Stephanie Fleming (5) and Sophie Haench (4)
Stephanie: I went on holiday on a house boat! Sophie: Playing with my dad and my brother Cooper.
Hudson Grey (4); Emmett Butler (3) and Benjamin Doughty (3)
Hudson: Playing with mum and dad and going on bike rides. Emmett: Going to the beach and for a boat ride. Benjamin Doughty: Going into a really high building to see my mum.
Mason Wright (almost 3): I like the dinosaurs game I play with my brother. I like to roar like T-Rex!
Robert Ryan (6): Playing games with my friends like Duck, Duck Goose. Hide and Seek is my favourite. We also made up our own games.
Joshua Wright (6): I like playing Fortnite, the dinosaur game outside with my little brother, and the security game with my Mum before bed time, when I am in charge.
Hayley Lawrence (9): My best friend Lyla. She’s not scared to get in there. Also my dad who played indoor soccer. I enjoy all sports.
Ryan Went (8): Ronaldo, because he has cool tricks. I like running around and kicking the ball, and would like to play like Ronaldo one day.
Makayla Soane (13): I like anyone who really gets into playing and who has good technique. I enjoy soccer to help me stay active, and have played it for about seven years.
Keith Turk: I has to be my Kia Sportage… just kidding. It is the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, because it was in Smokey and the Bandit.
Nevill Trainor: I am a car collector and have a shed full of them. One of my favourites is the 1972 Holden Torana GTR XU-1, but my best one is the Holden VK Brock Commodore.
Kevin Clark: I like the cars that came out when I grew up, like the Holden EH and the Mini Cooper S. I have owned both of these cars.
Sue Ridley: I’ve been in Parkes all my life. It is just quieter and not a rat race. My extended family are here too.
Jack and Carmel van der Helm: We are originally from Parkes, but have been living in Melbourne for the past 47 years. We enjoy the peace and quiet, clean air and close proximity of everything in country towns, as well as cheaper real estate.
Kerry Buerckner: You could never pay me enough money to live in a city! It is more relaxed in the country. City people are so rushed. I was born in Parkes and love it here.
Chief Inspector David Cooper, Central West Police District
Chief Inspector David Cooper, Central West Police District: This year has certainly been one of challenges – as we all battled our way through a devastating drought and then the catastrophic bushfires – we thought things were finally starting to look up. Then COVID-19 hit and life has not been the same since. What these things have really shown is that our communities are adaptive, strong and resilient. What was considered “normal” in our day-to-day lives may never be the same again, but we have all managed to adapt and change the way we do things.
Internationally the “Black Lives Matter” movement has come to the fore and has brought with it many conversations. The actions of some police from overseas, as portrayed in the media, appear abhorrent. What I can say is that the police in Parkes support our community because they are part of the community. Our police and community relations are strong and have been built over many years. Police rely on the community for their support just as much as the community relies on police to maintain law and order. I look forward to continue working with the community as we move forward and face the challenges together.
Dorothea Tom OAM: Out on the farm life went on as usual pretty much, but I did a lot more cooking and reading. I love reading and as the library was closed, I got into all the books I haven’t read for 30 years!
Bruce Prior: I kept on doing my two shifts per week on Valley FM, and ‘the bride’ and I did a lot of behind the scenes work at the Henry Parkes Historical Museum. It was a different kind of trip, as we will not be pulling the caravan out this year.
Rosemary Prior: I spent most of my time at the Henry Parkes Historical Museum where we had lots of archived ‘Pandora’s boxes’ to be opened and sorted. We found some amazing treasures, including a beautifully preserved sheep skin vest worn by a digger in World War I. This will soon go on display.
Geoff Anderson: The current events in the USA are driven by separation and degradation of knowledge of people’s culture and a loss of cultural understanding of where people are from. This has led to many years of tension festering to a point of this eruption. Here in Parkes we teach our students the history of Australia and around Parkes. The students understand the history and whether they are Aboriginal or not they all understand and respect the land and the culture. By teaching language and culture, you’re teaching respect.
Sean James Cassidy: Help each other and acknowledge the past – the bad and the good.
Helen Huntly: I have a studio at the back of my house. I found when I really worked at making time for myself, I lost track of time and got into that lovely place of creating, which is a place of comfort and peace.
Annette Witherow: I really missed our weekly Parkes Painters gatherings, as that is what inspires me to pick up my paint brushes. We also missed out on our annual exhibition to put our work on show. So, I’ve not been painting much at all, but I did spend a lot of time in my garden.
Margaret Marshall: It did 100%! I completed six paintings. I have really enjoyed total isolation as I could spend time on my art every day without any interruptions. I was able to give it my full concentration and enjoy doing it guilt free.
Evie Brown (Kindy): I enjoyed doing the dance moves for the number counting song and showing my mum my work. I missed my teachers Mrs Harrison, Mrs Melhuish and Mrs Richards.
Joshua King (Year 7): The best thing was sleeping in and having nice lunches (not just the same old sandwich). The worst was not being able to see friends and to learn face to face.
Ally Francis (Year 12): The benefits were being able to do things on my own timetable and not having to wear a uniform. It was hard not having one on one teaching, being able to ask questions and receive answers straight away and not seeing friends.