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Bali Bombings Display At Australian War Memoria

October 14, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

People attending the memorial service held in Forbes on Wednesday. (All photos on this page taken by Kate Howarth.)

A new photographic display detailing the Australian response to the Bali terrorist attack will be on show at the Australian War Memorial.

“The Bali bombings will be remembered as the date that terrorism hit home,” Australian War Memorial Director Matt Anderson said.

The Royal Australian Air Force evacuated critically injured people out of Indonesia as part of Operation Bali Assist – the largest Australian aeromedical evacuation since the Vietnam War.

The Australian Federal Police were invited to assist the Indonesian National Police and played a key role in investigation breakthroughs that led to the arrest, trial and execution of some of the perpetrators.

A display detailing the aftermath, co-curated with the Australian Federal Police Museum, is dedicated to the victims of the 2002 Bali bombings and the government agencies, including the Australian Defence Force and Consular Officers who put themselves in harm’s way in the immediate aftermath of the bombing, and the Australian Federal Police, who sought justice for victims and their families.

The exhibition includes images taken by AFP members in the aftermath of the attack, including a photograph of former Prime Minister John Howard inspecting the site of the bombing.

Images taken inside Paddy’s Bar show where Australian Federal Police investigators were able to source several pieces of tartan fabric and other matter that made up the explosive vest used in the first detonation.

Visitors will need a free ticket to the Australian War Memorial to see this display, which will be on show until 20 November 2022.

Elvis Movie Sets On Exhibit At 30th Anniversary Festival

October 14, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

This year’s winner of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition Paul Fenech performed at the official launch of the 30th anniversary festival in 2023. He had three young supporters Reginald (8), Lottie (7) and Alfred (5) Dixon from Parkes.

It might be a good idea to get to see Baz Luhrman’s Elvis movie before the 30th anniversary of the Parkes Elvis Festival next year from 4th to 8th January.

The exciting news announced at the official launch of the festival last Wednesday was that the new exhibition at next year’s festival will feature a number of the movie sets, including the famous jungle room.

“Every year we try and get something new, and thanks to Warner Brothers and Baz Luhrman we’ve been gifted some of the movie sets,” said Festival Director Tiffany Steel. “You will actually get to see the full movie set of the jungle room, as well as the carnival house of mirrors, the world’s largest hound dog and some neon signs.

“We also have a number of items from the Bendigo Art Gallery Elvis exhibition.” These include the giant Elvis letters, the Elvis portico, and the giant neon sign that was at the front. “These items will all be on display with some of our own memorabilia of previous Elvis festivals.”

The other great announcement was the special concert to kick off the 30th anniversary celebrations on Wednesday, 4th January. The Elvis Wall of Fame event will take place at 10am with Ross Wilson as inductee. Ross will then join three previous inductees, Brian Cadd, Joe Camilleri and Russel Morris at 12:30pm for a fantastic opening concert.

Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith thanked all the volunteers who have been involved over the past 30 years for their hard work and contribution to the event. Also attending was Deputy Premier Paul Tool who said the festival had become a regional product and was a showcase for people to see what is great about living in regional NSW.

The festival has more than 350 events and tickets are available to purchase online at www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au. The festival also has a new website to make navigation of the five-day event easier.

The partnership between the Parkes Elvis Festival and the Forbes Shire Council is growing with another event put on in Forbes for next year, the Lakeside Luau: Hawaiian Fest with the Australian Beach Boys Show. The launch was attended by Forbes Mayor and Deputy Mayor last week. Also at the launch were (L-R) Al(vis) Gersbach, Anthony McGrath, Tiffany Steel, Paul Tool, Phyllis Miller, Ken Keith and Paul Fenech.

Premium Pet Food ‘Made In Parkes’

October 14, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

PROUD PARKES PRODUCT… Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith and Deputy Mayor Neil Westcott hold a bag of Black Hawk kibble showing off the ‘Made in Parkes’ label printed on every bag at the state-of-the-art Petcare Kitchen facility in Parkes.

Pet owners in Australia and across the world now have the opportunity to buy premium pet food made in Parkes at the very first business to open its doors in the Special Activation Precinct (SAP).

The $82 million state-of-the-art Pet Care Kitchen manufacturing facility, officially opened last Wednesday, uses the latest technology and up to 50% locally sourced ingredients within a 200km radius to produce premium Black Hawk kibble.

“Partnerships with local farmers will ensure crops are grown to the company’s exacting specifications and provide primary producers a guaranteed market for their product,” said EBOS Group Chief Executive Officer John Cullity.

The pet food bags, ranging from 400g to 25kg, all bear the inscription “Proudly made in Parkes, NSW Australia” in the top right hand corner. “These bags are incredible, and it means wherever the pet food is sold a bit of Parkes is going right across the country and the world,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole, at the opening.

The very large and complex project, measuring 12,800 square metres, took over four years to build with all the challenges of the COVID pandemic, and employs 60 people from Parkes and the region and is in production 24 hours per day, five days per week.

“We will take thousands of trucks off the roads as we leverage the benefits of Parkes and its rail hub to move our pet food to all parts of Australia and other parts of the world,” said John.

For the Mayor of Parkes Shire Cr Ken Keith OAM the opening of the pet food facility is a significant milestone for the Parkes SAP and a very exciting time for Parkes.

“This is the start of a new era for the region. The SAP will ensure that Parkes continues to boast a strong diverse economy and will create jobs and opportunities for the whole region when completed, particularly efficiently linking agricultural value-added products to world markets.”

Inside the $82 million state-of-the-art Pet Care Kitchen manufacturing facility are (L-R) General Manager Parkes Shire Council Kent Boyd, Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith OAM, CEO EBOS Animal Care Julie Dillon, Deputy Premier Paul Tool and CEO EBOS Group Ltd John Cullity.

NORTHERN GATEWAY PRECINCT

Work on the game changing Northern Gateway Precinct is also kicking off, which will connect the Parkes SAP to the town centre and the Newell Highway. The Stevens Group will invest $18 million to develop the project that will create hundreds of jobs during construction. “The 20-hectare Northern Gateway will include a new highway service centre, as well as a future commercial and business park,” said Paul Toole.

Parkes Mayor said the connecting road from the bypass to the CBD presented an opportunity for Parkes to tempt them to turn at the large round-about and spend time and money in town.

Forbes Remembers Tragic Event 20 Years Ago

October 14, 2022 by Phillip Parsons

The memorial service on Wednesday was attended by 19 of the survivors, whose names are also on a plaque at the club. Mathew Dent, Mathew Grant and Anthony Wallace were not able to make it.

The 20th anniversary of the Bali bombings was commemorated on Wednesday in Bali, Australia and in Forbes.

The Forbes Rugby Club organised a memorial service to remember the three members who did not return and to stand with the survivors, their families and friends.

The service, lead by Chris Sweeney, was held at the Bali Memorial Stone erected at the club to commemorate the three players, Paul Cronin, Greg Sanderson and Brad Ridley, who tragically lost their lives in the 2002 Bali bombings, and for the survivors of the club.

Three bouquets were laid at the memorial stone as people gathered for the service. The service was attended by 19 of the survivors, whose names are also on a plaque at the club. Mathew Dent, Mathew Grant and Anthony Wallace were not able to attend the memorial service in Forbes.

They were all part of the 25-member team of the Forbes Platypi who travelled to Bali after winning their first premiership for an end-of-season celebration. They were at a club in Bali’s Kuta district when the bombs went off.

The event hit the close community of Forbes very hard. The memorial was erected to serve as a place where people can reflect and pray for the families of Paul Cronin, Greg Sanderson and Brad Ridley, and other victims of the bombing, and also for the surviving boys of the tragic event.

The 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002. The attack killed 202 people (including 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians, 27 Britons, 7 Americans, 6 Swedes and 3 Danes). A further 209 people were injured.

Various members of Jemaah Islamiyah, a violent Islamist group, were convicted in relation to the bombings, including three individuals who were sentenced to death.

The names of the victims and survivors of the Forbes Rugby Club.

FAMILIAR FACES

We are told never to lose sight of
where we are going
At the expense of where we’ve been,
Then another senseless tragedy
appears on our TV screens.

But this time the names are familiar,
With faces that we’ve known.
And that small town on the Lachlan
Once again becomes our home.

We may not be there to give comfort
or reminisce over a beer,
But we have to tell you our hearts do ache,
And our eyes have shed a tear.

The boys will know you’ve rallied around,
As you do in time of strife,
And they’ll know today you’ll mourn their death,
But tomorrow celebrate their life.

Coz that’s the strength of our little town,
Give support to one and all
And combine our courage to fight the pain,
To emerge walking proud and tall.

Our names may now only ring a bell.
All of us who still call you home,
But I hope you’ll find some solace in the fact,
You’ll never mourn alone.

Phillip Parsons

(Phillip, who grew up in Forbes, wrote this poem 20 years ago as a reflection on the Bali tragedy.)

Home Host For Elvis

October 14, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

Gail Richardson is in charge of home hosting for the Parkes Elvis Festival and Teagan Massurit has really enjoyed the experience of opening up her home to guests.

As excitement is mounting for the Parkes Elvis Festival, a call has gone out to residents in Parkes and Forbes to consider opening up their homes to festival goers to help ease the shortage of accommodation.

“We really need more people to come aboard with home hosting,” said Gail Richardson from Ray White. She has been managing home hosting for more than six years and said in the time no homes had been damaged and nothing had been stolen.

Gail assists homeowners every step of the way from giving them a checklist to marrying up the right guests with the right hosts.

She said at the moment she had a waiting list of over 200 people still looking for a place to stay. “I can understand people are still hesitant after COVID, but we had no issues this year.”

Teagan Massurit, who had done home hosting for a couple of years, said she would recommend it to anyone. “I’ve always had lovely people and they really got me involved in the festival. I never used to go to any events, but my guests asked me out with them. It is just great hearing their stories and they are so happy that it makes you happy too.”

Gail said the recommended price to charge is $90 per person per night, of which $72 goes to the howe owner. The $18 balance goes to the booking system. “Ray White has never made money and considers it a community service.”

If you would like to find out more about home hosting, contact Gail at Ray White in Parkes.

Forbes High Opens Doors To Support Wellbeing Of Community

October 14, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

At the funding announcement at Forbes High were (L-R) Nationals MP Sam Farraway, Emily Gartner, Rachel Todd, President of the P&C Federation Nat Walker, Forbes High Principal Kathleen Maksymczuk, Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller and Benjamin Barnard.

Forbes High School received more than $7,000 in the latest round of the NSW Government’s Children and Young People Wellbeing initiative following a spike in suicides across the Orange Electorate.

The funding will support the school’s Community Day, an event that brings local schools together for students to share experiences and provide each other with advice.

President of Forbes High School P&C Natalie Walker welcomed the announcement saying the investment would support the continued collaboration between the school and the P&C to support the wellbeing of children and families.

“With this funding, our school community will be able to open our doors to not only our families and students, but the Forbes community, by providing an event that showcases our school and creating an environment that is fun, engaging and community building, especially after the last few years” she said.

“I am grateful for the NSW Government’s investment in supporting our children and young people, through initiatives like the Children and Young People Wellbeing Recovery Initiative.”

NSW Nationals Upper House MP Sam Farraway said: “I’m thrilled our government is backing local groups to put together events and projects that will help young people in our community bounce back stronger.

“Projects like the Community Day is a great example of how we can improve young people’s adaptability to the challenges they face.

“By coming together, students can talk, listen and learn from each other and break down the stigma of mental health.

“I am hoping that this funding helps our students across Forbes gain access to resources, increase their social circles and make friends for life.”

Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply for funding for wellbeing programs, events and resources as part of the initiative. Applications for both large and smaller grants are open now and close on 31st December, or when fully allocated.

For program and eligibility guidelines, visit nsw.gov.au/YouthWellbeing.

By Maggi Barnard

Capture Spring And Win A Family Session!

October 14, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

Our Spring Photo Competition is in full swing and we’ve received some wonderful entries so far.

You have until the end of the month, Sunday, 30th October to enter and stand a chance to win a fantastic prize.

The Forbes winner will receive a family session with Hold Photography with the owner Bec Bennett also judging the entries.

In Parkes the winner will receive a family session (up to six people) with Marc Payne Photography. He will also be judging all the Parkes entries.

It is very easy to enter. Readers from Forbes can send your photos to editor@forbesphoenix.com.au, and Parkes readers can send their entries to editor@parkesphoenix.com.au.

These are some of the entries received so far. Nature has lots of beauty to offer us this spring after all the rain, so get out and get snapping.

Author Talk On Camel History At Forbes Library

October 14, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

Author Ryan Butta and the cover of his book.

When young Afghan entrepreneur Abdul Wade first brought his camel trains to the outback in the 1890s, he was hailed as a hero by local communities.

The British colonies relied on horses, which couldn’t access many remote settlements – especially those stricken by flood or drought – so camel trains rode to the rescue time and time again. But with success came fierce opposition fuelled by prejudice, and in a climate of colonial misinformation, hyperbole and fear, Wade – along with other Afghans involved in the camel business – found himself with a target firmly on his back when his business threatened the livelihoods of the European horse drivers.

Author Ryan Butta reveals a gritty alternative history in The Ballad of Abdul Wade, exposing the untold debt that Australia owes to the humble camel – and the Afghans who brought them here and drove them through the outback.

He stumbled on this fascinating forgotten history when visiting his father’s hometown of Brewarrina in 2018.

Ryan will be speaking at the Forbes Library on Wednesday, 26th October at 2pm. Reserve your spot online via the Central West Libraries website event page or call the library on 6852 1463.

Lachlan Branch Of National Trust Turns 40

October 14, 2022 by Jennifer Purdie

The Lachlan Branch of the National Trust committee are (L-R) Lyn Wykes, Bev Pengilly, Janette Thomas, Neil Wykes, Clare Haley, Jennifer Purdie, Margaret Klein, Viv Cunningham and Mary Hinchcliffe.

The Lachlan Branch of the National Trust is celebrating 40 years since it was formed in 1982.

The first meeting was called by Pixie Tom at Bartley’s Creek and were attended by people from Forbes, Parkes, Condobolin, Cudal, Trundle, Tomingley, Peak Hill, Eugowra and Grenfell.

A celebration lunch will be held on Monday, 24th October at 12 noon at the Lutheran Church Hall in Forbes. All previous members are invited to attend. Contact Jennifer Purdie on 0488 935 570 or jenniferpurdie@bigpond.com

The branch held its AGM last month and National President Neil Wykes OAM and his wife Lyn were invited to attend and chair the elections. Neil spoke about the role of the National Trust, and whilst our built heritage is important and needs to be recognised it is our natural heritage that is coming under threat and is a great concern for our communities. Our rural landscapes and protection of agricultural land being at the top of the list.

The elections were: president Jennifer Purdie; vice-presidents Joy Freebairn and Viv Cunningham; secretary Mary Hinchcliffe; minute secretary Clare Haley; treasurer Beverley Pengilly; publicity officer Janette Thomas – Forbes, Joy Freebairn and Viv Cunningham – Parkes; tour director Joy Freebairn; assistant tour director Janette Thomas; newsletter Jennifer Purdie and council contact; social secretaries Forbes Ann Williams, Joyce Morrison, Robin Mattiske and Mary Hinchcliffe, Parkes Miriam Luyt, Wendy Neville, Viv Cunningham, Joy Freebairn and Margaret Klein.

By Jennifer Purdie

Snippets…

October 14, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

The NSWRFS Yarragong Brigade safely delivered four Bedgerabong Public School teachers past floodwaters for the first day of Term 4 on Monday.

Nedd The Incredible: Forbes Shire Council staff clocked up 158.4 kilometres in support of Nedd Brockmann’s Record Run. Nedd, a Forbes local, has grabbed the attention of the whole country by doing a remarkable run from Cottesloe Beach in Perth to Sydney’s Bondi Beach – averaging 100 kilometres a day for more than 40 days. He is aiming to raise $1 million for homeless people. You can support his effort by donating to the Council effort, or follow Nedd on Instagram.

Biodiversity in Focus Competition: All students in the Parkes Shire can enter the inaugural Biodiversity in Focus photography competition. Cash prizes are up for grabs to students who submit the most creative and intriguing photos that feature native plants, fungi, animals, or vegetation assemblages found in the local government area. Entries close Wednesday, 28th October.More information on the council website.

Signage On Mobile Speed Cameras: Additional warning signs will be introduced around all mobile speed cameras across NSW. Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward said the government had listened to the community on this important issue. “These additional warning signs will help educate drivers in real time, giving them advanced warning to slow down at these high-risk points of our road network.”

Variety Fundraising: This month, Woolworths is encouraging Parkes and Forbes Shire customers to support the Variety Fundraising Appeal by purchasing a $2 token or rounding up their purchase to the nearest dollar when they shop. Funds from this year’s appeal will go towards the Variety We Move Grant, providing life-changing mobility equipment for kids living with a disability.

Work Starts On Manildra’s Bridge: Work has started on the new $12 million bridge at Manildra on the Henry Parkes Way an important link between Orange and Parkes, to replace the existing 92-year-old bridge. About 2,000 vehicles use the bridge every day. There will be full bridge closures for up to 10 weekends in 2023 with a detour via Cudal. Transport for NSW will notify residents two weeks in advance before any closures take place. The existing bridge will be reduced to a single lane from Monday, 24th October. More information on the Transport for NSW website.

Last week, Parkes Shire Councillors helped to revegetate land around the Parkes Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) and create habitat for native wildlife. A range of native species were planted, including wattles, eucalypts, dodonaeas and casuarinas. Pictured are Michael Chambers, Council’s Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator (second back) with Mayor Ken Keith (back left) and Councillors Marg Applebee and Glen Wilson at the back, and Deputy Mayor Neil Westcott and Bill Jayet in front.

NORTHERN GATEWAY PRECINCT

FAMILIAR FACES

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