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Orange City Council News
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Spirit of Anzac Exhibition attended by thousands on the first day
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The Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience was officially launched today (Monday) after more than 3,000 people streamed through the doors yesterday.
The Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience, the Australian War Memorial's largest free travelling exhibition featuring more than 200 artefacts on display, is in Orange for six days at the Orange Indoor Tennis Centre from 12 – 17 March 2017.
The exhibition was officially launched by Member for Orange Andrew Gee with Orange councillors, John Davis OAM, Chris Gryllis, Ron Gander and Kevin Duffy in attendance.
Mayor Davis said Orange was incredibly lucky to have secured such a huge exhibition and he intended to bring his family to see it in the coming days.
"Everyone should spend the time and come and see this wonderful exhibition," Cr Davis said.
"I've spoken to a few people who came to the exhibition yesterday (Sunday) and by all accounts they were impressed.
"It's interactive, there plenty of things to move and look through and the audio guide is a great idea."
Visitors have their own personal audio guide, which through headphones, tells a story on each section of the exhibition.
At the end of the tour, there is a section dedicated to local history put together by council's library and museum staff.
There are moving images of soldiers who joined the call-to-arms during the Coo-ee March as it passed through Orange in October 1915 as well as photographs and stories of both well-known and not-so-well-known local soldiers and nurses such as Nellie Leake, Ernest Lachland Powter, Bernard Ambrose Cotye.
The selection of objects includes :
- a telegram notifying the next of kin of the death of their brother (James J Paton),
- medals awarded to a local doctor, Major A.E. Colvin,
- original portraits of two young men: Herbert Rockliff, and Claude John Ash – these portraits were either taken prior to their embarkation as a memento for their families, or created by their loved ones as a memorial following their death.
On Sunday, more than 3,000 people walked through the site, and more than 10,000 have booked their free tickets for sessions throughout the week.
EXPERIENCE: Councillors Kevin Duffy and John Davis at the official launch of the Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience.
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New strategies to tackle elm beetle onslaught
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Orange City Council is continuing to target the wave of Elm Beetles which are leaving their mark on the city’s collection of Elm trees.In recent weeks elm beetles have struck in Cook Park, in high profile streets such as March Street and Prince Street and in private and public gardens across our city - such as Duntryleague Golf Course. The swarms of beetles eat the trees’ leaves which would normally be green at this time of year. The trees shed most of their leaves, leaving piles of skeletonized leaves on the ground.Orange City Council’s Cr Russell Turner said while the beetle attacks don’t kill the tree, prolonged attacks over a number of years will weaken the tree.“In Cook Park, this is the second year that the parks staff have noticed damage to the avenue of elm trees, but this year has certainly been the worst”, Cr Russell Turner said.“It looks like Autumn has come early for this row of elm trees.”“At the base of the trees there are mounds of skeletonized leaves which have fallenafter the beetles have attacked.”“It’s important to remember that the Elm Beetle problem is one that has affected large parts of southern Australia, and there are no easy answers. But we’ll be doing what we can to slow the pace of this problem.”
The council is adopting a number of strategies to combat the spread of the beetles.1. Last Winter insecticide was added to the soil around elm trees in Prince Street. In the Springtime, the insecticide is absorbed into the roots and up into the leaves, which poisons the beetles. This chemical will be used in Cook Park next year. Other chemicals, which can have a broader impact on soil organisms and nearby waterways, are not being used.2. The most effective non-chemical strategy is to apply double-sided sticky tape to thetrunks of the trees in Spring and early Summer. This catches the beetles and the beetlelarvaeas they move up and down the tree, interrupting the life-cycle. Residents have tied tape around trees in March Street and the tape will be applied to trees in Cook Park in the coming years. Trees were banded with tape in the Adventure playground last year.“Unfortunately, this isn’t a problem that’s going to be solved easily. I’d also encourage local residents to keep an eye on elm trees on their privately-owned land and in nearby streets. A community wide response might reduce the number of beetles, and slow down the spread of this problem.”
BANDING TOGETHER: Residents can place double-sided, water-proof tape around the trunks of Elms to combat the beetle.
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE HERE:
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Food Care to stay open despite fire damage
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Food Care Orange will operate tomorrow, (Tuesday) despite the Glenroi Community Centre being damaged by fire over the weekend.
Orange City Council's Services Committee Chair Ron Gander called on the community to work with the local police, the charitable organisations which operate within the centre and council, to keep the building open and free from vandalism.
The Garema Road building was moments away from being destroyed by fire, allegedly deliberately lit, on Friday night before NSW Fire and Rescue was able to douse the flames.
"It's such a shame to see this kind of thing happen to such an important community facility," he said.
"We're relying on the local community, a lot of whom use the fantastic services which operate out of the building, to be the eyes and ears of council and the police to ensure this kind of vandalism doesn't happen again."
Food Care Orange help at least 100 families a week access discounted and free groceries.
Volunteer coordinator Anne Hopwood said the service would remain open, albeit in a diminished capacity.
"It was shock and disappointment it has happened and to be met with such a mess... wondering how much we've lost," she said.
"We've had about a dozen volunteers working here from 9.30 in the morning ... having to take everything off the shelves.
"We are going ahead tomorrow so we do want to let all our customers to know that we will be open."
Mrs Hopwood said the shop would open but the team was unable to provide the usual refreshments of tea and coffee, which gave customers and opportunity to socialise, make friends within the neighbourhood and get in touch with service providers.
She said the group thought about closing the shop but decided they could open with what they had and do their best.
"It's all due to an amazing band of volunteers who just said yes let's do it," Mrs Hopwood said.
Several other groups use the facility regularly such as MERGE - a council operated youth program, Alcoholics Anonymous and the Glenroi Community Group. It is hoped all users of the facility will be able to continue operating, but without the use of the large meeting room, now home to all of the Food Care products.
Builders are assessing the damage in the coming days to determine when it can be fixed.
DISAPPOINTED: Cr Ron Gander with the food , which could be saved from the fire at the Glenroi Community Centre.
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Orange City Council to support cat de-sexing
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Orange City Council’s latest program to combat growth in the number of feral cats is under way.
A new cat de-sexing program will see around 30 local cats undergo the operation. The program is being funded with $5,000 from Orange City Council and $1,000 from the Central Tablelands Local Land Services with funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
Member for Calare Andrew Gee said the program is open to all pension card holders who own a cat and who live in the Orange local government area.
“Pets make great companions and we need to be doing everything we can to encourage the public to be responsible pet owners,” Mr Gee said.
“The cost of de-sexing can sometimes prevent people from taking this step for their pets, however this subsidy scheme will hopefully help to remove that barrier.”
Orange City Council’s Companion Animals Committee chair, Cr Neil Jones, said the council funding subsidizes the operation for pension card holders.
“It can cost as much as $200 for a female cat to be de-sexed, but under this program, pension card holders will only pay $50,” Cr Neil Jones said.
“The numbers of feral cats to be seen around Orange suggests that too many pets are being allowed to breed. If the cost of the operation is the main obstacle to having de-sexing done, then this program can be the best way forward.”
“As well as de-sexing, this program includes microchipping and registration , so there are possible savings of around $200, depending if it’s a male or female cat.”
BOOKINGS :
To book cats in for the de-sexing program, residents should come to the Civic Centre bringing their blue pension card, cat details and proof of address.
The microchipping and de-sexing work will be completed by the Summer St Vet Clinic.
The program began 6 March and will run until the $6,000 is allocated.
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Orange excited to share in Baton relay
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Orange mayor John Davis OAM has welcomed the announcement that the Queen’s Baton Relay will visit Orange on the way to the 2018 Common wealth Games on the Gold Coast.“From now until April next year people across Australia will be getting more and more excited about Australia hosting the Commonwealth Games,” Cr John Davis said.“For many Australians the Baton Relay will be the sign of the games drawing closer , and for Orange to be a part of the journey is tremendous.”“After the national announcement, planning can now get under way in earnest for the community events in Orange to mark the visit of the Baton on the morning of Tuesday 30 January 2018."People will also be lining the streets as the Baton is run through the streets of Orange. It will be in Orange for only two or three hours, but on that day Orange will be in the brief focus of an international spotlight, and we’ll be making the most of it.”“It’s also great news that around twenty central west residents will be able to take a turn carrying the Baton when it comes to Orange. An online community nomination program is now under way that will let anyone be nominated. As long as you’re aged ten and over you can be nominated and independent panels in each state will have the tough job of assessing those nominations and choosing who will take part.”The relay will begin at Buckingham, Palace next weekend on Commonwealth Day (13 March 2017) when her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will place her message to the Commonwealth into the GC20-18 Baton.Unlike the Olympic Games torch relay which saw runners pass a flame between manybatons during its journey, there will only be one GC2018 baton which will be passedfrom runner to runner.The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay is the longest relay inhistory, in total spanning 388 days and 230,000 kilometres.From London, the Queen’s Baton will travel through Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean,Europe, Asia and Oceania, spending between two and four days in each Commonwealthnation and territory. It’s estimated this will give one third of the world’s population theopportunity to share an experience with the Baton.The Baton will arrive in Australia in December 2017 and then reach the Gold Coast forthe Commonwealth Games on 4 April 2018.Nominations to be a batonbearer and now open and will run until 15 May via theGC2018 website. https://www.gc2018.com
BATON: Orange Mayor John Davis with one of the Sydney Olympics torch relay batons that passed through Orange in 2000.
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Women’s group aims to help migrants
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People from a range of countries and cultures are encouraged to share their experiences with others at the fortnightly Women’s Arts and Sewing Circle.Orange City Council’s Services Policy Committee Chair Ron Gander said the group is an opportunity for new arrivals to Orange to practice English and meet others with similar backgrounds.It also acts as a conduit to other services.“It’s difficult to meet people and find out about the range of services available if English is not your first language, but the women who go to the Women’s Arts and Sewing Circle are there to help,” Cr Gander said.“Anyone who has recently arrived to Orange from another country is welcome and it’s a great opportunity to share your culture with others.”Migrant Support Officer Anni Gallagher was the group’s host and said she could help women apply for government assistance, apply for jobs, access education courses but importantly the group gives people a social outlet, where in some cases there might have been none.“In the past I’ve come across women who have been sitting at home for months on end while their husbands work because they don’t speak English confidently and don’t know anyone in Orange,” she said.“But I’ve seen some of these women come to the sewing circle and make lifelong friendships in the group and then go on to help others come out of their shell and really engage with the community.”Kalkidan Mwadaani came to Orange from Ethiopia 17 years ago. She said she was young when she left Ethiopia and does not have strong memories of her home country but loves the opportunity to share her culture with the group.She said it strengthens her own understanding and appreciation for her culture.“I love sharing my culture because there’s not a lot of Ethiopian culture in Orange,” she said.“I enjoy sharing what I know and bringing in items from my home country.”The Women’s Arts and Sewing Circle meets in the Senior Citizens Centre fortnightly. The next gathering is March 10 from 10am to 12.30pm. Children are welcome.
FROM ETHIOPIA WITH LOVE: Kalkidan Mwadaani with various items from her home country.
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Latest lecture lifts lid on Cobb & Co’s colourful past in central NSW
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The stories of the company that changed the shape of western NSW by establishing new ‘high-speed’ transport links between towns, will be in the spotlight at the latest Orange Regional Museum lecture.For Orange Regional Museum’s next public lecture, Heather Nicholls will draw on over ten years’ experience researching, interpreting and promoting the significant history of Cobb & Co in central NSW to present ‘A day in the life of Cobb & Co’.Orange City Council’s Regional Museum Committee chair Cr Neil Jones said Cobb & Co had a huge impact on the region.“Beginning in early 1854, four industrious Americans led by Mr Freeman Cobb established the firm that would become Cobb & Co and ultimately revolutionize travel throughout the colonies,” Cr Neil Jones said.“When Mr Cobb sold the business in 1856 the firm retained the name and under the guidance of James Rutherford, from 1861, expanded into NSW.”“After establishing a base in Bathurst, Cobb & Co changed the way people moved, communicated and did business throughout Central NSW. ““There was a Cobb & Co office in Orange, and a there’s still a tangible link with the company through a fountain built by staff in Robertson Park.”Orange Regional Museum Director Brad Hammond said the stories of Cobb & Co are a key part of the current exhibition.“The restored Cobb & Co coach is a highlight of Orange Regional Museum’s current exhibition Journeys: people place stories,” Brad Hammond said. “The Museum invites audiences to engage further with the stories and people connected to the history of coaching in Central NSW by attending the latest lecture.”The public lecture ‘A day in the life of Cobb & Co’ will be held on Saturday 11th March from 2pm at Orange Reginal Museum.Bookings is essential as places are limited.E : museum@orange.nsw.gov.auor P: 02 6393 8444
GOING PLACES: The Cobb & Co Coach at Orange Regional Museum
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Two hundred to compete in elder Olympics
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Fourteen teams and over 200 eager competitors from around the region will descend on Sir Neville Howse Stadium next Thursday 9 March for the 2017 Central West Elders Olympics.
The 4th annual event hosted by Orange City Council is being held once again during National Seniors Festival.
Orange City Council’s Services Committee chair, Cr Ron Gander said the theme of this year’s event, ‘Let’s Do More Together’, is a great banner to bring seniors together from across our region to learn, socialise and play.
“The Elders Olympics brings together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Elders from across the traditional Wiradjuri country to enjoy a range of modified sporting activities and traditional Indigenous games,” Cr Ron Gander said. “With teams coming to Orange from Parkes, Bathurst, Forbes, Cowra, Condobolin and Dubbo to participate in this year’s Elders Olympics consider it’s a great opportunity to get together, socialise and have some fun, but also to talk about the real issues of health, aged, and disability care within our communities.”
The games are designed for competitors over 50 years of age and ifeature age and disability-inclusive events from modified volleyball to traditional games like blanket ball. Students from Orange High School and Canobolas Rural Technology High will be running the activities on the day and working with the elders to make sure everything runs smoothly.
FUN & GAMES : Organisers of the Elders Olympics are getting ready for the event (l. to r.) Jordon Moore, Alice Williams, Julie Armstrong and Daphne Monagan
The event is proudly supported by Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council, Orange Aboriginal Medical Service, Orange PCYC, Australian Hearing, Birrang Enterprise Development Company and information stalls will be on-show from local service providers on the day.
The 2017 Central West Elders Olympics will be held on Thursday 9 March 2017 at Sir Neville Howse Stadium (PCYC), 2-10 Seymour Street, Orange from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. All community members are welcome to watch the event for free.
For further details contact Orange City Council’s Central West Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer, Mr Jordon Moore, Mobile 0427 293 753
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Bikes, beers and birds bring tourist dollars.
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This weekend is one of the biggest on Orange’s tourism calendar this year with thousands of people expected to arrive in the region over the coming days.About 1,200 competitors will compete in the Newcrest Orange Challenge and, based on last year’s figures, another 1,600 people are predicted to attend the Crafted Live: Brewed and BBQ’d beer festival at the Orange Showground.Orange City Council’s Employment and Economic Development Committee Chair Jeff Whitton estimated at least $495,000 would be injected into the local economy from the Newcrest Orange Challenge alone.“It’s a conservative estimate using Tourism Research Australia figures and an estimate of the number of competitors who were not local,” Cr Whitton said.“It’s a big weekend and local businesses are already starting to reap the benefits. There will certainly be a few extra coffees bought and most rooms are booked.“March is busy a time of the year in Orange in general. This month we have the Brass Band Celebration, the Spirit of Anzac Centenary Exhibition, the Rotary District Conference, the NSW Triathlon Cub Championships, the Glow Hard Fun Run at Moulder Park and the start of FOOD Week, just to name a few.“We’re spoilt for choice here in Orange and I encourage everyone to get out and be a tourist in your own town, find out why people come from all parts of the country to visit Orange.“The huge range of events in Orange is exactly why our new interim transition board is exploring broadening our marketing beyond the food and wine focus of the past.”As well as beers and bikes there is plenty on for Orange residents such as the annual Teddy Bears Day Out in Cook park, the Orange Bird Show, which attracts thousands of visitors from across the country, the Duntryleague mansion’s first open day and the Orange Elephant Black Tie Autumn Ball.“There is barely a weekend that goes by when there isn’t something big on in Orange for visitors and locals alike,” Cr Whitton said.“The Visit Orange website and Facebook page isn’t just for tourists, it’s a great resource if you’re sitting at home wondering what to do. Have a look and you might be surprised to see just how busy our region really is.”
BEERS, BIKES AND BIRDS: Orange City Council Employment and Economic Development Committee Chair Jeff Whitton and Mojo Events and Promotions Director Simon Rollin.
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Prehistoric beasts roam Orange’s parks and gardens
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Wiare Reserve, Newman Park and the meadow at the Orange Botanic Gardens will be overrun with mythical and prehistoric beasts during Parks Weeks March 4 to 12.These areas of wide-open spaces have been chosen as sites where children can play ‘Magical Park’ a digital playground mobile phone or tablet app created by New Zealand based developer GEO A.R. Games., to highlight Parks Week throughout Australia.Orange City Council’s Deputy Mayor Jason Hamling said the game was similar to the recently popular Pokemon Go, but there were a few significant differences.“Unlike other augmented reality based games, in Magical Park kids have to physically chase after, and run away from, the creatures they can see through the screen of their mobile device,” he said.“It’s fantastic because it gets kids out of the house, they’re active, they’re using open grassed areas that don’t have a lot of foot traffic and they’re having a great time.”Magical Park is a type of geofenced game, which means it can only be played in selected parks and has an invisible boundary, which prevents kids from running on to the road.Orange City Council chose the three areas because they were large, had few obstacles and were spread across the city so kids from all areas had access.“Basically kids create their own gaming environment when using the app,” Cr Hamling said.“They can chose to run with dinosaurs, kittens or fairies.“We’ve had a couple of kids give the Newman Park site a test run and both said it was better than any other augmented realty game they had played and they certainly liked the physical activity element.“The app is also free for users, it’s free from any advertising and as a parent I think that’s fantastic.“The game has invisible boundaries but it also important to be mindful of your surroundings when playing the game. It’s best young children are supervised.”Families can download the ‘Magical Park’ app at home and then bring their smart phone or tablet device to any of the three parks to play.The app is available on Android and Apple phones. For more information and videos on how to play head to this website.
CATCHING BEASTS: Haylee tries our Magical Park at Newman Park and says she loves it.
