Regional Extra 010223

Animal instinct for sculptures

By BELINDA HARRISON

LIVING and working on a farm provides Catherine Sonnemann the perfect opportunity to study a range of animals, and gives her access to materials to create amazing metal animal sculptures.

“Living on a farm you need to be versatile and able to fix most things yourself so there is always been plenty of work and sculpturing to keep one busy,” Catherine said.

“My metal of choice for my sculptures is steelhigh and low carbon.

“Most of the metal comes from our farm, however on occasion I am given metal from people who would like to see their scrap recycled.”

Catherine is a self-taught welder and has completed a blacksmithing and knife making course in New Zealand, as well as a sculpture class, which she says has widened her knowledge base and helped her find her own style of creating life in metal.

“I have had a fascination with metal since I was young, when I would watch my brother work with metal and I love the liquidity of it.

“It can be shaped to create something of beauty; I re-purpose once discarded or unused farm metal and implements to give them a second life as something of beauty.”

Catherine’s first sculpture was a memorial to her parents’ dog - a Schnauzer - and her country life influences her art, and what she creates.

“My husband Neil and I live near Beechworth where we farm cattle and I go on field research and education trips in the pursuit of really knowing the animal I’m going to create a sculpture of,” Catherine said.

■ Continued page 6

PRIZE-WINNING: Catherine won 3rd prize with her Iron Atlas sculpture in the recent Kemppi Australia Sculpture Competition.

PHOTO: Stuart Orr , Kemppi Australia

What happens to wildlife handed into vet clinics?

IT is a common misconception that all wildlife handed into vet clinics is put to sleep.

This isn’t necessarily the case.

When injured wildlife such as birds or turtles are handed into a vet clinic they go through a triage system whereby their injuries are assessed, and appropriate pain relief and treatments are given.

The triage system used by vets includes a general health check and fitness assessment with further workup including x-rays also needed for some cases.

The aim of rehabilitating wildlife is to return a fully functioning animal to the wild where it will help the population to continue.

Unfortunately, not all injuries are fixable for a wild animal (eg; a cockatoo with only one eye or the inability to fly

PET CORNER

WANGARATTA RSPCA has many lovable creatures waiting for the perfect family to take them home.

If you want to add a furry friend to your home, call (03) 5722 2874 or visit the shelter at 1 Connell Street Wangaratta.

Wangaratta RSPCA’s animal adoption source code is BR100934.

WARRIOR PRINCESS: This Xena is not so fierce - in fact, she can be shy at first, but all she is looking for is someone to love and is very snugly and sociable once she gets to know you. She would like to live with a friendly cat for company. Xena’s microchip number is 956000016561870. PHOTO: RSPCA

Still putting a rose in every cheek

ARE there any other countries which boast a ‘national spread’?

with Ovens & Kiewa Veterinary Hospital

cannot be successfully returned to the wild).

In some cases, humane euthanasia is the most appropriate option, especially for animals that will stress in captivity.

Euthanasia is also necessary for introduced pest species that compete with and destroy our native wildlife.

Handing in wildlife is also great for disease surveillance and can help keep our amazing native species healthy.

Handing wildlife into vet clinics can also be the kindest option for relieving stress and pain in injured animals and to stop their su ering.

That’s one of the questions you’ll consider as you flick through Penguin Random House’s ‘The Vegemite Cookbook’, a new release touting more than 40 recipes which include what the Oxford Dictionary describes simply as ‘a dark substance made from yeast’, but which we know to be much, much more.

The world may be constantly evolving, but some things do remain the same: Vegemite is still among the first food items sought out by international visitors to our shores - in order to achieve the ‘full Australian experience’ - and it will also be routinely mentioned in interviews with visiting celebrities (ie, “Have you tried Vegemite yet?”).

Of course, we Aussies know that visitors always make the mistake of slathering too much of our beloved spread on their bread, toast or Salada, thus leaving a poor impression, but many of us have also probably underestimated its versatility.

According to the cookbook, there are many ways you can get creative with Vegemite, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch or tea.

For some ‘mitey’ inspiration, you need look no further than the mouth-watering and easy-tomake recipes in this book - from the better-known bolognese, breakfast mu ns and roast beef with Vegemite gravy, through to fresh ways to include Vegemite in soups, salads and stir-fries.

It can apparently even bring a surprising twist to a batch of raspberry brownies.

The cookbook celebrates 100 years of Vegemite’s place in our hearts and our cupboards, and comes complete with the history and fun facts that tell its special story.

It’s a story that stretches back

◆ TASTES LIKE AUSTRALIA: The Vegemite Cookbook celebrates the 100th anniversary of Australia’s ‘national spread’.

to 1923, when the Fred Walker Company, a Melbourne-based food production and export company, hired a young chemist, Dr Cyril P Callister, to develop a spread from one of the richest-known natural sources in the Vitamin B group: brewer’s yeast.

After months of conducting laboratory tests, Dr Callister developed a tasty, spreadable product which was labelled ‘Pure Vegetable Extract’, and became known as Vegemite.

The brand has been proudly owned by Bega Cheese Limited since 2017, when it came under Australian ownership for the first

time in more than 90 years. Vegemite, which is made in Port Melbourne, will celebrate its 100th birthday on October 25 this year.

A fantastic way to celebrate the milestone, this is a recipe book that will guarantee lots of ‘happy little Vegemites’.

We have a copy of ‘The Vegemite Cookbook’ to give away to one lucky reader. If you would like that to be you, email skerwin@nemedia.com.au and tell us why you’d love to win.

* ‘The Vegemite Cookbook: Favourite Recipes That Taste Like Australia’, Penguin Random House, RRP $29.99.

Sunday 19 March 2023

Sponsored

Sam Miranda King Valley

Mountain Range Chardonnay 2021

AFTER a storm has swept across the region it never fails to surprise me how one tiny pocket can cop a heavy downpour while another just a few kilometres away can receive nothing at all.

And driving along the King Valley road, I’ve watched the temperature gauge rise and fall and been nearly blown away by a storm, only to come out the other side into stillness and radiant sunshine.

So when they talk about wines being from the King Valley, it may be hard for someone unfamiliar with the region to understand it stretches from Lake William Hovell to Milawa, and within that vast area are hundreds of pockets with entirely di erent terrains, altitudes and microclimates.

I’ve even had growers explain how there are multiple microclimates within a single vineyard, let alone within one property, so there is no onesize-fits-all when it comes to the region’s wine.

Sam Miranda is based in Oxley, but the Mountain Range is made up of wines sourced from di erent vineyards and sitesthe Chardonnay coming from the Myrrhee vineyard in the upper King Valley where the grapes ripen slowly.

with Anita McPherson

It has a lightly golden colour and is a classic, cool climate style - with aromas of stone fruit, but flavours which lean towards white peach and zesty citrus, o ering a pleasant, mineral freshness.

The crisp quality means it’s lovely chilled and suits a wide range of dishes from seafood through to poultry, and it goes beautifully with grilled zucchinis topped with marinated goat’s cheese.

Good things come from keeping your cool. About $25.

This Day in History, 1978

IF 18 year olds were walking slightly taller on February 1 1978, it was because they had attained full legal age status in Victoria.

Prior to 1978, an 18 year old had been eligible to vote (and to be sent to Vietnam) but still had to wait until the age of 21 to achieve the Age of Majority, when a person attained full legal status as an adult.

Fishing is currently sublime for the middle of summer

LAST week I fished a number of small trout streams in the headwaters of the Ovens River and the Bu alo River where I found the water appears much cooler than usual for the middle of summer.

The water flow was perfect and the trout fishing was amazing.

We are currently experiencing the best trout fishing conditions that I can remember for the middle of summer.

I used a number of lures and flies, and the standout lure was a Strike Tiger leech soft plastic in “Black Caviar” colour, which is red and black.

I tried a brown soft plastic, a green soft plastic and a small diving minnow, but it was the red and black that the trout were hitting the hardest.

My daughter Holly and I fished Lake Bu alo last week against a stunning sunset where we managed to catch around 30 redfin.

We were wet wading around the edges, casting small yellow soft plastics.

Upcoming Features

Of all the fish that we caught none were big, but quite a few of them were okay, just big enough to fillet and enjoy a feed of redfin.

We only kept three, but probably could have kept eight or nine had we wanted to.

The Murray cod fishing is the best that I can remember it in the Ovens River at the moment.

Downstream of Wangaratta access is still limited thanks to large areas of the Warby Ovens National Park still being locked up after last year’s floods.

The river can be accessed at Peechelba and at the Seven Bridges, as well as Cameron’s Bend down towards Bundalong.

Catches of 10 or more Murray cod in an afternoon are not uncommon.

Most fish are small but I have seen photos of a 75cm and an 86cm that were caught on lures.

Diving lures, spinnerbaits and surface lures are all working well.

FEB 01 mar 17 mar 21 apr

◆ A TOUCH OF PARADISE: Holly Alexander fishing against a stunning sunset at Lake Bu alo last week.

with Rob Alexander WANGARATTA

Animal instinct for sculptures

■ From page 1

To create the life-like sculptures, Catherine works from the animal itself, taking photos, looking and understanding the anatomy of the animal, and the character and characteristics that she needs to capture.

“It is so much easier to create an animal if you understand where it lives, how it moves, and the environment it comes from,” she said.

Catherine works on one sculpture at a time to ensure the best result.

“Every piece I create deserves 100 per cent of my time and effort,” she explained.

“They have to have the look, feel and character of the subject and you don’t get that if you are not putting all your efforts into it.”

To date, Catherine has created an Eastern Quoll, horses, a mother and puggle echidna, a four horned

Chameleon, a black crow, spiders, a lace monitor and a black headed python and other works and the detail on each piece is quite exquisite.

“Creating the sculpture itself can be a very complex process, but basically you decide what to create, draw and find images on all aspects of the animal and then you slowly assemble the metal, which is when the creating really starts.

“The metal is forged, cut, shaped and manipulated to fit the area I am working on and you never really stop learning what works better or an easier way of doing things.”

Many of Catherine’s works are life-size or scaled to fit her requirements but large animals such as horses are scaled down to suit.

In 2022, Catherine was encouraged by artists and friends to show her work publicly and the response was more than Catherine could have hoped for - winning the Crea-

tive Cocky Award at the Spirit of the Land Festival and coming 3rd at the Kemppi Australia Sculpture Competition for her piece entitled Iron Atlas.

“I am looking forward to entering more competitions in 2023 but even creating pieces just for myself or friends and family is rewarding - creating a sculpture like my parents’ Schnauzer create a memory that lasts forever for the people who own it,” Catherine said.

Locals and acquaintances are not the only ones enjoying the fruits of Catherine’s labours with biologists and ecologists having purchased her work and praising her skill in producing anatomically correct works.

“Specialists have a passion for a particular species, and when I have an expert in that field give praise to my work it is indeed an honour.”

Catherine specialises in reptiles

and Australian and some overseas fauna, with most of the animals listed as either endangered or on the IUCN list of threatened species.

To see more of Catherine’s work, follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100047635751711.

◆ HARD YAKKA: “Heavy Horse in Harness”.

PHOTO: Neil Sonnemann

Employees with disability

ALL employees working in Australia have workplace rights, including minimum wages and conditions of employment. Everyone has the right to work in a safe environment, free from unlawful discrimination, bullying and harassment.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has help, information and guidance for employees with disability, for their employers and for employers looking to hire a prospective employee who may have disability.

Every employee is entitled to a minimum rate of pay. For most employees, this minimum rate is set by the award that covers their industry or occupation.

The Supported Wage System is for employees with disability who are not able to perform jobs at the same capacity as any other employee.

Under the Supported Wage System an employee’s work capacity is assessed to find out their rate of pay.

This assessment can only be carried out by a qualified independent assessor.

Protections at work

All employees have protected rights at work.

These include: workplace rights - taking or not taking part in industrial activities or belonging or not belonging to an industrial association; being free from unlawful discrimination - employees can’t be treated differently or worse because of their workplace rights, or for a discriminatory reason.

Disability discrimination in the workplace

WE ARE HIRING

It’s unlawful for an employer to take adverse action against an employee or potential employee because of their disability. Adverse action against someone with disability could include: not hiring a potential employee; offering an employee or a potential employee different and unfair terms and conditions for the job compared to other employees; treating an employee differently to other employees; causing disadvantage to an employee (for example, not giving an employee minimum entitlements such as pay or leave); changing an employee’s job to their disadvantage or firing an employee.

It’s also unlawful to discriminate against or harass an employee or potential employee under federal, state and territory antidiscrimination laws.

There are also other government and private organisations that can provide assistance for employees with disability.

IncludeAbility is an initiative of the Australian Human Rights Commission that supports people with disability looking for work and employers who want to create meaningful employment opportunities for employees with disability.

The Australian Human Rights Commission considers and accepts complaints of workplace discrimination and harassment covered under federal law including complaints based on disability.

You can contact the Fair Work Commission if you’ve lost your job and think you were sacked because of unlawful discrimination or for a reason that is harsh, unjust or unreasonable.

Great jobs for G reat people

shepparton – Concrete truck Driver – SHEP001

regional Victoria – Drill & blast supervisor – DBS001

Wangaratta – Concrete Cartage Contractor – CCSWANG01

regional Victoria – Concrete site Maintenance – COSM002

shepparton Country Concrete – truck Driver – SHCC001

Castlemaine – Concrete site supervisor – CAST001

berrigan NsW – Quarry operator – BERQ001

lake boga – Quarry operator – LKBQ001

shepparton – bulk Cement tanker Driver – BUCC001

Glenrowan – Quarry operator – GLEQ001

You have 21 days to apply starting the day after you were dismissed.

JobAccess is the national hub for workplace and employment information for people with disability, employers and service providers.

JobAccess also supports a number of ways for you to make a complaint or to report abuse or neglect of people with disability through their National Disability Abuse and Neglect hotline. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding directly to people with disability.

The RecruitAbility scheme aims to attract and develop applicants with disability into the Australian Public Service (APS).

The scheme also aims to facilitate cultural change in selection panels and agency recruitment.

State or territory anti-discrimination bodies can consider and investigate breaches of state or territory anti-discrimination laws in workplaces.

The Australian Network on Disability (AND) is a national, not for profit organisation who assist organisations to develop their behaviours, attitudes, systems and knowledge so they can successfully engage with people with disability as staff, customers and stakeholders.

People with Disability Australia (PWDA) is a national disability rights, advocacy and representative organisation that is made up of, led and governed by people with disability.

With David James, North East Fasteners WELCOME to the first of our new informative articles for the home handyman or woman, tradie, farmer or weekend warrior.

In our ‘Tool Talk’ articles each fortnight, we will be giving you tips, tricks and ‘how to’ for all sorts of tools and projects.

Do you want to purchase a brand new tool kit for home or trade but don’t know what will suit your needs the best?

Then don’t worry, myself and my team here at North East Fasteners and our partners at Kincrome have you covered, including video links for those who like to ‘see’ what we’re explaining.

We want to help everyone get the job done right and safely the first time and we have experts in our store to answer questions on all kinds of tools for all kinds of applications.

In our first o cial talking tools article (coming in two weeks), we’ll discuss how important it is to plan your job ahead of starting it - I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying ‘measure twice, cut once’ and it’s an excellent rule of thumb, no matter how long you’ve been in the game.

If you have a burning question you’d like to get answered (preferably about tools because we don’t know much about how to make the perfect co ee) or there’s a tool you’d like to know more about then get in touch with us on our socials and we’ll put it on our list to share with readers.

If you’re not so good on the socials, feel free to come in store and have a chat with us old style ... you remember thatit’s also known as face to face.

Until next time, “be the sharpest tool in the shed and make sure you’re using the right equipment for the job.”

THE end of January always rolls around so quickly and before you know it, it’s time to get ready to get the kids back to school.

You’ve organised the school shoes, lunch boxes, purchased a new uniform if your little one is starting for the first time or checked if the old uniform still fits for those who’ve already been at school, and of course lots of socks because let’s be honest, the washing machine is always eating them. But are your child’s eyes ready for the classroom?

In the excitement and anticipation, it’s easy to overlook the most important learning system a child has - their eyes and vision.

Did you know that one in five children have an undetected vision problem?

With 80 per cent of all learning experience through vision, it’s no surprise that children with undetected vision problems often fail to progress in school.

Many children often assume what they see is normal as they know no di erent.

We need to be able to recognise the signs of a vision problem, and to ensure children are examined regularly to detect any problems early.

Some symptoms to watch out for include:

• Complaints of blurred vision, headaches, or sore eyes;

• Delayed progress in reading;

• A turned eye, red or watery eyes, and frequent blinking;

• Poor hand-eye co-ordination; and

• Losing their place or omitting words and skipping lines when reading.

Learning and vision is about more than just seeing clearly. Children with normal eye-sight as measured on a distance letter chart can still have visual problems that may significantly a ect their concentration and learning - for example, if excessive focusing e ort is needed to stop the print from going blurry when reading, then it will be much harder to derive meaning from the words.

A general eye examination determines if a child has healthy eyes and can see clearly and comfortably without extra e ort or stress for long periods of time.

Subsequent reviews are recommended at least every two years while children are at school and their eyes are growing and developing rapidly.

A visual perceptual assessment probes the child’s visual information processing skills; their ability to understand, interpret and remember what they see, and their ability to link vision to language.

Such evaluations are recommended following initial examination for primary school children who are experiencing learning di culties, or who are not performing of a level it is felt they should be capable.

Once recognised, problems are usually easy to correct, which is why early detection and treatment of eye and vision problems are important.

Give your kids the right start.

Get their eyes ready for the classroom.

Schedule an appointment today at Wangaratta Eyecare to make sure your child is ready for another big year of learning, development and fun.

◆ POWERFUL TEAM: David James and the team at North East Fasteners are on hand for all your tool-related questions.

The first test of the year should be an eye test

with Roxy Akers WANGARATTA EYECARE

‘Measure twice, cut once is an excellent rule of thumb’