Muriel Hunter a Broken Hill midwife in the making, and a 2018 Heywire winner

I learned about NSW indigenous Australian Muriel Hunter on a recent Landline episode on the fabulous ABC.

Muriel was one of the group of 2018 'Heywire' winners.

Her family background is from a large family in the Barkindji and Wonkamarra tribes in the Wilcannia and Bourke regions of north central New South Wales.

At age six, she, together with five of her six siblings, was taken into foster care in Broken Hill.

She poignantly says "I thought I'd done something wrong."

Congrats to Muriel Hunter, ABC heywire winner  https://t.co/ep12x0ogNi

— ilovebrokenhill (@ilovebrokenhill) August 18, 2018

I won't spoil her story, which you can find by following this link to the story which appears on the ABC website's 'heywire' section 

http://www.abc.net.au/heywire/heywire-winner-muriel-hunter-broken-hill-nsw/9156412

I found her story inspiring and you may too. You can see her telling her story in a brief two or so minute clip, as well as read about her by following the above link.

After some challenging times, she is well on the way to realising her career dreams to become a nurse and midwife, so as to help her community.

I love stories like that.

Heywire has been running since 1998, so twenty years as of this date. It aims to give young Australians the chance to tell a story about their life in their regional town, and potentially 'win a money-can’t-buy experience' (quoting the ABC's heywire website).

Cheers,

Jane Deany

ABC's new 'Outback ER' show set in Broken Hill Hospital

Set in Broken Hill's Far West Local Health District, ABC TV has filmed an eight part documentary series which begins tonight at 8pm Thursday 12th February 2015. Each episode is 30 minutes.

To quote the ABC
"Experience just how different a life-threatening crisis can be in one of the most isolated locations on earth, Broken Hill. Meet the incredible emergency response team personnel who live and work in this remote region."

Here are a couple of related links.

http://www.screentime.com.au/blog/outback-er/

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/outback-er/DO1405H001C00DT1

Sounds a fascinating show.

Cheers, Jane Deany

ABC 3 showcases what it means for Broken Hill to be Australia's first Heritage Listed City

ABC 3 to showcase what it means for Broken Hill to be Australia's first Heritage Listed City.

Neve Robins was selected by the ABC to report on #BrokenHill's Heritage City listing. The coverage will air on ABC 3 at 10am Tuesday 3 February 2015 on 'Behind the News'.

Post by Broken Hill City Council.

Should make for interesting viewing.

Cheers, Jane Deany

Mental Health Week 5-12 October & World Mental Health Day 10 October 2014 #WMHD2014

Community Event
It's Mental Health Week this week, and the dates are -

Mental Health Week 5 - 12 October 2014

So we're right in the middle of this special week.

Australia's ABC TV station has been doing a fantastic job of promoting good mental health but way of covering the topic regularly over this week on all their channels, using the slogan and campaign 'mentalas' talk.give.seek there is a feast of information and stories surrounding mental health.

It is also 'World Mental Health Day' in a couple of days. This event is repeated each year on the 10th of October 2014, and the overall objective of the day is to raise awareness about mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. #WMHD2014

The day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

The theme for World Mental Health Day 2014 #WMHD2014 is 'Living with Schizophrenia'.

Don’t deal with #mentalhealth issues alone. We’re here 24/7 on 13 11 14. Seek help. Find hope #MentalAs @ABCaustralia pic.twitter.com/s4SkRTBUV9
— Lifeline (@LifelineAust) October 6, 2014

Broken Hill has it's own Lifeline office. Details are -

194 Argent Street, Broken Hill NSW 2880

Telephone (08) 8087 7525

https://www.lifeline.org.au/About-Lifeline/Lifeline-Locations/Broken-Hill-NSW/home

The main 24/7 crisis number for Lifeline is -

Lifeline 24/7 crisis number is 13 11 14

Wishing everyone good mental health, cheers, Jane Deany

Sussan Ley stars with Annabel Crabb, in ABC's 'Kitchen Cabinet'

MP Sussan Ley, Member for Farrer

Kitchen Cabinet with MP The Hon. Sussan Ley
One of my favourite TV shows at the moment is ABC's 'Kitchen Cabinet', hosted by Australian political journalist and ABC's Chief Online Political Writer Annabel Crabb. Annabel will interview Federal Member for Farrer and Liberal Party representative, The Hon. Sussan Ley about her fascinating career. Annabel will also speak to New South Wales Liberal Senator The Hon. Bill Heffernan to find out more about what makes him 'tick'. Bill I'm told will be helping as assistant 'cook'.

The show is usually filmed at the guest's home, but this time it will be filmed in a shearing shed at Mount Gipps Station, a short distance from Broken Hill, partly due to the fact that Sussan has worked as a shearer's cook and shed hand.

Annabel Crabb, Bill Heffernan and Sussan Ley
From 'Kitchen Cabinet's Facebook page

These are just a couple of roles this fascinating politician has undertaken. She flies around her huge electorate and has a commercial pilot's licence amongst a myriad of other qualifications. The federal electorate of Farrer  covers an area of nearly 250,000 square kilometers including Broken Hill and Albury NSW to the south east, situated on the Murray River. Sussan's pilot's licence sees her regularly in the air as flies around the electorate in her light plane,

I very briefly interviewed Sussan when I was in Canberra earlier this year. See link to article of 8 June here.

To learn more about Sussan's amazing and impressive career, you can go to her website www.sussanley.com . For more information about Bill whom I've not met, see his website www.billheffernan.com.au .

Mount Gipps Station was where boundary rider Charles Rasp was working mustering, checking fences and prospecting when he identified a metal ore in 1883, which would soon after lead to the discovery of the rich ore body of silver, lead and zinc within the 'Line of Lode' which was also known as Broken Hill due to a small break in the middle of it.

Tonight on #kitchencabinet: The incredible life story of @sussanley, with a side order of Bill Heffernan. 8pm on ABC1
— Annabel Crabb (@annabelcrabb) July 30, 2013

'Kitchen Cabinet' is in its third season and this 5th episode screens tonight at 7.30pm Central Standard Time, (8pm in my home town Melbourne).

Enjoy. Cheers, Jane D

Dr M Yunupingu on ABC's Australian Story in NAIDOC Week

Music
As we know, it's NAIDOC week with a series of events around the national. Great story on ABC's Australian Story tonight which has just finished. If you missed it, catch it on ABC's iview. Dr M Yunupingu's music has been enjoyed in Broken Hill, in Melbourne, across Australia and of course around the world through the band "Yothu Yindi".

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders please note that this episode of Australian Story includes images of people now deceased.

I am honoured to have been invited to introduce the updated program for tonight’s episode of Australian Story about Mr Yunupingu
— Jessica Mauboy (@jessicamauboy) July 8, 2013

The National Indigenous Music Awards 2013 on 10 August 2013 in Darwin, will honour Dr Yunupingu.

We remember and mourn a wonderful Australian. Jane D

Broken Hill and FIFO (fly in fly out) workers

Poppet Head on the Line of Lode

Mining Industry
Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) mine workers are a big issue Australia wide at the moment so what is happening in Broken Hill on that front? For starters the FIFO lifestyle is widely recognised as having a significant impact on the miner or other type of FIFO worker and their family's lives. It is difficult to cope with long periods apart from loved ones even though there is good money to be earned.

A great deal has been written about this subject, much of it negative. Broken Hill however is seen in a relatively good light for FIFO workers as it is an excellent, friendly, well serviced city in which to reside whilst working in the local mines or other fields which use FIFO workers. Broken Hill is quite unlike some of the more remote mining areas and towns which lack the significant cultural side that Broken Hill enjoys.

As I am no expert on the subject however, other than to understand the difficulties I mentioned above, I have instead listed some links to sites below that cover the topic more thoroughly.

• For starters, the topic is considered so serious that there is a Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into the subject which is being chaired by Federal Independent MP Tony Windsor. At the time of writing this article there were 231 submissions on the subject and the final report is still to be tabled in Parliament.
• ABC News article 18 April 2012, which refers to the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into FIFO, and refers to comments by the inquiry's chair Federal Independent MP Tony Windsor's regarding the positives of Broken Hill, as well as comments from a Broken Hill FIFO worker Jac McLaurin, who seems quite happy with life in Broken Hill.
• www.miningoilandgasjobs.com article on FIFO also looks an interesting read. 

I am sure there many more articles that Google etc... can 'dig up' (excuse the pun) about this often controversial subject.

For your reference there are a number of large mining companies operating in and around Broken Hill, plus a number of other mid size and smaller players at the moment. The big 'names' in Broken Hill right now are Perilya Limited, CBH Resources Limited and Cristal Mining Australia Limited (Cristal) which was known as Bemax Resources Limited prior to 1 October 2012. Carpentaria Exploration Limited is also active in the region.

As mentioned above, mining is not the only industry to have FIFO workers. For example, Jac McLaurin referred to above in the ABC article works in a field which services both the mining and other industries.

Deb Hunt (left) with Kylee
Mitchell "Short and Sweet"
regional director, courtesy BDT

FIFO and Film/Live Theatre
On another directly related note, local Broken Hill writer Deb Hunt was one of four successful NSW entrants in the recent regional play festival "Short and Sweet". She was flown to Sydney last week to see the performance of her play "Clean Sweep", which came second in the audience vote and just missed out on a place in the final. It is the first play Deb has written.

Prior to her Sydney trip, Deb's play was well received in Broken Hill where it won "Best Script", "People's Choice" and "Best Production".

Here is a link to an article about Deb and her play from the 'Barrier Daily Truth' (BDT).

I hope I will have the opportunity to see the show sometime. It's theme is related to FIFO.

Cheers, Jane D

Broken Hill’s Desert Equinox Solar Art Exhibition September 2012

Thunderbolt by Bonita Ely
@ Coles, 234 Patton St Broken Hill

Art Scene
Between September 1^st and 23^rd 2012, Broken Hill is hosting a Desert Equinox Solar Art Exhibition.  The event is timed to coincide with the 2012 spring equinox.

Approximately 26 site-specific solar powered artworks by Australian and International artists can be found scattered across ten sites in Broken Hill.  Artists have come from Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Peru and the UK.  There are also several Australian artisits involved.



Bells Milk Bar &
Museum
source commons.wikimedia.org

The exhibition opened yesterday at 5.00pm, 1st September at Bells Milk Bar & Museum (pictured) in South Broken Hill.  From there one can circulate through to the other artworks on display.  Nearby artworks are installed at Patton Park, on South Coles corner and the empty block next to the South Broken Hill Hotel.

Sue Thomas from Desert Knowledge Australia and the Broken Hill Art Exchange, is the Equinox organiser.  She noted some of the other sites include the Broken Earth Café and the Olive Grove beside the South Broken Hill overpass.  Allan Giddy, who is the Equinox curator/director and whose exhibit has been set up in the Olive Grove said “the scale and potential of the exhibition makes it very exciting”.  Allan was quoted in the 'Barrier Daily Truth' on 27 August 2012 saying "Broken Hill was chosen because of its reputation as a supporter of the arts and for its arid surroundings and abundance of sunshine."  Georgie Payne-Loy is the Exhibitions Manager. 


The event is proudly sponsored/supported by power company AGL, The Environmental Research Initiative for Art (ERIA), College of Fine Arts - University of New South Wales, The Australian Research Council, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Community Inc., Broken Hill Community Foundation, The Broken Hill Art Exchange, Desert Knowledge Australia - Outback Business Networks and Alco - Battery Sales.

The exhibition is thought to be the first of its kind.

 
For an exhibition map, catalogue and more information visit www.desertequinox.com

Margaret Paul reported for the ABC News on 30 August 2012 the following story "Solar festival to light up Broken Hill" about the event see here.

Noah Schultz-Byard of ABC Broken Hill filed the following report on 31 August 2012 titled "Silver City lights up with solar exhibition" see here.

Sounds fascinating.  Get the camera out!

Cheers, Jane D