Forbes Phoenix

Bad Medicine For Regional Australia

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Sixty-day dispensing may sound good, but if you dig a little deeper, it is rural and regional Australia that will pay, writes Trent Twomey of the Pharmacy Guild.

“I fear patients won’t realise the true impact of 60-day dispensing until the pharmacy they’ve got, is gone. And by then it will be too late,” said Trent.

An independent report published recently by respected economist Henry Ergas AO, along with Tulipwood Advisory and the Relational Insights Data Lab at Griffith University has revealed the policy will lead to the loss of 20,818 community pharmacy jobs and the closure of 665 pharmacies nationwide.

Soon regional patients will feel the effect with cuts to free services such as blood pressure monitoring, diabetes management, websters packs for the aged and home delivery of medicines.

These are all services which the current dispensing arrangement helps pay for and keeps your local pharmacy‘s doors open for longer.

Unless the government delays the implementation of 60-day dispensing, as has been recommended, you will be seeing more of these cuts and closures from September when the policy is in place.

NAB: An Integral Part Of Parkes’ History And Future

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The local Parkes NAB team Jake Gordon Home Lending Specialist, Heilala Mill Parkes Branch Manager, Kylie Sharp Regional Customer Executive, Lisa Fisher Customer Advisor Sales, Jordie Oraha Customer Sales Advisor and Hanan Etri Future of Retail Coach. Insert: The original bank building in 1873.

With several of the big banks closing their regional branches, the newly refurbished Parkes National Australia Bank (NAB) offices are a strong indicator that NAB has no plans on leaving Parkes. 

During the recent refurbishment works, NAB’s Historical Services Curator was looking through the archives and discovered some incredible photographs of the branch dating back as far as 1877.

“It’s pretty amazing thinking how far back the history of this building goes. It shows we’ve been a key part of Parkes’ history. Some of the old records even show our first Branch Manager was the grandfather of Banjo Paterson,” said Parkes NAB Branch Manager, Heilala Mill. 

On 1st December 1873, the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney opened a branch in Parkes. The same year that Napoleon III of France died and a protective alliance was formed between Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary. That year New South Wales also had its seventh Ministry under the Colonial Secretary, Sir Henry Parkes, after whom the town is named.

The original records reveal cash was supplied from Forbes and the safe came from Hill End where, the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney also had a branch at the time. 

According to the records in the original bank general ledger, the first entries through the branch were: Current a/cs 2/12/1873, Fixed Deposits £50 on 9/12/1873 and the first lot of gold bought on 4th December 1873 being 52oz. 5 dwt, 23 gr. £3/15/’- 0zt 196/2/40. 

Items of interest through bank expenditure were such charges as gold escort, candles and water; the latter a far cry from the town’s modern water supply today. In the early 1890s Mr. J.R.Dryhurst was second officer, later to be appointed General Manager. His salary was £50 p.a. plus £50 allowance and the Manager received £200 p.a. 

Aside from the bank’s name, the only written sign outside the office was the legend, “Gold Bought”, painted across a front window. The first manager was C.H. Barton, the maternal grandfather of the poet Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson. 

Gold bought from miners in the district had to be transported to Orange through Forbes, along the river and across the steep, rough ranges. Armed escorts were needed against attacks from bushrangers and, in 1876, a letter from Head Office warned the manager at Parkes to be on guard against the Kelly gang, known to be in the area. Fortunately for the Commercial Banking Company (CBC), Mr Kelly and his associates did not turn their attention to Parkes 

Branch records also revealed a branch opened at Tichbourne, six miles south of Parkes on 22nd June 1878 when they were debited £2955 for cash supplied. At that time Tichbourne was a very large mining center with a population between 30,000 and 40,000 people. This land has since reverted to wheat and sheep grazing country. 

Among the local mines doing business with the CBC in those early days were such names as “No Mistake”, “The Bushman’s”, “Welcome”, “Victoria Gully”, “Line”, “Flat”, “Racecourse”, “Possum Gully”, “Frenchman’s”, “Richardson” and “Sparling’s”. 

With the expansion of business in 1877, the bank moved to a slightly larger premises, later to be occupied by Tattersalls Hotel and now the site of the Coachman Hotel Motel. 

In 1901, what must have been a former pub was purchased in Taylor Square fronting onto Clarinda Street, the bank used the existing building until 1925 when the building was demolished, to be replaced by the bank’s current offices. 

Parkes Commercial Banking Company (CBC) of Sydney Branch, circa 1930.

 

Parkes CBC Branch on 1st June 1980.

 

Parkes NAB Branch on 10th July 2023

This Is One Production Not To Be Missed

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Cast and crew are excited for the opening night, Saturday the 15th. Get your tickets and come along and support local theatre.

Not Now Darling is a British farcical comedy featuring minks, mistresses, mobsters and mistaken identities, including scantily clad women hiding in cupboards! This production is the directorial debut for Parkes M&D member Hannah Symonds, who has over 20 years of theatrical experience and graced the Parkes M&D stage as Elphaba in the 2021 production of Wicked.

Not Now Darling follows the flamboyant Gilbert Bodley (Aaron Kingham) as he schemes to seduce the beautiful stripper Janie McMichael (Lisa Ramsay) by offering her an exquisite £5,000 mink coat.

Unfortunately, Janie’s husband, Harry McMichael (Benson O’Donnell), mustn’t know about the affair so the coat is offered to Harry at an excellent price of £500, with Gilbert paying the remainder.

Harry realises the bargain and instead buys the coat for his curvaceous secretary Sue Lawson (Hannah Symonds). Gilbert is shocked by this turn in events and both he and his nervous assistant Arnold Crouch (Russell Tanswell) are further embarrassed when Janie refuses to leave the salon by stripping down. Their frenzied attempts to retrieve the coat from Sue and hide the naked Janie are further complicated by the unexpected arrival of Gilbert’s wife Maude Bodley (Lyn Townsend).

Meanwhile, Arnold’s method of hiding any discarded ladies underwear is to throw them out the window, leaving the salon’s spinster secretary Miss Tipdale (Jessica Morgan) to retrieve the garments and any other items tossed from the window. The hilarious events at the salon are interrupted by the elderly couple Mr. and Mrs. Frencham (Steve McGrath and Ruth Barnes) as they navigate the law, as well as the beautiful fur model Miss Whittington (Gyhaan Edwards).

Opening 15th July to the 30 th July 2023. A group ticket discount of buy five get one free will apply. Head to the website for more details. www.parkesmandd.com.au

It’s The Little Things That Make A Big Difference

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Grant Acheson from Kitson solutions is pictured with Aruma Disability clients after the installation of the new guardrail.

As a free communtiy newspaper, the team at The Forbes & Parkes Phoenix, love nothing more that bringing our readers good-news stories about locals doing their bit to make our community a better place to live.

Every weekday from 9:30am – 3:30pm, Aruma Disability Servivces in Forbes run a local day program assisting a range of disability supported customers to reach their short and long term goals. These goals may include cooking skills, community access, dancing, money, and budgeting skills, food preparation, cleaning, shopping, fishing, gardening and sensory skills.

The outdoor area at the centre is used for most of these activities and provides an alternate space for all-purpose needs as the indoor activities often get very noisy and crowded. 

Amy Mongan from Aruma Disability Services identified the need for a permanent guardrail to be installed around the outdoor space to make the area safer for customers and clients.

She reached out to Kitson Solutions to see if they would be willing to donate any time or materials to assist in the completion of this project. 

“I explained that our outdoor area is very unsafe due to the lack of railing around the concrete slab, which poses a fall risk to both staff and customers,” said Amy.

Grant Acheson of Kitson Solutions didn’t hesitate to offer their assistace in any way needed to get the job done. After generously donating their free time and materials, the guard rails were completed. 

“Our outdoor area looks amazing andcustomers and staff could not be happier. We are now able to use this space as required on a regular basis safely. Thank you Kitson Solutions,” said Amy. 

Colour Wheel Art Exhibition

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An original Karen Ritchie artwork will be raffled off, raising funds for FAS. Raffle tickets are $2 each and can be purchased at the door throughout the weekend.

From bright and bold tones to moody and muted hues, colour is key in the latest art exhibition by the Forbes Arts Society (FAS).

The Colour Wheel exhibition will showcase a collection of mixed media work by Forbes Arts Society members that celebrates the history of colour and explores colour psychology.

“Like art, colour is undeniably emotive. This exhibition will highlight how different colours can evoke different emotional and behavioural responses,” said Dr Karen Ritchie, Forbes Arts Society.

“We are delighted to exhibit such a diverse offering of local artwork that will uplift, inspire, surprise and comfort, as well as stimulate a range of other thoughts and feelings,” Karen added.

An exhibition opening will be held on Friday 7th July, from 6pm until 8pm at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 11 Harold Street in Forbes. Tickets are $10 for Forbes Arts Society members and $20 for non-members and can be pre-purchased through the Forbes Arts Society website or at the door.

The exhibition will then be on public display St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th July, from 10am until 2pm both days. 

For more information about the Colour Wheel exhibition and to purchase tickets to the exhibition opening, head to www.forbesartssociety.com or follow the Forbes Arts Society on Facebook and Instagram. This exhibition is supported by ArtsWeb volunteers, a committee of the Forbes Arts Society.

CMOC-Northparkes Mines – Sports Grants Recipients

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A total of $31,683.94 was distributed in grants this round. The next round, which opens in September, will see a total of $32,460.36 available for sports related projects within the Parkes Shire.

CMOC-Northparkes Mines and Parkes Shire Council have announced the successful applicants from the latest round of the Sports Grants Funding Program.

Parkes Sports Council Chairperson, Alan Gersbach said it was fantastic to see a broad range of projects during this round for selection.

“Parkes Shire has a strong sporting culture and programs such as this promote and increase participation within the community,” said Mr Gersbach.

This round, which closed in March 2023, included a grant to the Peak Hill Swimming Club to purchase equipment for training including lane ropes, pool noodles, long blade fins, handle paddles and a learn to swim platform.

Cr Louise O’Leary thanked Northparkes for its continuing support of not only this program but also the many other community programs throughout Parkes and Forbes.

“Thank you to the community groups who applied for this round of sporting grants. We encourage any local groups considering applying to make use of the resources of the Parkes Shire Grants Team in helping you with your application,” Cr O’Leary said.

Northparkes Managing Director Jianjun Tian said, “At Northparkes, we are committed to a number of long-term community partnerships, including the Sports Grants Program, which not only benefits our people, but the community in which we live and work.”

Entries Open For 2023 Aboriginal Art Prize

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2021 competition judges Wilcannia-Forbes Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green, CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes CEO Anne-Marie Mioche and artist Raymond Thorpe with the winning painting ‘Mirri’ by Robert Sloane of Condobolin.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes is excited to launch its 2023 Aboriginal Art Competition to discover talented Aboriginal artists in western NSW.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes chief executive officer Anne-Marie Mioche encouraged Aboriginal artists living in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, or in communities where its services are available, to enter.

“At CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes we are passionate about creating opportunities for Aboriginal people and empowering all to succeed and this competition will generate opportunities and recognition for three aspiring artists,” Ms Mioche said.

“We know there is a lot of unrecognised talent in this region and we hope this competition will showcase these artists.

“This is the third time we have run the competition and this year we hope to attract even more talent from our communities.”

Raymond Thorpe of Forbes won the inaugural CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes Aboriginal Art Competition in 2019 with his painting, Platypus Waterholes.

In 2021 Robert Sloane of Condobolin claimed top honours with his artwork, Mirri (dragonfly).

The competition offers a total prize pool of $4,000 to encourage emerging Aboriginal artists to create and share meaningful artwork that shows the rich Aboriginal culture and artistry in our diocese.

First prize for the winner is $2,000, second prize is $1,500 and third prize is $500.

Artists living in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, or in communities where CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes offers services, including from Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Cobar, Bourke, Brewarrina, Nyngan, Warren, Narromine, Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes, Bathurst, Orange, Cowra, Lake Cargelligo, Condobolin or elsewhere within the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes are encouraged to submit an artwork.

The closing date for entries is Monday 28th August, so get your entries in now.

Restraint Checks Securing Child Safety In Forbes

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Research shows children who are not restrained correctly are seven times more likely to
sustain life-threatening injuries in a crash than those who are properly secured.

The recent, free child restraint checking event held by Forbes Shire Council, has revealed all of the child restraints checked on the day were incorrectly fitted. Six child restraints were brought in by parents and grandparents for checking – a combination of baby capsules along with rearward/forward facing convertible seats.

Forbes Shire Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said this bi-annual event continues to be popular. “All of the child restraints that were checked had minor problems that needed fixing to ensure the safety of the child, Ms Suitor said.

While this was a free bi-annual event, local Authorised Child Restraint Fitters can install and check child restraints every day for a small fee. The local fitter in Forbes is Jelbart Dawson. Local fitters in Parkes include Col Fletcher Ford and Kia and Parkes Tyrepower.

National child restraints laws have been in effect since 2010. All children must be safely fastened into the correct child restraint for their age and size. Children need to be at least 145cm or taller to use an adult lap sash seatbelt.

Six Inland Water Sharing Plans Extended

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The NSW Government has announced a two-year extension of six water sharing plans across the Murrumbidgee, Macquarie-Bogan, Gwydir, Lachlan, Belubula, Namoi and Peel regions to implement recommendations to their replacements. 

Executive Director of Water Planning Giselle Howard said water sharing plans are legal documents which lay out clear rules for the equitable and sustainable distribution of water among users over a 10-year period. 

“We’ve extended six plans by an extra two years to give us more time to collect detailed data, complete analysis and hear from stakeholders which will help inform each new water sharing plan that will now come into effect on 1 July 2025,” Ms Howard said. 

The following water sharing plans will remain in effect until 30 June 2025: 

• Water Sharing Plan for the Murrumbidgee Unregulated River Water Sources2012

• Water Sharing Plan for the Macquarie-Bogan Unregulated Rivers Water Sources 2012

• Water Sharing Plan for the Gwydir Unregulated River Water Sources 2012

• Water Sharing Plan for the Lachlan Unregulated River Water Sources 2012

• Water Sharing Plan for the BelubulaRegulated River Water Source 2012

• Water Sharing Plan for the Namoi andPeel Unregulated Rivers Water Sources2012

What’s On @ The Parkes Shire Library & Cultural Centre

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GET THE FACTS ABOUT THE VOICE REFERENDUM 

Australia is having a conversation about the Voice referendum being held later this year. It’s about whether we should change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. The Parkes Shire Library has information booklets available that have been issued by the Australian Government providing information on how a referendum works; the referendum question and constitutional amendment; what the Voice is and what would it do?

SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

Board Games Day Friday: Families are invited to drop into Parkes Library to enjoy playing a board game with friends and family. Friday 7 July during library opening hours. FREE event. 

Kids Flicks @ Parkes Library: For students in Kindergarten to Year 6. Come and enjoy a junior movie and popcorn! Wednesday 12 July, 10:30am – 12pm. FREE event in person bookings essential. 

Picasso Faces: Learn about Picasso and play a game to create an art-work in his style. Tullamore Library Wednesday 12 July, 11:30am – 1pm. $2pp, bookings essential on 6861 2309.

Paint Like A Pro: Learn about Pro Hart and create an artwork using his methods. Peak Hill Library Thursday 13 July. $2pp, bookings essential on 6861 2309.

LITTLE BANG DISCOVERY CLUB RETURNS TO PARKES LIBRARY

Young scientists and their lab assistants gathered in Parkes Library during June for the Little Bang Discovery Club. The children made amazing discoveries by predicting, testing, conducting experiments and more! Stay tuned for information on future sessions of Little Bang Discovery Club.

YOUTH LIBRARY LOCK-IN

Young people aged 12-18 years are invited to come to our popular Library Lock-In event. Enjoy games, a free dinner and exclusive use of the Parkes Library. Monday 31 July, 5:30-8pm. Bookings open 17 July at events.humanitix.com/July23youthlockin

Phoenix Office 7/113-127 Rankin Street, Forbes NSW 2871

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editor@forbesphoenix.com.au

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