Daily Archives: 04/12/2014

Noelene Watson’s inspiring speech was a highlight of the 2014 Australian Truck Drivers’ Memorial Service at Tarcutta.

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Truckies honoured at Tarcutta
Noelene Watson’s emotional story touched everyone who had suffered.

Thirty two names were added to the Australian Truck Drivers’ Memorial wall at Tarcutta on October 25, including 18 people who had died in truck accidents between 1979 and 2014.

The emotional annual memorial service was attended by about 1000 people.

Some families attended the service for the first time. But a few, like Bill and Fay Belling, have attended all 21 services since the wall was constructed in 1994.

Their son John Belling died in a truck accident in 1979.

For the past 20 years the Bellings have given away flowers for people to place on the memorial wall. This year they gave away over 60 bouquets made from flowers from their own garden.

A highlight of the memorial service was the emotional speech by Australian Trucking Association (ATA) Chairperson Noelene Watson which touched everyone who had loved and lost a truck driver.

“The scar of losing your loved one is embedded in your heart and it never leaves you,” Watson said, explaining the challenges she faced after her husband Don Watson died in 1994.

Her family’s grief was ‘very raw’ when Don’s name was added to the wall at Tarcutta soon after his death.

“The emotions shared that day will never leave me. It was like I was burying my husband a second time. And for that reason, this is the first time that I’ve had the courage to come back here.”

Many attending the service could relate to the challenges Watson faced 20 years ago as she helped her children adjust to life without their father.

Newcastle Permanent’s Carols by Candlelight

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The Hunter’s largest carolling event, Newcastle Permanent’s Carols by Candlelight, will be preceded by the Opening Ceremony of the International Children’s Games this Sunday (7 December 2014) at Speers Point Park.

The event will kick off at 5pm, with athletes from the competing team cities from all around the world parading out, followed by the lighting of the cauldron, and live entertainment.

Carols by Candlelight will follow at 8pm, and the evening will go out with a bang with a spectacular fireworks finale around 9.30pm.

Police are also urging the community to allow plenty of travel time both to and from the event.

“There is limited parking available at Speers Point Park, so we are encouraging the community to make use of Lake Macquarie Council’s ‘park and ride’ service,” Supt Greentree said.

Park and ride is a bus service from John Street at Warners Bay to the event and return, which runs regularly between midday and 11pm.

“This service is free and the best option for anyone who wants to be part of One Big Night,” Supt Greentree said.

“For those who must drive, we urge them to expect extensive delays and allow plenty of extra travel time. And please, be patient while you are waiting for traffic congestion to ease.”

Further information about One Big Night is available at the Lake Macquarie 2014 International Children’s Games website: www.icg-lakemacquarie2014.com.

The International Children’s Games (ICG) is the largest multi-sport youth games in the world, with more than 1500 athletes between the ages of 12 and 15 participating in the event each year.

More than 80 cities from 30 countries participate in the event, embracing the vision to promote peace and goodwill amongst children of different cultural backgrounds.

Lake Macquarie was the first Australian city to participate in the ICG, competing in San Francisco in 2008, and is the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to host the games.

The Games open on Sunday, with competition concluding on Wednesday (10 December 2014).

Wagga Wagga Potters Club: Out of the Fire

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Wagga Wagga Art Gallery is delighted to welcome the 2014 annual exhibition of one of our city’s most vibrant cultural bodies, the Wagga Wagga Potters Club. This year’s exhibition, Out of the Fire, is on display in the E3 art space, and features an extraordinary range of skills, techniques, styles and materials that truly reveal the wide diversity of contemporary ceramic arts.

From the time mankind first noticed the variable effects of fire on clay, potters have striven to achieve perfection. Over the centuries, this pursuit of excellence has led to the exploration of many different materials and methods, as a result of which, given the same starting point, one thousand potters will invariably produce one thousand unique and individual creations. Indeed, the only limit to what can be created using the mediums of fire and clay is our imagination. Out of the Fire is a celebration of the many branches of ceramics, and a showcase for the work produced in the quest for the perfect pot.

The Wagga Wagga Potters Club was founded in 1969, with the aim of promoting the craft of pottery in the community and producing pots that will enrich the lives of those who use them. Exhibitions, raku, sawdust and wood firings along with weekend workshops are regular features on the club’s program.  The Potters Club also participates in a wide variety of community activities, including Seniors Week, Fusion Multicultural Festival, and a range of school support programs.

The talented ceramics artists from this exceptional group exhibiting in Out of the Fire include: Lyn Cameron, Dianne Campbell, Narelle Fullwood, Fran Geale, Linda Lander, Milton Loiterton, Dianne Mahony, Maggie Marriott, Liz McInnes, Elie Passlow, Nola Roberts, Dawn Smith, Dawn M Smith, Julie Willis, and Lynette Wynn.

Out of the Fire will be officially launched by acclaimed ceramic artist Bronwyn Kemp on Thursday 11 December, at 6pm. The exhibition will be on public display in the E3 art space at Wagga Wagga Art Gallery from Thursday 11 December until Sunday 21 December, 2014

Exhibition Launch:
When:       Thursday 11 December, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Where:     E3 art space, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery

Exhibition Dates:
When:       Thursday 11 December – Sunday 21 December, 2014
Where:     E3 art space, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery

SLIM DUSTY GALA AWARD WINNERS

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The Slim Dusty Centre was the scene of the sixth annual Slim Dusty Community Mateship and Youth Awards, however, the first time the awards were presented at a gala dinner. More than 130 people attended and helped celebrate and acknowledge some of the key values supported by the Slim Dusty Foundation, in memory of Slim, including community, mateship, learning, fairness and family.

Two awards were presented on the night and they were awarded to two very worthwhile people. The recipient of the Community Mateship Award was David James from the Northern Territory. Keenly community minded, David is often called upon to help out family, neighbours and the broader community. He is a great believer in learning from the past and applying that knowledge to the future. Renowned for supporting the underdog, David has assisted many a needy mate into work opportunities, improving their lives. “I was absolutely stumped out for words. It was the last thing that I would have expected,” he said. David, 74, was unable to travel to the gala dinner due to bushfires threatening his and neighbouring stations. “Some of our country has paddocks that are 20km in and no road access. You just have to wait for the fire to come out. We have just sacrificed our paddock to save our neighbours’ paddock. It is what you do.”

David waited on the telephone and heard the announcement live that he was the Mateship winner. As he responded, his voice was clearly heard throughout the gallery and it was obvious to everyone in the crowd how moved he was. Following his win, David spoke of his admiration of Slim Dusty “If you asked someone on the street who the Prime Minister was, say eight years ago, or 30 years ago, most wouldn’t know. But if you asked who the King was, every Aussie knows that would be Slim Dusty. “He was the King when I was a boy, and he’s still King today.”

Melbourne’s Khurram Jahangir Khan won the Community Youth Award. Khurram, at 19 years of age, is largely involved in volunteering his time for the community, including helping senior citizens, young refugees and people with disabilities. He sees his community work as a tool to assist him when he obtains his goal of becoming a Doctor of Medicine. “I am highly pleased to say that it was an immense honour to arrive at Kempsey, and meet such beautiful, loving and generous people,” Khurram said. “I can never ever explain my excitement and heartfelt honour due to the award I have received. Also, at last, I got to know the song of Slim Dusty my grandma loves and it is ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and I love this song too. I am highly grateful for all things the Slim Dusty Foundation mates have done for me.” Khurram is completing a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne. His acceptance speech at the gala dinner inspired all those who attended.

Kempsey man, Brian Irvine, who was one of the Finalists on the night added “Having events like this highlights the importance of the Slim Dusty Centre to our community and beyond. Last Friday night was a great success and the entertainment, food and presentation was very classy.”

Master of Ceremonies, Tania Kernaghan, entertained the crowd and shared the microphone with Anne Kirkpatrick, local talents Tommy Kennedy, Amos Morris and Slim’s own Travelling Country Band. “I was absolutely thrilled to be a part of the Awards on Friday night and it was particularly fitting that they were held at the superb Slim Dusty Centre. After having the opportunity to meet with the finalists and to chat with them about all they had achieved so far, each and every one of them, I believe are winners in their own right. I encourage everyone to support these Awards in the future, they are a reminder of how proud it makes you feel to be an Australian”.

Keynote speaker for Mates, Keith Thompson, from Thompson’s Transport, cleverly engaged the crowd with his humour and reflection on the famous trucking journey across the Nullarbor with Slim Dusty at the wheel. Representing Youth, keynote speaker Tom Burton, Director of Communications for the North Coast Institute of TAFE, was a positive advocate for improved futures for youth through education, and reinforced the progress being made under the MOU between TAFE and the Slim Dusty Centre as a workplace training facility.

Organisers would like to sincerely thank all the sponsors who supported the gala dinner and congratulate everyone that was nominated for an award.