Wright appeared to be in ominous attacking form as they slammed some powerful boundaries only for both players to be dismissed with the Cats score at 2/20.

Very impressive bowling spells by Ryan Dunford and Brent Tucker slowed the Cats scoring as Ryan really rose to the occasion to secure the prize wickets of Harry Bayliss and Hunter Hawke.

Hunter had just hit an exceptional lo ed on drive to score a six into the Wood-

Billy Porter (15) and Zac Bayliss (20) began to put Cats back on target before Ryan Dunford took a ne out eld catch to dismiss Porter.

Then a superb direct hit run out saw Bayliss dismissed.

Cats score being 6/86 a er 26 overs.

Ben Houghton, much to his delight, produced a ne bowling spell to take 3/23 o 7.4 overs as he contained Cats Cameron Rosser.

Cameron came into the grand nal fresh o his match winning Western Zone Cup innings of 56 v Orange the previous week.

Another smart piece of elding saw Cameron run out for 12.

With Cats junior players unable to withstand the constant Colts bowling and elding pressure, the match

ended with Colts scoring a convincing 62 run victory.

A proud Gunningbland father and grandfather in Wayne Dunford could be seen sporting a wide grin after the match.

Wayne has every reason to be exceptionally proud of his sons’ and grandson’s cricketing achievements.

In the a er match presentation ceremony local Parkes umpire and Life Member of Parkes District Cricket Association, Trevor Chatman, announced Ryan Dunford Player of the Grand Final for his splendid all-round batting, bowling and elding performance.

Colts captain Ryan Dunford accepted the Kelly Cup for the A Grade competition as his team mates accepted premiership mugs in a very pleasant end-of-season event.

Eamon Moody.