RODNEY CWA

This year’s Australia Day saw our member, Thelma Wood, receive a Citizen of the Year Award, in recognition of her service to the community. Well-deserved Thelma!

At our February meeting, members were delighted to catch up after the summer break. Our Guest Speaker was Michelle Parrish. Michelle is one of two McGrath Breast Care Nurses based at Goulburn Valley Health. She has worked with the McGrath Foundation for 14 years and has seen patients aged from 24 years to 100 years diagnosed with breast cancer. She works with a range of health care workers involved with the treatment of breast cancer. Shepparton now has radiotherapy available as well as chemotherapy.

The breast care nurse is available free of charge throughout the entire time of treatment. This year it is expected 22,000 patients will be diagnosed; the survival rate is now 92% Early detection is vital and a monthly selfexamination is recommended. Breast screen is available from 40 years to 75 years of age every two years. Upon request breast screen can continue beyond these years.

Michelle was a most informative speaker with a strong message not only for our members but their extended families.

SUDOKU No. 79

A small gift was presented to Michelle by President Mandy Perkins as a token of thanks for her time given.

Competition Winner – Janette Mason’s daffodil cross-stitch, Best Bloom -- Shirley Harrison’s fuchsia. Next meeting – International -- at the Tatura Bowls Clubrooms March 9th at 1:30.

Our country of study this year is Namibia. Competition: An African Animal. We are expecting a guest speaker from Africa House. Our Juniors met on February 2nd. There was a good attendance and the girls enjoyed making bookmarks. Their competition was, ‘Favourite Book’. At the next meeting, March 2nd, at 7 pm, they will make felt rabbits, and competition is, “A Nursery Rhyme that you like”.

Beatrice Greaves, publicity

Tatura Bowls Club

In the Tatura Bowls Club's Men's Championship Singles final, Darryn Carpenter finally broke the drought to take out this years' Championship final defeating Brendon Boyd 25 to 23 in a highly competitive and skilful game. Carpenter had been runner-up four times previously, twice at his former Mooroopna Club, and at Tatura in 2019, defeated by 1 shot by Josh LeSueur, and in 2021 a loss to Jason Carter who that year went onto win the Goulburn Valley Bowls Division's Champion of Champions.

The Championship final between Carpenter and Boyd was tight throughout with seven lead changes and with Carpenter winning 15 ends to Boyd's 14. A wonderful bowling performance by both players and witnessed by many enthralled spectators. Carpenter has continued to perform admirably in the Champion of Champions knockouts against other club champions and at the time of the Bulletin close for publication, was into the final four and is to meet Stanhope's club champion, Tim Hancock in the semi-final. Other events recently completed included the Tatura Bowls Club's Pairs final which was won by John Attood and Ash McDonell who comfortably accounted for Peter Wallis and

John Crilly. The family affair of Grandfather John Attwood and Grandson Ash McDonell also won this event in 2021.

The Goulburn Murray Bowls Region Novice Singles had Tatura's Mitch Reeves win several stages but lost out narrowly 17 to 21 in the semi-final. Hill Top's Mark Bentley won his semi-final and then went onto win the championship final comfortably 21 to 10. Mark then played other region novice winners at Mulgrave Country Club in Melbourne, winning his first game and then eliminated narrowly in his second game 21 to 19.

Tatura bowler Nick Tziros recently journeyed to his former club at Lake Cargelligo in NSW to compete in fours, pairs and singles tournaments and jointly shared the Singles final with Warren Cocksedge from Taree. Nick was leading 6 to 3 in the first to 21 final when the game was abandoned due to heavy rain. Goulburn Valley Championship Fours winners Brian Mandersloop, Mitch Reeves, Brendon Boyd and Nick Boyd defeated the Murray region champions over 15 ends 16 to 8 and now have made the final 16 in the state and will next compete in knockout rounds at Bendigo in April.

- John Crilly

Tatura Rsl

On Friday the 3rd. February 2023, the Annual General Meeting of the Tatura R.S.L took place. All positions were declared open and subsequently filled, unchanged. Veteran Mr. Robin Fairchild, President, Mr. Garth McMahon, Vice President, Mrs. Mary Coad, Secretary and Veteran Mr. Mark Sommers, Treasurer. All other support positions to the Executive were also filled and unchanged.

Tatura R.S.L. recently received an invitation from the Ballarat R.S.L to attend ‘The Australian Ex –Prisoners of War Memorial,’ 19th. Year Anniversary Service, at Ballarat. This was to take place on the 12th February 2023. Tatura R.S.L. organised a coach with a driver and went. Invitations were extended to other R.S.L. members in nearby Sub Branches and community members and partners. The Memorial Site in Wendouree Parade displays the names of 36,000 Australian Prisoners of War including the Boer War, World War 1, World War 2 and the Korean War. There were no known Australian POWs of the Vietnam War. This magnificent Memorial honours those Australian prisoners, their names etched in a long, black granite wall. There is no rank, service number or enlistment detail; in recognition that sacrifice, suffering and desperation acknowledged no person’s status. These men and woman are equals. The early arrival at the Memorial Site allowed for the coach travellers to take in the surrounds and find the names of ex-prisoners that were important to them. There is also a row of tall stone obelisks, each bearing the names of countries where Australians were held as Prisoners of War.

The Official Service began with the Master of Ceremonies being Bruce Roberts, known to us as the Win TV News presenter. Many dignitaries spoke and formalities were undertaken throughout this Formal Service. Robin Fairchild laid a beautiful wreath of roses, prepared by Veronica Dowell, on behalf of the Tatura R.S.L. Thank you, Veronica.

Shortly after the Service, we all climbed back on the coach, chaperoned by a Mr. Colin Waugh who once lived and was schooled in the Toolamba/ Shepparton area and is now a longtime resident of Ballarat. Destination, a lovely bakery nearby.

This was followed by Colin once again directing the coach driver to the ‘Arch of Victory’ that defines the commencement of a 22 kilometre treed, ‘Avenue of Honour.’ Near the ‘Arch of Victory’ is a very moving monument, in the ‘Garden of the Grieving Mother’. This bronze monument depicts a mother standing with head bowed, clutching a large, framed photograph of her son in uniform.

The coach departed Ballarat around 3pm homeward bound. A big thank you to Mr. Colin Waugh for his efforts at the Ballarat end, as stated in this article. Also, to Jacobson’s Bus Lines, Mooroopna and Mr. Bob. McKenzie the coach driver.

The Tatura Water Tower lights have finally been installed and are up and running. Worth a look! At this stage they shut off at 10pm. Thank you, Rob. Mathieson for your long-time dedication to this project.

Keep in mind Anzac Day 25th April is only a couple of months away.

SPECIALIST WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICE

The first milestone in the establishment of a unique Victorian women's mental health service has been reached with the opening of in-patient and at-home support for women and those who identify as women in the Goulburn Valley area.

Alfred Health, Goulburn Valley Health and Ramsay Health Care have partnered to deliver the first of its kind Specialist Women’s Mental Health Service; an expert hybrid of private and public hospital care.

The service will use a ‘hub and spoke’ model for specialist mental health service provision, with the central hub based in Melbourne, and the Goulburn Valley in-home and in-patient care delivered at Ramsay’s Shepparton Private Hospital, the first of the spokes.

Director Women’s Mental Health Service, Dr Jenny Babb from Alfred Health, said the service has been developed to fill a gap in female-focused psychiatric care.

“What we know is that women need to feel safe when receiving mental health care services, and that they need care that is specifically tailored to them,” Dr Babb said.

“This service model has been co-designed by people with lived experienced and recognises the significant need for a trauma-informed, holistic service for Victorian women.

“The partnership also allows for providing consultation and support to build capacity of local services to provide world-leading care.”

Dr Rajlaxmi Khopade, Consultant Psychiatrist at GV Health said women are approximately twice as likely to suffer from mental illness when compared to men, which is why specialised care is required.

“In addition, we recognise that women face unique challenges including high rates of sexual and physical abuse, single parenthood and poverty, which along with other social and economic inequities, act as barriers to accessing mental healthcare,” Dr Khopade said.

“Working as a mental health practitioner in the Goulburn Valley region for over a decade, I have witnessed these issues first-hand among the women I treat. I am immensely proud to be part of the launch of a new service that will better support women in our community on their journey to recovery.”

Director of Ramsay Mental Health, Anne Mortimer, said Ramsay is proud to provide private in-patient facilities and experienced teams to help Victorian women experiencing mental health issues.

“Ramsay Health Care is the largest private provider of mental health services in Australia and has established a reputation for providing reliable, high-quality mental health care to Australians. The in-patient service at Shepparton Private Hospital will offer Victorian women leading care in separate treatment spaces to ensure their comfort, safety and dignity.” In the coming months, the Alfred Health and Ramsay Health Care teams will commence delivery of psychiatric care to women in the metropolitan Melbourne community, with the service’s hub to open in the second half of 2023.

The development of the new service is driven by recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System, which heard that a range of genderbased safety issues significantly impacted women’s experiences of in-patient mental health care.

The statewide service will support women and those who identify as women aged over 18 with mental health conditions, including presentation during the perinatal period and eating disorders.

Lest we forget. Mal Watts,

Tatura R.S.L. member.