Gwydir News - May 2021

Gwydir

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COMMUNITY NEWS

FOR THE GWYDIR SHIRE AND SURROUNDS

March 2021 Edition • www.thegwydirnews.com.au May 2021 Edition • www.gwydir.nsw.gov.au

Free

All good things must come to an end, and so the Warialda Show wound up on Sunday morning after three days of jam-packed action, exhibits, competition and entertainment.

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SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT THE WARIALDA SHOW

GWYDIRNEWS Community news for the Gwydir Shire and surrounds MARCH 2021 EDITION • WWW.THEGWYDIRNEWS.COM.AU

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Warialda Show Society Secretary Cr Dave Coulton said the weekend was helped along with weather you couldn’t have asked for.

“The weekend was very well received, with great crowds.

The entertainment kicked off on Friday night with Travis Collins,” he said.

Feedback from show-goers indicated that it was one of the best shows ever. On display throughout were demonstrations from Aussie FMX Motorbikes, sand sculpting from Steve Machell, Walter’s Whip Cracking, pet shows, billy boiling and a very popular demolition derby.

The Show was officially opened by the Hon Mark Coulton MP, after which several special presentations were made. Mr Col James was made a life member and certificates were presented to Doug Barnett, John McDonald and Cr John Coulton, for service of 50 years or over to the Committee.

The title of 2021 Warialda Showgirl was awarded to Clare Mead, with the junior Junior Showgirl presented to Abbie Kent. “Although Prime Cattle numbers were down, and that may be attributed to the drought, the quality was exceptional. The winners of the Prime Cattle were Dave and Mel Landers, having the Grand Champion Prime Beef of the Show,” said Cr Coulton. “The Kent family from Delungra’s Kurrajong supported

the wool section very well.”

“Grand Champion Rider of the Show was Rosie Block, and Grand Champion Hack of the Show was the Young family of Moree. Show Jumping and sporting events were also well supported.”

Both Federal and State Government support, including funding from FRRR, Primary Health Network (PRN), COVID-19 stimulus grants all went towards attracting entertainment and putting on the event. We wouldn't have been able to do it without this support.

“A big thank you goes to the committee as a whole, for the work they put in. To Don Stevenson, President of the Show Society. To all the people that worked hard to run each section, and the people of Warialda and surrounds for coming and supporting the event.”

"A special mention to Narissa and Ardina Jackson who took on the job of running the Art Section which was just brilliant, absolutely brilliant. " “I just think it was a great show and the town supported us, so thank you,” said Cr Coulton.

To receive your monthly digital copy of The Gwydir News delivered FREE to your inbox every month contact us at: editor@thegwydirnews.com.au or phone 0436 934 099.

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Gwydir From the Desk

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A vibrant month in the Gwydir Shire may have been and gone but this was just the start of further festivals and events that are to come in 2021.

Grazing on Gwydir and the Warialda Show were strongly supported attracting good crowds, proving to be a great example of what can be achieved when community groups and volunteers come together to make things happen. Looking at 'What's On', on page 18, it is clear that the region is not short of events to enjoy.

The Gwydir News encourages you to become involved in this publication and welcomes your submissions and contributions for consideration. If you, your organisation or team has something they would like to see in the next edition of The Gwydir News or beyond please forward details to editor@thegwydirnews.com.au or phone 0436934 099 to discuss further.

Gwydir Shire Council has provided this newsletter to your mailbox at no cost once again this month. Keep a look out also for the next edition which will be released in mid-June.

Following this you will need to be subscribed to ensure your copy is delivered to your email or letter box.

Make sure you don't miss out by contacting us to arrange delivery.

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Rotary keeps men's health in the spotlight Warialda Rotary proudly hosted the Men’s Health Education Rotary Van MHERV) in April for the second time as part of the Club’s ongoing initiative to improve the health of the country’s men.

The project sees a purposebuilt caravan travel throughout NSW, touring as many regional centres as possible each year, taking health assessment to the community.

Nurse Rob Woolley (pictured right) is a one-man health resource who completes diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol checks, all while discussing strategies for better health.

Conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar have little or no apparent symptoms and can ultimately lead to sudden unexpected death or long-term incapacity. As a result, according to the Men’s Health Education Rotary Van crew, ten minutes spent in the MHERV can only bring good news.

Mr Woolley says that having these numbers allows men to go forward with refence for future health needs. These simple tests are able to identify men’s health issues earlier, thereby bringing them to a doctor before otherwise treatable conditions become more serious.

“In rural areas, with a more casual environment, the feedback we have had is very positive,” said Mr Woolley.

“Some men haven’t been to a doctor for years; women tend to be better at these things. I provide information and advice, encouraging men to seek further assistance if necessary.

Mr Woolley, has been travelling with MHERV for the past three and a half years and in that time has seen over 8000 men. Around 50 people were attended to during this year’s Warialda visit.

First Op Shop Donation Benefits Bingara Kids Bingara Central School was the recipient of a generous donation from the Bingara Community Op-Shop last month. Principal, Brooke Wall, was presented with a cheque by Norma Honeysett and Lynne Clarke for the sum of $2000.

Ms Clarke told the Gwydir News that they believe Bingara’s future lies with its young people.

"It was very important, unanimously, in all our meetings, to help the youth of Bingara. We feel that they are our future. We wanted to be able to help children from kindergarten to year 12," she said.

Proceeds from trade at the shop, raffles and a recent garage sale all combined to make up the donation.

"The money has come directly from the Bingara community. That's the most important thing to remember," said Ms Clarke.

Above: Lynne Clarke, (left) and Norma Honeysett (right) present Bingara Central School Principal Brooke Wall with their first cheque for $2000 2

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The donation made from the community group will go towards subsidising fees for students attending camp and the K-2 excursion.

In 2019 (the last time that students attended camp prior to 2021) the school had 96% of eligible students attend, largely due to subsidies provided to students and their families.

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$1.8 MILLION TO UPGRADE OREGON ROAD IN THE GWYDIR SHIRE MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR upgrade to one of the Gwydir’s most used unsealed roads will improve the flow of agricultural product from the productive ‘golden triangle’ farming area, with Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall and Minister for Regional Roads and Freight Paul Toole last week inspecting Oregon Road ahead of its scheduled gravel resheeting work.

The NSW and Federal Governments have jointly contributed $1,790,525 towards the $2.1 million project, through round 2 of the NSW Fixing Country Roads program.

Mr Marshall said a 27 kilometre section of Oregon Road would be upgraded to provide all-weather access for local traffic and heavy vehicles.

“Oregan Road is the most direct route to Warialda for farmers and families in the highly productive Crooble and Croppa Creek areas,” Mr Marshall said.

“The road has long been in need of improvement, with a lack of gravel resulting in its surface becoming impassable after the smallest rain event.

“Additionally, throughout the drought, council had to cease all maintenance on the road due to a lack of water and this has had a significant impact on the quality of the road base.

“Long-term, this project will pave the way for permanent road train traffic along Oregon Road, in-line with the planned Warialda High Productivity Vehicle Route.

“All weather access will improve the travel time for freight but most of all make for a smoother and safer ride for locals who live in the area.”

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING NOW AVAILABLE

“The work is scheduled to start in May and will take approximately six months.

“The project will maintain employment for approximately 10 Gwydir Shire Council staff, along with the involvement of a number of local contractors for haulage and gravel crushing.

dedicated to projects that increase female participation in sport

Stronger Country Communities Fund Round 4 is open now.

For more information about eligibility and the Program Guidelines go to: nsw.gov.au/SCCF

“This project is an important step forward for the long-term maintenance of Oregon Road and I think is recognition of the key role it plays in driving Gwydir Shire’s economy.”

OurRegionalNSW @OurRegionalNSW

Above Left: Gwydir Shire Council Engineering Manager Alex Eddy, left, Mayor John Coulton, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall discussing the economic benefits of the project.

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total funding

Up to $50 million

Gwydir Shire Mayor John Coulton said the funds from the Fixing Country Roads Program would substantially ease council’s maintenance task.

“These upgrade works will provide a level of service slightly higher than that typically delivered by council on its unsealed road network,” Cr Coulton said.

$100 million

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“Using this grant council will deliver all-weather access to Oregon Road by resheeting the surface with a dust suppressing binder and suitable gravels.

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REMEMBERING THEM ON ANZAC DAY For the first time in two years communities came together to remember and commemorate at ANZAC services across the district.

After driveway reflection and social distance replaced traditional services in 2020, Gwydir residents attended ceremonies in big numbers.

106 years since the landings at Gallipolli, veterans, students and families joined marches and showed their support from the street at services in Croppa Creek, Gravesend, Warialda and Bingara. Coolatai residents reflected at a service held the previous day after their new memorial opening.

An engaging address by Brigadier Gary Banister at the Bingara service had attendees considering the sacrifice that has been made by all service personnel, past and present.

“416,000 Australians volunteered for service and 324,000 Australians served overseas in World War One, with 60,000 Australians dying on foreign soil. Over 106,000 Australians have died in war,” he said.

“During World War two 930,000 people enlisted, 558,000 of whom served overseas. In World War Two, Bingara had the highest enlistment rate per capita than any other NSW town. 404 men enlisted and 33 did not return.”

“On this day above all days, we commemorate ordinary Australians, who at times of this nation’s greatest peril, performed extraordinary feats.”

Top right Patriots Australian Military Motorcycle Club members Right: Bingara Central School students Gavin and Bianca Fullerton with Grandfather Lloyd Fullerton Left: Warialda ANZAC march

COOLATAI FOUNDING FAMILIES AND MEMORIAL MONUMENT Coolatai and the surrounding district community gathered together for the unveiling of a brand-new War Memorial ahead of ANZAC commemorations this year.

The Founding Families War Memorial was officially unveiled in front of community members including the drivers of the project, Angela Stewart and Michelle Coulton.

Featuring the names of all those locals who served their country in conflicts, including local veterinarian Kathleen Farr, who looked after the horses and other animals during the Great War, the memorial provides a visible tribute at the heart of the town.

“Supported by a grant from the State Government, the local community, together with Gwydir Shire Council, have produced a 4

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magnificent tribute to our servicemen and women and a drawcard for former locals and travellers passing by to stop in and take a look at the Honour Roll and the profiles and history on the monument,” said Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall.

Above: Angela Stewart, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, Gwydir Shire Mayor John Coulton and Donna Smith at the opening of the Colatai Memorial

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Young women inspired to improve education Over the past year, two young members of the community have been a part of the Rural Youth Ambassador Program through Rural Inspire. Being part of the Program involved multiple online linkups over a program called iSee, allowing them to interact Jackie Woodward and Rachel Coulton, both from Warialda, were part of the program that collaborates ideas from across the state to improve education for future students.

The group focused mainly on four key areas: Teacher retainment, mental health issues, post school opportunities and schools working together.

This allowed us to voice our own experiences....our eyes and minds have been opened.

A three-day face to face meeting was held in Sydney over the ANZAC weekend and included conferences with Youth ministers, ABCN Education, Education Minister Sarah Mitchell and the Department of Education.

Rachel Coulton, NW Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell and Jacqui Woodward at the Rural Youth Ambassador Program conference last month

“This allowed us to voice our own experiences around the key areas.

Our eyes and minds have been opened to so many new pathways for our futures,” said Jackie.

“Overall the program aims to help rural and remote students like ourselves voice our opinions to those in charge. We hope to get the ball rolling in order to improve and make a change to education,” she said.

The Rural Youth Ambassador Program was developed by the Country Education Partnership to provide young people in rural and remote communities with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills.

Youth Council inducted after first event success

From Left: Gwydir Shire Youth Council members: Anthony Francis, Ben Perry, Alex Smith, Rachel Coulton, Lucy Doney Tonks, Jackie Woodward, Abbie-Jewel Kent and Chloe Taylor

Members of the Gwydir Youth Council were formally inducted at a presentation at the last Council meeting held at Warialda Council Chambers. Eight of the nine students and young people were present to be handed their certificate and pin and acknowledge their commitment to the program.

The ceremony came after the group held their first event for 2021 at the Warialda Showground last month – a Youth Colour Run. The day was put together for young people aged 12 -24 years from across the Shire as a means to get together, be active and have fun.

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Warialda Hospital $380,158 DELIVERS MAJOR UPGRADES FOR Auxillary May BINGARA SHOWGROUND USERS Stubbins Update Marilyn President WHA

At the Warialda Hospital Auxiliary meeting held at the MPS on Monday April 19th 2021, plans were made for the Super Street Stall on Friday May 14th.

The Auxiliary is hopeful of a boost to funds as 2020 was not a good year for fundraising.

All donations of cooking, craft and produce were much appreciate and supported the Auxiliary in its efforts to support patients, doctors, nurses and allied medical staff at Warialda Hospital.

At the April meeting it was also determined that the Executive meet and decide on the format to celebrate the Auxiliary’s 80th birthday in December.

Auxiliary members have been selling tickets in an Air Fryer over the last few weeks and on Friday April 30th the winning ticket was drawn. Bob Tremain was the lucky winner.

On Friday May 28th tickets will start selling in the next raffle. This time the prize will be a blower and hedge trimmer for the gardening enthusiasts.

On March 16th 2021, four Auxiliary members travelled to Glen Innes for the New England Regional Conference. It was a most informative and enjoyable day Margaret Keath even came home with the raffle prize!

Warialda Hospital Auxiliary is always looking for new members of any age. Next meeting is Monday July 5th, 2:00pm at the MPS. Come along and join us for a cup of tea/ coffee with afternoon tea at the conclusion of the meeting.

BINGARA Showground will soon undergo its largest upgrade in decades, thanks to a $380,158 State Government cash injection to improve amenities and camping facilities and lighting at the grounds, announced by Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall. for hundreds of travellers to roll into town The funding is set to benefit the grounds for the Campervan and Motorhome Club of long into the future and comes as the Australia rally in October.

Bingara Show Society and other event committees gear up for this month’s show.

Funds are also being spent on new LED In the last 12 months the State Government has provided $627,082 in stimulus funding for Bingara Showground, for the refurbishment of the aged grandstand, repairs to cool rooms and various safety improvements across the ground.

Mr Marshall said each of the recent upgrades has been done to allow Bingara Showground to accommodate large community events and reduce costs for user groups.

“Aside from camping, Bingara Showground services four different user groups who all host events which are important money spinners for the local economy,” Mr Marshall said.

“To ensure the ongoing success of these gatherings, Bingara Showground will soon have a new amenities building with an accessible bathroom, three unisex toilets and two unisex showers.

Works are set to get underway shortly with Gwydir Shire Council hoping to have the amenities complete by September, in time

lighting around the main arena, with improvements to safety, energy efficiency and cost savings all major benefits.

Bingara Polocrosse Committee’s Scott McLachlan said the new amenities would be an asset to all users of the showground, making carnivals more enjoyable for all.

“With plenty of camping space, new stables and fantastic catering facilities Bingara is the ideal location for polocrosse and equestrian disciplines,” Mr McLachlan said.

“Until now the existing toilets on the eastern side of the ground which we utilise, have not been large enough to cater for polocrosse carnivals and the facilities on the western side of the showground are too far away to be utilised effectively.

Bingara Pony Club President Ann Lewis said the organisation saw the lighting upgrade as a safety bonus for their junior members.

“Having the ability to light up the arena in the evenings would mean we could have twilight events during camps and extend our overall riding season,” Ms Lewis said.

Bingara Showground user groups are improving facilities to cater for large community events, with Bingara Jockey Club’s Darryl Burling, left, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, Bingara Showground Land Manager committee member Damien Crump, Sinclair Munro, Bingara Polocross Committee’s Scott McLachlan, Minister for Lands Melinda Pavey, Gwydir Shire Deputy Mayor Cathryn Egan, Town Services Manager Andrew Cooper, Gwydir Shire Councillor Marilyn Dickson OAM, Bingara Show Society’s Robyn Phillips and Bingara Pony Club President Ann Lewis.

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Vibrant campaign for new residents underway “With the exposure the area will receive in the lead up to, and through the CMCA Rally, we are hoping to entice those looking for their next great adventure,” he said.

After just a few weeks, the campaign already has over 1300 people subscribed to the “Secrets of Living in Gwydir Shire” monthly newsletter, which highlights the benefits of living in our beautiful, healthy and friendly Shire.

According to Mr Turner, the goal of the Social Media Marketing campaign is to create a list of 2-3,000 subscribers.

“To date, we are well ahead of our target,” he said.

An ambitious campaign to attract new residents to the Gwydir Shire is underway as the region gets set to host an influx of visitors for the CMCA Rally this October.

Multimedia advertisements over the next several months will attempt to sell the benefits of living in one of the most appealing regional areas of NSW to those who may be thinking of a change.

The campaign will continue to involve marketing through magazine channels and is accompanied by a QR code that will allow interested consumers to engage further with the region.

Based on feedback from the community, we’d particularly like to attract families, tradies, and labourers, as well as people interested in opening up a small business in the Shire. Residents and businesses have identified the need for more visitor experiences, trades, someone to recharge automotive air conditioners and child-care providers.

Gwydir Shire Council’s Manager of Business and Economic Development, Chris Turner, says a move to the Gwydir is mutually beneficial with new residents presented with affordable housing, job opportunities and an enviable country lifestyle while the economic benefit to the community is extremely valuable.

“A recent review of economic data and an independent online survey recently identified that agriculture remains the largest sector in the economy by far, with health and local government coming in second and third,” he said All three of these sectors have reported challenges in recruiting workers, which perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise with unemployment in the Shire consistently remaining below National and State trends.

“With the research indicating there are good employment and business opportunities, and widely promoting this along with our great lifestyle and affordable housing - we have the very real potential to start attracting new residents and growing the population,” said Mr Turner.

With the drought broken and the Shire looking fantastic there are good job opportunities available with agriculture recovering and construction on the Inland Rail network getting started in the north.

Gwydir Shire Council Community Meetings Bingara Warialda Warialda Rail Gravesend Upper Horton Coolatai North Star Croppa Creek

Roxy Theatre Town Hall Rec Ground Old RSL Club Sporting Club Hall Club Club

Mon 28th June Mon 9th June Mon 9th June Thurs 17th June Thurs 10th June Mon 14th June Tues 15th June Wed 16th June

5:00 pm 6.30 pm 4.30 pm 6:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:00 pm 6:00 pm

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Gwydir BIRDWATCHERS ENJOY BINGARA OUTING

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Problem Waste now recyclable Have you ever wondered what you can do with those items you know shouldn’t just be thrown in the bin?

In an effort to encourage residents to dispose of certain items in an environmentally responsible way, household recycling stations have been installed at both the Bingara Library and Warialda Council Chamber foyers .

The stations are able to accept deposits of old batteries, smoke detectors, ink cartridges and fluorescent globes (excluding fluorescent tubes), all items that cannot be collected via council kerbside waste and recycling collection services due to potential chemical contamination.

Blue Bonnet, one of many species spotted on the New England North West Birding Group outing Photo and article supplied by Colin Ritchie

The New England & North West NSW Birding Group travelled to Bingara for its March 2021 outing. Bingara is one of those great birdwatching sites where you get a cross-over of Eastern and Western NSW birds, so the variety is great.

As we only birdwatched for the morning, we divided that up between three locations, the Bingara Cemetery, The Living Classroom and the Whitlow Road Bird Route. There are plenty of other locations, but they will have to be for our next trip.

The cemetery is a sure spot to see Blue Bonnets, a western area parrot and we saw quite a few as well as Nankeen Kestrels and a number of other species.

The group moved on to the Living Classroom which is a fantastic facility on the edge of Bingara dedicated to environmental conservation. Here we saw a range of birds with a small flock of Rainbow Bee-eaters, which are a bit out of season, being the highlight.

The final destination was Whitlow Road Bird Route which was a new spot and here we enjoyed morning tea and then had a pleasant walk along the creek with Silvereyes and plenty of Orb Spiders being seen.

Bingara will continue to be on our calendar for an easily accessible birdwatching location that offers a great range of birds over many locations.

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Gwydir Shire Council win Engineering Excellence Award for Warialda All Abilities Park Gwydir Shire Council has been successful in winning the Engineering Excellence Award for ‘Design and Construction of a Local Government Project less than $500,000’ for the Warialda All Abilities Park project.

The construction of Warialda All Abilities Park was close to the heart for the Warialda community, as they had long wanted a space where everyone was able to play.

The park is located opposite the Warialda Hospital and consists of beautiful lawns and parkland, play equipment including a liberty swing, gently graded concrete paths throughout the park, covered barbecue area, numerous benches and tables, a yoga area and even musical equipment.

The project development was a collaborative effort between Council design and project management staff, operational staff, contractors, the local community and stakeholders. There was a real balancing act between what was aesthetically pleasing, what the stakeholders desired and what could be achieved practically and still stay within budget.

The Institute of Public Works Engineering NSW annual Engineering Excellence Awards recognises excellence in Local Government and Publics Works Projects in NSW. This is

achieved through inspiration, innovation, collaboration, development and technical management of projects.

The project was passionately supported by the community. It has seen numerous community groups and members donate equipment, labour, plant hire and materials to make this project the success that it is.

The Project was funded by an Everyone Can Play Grant of $200,000 and $240,000 from Drought Communities Program, Round 1.

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Grazing Great Turnout The inaugural Grazing on the Gwydir was held on what turned out to be a pictureperfect weekend, with event organisers touting its success.

Organisers were pleased with the volume of people who attended the day with 31 local and visiting stalls lining the street.

Stall holders and main street businesses were pleased with the injection of people visiting and increased Saturday morning trading, despite clashing with other out of town events including Minor League and the Coolatai War Memorial opening.

In addition to trading, visitors were entertained throughout the morning by Jam Happening, Sharkbait, Hayley Reynolds, Helen & Tony Cornish, Steve McGarrity joined

by Johnette Walker, Rick Hutton, Natalie Jane Baker and Bingara line dancers.

The morning also saw a brief reopening of the Roxy Café, thanks to Bingara’s Vision 2030. The group spent the morning offering traditional milk bar fare including milkshakes, spiders, sundaes, cakes and toffee apples.

Feedback from the morning’s opening showed the potential that still exists for the business to thrive again.

Looking forward Bingara Business Group member Tiffany Galvin says the group will be reviewing the day, with hopes of making Grazing events a regular event.

“I would like to acknowledge the work of everyone involved,” said Ms Galvin, acknowledging the cooperation of various groups including the Bingara Business Group, Bingara’s Vision 2030, Gwydir Shire Council and Bingara Lions, to make the day come to fruition.

The event was made possible thanks to funds from the NSW State Government’s Summer Activation Grant, which supported delivery of a main street event to bring people back after the restrictions of the past year.

Entertainment from Bingara Line Dancers, and market stalls were amongst the attractions at Grazing on the Gwydir Below Right: Pally girls Sophia, Bridie, Lacie, Indie, and Savannah enjoy the morning

Gyms get some muscle thanks to grant Late last year the combined efforts of the Friends of the Gwydir Fitness Centres and Gwydir Shire Council were successful in a grant application with Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) program.

Both Bingara and Warialda gyms have steadily received much needed, new equipment. Warialda has taken possession of a new excercise bike, power rack with olympic bar and new floor mats. A new stair climber, leg curl machine and lat pull-down machine are now in the Bingara Fitness Centre.

“We were successful in receiving $17,973 towards our new equipment, which is in addition to Gwydir Shire Council’s contribution,” said gym representative, Graham Cutmore.

“This would not have been possible without their help, the help of the community that provided letters of support, and the help of Suzy Webber with our application,” he said.

The FRRR program was set out to help drought-affected populations such as the Gwydir Shire, supporting people, places and disaster resilience to help create vibrant and sustainable communities.

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WARIALDA RURAL FIRE SERVICE NEEDS YOUR HELP Warialda Rural Fire Service is looking for community-minded people to join their team of volunteers.

Warialda RFS Captain, Bill Farrar, spoke to The Gwydir News about the dire need the Service has for new members. He says that at times staffing has not been adequate to cover the town, leaving both those fighting a fire and the township at risk and requiring assistance from other brigades.

Once joined you will obtain your BF Certificate, enabling you to get out on the fireground and be provided with all personal protective equipment needed.

All training is done across the region, between Bingara, Moree and Narrabri, with transport supplied by NSW RFS.

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The training is comprehensive with a mix of theory and hands-on classes ensuring volunteers learn to use equipment and understand the fundamentals of firefighting tactics and principles. There is, of course, a focus on safety first.

Male and female volunteers are welcome from all walks of life and will be accepted with open arms.

“There is no need to live in town,” said Captain Farrar, “We just need someone that is active and likes the outdoors.”

In what really isn’t a great commitment in time, volunteers attend meetings on Wednesday nights. A monthly meeting is held on the first Wednesday of each month, followed by a training night on the second Wednesday and a maintenance evening on the third.

“Everyone’s different, but I joined because of the commitment. It’s about being part of a community and giving back to the community,” said Captain Farrar.

Joining the team is a commitment to the place you live in that comes with great reward.

“It is a great opportunity to gain new skills, which could also be useful in other positions. You will learn first aid skills and you will get a good understanding of occupational health and safety and safe work practices.

Becoming an RFS volunteer involves being prepared for anything. For anyone that is interested please contact Bill on 0437 370 854 or Carl on 0417 719 090 for more information or visit www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/ volunteer/volunteering-with-the-rfs

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Regional Artists Exhibit at Sculpture Park at Park Marilynne’s subjects are identifiable, round and sometimes fecund; Sue Taylor’s subjects are more abstract and bright and Gerda Gamper’s woven llama wool pieces are gentle, but as artists they have a similar love, enjoyment and purpose in their art making and fully complement each other.

Marilynne claims that as an artist she finds the ‘human form a continual challenge’.

Her collection shows that she has the skill, commitment and understanding to rise to that challenge. One of her pieces, ‘3 Figures’ uses a fairly somber palette, lightened with touches of more playful colours with the contrasting positions of the figures drawing our attention and ensuring that we explore ‘the psyche of the subject’.

Ceramic Break Sculpture Park on the Warialda-Bingara Road has open their first exhibition of four fabulous artists and an amazing travelling show. ‘Threads, Fibres and Figures, Three Women Creating,’ is the work of 3 regional artists, Marilynne Barnes, Gerda Gamper and Sue Taylor.

‘New Creations’ is the show of one of our own highly talented local artists, Yvonne Ledingham and ‘Blindspot’ is a travelling exhibition from Tamworth Regional Art Gallery.

The works of Marilynne Barnes, Gerda Gamper and Sue Taylor are quite distinct.

Sue Taylor feels several aspects combine to impact her artmaking; a connection to the earth, her love and respect of generational skills and the joy and freedom she has discovered in the aging process. Her choice of a bright range of colours expresses this joy and delight. In one of her pieces her expeditious use of dots creates tiny jellyfish shapes that are worth a closer look and the piece itself lifts the spirits.

Greta Gamper initially trained as a photographer and came to fibres, fleeces and dyeing later. Her background is evident in the clarity and complexity of her work.

Greta shows locally and the pieces she has included in this show are soft in colour and texture and are excellent examples of her art.

has exhibited here several times and recently was involved in the creation of the Tiki Philosophers Trail working with High School students and sculpting an individual Tiki god or three. Her experience with the Tiki project has extended her repertoire. The sculpture ‘Torso’ captures the beauty of the human figure that has delighted and inspired sculptors for generations. ‘Bust’ is in direct contrast; Medusa like it has a touch of humour in expression but with an underlying notion of pathos. Yvonne’s papermaking continues to develop and refine and her elegant pieces in this show will appeal to many.

Ceramic Break Sculpture Park is privileged to host the incredible show ‘Blindspot’ from Tamworth Regional Art Gallery, as one of the few places outside Tamworth to exhibit the work of this group of regional artists, Karen Balsar, Leah Dryden, Jodie Herden, Joanne Stead, Jody White and Emma Stilts. Their ‘mesmerising artworks’ aim to draw attention to ‘issues they believe are overlooked in the community’.

There are a range of exhibits, large acrylics on canvas, creative and artistic uses of old technology, metal sculptures, indigenous artworks including rock and bark carvings and photography. One reviewer of the exhibition used words like stunning to describe a large butterfly made from small, crocheted butterflies.

The exhibition will continue through May with entry by gold coin donation. Ceramic Break Sculpture Park follows COVID-19 safe practices. Masks are recommended while in galleries and we remind patrons to practice social distancing.

Yvonne Ledingham is no stranger to Ceramic Break Sculpture Park. She

FAUNAVERSE LIGHTS UP LIBRARY From children to residents of Naroo and those aged in between there was something for everyone when Coolatai locals Alex and Jane Dudley visited Warialda Library with their show Faunaverse during the April school holidays.

Those that attended enjoyed poems such as Helen the Huntsman, Stuart the Peacock Spider, as well as songs about, Melina the March Fly, and wild pollinators.

The couple hope to connect people to wildlife in an engaging and entertaining way, informing people about how animals live.

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Alex and Jane encourage everyone, not just kids, to get out find something new, suggesting to reach out if you don’t know what it is. Alex encourages you to get in touch via his website and he will do his very best to identify whatever you have found, www. faunaverse.com.au Faunaverse have written two books, Faunaverse: Australian wildlife in poetry and their second book Faunaverse: Wildlife in poetry Tasmania, which was the recipient of the 2019 Whitley Book Award in the category of ‘Young Naturalist’.

This prestigious award is granted by the Royal Zoological Society of NSW for outstanding publications that profile the unique wildlife of the Australasian region. Both books are a great read for all ages and contain great poetry, are interesting and educational.

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North West Theatre Company Film Club MOVIE OF THE MONTH THREE BILBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI Multi Award Winning Film to feature at the NWTC Film Club on May 30 at the Roxy.

The North West Theatre Company’s Film Club’s offer for May 30 is “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”. This is a 2017 crime drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Martin McDonagh and starring Frances McDormand as a Missouri woman who rents three roadside billboards to call attention to her daughter’s unsolved rape and murder.

Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes, and Peter Dinklage appear in supporting roles. The film was released in the United States in November 2017 and grossed $160 million worldwide.

Sunday May 30th 4pm The Roxy Theatre

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” was acclaimed by critics, who applauded McDonagh’s screenplay and direction, as well as the performances of McDormand, Rockwell, and Harrelson.

McDormand and Rockwell each won the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, SAG Award, BAFTA Award, and Critics’ Choice Award for Best Lead Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively, with Harrelson also earning Oscar, BAFTA, and SAG nominations.

NWTC Film Club Presents

In the fictional town of Ebbing, Missouri, Mildred Hayes is grieving over the rape and murder of her teenage daughter, Angela, seven months earlier. Angry over the lack of progress in the investigation, Mildred rents three abandoned billboards near her home and posts on them: “RAPED WHILE DYING”, “AND STILL NO ARRESTS?”, and “HOW COME, CHIEF WILLOUGHBY?” The billboards upset many townspeople, including Chief Bill Willoughby and the racist, violent, alcoholic Officer Jason Dixon.

Despite incurring harassment and threats, and the objections of her son Robbie, Mildred remains determined for the billboards to remain.

You can see this great film at 4:00pm on Sunday May 30. Join the NWTC Film Club for more wonderful films on the last Sunday in the month through to the end of 2021.

For more information contact Ros Moulton on 0412 081 642.

OLD COURT HOUSE GALLERY IN SESSION

Art lovers gathered as Gwydir Shire Mayor John Coulton officially opened of The Old Courthouse Gallery in Bingara over the Anzac weekend. Invitees and members of 12 00

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the public enjoyed the fantastic evening that followed.

Saturday (during Grazing on Gwydir),” she said.

Hanging on the walls is the Gwydir Art Show Acquisition, a legacy of the Gwydir Art Prize which ran from 1996 until 2015.

The acquisition features all winners of the Prize except 2014.

Thanks to the support of Gwydir Shire Council, the committee was able to utilise the otherwise empty space in the Courthouse building, left vacant after the Bingara library relocated last year.

The new Gallery has been the culmination of the passion and hard work of the steering committee who worked behind the scenes to bring the project to fruition.

“When the library was opened last year there was a poll done on what people would like to see done with the space and a lot of people said they would like a gallery,” said Cr Young.

Gallery representative, Cr Frances Young, said the night was a great success.

“We had an excellent turn out on the night and then we had 92 people through on the

Regular, ongoing opening hours are currently being finalised by the committee.

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LOUISA GILMOUR IN THE EXPRESS LANE Former Warialda High School student Louisa Gilmour is riding a wave of achievements through the year as her 2020 HSC Major artwork went on display in April after being included in ARTEXPRESS 2021.

The inclusion was announced at the Art Gallery of NSW with the exhibition featuring 48 artworks selected from 8617 student works submitted for the 2020 HSC, including works by students from government and non-government schools from across metropolitan and regional NSW. “It is very exciting. Ever since I’ve was young Mum’s always taken me to see ARTEXPRESS, so it’s always been a bit of a dream to get in so when I did, I was over the moon,” said Louisa.

Louisa’s work, Everything that grows holds a little moment of perfection - I am myself

alone, will feature at The New England Regional Art Museum NERAM (9th April – 6th June) and follow on at the Tamworth Regional Gallery (31st July – 26th September).

Her artwork consists of five large prints which explore the themes of perfection and balance and societies perception of those.

Creating the work was quite a collaboration with process, taking over 400 hours to complete. Louisa was originally inspired by works she saw on social media and after making contact with the Romanian artist continued to converse with him via Google Translate.

“I enjoyed conversing and talking with people throughout the process (of creating my work); the printer’s, the framing lady my Gran and Nanna. I have formed strong friendships through the process,” she said.

Art Gallery of NSW director Dr Michael Brand reflected on the difficulties of 2020.

The high standard of work on show is a testament to the tremendous talent and resilience of students and teachers in NSW who adapted to change and overcame challenges – from bushfires to the pandemic – to complete their studies,” he said.

“ARTEXPRESS 2021 is a showcase of extraordinary bodies of work exploring a range of both global and deeply personal

themes – from the environment, urban life and beauty of the natural world to identity, relationships and reflection on the 2020 experience,” continued Art Gallery of NSW curator of ARTEXPRESS 2021 Louise Halpin.

The exhibition began in Sydney in the late 1950s and has been exhibited at the Art Gallery of NSW since 1983. Accomplished artists who have previously been selected for exhibition prestigious include Ben Quilty (1992), David Griggs (1994), McLean Edwards (1990), Melissa Chiu (1990) and Jasper Knight (1996).

Louisa’s inclusion in ARTEXPRESS follows her nomination in 2020 for her work, Encore, which recognizes the HSC’s top musical performers, and being presented, on Australia Day, as Warialda’s Young Citizen of the Year.

Annual Myall Creek Memorial Ceremony Sunday 13th June CNR BINGARA-DELUNGRA RD & WHITLOW RD

w w w.mya llc re e k . o rg COM MUN IT Y N E WS FO R TH E GWYD IR S H IRE AND S U RROUN DS

Free community concert Myall Creek Memorial, Bingara SATURDAY 12 JUNE 2021, 1PM–4PM

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SCHOOL NEWS

Bingara Central School We have an influx of practicum students who will be completing their placements at Bingara Central School this term. We have three students from the University of Western Sydney who have embarked on a rural adventure and began their placement at Bingara this week.

length and time which was challenging, and luckily our fractions came into action and we decided on 10cm = 200 years. The students were amazed to see how little time white people had inhabited Australia, hundreds of years in comparison to thousands of years.

Seeing this on a timeline string gave the students a physical representation of time in years.

Miss Zoe Facas: Secondary English/ History, Miss Alexandra Martin: Kindergarten and Miss Tina Truong.

In weeks three and four of this term they will be joined by two other students from the University of New England – Miss Tammy Hall: Year 6 and Mrs Karen Moss: Year 4.

We are lucky that we get to host so many aspiring teachers and provide them with the expertise and insights into the classroom which will develop their teaching foundation.

Mrs McGowan - Year 3

Touch

In Year 3 we have been continuing our focus on ‘Aboriginal Culture, First Settlement’ in our History unit and fractions in Maths.

Research groups split to discuss how to create a simple timeline to show visually how long white people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have lived in Australia.

On Wednesday 28 April, the Opens Girls Touch Team travelled to Inverell to compete in the North West Touch carnival.

We had to decide on a scale for measuring

day against Macintyre High School and Bundarra Central School. Although the girls did not come away with a win, they demonstrated an enormous amount of grit, especially when we were down to only one sub. The future is looking bright for our younger students coming through. Well done girls!

Combined High Schools Netball Competition On Friday 30 April, the Opens Girls Netball Team travelled to Bundara to compete in the first round of the North West knockout competition. The girls played exceptionally well and should be proud of their efforts, coming away with a 17-3 victory. Considering they have not played together as a team, the girls attacked and defended well throughout the game which was played in great spirit. They have been training hard in preparation for their next game against Warialda next week. We wish all the girls the absolute best. Good luck and congratulations girls!

Considering several of our students were in Stage 4, competing against Year 11 and 12 students, they did exceptionally well and should be immensely proud of their efforts. The girls played two games on the

Warialda High School Anzac Day We were proudly represented by many wonderful students throughout our community, honouring our military heroes at ANZAC Day ceremonies. Flags for ‘Honour our Fallen’ program, coordinated by Mrs Donna Smith were placed on servicemen and women’s graves marking ANZAC Day. Thanks to senior students Alex, Ben, Jade, Rachel and Miss Hannah Smith who donated their time to place the 300 flags at the Warialda Cemetery.

Farewell Mr West After just over 8 years with us, Mr West is retiring. No doubt he has a list of jobs waiting for him at home and many adventures to embark upon. Ms Yvonne Thomson is replacing him for Timber and Metal subjects.

Tabel Tennis Our Table Tennis team came second at the North West Gala Day in Armidale last term, only beaten by Armidale winning against every other school. Congratulations to the team.

Books build a stairway to your imagination The staircase to the school library is now a bookcase. Thanks to Miss Hanna Smith for your artistic imagination and time over the school holidays creating the library staircase.

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SCHOOL NEWS

WARIALDA PUBLIC SCHOOL The first few weeks of Term have absolutely flown by and have been jam packed full of activities and learning. I often walk around the school and feel immense pride at the environment my colleagues have created for our students.

On behalf of our staff, we want to extend our best wishes to Mrs Tammy Hall who will be on leave over the next month as she completes a practicum placement. In addition to working full-time as a School Learning Support Officer, Mrs Hall is completing her Bachelor of Education – training to be a teacher. We wish her every success for the placement. In her absence Miss Strang will pick up the Speech Therapy caseload and Miss Armstrong will fill in for Miss Strang.

opposition with great footwork. Great work, Banjo!

We’re delighted to have commenced our Drumbeat program at WPS. This program assists all participants discover relationships using music, beliefs, emotions, attitudes and thoughts. So much fun!!

Dan van Velthuizen – Principal

A huge congratulations is extended to Banjo Mitchell who recently represented North West at the State Basketball Championships.

Banjo was outstanding shooting goals and bamboozling the

St Joseph’s School Warialda

Year 3 and 4 students have been participating in our ‘Mini Vinnie’s team where the students raised money for Project Compassion and all students have enjoyed engaging with the Preschool and participating in community events such as the ANZAC Day march. We will continue to build upon this by engaging with Naroo and with the wider community through organising and hosting the 2021 Warialda St Patrick’s Parish Debutante Ball.

Developing cultural knowledge of our students will continue to be a strong focus as our indigenous students have designed a t-shirt to be worn on special commemorative events such during Sorry Day, during our NAIDOC celebrations and unveiling of our indigenous garden later in the term.

Above Right: St Joseph's School students march at the Warialda ANZAC Pararde

B

This year, St Joseph’s Warialda has had a focus on connecting with community. Throughout Term Two, this focus has extended into our classroom with students learning about places and spaces in our community, developing an understanding of the history, culture and traditions of their own and other Australian communities, as well as the community values, rights and rules and why we have these in order to empathise with, appreciate and contribute to these.

ingara

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H BASH

2021 TENNIS OPEN

For entry forms or any further details please contact Left: St Joseph's School students with Mr Joe Dimech, Fr Thaddeus, teacher Mrs Natasha Cooper

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Jan Miller (02) 6724 1951 or janicemiller6@bigpond.com or visit the Bingara Tourist Information Centre

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COMMUNITY

I encourage local community to groups to submit an expression of interest to my office by Friday 11 June. The EOI form is available here and can be submitted to my email mark.coulton.mp@aph.gov.au or by mail to Suite 3, 153 Brisbane Street, Dubbo NSW 2830.

HELPING JOB SEEKERS RELOCATE FOR WORK In a win for local businesses looking to fill vacancies across the Parkes electorate, the Coalition Government recently announced payments of up to $2,000 for job seekers who relocate to take up ongoing work.

COULTON’S CATCH UP

POWERING PARKES ELECTORATE COMMUNITY GROUPS I am currently taking expressions of interest from community groups in the Parkes electorate for a new Federal Government program to lower energy costs, support local jobs and help reduce global emissions.

There is a total of $67,700 up for grabs under the Powering Communities Program to fund 12 projects in the Parkes electorate.

Grants of between $5,000 and $12,000 will be available to eligible community organisations to lower their energy bills by installing solar panels or a battery, upgrading air conditioners, hot water systems or a refrigerator with more efficient models, replacing lighting with LEDs or conducting an energy audit.

The Federal Government’s Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job program currently provides up to $9,000 in support to encourage eligible job seekers to take up ongoing work in a new location. Once a job seeker has accepted an ongoing job, this support is available to help reimburse job seekers for some of the costs of relocating.

From May this year, job seekers may be able to receive up to $2,000 of that support in upfront payments.

These changes will not only benefit job seekers but will help regional employers who are finding it difficult to secure the labour they need.

For more details on the Relocation to Take Up a Job program, visit www.dese.gov.au/rattuaj

Guide Dogs Australia have revealed a reported increase in their Guide Dogs having to deal with distractions from pet dogs and owners in the past 12 months.

Pet dogs that are off-lead, or uncontrolled even when on leads, are a common distraction for Guide Dog Handlers.

40 per cent of Handlers have said they experience people with dogs not making themselves known before approaching on a weekly basis.

“We are asking everyone to keep their pet dog on a leash in the presence of Guide Dogs. By keeping control of your own dog, you can help create a safe community, not just for Guide Dogs and their Handlers, but for everyone,” said Dale Cleaver, CEO of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. If you see a working Guide Dog in public while you are with your dog, give the Handler space and never pat, feed, whistle or otherwise try to distract a working Guide Dog.

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Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, said communities still recovering from the Black Summer bushfires will soon have a fresh opportunity to apply for funding, under a new grants program from the Australian Government.

“The $280 million Black Summer Bushfire Recovery grants program will open in mid-2021 to community organisations, businesses and councils covering Local Government Areas that were disasterdeclared as a result of the 2019-2020 bushfires,” Mr Joyce said.

“We know recovery is a long haul and needs to match the pace of communities – so this is a great chance to access funding for priorities in New England. The new Black Summer Bushfire Recovery grants will be delivered directly by the Australian Government, to help communities address priority recovery work that hasn’t yet been supported under other funding programs.

“While it will still be a month or two before grant guidelines are available, we’re getting the grants on people’s radar early so communities can start thinking about local needs and ideas,” Mr Joyce said.

GUIDE DOG PETTIQUETTE PLEA

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NEW BUSHFIRE GRANTS TO HELP NEW ENGLAND COMMUNITIES RECOVER

The grant criteria and process would be as simple and flexible as possible. While details are still to come, the new grants program is expected to fund a broad range of projects – from community wellbeing projects right through to projects that support the recovery of natural and built environments.

Guidelines and funding criteria will be available in mid-2021 with grant rounds expected to open shortly after that and funding to be delivered to successful applicants from December, 2021.

Potential applicants can express their interest in receiving further information, once it is available, via the online Black Summer grants contact form at www. bushfirerecovery.gov.au/grants-program

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DELIVERY SPACE

Church Notices

Road users are being reminded to abide by No Parking and No Stopping Zones on the roads as postal contractors plead for cooperation.

ANGLICAN CHURCH

Contractors are feeling the impact of drivers ignoring the signs and stopping in the restricted zones at Post Offices with delivery times impacted and safety of users at risk.

Bingara: Worship at St. John’s Anglican Parish, Bingara – Sunday 9:30am

One driver impacted says that the issue is a constant one and is asking for cooperation from the community.

Warialda: St. Simon and St. Jude Anglican Church, Warialda

‘No Stopping’ Zones mean you cannot stop in this area FOR ANY REASON, during the times indicated on the particular sign.

Reverend Cimarosti can be contacted on 6729 1501 CATHOLIC CHURCH

Failing to comply with the road sign attracts a penalty of $325.00 and 2 demerit points.

PARISHES WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULES

Norma's Support Recognised

Warialda: Saturday – 6:00pm, 4th weekend – 10:00am Delungra: Sundays – 10:00AM, 4th weekend – 6:00pm

Bingara volunteer Norma Honeysett has been inducted as a patron of Bingara Central School. The school and its P&C were excited to induct Norma Honeysett as a patron to the school. Norma has been an important part of the Bingara Central School community since 2012, when she began working with Mrs Groth in the regular grandparents reading group after her grandson Sam started year 3.

Bingara: Every Sunday – 8:00am WEEKDAY MASSES Warialda: 1st and 3rd weeks, Mass 9am.

Bingara: 2nd and 4th weeks, Rosary 9:30am/Mass 10:00am Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, Thanksgiving and Family Mass: By appointment (02) 6729 1116

Since that time Norma was continuously involved in the School community until COVID-19 hit. As her grandchildren progressed in their education, Norma’s roles didn’t stop. Along with her reading groups, she became a regular volunteer in the canteen and took on the role of teaching SRE (Special Religious Education).

UNITING CHURCH To join Reverend Jean’s phone service on Sundays at 11:30am, please call her or text your number to 0407 625 410.

“Our young people were always her focus, and you could see the joy that she took from these engagements, every time she walked through our doors,” said Bingara Central School Principal, Brooke Wall.

Inverell Uniting Church’s services are also livestreamed at 9:00am on the Inverell Uniting Church Family private Facebook Group. These services are also recorded for later viewing – please search and join.

“Norma always had her grandchildren’s education as a motivator to give back to our school,” she said.

“Volunteering gives me great enjoyment and the school and students bring immense joy to my days, I encourage other community members to become a part of the Op-Shop so they too can give back to the you people of our town," said Norma.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Above: Bingara Central School Principal Brooke Wall with newly inducted patron Norma Honeysett

Bingara: Scots Presbyterian Church is open for worship at 10:00am every Sunday. Sunday School to be held each week.

Warialda: St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church has weekly worship services each Sunday at 10:00am with observation of strict social distancing.

All welcome.

COPETON DAM LEVELS Percent Full: 41.1% Current Volume: 570,275 megalitres COM MUN IT Y N E WS FO R TH E GWYD IR S H IRE AND S U RROUN DS

I am the good shephaerd, the good shephers lays down His life for his sheep. John 10.11

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Gwydir WHAT’S ON! COMMUNITY

Do you have an upcoming event, meeting or save the date you would like to list?

Inclusion is free and available for all non-profit organisations and community events. AGM notices welcome. Email: editor@thegwydirnews.com.au

MAY 2021

15th

Bingara's History 2 Bingara Library

13th-14th

Bingara Legacy Street Stalls Maitland Street, Bingara

19th-20th

Bingara Campdraft, Bingara Showground

15th

U3A – Line Dancing 2.00pm–3.30pm, The Living Classroom

24th

Gwydir Shire Council Meeting -

15th–16th

Coolatai Tractor Pull – Coolatai

19th

U3A – Armchair Travel 6.00pm–8.00pm, The Living Classroom

25th

Orange Picking and Service – Finch Street, Bingara

22nd

U3A – Line Dancing 2.00pm–3.30pm, The Living Classroom

25th-26th

Happy Days Festival Maitland Street, Bingara

26th

Team Sorting, Upper Horton

26th

Croppa Creek Trivia Night Croppa Creek Bowling Club

26th

Orange Festival – Maitland Street, Bingara

22nd–23rd Bingara Show – Bingara Showground 22nd–23rd Bingara Yard Dog Trials –

Bingara Showground

location Warialda

27th

Gwydir Shire Council meeting – 9:00am, Bingara

28th

Bingara CWA Morning Tea – 10-11:30am, Senior Citizens Rooms, Bingara

29th

U3A – Line Dancing 2.00pm–3.30pm, The Living Classroom

JULY 2021

29th-30th

Upper Horton Trail Ride, Upper Horton

24th

North Star Trail Ride – North Star

29th

Gwydir Shire Council meeting 9:00am, Bingara

JUNE 2021

18

4th-6th

Upper Horton Camp Draft and Junior - Rodeo, Upper Hortion

5th

'Stars in your Eyes' location TBC

12th

‘Sounds of Country’ Free Concert – 1.00pm, Myall Creek Memorial Precinct, Myall Creek

10th

Warialda Rotary Club Charity Golf Day, Warialda Golf Club

12th–13th

Bingara Polocrosse Carnival – Bingara Showground

12th–14th

‘Bingara Bush Bash’ Tennis Tournament, Bingara Sporting Club, Bingara

12th–14th

Horton Dog Trials, Horton Valley Showground, Horton Valley

13th

Myall Creek Memorial Ceremony – 9.00am, Myall Creek CWA Hall, Myall Creek

14th

Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday

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26th–27th Bingara Pony Club Show Jumping

weekend – Bingara Showground

SAVE THE DATE 4th Sept Local Government elections, various locations 11th Sept

Pony Express Bike Ride, Upper Horton

18th Sept Honey Festival, Warialda Recreation Ground 25th Sept

Upper Horton Pony Club Ribbon Day

2nd-3rd OctTeam Sorting, Upper Horton

EACH WEEK Every Saturday

U3A - Pilates 10:00am-11:00am, Gwydir Health hub

Every U3A Balance ‘n’ Bones Monday 8:00am-9:00am,

Bingara Community College

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CLASSIFIEDS

ADVERTISE HERE – Email sales@thegwydirnews.com.au or phone 0436 934 099.

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Jesus Is our only hope For a FREE Holy Bible Jesus1.4u@bigpond.com

ADVERTISE HERE – Email sales@thegwydirnews.com.au or phone 0436 934 099.

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CLASSIFIEDS

COOPER & SMITH OPTOMETRISTS Moree and Goondiwindi

Next visit to Warialda is on Wednesday May 26th For appointments, contact the Warialda Medical Centre on 6729 1520 Next visit to Bingara is on Thursday May 27th For appointments, contact the Bingara Medical Centre on 6724 1900

ADVERTISE HERE – Email sales@thegwydirnews.com.au or phone 0436 934 099.

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Above: Warialda Primary School’s Elli (left) and Levi (centre)

SPORTS

Above right: North Star Public School swimmers: Will, Indy, Annabel and Sophie

YOUNG FISH MAKE A SPLASH AT STATE LEVEL A handful of swimmers from schools across the region competed at both the PSSA and NSWCHS swimming trials to round out the swimming season.

Prescot finished the meet as the 20th ranked girl in her event, the 50m Freestyle.

North Star students Annabel (11yrs) and Sophie (10yrs) McMaster, and Indy (10yrs) and Will (8yrs) Doolan took to the big stage with everything they had to finish fourth out of 20 schools in the Small Schools 4 x 50m relay, taking 16 seconds of their personal best.

Bingara Central School’s Liam Johnson competed in the 12 years boys 50m Breastroke and 50m Freestyle, swimming PB’s in both events. He was joined by two Warialda Primary School students who represented their school with great attitude and commitment.

The North Star students have had to travel around an hour to get to a pool at either Warialda or Goondiwindi for training.

Levi M came 34th in the state in the Junior Boys Backstroke, while 7-year-old Elli

Above: Bingara Central School swimmers: Liam (left) and Kye, Jimari, Blaire, and Ellie-Grace (centre)

BINGARA BOWLS A new extension has been completed on the Bingara bowling green shed, providing shelter and shade and improving the comfort of players and users of the greens.

Thanks to the generosity of Herb Philpot in concreting, 22

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Secondary students Elli-Grace, Blaire, Jamari, and Kye of Bingara Central School competed in the 4 x 50m Central School’s Relay at the State CHS Carnival. The team finished 10th overall, an amazing achievement given the Bingara swimmers from year’s 7 and 8, were up against students who were in their final year of schooling.

On the final day of competition, Eliza Warby represented North-West in the 100m Breaststroke winning her heat in a PB time of 1:33.50.

Above: Warialda High School student Eliza

Col Roberg in construction and sourcing materials, and volunteers from Bingara’s Bowling Club members the process was smooth. A barbeque has also been donated by Kevin Galvin.

Upgrades have occurred just in time for the Women’s Bowling Pennant Regional finals being held in the second week of May. Teams from across the region will descend on Bingara after the Club won the right to host the event on the reputation of the condition of their green.

Unfortunately, the home side just missed out on qualifying for the competition in the last round held, going down to neighbouring team, Delungra.

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Gwydir 77 Players on the Golf Course for Bingara Open

SPORTS

Contributed by Tex Wright

A great field tee'd off at Bingara Golf Course on the first Sunday in May with golfers travelling from Warialda, Wee Waa, Moree, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Armidale, Walgett, and Tamworth. Visitors were greeted with a course in pristine condition.

Local volunteers and support crew went above and beyond for all these visitors. It was a well-oiled machine with all parties enjoying themselves.

Overall Open winner was Toby Cooper from Warialda, with a blistering 1 over par round. The Bingara course has a 66 rating and has never been parred off the stick. Toby’s round of 67 came with several Above: Bingara Open winner, Toby Cooper of Warialda, is presented with his trophy opportunities for him to improve. He had 14 one putts in the round and 3 duff tee shots which he got himself out of trouble on, remaining focused throughout the day. Great effort to a good player.

A-Grade gross winner was Derek Shirlaw from Armidale, Runner Up was Peter Smith Bingara, B Grade gross winner was Cameron Maisey from Bingara, Runner Up Robert Northcott Bingara, C grade and Veteran winner was local Col Whitfield and Runner Up was Jay Carter also from Bingara whilst Junior winner was Max smith from Wee Waa. Nearest the pins A Grade Tom Fullerton, B Grade Clem Gordon, C Grade Harold Rose and Peter Smith won the All In. The 2021 draw including Pennant fixtures and Opens are on the board and if you would like a copy contact Tex and he will e-mail it to you.

Above: Fashions Open from the Bingara Golf Course this month

Thank you to all the Ladies who helped out over the weekend.

CREIGHTON CUP KICKS OFF MINOR LEAGUE SEASON IN GLEN INNES Bingara Minor League have finally taken to the field again after a year off. The club has been able to field teams in the under 7’s, under 9’s, under 11’s and under 13’s.

The girls have junior and intermediate league tag.

The under 7’s and under 9’s are noncompetitive and played some great games against two Inverell teams. The under 11’s came away with two wins, 20-12 against Inverell White and 18-12 again Inverell Maroon.

The minor league season always kicks off with the Creighton Cup hosted by Glen Innes. This is a large gala day involving all the clubs in the competition.

The under 13’s only had one game which was a 32-8 loss against Inverell Maroon.

The girls the Junior league tag team had 2 losses, 32-8 against Inverell Maroon and 20-8 against Inverell White.

All teams had 2 shortened games. The overall winner of the day was Inverell. All children played well and it is a great way for them to have some practice game time.

The 1st May was the official start of the season. This year clubs have 4 cluster days and 6 straight rounds. Bingara started with a cluster day in Guyra. In true Guyra fashion it was a cold, wet day but this did not stop the kids having fun and playing hard.

The intermediate girls came away with a draw against Inverell White and a 34-10 loss against Inverell Maroon.

The next cluster day will be in Bingara with teams from Warialda, Guyra and Moree. We look forward to having the results soon and good luck to all teams playing.

Right: Bingara Bullets in action at the Creighton Cup in Glen Innes

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patrons retired to the ‘Tries before Lies’ Bar for the evening.

Two new signs noting the ‘Warialda Team of the Century’ and ‘Local Players Team of the Century were unveiled and are now permanently located at the town’s oval, before a replay of the 1961 Grand Final (Warialda v. Moree) brought back memories.

“The weekend was brilliant and very, very well supported. There were about 500 people there on the Friday night, all with a smile on their face,” said Warialda Wombat’s Club representative David Conway.

Throughout Saturday’s rained out race afternoon there was an introduction of WRL Teams of the Century, Local and Imports Team of the Century and Local Born and Bred.

The reminiscing continued into the night at the Warialda Golf and Bowling Club before locals and visitors concluded the celebrations with breakfast hosted by Warialda Junior League.

Above: Ron Lindsay, Jim Payne, Ray Lindsay & Jim Lucas

Memories of great times in Warialda’s Rugby League history brought people back from as far as Harvey Bay in Queensland to the Victorian Border for a 100 Years of Celebration.

The weekend was a celebration of the Warialda Wombat’s significant history and was to coincide with the 100th year since Rugby League began in Warialda. The towns notable rugby league achievements being remembered included: - 60 years since 1961 Minor and Major Premiers (coached by Jim Payne) - 40 years since 1980 success when seven WRL teams made the grand final (four teams were named as Minor Premiers, including A-Grade and U18’s - 30 years since being crowned 1991 Major Premiers - 20 years since taking out 2001 Minor and Major Premiers The weekend began with a casual gathering at the football oval, where the Juniors played an exhibition match against Bingara, before

Since the establishment of the Warialda Rugby League Club 101 years ago, the town has witnessed the development of sporting careers of many exceptional players including Ray Stehr, Jim Payne, Noel ‘Crusher’ Cleal, brother Les, and Stan Jurd. The skill and determination of whom has contributed to Warialda’s historical and widely recognised reputation as a nursery for great rugby league players.

Warialda Sports Council President Clarissa Barwick says the event was over 12 months in the making.

“Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this event happen, and also to those who have travelled long distances to celebrate this great milestone,” she said.

“I was honoured to have been involved in the organisation of it, alongside David Conway, Robbie and June Griese, David Jurd, Robert Cross aka ‘Chog’, Johnny Phillips, Les Cleal, Lachy Hall and Craig Gilkison,” she said.

“Rugby League, the greatest game of all, is the crucial element of Warialda’s sporting culture, identity and history.”

WARIALDA RACE DAY FUN DESPITE RAIN Despite rain placing the horses out of action, the spirits of Warialda Race Day attendees could not be dampened with a phantom race meet replacing the planned six-race program.

The day attracted a good number of racing fans, with 500 tickets pre-sold and numbers bolstered by the weekend’s rugby league reunion.

Making the most of the weather’s unfortunate timing, visitors embraced the replacement of horses with yabby races as they took centre stage. $735 raised from the fun event was donated to the Warialda Community Fund.

Fashions lit the field with colour and thanks to sponsors Lee Carrow Horse Spelling,

Spoilt Warialda, POP Design Jewellery, Nailed and All Dolled-Up Beauty and Lashes.

“We decided to run with the social side and ran through until the evening. We went ahead with Fashions on the Field, which was very popular and held under four categories: vintage, vogue, vivacious and vibrant.

“A lot of effort went into the day. We took out a few fences and enlarged the area available to the public, which we had a huge number of favourable comments about,” said Warialda Jockey Club President, Peter Hancock.

After the last two years of missing out on getting a horse out of the gates, Warialda Jockey Club is already looking ahead to 2022.

Above: Robert Cross, Mark Coulton MP, Geoff Hague reminiscing at the 100 Years Rugby League Reunion

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