Bingara Garden Club Encouragement Award

- Submitted by Jan Rose

Twenty three years ago when Barbara and Geoff Leech from the United Kingdom had finished their tour of Australia and decided to settle in Bingara they purchased Corner camp on the corner of Narrabri Road and Argoon Street Bingara. The yard was dry and barren with very little growth What to plant? They were advised to begin with natives, grevilleas and bouganvilleas, which they did . Over the years they have fertilised and mulched what now is a welcoming burst of colour in pots and gardens , climbers all randomly ‘doing their own thing’ in quite a large yard . Lavenders, rosemary, agapanthus, naked ladies, emu plants, geisha girls , massed geraniums and petunias - hardy and and reliable.

Climbers and shrubs such as the purple/blue geisha girls and pretty bouganvilleas really please the eye as they cling to the fences and shed. Barbara’s experience of gardening in Australia has shown her the harshness of the sun and droughts and the need for mulching with newspapers and straw to avoid weeds, as well as the importance of selfseeding of the garden . With their combined love of gardening around their home Barbara and Geoff virtually reinvented their block to be able to present a beautiful display of colour in spring and summer. Autumn always brings changes as all gardeners know and we are grateful for the very special memories of spring.

Barwon Health and Gwydir Cotton Growers Scholarship

Two health students will receive a $10,000 boost to their university studies over the next two years as the winners of the Dr William Hunter and Healthy Communities scholarships.

Hosted by the Barwon Health Alliance and Gwydir Cotton Growers Association (CGA) the two long-running scholarships have supported health students from the Moree, Warialda, Bingara and Collarenebri communities for more than 20 years.

“I’m still a little bit shocked actually!” Healthy Communities winner Natalie Young said.

“It’s a bit tough with the cost of living at the moment, so it’s a really big help,” added Dr Hunter scholarship winner Will O’Donoghue. The pair both said they are looking forward to undertaking local clinical placements during the award presentation last Friday.

Retired GP and namesake of the Barwon Health scholarship, Dr William Hunter, said that the scholarships are more important now than they have ever been; encouraging health students to bring their skills back to the area as country communities face a shortage of medical professionals.

Studying a Bachelor of Social Work through Charles Sturt University while living and working in Moree, Natalie’s passion for rural health has grown over the years.

“There’s a massive need for health services, and that’s the reason why I actually got into social work,” she said. Natalie spent 15 years in mental health administration and another 12 working in local communities.

“I would like to do general social work. I’d like to be able to work with clients around oncology and mental health,” she said.

Returning to the country has been a goal for Will from the onset of his medicine degree at the University of Queensland. Will grew up in the little community of Gurley between Narrabri and Moree.

“I’d definitely like to come back to the country,” he said. Although he is unsure of what form this may take, currently the rural generalist pathway looks most appealing.

Will believes the need for local health workers is growing.

“I can see how much worse it’s getting and how quickly, even in my lifetime. It’s getting harder and harder to see someone,” he said.

The scholarships funds will go towards living and study costs for Will and Natalie as they take on clinical placements in the region.