Maggi Barnard

Jewellery has been worn for thousands of years as means to enhance appearance and show status. Like humans, jewellery has evolved through time, from crude necklaces made from natural elements such as wood and iron to precious metals and gemstones used to adorn royalty. Jewellery can be something as simple as silver stud earrings or as extravagant as a tiara dripping in emeralds. Each piece of jewellery can work towards complementing particular features, for example large, statement jewellery pieces tend to work better on fuller figured people as they can swamp petite figures.

When choosing rings, consider the shape of your hand and fingers. Are they long or on the shorter side, thin or broad? For short fingers rings with oval settings work well whereas for long fingers round settings and wide bands can look fantastic. The most important thing to remember when choosing jewellery is to choose what you love! A beautiful smile when you’re feeling good will complement any outfit.

These days, there are hundreds of styles, ranges and brands to choose from and the team at Nangar Gems are here to help you on your quest for the best. Stocking brands such as Pandora, Najo and Thomas Sabo, Nangar Gems will soon be introducing their own line, ‘Diamonds By Nangar’ into the mix which will focus on diamond engagement, wedding and dress rings and will have finance available. The team offer services while you wait such as watch batteries, CAD design and on site jewellery repairs. Nangar Gems specialise in custom made jewellery,
meaning each piece is individual to you.

The Silver City Comet Carriage, which is now a fascinating feature of the Henry Parkes Museum, was relocated from the railway 20 years ago. The carriage was given to the people of Parkes Shire by State Rail to recognise the history of the Silver City Comet, which ran from Parkes to Broken Hill and back from 1937 until 1989. The
carriage was restored and painted in 2014 by PDHSI and took 12 hours to be transported from the Railway Station to the Antique Machinery Site!

This was made possible by cranes and heavy transport vehicles. During the relocation workmen warned that it
would not be possible to move again due to the poor condition of the carriage so it looks like the Henry Parkes Centre will be its final resting place. People who helped move the carriage include Railway Loco and Diesel Staff, McPhersons, Cunninghams, police, County Council, PDHSI volunteers, Parkes Shire Council staff and the SES.

The carriage has unfortunately been vandalised several times including spilled drinks and blocked toilets although the interior of the carriage has now been restored including windows, seats and blinds. The exterior has been totally restored and repainted at a cost of over $8,000 and a roof cover has been built over the carriage. The PDHSI are
currently in the process of having the Silver City Comet Carriage put on the Railway Heritage Register listing because of its uniqueness and place in Parkes history.

Currently Parkes Car Club wish to plan extensions to their building which would involve moving the carriage however the Historical Society have fears that moving this large piece of history might cause it to be damaged beyond repair and lost forever.

Parkes was a popular place for charity cyclists last Thursday when two separate groups of cyclists made a stopover in our town. The first group of 21 athletes, the C3 Cyclists, were halfway through their five day mission to travel over 725km from Bourke to Belconnen in Canberra.

Parkes resident, Dot Bradley organized for the group to enjoy morning tea at the Pink Orchid Café. “My daughter belonged to the C3 Church in Sydney, and they asked me to assist with their stopover here” she said. It is the sixth year that the C3 Cyclists have undertaken a major fundraising ride to help purchase important pieces of hospital equipment through the Humpty Dumpty Foundation or to help find cures for childhood cancers through The Kid’s Cancer Project, with every cyclist setting a target of raising around $2,000. “We have already
hit our target of $40,000,” said Stephen Dunstall, one of the organisers. Pastor Arne Olander said; “The money this year will go to the hospitals at Peak Hill, Bourke and Queanbeyan and the extra money we have raised means we can also support a fourth hospital this year.”

Pastor Olander also said they had already raised more than $100,000 in total over seven years.The second group of
49 cyclists who enjoyed lunch at KFC in Parkes took part in the 577km Mill2Mill ride from Gunnedah to Manildra. They had already raised $106,000 for beyondblue, small schools the ride visits along the route, and the Manildra community. Two Parkes residents taking part in the ride, Tina Jones and Rodney Coleman, said it had been very good. “The support we received was fantastic, lots of people were stopping along the way to give cash donations” said Tina.