More than 100 hands formed a colourful display for the start of National Reconciliation Week 2017 at the Parkes Visitor Information Centre last Saturday.

“It is all about caring and sharing,” said David Acheson of the Lachlan Reconciliation Group who organised the event.

Two significant anniversaries in Australia’s reconciliation journey are celebrated this year as it is 50 years since the 1967 referendum, and 25 years since the historic Mabo decision.

Councillor Wally Biles shared his personal experience of the 1967 referendum at the event on Saturday. “I grew up on the Brewarrina Mission near Bourke and we were not allowed to leave or move off the mission. If it was not for the referendum I would never have got an education,” said the Police officer, who was elected to council for the first time last year.

The Councillor said although there had been a lot of positive changes, there was still a lot of work to be done. “We should all embrace national reconciliation, make it part of the Council calendar and make sure this celebration happens every year.

The winner of the raffle run by the Lachlan Reconciliation Group was Wiradjuri teacher Loretta Gilbey winning a Wiradjuri diction- ary and grammar book, donated by Uncle Stan Grant.

Adding to the Sea of Hands display made in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander national colours were two art works made by the Parkes Early Childhood Centre and Middleton Preschool on exhibit.

As part of the commemorations, Council is working on an Indigenous art project to go on display throughout the Parkes Shire.

The last event takes place tomorrow at the Parkes Library. Everyone is invited to the launch of an exhibition titled Erratic Symbiosis, Unearthing Past Voices – Sowing Future Visions curated by Sean James Cassidy.

By Maggi Barnard

The many parks in Parkes contribute to a positive feel of beauty and tranquility. The newest park is a space where visitors can specifically contemplate the meaning and value of peace.

The construction of the new Rotary Peace Precinct located within the Rotary Arboretum on Bushman Street will soon be complete.

Supported by a Country Arts Support Program (CASP) grant, the new Peace Precinct has been built to provide the community a space for reflection and to gather each year for world peace.

A dry creek bed was constructed which includes the installation of five carved timber pillars by local artists Sean Cassidy, Scott (Sauce) Towney and Scott Turnbull.

“Four of the five pillars are positioned along the natural curve of the dry creek bed, representing four music notes. Together they make a harmony – and harmony is what the peace precinct is all about,” Sean explained.

“The five pillars stand for peace, respect and value diversity, acknowledge the past, strong families strong community, and Yindymarra Winhanganha – a Wiradjuri phrase meaning ‘the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in’.”

Sean said they should remind us that respect, rejection of violence, resolution, reconciliation and freedom contributed to a state of peace. The pillars are carved with Wiradjuri iconography to acknowledge the First Peoples and our local history.

Council staff joined members of the Rotary Club to carry out landscaping and planting around the pillars.

Rotary Club secretary Ken Engsmyr said: “We hope the re-development of the precinct will encourage discussion around the five featured themes, and that it will become a focus for peace activities in future.”

“Parkes was officially declared a Peace Community in 2012. This project will reflect the credo of our community being an inclusive place to live, work and visit.”

The main judge for the Parkes Picnic Races Fashions on the Field next Saturday is former local Jay Fisher.

Jay was born in Parkes and relocated with his family to Canberra before commencing high school where he started modelling for local designers and magazines.

Jay now lives in Sydney and has built a large following on Instagram (@jayfishr). Jay’s social media platform has enabled him to collaborate with Australian and global brands, such as Daniel Wellington, Shoreditch, Julius Marlow and Bodaskins to name a few.

More recently Jay and his partner, Sam McDougall have signed a six-month deal to be Holden ambassadors, promoting the new Holden Astra via their social media channels.

Jay has a large extended family based in Parkes and is very excited to be a part of this annual event. He anticipates a high level of creativity with the fashions this year – so the challenge is out there Parkes!

 

A young Parkes resident was selected for a very special parliament sitting in Canberra last week.

Brenton Hawken participated in the 2017 National Indigenous Youth Parliament (NIYP) with 50 other young Indigenous Aus- tralians at Old Parliament House.

Brenton, who is currently studying a Bach- elor of Education at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, was selected from a field of 306 applicants across Australia for a week-long intensive leadership program.

The program involved meeting with Parliamentarians, business, community and Indigenous leaders and learning about the parliamentary process. They participated in a two-day simulated Parliament debating bills on issues identified by the participants. These included education, employment, improving access to mental health, human rights and drug and alcohol rehabilitation services.

For Brenton, who would like to become a school principal to inspire the next generation of youth to pursue their goals and dreams, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

He also met the Member for Riverina and Minister for Small Business, Michael McCormack. The Minister said he was delighted to meet Brenton and sponsor part of his participation in the NIYP.

“Brenton, his family and peers should be proud of his selection, because his participation highlights his achievement as a proactive individual and positive role model who strives to make a personal contribution to his community.”

“I commend Brenton for taking such an active interest in speaking up for and on behalf of his community and for both indigenous and non-indigenous youth alike.

“I have no doubt we’ll see more of Bren- ton in the future as an up and coming leader and I encourage him to follow his dreams and wish him every success as he sets out to do so.”

The NIYP is delivered by the Australian Electoral Commission in collaboration with the YMCA and the Museum of Australian Democracy.

 

Quota International of Parkes hosted Region 12’s annual meeting last weekend as part of the 60th birthday celebration of the Parkes club.

More than 30 Quotarians from Bathurst, Blackheath, Orange, Condobolin and Lithgow attended the program over two days at the Parkes Services Club.

The event was officially opened by Mayor Ken Keith. He welcomed the Vice-President of Quota International, Shelly Brown to Parkes and briefed the meeting on the latest developments in the shire.

He said the huge investment announced in the Federal budget for the Inland Rail Project was the best news Parkes had ever received. “There is huge potential with many benefits for the region. The prosperity it will bring makes it a well worth investment.”

The Mayor was very happy to boast about the Council’s initiative to make a short humorous video as a pitch to Amazon, that was posted online last week, to bring its investment centre to Parkes as a demonstration of the possibilities for new development the project could bring.

Shelly Brown attended the meeting to brief members on the latest information from the head office. She also handed a certificate to regional director, Lynne Hawley for her services.

Although Parkes will celebrate its 60th anniversary in September, the semi-formal dinner on Saturday night was a good time to cut a cake for the anniversary.

Quota International supports the deaf, hard of hearing, speech impaired and women and children in the local community and around the world.
By Maggi Barnard

The first stage of the Parkes CBD Vibrancy Project has been put into action with the construction of temporary outdoor dining platforms in Church Street.

The project aims to add interest and ex- citement to the main street and adjoining streets to improve the CBD for shopping, working, living and visiting. The dining platforms have been exclusively designed for Parkes Shire Council as modular and transportable infrastructure that will allow businesses to increase their dining capacity and expand the outdoor dining options.

The platforms are particularly suited to businesses adjoining parallel parking spaces with the platform designed to occupy a car parking space and sit between the gutter and fog line with easy access from the footpath. The platform includes side barricades and a shade structure with businesses required to supply chairs, tables and any additional accessories.

Parkes Shire Council’s Economic & Business Development Manager, Anna Wyllie said “after a competitive expression of interest process for the pilot phase, the first dining platform will be trialled with Bella’s Café & Italian Restaurant”.

“Bella’s application for the trial was strong due to their seven day per week operating hours for breakfast, lunch and dinner which allows us to thoroughly test the dining ex- tension. The location in Church Street with access to the northerly entrance of the establishment was also appealing given there will be minimised impact on parking and traffic as opposed to a main street location.”

The dining platform trial compliments other detailed planning and consultation under- way for the southern end of the CBD which include improvements to the road surface, footpaths, parking, lighting, building access and signage. The plans for lower Clarinda Street are on exhibition and can be viewed via Council’s website or at the Administration Centre in Cecile Street.