Taking a break from hockey proved to be a good strategy for a young Parkes player who was selected to play for Australia last weekend.

Sixteen-year-old India Draper played for the NSW U16 team at the Pacific School Games in Adelaide in the grand final against Queensland. The strong NSW side unfortunately did not walk away with gold as Queensland won the title with extra strokes after a 1-1 draw.

This disappointment did not last very long as India was selected for the Australian U16 side with six of her NSW team mates straight after the final. “I did not expect it, as I have just got back into hockey again playing my first carnival for a long time.”

The Australian team is touring to South Africa next year in June for an international hockey test match series. “I am very scared of going on planes, but I’ve never been overseas and feel very excited about the trip,” said India.
Her mum Amanda, who is one of the 19 Parkes torch bearers for the Queen’s Baton Relay, will be joining the supporters tour to South Africa. She said India had trained very hard under the excellent coaching and support of Glen Johnston and Aaron Hubbard.

“They have always believed in her.” India, who went to the same primary school as Mariah Williams at Middleton,
looks up at her for inspiration. “I always watch her games on TV.”

Going into Year 12 at Red Bend Catholic College next year, India plans to take it slowly with hockey. “After the South Africa tour, I want to come back and rep for Parkes, and try out for state teams.” Her biggest concern is that it is too long to wait for the hockey season to start again in April next year. “I can’t wait, I just love playing hockey!”

By Maggi Barnard

Forbes High School won the inaugural CMOC-Nortparkes Mine Domestic Violence Cup against Parkes High School last Friday with a final score of 30-18. Parkes were leading by two tries and looked very strong, but Forbes came
through to become the first ever winners of the cup with female referee Shanika Harpur doing an amazing job. The game only ran for three 20-minute periods due to the heat.

The Oliver Carlisle Memorial Medal (Forbes High) was awarded to Michael Murphy of Parkes High for great sportsmanship, and was presented by Alister Carlisle. The Cole Medal (Parkes High) was awarded to Kristian Markwort of Forbes High for great sportsmanship, and presented by the Cole family.

The game formed part of the annual White Ribbon Day celebrations and its aim is to raise awareness about domestic violence among the youth. Both schools received some background education about domestic violence and White Ribbon Day.

The Parkes High boys are keen to do more next year for White Ribbon education that would get more of the school involved. The cup will become an annual event with alternating venues each year, which means Parkes will host next year. There are also plans to possibly have a girls’ league tag game too next year.

All in all it was a successful day with the Girri Girri students performing a welcome and cleansing ceremony before the game, Forbes Domestic and Family Violence Committee putting on a free barbeque for everyone, and a minute silence was observed at the start of the game in memory of victims of domestic violence.

The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) will come through Parkes on Day 35 of the baton’s 100-day journey in Australia leading up to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

On 29th January next year, the baton will leave West Wyalong, travel to Forbes and reach Parkes at 5:30pm at the Parkes Aquatic Centre. In Parkes the baton will be carried by 19 selected batonbearers. They are Rebeckah Auld, Peter Bristol, Frances Dixon, Amanda Draper, Barry Garment, Darrin Gibson, Michael Greenwood, Nicayden Greenwood, Danielle Hoskins, Kenneth Keith, Timothy Keith, Helen Magill, Maureen Massey, Lauren Neilsen, Richard Rice, Cato Rutherford, Victoria Simpson, Barbara Weaver and Scott Westcott.

After travelling an astonishing 288 days throughout the Commonwealth, the Queen’s Baton will arrive onto Australian soil in Brisbane on 24th December, having shared the dream of the 2018 Games with over one third of the world’s population.

The Queen’s Baton will scale Sydney Harbour Bridge, celebrate the Taste of Tasmania festival, be a part of the tennis action in Perth and Brisbane, hit the roads at the Tour Down Under in South Australia and respect the magic that is Uluru at sunset.

From 25th January 2018, the QBR will shift gears to a more traditional relay starting in Canberra, where the Queen’s Baton will join Australia Day celebrations, before continuing in the hands of approximately 3,800 batonbearers through every state and territory.

As the Queen’s Baton travels the length and breadth of Australia, it will not just pass through, but spend quality time in the communities it visits. The Queen’s Baton will arrive on the Gold Coast for the XXI Commonwealth Games
Opening Ceremony on 4th April 2018, where His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will remove Her Majesty’s message and read it aloud to declare the Games officially open. Batonbearers will be informed of their street-specific slotting location in December.