Red Bend Catholic College is a co-educational day and boarding school in Forbes. Red Bend has a proud heritage. Prior to 1977, the Catholic education of students in this region was provided by three secondary schools: Our Lady of Mercy College, Forbes; Our Lady of Mercy High School, Parkes; and Marist Brothers’ College, Forbes.

In February 1977, the three schools combined to form one co-educational high school, called Red Bend Catholic College, at the site of the former Marist Brothers’ College on the banks of the Lachlan River. This merger, as symbolised on the College crest, brought together the great teaching traditions of the Mercy Sisters and the Marist Brothers.

Since that time, the College has expanded in numbers, in teaching areas, and in facilities. The boarding residences, the swimming pool, the multi-purpose hall and performing arts centre, and the design and technology centre have complemented the strong characteristic features of the main College building.

These days the College educates 740 students and offers 150 boarding places.

Red Bend Catholic College will hold their annual Open Day on Sunday, 11th March from 11am to 2pm. Guided tours will be running on the day and prospective families will have the chance to meet the principal and staff. For more information call the College on 6852 2000.

Member of Parliament for the Riverina, Michael McCormack replaced Barnaby Joyce as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia on Monday.

Michael, who first went to Parliament in 2010, became leader of the National Party following Barnaby’s resignation, and also took up the position of Deputy Prime Minister.

Michael is from Wagga Wagga in the Riverina region, where he still lives with his wife and three children. McCormack began working life as a cadet journalist with the Daily Advertiser in Wagga, and shot through the editorial ranks to become editor at just 27. As the MP for Riverina, Michael regularly attends events in the Central West.

Join other festival goers this Easter weekend and head to Tullamore for fun, enjoyment, music, dancing and good Irish fare.

Tullamore residents weren’t content to see their community lose population, services and to a certain extent, heart. They decided that by working together to produce a festival, not only would they have a focus but they would attract people to their small town in the Central West. Thus was born the Tullamore Irish Festival.

The annual Tullamore Irish Music Festival celebrates the entire range of all things Irish – that is, the Irish, the near-Irish, the stereotypically Irish and the not-really Irish.

This year, the Tullamore Irish Music Festival is celebrating the best of two great cultures. John Williamson will be flying the Australian flag with a two hour concert on Saturday afternoon and flying the Irish flag is the Barley Shakes and Blackwater Irish Band. Maria Forde will also be doing a show in the Tullamore Catholic Church on Good Friday. She has the voice of an angel and you will be disappointed if you miss out.

As well as great music, the festival also will be offering Irish food, Irish dancing and a shearing demonstration. The main day of the festival is Saturday, where from 10am to 8pm there is constant entertainment provided, firstly through the street parade and then to the Festival Village where the entertainers start their full program. On the other days there are activities such as Tullamore Irish Festival Art Exhibition, Stations of the Cross, farm tours, Good Friday concert, local self guided car tours, Ecumenical service and a Hooley on Easter Sunday.

Tickets are $60 for the entire weekend and kids under 18 are free. Stay the weekend and camp under the amazing stars and get into the Irish spirit.

The local WIRES branch has been busy with a seasonal influx of microbats and flying foxes.

Recently, a local resident called for help with 22 little forest bats which were roosting in a pool umbrella when it blew into the pool.

An orphaned grey-headed flying fox baby, nine days old, was found by another local resident with injuries from a raptor (bird of prey) attack.

All are recovering in the care of WIRES members and will eventually be released.

WIRES assists all orphaned, injured or displaced native fauna and they are currently in need of more local members.

Anyone interested in joining the Weddin Lachlan WIRES team can attend the next WIRES RICC (Rescue and Immediate Care Course) to be held in Cowra on Saturday, 17th March. For more information please email training@wires.org.au to register. The course includes an online theory component which is completed prior to attending the course.

If you find a sick, injured or orphaned bat or flying fox, please do not attempt to handle or catch it yourself as there is a potential health risk. Please call WIRES on 1300 094 737 immediately with the location details and they will facilitate a rescue by a trained and vaccinated member.

If you find an injured animal or bird, please call WIRES or ‘Report a Rescue’ following the links on the website www.wires.org.au.

A local cowboy never dreamt a work horse called Jewel N Half that he bought to use on cattle would live up to its name by winning a national rodeo title in his first year of competing.

Tim Childs and his partner Belinda are very proud of their eight-year-old gelding after winning the 2017 Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association (ABCRA) Team Roping Heading Horse of the Year title.

“We are pretty stoked about it,” said Tim, who owns a property between Parkes and Forbes where he has a horse trainer facility and his own rodeo arena. “We have been training Jewel N Half for the past three years, but this was his first full year of competing.” According to Tim his horse’s performance “was a pretty good effort” considering he is only still a baby.

Tim and Belinda spend a lot of time on the road travelling to rodeos all around the country. “We have won a lot of rodeos, but never a national title.” ABCRA is the only association incorporating camp drafting and rodeo under one umbrella, and holds an annual competition Australia wide.

Tim takes part in the team roping event featuring a steer and two mounted riders, called a header and a heeler. Tim is the header and he is first out of the chute. It is his responsibility to throw a lasso around the steer’s horns and turn the animal back so the heeler can throw his loop around the steer’s hind heels.

Team roping events are only considered complete when both horses are facing the steer with both front feet on the ground and with the ropes dallied and tight.

Looks like a long rodeo career awaits Tim with this diamond performer in his ‘crown’.

By Maggi Barnard