August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, making it a great time to focus on one of the most overlooked parts of a child’s wellbeing: their vision.

Good vision is essential for learning, development, coordination, and confidence.

The problem is that children often don’t know when they’re not seeing well. They won’t tell you because they assume everyone sees the world the same way they do.

Instead, they adapt. They might sit closer to the television, tilt their head, avoid reading, or simply appear distracted or reluctant to engage with schoolwork. These changes can be subtle and easy for even the most attentive parent or teacher to miss.

Every child should have a comprehensive eye examination before starting school and then every one to two years after that.

At any age, it’s worth arranging an eye test if your child sits very close to screens or books, has one eye that drifts or turns, persistently tilts their head, squints, rubs their eyes when they’re not tired, loses their place while reading, complains of headaches after school, or suddenly develops a dislike of reading or schoolwork.

School vision screening programs can be helpful, but they don’t detect every eye condition and aren’t a substitute for a comprehensive eye examination. Some childhood eye conditions are genuinely time sensitive. Amblyopia, or “lazy eye”, is highly treatable when detected early, but becomes much more difficult to improve after about seven or eight years of age.

The safety side of the equation is just as important.

Encourage children to spend time outdoors. It’s one of the few measures proven to reduce the risk of children becoming short-sighted, with around two hours outside each day making a real difference.

With spring just around the corner, it’s also worth remembering that UV levels climb quickly at this time of year. Children’s eyes naturally allow more ultraviolet light to reach the retina than adult eyes, making good sun protection especially important. A broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses that meet the Australian Standard are simple, inexpensive ways to help protect their eyes.

The good news is that comprehensive eye examinations for children are covered by Medicare, and you don’t need a referral.

Approximately 20 students from Parkes and surrounds immersed themselves in healthcare careers through the Scrub In Work Experience Program.

Rather than shadowing just one clini­cian and field all week, students received a broad careers taste tester and rotated through 45-minute workshops, facility tours, speed networking and a career path­ways panel.

The teenagers tried out allied health, physiotherapy, social work, nursing, medi­cine, paramedicine and Aboriginal health and education. They learned how to: study realistic 3D printed bullet wounds, take mo­bility measurements, apply plaster casts, engage with stroke simulations and en­gage in a VR assessment of escalating pa­tients in a 6-bed ward.

Participating schools included Parkes High School, Tottenham Central, Peak Hill Central and Parkes Christian School.

Declan, from Parkes High School, Year 10 said, “When they offered this program I decided it might help me with future choic­es and I wanted to try different industries.

The activities we got up to today included nursing, social work, speech pathology and medicine. I originally wanted to do nursing, but after doing things like radiography that really caught my eye and I found an inter­est in that.”

Mia, also from Parkes High School, Year 10 said, “When I graduate I would like to do nursing in the hospital. I would like to help a lot of sick people because I’ve had sick people in my family and have seen how I can help them. We were drilling into a chicken bone and putting a syringe in to in­ject into the bone. Then we put an IV in and learned about what some kids have to deal with when they have speech impediments.”

Scrub In is designed to maximise hands on learning, broaden career awareness, clarify pathways into health, and reduce pressure on staff.

Troy Kelly, Senior Project Officer, Re­gional Industry Education Partnerships said “I think it’s given the students a much broader perspective than if they had gone through a conventional work experience program.”

People passionate about improving health­care in regional, rural and remote areas of NSW are invited to apply to join the Re­gional Health Ministerial Advisory Panel.

The Panel is an independent advisory body that provides strategic advice to the Minister for Health and Regional Health, and the NSW Health Secretary.

Its role is to identify opportunities and solutions that improve healthcare access, outcomes and service delivery across hos­pitals and health support services in re­gional, rural and remote NSW.

The Panel also plays an important role in strengthening community engagement and ensuring local perspectives inform the design and delivery of healthcare services.

Applications are encouraged from people who can represent the interests of regional communities, including Aboriginal people, and those who have knowledge, experi­ence, or expertise in one or more areas, aligned with the NSW Government’s priori­ties for regional, rural and remote health.

The Panel members may be appointed for a term of up to three years and will meet at least every three months.

For more information, including how to apply, visit EOI Regional Health Ministe­rial Advisory Panel or contact MOH-ODS-Regional@health.nsw.gov.au. Applications close on Friday 29 May 2026.

I made an impractical decision as a farm­er’s wife. But I am too far in to let him know that he was right and I was wrong.

I bought a gorgeous outdoor furniture set for our verandah, with cream white cush­ions.

“How do you think that will stay clean?” he asked, eyeing it off as it arrived.

And so it began.

My ongoing mission to prove him wrong.

The work dogs would take full advantage of not being tied up at night, and I’d find them curled up there in the morning, their black bodies a stark contrast against the cream cushions.

But there was one kelpie I felt had earned the right to a little luxury.

Pete. He was retired, and my favourite.

He could shoot around a mob of sheep at record speed, then stand quietly while my baby sprawled all over him, using his back as a cushion.

He’d mustered goats in Queensland. Burnt his paws on hot ground moving thirsty stock closer to water. Found lambs alone

and hungry beside a creek bed. Taught pup after pup how to work. Then shared his kennel with them at night to keep them warm.

And so, I let him have his warm patch of sun on my outdoor lounge.

To sleepily gaze over hills he knew well.

The white dots of sheep he’d moved up the laneway.

The glimmer of dams he’d swum in at the end of a hot day.

At sunset, I’d often walk past the window and see a tired farmer and his trusty dog sitting together, on the outdoor lounge.

A hand gently stroking a soft ear. An easy silence.

A decade of shared moments between them.

A fading pink sky stretched above them.

Deep green hills before them.

And cushions, that used to be cream white, beneath them.

And I think there’s something in that for us too.

We are very good at admiring hard work.

Especially in the country.

We respect grit.

We notice endurance.

We get on with it.

But sometimes we forget that rest matters too.

Not because all the work is done.

But because bodies need it. Minds need it.

Hearts need it.

Sometimes health looks like movement.

Sometimes it looks like strength.

And sometimes it looks like sitting on the verandah at sunset, beside someone who knows the road you’ve walked.

And so I am learning that;Maybe wellbeing isn’t always found in do­ing more.

Maybe sometimes it’s found in the pause.

Let’s make room for that kind of health too.

The kind that knows real rest is not lazi­ness,It’s part of being well.

I hope you find a moment this weekend to sit, and just be.

By Rachel Kerin

The MHERV Project has been operating for over six years, trav­elling regional and rural NSW offering free health checkups to people who haven’t seen the inside of a doctor’s room since they don’t remember when! ln that time, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels may have reached seriously high levels and there are no symptoms, until it’s too late and a heart attack or stroke strikes.

Saving local lives is the objective of the Rotary Men’s Health Education Rural Van, and thanks to the Rotary Club of Parkes, MHERV is coming to our local area. MHERV is operated by the Rotary Club of Warners Bay in collaboration with local NSW Rotary clubs and other local community organisations.

The program is focussed on men because unlike women, they are not good at caring for their own health. The service is offered in a relaxed, confidential and informal setting and nobody is turned away. The MHERV registered nurse conducts the tests and dis­cusses any health concerns seated in the privacy of the van.

You’re invited to take the opportunity to have a quick, free health check. Just ten minutes invested with MHERV can save your life or the life of someone you love. The MHERV will be located in Short Street opposite Parkes Services Club Monday 4 May and Tuesday 5 May from 9.30am – 3.30pm on both days.

Our Rotary team this year is proudly supporting DV Safe Phone.

All that is required is for people to drop their used phones into the box when MHERV is in town. Rotary will collect them at the end of the tour and send them on for refurbishment and distribution.

Refurbished phones are then provided to women’s shelters and similar organisations. Your old phone could save a life.

Each year, Trevor and Courney Smith, own­ers of Inkredible Experience Tattoo Gallery celebrate the birthday of their business by raising awareness and funds for rural men­tal health. This year they are celebrating 16 years in business and will host their sixth Big Birthday Bash.

Trevor Smith said, “16 years in business feels like I’m not getting any younger, but I am becoming wiser and more grounded in community.”

Inkredible Experience Tattoo Gallery moved into their new shop in Clarinda St, after being in business for 10 years and the big move combined with the milestone an­niversary inspired them to start running an annual celebration.

“It kind of just happened organically. A flash day and a few cars turned into a big turn up out front. We knew we had a solid platform to do more than just tattoo and we had to use it to make a difference locally.

“I’ve lost friends and clients through the years to suicides that, had most of them known I was here for them to open up to during any of our sessions or in general, could have been avoided,” said Trevor.

Trevor anticipates that each year the event is going to get bigger and better. “Thanks to this year’s community support and our amazing sponsors we can guarantee more free family fun, more music, more markets and more mental health education!”Everyone is invited to come along and celebrate the Inkredible Experience Tat­too Gallery 16th birthday bash at the street party on 3 May from 9am-4pm in the Parkes Main Street.

“Enjoy free family entertainment, markets, cars, bikes and live music while we cel­ebrate another great year of business and raise much needed funds and awareness for local mental health. We are not alone!” concluded Trevor.