Mosman bond strengthens with visit
Glen Innes Examiner Thursday November 1, 2007 page 1
By Naomi Davidson
THE ties between the rural district of Glen Innes and the wealthy Sydney suburb of Mosman have been further strengthened, following a delegation of locals to the suburb’s annual festival last weekend.
Glen Innes and Mosman City councils have had a formal friendship agreement in place since 1995. After a bad drought struck Glen Innes, there was a desire to build stronger links between country and city.
The links between the two cities come in the form of two men, Archibald Mosman, previous owner of Furracabad station who proposed the township of Glen Innes, and Oswald Bloxsome, the second resident of Mosman who settled Rangers Valley in 1838. As part of this friendship agreement, delegates from Glen Innes participate in the Mosman festival each year, while delegates from Mosman attend the Glen Innes Celtic Festival in May every year.
Making the journey to Mosman were Mayor Steve Toms and his wife Judi, Deputy Mayor Col Price and his wife Christine, as well as representatives from the council departments of Corporate and Community Services, Engineering Services and Economic development and Tourism.
Friday night was the unveiling of the Glen Innes friendship leadlight stained glass window display in Mosman Art Gallery, which was attended by over 200 people.
The window - funded by a $5,000 grant from Mosman City Council - was made by Glen Innes Aboriginal artists with the help of Greville Wilton and Jeff Manning and used motifs to represent Glen Innes as a geographical and cultural crossroads.
The project was developed some years ago between Judy Timbs, who then worked at Glen Innes Severn Council’s Early Intervention Program, and Mosman Council’s Kay Clark, as a way of helping Aboriginal women.
The winning entries, from St Joseph’s School Year 4 students Krystal and Simone Fuller-Byrne, won for their creators two Mosman festival caps and a $100 open order at Greg Chappell’s cricket centre, which former Australian cricketer Michael Bevan presented to Cr Toms before a celebrity cricket match on Sunday.
Cr Toms then presented Krystal and Simone with these prizes yesterday at St Joseph’s primary school.
The Glen Innes delegates participated in the Street parade on Saturday and attended a formal dinner at Mosman council chambers on Saturday night, celebrating the friendship and providing the opportunity for networking.
Duncan’s radio win: Footy story gets national airplay
Glen Innes Examiner Thursday October 25, 2007 page 1
By Naomi Davidson
The Magpies’ dressing shed has been an inspiration to a lot of talented Glen Innes rugby league players in the past, however one local teenager has applied that inspiration to a different medium, the field of writing.
Duncan Biddle is one of 37 Australia-wide winners of the 2007 ABC Radio’s regional youth initative Heywire with his submission ‘Passion for Footy’.
Glen Innes High School teacher Toni Skewes had entered her Year 11 advanced English class in the competition for the third year.
“We previously had two runners up and now we have a winner,” Mrs Skewes said.
Duncan’s story isn’t about the game of league itself but rather the emotion and the mental preparation of the game, from the moment players wake up to the anxiety in the dressing shed and finally, the anticipation as players take the field.
“You had to write on something you know. I don’t live on a farm. Something I found here that I don’t think is found in the city is the passion involved in the game,” Mr Biddle said.
“I thought about when you wake up and the mental lead up for running out onto the field.”
Mr Biddle received notification of his winning entry in the first week of the school holidays via a phone call from ABC radio Tamworth.
“They called Dad first but I didn’t believe him when he told me, it was good to have it cemented. He said. “I was surprised and excited.”
Duncan said that his friends were as surprised as he was.
“I hadn’t shown much flair in my writing.”
Duncan and Mrs Skewes both reiterated that his entry demonstrates that you don’t have to be at the top of the class to win. The competition is not an exercise in the level of sophistication of a students writing, rather, a passion about what it is they are writing.
Duncan’s story is straight to the point capturing the essence of youth, of what is important to him. The competition, which is in its tenth year, is designed to encourage regional youth to ‘tell it like it is’.
“We are looking for stories that paint a strong picture,” Heywire co-ordinator Justine McSweeney said.
“Things that work well on radio or online. Winning stories have to have the ability to engage an audience, to talk about something important and sometimes something that will make a difference. Its about story telling, conveying ideas, what grabs you.”
An ABC representative will come to Glen Innes to record Mr Biddle reading his story. The representative will then add sound effects to the recording ahead of it being played on various ABC Radio networks across the nation, in coming months.
In February 2008 Duncan will join the other Heywire winners at a forum in Canberra where they will discuss youth issues and the State winners will be selected.
Festival honours Squadron
Glen Innes Examiner Thursday November 8, 2007 page 1
By Tim Hughes
THE otherwise casual mood of the Land of the Beardies Festival takes on some pomp and ceremony on Saturday, when the RAAF Squadron 76 are granted the Freedom of the City.
The ancient tradition will be re-enacted just before the festival parade, to honour the district's ties with the Squadron.
Assembling outside Tatts Hotel around noon, the squadron will march up Grey St around the Meade St roundabout, before being 'challenged' by police inspector George McGilvray about their right to enter the 'city'. The squadron will then present documents that have granted them the Freedom of the City, before they proceed to the Town Hall, where Wing Commander Ted Schneider will lead Glen Innes Severn mayor Steve Toms in an inspection of the Squadron and the Squadron band and then receive a general salute.
"During the inspection there will be a flyover low over Grey St by three Hawk 127 fighter trainers," said Squadron visit co-ordinator Susan Judge.
The squadron will then march south down Grey St, and rejoin the parade proper, which will start officially when they form in, around 1pm.
"Along with the colour of the Circus Solarus and the other floats, the Squadron and RAAF band should add plenty of colour and excitement," Mrs Judge said. RSL sub-branch secretary Kevin Halliday said National Servicemen and other sub-branch members were looking forward to the visit. The sub-branch had organised a public 'meet and greet'with the squadron in the Services Club auditorium tomorrow night from 7.30pm-8.00pm.
National Servicemen and other sub-branch members will also form a guard of honour for the squadron in Grey St north of the Town Hall for the general salute on Saturday.
"We'd welcome any ex-servicemen to be part of the guard, dressed with their medals," he said.
On Saturday night Cr Toms will host a mayoral dinner for 76 Squadron at the Golf Club, including a reading of the Ode of Remembrance.
The 76 Squadron has special links with Glen Innes, having been lead during the Second World War by airman Peter Turnbull who grew up in the area. Squadron Leader Turnbull DFC and Bar commanded the squadron when the Japanese landed at Milne Bay in New Guinea, and was killed in action.
