Peter Unger Parkes Show President

How long have you lived in Parkes? I’ve lived at Alectown all my life.

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I own/manage/work on our family run farming business. I enjoy being my own boss and the challenges that it presents.

What do you do in your spare time and on weekends? (If only…) I enjoy family time with my wife and kids, church, camping, watching footy.

What are you really good at? I’m passionate and excited about the future of agriculture in Australia, so I guess I’m good at dealing with the challenges that come with our industry.

If you could have a superpower what would it be? Hindsight.

What is your pet hate? Not being organised.

Tell us about your best holiday. We have been privileged to be able to take our four boys on big camping trips all over Australia. Lots of great memories seeing this amazing country of ours.

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like most about living here? I was born in Parkes and have always lived here, except when I went to Bathurst to complete my teaching degree. I love Parkes because it a great place for kids to grow up and be involved in many different sports which was important to my family. We have met many wonderful people who do so much for the community.

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I have the great pleasure of teaching Kindergarten at Parkes Public School. I absolutely love teaching. No two days are the same and I work alongside a kind, caring and extremely dedicated staff. I love the children I work with, and appreciate the wonderful support we receive from parents and the community.

What do you do in your spare time and on weekends? It is important to me to spend time with my beautiful grandchildren Kallum, Annabelle, Zac, Lola and Koen. Sometimes I like to do patchwork. I plan my learning experiences for my class most weekends.

What are you really good at? I like to bake, especially with my grandchildren. I used to be quite good at icing birthday cakes.

If you could have a superpower what would it be? To teach all children to read and write with ease and give them the ability to see inside themselves to see the beautiful, capable, strong person they are and to feel happy with themselves.

What is your pet hate? To give up without trying.

Tell us about your best holiday. I went to the UK last year and loved Ireland. The most interesting place though was South Africa. We went with my son for hockey and saw Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, Soweto and went on a safari in Pilanesberg National Park.

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like most about living here? I partly completed my apprenticeship in Parkes in the mid-Sixties and came back here to live 28 years ago. Parkes ticks a lot of boxes for me. A friendly, go ahead town with a very cooperative and proactive Council and it is where I met my soul mate.

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I no longer work but I get a lot of satisfaction tutoring kids in maths and English. I also enjoy setting up the necessary equipment for our new Parkes Dragon Boat Club to get us on the water.

What do you do in your spare time and on weekends? Recently I have proudly helped to establish the Parkes Dragon Boat Club. It goes without saying that on weekends I will be out on a waterway (mostly the beautiful Lake Endeavour), either steering or paddling a dragon boat.

What are you really good at? My wife thinks I am good at everything, probably because I built her a castle in our back yard. I guess for my age I must be ok at dragon boating as I made the Western NSW team for the nationals this year.

If you could have a superpower what would it be? If I were blessed with a superpower it would be to heal all chronic pain sufferers and house all homeless people.

What is your pet hate? I have no time for litterbugs or smokers who toss their bumpers on the ground or in the gutter.

Rosemary Mitchell

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like most about living here?
I have lived in Parkes for 62 years. I love the size of Parkes, it is not too small and not too big, easy to get around in a short time.

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I do volunteer work spending several days a week at Parkes Craft Corner and one day at Anglicare Op Shop, Georgies Boutique. I play bowls at Parkes Sporting and Bowling Club on Tuesdays. I do Meals on Wheels twice a month. I enjoy meeting people and interacting with other volunteers.

What do you do in your spare time and on weekends? On weekends I like to relax and knit items for Craft Corner.

What are you really good at? I am really good at knitting beanies.

If you could have a superpower what would it be? If I had a superpower I would build houses and units for homeless, vulnerable people, especially older women on very limited incomes.

What is your pet hate? My pet hate is people who litter. Take your rubbish home, please do not drop it in the street.

Tell us about your best holiday. My best holiday was travelling by bus through Tasmania with my husband.

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like most about living here? I have lived in Parkes for 35 years. I grew up on the farm at Yarrabandai. The best thing about Parkes was bringing my family up here. A great environment for all aspects of their lives. The caring community is one of the best.

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I am retired after 41 years in the electrical industry. I have turned my hobby of lead lighting into a small business – something I enjoy with a passion. I just enjoy doing good work for customers.

What do you do in your spare time and on weekends? My other time is spent with my grandchildren, working as a volunteer coordinator for Parkes Palliative Care, working with bereaved parents in the Central West and as an Elvis Festival volunteer. I also enjoy water skiing, swimming and driving the old Holden with the retro caravan behind.

What are you really good at? I am really good at getting into mischief with the grandkids! And getting into trouble with their parents (lol).

If you could have a superpower what would it be? If I had a super power, it would be to visit someone very special in heaven.

What is your pet hate? My pet hate is gossip, and how that affects the people involved!

Tell us about your best holiday. I have travelled overseas, but the best holidays were to Wyangala water skiing every January with family and friends – the absolute best times!

Patricia Smith

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like most about living here?
I have lived in Parkes all my 68 years. The friendships made and the community spirit is what I most like about it.

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I am serving my 10th year as a Councillor, and I just love working with different organisations in the community and watching the town prosper and grow.

What do you do in your spare time and on weekends? I enjoy gardening, reading and watching movies.

What are you really good at? Towing the caravan and being a grandmother.

If you could have a superpower what would it be? Healing sick kids.

What is your pet hate? People using phones in eating places.

Tell us about your best holiday. I have enjoyed many caravan holidays, but my best would be the Indian Pacific to Perth.

Glenn ‘Johno’ Johnstone

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like most about living here? All my life – 42 years (lol). My friends and family, and the community spirit that Parkes radiates!

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I have just started a new business called Johno’s Hockey Academy coaching hockey athletes of all ages and abilities. I love seeing athletes develop, gain confidence, and achieve their goals. I also operate the Just Hockey Pro Shop. In between, I do contract lawn mowing with Jim Daley of Cutting Edge Lawns.

What do you do in your spare time and on weekends? I don’t get a lot of spare time, as my wife Cherie and three sons Koby (15), Zanda (11) and Jett (9) all play hockey too. Doing it together is great. I do sneak in a fitness session in my home gym or a quiet beer with mates every now and then.

What are you really good at? Getting the best out of athletes, assisting them to realise their full potential. I also cook great poached eggs!

If you could have a superpower what would it be? Teleport, so I can send myself to places without the travel or waiting.

What is your pet hate? My boys leave the doors open all the time, it drives me crazy.

Tell us about your best holiday. In 2014 my mum and dad shouted my family and my sister’s family flights to America. We were 11 and we first arrived in Los Angeles for Disneyland, Universal Studios, an ice hockey game, a baseball game, Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach. We drove to Las Vegas – an eye opener – and loved Fremont St (old Vegas) and a helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon. In San Francisco we saw Alcatraz, Lombard St, Pier 39
and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge in an open-top bus. The best part was doing it as a family, so many great memories.

Louise O’Leary

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like most about living here?
I was born (1963), schooled and worked in Parkes, then relocated up the road to Peak Hill and married local Danny O’Leary. The Parkes Shire is an amazing place to live, work and play and is a wonderful place to grow a family and grow old (Hi Mum!).

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I work full-time as an Enrolled Nurse in Primary and Community Health at Peak Hill Multipurpose Service (MPS). I do activities from wounds to palliative care, aqua aerobics, tai chi and other health related activities. My ‘other job’ as an elected Councillor is squeezed in between – both jobs allow me to work with the Peak Hill and Shire communities, promote healthy lifestyles and be an advocate and a voice for others.

What do you do in your spare time and on weekends? Spare time? Not sure what it means, but I love gardening and play hockey with Middleton Hockey Club.

What are you really good at? Talking, healing wounds, talking, jigsaw puzzles.. did I mention talking?

If you could have a superpower what would it be? To freeze time – then I would have more time to fit in gardening, hockey and spend more time with my grandson Milo.

What is your pet hate? People who have no respect for others by speeding, littering and those who think themselves above the law.

Tell us about your best holiday. My first overseas trip to attend a best friend’s wedding in Switzerland and spent three weeks touring and living as a local – a fantastic country, friendly people and amazing chocolate.

Kevin Powell

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like most about living here?
I met a Parkes gal in Darwin, we married, had twins and moved here almost six years ago. I like that even the heat waves here are still cooler than tropical summers.

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I run a ‘flourishing’ garden /lawn mowing business. I like the reward of money for my labour (obviously), but I love the connection with local folks. “Always time for a cuppa” is my motto – which lets me taste scones, great scones… and hear wonderful stories and get to share my own.

What do you do in your spare time and on weekends? I meet the arvo school bus every day, so have plenty of time for growing veggies and breeding budgies and chooks. Kev’s Pasture Range Eggs has become a passion, family time at the Pink Orchid, catching up with mates for a beer, attending the girls’ soccer games and meeting at church on Sundays. Life is full.

What are you really good at? Telling stories. Hearing God’s voice, doing what He says makes the GREATEST stories, so I’ve found out.

If you could have a superpower what would it be? Zip the lip. It sometimes requires a super power to stop foolish talk. I know too well.

What is your pet hate? A pet dislike (hate is a powerful word) is littering – “out of site out of mind” littering.

Tell us about your best holiday. Getting paid to travel Australia for two years in 1993/94. What a top country!

How long have you lived in Parkes and what do you like most about living here? Mark and I have lived in Parkes since 1990. We wouldn’t live anywhere else. Our community is the centre of most things we do.

Where do you work or what do you do currently and what do you enjoy about it? I work at Parkes High School in the special education area and believe that it is the greatest asset in our town. Our community is fortunate to have access to this support. Each day is different!

What do you do in your spare time and on weekends? I’m passionate about access and opportunity for country women and have been involved with the CWA to further this. Our community has a great Pottery Club that I really enjoy belonging to. Last but not least, I’ve been involved with the Parkes Picnic Races for years and love the excitement and anticipation of each meeting.

If you could have a superpower what  would it be? I would choose a great dose of kindness every day for everyone’s family if I had a wish.

What is your pet hate? I don’t hate but would like to banish single use items like plastic as I abhor waste. I really like the mantra: reduce, reuse, recycle.