Maggi Barnard

“People make me cry, they are so generous.” These words come from inspiring Parkes resident, Ellie Hetherington, who has raised more than $78,000 for Can Assist selling plants from her home. Last year alone she raised $28,591.

Ellie used to sell about 50 plants as a side-line at stalls on the odd occasion, until her sister was diagnosed with cancer more than six years ago. “Can Assist was extremely good to her,” said Ellie, who did not hesitate when someone suggested she started selling plants at the church markets and Can Assist stalls. She soon started making a name as the lady with green fingers and reasonable prices for a good cause.

When considering what has boosted her efforts, Ellie can think of two events; a stall at an Open Garden event really promoted her cause, and in 2012 she joined the social media world of Facebook. “Since then it has really ballooned in a big way. People come from Condobolin, Wellington, Bathurst and West Wyalong. The other day a lady from Grenfell bought 100 trees!” she said.

With a pot plant count of over 2,000, her property is filling up by the day, so much so that at the beginning of last year she was ready to give it all up. “I just couldn’t do it any more by myself” said Ellie, who spends three and a half hours every day watering the plants. Fortunately help was at hand in the form of Diane Sondermeyer and 4 other regular helpers Ellie says she could now not do without. “Diane and Margaret Thurn come about three times per week, while Steve Klein assists with the manure and Judy Barter and Joanne Bartyn offer a helping hand too.” Ellie’s husband has also been a pillar of support.

Ellie is so touched by everyone who helps her in so many different ways. “People are awfully kind. Very few want change when they pay for their plants.” She would often come home to find donations of all kinds dropped at her front gate such as pots, cuttings and plants and receives lots of milk bottles from The Dish Café. A 95-year-old lady once stayed for a whole morning to cut the bottles and make pots and three weeks ago someone donated three new
pumps for her sprayer, while another man saw her spreading Epsom salt and came back with a 20kg bag.

Ellie regularly gets donations from Seasol for fertiliser after phoning one day along with horse manure, saw dust and hay from the racetrack to help create potting soil. To keep her charity running smoothly, Ellie would love it if more people could propagate plants at home and donate them to her once established and is always happy to have an extra pair of helping hands. If you would like to buy plants, donate or volunteer, Ellie can be found on the corner of Military and Eugowra roads. She has a sign on the road when she is home.

More than 30 people of all ages took part in the first planting at PAC Park on Saturday. The Motley Crew of volunteers planted over 1,100 plants on the banks of the waterway which will provide support for the banks as the water rises and falls, decreasing the likelihood of erosion. The Motley Crew was formed as an initiative of Central West Lachlan Landcare (CWLL) and Parkes Shire Council to undertake local projects to improve the environment and promote community ownership and awareness.

Parkes Shire Council received funding to undertake rehabilitation works in the PAC Park area. The waterway in PAC Park provides a habitat for native birds, frogs, fish, grasses and sedges. To many members of the community PAC Park is a hidden gem and a common walkway for residents. The work that was completed on Saturday will make a major contribution to the beautification of the area.

Chairperson for CWLL, Margot Jolly said; “We were thrilled to have so many people in attendance at the first Motley Crew event. It was particularly good to have such a broad age group of people there.” Participants don’t need to have any skills, just a willingness to support each other, enjoy being outdoors and making a difference in the community. It is planned that the volunteers will now partake in monthly ‘social planting’ events. If people are unable to plant and would just like to be part of the morning as an encourager or overseer, you would be more than welcome to attend.

The event ended with morning tea of scones, cupcakes and a cup of tea or coffee with kids scrambling for Easter eggs before they melted! If you would like to join the next Motley Crew event, please contact Marg Applebee on 02 6862 4914 or email cwllpo@hotmail.com

By Maggi Barnard

Parkes Public School was a sea of orange last Tuesday as the school celebrated Harmony Day for the first time. As orange is the colour for Harmony Day, students were allowed to attend school dressed in the colour. Parents were invited to attend an assembly to celebrate the occasion, and join their children for a picnic lunch on the playground afterwards. The assembly went multilingual when every class learned a greeting in a different language to recite to the rest of the school and Year 2 students read out stories of children who had migrated to Australia under difficult circumstances.

Leanne Breaden, school principal, said when she first started teaching in the Western Region it was unheard of to have children from a diverse range of cultures. “Now we embrace and enjoy the variety of at least 15 different cultural backgrounds of our students.” Students at the school come from Thailand, South Africa, Philippines, Indonesia, Namibia, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, as well as Aboriginal children. As part of the day’s activities, students wrote their names and heritage on an orange wall on the school ground.