Roxane Manley

Our Gal – Sophie Heraghty

September 21, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Sophie Heraghty

Where were you born? Parkes.

Were you named after anyone? No.

Which of your accomplishments are you most proud of? Being shortlisted for the NSW Health Youth Mental Health Advisory Group, I am waiting to find out if I was selected to make up the final group.

What historical moment stands out most in your memory? The COVID-19 pandemic because it had such a profound impact on not only us but the rest of the world. Everything shut down.

What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? How your life feels is more important than how it looks.

What’s the greatest risk you’ve ever taken? Leaving my job in childcare for a career change at Forbes Shire Council.

What are the three things you would take to a deserted island? Plane, pilot and a book.

If you had to spend $10,000 today, how would you spend it? I would book a long holiday or pay my car off.

When are you happiest? When I’m with my people who I can comfortably be myself around.

Parkes Welcomes New Mayor Neil Westcott

September 21, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Newly elected Mayor Neil Westcott, new Deputy Mayor Marg Applebee and Cr Ken Keith OAM.

Parkes Shire has welcomed a new leadership team with Neil Westcott successfully elected as Mayor and Marg Applebee as Deputy Mayor.

Mayor Neil Westcott went on to say, “To the directors and staff at PSC, to my fellow councillors, to the people of Parkes and to my family present with me here today. I am truly honoured to stand here now as the newly elected mayor of Parkes Shire.

“A newly elected Mayor in this place doesn’t happen very often. In fact, before today it has only happened four times in the last 57 years.

“I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to our previous Mayor – Ken your leadership has taken Parkes Shire from good to great, your hard work and passion for our patch on this earth is an inspiration and I look forward to continuing and hopefully building on all you have initiated. Thanks most certainly also goes to your wife Sue for the huge role she has played in making your civil service possible. Enjoy the back benches – go easy on me.

“Congratulations Cr Appleby, Parkes has a wonderful new Deputy Mayor, one whom I already know will be a more than adequate spare to the mayor.

“My family bring me great joy, great support and they give me courage and strength. Thank you once again for this huge honour, I don’t take it lightly and look forward to building on your significant legacy Ken.”

Concerns NSW Budget Will Not Tackle Growing Disadvantage In NSW

September 21, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Peak social services body NCOSS welcomed some of the investments in the NSW Government’s 2023-24 Budget, but called for urgent support for those living in poverty.

NCOSS CEO Joanna Quilty acknowledged the significant financial pressures on the Budget, but expressed concern for those doing it toughest in NSW right now.

“It’s great to see investment in schools and hospitals across Western and South Western Sydney. These are growth suburbs where families need ready access to these essential facilities,” Ms Quilty said.

“But they are also the suburbs where we see the highest concentrations of disadvantage, where disadvantage is deepening and where cost of living pressures are hitting hardest.

“As cost-of-living pressures ramp up and the affordable housing crisis grows, we need urgent, increased investment in front-line supports such as neighbourhood centres, tenants advice, domestic violence services, financial counselling and mental health supports.

“This Budget does not do enough to help those barely hanging on

Parkes Tennis Is Feeling Excited

September 21, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Savannah, Phoebe, Faith and Ella at the NSWCHS Carnival this week in Sydney. This great team of girls are representing Parkes Tennis and the official Parkes High School Western School Sports Association.

Attention girls aged 12-18 years! Head along to the Parkes Tennis Club on Sunday 12th November from 4pm-7pm for a free afternoon of fun tennis games, music, off court activities, food and drinks. Racquets will be supplied if you don’t have one. Many thanks to both NSW Government for the “Her Sport Her Way” initiative and Tennis NSW for supporting teenage girls in our communities.

Parkes Bowling and Sports Club

September 21, 2023 by Roxane Manley

The Clubs senior triples team headed to Condobolin last weekend and came away with a sectional final win. They now head to the Railway Bowling Club this Saturday 23rd September to kick off at 10am in the zone final against the Mudgee sectional final winning side of Orange City trio Greg Campbell, Bernie Diduszko and Bob Hamilton. It should be a cracker of a game with both these sides playing each other last year where the Pirates came out on top. Hopefully we can do well again this year in what will be a very tough game to gain the chance to head to the State Championships which will be contested in Dubbo next year.

Head down to the Railway Diggers if you can to support the Pirates next Saturday.

Liz Stringer First Time… For The Last Time Tour

September 21, 2023 by Roxane Manley

See Liz Stringer live on Wednesday 11th October at The Cordial Factory, Grenfell.

Much-loved Milk! Records recording artist and Melbourne singer/songwriter Liz Stringer caps off a busy 2023 and brings to an end her work on her acclaimed 2021 album First Time Really Feeling with her First Time… For The Last Time solo tour. This is a rare chance to see one of Australia’s greatest contemporary singer-songwriters.

Liz’s First Time… For The Last Time tour will see the artist bring an end to the long cycle of work that began with the recording of First Time Really Feeling in Canada in 2018. It’s a case of unfinished business, as the tour will finally reach the places that Liz couldn’t get to following the album’s release, thanks to various lockdowns. All the shows will follow the intimate format of her From Brunswick to Brixton shows; Liz will perform her songs completely solo, giving audiences a real insight into how they were written and how they sounded before she presented them to her band.

Having achieved her first entry into the ARIA Top 20 and an ARIA Award for Best Blues & Roots album in 2021, Liz spent most of 2022 with Midnight Oil, working as their backing vocalist and support act in Australia and around the world on their Resist tour. Then, in February 2023, she and fellow Oils guest William Crighton released a cover of the Oils’ “Golden Age”, featuring Jim Moginie on bass and Rob Hirst on drums. Following that Liz and William undertook a short tour together, and then in March, Liz was 2023 Artist of the Year at the iconic Port Fairy Folk Festival, where she performed two triumphant sets with her band. In May, after three From Brunswick to Brixton solo shows in Melbourne, she headed to London to record her new album and play a handful of shows.

Soccer Fever Continues In Forbes

September 21, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Hot on the heels of Matildas fever, Forbes will play host to an A League women’s football pre-season opener this week-end between the Western Sydney Warriors and Canberra United.

Western Sydney Wanderers will take on Canberra United at Forbes’ Botanical Gardens on Saturday 23rd September, in a day set to be filled with soccer action and talent.

Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM welcomed the fixture to Forbes. “The popularity and strength of females in sport is growing dramatically at the moment, thanks to the amazing talents of teams like the Matildas who made Australian soccer history recently as the first female team to advance through to the semi finals,” Mayor Miller said.

“We have such a wealth of sporting talent in our region in our females as well as males and by bringing fixtures such as this pre-season game to places like Forbes only makes pathways appear more accessible and achievable for young fans.”

Forbes soccer player Josie McKenzie and Indiana Kennedy (Parkes) have both been selected in the U14s girls NSW Country squad competing in the Australian Championships in Wollongong next month. This squad will be training in Forbes on Saturday 23rd September, a great opportunity to see what it takes to become a national championship player.

Aspiring soccer players will have the opportunity to train with the Western Sydney Wanderers in a two-hour community clinic starting at 8.30am on Saturday.

Spectators will then see the FNSW Country Girls U14s and 16s National Championship squads train between 10am – 1pm, while from 10.45am matches will be played between Lachlan representative U10s, 12s and 14s squads and teams from Dubbo, Canberra and Griffith.

Warm up for the main game will begin at 2pm, with Mayor Miller officially welcoming visitors and kicking the ball signalling the start of the match at 3pm, with Member for Orange Phil Donato making the presentations at the game’s conclusion.

A pre-match training and media session will be held Friday afternoon at Botanical Gardens from 3pm – 5.30pm.

Forbes and District Soccer spokesman Doug McKenzie said that the game was originally set down to take place last year, however was postponed by the devastating floods of 2022.

Forbes as a destination came about after Head of Women’s Football with the Wanderers Tom Sermanni fell in love with the town and facilities whilst here for a coaching clinic programme earlier last year.

“The team is really looking forward to making the trip interstate to Forbes for the Challenge Cup having been forced to postpone the meeting heading into last season,” said Njegosh Popovich, Canberra United Head Coach.

Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite: Forbes Challenge Cup – Western Sydney Wanderers Women v Canberra Utd Women. Tickets are available from $6.61 for General Admission (children) and $11.90 for General Admission (adults), with a family pass of two adults and four children costing $27.78. Tickets purchased last year will be honoured, as will the free tickets also supplied last year to all Forbes school children.

For more information head to Forbes and District Soccer Association Facebook page.

Parkes Open Weekend Attracts A Large Field Of Golfers

September 21, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Asquith Golf Club boys, Brad Stratton, Doug Wadwell, Martyn Black, Russell Druce, Hayden Radic and David Malcolm. Hayden Radic was the nearest to pin 17 on Saturday.

The Parkes Open weekend kicked off on Friday 15th September with the ProKonnect day, sponsored by Jake and Sammy, where everyone got to have a look at the course in relaxed and inviting stableford event. Ten visiting clubs were represented on the day, with local Ben Coultas firing a handy 42 point total to take out the event.

We then moved to highly prized Cam Standen shootout event. The event was on the 9th hole, 120m out with a large crowd on hand to see the contestants try their luck at getting nearest the pin. Riall Harrison posted the closest, lining up with barely minutes left to fire a 65cm gem in to claim the prize.

The Epiroc day on Saturday, Alex Diamond and team again sponsored our 4BBB event and this lead-in to the Sunday stroke event proving very popular with players. In the scratch event the President and Vice President of PGC came out on top as David Stevenson and Peter Bristol combined well in the relaxed atmosphere and recorded 37 points, with Bristol recording an eagle on the 8th to bump up the points.

At the SCT Open on the Sunday it was great to have the sponsors representatives in attendance and swinging the clubs in pursuit of the prestigious trophy alongside representatives from 30 other golf clubs.

We were treated to a special event on the newly realigned golf course with Rob Hey from Parkes and Peter Kirwan from Cowra, with a former Parkes resident, tying on 114 after the compulsory 27 hole event. With a 3 hole playoff required, down the 1st, along the 2nd then up the par 5 18th, the hill in front of the clubhouse packed, combatants were tied after 3 holes, this required the 18th to be replayed until a winner was decided. Four more times the golfing warriors battled it out until the sun started to set and the green was covered in shadows then Peter Kirwan sank a short putt to be crowned the 2023 SCT Parkes Open Champion. After that battle neither player deserved to lose so congratulations to both. The SCT 27 hole Handicap winner was local Stephen Riley.

The 18 hole Handicap winner in A grade was Sam Morgan from DuntryLeague with 70 winning on a countback from David O’Bryan from Dubbo.

The Fred Funnell Memorial Vets trophy was won by David O’Bryan from Dubbo on 70, the prestigious Gidgie Leister Memorial 18 trophy was won by Richard Crane with a score of 62, the Keith Clark Memorial Scratch Vets trophy was won by Rob Hey on 73, the PGC local Junior winner was Simon Hogan.

The traditional Tom Casey Long Drive contests this year was on the 13th hole for the first time and was won by Mitchell Smith Narromine in A grade with 301m, Torin Hando 291m in B grade and Liam Conn from Wellington in C grade at 286m.

Players from Everglades Central Coast, Northbridge, Bathurst and Blackheath played in the Parkes Open

Get Fired Up For National BBQ Championships

September 21, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Do you think you could be the next National BBQ Champion? Get a team together and enter now.

The National BBQ Championships in Forbes are back! Grinsted Oval will come alive on Saturday the 28th October for the sizzling action and tantalising aromas of our best barbecued beef, chicken, lamb and pork.

“We are giving you plenty of notice to brush up on your barbecuing skills,” Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said.

“We are expecting an amazing day – full of the amazing smells of barbecued delicacies, market stalls, bar, live music and entertainment for the children.

“Is the barbecue Australia’s national dish – I will let this day be the judge of that!” Mayor Miller added.

As a spectator, the event is free to attend with spectator tickets available at 123tix.com.au. If you want to compete for the great prize pool available, and for the honour of being crowned best of the BBQ, there will be a registration fee, with more details coming soon.

Anyone wishing to compete on the day is urged to send details to tourism@forbes.nsw.gov.au and they will be contacted once registrations open.

The National BBQ Championships kicks off at 12pm and concludes at 8pm. The event will again be held at Grinsted Oval with ‘Fast Ed’ of Better Homes and Gardens fame the chef, the last official judge.

“As a Council there is nothing we enjoy more than bringing together our community, we love seeing the smiles and the lifting of spirits, especially as we know life in the country can bring its own challenges at times,” Mayor Miller said.

So if you think you have the skills it takes to be the next National BBQ Champion then assemble a team now and fire up the BBQ and start practicing your best BBQ dishes.

The National BBQ Championships is supported by the NSW Government’s Reconnecting Regional NSW Community Events Program.

Be Seen @Forbes RUOK Day with special guest Robbie Farah

September 21, 2023 by Roxane Manley

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