Maggi Barnard

Maggi Barnard has been with the Parkes Phoenix since it was established in March 2016 and loves writing about her community.

Mayoral Notes

March 31, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Congratulations to the organisers and volunteers who again made the Tullamore Irish Festival a great success. The entertainment and action packed programme was a credit to your hard work and organisation, and the smiles and fun displayed by festival goers was a sure marker of a great time had by all. Following our hot and dry summer this
year, Council quarterly water readings (December to March) has showed a surge in water rates across the Shire. Residents are being warned to expect higher than average water bills as a result of this increase in consumption. Accounts for the previous quarter will be issued to residents this Friday the 1st of April 2016. Parkes Shire
Council encourages residents to utilise the information on the Council website, including understanding your water account bill and ways to conserve water in your home and garden.

Local events continue into the Easter school holiday break with activities planned for all ages. Seniors Week kicks off this Friday and continues through to April 10th, with various activities being organised including an art exhibition at the Parkes Library and a range of activities organised by Neighbourhood Central. Youth Week 2016 will be held from April 8th to 16th, and to celebrate a free Pop-Up Cinema will travel to each township in the Shire so bring your chairs, bean bags, a picnic and the whole family. Visit Council’s website to find out more details of these events.

Wetland Well On The Way Thanks To Volunteers

March 31, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

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

EUGOWRA RIFLE CLUB

March 31, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Six members competed from 700 yards last Saturday at the Eugowra Rifle Range. With many members shooting elsewhere for the Easter holiday weekend, those few in attendance were confronted with some very challenging conditions. The wind was continually changing in strength and direction and at times was much too fast for competitors to adjust. This was reflected in the scores which were abnormally low.

Results were as follows;
F Class (telescopic sights, with rest) total possible score 120: Alistair Kable 52.5, 55.2 – 107.7; Jim Maloy 44.0, 53.1 – 97.1 Alan Noble 46.0, 49.3 – 95.3; David Budd 45.0, 28.0 – 73.0.

Full-Bore (open peep sights with sling off elbows) total possible score 100: David Jolly 45.1, 46.3 – 91.4; Jan Bray 46.2, 45.2 – 91.4.

This year the club has acquired electronic targets courtesy of the Orange Rifle Club, who were forced to relocate after their range was closed due to the routing of the new southern distributor. The new targets have brought several
advantages to members. Shooting can be completed more quickly as there is no need to wait for the target to be marked manually, this now happens electronically and is transmitted wirelessly to the mound pretty much instantaneously. As there is no need for members to mark targets in the ‘pits’ and rotate throughout the afternoon, this results in a considerable saving in time and labour. The club currently have two targets which are more than enough for up to 20 competitors during a normal Saturday competition. The club hopes to obtain
an additional two targets which will bring their total to 4 to accommodate additional shooters when they hold their annual prize meeting competitions for up to 50 competitors.

The club would like to extend an invitation to all Full-Bore and Scoped shooters to come and try the new electronic targets. The club shoots at ‘Sunnyside’ just south east of the Eugowra village. Members compete at ranges starting at 300 yards and extending to 800 yards every Saturday commencing at 1.30pm.

This weekend the final range of Round 1 will be 800 yards and shooters will return to 300 yards for the commencement of round 2 the following weekend.

Antique and Furniture Sale Next Weekend

March 31, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Do you have an eye for bargains? Want to spend your weekend shopping for items steeped in history, from traditional collectables to antiques? Then keep your diary free on Saturday 9th April as Landmark Langlands Hanlon will be conducting an antique, furniture and collectable sale at the Parkes Showground. Items will be available for viewing from 9am and the sale will commence from 10am.

On offer for vintage fans will be a variety of antique and collectable items for the men and women in the family, including a Yamaha Virago motor bike, Lister engines, antique tools and shearing equipment. Also up for grabs if you’re in need of items for the house are dining suites, lounges, porcelain dolls and assorted knick-knacks. If you would like to find out more about this sale visit Landmark Langlands Hanlon’s website at www.langlandshanlon.com.au or for more information speak to the team by calling the office on 6862 2362.

Parkes Public Turns Orange

March 31, 2016 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.

PARKES BOARS JUNIORS

March 31, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Under 13’s and under 15’s will play at North Parkes this Saturday 2nd April against Orange City. Kick off will be at 10.30am for the under 13’s and a 11.30am kick off for the under 15’s. Best of luck to all the boys and we hope you have a great day of rugby

NORTHPARKES SPORTS GRANTS

March 31, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Northparkes Mine and the Parkes Sports Council have announced the successful applicants from the first round of the Sports Grants Funding Programme for 2016. Successful applicants included:

Parkes Tennis Club received $6000 towards an undercover outdoor coaching area.
Parkes Golf Club received $3000 for the supply and installation of 13 ladies tee signs.
Parkes Junior Hockey received $2975 for the purchase of goalie kits.
PCYC Gymnastics received $5240 for the purchase of a gymnastics harness.
Peak Hill Swimming Club received $2000 towards the purchase of embroidered towels and installation of shelving.
Parkes Bowling and Sports Club received $2000 towards the purchase of 4 sets of kids’ bowls.

Sports Grants Committee Chairman, Alan Gersbach, expressed his delight that a good selection of projects were received for this round and that most of them received a piece of the funding pie, which is provided annually by Northparkes Mine. Elysha Loiterton, Northparkes Community and External Relations Officer also stated that Northparkes Mine was pleased to be associated with the successful program, which is now in its fourth year. “ I would like to thank all the organisations that have applied for the grants” she said. She also stated that she was pleased that Northparkes Mine was able to assist these projects. In total $21,215 in grants were distributed and the next round of grants will open in June this year, with a total of $12,550 available to be given to the community.

Get Your Equipment Ready For Planting…

March 31, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

To ensure the safest, most efficient planting season possible, tuning up farm machinery can be as important as scouting for weeds, tilling the soil or other spring field operations, a Purdue Extension specialist says. Robert Stwalley, assistant clinical professor of agricultural and biological engineering, urged producers to get a jump start on vehicle maintenance. “Early preparation for spring planting is time well-invested,” he said. Stwalley offered these tips for keeping farm machinery in good working order:

Clean the equipment: Wash machinery thoroughly with soap and water to remove dirt, chemical build-up, excess grease and plant material. Stwalley noted that some experts even recommend washing machinery between operations in different fields to reduce the chance of chemical or biological contamination from one field to the next. While washing the equipment, farmers should note any necessary repairs or parts that need to be replaced.

Verify functionality: Stwalley said producers should disassemble, clean, inspect and refurbish all seed distribution components on their equipment. He advised making sure each assembly is functioning properly before re-installing it on the planter. “Seed delivery mechanisms, fertilizer applicators, herbicide nozzles and insecticide distributors are delicate pieces of equipment that perform critical operations during planting season,” he said. “Work across each row and through all applicators on the planter, and treat seed metering and dispensing assemblies as if they were a high-performance carburettor or delicate pocket watch.”

Calibrate the machine: Each dispensing apparatus on each row must be calibrated. To do this, producers will need to engage all of the distribution mechanisms and run the machine through a calibration course at operational speed. The next step is to count the number of seeds dropped or measure the weight of the dispensed material. This
process will help producers determine how to adjust the machine to achieve proper distribution during planting.

Verify the correct operation of all planter sensors: Stwalley recommends verifying the proper operation of each row’s monitoring system and replacing any malfunctioning components. “Modern planting equipment is filled with electronics,” he said. “Precision agriculture requires massive amounts of data, and only good data is worth collecting.”

Source: www.farms.com

Our Bloke – Charlie Pecenka

March 31, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Charlie Pecenka

How long have you lived in Parkes? I came here in 1972 so over 40 years.

Where do you work? I run Parkes Optical Services and The Coffee Pot. Interesting combination! Yes I bought
the coffee shop first and optical dispensing came afterwards.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Ireland, I loved it when I was there last time.

What are your worst habits? I procrastinate and leave things until the last minute, much to the annoyance of my wife.

What do you like to do in your spare time? I don’t have much! I’m heavily involved in the Rotary Club, I used to coach basketball but lately I’m focussing on my family and grandchildren.

What do you enjoy about your work? I like dealing with people, the social aspect of it.

How do you take your coffee? I usually drink coffee with hazelnut flavouring topped with cinnamon.

150 Years Of Fields

March 31, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

The descendants of the first free settlers in Parkes came together for a reunion over Easter to celebrate George Field selecting land on the Billabong Creek in March 1866, 150 years ago. About 130 descendants of George and his wife, Amelia reunited to reflect on this great milestone. Over the last 150 years over 300 direct descendants of George and Amelia Field have been born, with many of those still alive living in Parkes today.

George and Amelia came to Australia from England and though it’s not known exactly when George arrived, they both came to the Parkes district separately in the 1850’s. Amelia arrived in Melbourne aboard ‘The Northumberland’ in 1852. She married William Faraday in 1854, and by 1862 she, William and their surviving infant Amelia came to Forbes. William died at the end of 1862 and twins William and Mary were born in February 1863.

Amelia then married George Field in 1863 and they both operated The Royal Mail Hotel, an inn on the western side of what is now the Back Yamma Road, near the Amelia Field Bridge. The first child of George and Amelia, Susannah, died just days after her birth in 1865. Lydia was born in February 1866, and in March of the same year, George and Amelia selected 96 acres on the opposite side of the creek to the inn. Catherine was born in April 1868, followed by Charles Wheeler Field in February 1870. Sadly husband George died at the age of 51 in July 1872, leaving Amelia a widow again with six young children and pregnant with a seventh who was to become George Frankling Field, born in February 1873.

The original land selected by the first George is now in the hands of his great grandson Donald George Field and this
is where the reunion began on Saturday where descendants gathered at the Amelia Field Bridge in the beautiful autumn weather. This was followed by a picnic lunch at the Parkes Christian School where members of the family set up displays. One was of vintage musical instruments and wooden craftsmanship by Janice Cassidy, Kerrie Peden and Mark Field, the children of Clifford Field Jr and descendants of Charles Wheeler Field.

Jacquelyn Greenland, the great, great granddaughter of George and Amelia, spoke of the family history in brief. She had compiled a family tree book for the reunion. Kerrie Peden read a story she had written based on a year in the life of her grandfather Clifford Field Sr when he was a small child. She also read two of Clifford’s poems while Rob MacGregor, another great, great grandchild, led those gathered in a prayer of thanksgiving. Cleaver, the granddaughter of Catherine (nee Field) and Alfred Miller, was present to cut the celebration cake. At 92 Nancy is the oldest living descendant of George and Amelia Field. She was accompanied by two of her sons, Murray and Bruce and her two grandchildren. The grandchildren and great grandchildren of George Frankling Field – including not only those who bare the Field name, but also the MacGregor name, own and farm a number of properties mainly in
the Back Yamma area of Parkes to this day.

Maggi Barnard

Subscribe