NORMAN LINDSAY EXHIBIT
Norman Lindsay Exhibit: An intimate exhibit 8th March until 27th March.
Parkes Library is to host an intimate exhibit of works by Australia’s greatest all-round genius artist and writer Norman Lindsay.

Parkes local, Peter Tom, has been passionate about the creative arts since he was a boy. In the 1920s and 30s his grandfather subscribed to the Bulletin. Peter spent much time reading the cartoons and from this reading his appreciation for Norman Lindsay grew.

Norman Lindsay, who died in 1969 at the age of 90, built his artistic reputation on his paintings and drawings, but he was also a sculptor, newspaper cartoonist and a gifted writer. His charming children’s book The Magic Pudding can be found in homes and libraries across Australia.

Over the ensuing years Peter collected sketches, posters, etchings, block printing and limited edition copies of Norman Lindsay’s work, as well as many early editions of his numerous books.

WASTE TO ART COMMUNITY COMPETITION AND EXHIBITION
Entries close 5pm on 28th March. Entry forms available from Parkes Shire Library.

Time to be getting creative and to challenge the way we look at waste! This year’s theme is polystyrene. Don’t feel you can’t contribute but be involved in using all forms of so called waste and turning it into something amazing, beautiful or just wonderfully crazy.

This competition and exhibition gives aspiring and professional artists the chance to explore and share their waste reduction message and provides a wonderful opportunity for the community to showcase their artistic ability.

Bring in your creative items to the library from now to the closing date.

The Parkes Library has appointed two young ambassadors. Trialling this new concept with the Parkes Christian School, Anabelle van Wyk and Addison Lewer were selected from eight applicants. They had to write a paragraph on “I would make an excellent ambassador because…”.

Parkes Shire Library Branch Manager Andrea Lovell said the applications were all of a very high standard. For the next six months Anabelle and Addison will wear an official badge and their job will be to raise the profile of the library at their school. They will also receive a newsletter of items they will need to communicate to their fellow students. A fun task will be to help select new books ready for shelving to promote at school, and to help with book selection when the book sellers visit Parkes Shire Library.

“I feel very excited and extremely honoured to represent the library,” said Addison. “I want to encourage more kids to go to library activities during holidays and to get more of them READING,” is Annabelle’s aims.

“When we get this program fine-tuned we hope to roll it out to other primary schools in Parkes “ said Andrea.

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.

It was love at first sight since the day Tim bought Jewel N Half. When he went to look at the horse he liked the instant he rode him and loaded the same day. He decided to start Jewel N Half in the arena after a few years of work and experience.

“He runs hard and handles a lot of steers with ease and always gives his all, no matter where we are.” Looks like a long rodeo career awaits Tim with this diamond performer in his ‘crown’.

By Maggi Barnard

Many people dream of moving to a property for the peace and quiet of country life, but when the third biggest highway in the state is moved almost to your front door that dream soon turns into a nightmare.

This is exactly what happened to the McFadyen family of Trewilga Park when work started on the Trewilga realignment project 18 months ago. The Newell Highway was moved 100m closer to their house leaving them with no privacy, and with 2,800 vehicles passing on the highway per day, drastically increased noise levels.

“Our pool is in our front yard and my four teenage daughters no longer feel comfortable going for a swim,” said Phil McFadyen. “At night we have head beams shining into our house.” For his wife, Ronnie, the constant noise is a real problem as she is home schooling their children.

The family ‘welcomed’ Roads, Maritime and Freight Minister Melinda Pavey last Friday at the completion of the upgrade at Trewilga with a home-made banner reading: “Please help us Minister! We would like a fence!”

“We’ve been to every man,” said Phil of their endless battle to get compensation for the inconvenience. Making a direct appeal to the Minister and RMS Regional Director was one more step to ensure their side of the story is heard.

Phil said the RMS had offered them hay bales as an interim fence until the newly planted trees had grown, but they were not prepared to maintain or replace the bales over a five-year period.

Minister Pavey promised to go and have a look at their property “and we will come back to you,” she told the McFadyen couple.

By Maggi Barnard

After almost 40 years of addiction, all she saw in the mirror was a sad, angry, overweight, unemployable and ugly person with no self-respect. “I hated that reflection.” Fast forward 20 months and you meet 52-year-old Robyn Lewis – a picture of health and fitness. She has found a purpose in life and many people guess her to be six or seven years younger than her age.

You’d look far to find a more contrasting before and after story which Robyn is now using to motivate others tackle the long road to recovery to living a fulfilling life. “I grew up in a very violent home with an alcoholic father. I only found out after his death that he was also the victim of domestic violence as a child.”

At 15 Robyn turned to drugs and started using marijuana, which was followed by drinking and smoking. “At 17 I turned to amphetamines and at 18 ran away from home.”

She had a relationship with an older man, also a drug user, “and he got me into needles, which I continued for the next 35 years.”

In 2009 her partner at the time was murdered and she was prescribed an anti-psychotic drug. “I got addicted to that for four years and picked up 30kg.” She was also on ice for 15 years, had developed a gambling addiction and was
drinking heavily.

“I was a complete wreck, suicidal with no self-esteem or self-respect, and very angry. I had tried all types of rehabilitation, counselling, doctors and psychiatrists. None of them worked for me.”

“Those people have no clue what it’s like when you’ve been on ice for five days not eating, drinking or sleeping. I always felt they patronised me. I had no respect for them.”

The turnaround came when her new GP introduced her to the Smart Recovery program. “This program did not label me, there was no judgement and I managed my own recovery with the support of the group.” “The weekly meetings focused on the last seven days and the next seven days. Through self-management I reached a point one day when I realised I did not need any drugs and threw it all in the bin.”

Robyn has been clean for 20 months and her latest ‘addictions’ are being fit and healthy, and doing speaking engagements to tell her story.

“I have wasted almost 40 years of my life. I feel like I need to tell my story in order to help others. So many people have been really helpful. I’ve had so much reaction and never realised just how big the problem is.” Robyn receives a lot of calls and emails from family members who are concerned about their loved ones. “People’s stories and tears keep me motivated. I will never go back.”

If you would like to hear Robyn she will be the speaker at the Canowindra Phoenix International Women’s Day event in Canowindra on 8th March. Tickets are available by phoning 6344 1846. On 17th March she will be in Bogan Gate during Mental Health Prevent Week.

She has started a Smart Recovery group in West Wyalong where she lives. The group meets every Tuesday from 5:30 to 7pm. Contact her on 0403 523 711 or dunromin1965@hotmail.com

By Maggi Barnard