Once again, we say a last farewell to a lovely lady from our bridge club. Helen Hall was a very gracious and well liked lady who travelled weekly from Ootha to add a sparkle to our games. She was always smiling and always had a kind word and a special touch of humour. She will certainly be missed by all of us. Vale Helen.

Bridge winners the past week were:
• Tuesday, 22nd June: Ingrid Stephenson and Bev Laing;
• Thursday, 24th June: Greig Ball with Gary Somers north/south and Margaret Hawken with Joan Reilly east/west.

Due to COVID regulations, there will be no bridge for the coming week. Hopefully bridge will resume on Monday, 12th July.

Call Greig Ball 0429 621 712 or Bev La-ing 0418 114 826 for more information.

By Beth Thomas

The remains of an Aboriginal ancestor were buried at a traditional ceremony in Garra near Orange on Monday following their repatriation to the local community.

The remains were buried after an emotional repatriation ceremony which included a procession, smoking, burial and dance. This ceremony was to mark the return of remains to country, under the Heritage NSW Repatriation Program with Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Central Tablelands Local Land Services.

Details about the remains are unknown, apart from the gender and origin: the Ancestor comes from the Orange-Molong area and is female.

Bringing these female remains home has been a heartfelt project for Orange Local Land Services Officer for Aboriginal Communities Greg Ingram.

“It was about 2014 when I first found out about the burial site – it’s on a Travelling Stock Reserve so it took a lot of research, mapping and then preserving and protecting to make sure we could rebury the remains,” Greg said.

“It’s important to bring those remains home so the ancestor can rest, but also for our elders to be able to recognise the occasion and to educate the Aboriginal community and wider community too, about the tough historical events our ancestors went through.”

Heritage NSW assisted the local community to bring the remains back to Garra through their repatriation program.

“It’s a challenging process to bring back ancestral remains and objects that have been removed from their communities and stored in collections across Australia and in other countries worldwide,” Heritage NSW Principal Heritage Program Officer John Duggan said.

“But it is an honour for Heritage NSW to support the local community in their efforts, as it is through the repatriation process that we can help return Aboriginal ancestors to their rightful resting places.”

More information about the Heritage NSW repatriation program is available at www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/

FRIDAY FLICKS

Our next movie will be today, 6th June at 6pm. Come along and enjoy a heart-warming Australian film based on a true story with a most unlikely hero. Tickets are free for library members but bookings are essential so call 6861 2309 to book your seat!

WASTE 2 ART 2021

Waste 2 Art Exhibition in the Coventry Room
This exhibition showcases 47 works of art created from reused & recycled waste materials. This free exhibition will be open until 26th June Monday to Friday 9.30am – 4pm and Saturday 9.30am to midday.

WASTE 2 ART WORKSHOPS IN THE MARRAMARRA MAKERSPACE STUDIO

Join environmental artist Ronda Sharpe in creating some wonderful artworks from recycled and ‘waste’ materials. These two-hour workshops are free but bookings are essential.
Basket Weaving using Data Cabling
5th June for adults (high school+) 10am -12pm and 1-3pm
Recycled Art from Found Objects
19th June for children (Years K-6) 10am – 12pm and 1 – 3pm
‘Breaking Down’ Sustainability with Michael Chambers, Hannah Farrant-Jayet and Netwaste’s Sue Clarke. An interactive game show style workshop and seminar outlining the ways we can be more sustainable in our living and gain an appreciation for the big picture of living in a more sustainable world. This is a free event for ages 15+ on 9th June @ 6pm in the Marramarra Makerspace.
Book your place for all Waste to Art events on 6861 2309.

The Parkes PA & H Association Secretary Liz Brown stepped into a Santa role recently when she donated various items to four welfare organisations in Parkes.

The items were donated by the Royal Agricultural Society Foundation (RASF).

Natalie Quince from Georgie’s Pantry received an assortment of items that will go into their Christmas gift baskets for needy families. The items included Lego kits, games, drink bottles, stationery sets, sanitiser, hand wipes and bath wash.

Liz also donated hand sanitiser and wipes to Vinnies, CanAssist, Men’s Shed and Georgie’s Boutique volunteers. The volunteers welcomed the donations as they are in contact with the public and handle lots of items every day.

The RAFS provide grants and scholarships to help rural Australians realise their potential through education, make a difference in their communities and achieve their ambitions.

The Parkes PA & H Association also received funding earlier this year to upgrade its luncheon room, committee room and baby change room and grandstand. Work has also started on a new animal nursery and environmental shed. More details will follow once all the work has been completed and ready for the 140th show in 2021.

 

National Recycling Week celebrated its 25th anniversary last week with councils, workplaces, schools and individuals to help improve their recycling knowledge, build better recycling habits and build trust in recycling.

The theme ‘Recovery – A future beyond the bin’ encouraged residents to think about how to value resources, and giving them a second life by reducing, reusing and recycling.

Parkes Shire Council announced that Parkes residents would be able to dispose of problem wastes such as paint, gas bottles, batteries and more, free of charge at its new Community Recycling Centre at the existing Parkes Waste Facility.

“As a community, reducing our waste not only keeps valuable materials out of landfill it also benefits the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our need for new materials,” said Chair of Parkes Shire Waste Committee, Cr Alan Ward. “By reducing and reusing we can all save money at home and in the workplace.”

To celebrate National Recycling Week, Netwaste, developed a game so you can test your skills on what stream different wastes go to. You can find the link on Council’s website to play along and see
how quickly you can sort rubbish. Go to https://recycle.netwaste.org.au/

The Netwaste Group of Councils will also be coordinating a community survey to assess our local community’s usage and satisfaction with the current kerbside recycling, food, garden and general waste service. The survey will be conducted via telephone to Parkes Shire residents or alternatively, you can take the survey online before Sunday, 29th November. The survey is available on Council’s website www.parkes.nsw.gov.au or go direct to the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W55M7JN