Thinking about getting one of your farm animals killed for meat, then give Shannon Bermingham at Forbes Central Butchery a call. He can organise for the animals to be sent to the abattoir to be killed and will then cut it up as you require at his butcher shop in Forbes. It is a great way to get the best meat possible, particularly as he will cut it to your specifications.

Forbes Central Butchery is also making the trip to Trundle, Tullamore and Tottenham each Friday, so be sure to get in touch with him if you are wanting a meat order delivered to your door. Call him on 6851 6745.

Eight out of ten Australians don’t know what interest rate they pay on their mortgage, so if you’re one of them it’s time to start pay- ing attention. Until recently you should have had a mortgage interest rate starting with a ‘3’. However, in recent weeks lenders have started to increase rates a little so finding a rate starting with a ‘3’ is getting a little harder. The key point is to make sure your ‘friendly’ lending institution isn’t taking you for a ride.

Interest rates have been at record lows and you need to be making sure the savings are being passed on to you. When it comes to your mortgage, you need to be proactive. I’ve never heard anyone say their lender rang them up to offer a better deal. The simple reality is that if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you’re happy to continue paying whatever you’re paying then your lender will happily keep taking your money.

What does a little extra interest matter I hear you say? IT MATTERS A LOT!

On a 30-year mortgage of $350,000, the difference in repayments between paying 4.5% per annum in interest versus 3.9% per annum is only around $80 a month or $20 a week. However, over the life of the loan, that equates to around $36,000! That’s not pocket change.

So use your voice – demand a better deal. And if that doesn’t work, use your feet and take your business elsewhere.

Haven’t been able to make it to a live Wealth Train workshop? OUR ONLINE FI- NANCIAL EDUCATION WORKSHOP IS NOW AVAILABLE. Get the financial educa- tion you need at your own pace, in your own time. And for Phoenix readers we’re offering $15 off. Just go to www.wealthtrain.com.au/ membership and use discount code PHOENIX15.

Cheers, Danie

Olya Willis answered The Forbes Phoenix knock at the front door. What a treat it was to be welcomed into their historic family home!

“Receiving the Order of Australia was a great honour, but receiving the Forbes Citizen of the Year Award means even more to me,” said Rob Willis of the new title he was bestowed with at the Australia Day ceremo- ny last Thursday.

“I have lived my whole life in Forbes and love the place and the people… it is my hometown.”

Rob said many people did not really know what he did for a living. It is an interesting and very unique occupation as Rob works

Citizen of the Year, Rob Willis with his wife Olya. “I want everyone to know that Olya is the backbone of my work.”

with the National Library of Australia to record stories. He and Olya have recorded more than 1,500 peoples’ stories.

“It astounds me how many people would ask why I was interested in their story before we start recording,” said Rob. Olya, who is responsible for recording the stories, adds that “Rob has the ability to get people to open up and tell their stories”.

Included in Rob’s collection are more than 100 stories of Forbes residents. These are all preserved at the National Library.

“Forbes allowed me to commence my journey to record Australian social history,” said Rob. “Do you know how prior to the thermometer the temperature of the iron or oven was deemed to be ok? Well it was by spitting on the iron or putting your hand in the oven… History will never repeat itself, so it is important to preserve it.”

True to his word Rob will soon be heading to the Forbes and District Historical Museum to record both the sound and workings of the historic Ivel tractor. (See story on page 7.)

If you are curious about history, make sure to visit the Museum at 11 Cross Street after 2pm each day where you can be tak- en back in time by hearing school bells ring and the clickity clack of a type writer.

By Dianne Collie

The Forbes Phoenix found the Young Citizen of the Year, Aidan Clarke, at the Forbes Learning Ladder where he gently and expertly helped put on a little girl’s shoes, wiped a runny nose, and ensured all children had a helmet on when bike riding, in between answering questions.

Manager, Raewyn Molloy said: “Aidan’s Young Citizen of the Year award is so well deserved. We all feel very lucky to have Aidan here at the Forbes Learning Ladder.”

At school Aidan was captain of Forbes North Public School, a member of the Forbes High School SRC for five years and captain of Forbes High School in 2013.

Aidan said he was so happy and grateful to have the opportunity to grow in the career of his choice, study with TAFE and attain his goal of attending university without having to leave Forbes.

“I was successful in gaining a traineeship here in 2014. Then during 2015 and 2016, I completed a Diploma of Childcare.” This year Aidan will commence a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education externally with Charles Sturt University.

Applications are open for the 2017 National Indigenous Youth Parliament (NIYP). The NIYP is a week-long leadership program for Indigenous Australians aged 16 to 25, to be held in Canberra from 23rd to 29th May.

Electoral Commissioner, Tom Rogers, said this was a golden opportunity to learn about government and leadership directly from the people making decisions that af- fect Indigenous communities.

The Australian Electoral Commission will bring 50 young Indigenous Australians to Canberra – six from each state and territory and two from the Torres Strait Islands.

“Participants will receive training in public speaking and in dealing with the media,” said Tom.

The centrepiece of the NIYP is a two-day simulated parliament in the House of Representatives chamber at Old Parliament House. Participants will debate bills and issues important to themselves and their communities. No specific skills or experience are required to participate in the NIYP, apart from a desire to have a say in what’s going on in your community.

“I urge young Indigenous Australians to grab this opportunity and apply today.”

Applications are open until Friday, 3rd March. Participants will be chosen based on their ideas, community activity and leadership potential. To apply visit www. aec.gov.au/indigenous.

Tomorrow is World Cancer Day and the Cancer Council NSW is encouraging residents in the Central West to commit to making healthier lifestyle choices to reduce their cancer risk.

The theme for the day: We can. I can – encourages anyone, young or old, to make positive changes to help reduce their cancer risk, according to Ricky Puata at Cancer Council NSW Western region.

“We know that 1 in 3 cases of cancer can be prevented by making simple changes to our lifestyle. In addition to being sun safe and quitting smoking, being more active, eating enough fruits and vegetables, limiting intake of red meat and alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight are easy lifestyle habits that can significantly reduce our cancer risk.

“Sport is a huge part of the Western region community; why not join a Saturday social team to get active or head for a walk with friends,” said Ricky.

“Add some extra veggies to your Saturday barbeque, and consider swapping some of the red meat options for chicken or fish. Any reduction in drinking alcohol will help to reduce your cancer risk too.”

In Australia, 37,000 cases of cancer could be prevented each year by taking these simple actions for a healthier lifestyle.” In Western NSW alone 1,864 people are es- timated to be diagnosed with cancer in a single year, with 632 deaths expected.

For more information on cancer preven- tion, visit www.1in3cancers.com.au.

If you have a passion for antique machines Forbes will have to be on your bucket list as one of only seven Ivel tractors left in the world is now part of the Forbes and District Historical Society Museum.

The 114-year-old Ivel tractor is regarded as the first successful agricultural tractor, being the first machine made that was able to replace horses.

It took 18 months to restore the Forbes Ivel tractor, belonging to the Forbes Histo- rial Society, at a cost of $18,000.

Museum President Bruce Adams said the group was extremely proud to have re- stored a rare and historic Ivel tractor. The tractor was used in Gooloogong as a pump engine until the 1950’s, but came to the museum in disrepair.

“A lot of the parts, including all the brass bits, had been stolen off it and sold. We had to dismantle it completely,” Bruce said. “We had parts made locally and some in the UK, and it’s all in running order again, you can drive it around.”

Developed in 1903 by English inventor, Dan Albone, about 480 of the three- wheel petrol powered farm tractors were produced and exported across the world, but only seven have been recorded to still exist. Ivel (un-numbered) at the Science Museum, London, UK; Ivel 131 Peter Mof- fitt Vallum Farm East Wallhoused, UK; Ivel 141 Mutare Museum, Zimbabwe; Ivel 258 Aluarp Museum, Sweden; Ivel 269 Norm McKenzie of Cumnock, Australia; Ivel 277 Forbes Historical Museum, Forbes NSW Australia and Ivel 352 John Illingworth, Western Australia.

In 1903, the sale price for the Ivel Tractor was £300 GBP, roughly £33,300 in today’s money. The historic Ivel Tractor is said to be worth around $300,000.

The Forbes Ivel is on display in a custom-made glass cabinet at the Forbes and District Historical Society Museum.

Local community groups can apply for Australian Government grants to support projects honouring Australia’s military history and personnel. The Nationals’ Member for Riverina and Minister for Small Business, Michael McCormack said any group could apply for grant funding towards activities that assisted the health and quality of life of veterans or commemorative projects that honoured our military history.

“The Coalition committed to providing $4 million over four years to support younger veterans. As a result, a new grants program – Supporting Younger Veterans – will be established to assist projects that seek to engage and actively involve our younger veterans. This program will start in the first quarter of the 2017–18 financial year.

Grants are available for: Saluting Their Service commemorations program in two categories, namely Community Commem- orative Grants and Major Commemorative Grants; The Veteran and Community Grants Program; The Building Excellence in Support and Training Program and The Grants-In-Aid Program (available to only national ESOs). For further information visit the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website www.dva.gov.au/consultation-and-grants/ grants or contact the Wagga Wagga elec- torate office.