When an overture begins, the actors take their places and wait for the curtain to rise.
It is almost time for the curtain rise for the majestic Overture event on 2nd April at the Cooke Park Pavilion in Parkes when Australia’s top performers will be on stage with local talent for a night of unforgettable entertainment.

And no, it is not going to be a night of opera. “We are catering for all tastes,” said producer Harriet Snaith at the choir rehearsal on Sunday.

“The program includes one aria and the rest ranges from modern pop to musical theatre, and includes songs from Frozen, Shrek, Phantom of the Opera, a Mama Mia medley, The Sound of Music, Wicked and more.”

It is also the perfect opportunity to use your Dine & Discover vouchers for a night out to celebrate the other side of the pandemic in a COVID-safe environment.

“We would like to make it our ‘Day on the Green’ event”, said Cr Neil Westcott. “We hope this event would set Parkes up as a wonderful place for entertainment in the region. So, bring your picnic rug, food and drink and enjoy an amazing evening with the family.”

Come and support local talent with junior performers Amy Ross and Lexi Herden in leading roles sharing the stage with top Australian stars Lucy Durack and Josh Piterman, and two singers from Grenfell and Bathurst.

By Maggi Barnard

The Cooke Park Pavilion filled with joy and excitement on Tuesday when 17 new Australian citizens were welcomed into our community at the first citizenship ceremony in over two years.

The 17 new citizens are from 12 different countries from all over the world. They are: Emmanuel Cooper (Liberia), Ankush Dogra (India), Dr Subakthi Fernando (Sri Lanka), Karen Kingham (UK), Caroline Kennedy (Ireland), Suliana Naqau (Fiji), Oluwole Oyeyipo (Nigeria), Kelley Wood (USA), Eun-Jung Yoon (South Korea), Ratri Dey (Bangladesh), Dr Atanu Paul (Bangladesh), Rhona Jackson (UK), Zhansheng Wu (China), and from the Philippines Cristina Espiritu, Alfonso Melosantos, Theozeus Melosantos and Mariah Melosantos.

The Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith OAM, as an authorised person who may receive the pledge as a citizen of the Commonwealth of Australia, congratulated the residents on their decision to become Australian citizens. “A decision welcomed not only by me but by all Australians,” he said.

“When you make the decision to become Australian, you are deciding to become part of a nation which is not your homeland, but which you have decided to adopt as your own. This is a big step, regardless of how long you have been living in Australia.”

The Mayor said the new citizens should not forget their language, customs or culture of their country of birth, and he encouraged them to “embrace the values of freedom, peace, diversity and acceptance that we enjoy in Australia”.

Many of the new citizens commented on how much they enjoyed living in Parkes and how welcoming the community were.

MORE TOURISTS

Parkes will soon be home to a replica of the most famous gates in the world of rock ‘n roll thanks to a grant of the NSW Government’s $30 million Regional Tourism Activation Fund.

The storied wrought iron gates of Graceland are among the most famous gates in the world and visited by thousands of Elvis fans each year offering a warm welcome. The replica gates at the Parkes Visitors Information Centre will welcome tourists to our town offering them an authentic experience all year long.

“The Elvis festival celebrates The King like no other event in the world and the addition of these iconic gates will bring the Memphis mansion to Parkes and have every impersonator lining up for selfies,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole at the CSIRO radio telescope on Tuesday where he announced the $376,707 funding for the project, as well as $500,000 for The Dish

The gates will also be a monument to inductees to the Elvis Wall of Fame, replacing the current structure built in 1995 near Bushman Dam, with all 26 plaques honouring Australian musicians moved to the new site. In addition, stars for the yearly winners of the Parkes Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest will be placed in cement around the gates. The winners will be invited back to Parkes to unveil their stars.

Tiffany Steel, Parkes Elvis Festival Director, said visitors would be able to experience the gates as if they were standing at Graceland, while a rose remembrance garden and several other iconic elements of the King’s famous house were incorporated into the design.

A major upgrade at The Dish will enhance the experience of the 100,000 visitors annually with a space-themed playground to be constructed on the lawn and ensuring people of all abilities can visit. The visitor areas will be upgraded to provide wheelchair accessible paths, automatic doors and accessible bathrooms.

“We are thrilled to improve the facilities at one of the landmarks for tourism in the country,” said John Reynolds of the CSIRO

“It is a wonderful day for Parkes,” said Mayor Ken Keith. “Tourism is so important for rural areas. We have to make sure we have things for them to see.”

 

PLASTIC RECYCLING PLANT

The very first plastic recycling plant of its kind in Australia will be in operation in the Parkes Special Activation Precinct (SAP) by 2025 following a $260 million investment.

The global plastics recycling company Brightmark will bring its innovative waste solution technology to the Central West as the first anchor tenant in the SAP creating 125 jobs during the 22-month construction period and 100 permanent jobs once the plant is operational.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole was in Parkes on Tuesday for the announcement saying it was going to be a game changer for our community.

Processing 200,000 tonnes of plastic waste, the facility in Parkes will be the largest of its type outside the United States.

Brightmark’s Project Lead Developer, Kean Flanagan, who was also in Parkes on Tuesday, said the plastic waste would be diverted from landfill and be turned into over 100 million litres of usable, ubiquitous diesel.

“Our company is all about reimagining waste and turning waste into resource. We are giving Australia the ability of dealing with its own waste issue.”

Kean explained that the process used to convert plastic into diesel was very different to that of a waste to energy plant. “We don’t combust plastic at all. There is zero incineration as we don’t apply heat directly to the plastic. We use a process called hydrolosis, which means heating in the absence of oxygen. The process itself has zero emissions.”

In addition, the plant will operate on 83% energy use savings, 40% water use savings, and its carbon footprint would save over 70,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas as opposed to standard or mineral diesel. The economic impact of the plant would be $3 billion at the current oil price.

“We are so delighted that Brightmark made the decision to establish here, and chose Parkes out of all Australia,” said Parkes Shire Mayor, Ken Keith OAM.

“We want the SAP to be the first United Nations economic development site in Australia where we have a circular economy reusing waste materials, using energy from waste, and doing a whole range of things.”

 

The art scene in Parkes will come alive next Friday with the opening of the Parkes Potters Exhibition celebrating their 50th anniversary.

The exhibition, from 4th to 19th March at the Coventry Room, will be a joyous occasion as the group had to cancel this annual event two years in a row because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are delighted to be able to have a social function at last where we can celebrate with friends and art lovers,” said President of the Parkes Potters, Elsie Mahon.

She said they were just as excited to have the internationally known and respected ceramic artist from Cowra, Greg Daly, as the guest artist.

Greg specialises in rich glaze effects, and his work is represented in 24 international book publications, in 80 national and international art galleries and museums (including the National Gallery of Australia and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London), and he has won 36 national and international awards and is the author of three books on glazes.

In addition to a few works by Greg, there will be 60 pieces on exhibition created by 15 Parkes potters. “These works include a variety of garden sculptures, plates, vases and more,” said Elsie. Most of the works will be on sale, and the public can vote for their favourite piece over the two weeks of the exhibition.

None of the founding members of the Parkes Potters are left, but there are still some long-serving members of 40 years, while a new generation of younger potters have joined more recently. The exhibition will be open from 10am to 4pm daily.

The Parkes Services Squash Courts are looking brand spanking new thanks to a mammoth effort by volunteers.

The centre is managed by Jay and Judy Kross and they received a Stronger Communities Grant of $19,000 to replace a side wall and upgrade three of the four front walls. The builder who was lined up to do the work had to pull out one day before the work was due to start.

Judy, Jay and a handful of members of the squash community decided to tackle the work as the courts had to be in top shape for a big tournament earlier this month with players coming from as far as Tasmania. They managed to get all the work done in two weeks.

Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack was so impressed with their work that he gave them a shout out in Parliament last week.

Judy said the renovations had made a huge difference. “The walls were in such a bad condition that the balls would bounce off them in the wrong direction. Paint would always chip off and we had to sweep the floors after every match.”

She said they had come in under budget doing the work themselves and they had spare money to replace all 72 lights with LED’s and repaint all four courts.

They have received such good feedback on their work, that they are planning to tackle the next big project themselves again. They are planning to replace the wooden floors of the courts hopefully over Easter.

Parkes and Forbes will reap the benefits of a grant of $1.87 million to expand allied health student training and placements in the two towns.

The two-year project will see about 53 students placed in Parkes and Forbes by Charles Sturt University for an average of five weeks per year, totalling approximately 265 placement weeks annually.

“This investment enables Charles Sturt University to provide intensive, high-quality rural education experiences in Forbes and Parkes through its Three Rivers Department of Rural Health,” said Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack at the announcement in Parkes last Thursday.

“Through the additional local training and placement opportunities, students across a range of allied health disciplines – including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work, exercise physiology, speech pathology and podiatry – will have exposure to the delivery of rural health care.”

The project not only entails the support of clinical placements, but also accommodation with a four-bedroom house to be purchased in Forbes, while Charles Sturt University has also set aside funding for a house in Parkes.

Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith and Forbes Shire Mayor Phyllis Miller both welcomed the announcement saying their advocacy for better health services was starting to show some results.

According to Megan Smith, Executive Dean – Faculty of Science and Health, Charles Sturt University, there are about 4,000 students studying in allied health professions at the university of which 30 come from Parkes and Forbes.

The Parkes Country University Centre (CUC) will provide crucial student support for the delivery of training.

“I like doing things for other people,” says Hedley Nicholson, who received the Citizen of the Year award at this year’s Australia Day celebrations for giving his time selflessly to the Parkes community for more than 50 years.

“I was orphaned at 13 and got looked after by lots of people. I helped at the dairy farm in Woodward Street where the steelworks are today, minding the cows and feeding them, and they fed me.”

Hedley said he started to return the favours and wherever he went he did voluntary work. “It was just one of those things.”

His kindness has resulted in several awards, including an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2013, and a Tennis NSW 2018 Volunteer Achievement Award. He missed out previously on the Citizen of the Year award, and said he was very pleased to get it this year. “I didn’t do the volunteer work to get awards or anything, but it feels good to be recognised for doing a good job.”

His love of tennis started early when the Marist Brothers School he attended built a court when he was about ten. “I was never really much good, but enjoyed it all my life.” His passion is still strong with he and his wife Pauline staying up until 1:15am on Monday to watch Nadal win his record 21st grand slam title at Australian Open.

Hedley’s involvement with the Parkes Tennis Club took a serious turn when his daughter Helen became very keen on tennis. “There were always jobs that had to be done from mowing, spraying weeds, fencing, cleaning, painting through to building new courts.”

Hedley ended up dedicating more than half of his life to the Parkes Tennis Club, undertaking president and vice-president roles as well as a committee member. His volunteer work, averaging 15 to 20 hours per week since 1978, equates to more than $1 million.

He did a lot of this work in between his duties as senior train driver, mainly of the 3801, the flagship of the NSW Railways, which makes him very proud. “Back in the 60s thousands of people travelled by train,” said Hedley.

Two years ago, the former train driver of 47 years, decided it was time to hand over his tennis club duties. His new passion is supporting the Parkes Men’s Shed where he has been vice-president since its inception in 2005. “It is unbelievable how good it is for men to get together and talk about the weather, the harvest, the price of bulls and sheep.”

Turning 82 on 21st March, Hedley is looking forward to volunteering at this year’s Elvis Festival. He has the special job of starting the parade, and he and Pauline will be celebrating 60 years of marriage on 21st April… just in time for the popular renewing of vows ceremony!

By Maggi Barnard

Beautiful flute music filled the airwaves at the Australia Day celebrations at the Cooke Park Pavilion on Wednesday.

The Parkes Shire’s Australia Day Ambassador Jane Rutter, also known as the First Lady of the Flute, not only entertained a good crowd of over 200 people with her magical flute playing, but gave an inspiring speech too.

“My best messages come through my flute playing. In the French style of playing the flute is used as a story teller, and this makes me feel really close to Aboriginal people who have kept our land alive for over 40,000 years by singing their stories and songlines,” said Jane.

“Today is one of great respect and reflection, of that kind of deep silence that Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, Senior Australian of the Year, talks about that goes deep into your cellular memory and you think about where you belong and how you belong to this planet.

“Part of this connection to our land, and history is the birthright of everybody to be creatively fulfilled. You don’t have to sing, or be an artist. It could be about how you breed cattle, bake a cake or feed the family. It is just that sense of passion to be inspired about your life. Aussies are really quietly good at this and we need to nurture it in our young people.

“I love sharing the joy and sense of connection to our planet and universe and other people, when I play my flute.”

By Maggi Barnard

The Parkes Rotary Club has embraced this year’s Australia Day theme of Reflect, Respect, Celebrate in a very special way by recording six Youtube episodes featuring members of the Parkes multicultural community.

Maureen Ilechukwu from Nigeria, Nin Mao from Cambodia, Beto da Silva from Brazil, Nancy Cayo from Peru, Roel ten Cate from the Netherlands and Stan Adamski from Poland opened their homes to Rotary member Ian Freestone who filmed and conducted the interviews.

They talked about their struggles when they first arrived, their experiences of inclusion and exclusion, the love they have for their adopted homeland (as well as their country of origin), and their hopes for the future.

“While they are six very different people geographically, in age, socio-economic backgrounds and origins, they are all very grateful to be here and they are very proud Australians,” said Ian. “They had all found Australia to be very welcoming and had found acceptance in their new homeland.

“They all spoke very honourably of their own culture and they are very proud of their heritage. Each one has a unique history.”

There is Stan’s parents who came to Australia after surviving World War II to live in tents along the railways in the Central West while his dad worked as a fettler, to Nin’s mum who fled from the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia when she was only 12 and then had to look after herself.

Ian said he was moved after each interview by their resilience and what they’d achieved for themselves and their children. “It made me realise the depth that immigrants bring to our country.”

He said in return each interviewee felt very special to be able to tell their story.” I could see the appreciation in their eyes.” He said he hoped the videos would become part of their history and the story they tell.

Ian, who lives in Sydney, met Parkes Rotary President Robert Shore on a birding trip in Tasmania. Ian is a life coach, and also makes documentaries and loves capturing life giving stories. Robert approached him to make content for Rotary meetings that could be accessed by any club not able to find regular speakers.

When the Parkes club received a grant from the Australia Day National Council, Robert asked Ian to make a series for Australia Day. The series of six videos, each about 30 minutes long, will be launched on 26th January on YouTube. Simply search for ‘Parkes Rotary’ on YouTube.

By Maggi Barnard