Above: Individuals and community group members who featured in the Australia Day Awards ceremony at Cowra Civic Centre.
A FUNDRAISER for people in need of medical treatment, two women whose passion is the welfare and advancement of children, a student, a singer and the state’s oldest hospital auxiliary have taken top honours in the 2012 Cowra Shire Australia Day honours.
And this year’s awards are further distinguished by the presentation, for the first time, of two Cowra Shire Community Service Medals – both to women, one of whom is national Local Hero recipient and Darbys Falls foster mother, Lynne Sawyers; the other Cowra High School teacher and abiding inspiration to Aboriginal students, Cheryl McAlister.
At a presentation ceremony at Cowra Civic Centre this morning (Thursday) Community Chest member, Adrian Chapman (pictured right), was named Citizen of the Year.
Mayor of Cowra, Bill West, presenting the awards, told the gathering Mr Chapman was the driving force behind the Community Chest’s appeal for the purchase of a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for youngster Malakye Davison.
The Make Malakye Mobile Appeal had raised more than $50,000.
Outstanding Cowra High School academic achiever and tireless worker for student and community affairs, Jessica Burrell, took the gong for Young Citizen of the Year.
“Jessica is always willing to help others and aims to study to be a doctor after completing her HSC in 2011,” said Cr West.
“Her capacity for hard work will surely see her achieve this goal.”
Cowra Hospital Auxiliary, a network of supporters formed in 1920, last year alone raised $30,000 to purchase equipment ranging from foetal heart monitors to feeding pumps and beds for cataract patients, earning the award for Community Group of the Year.
The Dr Warren Whiley Memorial Award for freely bestowing time to the arts, culture and citizenship, was presented to singer Nita Healy. For more than 30 years Ms Healy has provided entertainment and friendship to every group in the community. She performs at eisteddfods, community concerts and every Sunday at the Weeroona Nursing Home.
Left: Nita Healy registers shock at being announced winner of the Warren Wiley Memorial Award as fellow nominee for the award, Gay Hilton, extends a congratulatory hand.
Cr West congratulated and thanked all 25 nominees for awards on their significant contribution to the community over the past year and encouraged them to continue their outstanding work for the Cowra community.
A profile of each recipient’s contribution is published under Champions of the Community in CCN’s Town & District section.
Above: Lynne Sawyers' acceptance speech read by her daughter. Click the PLAY icon in the centre of the video panel to hear it.
DARBYS FALLS foster mother to more than 200 children, Lynne Sawyers, is Australia’s Local Hero of the Year.
The award was announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard at a ceremony outside Canberra’s Parliament House last night (Wednesday), Australia Day eve.
Ms Sawyers, 68, was selected New South Wales Local Hero of the Year last November.
In fostering children, Ms Sawyers travels hundreds of kilometres every week, prepares up to 15 meals a day, washes clothes, sews, bakes and raises funds. For 15 years, she has been on call to care for lost, abused and bewildered children in heartbreaking circumstances.
Ms Sawyers first became interested in being a foster mother when she heard about a young girl in the area who’d run away from home. Her husband mentioned he’d seen the girl by the side of the road talking with authorities and they wondered what would become of her.
It was then, after gaining family agreement from her husband and four children, Ms Sawyers decided to take action.
Having experienced a happy childhood herself, she wanted to give back. It took three years to complete the required training and pass the authority checks before she welcomed her first foster child into their home.
She has fostered more than 200 children, many of whom arrived on her doorstep with huge problems, physical, intellectual and emotional.
Ms Sawyers lives near Cowra with her husband, Ken, and even though she has had up to six children at a time (as well as her own daughter, Emma), she has given them a rounded, supportive and non-judgmental family environment, often their first such experience.
Her warmth, humour and generosity have had an enormous impact on these children. Because of her, many are now leading fulfilled, happy lives and have adopted Ms Sawyers as their “second mother”.
Ms Sawyers has worked tirelessly without leave, or overtime or penalties for difficult working conditions, but she could not imagine living them in any other way.
“Every child deserves a chance in life,” she said in a video presentation before the awards announcement.”
Above: The balloon conveying the five ladies searching for love departs the Cowra Japanese Garden for their rendezvous with five unattached Cowra gents (Photo by Robyn Ryan).
THE five-woman cast and the crew of the six-part television documentary Going the Distance, a Journey for the Heart arrived to a warm reception in Cowra Sunday afternoon.
Live music, a sizzling barbecue, dunk tank and a friendly crowd greeted them at the Imperial Hotel beer garden.
The dunk tank was the highlight of the afternoon, with publican Col Jeffs (pictured right) raising the most money for Cancer Council from a crowd that seemed pretty anxious to see him drenched.
A special appearance by colourful cabaret siren, Tallulah, frocked up in pink and fishnets, had the crowd in stiches.
More than $1000 was raised for Cancer Council.
The five women, aged from 30 to 41, are on a two-week trip from Adelaide to Rockhampton in Queensland to answer essential questions: Does dating differ with each postcode? Do country boys know how to treat a lady? Are coastal boys more in touch with their emotions? Is the grass greener in Sydney?
On Monday morning the women were treated to a sunrise flight by Canowindra’s Balloon Joy Flights, launched from the Japanese Garden, presenting a spectacular sight as the brightly coloured balloon departed the manicured garden.
Upon landing at the picturesque riverside destination, Edgell Park, the ladies were christened with Tom’s Waterhole Sparkling, a particularly efficacious drop from the Canowindra winery, in the traditional inauguration ceremony for balloon first-flighters.
Five willing and eligible Cowra lads escorted the women to a scrumptious champagne breakfast as the sun was rising for the day. The group reportedly got along famously – cheeky antics from the ladies and good old-fashioned country charm from the gents.
Left: Treated to Cowra hospitality on Sunday afternoon (l-r) Lisa Phillips, Lara Kilborn, Amanda Richards, Rebecca Charlotte Reynolds and Natalie Aroya.
“Another great day in another awesome town!” said the crew leader from Going the Distance.
“Thank you so much to Col and his team at the Imperial Hotel for hosting the event and putting us up for the night and the team from Cowra Tourism Corporation for organising it all.
“The hot air balloon ride . . . was spectacular and a lovely way to farewell Cowra.”
Cowra Tourism manager, Belinda Virgo, has expressed thanks to sponsors Balloon Joy Flights, Tom’s Waterhole Winery, The Imperial Hotel, Tommy’s Bistro, Breakout River Meats, Woolworths, The Art of Espresso, Legendary Welding and Mark McLeish for making the making the event so successful by donating their time and services.
COMMUNITIES will have an opportunity to make sure their views are heard on the New South Wales Government draft Planning Guidelines for Wind Farms.
Member for Burrinjuck, Katrina Hodgkinson, is urging residents to review the draft guidelines which are on public exhibition until March 14.
“The draft guidelines strike a balance between providing opportunities for investment in wind farms and protecting local communities from potential impacts of new developments,” says Ms Hodgkinson.
“These draft guidelines ensure all decisions on wind farm developments take into account the views of locals.
“These draft guidelines introduce tough new measures for new wind farms including:
“A rigorous gateway assessment process for wind farm applications with turbines proposed within 2km of existing residences
“The most stringent noise controls for wind farms in Australia; and,
“Extensive community consultation with local communities.
“Community consultation is pivotal to everything this government does in the planning area,” Ms Hodgkinson says.
“As these guidelines are in draft form, residents and applicants can continue to have their say in the future approach to wind farms in NSW.
THE Natabua High School Band in Fiji (seen performing above) will soon receive new brass instruments from generous donors in Australia.
The gifts follow the CCN story, published in October, in which Cowra residents, Terry and Sue Metcalfe, sought replacements for the band’s battered instruments.
The Metcalfes are serving a two-year stint at a special school in Fiji.
At the time, Ms Metcalfe said she first read about band in the Fiji Sun newspaper in which the bandmaster, Ooro Naocatabua, a final year student at Natabua High School, told readers of how hard it was for fellow students to learn to play their ancient and faulty instruments.
At times the students felt like giving up but wouldn’t, he said, because of their love of music and determination to give their best for the school.
The Metcalfes said they couldn’t believe the band could even make music, such was the terrible state of their instruments, little more than scrap metal.
The damage and the dents were appalling – tops of valves and cork seals missing, some of their joints held together with ducting tape.
Mr Metcalfe said he felt compelled to help the band after evidencing the students’ enthusiasm, their marching skills, politeness and impeccable behaviour.
Since watching the band for the first time, the Metcalfes have met and talked with the school principal who co-ordinates the 30 musicians’ activities. More students are queued, waiting for an instrument to become available.
Mr Metcalfe said the Natabua High School Band needs improved instruments and sheet music of an appropriate level to develop students’ playing skills. Learning to play from sheet music would produce more competent musicians, with the prospect that some would progress to professional standard.
“One member of our old Griffith (Rotary) Club, Avanti, gave us $500 and another donated $150 for a trumpet,” Mr Metcalfe says since the appeal opened.
“The club has undertaken to manage any funds we raised and started the fund with a $1000 donation with a promise of more, later, if needed.
“Garry Starr, Jean Henderson, Lucinda Metcalfe, Lorna Sullivan, and my wife Sue’s son-in-law, David Song, have donated cornets and trumpets, cash or instruments.
“A Wagga Wagga Rotary Club has promised a cash donation and the Parkes Rotary Club is working hard to obtain donated instruments and have also promised a cash donation.
“Frank Johnson of the Orange-Calare Rotary Club has collected a lot of instruments, including a tuba, a horn and three trumpets.
“He has also acquired violins, keyboards, a clarinet and stands. These latter instruments don’t feature in brass bands, but surely will come in useful in instrument-starved Fiji.
“With the funds donated I have purchase sample instruments from India and China. I am impressed with these samples.
“We can buy satisfactory instruments for this level of band quite cheaply, all instruments being in the range $100 to $500 except tubas, which will cost about $1000,” he says.
“More donations of either instruments or money would be greatly appreciated.
“So now individuals or clubs who would like to donate to this cause can send money to the Secretary, Rotary Club of Griffith Avanti, PO Box 2295, Griffith NSW 2680.
“Donations should be flagged for Fiji Band Project,” Mr Metcalfe says.
Further information from Terry and Sue Metcalfe on 0429 424 436.
Sponsors’ update:
Cowra Community News (CCN) is a major supporter of the Instruments for Fiji Project, as is Kinross Wallaroi School in Orange which has donated quite a lot of second-hand instruments. The school has also arranged to have these serviced at its expense before they are despatched to Fiji.
The Fiji shipping company, Williams and Gosling Ltd, has agreed to freight the instruments without charge to Lautoka. This contribution overcomes a significant hurdle to the project and organisers have described it as “a wonderful contribution”.
Their Australian agent is Mainfreight International Pty Ltd. This company, with offices in Sydney and other major ports, will receive the instruments and arrange shipment to Lautoka free of charge.
“Without the help of these commercial companies, management of the Instruments for Fiji would be very difficult,” says project organiser Terry Metcalfe.
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pumps and beds for cataract patients, earning the award for Community Group of the Year.
