Fiona Lovette: Staying close to the air conditioner, and when outside I’m donning my “Body Cooler”.
Telisha Phillips: It’s all about the air con, loads of ice blocks and the pool when we can find the time.
Slade Moore: Sitting in front of the fan, going swimming and lots of icy cold water.
Meat and Livestock Australia spokesperson, Ripley Atkinson.
The Australian sheepmeat industry is set for another bumper year in 2023 as the national sheep flock grows to its highest level since 2007 at 78.75m head, according to the latest Sheep Industry Projections update from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
Driving this increase are optimal breeding conditions, a genetically superior flock, improved lambing percentages and medium-term industry confidence.
Meat and Livestock Australia spokesperson, Ripley Atkinson said, “Lamb slaughter is forecast to reach 22.6m in 2023 as a result of large numbers of breeding ewes and strong marking rates. This is a rise of 595,000 head or 2.7% year-on-year.
“2022’s slaughter performance showed that small stock processors had a greater ability to increase their throughput in line with higher supply, a trend MLA expects will continue in 2023.”
Carcase weights are also forecast to increase in 2023. This is primarily due to structural genetic investment and productive improvement in the national flock over the past two years.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast that the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) will enter a positive phase in 2023. A positive IOD results in less rain across southern Australia, where most of Australia’s sheep population is located.
According to Mr Atkinson, a decline in the New Zealand sheep flock size presents an opportunity for the Australian sheepmeat industry.
“New opportunities may be made available to Australian producers and exporters as New Zealand flock size decreases, wool and lamb production become less profitable compared to dairy production, and land availability decreases.”
I hope everyone has recovered from the magnificent Bedgerebong Picnic Races. What a day and what a wonderful way to embrace a community that has suffered so much. The surrounds as always looked magnificent,it is so hard to believe that it was all under water not that long ago.
The push for your vote has well and truly started with the state election now just over a month away (25th March). While it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of campaigning and the promises being made, now is such an important time to make sure your vote for whichever party best suits your ideals counts. After years of COVID, restrictions and lockdowns, months of flooding, interest rate rises, increasing electricity costs, a growing crisis in rural health and so on, make sure you do your homework – and most importantly, make sure you are registered to vote.
It is heartening to see the growing health crisis taking centre stage at the moment. We have long known the effects of doctor shortages, allied health vacancies and the tyranny of distance for specialists. It will obviously take more than just offering to cover HELP debts for doctors to work rurally (with conditions of course), but this proposal could very well be the first of the steps in the right direction.
Of course, myself and my fellow councillors continue to advocate on your behalf at all levels of government, industry and so on, on issues that affect our patch of paradise. If there is something concerning you, something that needs addressing or fighting for, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Enjoy your week, and God bless.
Phyllis Miller, OAM
Parkes junior Darcy Summerhayes and Parkes Boars 1st grade player Toby Baigent.
The extremely popular Parkes Boars Try Rugby Sessions are back for 2023 and kick off on friday, 3rd March. Register your child now if they are between the ages of 5 and 16 and would like to give rugby a try. Th Try Rugby Sessions will be facilitated by Central West Rugby Union staff and senior players.
Rugby is an all inclusive sport and Try Rugby Sessions are the best way to get a taste of Rugby and learn the basics. Try Rugby is for kids of any age or fitness level or ability, there will be something to cater for everyone.
Registration is now live. Please see the Parkes Boars Facebook page or for more information email parkesboars@gmail.com
A one-off payment of $20 is payable at the first session, where participants will receive a water bottle and try rugby training shirt.
Parkes Try Rugby Sessions will be running each Friday in March and all are encouraged to register.
Matt Stieger from Wagga and son Oakley Tandy were enjoying some time together in the park.
Bridie Lindsay and Sean Darcy were seen enjoying a delicious meal at Forbes Inn.
Spotted just before taking off from the rank in the CBD was Forbes Taxi driver Heather Saxvik.
ACTION…On set during filming of the documentary, “Her Name Is Nanny Nelly”, are production assistant Lisa Ramsay, sound crew, director Daniel King, local indigenous artist Irene Walker, production assistant Conor Baillie and camera crew.
Parkes will feature in a documentary about the family history of Peak Hill resident, and well-known indigenous artist, Irene Walker.
Back in 2006, Irene was researching her family history. Upon entering her great grandmothers name, Nelly Bungil (Nanny Nelly) in an online search, she discovered photographs of her great grandmother that had been made into a sculpture.
Irene was not aware of any stories about a statue being made of Nanny Nelly, however, it turned out there were family members who did know, and one of them was Irene’s brother Arthur Ridgeway.
Irene’s eldest son, Daniel King recalls a trip he made with his uncle in 2001, where he first saw the statue.
“We basically went down to the vaults of the Australian Museum and into a room. There was this white sheet over a lifesize figure, we took the sheet off and there was my great-great grandmother,” said Daniel.
“The statue was absolutely lifelike, it was literally like she was standing there.” Daniel also sadly recalls seeing the the pain in her eyes.
More than 20 years after first seeing the statue of Nanny Nelly, Daniel has been awarded funding from the Adelaide Film Festival to produce a documentary about his great-great grandmother. The feature length documentary will will premiere at the 2023 Adelaide Film Festival, and air on NITV.
In 1996 Nanny Nelly’s daughter, Victoria Walker (Nanny Kempsey) was walking through the Australian Museum when she saw the statue and recognised that it was actually her mother.
Nanny Kempsey was part of the stolen generation, at the age of eight she was taken into custody by the Aboriginal Protection Board and sent to Cootamundra Girls School. She didn’t see her mother again until she was 17 years old when she received notification that her mother, Nanny Nelly was dying and had requested to see her. She stayed by her mothers side until her passing.
Upon seeing her mothers unclothed statue on display in the Australian Museum, Nanny Kempsey wrote to the museum to have the statue removed from display. However, after consulting with family members, she then wrote to the museum again, allowing them to keep the statue, specifying that it could be put back on display under the condition that they clothed Nanny Nelly’s statue, identified Nanny Nelly and told her story.
Irene Walker first saw the Nanny Nelly statue on a trip with Daniel in 2018, when it had been relocated to Penrith. Knowing that Nanny Nelly was unclothed, she requested the museum place a sheet around her.
Irene described seeing her great grandmother as an amazing experience. “It was the pinnacle moment for me, it was like looking at a real person,” said Irene. She has visited Nanny Nelly several times since this and describes it as wonderful.
The Australian Museum has committed $150,000 to the restoration of not only Nanny Nelly’s statue, but of two other statues that were commissioned at the same time.
The three statues of a young boy, an older male and a woman, were commissioned in 1938 as a way of preserving an image of full blooded Aboriginals who were believed to be a dying race, when the census revealed a decline in the population.
Nanny Nelly’s family are retracing her steps in the feature length documentary titled “Her Name is Nanny Nelly”. Part of that journey is to find the families of the other two statue subjects, the older man, Jimmy Clemence and the young boy, Harold Marsh.
FAMILY HISTORY… The majority owner of First Person Films Daniel King, Irene Walker and Conor Baillie who is also working on the film alongside his mother and brother.
FORBES SOYA WINNER: Haylee Redfern (right) with Jessica Pascoe accepting her trophy for winning Forbes Sport-sperson Of The Year in February 2022. Photo supplied.
The Forbes Sportsperson of the Year Association (SOYA) are delighted with the quality of the nominations they have received for the 2022 Awards with the Annual Awards Presentation to be held on Saturday, 4th March at the Forbes Golf & Sportsman’s Hotel.
Sport is an important part of life and the awards are an opportunity to pay tribute to the athletes who excel in their chosen sport. They are also a way to show appreciation to the many volunteers who give their time to ensure that children and adults of all ages have access to some of the best sporting facilities and competitions in New South Wales.
This year the special guest is Geoff Mann, ABC Breakfast Show Host. Geoff Mann is widely known as the Mr Sport of the central west and western plains. He grew up in Coonamble and has lived in Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst.
Geoff played rugby league until 1990 and along with swimming, has dabbled in tennis, golf, cricket and touch football. He is on the Country Cricket Umpires Panel and in 2006 appeared on the cover of the local White Pages in honour of his contribution to local sport.
Geoff loves history and devotes much of his spare time to a project on the centenary of rugby league. He is married with three children and lives in Wongarbon, east of Dubbo. You can hear Geoff Mann on the Saturday and Monday breakfast shows on ABC Central West and Western Plains.
Get a group of people together and book a table now before tickets sell out. Tickets are available from www.123tix.com.au/events/37803/forbes-soya-2022. The cost is $25 adults and $15 children (12 years and under). To assist with catering all tickets need to be purchased by 5.00pm Friday, 24th February.
Joel Coble: Japan for sure, it’s just a place that interests me.
Ellora Brown: Definitely South Africa, we loved it there when we visited and we have friends who live there, so we are hoping to go back.
Ricki-Lea Miller: Woolongong, because I have a lot of family there and I also really love the beach.
It was a nice summer day for Aussie Croquet on 1st February, where 26 players faced up. Big winners on the day were: 14 – 9 Neville Spry and Robin Pols and 14 -10 Kevin Rubie and Jeff Liebich, SandyHepburn, Colleen Liebich and John Allegri, John Browne and Lyn Simmonds, Peter West and Allan Jones, Neville Spry and Jeff Liebich, Harley Stewart and Robin Pols, Lyn Simmonds and Jill Rubie, Doreen Rogers and John Farah.
Close games on the day were:
• Bruce Field and Peter West 14 MayJones and John Allegri 13
• Elvy Quirk and Rex Toole 14 Robin Polsand Colleen Liebich 13
• May Jones and Bruce Field 14 John Farah and Lorraine Todd 12
• John Browne and Kevin Rubie 14 AlexTodd and Sandy Hepburn 12
• John Farah and Sandy Hepburn 14 Lorraine Todd and Cherlyn Toohey 12
• John Cole and Tony Thomson 14 JeffLiebich and Allan Jones 12
• Harley Stewart and John Cole 14 RexToole and Jill Rubie 11
• John Cole and Bruce Field 14 May Jonesand Jill Rubie 11
• Kevin Rubie 14 Rex Toole 11
• Stay tuned for more croquet news, or comealong and join in. That’s all for this week
By Pegging Out
IMAGE CREDIT: nsw.gov.au/sccf
A re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government will commit to a further $90 million to the Stronger Country Communities Fund to continue building the projects that make regional NSW the best place to live, work and raise a family.
In the past five years, the Stronger Country Communities Fund has delivered more than 2,500 grassroots projects.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the further $90 million commitment would take the total investment in the fund to three quarters of a billion dollars.
“Everywhere I go, people tell me about the big difference these Stronger Country Communities projects make to everyday life – whether it’s a new skate park that kids love, a new community hall, upgrades to the main street or programs that make living in the regions even better,” Mr Toole said.
“We aren’t just building playgrounds and sporting ovals, we’re building communities to be proud of.
“Not only do these projects improve life for those who already call regional NSW home, but they also act as a major drawcard for those visiting to consider staying longer term.”
For more information, visit: nsw.gov.au/sccf