Recipe of the Week Archives - Page 7 of 10

Local Project Blossoms Nationally

March 19, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

Project Sprouts, a Parkes community-led initiative, took a step onto the national stage this week.

Working party member Sherree Rosser did a 20-minute presentation at the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) National Conference in collaboration with Project Sprouts Coordinator Fiona Francis.

“This is great progress for our project after its launch in October last year,” said Sherree. The conference was held online this week. Sherree pre-recorded her presentation and was live online on Tuesday for a ten-minute question session after her presentation.

The conference provided a forum for early intervention projects to share how they adapt, adjust and evolve services and policies to support children, families and communities. “I hope our project will inspire other communities to have a go at what we are doing here,” said Sherree.

The seeds for Project Sprouts were planted in 2018, when Royal Far West held a community meeting in Parkes to discuss the confronting findings from its ‘The Invisible Children’ report about the state of children’s developmental health in rural and remote Australia. The report used AEDC data showing that 22% of children in the Parkes Shire start school with on developmental delay. Determined that no child in Parkes would be an ‘Invisible Child’, Project Sprouts was formed.

Sherree said without the support of Roy-al Far West the project would not have been possible. Where no local services are available, Royal Far West is providing health and developmental screenings, as well as training to increase community understanding of child development.

Experts from Royal Far West will be in the Parkes Shire next week for some teach by modelling sessions for teachers and parents with children who need support. “During May we will have another week of assessments and screenings.” said Sherree.

Swim Success For PCS

March 19, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

Parkes Christian School swimmers have had tremendous success so far this year. At the Zone Carnival in Orange four students qualified to represent the school at the State Carnival in Sydney. Pictured are Nicole Ellis, Henry Unger, Maggie McConnell and Kelly Ellis, who recorded personal best times and came extremely close to qualifying for the national level. The next event is the High School State Carnival at the Sydney Aquatic Centre on 30th April, and nine students have qualified: Samuel Quince, Walter Smeaton, John Thomas, Riley McMaster, Jack McMaster, Thomas McIntyre, Marcus Moss, Chelsea Day and William Ellis. Good luck to them!

What acts of kindness are you planning for this festive season?

December 11, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Emma Brown: Every year my kids fill up shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. It teaches them to think of others and how privileged they are to live in Australia. Otherwise we share the Christmas cheer with anyone and everyone. It is important to be kind all year long, but after this year it is especially important to look out for people over Christmas.

Debbie Gould: I enjoy being kind, and giving from my heart – not for the accolades and therefore prefer to keep it private and a secret. Things I would be doing include cooking for others, donating to charities like food and toys, supporting Christmas appeals, and buying ‘gifts’ for people in third world countries, like supporting kids to go to school, or helping them to own a goat. I also support Share the Dignity drive every year.

Welfare Organisations Receive Donations

November 20, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

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.

New Community Recycling Centre In Parkes

November 20, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

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

The Write Stuff

November 6, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

The Gully

I went to the gully to get away from life,
the noise of traffic, chaos and strife.
Arguments, stress, pressures and more,
I felt unable to even the score.
Down in the gully amongst the trees
that stand so tall on a carpet of leaves,
I sat on one of the rocks that abound,
with ants and bees and flowers around.
I felt the gentle touch of the breeze,
The sound of the birds put me at ease.
Far from the echoes of trouble and strife,
I found in the gully the spirit of life.

Two Kids Cruise Free

I won this competition you see
Then they said two kids cruise free.
Why did they do this thing to me?
It isn’t fair it just can’t be.
I’d like a trip for me and thee,
But they say two kids cruise free!
Thirty years with ever a fee,
Of kids and dogs and what’s for tea.
I’ve never won a thing and gee,
Now I’ve got a trip to sea,
And hang it all, two kids cruise free!

By Margaret Irwin

Holiday Makers Love The Dish

October 16, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Many NSW residents took the opportunity to explore their own state over the school holidays with over 10,000 people visiting the Parkes Radio Telescope.

Thousands of visitors streamed through our town during the school holidays as NSW residents explored more of their own state under current COVID restrictions.

The Parkes Radio Telescope Visitor’s Centre welcomed just over 10,000 visitors over the two weeks making it an extremely busy time. “These holidays felt a lot busier with so many families travelling,” said Tricia Trim, Visitor Centre Coordinator.

After being closed for three months earlier in the year, it was a pleasant surprise.

“Visitors came from all parts of NSW,” Tricia said. Owner of The Dish Café Craig Smith said he was really busy too with most people coming from Sydney, Wollongong and the Northern beaches. “Everyone I spoke to were excited about visiting the Central West and loving it!”

Tricia said they received some lovely comments about how beautiful it is out here. The Visitor’s Centre had to increase its daily staff numbers to ensure the safety of every visitor under current COVID regulations with social distancing in place, contact tracing, and hand sanitising. “In addition, we cleaned all contact surfaces,” said Tricia.

While the extra pressure, and a long queue of people waiting outside to enter, kept the staff on their toes every day, Tricia said: “It was really wonderful to be open again these holidays and to welcome so many first-time visitors to The Dish.”

RFS Expands At Mickibri

September 25, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

At the opening last Friday were (L – R) Parkes Councillor Neil Westcott, Deputy Group Captain Ian Westcott, Group Captain Grant Byrne, Peter Green, Supt. Ken Neville AFSM, Neville Woods, Philip Donato MP, Acting Area Director Jayson McKellar AFSM, and Parkes Deputy Mayor Cr Barbara Newton.

The Parkes Shire is going into this fire season well equipped and prepared with a fourth new station opened last Friday at Mickibri between Alec Town and Peak Hill.

The new single bay station, built at a cost of almost $50,000, will house one of the two brigade trucks based at Mickibri. Another single bay station was built several years ago.

Over the past month three other new stations were opened at Parkes, Coradgery and Waratah.

The Mickibri Brigade has a long history of service to the community spanning back over 80 years, with local families on the land banding together as part of the brigade to help protect their own and neighbours’ properties.

Speaking at the opening Member for Orange Phil Donato said: “I am in total admiration of the men and women who drop everything, temporarily abandoning their work and family commitments to help fight fires to protect life and property, in many cases at financial loss in their absence from work. They display unity, courage and commitment.

The ceremony included an awards presentation, with 17 of the brigade’s 21 volunteer members recognised for a combined 651 years of service ranging from 10 to 58 years.

By Maggi Barnard

Story About ‘Sunstruck’ Sparks Revival

June 12, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

GOOD MEMORIES… Sharryn Cunningham shows Dan Fredericks of the Parkes Shire Library the scrap book her mum made of her acting experience. Dan is holding a DVD of the movie Sunstruck.

“There are many towns and villages within the Parkes Shire LGA (local government area), Wongalea is just one of them.”

This is how Parkes library officer and historian Dan Fredericks started his most recent history blog that has caused quite a stir.

“There has been lots of interest. It is so exciting,” said Dan, who spent the last five years researching the story of the famous one-teacher school house that featured in the movie Sunstruck.

The filming of the early 1970s movie by an international film crew starring Harry Secombe struck a chord with the Parkes community, and bringing back those memories through the blog has put Dan in the limelight too.

It was not just locals getting excited, but the media swarmed around Dan too to talk about the story.

Ewan Gilbert from ABC Central West Mornings had a chat to him, one of ABC Central West’s feature reporters, Micaela Hambrett, interviewed him and wrote a feature about it, while ABC Evenings with Sarah Macdonald had Dan on the show. A Bathurst radio station interviewed him too.

Seems like Dan’s publishing of this feel good story was timed perfectly during the COVID-19 isolation period when we all needed a dose of good news.

“It was a big deal to have Harry Secombe, best known from ‘The Goon Show’ with Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers, come to Parkes at the height of his popularity,” said Dan.

NSW Department of Education promotional poster

Sunstruck is a classic fish-out-of-water plot and was inspired by a promotional poster from the NSW Department of Education trying to entice British teachers to NSW.

Instead of ending up on Bondi Beach, as depicted in the poster, the film’s writers decided to have Harry’s character end up in a one-horse town where nothing happens.

That town was Nelungaloo, which became the fictional setting of Kookaburra Springs. The production company bought the Braeside home in Nelungaloo which was con- verted into the pub. They also bought the Wongalea Public School’s building and moved it next door to the pub

The Parkes district was filled with excitement and welcomed the overseas film crew into the community with many of them ending up on screen or helping out off screen. The producers were especially impressed with the acting abilities of the Parkes children.

Sharryn Cunningham (nee Helm), was one of the youngest of the 14 children from Parkes picked for the 16 roles in the film. At seven years old, she had a huge adventure experiencing many firsts in her life, like flying to Sydney, going to Luna Park, eating her first steak and being sent home to Bindogundra after a long day of filming in a taxi.

“I just have good memories of those six odd weeks. We got along so well.”

Although Sharryn has never been on a movie set again, she has another close connection with the other famous movie to come out of Parkes, The Dish. Her grandfather Austie Helm, sold his property to the CSIRO where the radio telescope is today.

Other locals featured as extras in the movie. Pam Nankivell remembers well how all her friends dressed up and did not get in. So she decided to put on her daggiest clothes and she was picked for the farewell party scene.

Local tradesmen also helped to build and paint the set, and one handyman with similar build and height to Harry caught the eye of the producers. Carl Christopherson was thrilled to be picked as Harry’s stand in.

More members of the community had an opportunity to contribute when the art director appealed to locals to provide props for the film.

In turn the crew ingrained themselves into the community making the Coachman Hotel their base. Lead actors Harry Secombe and Maggie Fitzgibbon were happy to perform in a charity night for Rosedurnate. Harry brought over his family, and his kids would go to the pool. Dan said locals remembered Harry as warm and friendly.

The Wongalea school house, now 108 years old, has not only been immortalised in the movie, but can still be visited at the Henry Parkes Historical Museum.

By Maggi Barnard

Partners For A Safer Parkes

February 28, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

PSC Chief Operating Officer Anthony McGrath, PSC Network & Systems Engineer Mitch Miles, Parkes Shire Mayor Cr Ken Keith OAM, Chief Inspector David Cooper, and Probationary Constable Michael Whiting in the security room.

There will be a lot more electronic eyes keeping watch in the Parkes CBD following the addition of 24 new security cameras.

Parkes Shire Council partnered with Central West Police District to roll out the final phase of upgrades to the Parkes CBD security network, including artificial intelligence software, as well as a new video workstation based at Parkes Police Station. The final phase was funded by the Australian Government’s Safer Communities Fund.

“The new system will act as a deterrent for crime and anti-social behaviour, assist police monitor and reduce these crimes, mitigate the threat posed by hostile vehicles and improve the perception of safety in the community,” said Parkes Shire Mayor Councillor Ken Keith OAM.

There is now a total of 91 CCTV cameras in the Parkes CBD, from the Star Hotel to the railway bridge. The CCTV system utilises over 20 wireless links to provide connectivity between sites, with all cameras able to be accessed and viewed live from Parkes Police Station.

“Parkes Police use the CCTV system as part of a suite of investigative options. Being able to view and review incidents in real time means that Police can utilise the full functionality of the system and act quickly,” said Chief Inspector David Cooper of the Central West police District.

The Gully

Two Kids Cruise Free

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