Not many people would think of ways to use old postie bikes, let alone use them to raise money for an important cause.

On Monday a cavalcade of 18 postie bikes and six support vehicles drove into Parkes to deliver a very important message and raise awareness of prostate cancer as part of the Male Bag Foundation’s big ride from Perth to Melbourne.

The group of volunteers are raising funds to provide regional NSW with transperineally biopsy machines that are used to diagnose prostate cancer.

Using the familiar red Honda CT110s they can only travel at a maximum speed of approximately 80km/h, covering about 120 km on one tank of petrol.

Arriving from Griffith, they travelled about 300km on Monday. According to Patron David Parkin, a former Australian rules footballer and four-time premiership coach, and prostate cancer survivor, they would be well on their way to reach $1 million by the time they reach Melbourne this weekend.

The group was welcomed in Parkes by the Parkes Prostate Cancer Awareness and Support Group with a barbeque at Lions Park.

John, the Highwayman, passed through Parkes this week carrying his huge swag, heading west for Condobolin. John left his job and decided to backpack around Australia in 1977 living off the land. He has been walking the highways and byways ever since – with no plans to end his journey. “There used to be a lot more swagmen around back then,” said John who has become a rarity in today’s modern world.

Some people think he’s an icon, an Aussie legend, but John shrugs his shoulders at the thought, “I’m just me.” The freedom of John’s lifestyle means no commitments, no deadlines, no stresses of modern life. John plans his route from town to town. “But I don’t always stick to it. Don’t have to.”

He goes where he wants when he wants. There’s no exact routine to his day. He packs up and walks when he feels ready. He stops when he feels like it. John has no favourite season, though he does like the longer daylight of summer, and deals with the weather as it comes. “Sometimes on frosty mornings I can’t feel my fingers and toes for a while, but I just get up and shake the ice off. In rain or duststorms I pull the tarp over me and shelter in the trees.”

John lost touch with his family for 20 years, but is now reunited. He calls his 89-year-old mother in Ballarat and sometimes spends Christmas with his sister in Victoria. These days John has supporters with a Facebook page who provide him with his basic needs, such as his new boots which make him feel a bit taller after his old down-at-heel pair. Loneliness has never troubled John, but he’s happy to have a chat with whoever comes by. So, if you’re heading
out Condo way, pack an extra sandwich and a coffee for John and pull up for a yarn.

By Beth Thomas

Marriages

How do you legally become married in Australia?

Firstly, you have to decide to marry and who is going to be the celebrant. Priests, ministers of recognised religions and registry officers are nominated by their religious bodies to be marriage celebrants.

How do you become a civil marriage celebrant?
Being appointed a Justice of the Peace does not allow you to be a marriage celebrant. Before applying to become a
Commonwealth-registered marriage civil celebrant you must:
(a) be 18 years of age;
(b) complete Certificate IV in Celebrancy at a registered training organisation and;
c) be a fit and proper person and be of good standing within the community.
Secondly, you are required to give a marriage celebrant at least one month’s notice and not more than 18 months’ notice of an intended date of marriage.

The priest or marriage celebrant will provide you with the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) to complete. The marriageable age is 18 years. If a person is 16 or 17 and wishes to marry prior to their 18th birthday, a court can give authority for the marriage to be solemnised, although parents may also give their permission. A NOIM may be lodged prior to the 18th birthday, as long as the marriage occurs after the birthday.

Both parties are required to provide original birth certificate or passport. If either party has been previously married, you must provide evidence of the termination with either a divorce certificate (if divorced) or a full death certificate (if widowed). Certificates in a foreign language must be translated into English by an authorised interpreter/translator service. Photocopies are not accepted.

If we can help further at Matthews Williams please contact us.

Education in regional NSW has been strengthened, following the integration of two leading schools in Bathurst. The Scots School and All Saints’ College were combined and named Scots All Saints College.

Scots All Saints College Scots Campus will open its doors to the community on Saturday, 27th October from 11am-2pm for their Open Day. Interested families are invited to come along to an information night to hear about the opportunities offered at the new Senior School on Friday, 26th October at 7pm in the Aikman Hall.

There has been strong interest from families enquiring about the new school. Scholarships for 2020 offer students an opportunity to attend the college, applications are now open.

Co-curricular programs will be on offer for all students from pre-Kindergarten to Year 12, including a Junior School from K-Year 4 and unique Middle School for students in Years 5 – 8 on All Saints Campus to prepare them for Senior School studies, 9-12 on Scots Campus.

More information is on the websites or contact Lynda Ireland on 6331 2766 or email scots@scots.nsw.edu.au.

Parkes Shire Council secured more than $1.7 million of funding to breathe new life into community and local sporting facilities. The announcement was made by Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW Rick Colless in Tullamore last Friday as part of round two of the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund.

A total of $1,755,714 will be granted for projects across Parkes Shire Council and will go to new amenities for Trundle Showground ($200,000), Cheney Oval amenities refurbishment ($200,000), extension to Tullamore GP suite ($400,000), Pola Park rehabilitation ($230,000), Peak Hill main street rejuvenation ($180,000) and Cheney oval rehabilitation ($545,714).

“This program is about bringing communities together, strengthening and supporting our social connections, and
creating vibrant rural and regional communities for the future,” said Rick Colless.

Mayor of Parkes Shire Council Ken Keith said: “We are very grateful for the current grant, helping to improve the lives of local residents and enhance the attractiveness of regional areas to live and work.”

“These projects were identified by our residents as priorities during community consultation workshops held throughout the Parkes Shire last year.”

If you have a secret love for singing, or can’t help yourself belting it out in the shower, your time has come to join the newly formed Parkes Community Choir.

With the drought tightening its grip not only on the pockets of many in our community, it also has a dire effect on mental health. Studies show that choral singing improves our mood, and decreases stress, depression and anxiety.

The Parkes Community Choir is a free activity and promises to be a lot of fun. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” said Kerrie Peden. She has formed an organising committee with Sonia Bland, Colleen Leonard and Sheree Rosser to get the choir off the ground. “We welcome all ages, and would love to see men join too,” said Kerrie.

The good news is there will be no auditions, no previous experience is necessary, nor any knowledge of songs. All you need is a willingness to sing.

The choir will meet weekly on Thursdays from 7 to 9pm at the Cooke Community Centre. Contact Kerrie on 6862 1685 for more information. Singing in a choir speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and heals the heart.

Parkes High School was the venue of a unique community project over the school holidays when 15 first year apprentices gained hands on experience laying brand new carpet, carpet tiles and vinyl flooring at no cost to the school.

The Floor Covering Institute of Australia (FCIA) and industry alliance partners coordinated the project for the apprentices undertaking the Certificate III in Flooring Technology. They worked on the foyer, library and STEM classroom floors for five days.

“This is a fantastic project with benefits for the school, while the apprentices gained valuable industry experience,” said Member for Orange, Phil Donato MP attending a ceremony last Friday at the conclusion of the program. “There is a serious shortage of skilled carpet and floor layers in Australia; it’s certainly a viable career option.”

The Chairman of the FCIA, Andrew Lewis said: “This is a unique program bringing apprentices, industry, trainers, and the community together to provide genuine career opportunities for young people.”

He thanked Parkes High School, Australian Industry Group Training Services, Choices (Parkes), and MEGT Apprenticeship Network provider, for their support. The apprentices received their FCIA Apprentice Trade Cards in recognition of the skills they will be bringing to the flooring Industry both locally and throughout NSW at the ceremony on Friday.

By Maggi Barnard

Parkes had a visit from a prominent domestic violence campaigner on invitation by CMOC-Northparkes Mines for their White Ribbon Campaign.

Founder of the Luke Batty Foundation and 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty was invited to share her story with mine employees and further educate them on family violence.

“A session was also held in town with our first responders and emergency service providers to encourage discussion around how we as a community can continue to work together to prevent domestic violence,” said Manager – People, Safety and Environment, Stacey Kelly.

Rosie also met with the local Family and Domestic Violence committees of Parkes, Forbes and Peak Hill to discuss ways they can support their local communities.

“It was a privilege to meet Rosie Batty and share in her passion to make a safer future for women and children,” said Secretary of the Parkes Domestic and Family Violence Committee, Tina Nash. “As a community we need to work together to support victims and educate everyone on the warning signs and appropriate ways to respond. As a start it would be great if we could all be upstanders not bystanders.”

Parkes Mayor Ken Keith OAM congratulated Northparkes on inviting Rosie, and said her moving story and important message of reducing domestic and family violence in our community were inspirational.

Excitement is mounting for the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Dubbo next Wednesday with the Mayor inviting the community to a picnic in the park.

Prince Harry and Meghan will fly from Sydney to Dubbo on the second day of their official visit to Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga and New Zealand.

They will first visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service to learn more about the life-saving role the aviation service provides for people living in rural and regional areas.

With most of the state of NSW suffering from drought, the Royal couple will see firsthand the hardships local farmers are facing by visiting a local property.

The Duke and Duchess will then travel to Victoria Park to join people from Dubbo and surrounding areas at a picnic in the park to celebrate community spirit within the region, and His Royal Highness will give an address.

The historic event in Victoria Park will start at 11:30am and is an opportunity for the public to catch a glimpse of their Royal Highnesses. According to a statement by Kensington Palace, the Duke and Duchess have asked to meet as many Australians, Fijians, Tongans and New Zealanders as possible during their tour.

The Mayor of the Dubbo Region Ben Shields has invited the community to a picnic in Victoria Park to welcome the Royal visitors to the region. “Dubbo’s Picnic in the Park will be a great day out for the whole region. Council staff have been working hard to ensure we deliver a great festive atmosphere with music and activities that celebrate our regional community,” the Mayor said.

“The Royal visit is a special time for Dubbo and we expect there will be a lot of people who want to be there when Their Royal Highnesses are in town.” He added the magic of the Monarchy would draw attention in a way that no one else could. “I expect the presence of The Duke and Duchess will be a massive morale boost for the community.”

Representatives at the picnic will include members of the community who have made special contributions in the services of youth, community and the environment, as well as organisations supporting people affected by drought.

The Picnic in the Park will run for three hours with performances and food stalls. All the proceeds will go to local charity.

There will be no parking close to Victoria Park as road closures will be enforced. The public is encouraged to make use of the bus service and parking that will be made available at the Dubbo Showgrounds.

Follow the Dubbo Council’s Facebook page to stay up to date with the latest information.