When Peak Hill artist Scott “Sauce” Towney first started working on a project to draw constellations of Wiradjuri stories in the night sky about five years ago he never imagined one of the works would feature on a $1 coin one day.

Reality sunk in this week when he received the stunning silver coin depicting the majesty and wonder of the Emu in the Sky constellation packaged in a beautiful box. The uncirculated coin is part of the Star Dreaming series of three coins of the Australian Mint.

“It is fantastic and surreal at the same time,” said Sauce. “I’ve been an artist all my life, and this one is up there. I guess this is my 15 minutes of fame. Everyone in my small community is congratulating me.”

The Peak Hill Central School posted on Facebook: “We are incredibly proud of our former student.”

Going back five years, Sauce was approached by an astronomer in Orange, Trevor Leman, who was working on a research project on Wiradjuri constellations as the indigenous Australians were the first astronomers and have been using the stars as navigation maps, calendars and to tell stories for tens of thousands of years.

He asked Sauce to illustrate the 13 he had picked out, which included the Emu in the Sky, a constellation seen as a silhouette traced by the dark spaces in the Milky Way.

“The Parkes Dragon Boat Club has shown themselves willing to take on any task. Their members have shifted their exercise regime from the water to the warehouse and have spent hours unloading food pallets and packing and distributing food boxes. They even took on the job of cutting up crate loads of potatoes to make 135 trays of potato bake last week.”

These were generously cooked by Smeaton’s Bakery and distributed to people all over the region. Natalie said they’ve also had wonderful help from other community volunteers who responded to calls put out by the Parkes Shire Council.

Interestingly, the number of customers at the Pantry have remained relatively steady so far, despite the increased financial pressure on many families. At the same time there has been an increase in the amount of food donated to the Pantry.

“In the last month we received over 20 pallets of food where we would normally only unpack about five pallets per month,” said Natalie. The bigger volume in donations means an increase in capacity to offer assistance if it becomes necessary.

Georgie’s Pantry provides help right across the Parkes Shire including Bogan Gate, Peak Hill, Tullamore and Trundle. “We also have customers who travel to us from other regional areas around Yeoval, Cumnock and Forbes. We also work with other food relief agencies right across the Central West to collect and distribute ex- cess food to communities in need.”

Any person in need is welcome to visit the Pantry at 45 Currajong Street on Thursdays between 10am and 1pm, call 0409 716 944 or get in touch on its Facebook page called Georgie’s Hub – Anglican Parish of Parkes partnering with Anglicare.

If you would like to help out, the Pantry accepts donations of any excess fruit and vegetables, eggs and other local produce.

The Coronavirus has certainly changed our world in unprecedented ways, but it has also brought on a kindness pandemic with community members walking the extra mile to help others, as experienced by Georgie’s Pantry, enabling them to follow the words of Jesus to his disciples: “You give them something to eat.”

“We are so immensely grateful that the community comes together at a time like this to ensure that services like Georgie’s Pantry can continue to operate,” said Natalie.

By Maggi Barnard

What else could a sporty town with a fantastic community still need?

A parkrun of course! With such a fitting name our town Parkes had to join the worldwide parkrun movement.

Three local residents have been working very hard for almost two years, and last week the final piece of the puzzle fell into place when the Parkes parkrun received $7,500 from the Northparkes/Parkes Shire Council Sports Grants fund.

Excitement is building for Parkes to join 381 events in Australia and 1,400 in 22 countries across the world when the COVID-19 regulations are relaxed, hopefully in June. This is a great motivation for all the residents who have been out walking and running of late, to work towards a goal.

Parkrun, a 5km event on a set course, is a fantastic and free community event. It includes all ages, all demographics, all levels of fitness. Whatever your age and stage in life, whatever you do during the week, you can take part in parkrun, and you don’t even need to run!

“Walking is perfectly acceptable,” said Ronel van Wyk, who initiated the parkrun for Parkes. “We encourage everyone who wants to give it a go to come along, every Saturday morning or once in a blue moon, we don’t mind.”

“I also believe the parkrun will bring our community even closer together,” said Ronel. “I can’t wait to do a parkrun in my own town.”

Although there will be no dawn services, street parades and public ceremonies tomorrow to commemorate Anzac Day, we can all do something special to ensure we will always remember it.

“Australians are known for their qualities of mateship, humour, ingenuity, courage and endurance – and during this time of uncertainty, it’s particularly important that we demonstrate these qualities and harness the ‘Anzac Spirit’,” said Parkes Shire Mayor, Cr Ken Keith OAM.

“By paying our respects from home we can ensure we keep the Anzac legacy alive, and also keep our friends, family and community safe by helping to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

The Parkes Shire Council has compiled a list of suggestions for how locals can acknowledge Anzac Day and ensure Australian servicemen and women are appropriately remembered.

• Stand at the end of your driveway at 6am and/or 10am on Saturday, 25th April and observe a minute’s silence, or you can play The Last Post on an instrument. Amelia Leach, member of the Parkes Shire Concert Band, will be playing her trumpet from her mailbox at 6am, as will several other members of the band.

Our well-being is vital during these times and many residents are using the exemption of being allowed outside for exercise, but are we doing it correctly?

The Chief Inspector said walking or running near your home or within the town limits would be absolutely fine. “If you have to drive to get to your walking point – you probably need to reassess that option unless it is relatively close. Here in Parkes no drive is longer than about 10 minutes so those short drives to get somewhere are fine. Walking the dog with family is a great option.”

Another favourite pastime these days is getting all those DIY jobs done at home. “Driving to the hardware shop to get things for home repairs is fine. Going there to have a browse because you are bored is not a reasonable excuse,” said David.

Finally, the Chief Inspector had one important message for everyone: “Follow the State and Federal Government directions and warnings. Only leave the house if it is essential; if you do leave the house, wash your hands and practice good social distancing measures.”

The following are guidelines from the Government on what you can leave your home for:
• Work, if a person can’t work from home
• School or an educational institution
• Shops for food and other essential items
• Get medical care
• Exercise, but only if the exercise is done alone or with one other person

The police have the power to deliver on-the-spot fines of $1,000 to individuals who breach those rules.The maximum penalty is $11,000 and six months in jail.

You can only be with one other person outside, unless they’re part of your immediate family or are housemates. The same rule applies for having another person over to your house.

If you are inside, there can only be two people gathered in that room, and social distancing must be adhered to.

By Maggi Barnard

In the midst of a global pandemic that has disrupted our daily routines and confines us to our homes, there is a surge in something that gives us hope: kindness.

We see it all over the world, and in our local community. From the friendly shop assistants offering us hand sanitiser, the caring way in which the doctors conduct phone appointments, the free pizza delivered to old age homes, parents delivering treats to teachers and happy chalk drawings made on public walkways, to name but a few.

Research shows that we lean into kindness when tragedy strikes. Many people make use of Facebook posts to acknowledge and encourage others, like this one: “Thumbs up Parkes, Forbes and surrounding communities for all coming together during this insane time. We’ve never experienced anything like this before – and it’s bringing out all kinds of emotions.”

Many other trends are going viral too, like decorating walkways with chalk art, and Parkes is in on this one too with Kristy Berry and her daughter Pascal bringing some joy to residents. “We really enjoy doing it and love seeing people getting enjoyment and a smile out of it,” said Kristy.

More time at home also brings new challenges and opportunities. For music teacher Pam Parkin it means less rushing around. “There is more time to rest and enjoy my instruments.”

Music student Carmel Kelly says: “I get to take time practicing as we don’t have to go anywhere!”

It is going to be a very different Easter for all of us, so stay in touch with your loved ones making video calls or ringing them and remember: “We are all in this together.

One positive outcome of the Corona pandemic is that it is bringing people from all around the world closer together in fun and creative ways.

One of these initiatives has seen Parkes residents joining in by putting teddy bears and other stuffed animals in their windows for families to take their kids on a bear hunt. Inspired by the popular children’s book ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ by Michael Rosen, the real-life bear hunt has spread all over the world, with even the New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern placing a teddy in the front window of Premier House in Wellington, where she is in lockdown with her family.

The Coronavirus has turned our lives upside down, and daily complaints about empty shelves in the shops and home-schooling our children have become the new norm.

Perspective can be very sobering, and with Anzac Day approaching, here is a story of another time of turmoil.

When Jacob Sidney Hansen of Tichbourne was 24 he enlisted in Dubbo just over a year after Britain declared war on Germany on 4th August 1914.

After his initial training Jacob embarked on the Ceramic troop carrier in April 1916 and sailed to the Sues, then to England arriving four months later. He was attached to the 2nd infantry 54th battalion and they were shipped to France to fight on the front.

He was sadly one of the more than 60,000 Australians who did not return when he was killed in action on 16th November 1917 at age 26. His time at the front was a nightmare according to his casualty records suffering major injuries and illnesses, including trench foot twice and mumps.

After the war the family of every serviceman killed received a bronze plague of condolences known as Dead Man’s Penny or Death Penny as it resembled a coin.

Jacob’s plague, as well as medals of his two brothers, Carl James and Tennos Oliver, who also served in the war are on permanent display at the Henry Parkes Museum with some history of the Hansen family. (The museum is currently closed until further notice in accordance to the new rules.)

Two very special Parkes locals put their heads on the block for Leukaemia last week. Chloe Mudiman and Fiona McGonigal took on the challenge of the World’s Greatest Shave in front of two different audiences. Nine-year-old Chloe Mudiman proved she was not afraid of reaching out to help others, even if it meant shaving off all her hair in front of her school.

Last Wednesday the Year 5 student took to the stage at Parkes Public and allowed four special people in her life to cut off her pig tails, including family who were visiting from Canada.

Hairdresser Amber Thomson of Charisma then took charge and shaved off the rest. It was a special moment for Amber who gave Chloe her very first hair cut when she was five.

Chloe’s mum Katrina looked a bit worried as her brave daughter’s hair started falling to the floor with all the primary students looking on. Chloe only saw herself in a mirror at the end.

Rubbing her hand over her newly shaved head she said with a big smile,” It feels a little bit weird.”

Chloe saw the ads on TV for the World’s Greatest Shave and in combination with her knowledge of her nan’s breast cancer, decided she wanted to shave off her hair.

It was a big decision for Lindy to retire, “but the time is right,” she told The Parkes Phoenix during long-service leave she took before her retirement.

“I miss the children and the staff, the families – the people side of it, but I’m enjoying slowing down. PECC is such a wonderful place and it was such a privilege to spend so much of my career there,” she said.

“PECC made history being started by the community, and it still belongs to the community.”

For Lindy, who has not only seen thousands of Parkes children come through the centre, but also knows them all by name, it was beautiful to see the children come back as parents and the joy of the grandparents.

“It is just lovely connections. The roots of the centre are in the community, there is a great sense of history.”

Lindy fondly recalls the early years when there was a huge slide in the playground off the top of a shed with no soft fall underneath and an old tractor for the children to climb on. “That was before the era of work health and safety.”

She also loves progress, especially how science has made a really big impact on education, making childcare so much more focused on early brain development and how crucial it is to set up children for life.

She would like to see a change in society placing more value on play and a greater understanding that play is learning and the best way for children to learn.

“Not many people realise just how much work goes into setting up the play environment at PECC to allow children to build on their strengths, to encourage play and allow them to move freely between activities with different levels of concentration needed.”

Lindy started with PECC in 1978, and in 1984 she started work as a Children Services Advisor. After her two children were born, she took up a teaching post at TAFE.

When an opportunity came up to return to PECC as teaching director in 1993 she grabbed it with both hands. “My heart is with the children. I feel this is where I belong working directly with children and families.”

In August 1994 she became director. “As a leader you need to have the vision, and be open minded, as well as be very mindful of what is best practise, and making adjustments as research comes out.”

It is her vision that has turned PECC into the best early childhood centre in NSW with people from all over the state coming to see how it’s managed. But most of all it is Lindy’s passion to always consider children first that will be her legacy.

By Maggi Barnard