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.

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.

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.

Last Saturday, 1st July, The Modular and Tiny Home Co. held its first ever Open Day in Parkes. Business owner, Daniel Relyea was happy to report the day was a smash thanks to the support of the community who helped him promote the event and the people who came along on the day. 

The flow was non-stop with many great enquiries. The mood was relaxed with many positive comments. People were excited that there was a local manufacturer of Modular and Tiny Homes. It was encouraging for us to be able to engage with so many locals who are looking for accommodation alternatives. 

An emergency accommodation project to support women and children leaving domestic violence is reaching major construction milestones at Condobolin.

Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green, CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes and the Condobolin Catholic parish have united to transform a church property for the new purpose.

The planned facility will bring much-needed support to the Lachlan local government area (LGA), which ranked 14th highest in the state for domestic violence assaults in 2022 in NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) data.

BOCSAR figures show the LGA recorded 54 reported incidents in 2022, but its largest town, Condobolin, is 100 kilometres away from the nearest women’s shelter at Forbes.

Project manager CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes secured $800,785 from the Australian government’s Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program for the capital works and local builder John Adams was engaged to lead the project.

The Catholic Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes has made a generous in-kind contribution of the land and building at Condobolin. Renovations are on track for the church property to start its next chapter within the coming months.

Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green, parish priest Father Getulio Goncalves, and representatives from CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes and the Condobolin parish visited the property in March to view progress.

“Women and children experiencing domestic violence in western NSW need and deserve access to safe emergency accommodation, which is what this new facility will deliver,” CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes chief executive officer Anne-Marie Mioche said.

Through the Condobolin project the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes seeks to welcome and care for the vulnerable and promote peace, and dignity.

NSW Nationals Upper House MP and Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway has launched a petition in the Central West and Western NSW to stop the NSW Labor government from cutting the $250 Regional Seniors Travel Card. 

Mr Farraway said he hopes the petition will save the seniors travel card from being cut. “Travel cards allow seniors to take a trip to visit friends and family, travel for a doctor’s appointment, or visit the shops to pick up groceries”. 

“We all know someone in our community who benefits from the Regional Seniors Travel Card, and we all have an important reason to sign this this petition,” Mr Farraway said. 

“Over the coming weeks I will be asking people to share this petition far and wide to save our Regional Seniors Travel Card so seniors in our community can continue to do things they love and need to do. 

“The NSW Labor Government has prioritised Sydney projects over regional seniors, and we hope this petition will convince the Minns government keep it in place,” Mr Farraway said. 

To sign the petition go to: www.nswnationals.org.au/save-the-travel-card/

What an incredible term here at Forbes North. As we reach the halfway point of 2023, we can celebrate an enormous number of achievements where our students participated in cultural, scholastic, artistic and sporting opportunities across Forbes and beyond.

Our great school has accumulated an impressive amount of meetings, excursions, and community events such as the ANZAC Day Service held in Victoria Park and a school commemoration at Forbes North. 

Our school leaders attended the GRIP Leadership Day in Dubbo where all our school parliamentarians and leadership team came home inspired. 

The FNPS Cross County held at Forbes Racecourse was a huge success and our school was then selected to host the Lachlan PSSA Small Schools Athletics Carnival welcoming Eugowra, Quandialla, Bogan Gate, Bedgerabong and Caragabal students to our school.

Forbes North were proud to attend the MADD Forbes High School musical extravaganza and concert the same week we participated in the Peachey Shield Rugby League gala day in Condobolin before receiving a musical incursion from Goobanji Indigenous performances.

Our school is a great place to host an occasion and the 2023 Biggest Morning Tea and Mother’s Day Breakfast raised over $1,000 for the NSW Cancer Council and made our deserving mums feel special. 

The list of guests coming to our school continued with Forbes Shire Council executive staff coming for a school tour and morning tea hosted by Mr McGaw in our Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden rooms. 

We also hosted the Forbes Junior and Senior Aboriginal Education Consultative Group meeting in our new refurbished library space. 

To reward great behaviour from our students we held two fun days, namely a PBL Pyjama Day and Crazy Hair Day either side of National Walk to School safety day.

One of the highlights of term two was the Doing it for Rural Aussie Kids concert by Tania Kernaghan and Jason Owen in our school hall which was outstanding. This was followed by the visit of the Life Education Program starring Healthy Harold the famous giraffe. 

Our community minded school hosted Launching Rocket Learners sessions for existing and future FNPS parents and our year 5 and year 6 visited the Junee Chocolate Factory with our senior girls then travelling to Dubbo for Girls in Aviation. 

The Forbes Eisteddfod is a community highlight and Forbes North took out the overall point score, perpetual shield and $500 first prize with our commitment to the creative and performing arts giving our kids so many opportunities.

Forbes North is committed to Aboriginal Education and our successful Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week celebrations focusing on cultural immersion and Wiradjuri language leads the way in public education. 

Term two was super, and we look forward to term three in Thomson Street.

A near capacity crowd from around the region and interstate passed through the Forbes Ski Dam gates during the Fosy and Fire event. The vibe was pumping, fire pits were roaring, food, refreshment vendors were busy and social media was bombarded with amazing images. There was no better place to be.

Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said improvements made to the format this year, including a new layout, were well received.

“It was a great crowd, great weather, great vendors and I thank all for your support. It was fantastic to see local vendors and businesses take advantage of this opportunity, and our guests really enjoyed what was on offer,” Mayor Miller said.

She especially thanked the RFS and SES volunteers for their role in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all those in attendance.

“Birdee, an amazing musician born in Parkes and schooled in Forbes, was so impressed with the event, saying it was bigger and better than she expected,” Mayor Miller said.

“I have only heard positive feedback from those in attendance. Just looking around at the crowd on the night, at the groups gathered around the firepits, it was truly heartwarming to see the coming-together and friendships, the putting aside of worries for one special evening,” she said.

“The entertainment was phenomenal, and I am so proud of our local and regional talent holding their own with Sneaky Sound System, a group with international acclaim. Each just set the scene, got the crowd pumping, it was amazing.”

Entertainment was provided by Grenfell’s Belinda Day, locals Em, Jo and Cler, the Dyagang Boys Koori Dance Group, Birdee, Sneaky Sound System, Sydney Fire Dancers and of course the breath-taking moment the Frost and Fire effigy was lit. The effigy was created by Rick’s Timberworks and photography by Rachael Lenehan.