Members of the Parkes Bridge Club enjoyed the Friendship Day Tournament at Bogan Gate on Sunday.

It was a chilly morning on Sunday as a convoy of bridge players cars headed west for downtown Bogan Gate for the Annual Friendship Day Bridge Tournament, which has been hosted at the Bogan Gate Hall for the past 12 years.

Players from Forbes, Condobolin, West Wyalong and Parkes made up the 24 pairs who met for a day of friendly play, with the Parkes team taking the trophy. Parkes’s three highest scoring pairs were Louise Payne and Peter Quin; Beryl Twardy and Rosemary Morris; and Suzie McNamara and Beth Thomas.

Parkes Bridge Club President Greig Ball was full of praise for the support of the four towns’ bridge players who attended the tournament after a disastrous 2020 COVID year.

Bridge Director David Reddel presents the winning trophy to Parkes Bridge Club President, Greig Ball.

“It was great to see the Bogan Gate Friendship Tournament back on the bridge calendar,” said Greig, “and the day really showcased the spirit of the players, being a highly successful day enjoyed by everyone.”

Greig said it was especially good to see the West Wyalong players there for the first time, as their club is so new with many beginner players.

David Reddel, Bridge Federation Director from Orange, put much time and effort into setting the bridge boards and collating scoring. And the ladies of Bogan Gate CWA impressed the players with their fabulous catering, providing meals, desserts and sweet treats of delicious quality.

Why not join the Parkes Bridge Club? You could enjoy the fun and positive atmosphere of this excellent event next time around! Contact Greig Ball 0429621712 or Bev Laing 0418114826.

By Beth Thomas

The Parkes Recycled Water Scheme has delivered yet another award.

Parkes Shire Council, in collaboration with Indicium Dynamics, won the Local Government category in the iTNews Benchmark Awards.

Now in its ninth year, the awards recognise standout IT projects in government and industry, including local government.

The project focused on the End User Control System, which is part of the $20.9 million recycling water scheme helping to save water and reduce energy usage. The End User Control System presents a novel approach to managing the supply-demand balance, water quality risks and customer engagement and is pushing the development of new technology that the broader industry can benefit from.

Council is connecting new customers to the distribution system via an innovative meter stand arrangement incorporating IoT technology that not only provides smart metering, but also offers supply control through an integrated pressure sustaining and solenoid control valve.

“The control system also benefits Council’s presentation team as it means that they can track and manage water consumption easily through the web portal,” said Andrew Francis, Director of Infrastructure.

“The control system also gives us an additional non-treatment barrier by monitoring live weather data and stopping supply during unfavourable conditions that can lead to irrigation spray drift and runoff.”

Sophie Field with Parkes Shire Council HR Manager Rhonda Milgate.

A Parkes student has successfully completed a unique juggling act between going to school, studying online and doing a school-based traineeship.

Parkes Christian School graduate Sophie Field (18) recently completed a Certificate III in Business Administration as part of a school-based traineeship with Parkes Shire Council. This is a unique arrangement where students work on-the-job one day per week, study at TAFE NSW online, and attend school for the remaining four days. Sophie is now continuing to work for Council in an administration role.

“I really valued the opportunity of being able to develop workplace skills and complete a qualification all before finishing school,” Sophie said.

“It’s helped me build up a strong work ethic and extend my skills in Microsoft Office programs that I can use in any career I pursue. I’ve also benefitted from working in a team environment which has helped to develop my interpersonal skills.

“I was able to apply the knowledge and skills I was learning at TAFE NSW on-the-job at Parkes Shire Council and I think this really helped me process what I was learning.”

She encouraged other students entering year 11 to consider a school-based traineeship.

Mayor of Parkes Shire Council Cr Ken Keith said: “The traineeship program has been a positive and successful experience both for the students, the workplace and the community, as it provides opportunities for young people to learn, study and work within the Parkes Shire.

The Mayor commended Sophie for her hard work and dedication throughout her schooling and during her time working within the Economic Development team at Council.

For information about school-based apprenticeships or traineeships at TAFE NSW, speak to your school career advisor or visit, tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.

Electricity distributor Essential Energy has launched its third annual Community Choices program, which supports local groups across its footprint by offering funds up to $2,500 for successful candidates.

A total funding pool of $175,000 is up for grabs, with funding available in 20 zones supporting up to 140 community organisations. Eligible groups such as charities, not-for-profit and community groups like CWA, community centres, school P&Cs and sporting clubs can nominate to take part in the community-led voting.

Participants can rally their supporters to take part in the public voting online for two weeks from 18th May. “The entire process can be completed online – from community groups and charities nominating to the community voting. It’s a great and COVID-safe way to raise funds,” said Operations Manager Central, Bronwyn Sigmund.

“There are many groups across our footprint that are really in need of this funding – which is why Essential Energy is asking the community to choose the groups they think should receive a boost.” Bronwyn said.

This year, Essential Energy has introduced an additional Small Communities category. Local groups in towns with populations of less than 20,000 people can nominate for this additional category by simply ticking a box during the nomination process. The Small Communities category provides an additional opportunity for groups whose voting base may be smaller than groups in larger communities to be awarded funding.

Funding packages range from $500 to $2,500 available depending on votes. Nominees must be able to receive payments by electronic funds transfer (EFT), and provide photos and stories about their organisations and the work they do.

Nominations are open from 12th April until 10th May, and voting will be open from 18th to 31st May. Visit essentialenergy.com.au/choices to learn more or make a nomination.

The Cobb and Co coach at Bumberry Hotel near Parkes in 1892. (Source: National Archives of Australia website)

Bumberry is one of many towns and villages in the Parkes Shire whose heyday lies in the past. Located less than 25km east of Parkes and 23km west of Manildra; Bumberry is situated in the county of Ashburnham under the cadastral map system.

Many towns had different spellings from what they have today. Bumberry has been spelt ‘Bumbury’ and was previously known as ‘Bunbury’. Bunbury was a parish, adjacent to Bindogundra parish. Bunbury was named after Lord Bunbury, an English aristocrat who was renowned for his well-trained racehorses.

A report on the proposed railway extension in The Sydney Morning Herald in 1886 stated that in “…the Bumberry Mountains was the finest timber in the colony…”. Bumberry’s rich resources went beyond timber, as in 1921 Mayor Woodward utilised Bumberry Dam as a water source for the town of Parkes.

It was one of the towns that Sir Henry Parkes visited in 1887, with special addresses presented to him by both the Bumbury town and Bumbury Public School children. Bumberry had a provisional school as early as 1878 and this school continued – relocating and being called Bumberry Siding – until December 1972 when the Department of Education closed it for good. Family names that are associated with Bumberry include Massurit, Townsend, Schnabel, Davis and Hazell.

Bumberry is known for being cooler than Parkes, and there have been several instances where it has experienced heavy snowfall. This is covered in greater detail on a blog post about snow in the Parkes Shire which can be found at www.historyparkes.org

Today Bumberry dam is a haven for picnickers, birdwatchers and those who love spending time in its serene bushland. In October last year, it was the finishing location for the National Bird Week Walk.

By Dan Fredericks

(This is an abridged version from Parkes Library’s history blog which can be found at www.historyparkes.org)

The Wiradjuri Council of Elders held their first post COVID meeting at the Parkes Shire Council last month. The members are (L-R) Sadie Heckenberg (Melbourne), Irene Ridgeway (Parkes), Sue Peachey (Dubbo), Tony Peachey (Dubbo), Robyn Heckenberg (Perth), David Acheson (Forbes), Brad Bliss (Orange), Rob Clegg (Parkes), Ray Woods (Hay) and Midnight Brydon (Narromine).

After a COVID hiatus, the Wiradjuri Council of Elders was able to meet again at the end of last month at the Parkes Shire Council.

“This was not the first collaboration between Parkes Shire and the Wiradjuri Elders,” said secretary/treasurer David Acheson. “Parkes Shire Council has provided a venue for previous meetings in Parkes and looked after the elders extremely well.”

Parkes Mayor Ken Keith OAM was on hand to welcome the Elders. Discussions at the meeting ranged from water to emerging Elders. A Zoom link was also trilled successfully for future meetings and the Elders from Lithgow were able to attend via Zoom.

According to David, Wiradjuri culture dictates meetings follow the Yindyamarra (to respect, to honour) protocol. The Wiradjuri Nation is geographically the largest indigenous nation in NSW and probably the largest in terms of population.

The boundary of the Wiradjuri Nation extends from Coonabarabran in the north, straddling the Great Dividing Range down to the Murray River and out to western NSW.

The Wiradjuri Council of Elders is comprised members from all over Wiradjuri Country and had its first meeting in 1989.

Members of the Parkes Bridge Club at play.

Some interested readers are asking about bridge basics. So, let’s begin with working out how many high card points you have in your hand. To count your points, you add the honours (picture cards) from your thirteen cards. Four for aces; three for kings; two for queens; and one for jacks. Generally speaking, you need 13 points to open the bidding. You will learn about exceptions as you go. Players bid in turn around the table. If you have to pass on the first round, because you don’t hold enough points, never fear. You can come in and bid on subsequent rounds, until three players pass in a row, putting an end to the bidding.

Look out for more information on bidding in the coming weeks. Or better still, come to the Parkes Bridge Club and find out more.

Best bidders the past week were: Tuesday, 6th April Val Worthington and Helen McQuie; Thursday, 8th April north/south Louise Payne and Peter Quin, east/west Vickie Burke and Dawn Phipps; Monday, 12th April Gary Somers and Greig Ball

We play Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1pm and Mondays at 6:30pm at the Lutheran Church Hall. Check our page https://www.parkes.bridge-club.org or call Greig Ball 0429621712 or Bev Laing 0418114826.

By Beth Thomas

Peter Guppy took the Town Crier Tim Keith on a joyride in the trishaw around the Parkes CBD on Saturday morning. The idea started in Denmark and has grown rapidly throughout the world to 37 countries with more than 1,500 trishaws in use. Parkes is right on track to get a specialised bike for the community in the near future. Maureen Massey (photo on right) enjoyed her ride with the volunteers from BIKEast Sydney who brought the trishaw to town last weekend. They are Dick van den Dool, Tomamaso Pelle and Adrian Boss.

The Cycling Without Age concept was tested in Parkes last weekend with about 40 people trying it out.

“They just loved it and wanted to go again,” said Peter Guppy, who brought the idea to Parkes and formed a community committee to raise the finances to purchase a specialised bicycle called a trishaw.

BIKEast Sydney brought a trishaw to introduce the concept to Parkes and residents of three residential and nursing homes, and some members of the public were taken on rides. “I was nearly in tears seeing their reactions,” said Peter. “One of the passengers got off and the nurse remarked: ‘I have never seen that person smile.’ The difference in attitude from when they got on and when they got off was just unbelievable.”

Recently retired teacher Maureen Massey hopped on for a ride around the CBD and she said it was very good. “I think it’s a great idea!”

The positive reaction from the community has made Peter even more determined to get a trishaw for the Parkes community. He has already started a gofund page to raise about $28,000. “We have raised about $6,000 so far and if everyone just puts in $5 we can easily get there.”

Peter said the ideal would be to encourage the children and grandchildren of nursing home residents to take out their family members for a ride, and not rely solely on volunteers.

The trishaw will be managed by the community committee, and a Google calendar would be set up so family members and volunteers can go online and book a time they would like to use the bike.

If you would like more information on this exciting project, visit the Cycling Without Age Parkes Facebook page, or if you want to make a donation go to https://chuffed.org/project/cycling-without-age-parkes