John and Jenny Short:

John (volunteered 20 times): It is a healthy and happy way of helping the community, and you get to meet lots of new people.

Jenny (volunteered 22 times): It is good fun and you get out in the fresh air that makes you feel so much better. I would absolutely recommend it to everyone. It’s the best time you can have on a Saturday morning and there is always coffee too!

 

Sarah Hartin with Rhylee (3) and Tony Melhuish:

Sarah (ran 26 events): I love running and the Parkes community. Parkrun is great for promoting good health in our town.

Tony (walked 32 events): I started doing it to help me loose some weight. I’ve not only managed to shed 20kg, but it is a great opportunity to do something with the family too.

Mel ten Cate: It brings so much. People from other countries bring their perspectives, experiences, culture, food, music, fashion, dances and more. There is so much we can learn and grow from. All of them enrich our lives and understanding.

 

Dominic Rolfe: Multi-culturalism broadens our horizons and it benefits country NSW as it brings new skills to name but one example.

 

Roel ten Cate: It brings an opportunity for all different cultures to come together in a melting pot. Food, culture, dances, way of living – all these different customs improve all of our lives.

Jacob Cass: It should be a message of reconnecting with the past and reconciliation to build a more unified future.

 

Margot Jolly: It should be about inclusiveness. I think having Australia Day on the 26th of Janu-ary is not inclusive, so let’s reflect it in Australia Day. Every day is a great day to be Australian, so why not draw a date from a hat. The day does not necessarily need a special meaning, as long as it has nothing to do with the British monarchy or any wars.

 

Jenny Kinghorn: I believe all people are equal and we should all treat each other that way. Australia Day is where we can meet each other in the middle.

Jaxon Nusipepa: I’m excited to turn eight, and to start playing footy this year.

 

Ahi and Nai Nusipepa:
Ahi: Getting my first ever haircut, and going swimming every day.
Nai: Starting Year 1 and playing soccer at school.

 

Luka Parkin: I can’t wait to be able to go camping outside of Parkes for holidays.

Natalie Quince: I look forward to the excitement of Christmas for our children. We will be in Parkes for the morning service on Christmas Day and then drive to Mudgee to be with our family for the rest of the day.

 

Sue McLennan: Being with family and friends. I’m not sure yet who I will see this year, but I hope to have Christmas lunch with some friends.

 

Kerrie Christopherson: Christmas time is family time. It will be a very quiet one this year as I will be staying in Parkes and spend time with the family here.

Dawn Brownlow: I came from Bathurst to see my grandkids perform and I thought it was just spectacular. It is such a bonus for Parkes and it’s beautiful. The sound was great, even better than in a hall. I would love to come and see other shows here too, in summer!

 

Virginia Rice: It was a real privilege for Parkes School of Dance to give the first performance at this facility that is a real asset for our community. We are very happy with the way it has gone today and we will definitely like to use it again.

 

Joanna McCabe and Kate Harris: It is really good and a great venue. They’ve done a terrific job with it and worked really well for a dance show. The sound was also good.

Maigan Robertson: It has really changed my life as it let me stay home while studying, and I’m able to work fulltime. I was at boarding school and when I came home after finishing school I reconnected with friends and was not keen to go away again to university in Wollongong. Through the CUC I am able to do two subjects per semester in Agri business, and I’m here most nights till midnight. The fast wifi and all the support from Jacob and the librarians are just amazing.

 

Michael Anderson: It has made such a big difference. The CUC is very important in my life as I have four kids at home and I’m not able to study there. I am able to fit in my study around my schedules as the centre is always open. I am studying for a Bachelors of Arts majoring in Community Development.

Angus Johnston and Kaiden Budd
Angus: I felt very nervous and awkward as I do when meeting new people.
Kaiden: It felt like meeting anyone new. He took a lot of photos of me welding. I never expected to meet him.

Ruth Murray: It was a big surprise and over-whelming. I never thought I would meet him. He was really nice and showed interest in what we’re doing here.

Jazmen Teerrill and Iesa Smith
Iesa: It was exciting, although I did not know it was him at first.
Jazmen: It was overwhelming. He was very polite and nice and asked us questions.

John Sarkissian: The telescope has put Parkes on the map so to speak! The Dish is an iconic symbol of Australian technology, innovation and science and attracts people from all over to our town and helps local businesses. The CSIRO is always supportive of its local communities. We’ve had The Dish lit up in blue for autism, and orange in support of SES volunteers, while many different groups come out here for their events. Some towns have the big banana and big pineapple, we have the big dish!

 

Tricia Trim: The telescope attracts many people to the town of Parkes. It is a significant draw card indeed. The telescope has achieved many wonderful things in its 60 years and continues to still do great work. The telescope means a lot to me having worked here for 18 years. It holds so many great memories for me. It’s a wonderful place to work and every day I get to meet lots of visitors that come through our Visitors Centre to see our beautiful Dish and learn all about what we do. Happy 60th Birthday to our DISH!

 

Bill Jayet: For me it’s the huge boost of tourism to our towns and particularly the tourism dollars, especially after the movie The Dish came out when the visitor numbers tripled from around 40,000 per year up to nearly 140,000 at its peak.

Chloe Tanner: We wanted to get out with a group of friends after COVID and do something social. I would also never have done something like this by myself. It was great to share it with friends.

 

Claire and Katina Parker:
Claire: It was a great opportunity to learn a new skill with my mum. I just got a new place and it would be good to use these skills in my new garden too.
Katina: It is a nice mother-daughter thing to do. I just loved it, it’s been great, and it was my first day out since lockdown!