Broken Hill City Council has a new General Manager - Therese Manns

Therese Manns, image
courtesy 'Barrier Daily Truth' (BDT)

Local Government
The hunt is over for Broken Hill City Council's new General Manager after Mayor Wincen Cuy announced yesterday afternoon that Therese Manns had been appointed to the role.

Mrs Manns is a qualified Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Financial Administration and is currently the General Manager for the Boorowa Council in NSW, a position she has held for the last two and half years.

In 2005 the Local Government Managers' Association awarded Mrs Manns the prestigious 'Aspiring Young Manager of the Year award'.

Mrs Manns has held several senior positions in regional and rural councils and has also worked at private accounting firms.

Mrs Manns will become Broken Hill's first female General Manager.

Mrs Manns was quoted in the Broken Hill City Council's media release (see link here) as saying "I am very honoured to be selected as the new General Manager of the Broken Hill City Council.  With many changes currently taking place in local government state wide, I look forward to working with the Mayor, Councillors and the community to ensure Broken Hill remains vibrant and that Council has the capacity to ensure strength and sustainability into the future."

I wish Mrs Manns every success in her new role which she is expected to take up on 1 August.

Cheers, Jane D

Make Pro Hart Movie Pozible from crowd funding until 21 June 2013

Some of Pro Hart's artwork on his own Rolls Royce

Art and Film
Help make a film about famous Broken Hill artist Pro Hart's life Pozible.

Pozible is a crowd funding platform that helps to make projects, such as this film about the now deceased "Brushmen of the Bush" member Pro Hart, a reality.

Please follow this link to the Pro Hart film fund raising campaign for more information about www.pozible.com and their various projects www.pozible.com/projects with the link to Pro Hart's film project here.

A film production team, including Broken Hill-born actor Corey Page, script-writer Richard Burman and producer Philippa Whitfield Pomeranz hope to create a biographical film called 'Chasing Dragonflies'.  They aim to raise $25,000 through Pozible to create the script and develop a sales package for the project.

The project in total is likely to cost around $2 million, and the team would look towards Screen NSW and Screen Australia for funding, Mr Page was reported as saying in an article which featured in the 'Barrier Daily Truth' (BDT), see link here on 5 June 2013.

There are many interesting projects that Pozible is helping to make a reality through 'crowd-funding' via sponsorship.  It's a great concept and worth checking out.  It may help you with a project you would like to get off the ground but don't have the funds to do so - yet!

'Chasing Dragonflies' sounds a great project and I think one worthy of consideration for sponsorship.

Apart from the feel good factor, supporters of this project may receive a small gift and possibly an invitation to the reading of the script and or a cocktail party as a thank you for their sponsorship.  Gifts and or invitations depend upon donation amount.

Cheers, Jane D                                   

Broken Hill Biggest Morning Tea, Alma Hotel 12 June from 10.30am

Image from "Biggest Morning Tea"
website www.biggestmorningtea.com.au 

Community Event
The heading says it all.  There's a "Biggest Morning Tea" morning tea event at the Alma Hotel, 212 Hebbard Street, Broken Hill South, this Wednesday 12 June 2013 from 10.30am.

No need to book just come along to the Alma Hotel www.almahotelbrokenhill.com.au.  This event is one of a number of "Biggest Morning Tea" gatherings that have already been held in Broken Hill and around Australia.

The official day for the Cancer Council Australia's annual fundraiser, now in its 20th year, was 23 May, but fund-raising morning teas can be held any time in May and June.

www.biggestmorningtea.com.au website has more details about this fund raising event and there's still time to host or attend (or both) a morning tea.

Image from
Cancer Council Australia website
www.cancer.org.au

For more information about the "Biggest Morning Tea" you can contact 1300 65 65 85 or the above website.

The Cancer Council Australia hopes to raise $13 million this year.

Cancer Council Australia Helpline 13 11 20.

Enjoy the chance to catch up with friends, meet new people, have a nice morning tea and help a really worthy cause, cheers, Jane D

Eighteen months on and Jane Deany still loves Broken Hill

The Broken Hill Court House and me
Argent Street, Broken Hill

I couldn't let the day go by without mentioning that it has been eighteen months since I started www.ilovebrokenhill.com on 8 December 2011 and I still have much more to say after nearly 150 posts.

So as the romance continues, I plan to keep writing about all the things that are great about Broken Hill as there is still so much to say.

You can follow the story on Facebook at ilovebrokenhill.com and Twitter @ilovebrokenhill or of course right here on the blog.

I've met and spoken to many interesting and wonderful people over the time I've been writing and have had some fun experiences including becoming the story in a page three article in the 'Barrier Daily Truth' (BDT) in October (see post 28 October 2012 link here), writing a guest post on the ABC Open website on 29 November (see link to post here) and being interviewed by Chris Jeremy of ABC Broken Hill 999 local radio on his 'Outback Outlook' show in January this year.

I've interviewed a number of high profile and interesting Broken Hill identities such as Broken Hill Mayor Wincen Cuy and Sussan Ley the Federal Member for Farrer in which Broken Hill is situated, see story earlier today, just to name a couple of people, and there are still many stories to tell and more people to be interviewed.  Everyone I've spoken to has been friendly and helpful.  So thanks to everyone in Broken Hill (and nearby Silverton).

So stay tuned for more ilovebrokenhill.com in the months ahead.

As always, cheers, Jane D

Broken Hill, Sussan Ley and the Canberra connection

Politics
Broken Hill at the Federal politics level is part of the Farrer electorate.  A huge area of 247,097 square kilometres.  The electorate was named after William Farrer (1845 - 1906), a noted wheat breeder and experimentalist.  The electorate reaches as far away as the Albury City Council, and includes the shires of Balranald, Berrigan, Congaro, Corowa, Deniliquin, Greater Hume, Hay, Jerilderie, Lockhart, Murray, Wakool, Wentworth, Urana and Central Darling.

This week I visited Canberra to 

• enjoy some of the city's many 100 year anniversary celebrations
• see Parliament in action; and
• visit the fabulous Turner exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, which had just opened.

Sussan Ley (left) and me
Pro Hart 'Off to the races St Pats'
in Sussan's Canberra Parliament
House office

It was when I was watching Parliament on Monday 3 June that I saw the Federal Member for Farrer, The Hon Sussan Ley MP in action in the House of Representatives.  Sussan is currently the Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, and Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning.  All of a sudden I realised that this might be a good opportunity to try and catch up with her.

I had tried to meet Sussan on a few of my visits to Broken Hill but, with such a huge electorate to cover, she was 'out on the road'.  In her case, it may be that she was 'out in the sky' as she has a commercial pilot's license and flies around her huge electorate, which is roughly the size as New Zealand.

I chatted with her media adviser Steve Block and I was delighted to find there was the opportunity for a very quick introduction the following day.

After a very quick tour of some of Parliament House
and a very long walk to her office, I met Sussan and we had a very quick chat as she was heavily booked with appointments and commitments.

After she asked me a few questions, I only really had the chance to ask her one very important question "What does she love about Broken Hill?"

Her reply was the "light, landscape, history, number of pubs and clubs and the people".

Unfortunately time didn't permit more reflections or questions from me, but at least we've met and can communicate via phone for another more in depth discussion another time.

Sussan's website is www.sussanley.com.  Sussan was elected as the member of Farrer in 2001 and has held the seat of Farrer since then, being re-elected in 2004, 2007 and 2010.

The www.aph.gov.au website has a lot of information about Sussan (and all the Senators and Members), see link here to her details.

Stand by for another article in the future.

Cheers, Jane D

Prostate Cancer ballroom dancing fundraisers in Broken Hill

From the Prostate Cancer Foundation
of Australia website

Community Event
Broken Hill Prostate Cancer Support Group is going all out this weekend with three fundraising events to help raise funds to fight this form of cancer.

There will be plenty of dining and dancing and a Gala Ball which is the third year that the ball has been held, and which each year has been timed to coincide with the Queen's Birthday holiday long weekend.

Apart from raising much needed funds to fight prostate cancer and support sufferers and their families, the events provide an opportunity for locals and visitors to get out their ballroom dancing gear and have a great time.

The Broken Hill Prostate Cancer Support Group was formed in 2008 and is affiliated with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.  The group has two main aims -

• to provide support to men diagnosed with prostate cancer (and their partners/families)

      and

• to raise awareness and provide education about prostate cancer to the wider community

Events details are - 

Friday 7 June 6 pm
Broken Hill Musician's (Muso) Club, 276 Crystal Street
Dinner $15 + $8 for ballroom dancing which starts at 7.45 pm.  You're welcome to attend either and just pay for the relevant event, or both.

Saturday 8 June 8 pm to midnight
Broken Hill Civic (Entertainment) Centre, corner Blende and Chloride Streets
Gala Ball - dinner and dancing total cost $20.

Sunday 9 June 10am - 1 pm
Broken Hill Musician's (Muso) Club, 276 Crystal Street
Ballroom dancing $5.  Lunch at your own cost from a la carte and specials menu.

Ballroom dancing image from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballroom_dance

If you attend all three events, the cost for the dancing is $30 (excluding Muso Club's meals - dinner Friday and lunch Sunday which are paid for separately to the Muso Club).

There is still room at all events.  One hundred guests are booked so far for the Gala Ball and there's room for at least another 20 people.  You don't have to be a dancer to attend everyone is welcome.

The Gala Ball will feature live music and singing from well known Mildura resident Geoff Evans, who I'm told has a fabulous voice.

For more details please call 08 8087 4554, Mrs Vilma Stubing.  If no answer, leave a message and she'll call you back.

Donations for prostate cancer research and support can be made via the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia website - www.prostate.org.au.  Donations to the local Broken Hill Prostate Cancer Support Group can be made via contact with Mr Keith Stubing, Mrs Vilma Stubing (President) or Mr Laurie Camilleri who can be reached through the Broken Hill page of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia website - see link below

www.prostate.org.au/articleLive/pages/Broken-hill.

Enjoy the dancing (and dining), have a great time and support a very worthy cause, cheers, Jane D

Free photography workshop 9 June Tibooburra Sight & Sound Festival

Albert Hall, Briscoe Street, Tibooburra
image courtesy www.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons

Community Event
As part of the Sight and Sound Festival which is being held in Tibooburra this weekend, ABC Open Broken Hill will be running a free photography workshop similar to the workshops held in Tibooburra and Milparinka in April this year.  See my article of 18 April here regarding that successful event.

I mentioned the Sight and Sound Festival yesterday 6 June in my post, see below and link here.

Details of the workshop can be found via ABC Open Broken Hill link here.

Time:   10am - 4pm

Place:  Albert Hall, Briscoe Street, Tibooburra NSW

Bring:  Camera, smartphone and laptop if you have one.  BYO lunch.

Bookings:  Contact ABC Open Broken Hill's Jenia Ratcliffe who is once again running the workshop.  See her contact details below.

Jenia Ratcliffe ABC Open Broken Hill - (08) 8082 4024 or ratcliffe.jenia@abc.net.au

The theme is 'Faces'.  See link here to ABC Open's website for some examples of 'Faces' photos already uploaded onto their website.  Sounds like a lot of fun, and it's free!!

Enjoy, cheers, Jane D

ABC Open 'Abandoned' photography exhibition Tibooburra 7-27 June

Community Event
ABC Open Broken Hill's Jenia Ratcliffe is visiting Tibooburra in Far North West NSW this weekend to take part in the opening of the 'Abandoned' photography exhibition.  The exhibition is part of Tibooburra's Sight and Sound Festival which runs over the June Queen's birthday long weekend.  The official opening is tomorrow Friday 7 June, at Albert Hall, Briscoe Street, Tibooburra.  For $10 you can enjoy wine and cheese and the first chance to see the exhibition.  See details below.

The exhibition is a collection of work that was captured during the ABC Open Broken Hill photography workshops in April.  See my article of 18 April 2013 about that event via this link.

The Festival itself will take place on the main street of Tibooburra, and will include a variety of stalls, food and activities for all the family, so it's well worth the trip according to Jenia.

Okay, Tibooburra isn't exactly around the corner, it's about 335 km north of Broken Hill (or 1,189 km from Melbourne - I won't be going), but it's a long weekend so there's more time to explore this isolated but fascinating historic town.

After a few weeks in Tibooburra the exhibition will move on to nearby Milparinka, which is where some of the photographs were taken, where it we be on show from 28 June to 7 October 2013.

Here's some more information -

Here are the links to ABC Open Broken Hill's information about the exhibition and Sight and Sound Festival.

Jenia Ratcliffe's contact details are ABC Open Broken Hill - (08) 8082 4024 or ratcliffe.jenia@abc.net.au

Enjoy, cheers, Jane D

Lifeline, 50 years on. Important in Australia, important in Broken Hill.

Lifeline is an Australia wide 24-hour crisis support service.  It provides access to crisis support, suicide prevention and mental health support services via telephone 13 11 14, face to face, and through online mediums.

Lifeline's Vision is "An Australia free of suicide".

Lifeline logo from their website

Lifeline was founded 50 years ago in 1963, by the late Reverend Dr. Sir Alan Walker, when he took a call from a distressed man who later took his own life.  Sir Alan was determined not to let isolation and lack of support be the cause of more deaths, so he launched a 24-hour crisis support line (13 11 14).

Today, in 2013, the service answers around 1,400 calls each day, with around 50 calls from people at high risk of suicide.

There are now around 1,000 staff and 11,000 volunteers which operate in over 60 locations across Australia.



The Lifeline Broken Hill branch was established early on in the history of this wonderful organisation, in 1964.

Lifeline Broken Hill serves a population of around 24,000 people spread across 150,000 square kilometres in Far West New South Wales.  Communities serviced include Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Menindee, White Cliffs, Tibooburra, Milparinka and Ivanhoe.  For more information about Lifeline Broken Hill, please see the link here to their website.

Art Scene
The reason I'm talking about Lifeline today is that it's time to start getting an entry ready and put a note in your diary for Lifeline Broken Hill's Annual Art Exhibition which will be held 28 June to 14 July 2013, and the closing date for entries is 21 June.

Entry forms are available at the Lifeline Broken Hill Counselling Centre -
194 Argent Street, Broken Hill NSW 2880.
Telephone (08) 8087 7525.

I went to the opening of this annual event in 2011 and it was a great night with some fantastic art on display and the art is available to purchase.

It is an extremely worthy cause.  You can donate to Lifeline from their website.

Once again, please note you can call Lifeline for crisis support 24/7 on 13 11 14.

Cheers, Jane D

Royal Flying Doctor Service 85th Anniversary

One of the six King Air B200 aircraft
receiving regular maintenance whilst I visited the
RFDS Base in Broken Hill

On 17 May 2013, the famous and equally essential Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) noted their 85th anniversary of their inaugural flight from Cloncurry to nearby Julia Creek in Queensland which took place on 17 May 1928 just two days after the founder, Presbyterian minister Rev. John Flynn officially opened the service in Cloncurry and realised his 10 year dream.

Operations at the RFDS Broken Hill Base began eight years later in 1936.

The Business Manager of the RFDS Broken Hill Visitor's Centre, Susan Williams was quoted in the Barrier Daily Truth last Monday as saying "major celebrations will be held later in the year, but they were just marking the day".

I wrote an article on the RFDS in Broken Hill on 4 February 2013, see link here to the article.

The RFDS provides medical care to people in remote areas of Australia and plays a critical role in the health of many Australians who live and work in or are visiting the outback.

RFDS logo from their website

The service has 21 bases around Australia.  The Broken Hill Base is the only base in Australia where visitors can see a working base in action every day of the week.  The Bruce Langford Visitor Centre is definitely well worth a visit when you come to Broken Hill.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time there earlier in the year.  It's really fascinating.

If you would like to financially support the RFDS you can donate via
a link from their website.

Cheers, Jane D

Resources and Energy Investment Symposium 2013, May 19-22

Poppet Head
Broken Hill

Mining Industry
The 3rd annualResources and Energy Investment Symposium (REIS) 2013 is on again in Broken Hill from May 19-22.  The inaugural event was held in Broken Hill in 2011, and was held again in the city last year.  So for the time being it appears to be a permanent fixture as an annual Broken Hill event.

This year's symposium will focus on the current economic climate with all the associated challenges and opportunities, both in the Australian resources industry as well as for Australia within the international market.

REIS organisers Catriona Silverston
& Michael Allendorf, courtesy
BDT Darrin Manuel

A number of high profile speakers will be providing keynote speeches.  Big names include, Dick Smith (Business Entrepreneur), The Hon Nick Minchin (former Liberal Senator, now business consultant), Mark Bennett (Sirius Resources MD & CEO), Dan Denning (The Daily Reckoning Australia, Editor), Dr John Hewson (former Liberal Party Leader and Opposition Leader and economic and financial expert), Dr Thomas Barlow (Thomas Barlow Advisory Services), Tony Locantro (Locantro's Life Speculative Investment Newsletter, Author), Hugh Wallace-Smith (Stockbroker), John Molyneux (WH Ireland Ltd, Regional Director), Stuart A. Sanderson (Colorado Mining Association, President), Dave Kanagy (Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Executive Director), David Evans (GoldNerds Pty Limited, Founder and MD), Prof Ian Plimer (Emeritus Professor of Earth Sciences).

For more details about the event including a detailed program of events, go to the REIS website www.symposium.net.au .

I am sure it will be a highly informative and fascinating event.  I heard great things about both last year and the inaugural 2011 event.

For a snapshot of what I wrote about the 2012 event, see link here to my 18 May 2012 article.

Cheers, Jane D

Broken Hill's St Barbara Festival begins Friday 17 May 2013

Saint Barbara
courtesy
commons.wikimedia.org

Community Event
Broken Hill will have a festival to honour Saint Barbara who is the patron saint of miners, artillery men and soldiers.

There will be a memorial service at Sturt Park (corner Wolfram and Sulphide Streets) this Friday (tomorrow) at 5.30pm and everyone is welcome. At the conclusion of the service eight sky lanterns will be launched.

Festivities will continue over the weekend with chalk artists creating an elaborate 3D chalk artwork at the Town Square (corner Chloride and Argent Streets) which will depict an incredible underground mining themed scene.

On Sunday, St John Ambulance (here's a link to St John Ambulance 'Facebook Page') will host a BBQ lunch from midday, also at the Town Square and there will be live music as well.  Of course, once again everyone is welcome.

It's not something you do every day, so why not get down to the square to enjoy the entertainment and perhaps reflect on a festival which acknowledges the importance of mining to the many mining communities around the world and is celebrated globally in towns with a mining history.  Those who have lost their lives in the mines are also remembered at this festival.

Jane D

Broken Hill By-Election Results - Congratulations Christine Adams

Christine Adams courtesy
Barrier Daily Truth (BDT)

Local Government By-Election
The results of the Broken Hill City Council By-Election held last weekend were released this afternoon.

There were 6 candidates, and it was initially a close race between a couple of the candidates so preferences were needed to decide the final result.

After first preferences the tally stood at 23.70% to former councillor Christine Adams and 22.24% to well known Broken Hill photographer Robin Sellick.

Robin Sellick
courtesy BDT

Once second preferences and postal votes (which closed at 6 pm yesterday) were tallied today, the Electoral Commission NSW declared the final result this afternoon and my congratulations go to Christine ADAMS who was announced as the winner.

The other candidates were Geoff Cullenward, Tom Kennedy (a former councillor), Anne Woods and Trevor Cutjar.  Five of the candidates stood as independents including Clr Adams.  Mr Cullenward stood as a Labor candidate.

The by-election  was called due to a councillor, Mr John Groenendjik resigning earlier in the year due to ill health.

As you return to Council for another term, I wish you all the very best Clr Adams.

Cheers, Jane D

Living Desert Sculpture Symposium's 20th Anniversary Celebrations

One of the sculptures at sunset

Community Event
Put the 18th of May in you diary for a celebration in Broken Hill as there will be simple festivities for the 20th anniversary of the famous Living Desert Sculpture Symposium.

The sculptures were completed in May 1993 and have since become a major Broken Hill tourist attraction.  I love going to the Sculpture Symposium when I'm visiting the City.  They are an amazing site especially at sunset and sunrise, but you can go anytime to enjoy them.

Council will waive the admission fee to the site and have a free sausage sizzle and cool drinks for visitors between 11am and 1pm on 18th of May.

Twelve international sculptors created the works from 52 tonnes of sandstone from Wilcannia which is about 196 km east of Broken Hill.

In recognition of Broken Hill's mining past, the sculptors used miner's old tungsten chisels to create their works of art.

Cheers, Jane D

Hello - привіт from www.ilovebrokenhill.com to readers in the Ukraine

Ukraine flag from commons.wikimedia.org

You may be surprised to learn that many readers of www.ilovebrokenhill.com come from the Ukraine. (USA and Australia make up the largest reader groups).

Perhaps some of you are ex Broken Hill residents or maybe you are Broken Hill travellers visiting the Ukraine.

Whatever the case, I would just like to say hello (привіт) to readers from the Ukraine. (I hope I've got that translation right - see below).

I have tried to look up the correct translation of 'hello' in Ukrainian, and I am finding quite a few different answers from Google searches.  I hope at least one of the following translations makes sense/is correct ...

translate.google.com  привіт

Wikitravel.org suggested  Добрий день. (DOH-brihy dehn')

The variety of suggestions surprised me (I haven't put them all in).  Apparently there are 18 languages in the Ukraine according to Wikipedia so this could explain the many options.

Feel free to write a comment on your Ukrainian perspective of Broken Hill.

So in the words of wikitravel.com (goodbye) До побачення. (do poh-BAH-cheh-nyah)

Cheers, Jane D