Network News issue 66 summer 2013

YOURS
TO KEEP
summer: 13
Edition 66
ISSN 1445-7210
Going places
A l s o in t hi s i s su e
1Maybe it runs in the family
2A story that needs to be told
3Always a WA girl
Government of Western Australia
Department of Regional Development
from the chair
In si d e t hi s i s su e
From the Chair
Leonie Noble
From the Chair.......................................2
Bush fashionista....................................3
Yerecoin wives.......................................4
Across my desk.....................................6
Hidden gold...........................................7
Maybe it runs in the family.....................8
A story that needs to be told................ 10
In my backyard....................................12
An uplifting way to give........................ 14
Baby wearing in the Wheatbelt............. 15
Volunteer experience........................... 16
Always a WA girl.................................. 18
Bridgetown joins the conversation........20
Hello and welcome to this edition of the Network News.
What an amazing crop of women we have read about throughout the year.
It just goes to show that it is the fantastic women and their partners in the
regions that make Western Australia the amazing state that it is.
I can’t believe that it is December already, but what a year it has been for the
RRR Network.
We have moved to the Department of Regional Development who have been
fantastic and have provided many opportunities to grow the Network.
We have seen our reference group members provide advice to Ministers
on current and developing issues in the rural, remote and regional areas of
the state.
Words and stories................................ 21
The RRR Satellite Sundowner for International Day of Rural Women was again
a huge success and continues to grow in strength.
Great support for women’s day............22
These really are only a few of the highlights of the year.
All things woollen.................................23
One of the reasons the RRR Network continues to grow, and provide access
to information, communication avenues, and of course our flagship the
Network News highlights the amazing women of WA, is through the truly
inspirational reference group membership.
One of the hardest parts of my job is saying goodbye to our out-going
members. During the year we said farewell to two reference group members
and on 31 December three reference group members will be leaving us.
These amazing dedicated women have, during their terms, provided the stories
highlighting the women in their regions that we all enjoy reading in every issue.
They have given their immense knowledge and imparted their passion for their
communities, and willingly dedicating huge amounts of personal time to ensure
the success of the RRR Network and will be sorely missed.
So I would like to personally, and on behalf of the RRR Network, thank Jenifer
Collins from Northam, Irene Mills AM from Pithara, Lola Jones from Broome,
Sally Thompson from Woodanilling and Margaret Bertling from Karratha for
their passion and friendship during their terms. I wish them all the best in the
future and we will certainly be hearing their names making a difference in
the future.
I would also like to wish you all a sensational and safe festive season and look
forward to your company in 2014.
Yours in RRR
Leonie N oble
Chair RRR Network
Yerecoin, a tiny town in the Wheatbelt, is
thriving thanks to international travellers
finding love with a local.
2
Network News SUMMER 13
G OIN G P L A C E S
Me r r e d i n
Bush fashionista
Renee Manning
It started in Merredin. After moving around the south west,
Kirsty Mackenzie is back and, along with sister Adelle, is pursuing
her creative dream.
Whether it is an award winning
wearable art hessian sack dress, a
full blown up-cycled princess style
wedding dress, to formal cocktail
wear, you can be assured there are
some heads turning.
Recently, this attention seeking has
all been in the interest of charity, with
her recent “Frocktober” experience
seeing her raise $1700 for ovarian
cancer. Kirsty likes to ensure she
supports and acknowledges those
local businesses that have supported
her along the way.
Kirsty has a penchant for all things quirky
and original.
Kirsty Mackenzie’s journey has
taken her from being born in
Merredin, to Perth, to Albany, to
Mount Barker and back to Merredin.
Kirsty’s recent return to her place of
birth has meant she is much closer to
her family, with baby sitters close by
to care for her youngest child while
she pursues her creative dreams.
In her own words, she is a “farm
living wife and mum obsessively
creating original designs from
recycled clothing and fabric”. This
is the reason she calls her business
“Obsessive Creative Designs”.
It has taken a while, but the
Merredin community has gotten
used to Kirsty’s penchant for all
things quirky and original. It can be
a confronting sight to see a blonde
haired, blue eyed grown woman
walking down the main street in a
wearable art pieces.
Kirsty is inspired by her
surroundings, her community and
her family, as well as a widening
network of fashion forward people
with whom she collaborates and
networks over the internet.
Though challenging living in a
regional area, Kirsty is aiming to fill a
niche market for tailor made clothing
in the Wheatbelt and beyond. Her
amazing determination will ensure
she is on the fashion map.
Her assignment has been blogging
about a theme-a-day op shop
restyle challenge. It is amazing what
you can do with $10 from Good
Sammy. This fantastic competition is
about supporting charity as much as
being fashionable.
Adelle has also been named as the
Gen Y blogger of the year for the
website www.women.com.au. She
is also thinking of applying for Big
Brother.
Kirsty says that living in Merredin is
fantastic, but it has its challenges,
including contending with a
backyard full of lambs she cannot
bear to turn away, and some degree
of isolation.
She is building her networks through
linking up with the Wheatbelt
Business Networks, Professional
and Business Women’s Group, and
also collaborating very closely with
her sister in developing her online
presence.
rmmanning@westnet.com.au
Networks are important, and Kirsty’s
sister Adelle Cousins is helping her
expand her own network. Also an
ex Merredin girl, Adelle moved to
Perth in 2007 to follow her creative
dream. Six years of hard work has
seen Adelle establish herself as
a force to be reckoned with (or
followed on Twitter at least) in the
fashion and photography world.
A fickle place to find a niche, Adelle
recently launched her own label,
“Where the Styled Things Are”,
which was recently selected for a
coveted place in the “Restyle” Perth
Fashion Festival.
Network News summer 13
The Merredin community has gotten
used to seeing Kirsty stroll down the
street in wearable art pieces.
3
G OIN G P L A C E S
Y E R E COIN
Yerecoin wives
Yerecoin, in the Shire
of Victoria Plains, is
blessed with women
who came for a job and
stayed for a life full of
adventure.
The locals may not have realised but
the women serving drinks behind
the bar were brimming with abilities
and new ideas.
After many a tale of courtship
stretching across the world and
back, they all have families of their
own and help run local farm and
rural businesses.
From across the globe and the country, these talented women came for a short work
stint and stayed for a life full of adventure.
There must be something
special about Yerecoin.
Talented women arrive for a
short work stint and some end
up staying to become locals.
A tiny town in the Wheatbelt is
thriving thanks to international
travellers finding love with a local.
They hail from all corners of the
earth and from the other side of the
country too.
Yerecoin, in the Shire of Victoria
Plains, is blessed with women who
came for a job and stayed for a life
full of adventure.
What began for many as a chance
to work and travel the countryside
quickly turned into romance and
settling into the WA rural scene.
4
These women gave up their old lives
back home for a new beginning with
an Aussie partner.
After some months travelling the
wide brown land, the girls found
work at the Yerecoin Tavern, 150
kilometres from Perth.
While many did their stint, earning
money to keep travelling, others
found the gravitational pull of a
blossoming romance irresistible and
stayed.
These talented women from
Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland
and a couple hailing from interstate
also brought some amazing skills
sets: from science and technology,
agronomy, geology, investment
banking, marketing and hospitality.
Network News SUMMER 13
They enrich the community by
taking up volunteer roles in every
possible field including managing
local facilities such as the halls and
gardens, the tennis club, kinder-gym
and playgroup.
They are strong players and
supporters of the local netball,
hockey and tennis teams and love
to help organise vital social events
to keep everybody sustained year in
and year out.
For the international wives, there is
also a healthy sense of rivalry when
their home country takes on the
Aussies: be it cricket, rugby or at
the Olympics.
They have even organised a few
international wives social events
where husbands, partners and
children get together to celebrate the
joys and trials of moving countries,
all in the name of love.
G OIN G P L A C E S
Within three days of starting I had
invitations to come for dinner, go to
social tennis, go on a farm visit;
people were very friendly.
For Scottish national Tracy
Sievewright, moving to Yerecoin was
an adventure that largely started out
of necessity.
Having travelled parts of Australia
for ten months in 2009, she wound
up in Carnarvon looking for bar work
to fund the next leg of her tour.
“I searched a local job website
looking for work from Carnarvon
down to Perth and everywhere in
between and up came a barmaid’s
job at the Yerecoin Tavern,” she said.
“Within three days of starting I had
invitations to come for dinner, go
to social tennis, go on a farm visit;
people were very friendly.”
“Everybody just wanted to include
you even though I had not planned
to stay.”
It was at a Melbourne Cup function
at the hall where Tracy first met many
local women, some of whom had
been in her position not long before.
“That was when I knew it must be
getting serious,” Tracy said.
With a career in agronomy in
Scotland, Tracy found she loved the
farming life that surrounds the town.
“My family has always been farming
and lived on farms so I thought it
was fantastic as everything around
me was agricultural,” although she
admits it was not easy to acclimatise
to the soaring temperatures.
“In Scotland when I first left it was
minus 4 degrees and here I was in
38 to 40 degree heat.”
The flies and mosquitoes were
another adjustment. “I used to go
for a walk in the evenings and found
myself chewing half the wildlife.”
None of that prevented Kyle and
Tracy from moving in together and
several years later baby Aaron,
now 18 months, came along. Baby
number two is due in late February.
“A couple of the girls took me aside
and jokingly said ‘don’t get too
settled or the next thing you know
you’ll catch a local’s eye and be
staying forever because that’s what
happened to us’!”
Tracy says while it’s harder to go out
for coffee or meet up with friends in
the country she’s realised you can
always invite people or organise a
play date with other young mums in
the area.
Tracy has taken Kyle to Scotland
to meet family and friends and will
ensure their children appreciate
both sides of their heritage.
“We have more customs back
home such as Burns Night where
we celebrate our history with pipes
and dancing and haggis. It is a lot
of fun,” she said. “I’d love to see
more of that here and we put Aaron
in a kilt for celebrations such as
weddings.”
She feels a strong allegiance to
anything Scottish but she doesn’t
mind seeing England lose to Australia.
“When it comes to tennis I support
Andy Murray all the way, but if it’s
cricket, I’m happy to see the Poms
getting beaten!”
It wasn’t long before a certain local,
Kyle Manning was asking Tracy to
tour the farm and taking her out for
dinner.
“Our initial date was in fact to the tip
to drop off some rubbish but things
certainly improved from there,” she
laughed, adding that the next proper
invitation was much better.
“He picked me up from town and
we drove out to Lancelin for dinner.
After a lovely night we then drove
back and little did I know but he
went on and did a full night of
header driving.”
Neither the soaring summer temperatures nor insect life prevented Tracy and Kyle from moving
in together.
Network News summer 13
5
across my desk
RRR NETWORK NEWS
Network News is published quarterly by the
RRR Network to share stories and photographs
from and about women living in rural, remote
and regional Western Australia.
The RRR Network was established in 1996
to bring together women in rural, remote and
regional Western Australia to recognise, promote
and expand on the contribution they make
to their communities. The Network is a State
Government project funded by the Department
of Regional Development.
Circulation for this edition is 9757. The magazine
is distributed free to regional subscribers
throughout Western Australia and organisations
in Australia.
Editorial material in RRR Network News is
copyright and may not be reproduced without
permission from the Editor. Views expressed in
Network News are not necessarily those of the
RRR Network.
DISCLAIMER: Inclusion of an advertisement
or sponsor’s symbol in the RRR Network
publications does not imply endorsement of the
product or sponsor by the RRR Network and the
Department of Regional Development.
RRR NETWORK EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Katrina Hayes
EDITOR
Katrina Hayes
RRR NETWORK OFFICE
RRR Network News
Tel: (08) 6552 1849
Fax: (08) 6552 1850
Email: rrr.network@drd.wa.gov.au
Website: www.rrr.wa.gov.au
REGIONAL EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Jo Fulwood, Lola Jones, Leonie Noble
RURAL, REMOTE AND REGIONAL WOMEN’S
REFERENCE GROUP
Leonie Noble – Geraldton (Chair), Michelle
Barrett – Munglinup, Margaret Bertling –
Karratha, Paula Bray – Derby, Jo Fulwood –
Cunderdin, Jackie Jarvis – Margaret River, Lola
Jones – Broome, Renee Manning – Merredin,
Jodie Mortadza – Bindoon, Janine Phillips –
Peaceful Bay, Sally Thomson – Woodanilling and
Monica Treasure – Wandering.
DESIGN
Linkletters
PRINTING
Quality Press
NEXT EDITION
Theme: Many Hats
This edition is due in March 2014.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
See the subscription form on the back page or
contact the RRR Network office.
ISSN 1445-7210
Across my desk
Katrina Hayes
Welcome to the Summer 2013 edition of Network News and thank you to all
our readers who provided articles. The main theme is Going Places.
Whether it’s moving around the state, around Australia, or going overseas,
the new experiences and opportunities of our contributors going places
provide inspiration in the stories we share with you in this edition. Enjoy your
summer reading.
The 2013 RRR Satellite Sundowner was again successful across the state,
with events from Kununurra to Esperance. You can watch the In My Backyard
video anytime from the RRR website.
Have you been inspired after reading a story in Network News? Or has
sharing your story made a difference for you? We’d love to hear from you.
Your copy of the 2014 RRR Network Family Organiser is included with this
issue of Network News. This is the sixth year we have published the organiser
and we are pleased to share images of rural, remote and regional life from
around Western Australia.
We welcome images throughout the year for the next Family Organiser and
the My Backyard section of the Network News magazine.
I wish you and your family a relaxing Christmas break and a prosperous
New Year.
Katrina Hayes
RRR Network, Executive Officer
National Youth
Awards 2014
applications are
open
The National Youth Awards
celebrate, acknowledge and
recognise Australia’s youth. Entries
are open until 8 January 2014 in
categories including Health and
Wellbeing; Creating Pathways;
Community Leadership; Safer
Communities; Personal Courage and
Cultural Awareness. Find out more at
http://www.youthweek.com/nya
Horizon
Scholarship 2014
The Horizon Scholarship has
been developed to support the
next generation of agricultural
leaders, who will take up the
challenge of farming for the
future. It is for young people who
are passionate about agriculture,
with a keen interest in the future
of these industries and who are
ready to expand their networks
and learn new skills. For more
information visit
www.rirdc.gov.au/horizon
Women in Construction Awards 2014
Nominations are open for the National Association of Women in
Construction (WA) Awards for Excellence, which recognise outstanding
achievements made by women in the construction industry. Nominate
yourself or a colleague at www.nawic.com.au by 30 January 2014.
6
Network
NetworkNews
NewsSUMMER
SPRING 13
13
Making Granny Ipsen’s sauce workshop
with Stellar Violets
G OIN G P L A C E S
manjimup
Hidden gold
Leaving home, Lucinda went
to school, travelled Australia
and overseas and found herself
drawn back home with a
dream of a future on the land.
Twenty years ago, I was twelve years
old, soon to leave the family apple
farm and go to boarding school.
Out of our class of 60 Year Sevens
at Manjimup Primary School, I
was quite alone in my impending
departure. It was goodbye Mum,
Dad, and everything I knew.
Can you imagine how I felt?
You might be surprised to hear that
I was glad to be leaving.
While most girls battled homesickness during first term, I was
pretty happy, following in my older
brother and sister’s footsteps, and
enjoying the adventure of making
new friends.
Just a few years later, when I was
18 and not long out of boarding
school, my mum died from cancer.
Lucinda Giblett
Mum ran the fruit packhouse for as
long as I can remember, and her
vacola-preserved apricots were my
favourite winter dessert.
I recently travelled to Gundaroo, NSW,
to attend Milkwood Permaculture
and All Sun Farm’s excellent Organic
Market Gardening Masterclass.
One of the hardest things to follow
was experiencing Mother’s Day.
It was also very challenging when
friends complained about their own
mothers.
The next step for us is creating a
small, diversified market garden,
aiming to provide our team and
friends with as much fresh organic
produce as we can, year-round.
Eventually, in amongst several years
travelling Australia and overseas, I
learnt to accept all that, coming to
see mum’s passing as a gift.
We’ll be sharing our progress on
the web, in our seasonal newsletter,
and with special presentations and
workshops.
Losing her taught my heart to sing
with gratitude at what I do have: the
little things like hugs from my niece
and nephew, delicious fresh food,
and the cheery greeting I get from
the Guadagnino family, our local
grocers.
Collaborations and donations help
us bring special events to the south
west as opportunities arise, such as
sustainability speaker, Nicole Foss,
and homesteading or sustainable
living skills workshops.
Tough times urge us to learn, grow,
and go to new places. These days I
do my best to see them as hidden
gold in muddied waters.
After years of wanderlust, Manjimup
was still the last place I’d ever
thought I’d return to!
But Dad’s move to embrace organic
farming inspired me to dream of
a future on the land back home.
Maybe I could create what I wanted
to see...
By summer Stellar Violets will also
be going places in our 100% fully
electronic farm ute!
To our knowledge it’ll be the first
vehicle of its kind to be registered in
the Southern Forests’ region.
If you want to have a look under the
bonnet, book us to present to your
group or help out with our projects
just connect and say hi.
lucinda@stellarviolets.org
Becoming 2012 WA runner-up in
the RIRDC Rural Women’s Awards
helped me found Stellar Violets Inc,
a charitable non-profit organisation
named after my grandmothers.
With Stellar Violets, we find healthy
ways to engage in the world, and
share our experiences and examples
with others.
Network News summer 13
Trees planted for mums at the 2013
Mother’s Day Planting.
7
G OIN G P L A C E S
Broome
Maybe it runs in the family
Lola Jones
Denise with her New York marathon bib
From running after a
thunderstorm in Broome,
Denise was inspired by her
mum, Loretta, to run her first
marathon.
How does a young woman who likes
to run on the beach in Broome end
up running in the New York City
Marathon? Maybe it just runs in the
family!
Denise Shillinglaw is planning to
run in the New York City (NYC)
Marathon with her mum, Loretta.
About this time last year Denise was
planning to be the support team for
her mum who was running in the
2012 NYC Marathon.
This year they will run together.
The NYC Marathon is 42.195km or
26.219 miles long and one of the
largest marathons in the world.
Denise said that the idea of running
a marathon herself had been lurking
around since her mum ran her first
marathon in Perth in 2004. “For
someone like me who had just had
my first child at the time, it did not
seem realistic, ever”.
Supporting mum was always the
priority.
8
Mum started running at 56 years
old and six years later completed
her first marathon, the Perth
Marathon in 2004. Next was
the 2010 Athens Marathon and
after Athens, it didn’t seem that
insurmountable for Loretta to do the
New York Marathon.
Denise was disappointed she was
not able to see her Mum over the
line in Perth or in Athens, so she
was pretty determined to see her
finish in New York and help her
celebrate. Not many people could
say their 70 year old mum had run
their third marathon! It was going to
be a great trip.
Denise said, “It was a great a trip
but not how we had planned it.
The 2012 ‘run’ was cancelled due to
Hurricane Sandy and Loretta, along
with many others who had trained
and travelled for the event, were
devastated. But then, New York City
was devastated too, so we were in
good company.”
On the day of the cancelled 2012
marathon, Loretta and about two
hundred other Australians decided
to run a goodwill run around Central
Park. It seemed to be the right thing
to do and there was so much pentup energy in the competitors, that
there needed to be some outlet.
Denise ran with them.
She said, “It was amazing! There
were about twenty thousand
people in Central Park running
that morning. I was running with
Chileans, South Africans, Spaniards,
Americans, French; some of the
fittest people on the planet. After
that run (only about 10km),
I thought if I am ever in a position to
participate in this marathon, then
I will do it.”
Network News SUMMER 13
“It was amazing!
There were about
twenty thousand people
in Central Park running
that morning. I was
running with Chileans,
South Africans,
Spaniards, Americans,
French …
About six months later the Boston
Marathon bombings occurred and
Denise feared for her mum, who
had put her name down to run in
New York in 2013. What was the
risk for her?
Denise spent several days in April
2013 trying to talk her mum out
of going.
Then Denise got the email,
“Congratulations. We would like
to offer you a place in the NYC
Marathon.”
Denise said, “I didn’t know what to
do. Then I remembered my promise
to myself back in New York. I
decided that, yes, I would commit to
my first marathon and accompany
my mum in her third. She has
always inspired me and if she could
do it, then I could too.”
The training was time-consuming.
In February, Denise injured her
Achilles tendon and spent two
months getting back on track just to
begin training. The next few months
were hard work and she planned to
train cautiously so as to prevent any
other injury.
G OIN G P L A C E S
Supporting mum was always the priority. Mum started
running at 56 years old and six years later completed her
first marathon, the Perth Marathon in 2004.
Denise and her mum, Loretta, at the finish
line of the 2012 run which inspired her to
get involved.
They did what they set out to achieve and can laugh about it.
Denise and Loretta ran the New York City Marathon in November,
coming in at 5.24 and 6.17 respectively. They celebrated with
champagne, dinner and a little shopping.
Denise describes herself as a
middle distance runner (8-12km)
and used to run almost daily. She
said her longest “competitive” run
was a 12km City to Surf in 2007.
A marathon training schedule forces
you to run longer distances but less
often. So she runs four times per
week now and with four months to
go she is now up to running 18km.
At the moment she is beating her
personal best every weekend!
A lot of training goes into running
a marathon.
She said, “I run because I enjoy
the meditation of it. I run pretty
much the same course every time.
I enjoy the shift where my body is
in focus and my brain gets to rest.
Amazingly, some of my best thinking
happens when I am running.”
“In Broome particularly, I love to run
because it is so clean and (most of
the time) so quiet. Sometimes, of
course, running in Broome can be
hot and I love going for a run after a
great big thunderstorm.”
“Most of all I love the feeling at the
end of every run, the feeling that
every runner knows – an elation.
When you know that you are alive.”
Network News summer 13
Denise is grateful to her partner
Paul and her father Des, who both
help her to juggle her (nearly) fulltime job, two children and training.
Their support, her children’s support
and the experienced advice from
her mother, will all help in enabling
her to achieve this goal.
Denise has also taken up yoga,
and she says that yoga is definitely
helping with the mental challenge of
the whole project.
“Most of my mental strategy is
visualisation of the course. I know
a little about the city and have
been studying the course. On every
training run, I visualise one of the
milestones on the NYC course. I am
hoping it will help.”
“What I am most looking forward
to is running down past Marcus
Garvey Park and into Central Park
on the day, because I know that at
that point there will only be about
five kilometres left to run to the
finish line.”
“I will be very happy to get there.
Mum and I will really celebrate then!”
shillyd2011@hotmail.com
9
m y h ea r t m y h o m e
northcliffe
A story that needs
to be told
Jenny MacDonald
His grandsons take their Poppy
John in their stride.
Jenny shares her story of how her community’s spirit and generosity
provided the help and support needed so her husband John can stay
on the family farm that he loves.
We live on a farm in Northcliffe,
a very small community, but a
community with a huge heart.
My husband John was born and
bred here of pioneer stock, while
I came from a farming family next
door in Pemberton.
When we were married 45 years
ago, the farm had about 130 acres
cleared of scrub with ring barked
trees everywhere. John worked for
the Department of Environment
and Conservation for 35 years and
together we have worked hard
through difficult times to develop
and grow our farming business and
to bring up our three sons.
All our family have always been
heavily involved in community life:
Tennis Club, Golf Club, Southerners
Football Club, Northcliffe’s 75th,
80th and 85th Anniversary
Celebrations, the great Karri
Mountain Bike Challenge, and
the formation of the Northclifffe
Community Development Group.
10
My latest achievement was raising
funds in dedication to a wonderful
doctor who helped people in our
area for 47 years. We erected a
cast iron silhouette in his honour on
Australia Day 2012 and that must
be my ‘swan song’ for the time
being. Life as we knew it changed in
May 2009. John was diagnosed with
Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
It was a great shock to John and
I, our sons and extended families.
Our journey began with an initial
worry about John’s arm. We went to
our local doctor, who sent us to a
Bunbury specialist, who then sent
us to Perth to a doctor who finally
gave us the diagnosis. Very different
to the ‘frozen shoulder’ which John
thought he had.
MND is not very common. There are
currently only 120 cases in WA and
it is a difficult disease to diagnose,
hence all the different doctors we
saw. There is no known cure.
Network News SUMMER 13
After the diagnosis and
recognition of what
MND would mean for
John’s capability,
I made a commitment
to keep my beloved
husband on the farm
that he loves.
After the diagnosis and recognition
of what MND would mean for John’s
capability, I made a commitment to
keep my beloved husband on the
farm that he loves.
We needed a more suitable dwelling
so that John and I could focus our
energy and face the menace of
MND together.
I raised the housing issue firstly
with my brothers. One brother, with
previous experience constructing
this type of housing, took over. With
his son, they drew up the plans for
a dwelling suitable for a person with
disabilities and within a week, with
help from friends at the Manjimup
Shire, we had plans ready to go.
Being a small town, the people of
Northcliffe and surrounding areas
soon heard of our plight. When
my brother Noel and his son Paul
started building, John and I were
overwhelmed with the help provided
from this community.
The dwelling took 27 days to build.
106 people, family members and
friends helped with the cooking,
building, cleaning, including the
skilled tradesmen.
m y h ea r t m y h o m e
Ann O’Donnell shares how the
community feels about the Macs
coping with devotion to the
comfort of their beloved John:
On one particular day the painter, electrician, plumber, carpet layer, air conditioner and
solar fitter, and two carpenters all worked together.
We have been overwhelmed and
humbled in this situation.
We are settled into this beautiful
house. Facing one day at a time
hopefully John will get lots of
pleasure and laughs from his great
mates, friends and family for a long
time yet.
For me, how do I repay these
wonderful people?
Now to the caring for John: we have
been lucky with Baptist Care, Rural
Respite, the Pemberton doctor
and nursing staff at the Pemberton
Hospital.
Tapping into Gumtree, I found
travelling nurses who are
backpacking around Australia.
Baptist Care, Rural Respite and
Care-a-Lot employ them for 27
hours a week and we provide their
accommodation and food.
We have been very lucky with these
young people. Without them I could
not cope with John at home as it is
24 hour care.
Son Dave, his partner Catrin and
their two little boys Jamon and
Harper, live in our old home, which
is adjacent to our house. Dave runs
the farm and Jamon and Harper
give us so much pleasure. John
enjoys their antics.
The dwelling took
27 days to build.
106 people, family
members and friends
helped with the
cooking, building,
cleaning, including the
skilled tradesmen.
John is a wonderful man and his
attitude to his illness keeps me
strong. He has just spent 12 days
in respite, the first in 18 months.
The hospital and the staff are just
wonderful but he says, “there is
nowhere like home”.
While he was away, family and
friends plus 40 people from the area
converged to work on our garden
and orchard.
Where in the world would you get
such a big hearted crew to dedicate
their weekend to people like us?
John has recently written his
memories of his much loved
Southerners Football Club.
The reality is that we have learnt
about this insidious disease.
We are overcome with
admiration of the Mac family.
Anything we can possibly do
is done with good cheer and
visiting John is an absolute joy.
The memories are endless and
Jen’s hospitality is legendary.
We are used to John’s good
humour, the man for all seasons
who helped out at the drop of a
hat. Most of all, we miss John
and Jenny and from a distance
stand in awe of the Macs’ love
and commitment in keeping
John at home, exactly where he
wants to be.
In recognition of John’s commitment,
the club dedicated a football match
to him and his family. Played
on Northcliffe Oval, he gave out
the Fairest and Best Medal, the
MacDonald Medallion. You can see
why we feel very privileged and love
to be living in this community. Plus
we raised money for MND research.
We don’t know how long John’s
battle will be. Without the
wonderful community spirit we have
experienced and the support from
our sons: Steve, Gary and Dave, and
our extended families, we would not
have been able to keep John where
he deserves to be.
Grandson Jamon turns the pages for
John so he can read the Farm Weekly.
These boys are very adaptable.
Jamon turns the pages for John so
he can read the Farm Weekly and
both boys feed and share food with
him. It is good for the heart to see
these little boys taking Poppy in
their stride.
Network News summer 13
11
Ce l eb r at i o n
We s t e r n A u s t r a l i a
In my backyard
To celebrate International Day of Rural Women, women from all over rural, remote and regional WA came
together to celebrate the unique capabilities of rural, remote and regional women at the second RRR
Satellite Sundowner.
Attending a local public or private event held simultaneously across Western Australia on Thursday, 17 October 2013,
women joined to celebrate and connect RRR women and share their experiences.
The 2013 theme was In My Backyard and a series of videos and images were sent in from across the state to share
their backyards.
Partnering with ABC Open, a number of video postcard workshops were held to encourage participants to create their
own video postcard of their backyard.
These video postcards then became the basis of a video, which was played at the beginning of each event. Opening
with a walk through by RRR Chair, Leonie Noble and several RRR Reference Group members, the video shared some
inspiring views and touching tales of life in rural, remote and regional Western Australia.
With over 15 events, many of which were hosted by
Community Resource Centres (CRCs), the second RRR
Satellite Sundowner was a great success.
Rural, Remote and Regional
Women’s Network
Thursday, 17 OcTOber 2013
Satellite
Sundowner
My Backyard
Postcards from rural, remote & regional Wa!
To commemorate International day of rural Women, the rrr Network invites you
to gather and celebrate rural, remote and regional women in Wa.
This year’s theme is My Backyard and together with abc Open, rrr will be unveiling
a collection of video postcards from across the state sharing stories,
viewpoints and experiences of rrr women, their families and their communities.
We invite you to take part in the celebrations by either attending a local event or
getting a group of friends together for a sundowner.
To register an event or find one nearest to you visit
Their events were all about networking, meeting new
people, and for some, finding out about interest groups
available to women in their town.
Some CRCs added their own local flavour to the program.
Quairading CRC compiled their own presentation of
backyards and York CRC compiled their own My Backyard
video with an empowering message for women.
The RRR Satellite Sundowner was proudly supported by
the Department of Regional Development, Royalties for
Regions and the Community Resource Network.
Thank you to partner ABC Open and their WA producers
for showing women cross the state how to share their
stories.
rrr.wa.gov.au
RRR - Rural, Remote & Regional Women’s Network
Pic courtesy of Janine McCrum
If you missed attending a RRR Satellite Sundowner,
you can still view the video. Download it from the
RRR website at www.rrr.wa.gov.au and click on the
Satellite Sundowner button.
Proudly supported by
Visit the RRR Facebook page to link with more
images and videos at
www.facebook.com/RRRNetwork
Proudly supported by
12
Government of Western Australia
Department of Regional Development
Network News SUMMER 13
t i tCe
l el eb
t orgat
o ih
on
ere
l o c at i o n
“Everyone enjoyed
each other’s company
and said we should
do it more often”
Brunswick Junction
cue
merredin
KUNUNURRA
DERBY
Meekatharra
dongara
“The women in
Wandering loved the
evening and are all looking
forward to next year.
This is now an
annual event”
CUE
ravensthorpe
DALWALLINU
DANDARAGAN
DONGARA
GINGIN
YORK
MERREDIN
QUAIRADING
WANDERING
RAVENSTHORPE
BRUNSWICK JUNCTION
MUNGLINUP
ESPERANCE
wandering
Esperance
Network News summer 13
13
G OIN G P L A C E S
k i m be r l ey
An uplifting way to give
Lola Jones
Kimberley women, Natasha,
Michelle and Rayleen, sold 3000
bras over a year to raise funds for
a women’s conference in Papua
New Guinea.
The three women, from Kununurra,
Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing,
each raised funds in their respective
towns by selling bras and creating
awareness of the conference to
encourage others to buy a bra and
write a card.
As part of their fundraising the
ladies also made presentations at
the 2012 International Women’s Day
events in Wyndham and Kununurra.
In addition, Kimberley postcards
showing local scenery and images
were used to write a small message
of hope or inspiration, which would
be delivered to an unknown PNG
woman.
In May 2013, three Aboriginal
women from the Kimberley travelled,
as guest speakers, to a women’s
conference in the highlands of
Papua New Guinea (PNG).
In January 2012, when they were
invited to attend, they began to plan
how they could raise money to fund
the event including the food needed
for 500 people for three days.
They wanted to sponsor the event
because Numba Village in Oro
province, near Popondetta, is the
home of the Managalasi people and
a place of simple existence where
people live in bamboo huts, without
electricity and without running water.
In early 2012 Natasha received an
unexpected phone call – charity
Uplift rang to enquire if Natasha
could use a donation of 3000 bras.
Natasha readily accepted, realising
she could sell bras for $5 each to
raise the money needed to sponsor
the women’s conference.
14
Additionally, each card had two
Kina attached to it (equivalent to
one Australian dollar) which each
woman could use to buy herself
a small item. A total of 500 cards
were taken into the village and only
a few cards remained at the end of
the giving time.
Each PNG woman received her
card with a huge smile on her
face, with this activity being the
culmination of the conference
where the theme for the three days
was The Power of Giving.
Countless stories emerged over the
three days from the PNG women
who testified that the words written
on the card she had received were
so timely and true for her.
PNG’s highland people are
fascinated by foreigners whom
they rarely see. It was even more
amazing to meet Aboriginal women
from Australia.
Emilly, Rayleen, Michelle and Natasha
Network News SUMMER 13
As Indigenous women from
different nations, they shared their
stories and found similarities.
The Kimberley women spoke and
sang to the crowd in Kimberley
Kriol. The PNG women listened
eagerly and were amused at its
similarity to their Pidgin English.
The Kimberley women’s visit to
Numba was the fulfilment of a
vision and was a very special time
for each of them.
Their funds were enough to buy
three pigs for an end of conference
celebration, which was thoroughly
enjoyed by people who rarely
enjoy eating meat due to the cost
involved.
Their new friends made them
welcome and thanked them with
gifts, including hand-made bags
or bilums of beautiful colours and
patterns.
The team, Natasha Short, Michelle
Martin and Rayleen Pindan, thank
everyone who gave generously in
some way towards the success
of the trip, including Halls Creek
Tourist Bureau and Wunan
Foundation.
G OIN G P L A C E S
be n c u bb i n
Baby wearing in the
Wheatbelt
Jane West
From Wagin to Bencubbin, from thousand year old practice to fashion
statement: Jane West and baby wearing are changing the look of the Wheatbelt.
Jane persevered despite a quiet
first year, when she found herself
pregnant with her first child, unable
to participate in sport, that great
country pursuit, and working at
the hospital down the road. Social
occasions were few and far between.
The arrival of her first child meant
she was connected with other young
mums. She got into hockey, and
slowly she built up her network.
Jane is now an active community
member, a mum of two young
children, a nurse, and an
entrepreneur, recently starting up
her own online business selling baby
wearing apparel.
Jane West’s passion for baby
wearing is infectious. Baby wearing,
for the uninitiated, is a practice
for thousands of years and in
recent times has become a fashion
statement. It involves carrying your
baby in a sling or carrier, meaning
they are held close to you. Jane’s
passion has led to a fledgling online
business and her appointment as
secretary of Baby Wearers WA: all
from her farm in Bencubbin.
How did she get to Bencubbin, and
why baby wearing? Jane thought
that her childhood growing up on
her parents’ farm in Wagin was
good preparation for her move to
Bencubbin to be with her partner of
several years.
Little did Jane know that Wagin
would look like a pretty bustling town
compared to Bencubbin, a small
town in the wheatbelt of WA.
Jane found her second child,
Oscar, just didn’t want to settle in
the way the books would tell her.
She tried a more natural parenting,
which meant responding to when
Oscar wanted to sleep, eat and
play. On discovering the world of
baby carrying, she found Oscar fell
asleep fairly quickly, and she could
carry on with her daily chores, with
relatively little effort.
Jane is now a collector of wraps,
slings and carriers. Establishing her
online business PixieMama after
taking it over from a friend, she
is currently investing all the profit
into her business, building stock
and investigating different types of
carriers. She joined Baby Wearers
WA, a not-for-profit community
advocacy group who hope to bring
an internationally recognised baby
wearing educator from England.
Network News summer 13
Jane demonstrates wrapping
techniques, hosts regular meetings
in Merredin and is probably
attributable for the rise in mums and
dads wearing their babies.
It is becoming a bit of a fashion
statement with an overwhelming
variety of colours, fabrics and styles
available. Jane says, “When you
move to a small town, you need to
make your own fun. Get out and
talk to as many people as possible,
and find out common interests or
needs in the community. You never
know what you can achieve. It could
be something that benefits a whole
range of people, such as starting a
playgroup, to simply building your
own friendship base by being part
of a hockey team.” Jane is certainly
an inspiration to rural, remote and
regional women, turning a practical
way to get on with her day into a
business she can run from virtually
anywhere.
www.babywearerswa.wix.com/
westernaustralia
15
G OIN G P L A C E S
k i m be r l ey
Volunteer experience
Jane Sheils
For 10 years, Jane Sheils worked with schools and teachers in the north
west. She took a break to refresh by volunteering abroad in the Maldives.
Now in the Solomon Islands, she shares her volunteering story.
I needed a different challenge, so I
decided to volunteer overseas. I love
travelling and scuba diving, so when
I saw a teacher educator volunteer
position in the Maldives it was a
no-brainer. I left for the Maldives in
September 2010.
Sheeza Miss and I team teaching in
Grade 2.
I’m a teacher educator who has
been lucky enough to live and work
in the Pilbara and Kimberley for the
last ten years. What an amazing
place to live: the people, the
landscape, the climate.
I’ve worked in various positions
supporting schools and teachers
of Aboriginal students who speak
Aboriginal English or Kriol as their
first language.
Often these teachers are new
graduates, living away from home
for the first time. Their new teaching
environment and the needs of their
students are outside their realm of
understanding and so many have
an amazing spirit and willingness to
learn.
To guide and support them made
my role as teacher educator so
rewarding.
After 10 years I had learnt so much,
but I found I was “recycling and
re-using” without perhaps engaging
in enough self development.
16
Orange and black was the theme for
teachers on the 25th School Anniversary.
Connecting with the
women of “my island”
was an enriching
experience and so
important in a Moslem
country.
The Maldives consists of 1190
islands grouped into 26 geographical
atolls covering an area of 90,000
sq km. Teacher Resource Centres
(TRC) have been established on
each of the 20 administrative atolls
so that training can be decentralised
and contextualised.
I had an amazing mentor and friend
in Ameena, Isse’s wife, a teacher at
the school and a beautiful mother
of two.
My role was to work with my
counterpart, Isse’, the TRC
Coordinator of the Faafu Atoll,
to build his capacity to provide
professional development and
support for teachers in five schools
in the atoll.
She guided me regarding customs
when invited to celebrate marriages,
anniversaries, circumcisions,
birthdays, sporting achievements
and exam results. At these events,
there is no overt ceremony. The
guests arrive, they eat, they
congratulate the family and leave.
I found there were many parallels to
working in WA Kimberley schools.
Instead of long 4WD or singleengine plane ride to schools, it was
a long boat ride.
200 of the islands are inhabited.
Resorts are on separate islands so
tourists rarely get a glimpse of the
island life where I lived for nine
months. My island, Faafu Nilandhoo,
has a population of about 1500, is
wonderfully quiet and isolated and
the community is well known for its
cohesiveness and local spirit.
Connecting with the women of “my
island” was an enriching experience
and so important in a Moslem
country.
Network News SUMMER 13
She cooked and sewed for me and
welcomed me into her home and
family.
Another of my lifelines was my
In-country Manager, ‘Shehe’, who
reduced the issues of remoteness
and isolation by locating materials
I needed and delivering them to
the boat without complaint. She
became a close and valued friend
who was always ‘there’ and her love
of reading meant I could share my
latest great read.
As the first western foreigner to
live on the island I was a source
of curiosity. From the beginning
I would hear the children call,
“Jane Miss, Jane Miss,” and a
shy little wave would follow.
G OIN G P L A C E S
Solving the world’s problems whilst preparing
the vegies.
After a few weeks adults asked,
“Kon thaakan dhany“ (where are
you going?). My answer was usually
“moodhu” (the sea).
One of the mainstays of the island’s
economy is fishing. Fish is dried
and smoked locally and a fish
paste called Rihaakuru is made. It’s
delicious with roshi (thin unleavened
bread). So we ate lots of fish.
Nearly everything is imported, other
than fresh and dried tuna. Fresh
fruit and vegetables are difficult to
get, expensive and often the term
‘fresh’ was questionable. There are
no pubs in Maldives so the local
cafe is always crowded for tea.
Jane cooking – local style.
The island hosted the National
Women’s Volleyball Championships
in December, a memorable week.
In the lead up to this event, the
community worked together
tirelessly to prepare the island.
Every team’s arrival was marked
by a whole island welcome. The
locals came out in force to cheer on
the local teams and the sound of
biscuit-tin drums and vuvuzela filled
the usually quiet streets.
In my leisure time I read from
an amazing range of classics,
contemporary novels and lots of
‘weekend reading’ from the school
library. I played Freecell and my
chess has improved.
Peaceful streets – only one car
and two trucks on the island.
Isse’ took me ‘fishnorking’. We’d
catch some worms and crabs for
bait, then snorkel out over a reef
and drop a line down from a coke
bottle. We could watch the fish take
the bait, then pull it up, put it in
our floating basket and catch some
more. I loved it and it sure made a
change from tuna.
I have returned to the north west
renewed and enthusiastic, with a
clearer sense of the importance of
life-work balance.
I laughed and learnt throughout my
time in the Maldives and hope in
some small way I made a difference.
They have certainly touched me.
I swam every day and gathered a
small group of women to do aquaaerobics. In my last month on the
island we organised for a fitness
instructor to visit the island and had
over fifty women participating in an
aqua aerobics class.
An amazing experience and a sight
to behold!
The snorkelling was amazing and
right at my doorstep.
Tuna tin skittles.
Ameena’s sunhat.
Now based in the Solomon Islands, Jane volunteered in the Maldives
with the Australian Volunteers for International Development program,
an Australian Government initiative. Skilled Australians can volunteer
overseas in Asia, the Pacific, Africa, Latin America or the Caribbean.
Volunteers work with local people to reduce poverty by sharing
knowledge, developing sustainable skills and building the capacity
of individuals, organisations and communities.
www.australianaidvolunteers.gov.au
Network News summer 13
17
G OIN G P L A C E S
Ma r ga r e t R i v e r
Always a WA girl
Stephanie Coombes went from suburban Perth to outback Australia,
the wilds of Canada and the United States and back, as she shares her
passion for agriculture.
At the time of writing this story
Stephanie Coombes was in Nebraska,
USA. For the previous three months
she was living and working in Alberta,
Canada. Before that, it is hard to
keep track, but try outback Northern
Territory, Queensland and regional
Western Australia.
This Perth born and bred girl is
one of the fresh new faces of WA
agriculture, using social media to
spread a positive message about
farming as a career and as a
lifestyle, and educating consumers
about beef production.
Stephanie Coombes has over 2000
Twitter followers and in March 2012,
she created the blog Ausagventures
to give a voice to any Australian
agriculture blogger wanting to share
their experiences. The site now has
over 2000 readers.
Agriculture wasn’t something that
Steph was connected to growing up
in the Perth suburbs.
“I always had a love of animals,
especially horses, but that was as
far as it went,” Steph explains.
“I didn’t know anything about
agriculture except the anecdotal
stories of farmers on tractors out in
the paddock and shearers shearing
sheep.”
When asked why a city girl chose to
do an agricultural science degree,
Steph answers with two words:
McLeod’s Daughters. Yes, the TV
show from a decade ago.
18
When asked why a
city girl chose to do an
agricultural science
degree, Steph answers
with two words:
McLeod’s Daughters.
Yes, the TV show from
a decade ago.
“I loved that television show growing
up, and I would have to say it
definitely sparked my interest in
agriculture.”
Thinking she would end up as a
farm labourer, Steph was initially
overwhelmed by the career choices
from an Agricultural Science degree.
As she explains, “the reason why
I chose that degree, and why I
remained enrolled in it, are very
different.”
“Once I got into my degree, I
discovered this whole other world,
and I haven’t turned back. I thought
I was going to work as a farm
labourer, like in McLeod’s Daughters,
but at uni I learnt about the science,
business and technology which
underpins agriculture.”
“With so many facets to this industry
I often got overwhelmed thinking
about them all, and what I wanted to
do when I finished”.
Network News SUMMER 13
Jackie Jarvis
After an initial interest in soil
science, Steph considered future
career opportunities in pasture
science, cropping systems and grain
marketing.
It was a six week contract job on a
cattle station, during their annual
muster, that sparked her interest.
“I decided that beef cattle production
was the area I wanted to pursue.”
Despite her passion for agriculture
and, after graduating with first class
honours, Steph was still searching
for the perfect career opportunity.
With a keen interest in overseas
beef production, Steph applied for
a Canadian working visa one day,
booked her ticket two weeks later,
and after a week flew out. By April
2013 Steph was living and working
in Two Hills, Alberta, Canada.
Whilst she loves her North American
adventure, Steph says she will
always be a WA girl.
“It all happened so suddenly so
I think it took my family a few days to
realise what was really happening.
I know they miss me, and I really miss
them. My nephew was born while
I was on my flight over – talk about
timing issues. I have become much
closer with my family since I left.”
Steph is missing her family and
the WA sunshine. Despite travelling
into the North American spring,
Steph found herself still working
in snow and sub-zero temperatures.
So much for escaping the Aussie
winter!
G OIN G P L A C E S
When asked what else she missed
about WA the response was quick
to come.
“My family. My horses,” she starts.
“I think though it’s Australia itself
that I miss. I miss being able to
drive to the beach on a whim, or
watch (TV show) Home and Away or
even drive to a friend’s house.”
“I miss the warmth of the land and
the people. Our larrikin behaviour,
and general state of relaxation…
and especially our humour. No one
laughs at my jokes over here!”
Of course it is not all homesickness
and cold weather. There is plenty
for her to enjoy on her overseas
adventure.
“There are country music radio
stations dedicated JUST to country
music! There is also a rodeo on
every weekend for the summer
months and, thanks to living in
Australia, a four hour drive is
nothing to me, so I can go to as
many rodeos as I like!
“The country and western fashion
just doesn’t happen in Australia.
I have my eyes on a couple of pairs
of cowboy boots, and I’m figuring out
how to make room in my suitcase.”
And the two step. In Canada, well
North America, it is normal for
young men and women to dance
together doing the two step. Nothing
provocative or flirty; just good old
fashioned dancing.
“I can’t think of one bloke from
home I could convince to two step
with me. It’s the cutest thing to
watch, fairly hard to learn, but
I figure I have a few more months
to get there!”
After arriving back in Australia in
late August, Steph has already had
a number of short agventures and is
currently deciding which agventure
to embark on next.
“No matter what
experience you have
or what your strengths
are, there is a role
for you in the industry.
The agricultural
industry offers careers
from the boardroom to
the bush, …”
In the meantime she plans to
remain an active advocate for
agriculture, to do her part “to
reduce the urban/rural divide and
highlight the opportunities the
agricultural industry offers.”
And she has some powerful advice
for young West Aussies.
“To anyone thinking about getting
into agriculture – do it. We need you!
Follow Steph at Ausagventures
at http://ausagventures.com and
on Twitter @ausagventures.
“People need to eat, and Australia
has the ability to feed the world in a
clean, green and ethical way.
“No matter what experience you
have, or what your strengths
are, there is a role for you in the
industry. The agricultural industry
offers careers from the boardroom
to the bush, so no matter whether
you are more comfortable behind a
motorbike or a microscope, there is
a role for you!”
Network News summer 13
19
l ea d e r ship
B RID G E TOWN
Bridgetown joins the
conversation
Maxine Clifford
Our backyard, Bridgetown’s iconic bridge over the Blackwood River.
Image courtesy of Maxine Clifford & Calinda King.
Ten women from local
and surrounding
areas came together
for two fabulous
days of learning and
networking with the
inspirational Catherine
Marriott and the
equally fantastic Cath
Marriott.
Bridgetown sisters Maxine Clifford
(Left) and Calinda King (right).
Image courtesy of
Maxine Clifford & Calinda King.
Bridgetown sisters Calinda King
and Maxine Clifford put their
passion for rural Australia to
good use, bringing an ‘Influential
Women’ forum to the ladies of
the south west.
Quality not quantity was the motto
for the Bridgetown Influential
Women Forum held in late August at
the Agricultural Society grounds.
Ten women from local and
surrounding areas came together for
two fabulous days of learning and
networking with the inspirational
Catherine Marriott and the equally
fantastic Cath Marriott.
20
We were welcomed with a beautiful
sunny morning for our first day
and made the most of the outdoor
weather, conversing around the
picnic table on the veranda of the
Junior Farmers Hall.
Catherine took us through exercises
in personality types, group
communication, team work, a rundown on social media and how
it can benefit our business and
personal goals and values based
communication, including social
license and the ethics of feeding
the world.
We also spent time brainstorming
a range of topics to benefit the
Bridgetown Agricultural Show using
our new found knowledge.
All the participants walked away
from the weekend with so many
new skills, great contacts for future
community and personal projects
and a better understanding of
how they can help their local rural
communities and farming industries.
We had great support from
our sponsors: the Bridgetown
Agricultural Society, Talison Lithium
Greenbushes, Ben Cooper Landmark
Bridgetown, Chooks Bridgetown and
the Russell Family.
We think everyone left with a great
sense of community spirit and having
taken part in something very special.
maxruss22@hotmail.com
After a Saturday night spit roast
shindig at the Russell family farm,
Sunday saw us working interactively
through media based topics
including engaging your audience,
scenarios and training for media
interviews, handling activism and
delivering effective presentations.
Participants made the most of the warm
weather out on the verandah.
Image courtesy of Influential Women.
Network News SUMMER 13
OUR CR E ATIV E SID E
kojonup
Words and stories
Anna Anderson
Falling asleep as a child to the tall
tales of shearers, publicans, artists
politicians, pastoralists and clergy,
Anna Anderson loves words and
tries hard to convince us she’s not
a storyteller.
I love words. I love reading them,
mulling over them, rolling them
around and mixing them up.
in Kojonup, I’m keenly aware of the
importance of the retelling of history
to sustain a sense of place.
Occasionally, I manage to put
them down in a way that creates
something bright and sharp and
succinct. Often, it is a jumble of half
thoughts, pinpricks of ideas and a
head full of unfinished possibilities.
The past has been swept clean in
an effort to modernise, and in so
doing, the stories, characters and
ways of old are at risk of being
passed over.
I’ve never considered myself to
be much of a storyteller. I forget
names, get details wrong, become
derailed and end up leaving out
the punch line. I get by with a
bit of wayward exaggeration and
lots of asides, but I’m really not a
storyteller.
Brought up on a Pilbara sheep
station, my young world was
full of storytellers and yarn
spinners. My parents entertained
a constant stream of friends and
acquaintances, lovers of the spoken
word and the good old fashioned art
of conversation.
Grownups would sit on the
breezeway at night until the
generator spluttered and expired,
cigarette smoke billowing through
the fly wire, and cans and bottles
clinking melodically.
Eventually, when my eyelids could
bear their own weight no longer,
I would surrender to sleep, and
drift off listening to the tall tales of
shearing contractors, publicans,
artists, politicians, pastoralists, and
visiting clergy alike, their stories
punctuated with peals of laughter,
heart breaking silences and
exclamations of wonder.
My mother wrote a book based on
these tales; a story of the Pilbara
and its people. Oral histories told
and retold: characters, conflicts,
conspiracies and conquests.
These stories are gold and the
black and white photographs; faces
etched with wordless lines, tell their
own tales.
Living in the Great Southern,
married to a farmer and raising our
children on our sheep/cropping farm
Network News summer 13
Involved in a local community
project, The Kodja Place, I had
an opportunity to play with this
concept, linking now with what has
been lost over the years.
It tells the story of Kojonup through
its ancestors and pioneers of which
the area is richly diverse: Noongars,
Italians and English settlers and their
colourful tapestry of interrelated
stories written, spoken, and visual.
It was a special opportunity for me,
and I learnt about the importance of
story, and its linear and non-linear
progression over time. A story can
be told in many ways, and in so
many dimensions.
I am still on my farm in Kojonup.
The kids are older, and have left us
with a nest full of memories. Recent
history I suppose, but important
none the less. I like to write about
our family and our community.
I don’t know if it is an exercise in
journaling for the future or simply
an indulgence but now, words and
stories are what fuel me, maybe
even a book. They say that there’s a
book in everyone.
I like the thought of stories being
specially crafted; carefully selected,
whittled and moulded with love
and passion over years. A job for
a storyteller.
anna@mambray.com.au
21
COMMUNIT Y
B O Y U P B ROOK
Great support for
women’s day
Erlanda Deas
The ladies of Boyup Brook
gathered for their second annual
Storm in a Teacup women’s
day earlier this year and the
combination of inspiring speakers
and good fellowship ensured an
uplifting day.
He also thanked his committee and
Marc and Erlanda Deas for their
commitment to hosting events such
as the Women’s Day.
Keynote speaker, Maggie Dent was
the first inspiring presenter. She
challenged the women present to
“move away from what’s in your
head and move to what’s in your
heart” and to “make peace with the
woman in the mirror.”
She added, “Who cares what other
people think – it’s their thoughts.”
Former Australian Football League
player, Heath Black, then spoke
openly of his battle with alcohol and
mental illness. Heath described his
world as a “bi-polar bubble” and his
view that he was above the law.
Local ladies enjoying a day out –
Cecile Maddams and Kate Lefebvre
Almost 200 women flocked to
Rylington Park for the second
Rylington Park and Boyup Brook
Co-Op ‘Storm in a Teacup’
Women’s Day.
With the theme ‘Expand Your Mind,
Change Your World’ the premise was
set for a fabulous day. And it didn’t
disappoint.
Master of Ceremonies for the
day, Rhonda Parker introduced
Rylington Park Chairman Richard
Turner to officially open the day and
acknowledge the many sponsors
who made the day possible.
When finally diagnosed with Bipolar
II and ADHD type 6 and prescribed
the correct medication, Heath turned
his life around with the support of
friends and family and now uses his
experiences to help others.
He said, “Strangers come up to
me and tell me they have a mental
illness, and then they ask me for a
hug.”
Assistant Coordinator for the One
Life Suicide Prevention Strategy,
Jane Mouritz, presented information
on future activities that could occur
locally to promote suicide awareness.
Attendees were treated to a
delectable ploughman’s lunch
(created by Kate and Doug
Cumming and helpers), and
Join Storm in a Teacup ‘Birds in the Bush’ Women’s Day on
22 March 2014. Register your interest with Erlanda on
9765 3012 or 0429 375 609.
22
Network News SUMMER 13
Lorraine Robinson, Sue Wallace and Pauline Glynn
encouraged to visit market stalls
which included a variety of local
produce, arts and crafts, community
information, household products
and fashion.
The local Country Women’s
Association branch took the
opportunity to undertake a
membership drive and raise
awareness of the organisation.
Following lunch there was an
auction of Jacquie Broockmann’s
magnificent painting which was the
event’s logo. Beulah Wines donated
a two-pack of wine featuring
exclusive Women’s Day labels of the
painting. Paul Broockmann was the
successful bidder with proceeds
from both items being donated
to the Cancer Council for breast
cancer.
Regional Cancer Council Support
Coordinator Hayley Tuck explained
that these and other donations are
all directed to cancer patients at the
grass roots level with support such
as counselling, peer support, a wig
service and more.
Maggie Dent led a brief relaxation
session which left everyone in a
calm state for their journey home.
Event coordinator, Erlanda Deas,
expressed her thanks to the
Rylington Park Committee members
and all their sponsors.
“Without the support of the
sponsors a day like this is not
possible,” said Erlanda.
She added, “I hope you all had a
wonderful day and I am sure we
expanded your mind and changed
your world.”
COMMUNIT Y
TOR B AY
All things woollen
Bev Southall
Much work was involved in organising
the Expo and on 29 August 2013
the efforts of everyone involved came
to fruition. The Vancouver Arts Centre
in Albany was the venue and three
of its rooms were devoted to
showcasing spinning, weaving,
knitting and felting.
Through her passion for fleece, Bev Southall saw the need to encourage
and recruit new spinners and so the SWANK Expo was born.
Ever since my two alpacas, Triton
and Dakota came to live at our
place, I have been involved with
all things woollen. Knowing how
besotted I was with alpacas, my
partner bought them for me as a
rather unusual birthday present.
From the day of their shearing,
‘fleece’ became part of my
vocabulary.
Joining the Torbay Spinning Group
I learned how to turn wool and
alpaca fleece into yarn. Every week I
met up with like-minded women and
gradually became adept at producing
enough spun yarn to make jumpers
and other woolly things.
It has been a rather life-changing
experience for me as before the
arrival of my two alpacas I had never
been involved with crafts of any sort.
In the lower Great Southern there are
a number of spinning groups. Most,
if not all of these groups, meet during
week days which excludes working
women from taking part.
Most of the spinners are of
retirement age.
Over time I became aware that the
number of spinners in the groups
was dwindling for one reason or
another. Little effort seemed to be
made to recruit new members, even
though it was a common complaint
that the decline in numbers made it
difficult to retain enthusiasm.
So it was clear that something needed
to be done to address this problem.
That was how the idea of a SWANK
Expo was born. SWANK is an
acronym for Spinning, Weaving and
Nifty Knitting.
Our local MP, Mr Peter Watson
MLA, agreed to open the Swank
Expo. When the doors opened at
10am the rooms were bursting with
things to examine and admire, and
there was a huge array of things
made by the groups’ members for
purchase.
The members of Albany Spinning
Group were on hand to demonstrate
their skills, as were the Albany
Weavers, a group of Albany knitters
and the fairly recently formed FIGS
group (the Felters in the Great
Southern).
It was a busy, colourful scene.
From opening until closing at 3pm
hundreds of people streamed
through the Expo, marvelling at the
work on display, pleased with their
purchases and, we hope, enthused
enough to become members.
The Expo far exceeded our
expectations and will become
an integral part of Albany’s craft
calendar of events in future years.
All of the groups in the region were
contacted and a meeting was held
to discuss the idea. Everyone was
keen to participate, to reinvigorate
their membership and to recruit new
members to swell the ranks.
The Swank Expo encourages
people to become more active in the
community in which they live.
Network News summer 13
23
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