Forbes filmmaker Dane Millerd has realised his dream of making the big time in film, with his film about Australia’s worst female criminal to enter Hollywood.

In 2001 Katherine Knight became the first female in Australian history to be locked up “never to be released”. Her crime involved stabbing her partner at the time, John Price, 37 times in a horrific murder.

Ms Knight then beheaded her victim, skinned his body and cooked it. She had planned to serve him up to her own children with vegetables and gravy, before she became comatose from an overdose of pills she had taken. Police arrived on the scene before her meal could be served. She is serving her
sentence at Sydney’s Silverwater Women’s Correctional Facility, and had an
appeal for parole turned down in court a number of years after her sentencing.

Mr Millerd managed to obtain the rights to a book about Katherine Knight’s shocking crime last year, and wrote a script for the film. US-based film company ‘Shoreline Entertainment’ picked up the script, and it was fast to contact Mr Millerd to express interest in making his film. He will take the reigns of producer of the film while Shoreline Entertainment set most of its direction. The film will be titled “Speckled Hen”, which was the nickname of Knight, and Mr Millerd expects filming to start next year. “Katherine Knight is going to be at least a $3 million film,” he told The Forbes Phoenix.

“I’d like to get bigger players involved [than other movies he has worked on], without sounding selfish, but I want to get people involved who have more runs on the board. They’ll attract a better vibe, bigger stars, and more funding to the project.” Mr Millerd’s background comes from newspaper journalism and music video filming, and he has already made a film, which he considers ‘B’ grade, called ‘Something in the Piliga’- a horror set in Australia.

Despite his interest in horror-themed movies, and the grotesque nature of the Katherine Knight story, he said ‘Speckled Hen’ would be a drama, and not a horror. “It’s certainly a very controversial topic. I’ve had both sides of the divide expressing their opinions, but at the end of the day… there’s been films on 9/11, [Ivan] Milat, and you want to engage with the entertainment.

This film will do its job tenfold,” he said. Mr Millerd will also work on another film, to be set in Forbes, called ‘Are You Scared Yet?’, which he has also got funding of $250,000 from US-based filmmakers Dark Water Productions. This will be filmed later this year.

He will travel to the USA this year to plan the filming of ‘Speckled Hen’, while some proceeds from the final product will be donated to domestic violence charities.

Forbes St John Anglican Church Parish Priest Geoffrey McAuliffe was inducted as the National Chaplain-elect in a ceremony at the church last Sunday.

He will officially become the next National Chaplain, under the board of the ‘Order of St Luke’, next year, after spending 12 months under the wing of the current National Chaplain. The board elects a new person to take this position every three years, but with no nominees immediately forthcoming in 2014, Mr McAuliffe decided to nominate himself last year, and was officially inducted as the elect to the position at the weekend.

Bishop of Bathurst Ian Palmer and Reverend Trevor Buttler made the trip to Forbes to induct Mr McAuliffe. He was persuaded to come out of retirement two years ago to take up the Parish Priest role at St Johns. Despite this he said his past experiences working as a chaplain in ‘chapters’ of seven
people meant he was capable of doing the job.

“I’ve worked in the formation of four different chapters over the years [since 1982], sometimes as the prime mover, and other times responding to the encouragement of others,” he said. “I’ve been a convenor (chairperson of a
chapter) a couple of times too.” “The ceremony was the culmination of a big month at St Johns. We had the Festival of Praise, followed by a mission with Defence Force Bishop Ian Lambert, so we’ve had three big weeks.”

In his new role, Mr McAuliffe will lead the ‘healing ministry’, which in Christianity is a spiritual practice of physical, mental, or emotional healing.
“As National Chaplain-elect, I’m under the direction of the National Chaplain, so what I would do is if there is something that requires his presence and he can’t be there, I would go,” he said. “When I become National Chaplain, one
thing I would like to do is try to find a way of interesting more people, and younger people, to be involved in the Order of St Luke…most of the Order at the moment is old, even older than me,” he joked.

While his new role will see him travel to other towns and cities in Australia from time to time, he will remain the Parish Priest at St Johns for the time being. He said he was extremely proud to be inducted as a Forbes local, with people coming to town from all corners of the country to witness the occasion.

While he has come out of retirement, he added he looked forward to what the future holds for him, despite his second retirement being at least another three years away as he works through his term as National Chaplain.

 

The people of Forbes turned out in great numbers on Tuesday, as the Hogs for the Homeless tour cruised through town. National Rugby League legends Brad Fittler, Nathan Hindmarsh, Steve Roach, Steve Menzies, Matt Cooper, Josh Perry and Brian Fletcher arrived in town in a convoy of Harley Davidson motorbikes.

The Hogs for the Homeless campaign was first organised by Brad Fittler in 2012, after he found out there was 50,000 people in NSW alone living on the streets. The campaign runs for two weeks and raises funds and awareness for Father Chris Riley’s “Youth off the Streets” foundation, which aims to put homeless people back in homes.

The former rugby league players were kept busy in Forbes, running a charity
sheep sale at the livestock exchange in the morning, before running a coaching clinic at Spooner Oval in the afternoon, and finally attending a fundraising dinner function at the Services Club in the evening. Each event was a huge success, with the sheep sale alone raising $11,560. With sheep buyers having the option of donating the sheep back to the sale yards, some sheep were sold multiple times, with one in particular selling a massive 56 times.

Hogs for the Homeless founder Brad Fittler, who played for the Penrith Panthers, Sydney Roosters, Australian Kangaroos and NSW State of Origin sides in his playing days, said the goal of the campaign was to make people aware that not everyone in NSW is fortunate enough to have a roof over their head. “There’s some real issues, and homelessness is one of them,” he said.

“Over 50,000 teenagers in the state are homeless, which is ludicrous,”
“This is about former footballers using their identities and getting out into the bush [so people in rural communities can meet them], and there’s the other side for Chris Riley and what he’s trying to accomplish.” Former Australian, NSW and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles player Josh Perry said it was great to have been able to raise so much money, in particular the result at the
sheep sale.

“It’s amazing. We keep coming out to places like this and everyone says the
country is struggling a little bit, but it seems to be thriving, and the great people out here are digging into their pockets every time we see them,” he said.
Mr Perry, who was one of the organisers for this year’s tour, said it was enlightening for him and the other NRL legends to spend time with budding junior footballers, who do not normally get the chance to meet them, in rural communities.

“That’s one of the reasons why we come out. We get to meet the kids, and we get a lot out of that too. We’re lucky to be able to do what we do and we’re doing it every year now.”

Mr Fittler said he hoped more former players would keep joining the tour in the years to come.

The Forbes Medical Centre has welcomed three new registrars to the practice. Dr Maria Rasool, Dr Chen-Yi Lo and Dr Farrah Yasmin are now seeing patients and have joined the team as a part of their two year placement in completing their GP specialist training and bring with them other specialists training including Obstetrics, Women’s and Children’s Health.

The registrars are all fully qualified doctors who have completed six years of medical school and a couple of years as interns in the hospital system. Forbes Medical Centre Principal Dr Neale Somes said this is an excellent opportunity
for the trainee GP’s and said the Forbes Medical Centre has developed its reputation as a centre of excellence for teaching. “Medical Students and Registrars are keen to come to our practice because they know they will receive a well-rounded training experience,” Dr Somes said. “Each registrar is assigned to a senior Doctor as a supervisor and we provide both formal and informal teaching opportunities.”

The Forbes Medical Centre is located across the road from the Forbes Hospital giving registrars the opportunity to offer a better continuity of care by being able to follow through with their patients from diagnosis to treatment and follow up, something registrar’s do not experience working in larger metropolitan centres. “Our registrars will gain experience in General Practice including seeing patients in the clinic, working in the emergency department at the hospital, and doing surgical procedures, “ Dr Somes said.

Dr Maria Rasool studied medicine in Pakistan before moving to Australia and has worked in Sydney hospitals. She has also done her diploma in children’s health as well as certificate in Emergency medicine and is currently completing her certificate in women’s health.

“I look forward to developing a healthy relationship with the community of Forbes as I have moved here with my husband and three young children and I’ve already spotted a few attractions for myself to do socially along with activities for the children,” Dr Rasool said.

Dr Chen-Yi Lo is training to be a GP Obstetrician and will be available to see local pregnant women who can book appointments with her. She has worked and lived in Singapore, Melbourne and Adelaide. “I have experience in many aspects of medicine and will be stepping up from being a hospital medical officer to a GP Registrar.” Dr Lo said.

Dr Farrah Yasmin is also training to be a GP obstetrician and most recently worked in Wagga before moving to Forbes. She will work closely with Dr Hemant and Dr Whittaker to further develop her training in General Practice and Obstetrics.

Isaac Wren, a Year 12 Forbes High School Graduate, will have his HSC video game project included in InTech 2016 and displayed at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum. InTech 2016 is the annual exhibition of outstanding Major Design Projects developed by 2015 HSC Industrial Technology students from Friday 24 June to Sunday 26 June 2016 from 10.00am – 4.00pm daily. In 2015, over 2500 students and their teachers from across NSW visited the InTech exhibition in Sydney.

In addition to the normal InTech Exhibition in 2016, there will be a combined display of HSC Technology projects at the Powerhouse Museum. A limited number of projects from industrial Technology, Textiles & Design as well as Design & Technology will be on display from Friday 26 February 2016 to Sunday 8 May 2016 at the Powerhouse
Museum.

Mr Wren’s Year 12 Major Works, a seven level game with coloured cubes to be picked up and placed on corresponding colours, was chosen for display, in a triumph for the teaching staff involved with the classes. He said it felt great to have his work on display at one of Australia’s most recognisable museums.

“It’s pretty cool. I wasn’t really expecting it. I didn’t even know there were exhibitions for projects year 12 students had made,” he said. His area of expertise will be furthered when he starts a three year software engineering degree at the University of Canberra in August.

It’s fair to say that long time Forbes resident Paddy Molly has been around the traps and put in the hard yards for the community. From riding and training horses and competing in rodeos in his younger years, to working as a butcher and at the Forbes Abattoirs, to building Forbes’ first rodeo bucking chutes and helping establish the first Forbes rodeo, Mr Molloy is certainly worthy of honour.

And on Tuesday evening at the Forbes Australia Day Festival at Colin McKenzie Park, he received the honour of being named the Forbes Senior Citizen of the Year. After many accidents including broken bones, losing his late wife Una in 2007 and suffering burns from a farming accident in 2012, the 89-year old was forced to sell his Wandary Lane farm and move to a home in Bathurst Street, where he still spends tire-less hours gardening and renovating his homes.

He regularly brings the bins in for his neighbours who work, and along with musical partner Ray Lassierre, plays country music at the Jemalong Residential Village and the Mater Nursing Home. They have played at both now for 37 years. “I’m grateful for this. It’s like winning the lottery,” Mr Molloy said of his award win.

Mr Molloy said tongue in cheek he did not plan on attending the Australia Day Festival, but was glad he did in winning his award. “I got brought over by my son and his wife, so I’m glad I came,” he said. Sixteen-year old Daniel Ashcroft won the 2016 Forbes Junior Citizen of the Year. He is a volunteer for the Forbes Shire Council Youth Advisory Committee, established Spectacular Screenings at age 12, and donates toys to Havannah House for their annual Christmas lunch.

In setting up and helping to run Spectacular Screening, where a movie for public viewing is put on once per month, he has contributed a massive 230 hours of his time over the last four and a half years. Mr Ashcroft also marches for Forbes High School in the ANZAC Day march, and volunteers as a musician at Jemalong Retirement Village.
He said he is proud of what he does and will continue his work. “It’s good to help out in the community and it’s good to see people’s faces when you’re doing it,” he said.

“I plan on continuing the volunteering. I’m not too sure what I’d like to do after I finish school in a couple years, but I’d like to go to university.” “I’m a black belt in martial arts, so something may come from that too.”

Forbes and Parkes Shire Councils will become a part of the Riverina Federal Electorate, after the announcement of changes to electorate borders by the Australian Electoral Commission.

The number of electorates in New South Wales will be reduced from 48 to 47, and changes will come into effect on February 25- in time for this year’s federal election. Changes in electorate borders have come as the AEC looks to raise the number of voters in each electorate.

The most important electorate changes in Central West NSW have been to those of Calare, Riverina, Parkes and Hume. Forbes and Parkes Shire Councils will transfer from Calare to Riverina, while the Cowra, Weddin (Grenfell), Young, Cootamundra and Harden shires will transfer to Riverina from Hume.

At the same time Riverina will lose Tumut and Tumburumba to Eden-Monaro, Griffith, Leeton, Murrumbidgee, Narrandera and part of Carrathool to Farrer, and the remainder of Carrathool to Parkes. It is expected Riverina will gain around 4000 voters as a result of all changes. Member for Riverina Michael McCormack welcomed the new additions to his electorate, and said that despite them being included just months before the next election, he said he looked forward to representing them.

“It is the people of our electorate who make my job so special and I am constantly inspired by the conversations and
interactions I have with local people every day,” he said. “I look forward to meeting with as many people as I can in these new communities over the coming weeks and months and listening to their ideas and suggestions.”

In contrast member for Calare John Cobb was left scratching his head in losing Forbes and Parkes from his electorate. “To lose Forbes and Parkes, which are also part of those who do things in NSW and Australia, after all these years is a forbidding thought,” he said. “I’ve represented most of it over the years, lived in it and it’s a wonderful place. Forbes and Parkes are extraordinarily lucky they will have Michael McCormack to look after them.”

The Calare electorate is set to gain the local government areas of Wellington, Cabonne (Canowindra), Kandos, Rylstone and Bylong. Forbes Shire Council Mayor Phyllis Miller said the changing of representation would unlikely effect future planning and projects in Forbes, but she said she was concerned about communities of interest.

Cr Miller added the AEC should have considered this in addition to voter numbers before forcing Forbes and Parkes to join Riverina, an area they normally do not directly associate with. “With the methodology they use, there’s
no distance or community interest taken into consideration,” she said. “It’s all about numbers and population. To think that Mr Cobb has to have two thirds of the state just to keep his population is ridiculous.”

“I’ve spoken to Michael McCormack, and I have no doubt that he’ll do the very best job possible.” “But I’m worried about two local government areas getting ‘just plonked’ into there.”

Forbes Shire Council will continue to stand alone after the announcement made on the 18th December by Local Government Minister Paul Toole and NSW Premier Mike Baird. Minister Toole announced that the 152 councils in NSW will be reduced to 112, with the number of regional councils cut back from 109 to 87.

Forbes Shire Council now has the opportunity to revise and resubmit its Fit for the Future proposal in 2016 to be reassessed and declared fit. Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said this was the best news Council could have hoped for.
“We’re really excited about the opportunity to continue to represent our community as a stand alone council,” Mayor Miller said. Mayor Miller said the merger proposals announced this morning will go forward to the Chief Executive of Local Government who will conduct public inquiries and then refer their recommendations on to the Boundaries Commission for final determination.

“Our neighbouring councils, Orange, Blayney and Cabonne, have been forced to merge together,” she said. “Our next step is to have meetings with the Mayor of Cabonne and the Mayor of Orange and then meet with the community of Eugowra to get their views on whether they would like us to lobby for a boundary change to enter into Forbes Shire Council.”

“As Forbes Shire Council was declared not fit due scale and capacity, because of population, Council will now be able to resubmit our proposal in 2016.”

Mayor Miller said due to the boundary review process the Local Government elections scheduled for September 2016 will now be pushed back until March 2017. “The result from this announcement is a load off our shoulders not only for Councillors but also for Council staff and the community,” Mayor Miller said. “It has been a very stressful time and for us not to be facing forced amalgamations, with the opportunity to be declared fit, is a testament to us as councillors that we are doing a good job for our community.”

Mayor Miller said, “We can now go forward with our four year delivery plan and of course economic development and job creation is at the top of our list. This means that all of our energy can be focussed on something positive rather than submissions which were taking up a lot of our time.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Red Bend Catholic College HSC class of 2015 has much to celebrate as they have achieved exceptional results. The College community is once again extremely proud of its students and their achievement in this rigorous and highly regarded examination. Twelve students have been recognised as Distinguished Achievers as they achieved
22 Band 6s across 14 separate courses. A band 6 is equivalent to a mark in a course that is above 90.

Fifty two students achieved Band 5s across 27 courses. In total, the cohort received 150 Band 5s which is equivalent to a mark between 80 and 90. This is, of itself, an exceptional outcome. Another indicator of very solid performance was the number of Band 4’s: 165 Band 4’s across 27 subjects. A Band 4 is a mark of 70 or above. In addition to these results one student has been recognised for her excellent HSC Major work. Quinn Anderson was nominated for Encore which showcases the top individual Music performances.

The 2015 excellent HSC results reflect the determination, perseverance and commitment of the students, and the dedication and commitment of the teachers and other staff that taught and supported them.

Jess Dawes, Administration Marketing and Events Co-ordinator for the Forbes Business Chamber was very pleased with the attendance and participation by all who turned up on Saturday morning for the Find it in Forbes Christmas Festival. With over 400 people turning up throughout the day and wandering around the shops, stalls and even participating in events, and with the weather being on our side, it was a great day.

Jess said,“ she was delighted with the way things ran and it was a great festive atmosphere throughout the whole day.’ Retailers commented that they had all benefitted and it was great to see so many visitors shopping in our local community. Stall holders also enjoyed a great day and were pleased that they had attended the event.”

Everybody loved listening to Cath Adams who provided entertainment from 11.30. The kids loved seeing Santa and telling him what they would like for Christmas. Kristen’s Dance Studio gave some fabulous performances and are to be congratulated for some of their moves on what was a very warm surface. Jess would like to say a big thank you
to the sponsors, who have generously supported the event, and without whom the Find it in Forbes Christmas promotion and festival would not take place. These sponsors included John David Motors, Green Homes Australia, Forbes Phoenix, Forbes Advocate, Knights Steel Fabrications, and Bunnings.