Maggi Barnard

An all Australian car display will form part of the Australia Day celebrations in Cooke Park on Tuesday from 10am.

The Parkes Shire 2021 Australia Day celebrations will go ahead but with a difference to accommodate current COVID-19 guidelines and event restrictions.

This means the award ceremonies and gatherings will be scaled down versions of what generally occurs. There will also not be an Australia Day Ambassador attending celebrations. Instead, Parkes Shire Councillors and Australia Day committee representatives will acknowledge community members at a local level.

“This year it is particularly important to recognise the outstanding people and groups in our community who have positively contributed to the local culture, community and environment during the current pandemic,” said Parkes Shire Mayor, Cr Ken Keith OAM. “We ask that residents attending events please practice physical distancing, follow the NSW Health guidelines and stay home if you are unwell.”

Parkes, Peak Hill, Tullamore, Bogan Gate and Trundle will each hold their own Australia Day celebrations and community gatherings.

Jenni McGee with Carolyn Rice (right).

Parkes volunteer Carolyn Rice has been acknowledged by the Lachlan Health Service for her nomination for the NSW Health Volunteer of the Year Award. Acting Lachlan Health Service Manager Jenni McGee said: “We nominated Carolyn for the NSW Health Volunteer of the Year Award. Unfortunately, she didn’t win at the state level, but she is a shining star in our eyes.

“Carolyn is the Chair of the Lachlan Health Council and also a representative on the Patient Safety and Quality meeting at Parkes. She plays an important role between the community and the Parkes Hospital,” said Jenni.

“Carolyn not only has the respect of the staff at the hospital, but also those in the community. If they have concerns they are confident to come to her and she will raise them with the Health Council.

“Carolyn also participates as a consumer representative on numerous interview panels, and she conducts patient rounding with patients and their families. We are extremely grateful for all the work and effort Carolyn does for the Parkes Hospital. She is a wonderful asset to our Parkes Hospital Team.”

We were living and working on a property in the Pilliga scrub, had four young children and I was expecting twins.

Whilst our two eldest children were at school, my husband, Ian, often took three-year old Alex to work with him. It was not long before Alex was quite adept at driving the grey Massey Ferguson tractor and Ian often sat on the trailer whilst it was being towed by the tractor.

One day as they traversed a dry creek bed and headed towards a fork in the trail, Ian called to Alex and indicated that he should take the left fork, but Alex misunderstood the directions and immediately swung the tractor left which took him between two large trees. Alex argues the point on this to this day, 54 years later, claiming that he did not misunderstand but that his father gave him the wrong information.

The tractor fitted between the trees, but the trailer did not! Ian was left sitting on the disembodied trailer in the creek bed as he watched the tractor, towing the chassis and wheels of the trailer, wend its way up the bank of the creek.

Ian’s boss was most understanding, declaring that we probably needed a more up to date trailer equipped with a turntable, and asking what would be needed in order to build it. Of course, Ian built it and it was a much better trailer.

By Margaret Irwin

Feeding the ducks is a great activity to do with the little ones… but it is not good to feed only bread to ducks as it has no nutritional value for them. Just like humans, birds need a varied diet to stay healthy. Too much bread can leave them feeling full without giving them all of the important vitamins, minerals and nutrients they need.

This does not mean you have to stop feeding them all together. You can still feed the ducks at Bushman’s Dam and other water ways, but take some sweetcorn, oats, defrosted frozen peas, cut up grapes, cooked rice, chopped lettuce or bird seed with you. They will love that, and you will know you’ve helped them with a more balanced diet! If you must feed ducks with bread, the best would be to use something other than leftovers from a cheap white loaf.

Thank you to Kim Shambrook for sending us this photo she took of a sign in Orange to alert the public about feeding bread to ducks.

A turtle and a duck swimming together at Bushman’s Dam. (Photo: Kim Shambrook)

Did you know there are plumed whistling ducks at Bushman’s Dam in Parkes?

A reader of The Parkes Phoenix, Kim Shambrook, said she was spending time with her grandkids there recently and they discovered not only turtles, but also plumed whistling ducks. “We were excited to find lots of turtles swimming around, and then discovered the whistling ducks visit Parkes this time of the year.”

Kim wanted to remind residents to never feed bread to ducks as it has no nutritional value for them.

“How good is it to have Bushman’s Dam. It is a wonderful place to visit with grandchildren to explore and play,” said Kim.