The Parkes Painting Group are presenting their 16th annual art exhibition later this month. Parkes local artist, Helen Huntly, is part of the team that organises the exhibition.

Helen had an avid interest in art as a youth. “I would get in trouble from my Mum, for drawing in all the wrong places,” said Helen. The combination of raising four children, and doing shift work for many years, meant that Helen didn’t really start to paint or draw again until after she retired from nursing.

Helen did complete one year of art at TAFE, after which the course was cancelled. Now, she dabbles with acrylics, water-colours, pastels and even photography. “Wednesday is my selfish day – I don’t think about anything but colour and what I’m going to do with it,” said Helen.

The group meets at 10am every Wednesday at North Parkes Oval. There are approximately 20 people in the group, with numbers fluctuating week to week. All forms of art projects are explored, including painting, drawing, and pottery. Most members are contributing two-three pieces each for the exhibition. Contributing artists include Pol Cruz, Elsie Mahon, as well as Kath Swansbra, national award winner and champion for cake decoration. There will also be works by the exhibition’s guest artist, Susan Carter. Susan is a visual artist from Narromine, who also exhibited in the Australia Day Exhibition earlier this year.

The exhibition is being held in the Coventry Room at the Parkes Shire Library, 25 Bogan St, Parkes. Opening night will be Friday 27th April from 7pm with an entry fee of $10, and an official opening by Councillor Bill Jayet. A raffle will also be held, with proceeds going to Currajong Enterprises. The exhibition will remain open from Saturday 28th April til Thursday 3rd May from 10am-4pm, with an entry fee of $2.

The NSW Business Chamber is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2018 Western NSW Regional Business Awards.

Winners of the 2018 Western NSW Regional Business Awards will represent the region at the NSW Business Chamber’s State Business Awards held in November in Sydney.

Western NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager, Vicki Seccombe, said this year’s finalists represent a fantastic cross section of businesses from right across Western NSW.

“These awards are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate excellence in the local business community and showcase their success at a local, regional and state level,” Ms Seccombe said.

Parkes finalists in the 2018 Western NSW Regional Business Awards are:
• Outstanding Young Entrepreneur: Stephanie Hughes, Hughes & Co Lawyers & Conveyancing
• Outstanding Business Leader: David Thompson, McPhersons Parts & Service
• Excellence in Small Business: La Bella Medispa
• Excellence in Business: K&H Geotechnical Services
• Excellence in Social Enterprise: Parkes Shire Food Service

Local creative groups and artists have until Friday 4 May to apply for a 2018 Parkes Shire Council Cultural Grant. The aim of Council’s cultural grant program is to encourage and support the development of the art and craft community, services and strategies which make a positive contribution to the community and cultural life of the Shire. Applications must request a grant of at least $2,000 with the total funding pool at $10,000.

“Four local organisations received grants in 2017”, said Manager Cultural, Education & Library Services, Shellie Buckle. “Peak Hill Leisure Art and Craft Council Inc for art tutoring, Parkes Action Club to hold the St Elmo Shearing Shed art exhibition, Trundle Film Society for Being on High Ground video production project and Parkes/Forbes Branch Cake Decorators Guild of NSW Inc for a cake decorating and sugar art seminar.”

Funding categories include subsidy for a new project, extension or enhancement of an existing project, purchase of equipment or minor capital works.

Parkes Shire Council’s Cultural Committee Chair, Deputy Mayor Councillor Barbara Newton would like to encourage groups to apply. “The cultural grants enable Council to directly fund innovative projects and ideas. A lovely example is from last year. Cultural grant recipients Parkes Action Club went on to receive the 2017 Cultural Award for a group for their St Elmo Shearing Shed art exhibition” said Councillor Newton.

Cultural Grants application forms are available on Council’s website, www.parkes.nsw.gov.au, or at any Parkes Shire Library (Parkes, Peak Hill, Trundle and Tullamore).

Contact Council’s Grant Officer Kimberley Harris, 6861 2398 for advice and support in completing the application. Successful applications will be announced in June 2018.

Come and support the Anglican Flower Show which is being held at St Georges Hall on the corner of Church and Hill
Streets on Saturday 28th April, between 9am and 4pm. Entry is $10 and includes Morning or Afternoon tea.

If you wish to exhibit your flowers, bring them to the hall on Friday 27th April between 12 noon and 6pm or Saturday 28th April between 8am to 9am.

The proceeds for the day will help to install split system air-conditioning in the hall, as it is used each week for Play Group, Kids Club and A Youth Group and will make it more comfortable for all who use the hall in all seasons. Lorraine Chambers is manning her great plant stall, the ladies are firing up for a great cake stall, and the crafty people have a collection of old and new for you to buy.

Enjoy listening to the Parkes Shire Band play out on the lawn whilst you sit and sip your tea. The flowers will be judged by people’s choice, so come and support a friend, or your favorite flower.

Bring a friend and join us for a lovely day of fine food, flowers and music. For any enquiries, contact Vivian Cunningham on 02 6862 2963 or Norma Garment on 0409 622 888.

Anzac Day and Remembrance Day are the two most significant events on the Returned and Services League’s (RSL) calendar.

Remembrance Day 2018 at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 2018 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended the killing in World War I. This War was also known as the “First World War”, the “Great War” or the “War To End All Wars”. Sadly, this did not happen.

This Anzac Day marks the 103rd anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. The acronym ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose soldiers were known as Anzacs. Anzac Day remains one of the most important national occasions of both Australia and New Zealand. This is a rare instance of two sovereign countries not only sharing the same day of remembrance
but making reference to both countries in its name.

DAWN SERVICE
The Parkes Dawn Service will be held on the Memorial Hill where representatives of the armed forces, serving and ex-service men and women, Parkes’ organizations and schoolchildren commemorate and lay wreaths for the fallen. The ceremony commences at 5:30am and there will be seats available for the aged and infirm ex-service men and women as well as for the public attending this solemn, moving ceremony.

The ceremony will be completed by 6:30am where the Memorial will remain opened for a time to allow for the viewing of the wreaths. All those who go to the Dawn Service are invited back to the Parkes Services Club for a free breakfast hosted by the Club. While you are on the Hill and before you leave, take note of the repainted Memorial, the Bofors anti-aircraft gun east of the memorial and take a walk along the Remembrance Walk through the Theatres
of Conflict Gardens. On your way down, view the relocated Vietnam War Memorial with its 25 pdr gun and the linking steps from the Rotary Peace Gate through to the Remembrance Walk and the Memorial. All this work is just the first stage of the Memorial Hill Restoration Project by the Memorial Hill Rejuvenation Committee, Parkes Shire
Council and the Parkes volunteering community.

ANZAC DAY MARCH
The Anzac Day March will be led by Air Vice Marshal Stephen Osborne, AM, CSC, who is Commander Joint Agency Task Force of Operation Sovereign Borders followed by serving and former service men and women. The Parkes Shire Concert Band will play the marching music. The march will include contingents from the Parkes Schools
plus scouts and guides. We are asking all service and ex-service men and women of Parkes to march to recognise that special event. Now days all ex-service men and women irrespective of overseas service are now termed Veterans. We are also inviting the people of Parkes to march with us and wear their ancestor’s medals with pride on their right chest. If you do not wish to march, come as a spectator and wear your ancestor’s medals with pride and to show your respect to your ancestor’s contribution to the defence of Australia.

The march will start off at about 8.35am from in front of the Parkes Services Club. Those marching should be there by about 8.15am to form up.

COOKE PARK CIVIC CEREMONY
The 2018 Cooke Park Civic Ceremony will start off immediately after the march at 9.00am.

The Parkes Shire Concert Band will play the music and the Middleton Public School Choir will provide the vocal accompaniment. The MC for this event will be Mr Kent Boyd, General Manager, Parkes Shire Council and the Mayor of Parkes Shire, Cr Ken Keith, OAM, will recite the Prologue. The Principle Address will be by AVM Stephen Osbourne, AM CSC, and the “Anzac Addresses by Modern Youth” will be made by school captains from Parkes High
School and Parkes Christian School.

PILGRIMAGE TO PARKES WAR GRAVES
At 10.45am there will be the pilgrimage to the Parkes Cemetery with a small wreath laying service at the WWI digger’s statue and brief service will be held and wreaths laid on each of the graves in the War Graves section. Everyone is invited to attend.

DEDICATION OF DISPLAYS
At 11.30am, AVM Osbourne will dedicate two displays at the Parkes RSL display cabinets in the Parkes Services Club. Also attending will be Mr Philip Donato, MP, Member for Orange. The displays are dedications honouring Pilot Officer Rawdon Middleton VC and Flying Officer Colin Hendry DFC. We all know about PO Middleton VC and his heroic deeds and his relationship with the Parkes area, but FO Hendry DFC was the highest decorated Parkes born service man of WWII.

ANZAC DAY LUNCHEON
The Anzac Luncheon will be held at 12 noon for Sub Branch members and invited guests. AVM Osborne will give the keynote address. In addition to Mr Philip Donato and Cr Ken Keith, other invitees include the RSL Western Districts President, Mr Greg Salmon, MM, Parkes RSL Women’s Auxiliary, Parkes War Widows, Parkes Torchbearers for Legacy and the captains of all Parkes Schools and their chaperone teachers.

Should any other veteran wish to attend please contact the Sub Branch for catering purposes. Your attendance would be most welcome.

TWO UP
The annual Anzac Day Two Up will take place in the Starlight Lounge of the Parkes Services Club starting at 2.30pm and ending at 6.00pm. All proceeds will go to Parkes Legacy.

RETREAT
Anzac Day 2018 will come to a close at 5.00pm with the lowering of the Flag and the Last Post at the Cooke Park Cenotaph.

BADGE SALES
The annual Anzac Day badge sales, raffle and street stall will not be carried out this year as the RSL State Branch has banned all fundraising in all Sub Branches seemingly moving the blame for HO governance issues onto Sub Branches.

Terry Knowles
President
Parkes RSL Sub Branch

Remembering the atrocities of war is a complex business. We are encouraged to place our veterans on a pedestal and yet we must remember to not glorify the feats they enacted.

We are currently preparing for Anzac Day in the midst of World War I’s centenary, and it is more important now than ever that we mark this time with dignity and respect. As the people of our country sacrificed their livelihoods, relationships, homes, let us too make a sacrifice, whether it be with our time as we go to a ceremony, money as we donate to our veterans, or even lay a wreath of flowers.

While poppies remain an enduring symbol, hardy fresh natives of our land represent the hardy young people that we sent off to war. To order your fresh floral wreaths, call the Pink Orchid on 02 6862 3522 for a fitting tribute from you on this Anzac Day.

Children across the Central West will be more secure following the training of 12 new Authorised Child Restraint Fitters across the region.

Mobility Engineering have been contracted by Roads and Maritime Service to conduct the training and oversee the
Authorised Child Restraint Fitting Station network in NSW. Mobility Engineering’s General Manager, Ali Akbarian, said the training would be held annually and aims to increase the number and spread of Authorised Child Restraint Fitting Stations in regional NSW.

“Two in three child restraints are not being used properly. If you have trouble fitting or adjusting your child restraint, visit an Authorised Child Restraint Fitting Station.”

“There are more than 300 Authorised Child Restraint Fitting Stations across NSW. Visit www.childcarseats.com.au/findan-authorised-fitting-station and click on the link for NSW to search for your nearest Authorised Child Restraint Fitting Station,” Mr Akbarian said.

Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, welcomes the new Authorised Child Restraint Fitting Station in Forbes – Forbes Auto Electrical, who will join the existing Authorised Child Restraint Fitting Stations – Jelbart Dawsons (Forbes), Col Fletcher Ford and Kia (Parkes) and Parkes Tyrepower.

“The correct selection and installation of child restraints is vital. It is important to make sure that your precious cargo is safe and buckled up every time they are in the car – whether it’s a five minute or five hour journey,” Ms Suitor said.

There will be another free training course held in the region in early 2019. If you are interested in attending and becoming an Authorised Child Restraint Fitting Station, please contact Mobility Engineering on 02 9482 4572. For further information please contact Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention
Officer, Melanie Suitor, on 02 6861 2364.