With one robotic arm, 25 year old Nathan Parker is now a flying instructor at the Northern Rivers Aero Club (NRAC). But achieving his dream of flying planes has come only after his persistence, strength and resilience saw him emerge from a major setback. In fact, the Goonellabah resident has just been named NSW Young Australian of the Year at an awards ceremony in Sydney recently.Nathan tells the Lismore App his story:“Ever since I was six years old my sole goal was to become a fighter pilot in the Airforce," he said.“My grandfather served for 45 years in the Royal Australian Navy and I learned about what he’d done in the military and it helped keep the fire burning.“In my childhood, I did watch Top Gun and went to airshows and it fed the passion. I never wavered from my goal and was always working toward it.“I joined the Airforce at 18 years old and in 2014, I went to Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra and did my university degree and military officer training at the same time.“At the end of my second year was when the bus accident happened.The accident“As part of degree and officer training, our university break became the time for us to conduct the military training we had to do. We were headed to Jervis Bay for a week of activities, learning to become better leaders and testing ourselves.“We finished that and were headed back to Canberra when the bus went round a bend on a quiet country road and rolled onto its left hand side.“My hand became pinned between the bus and the road and it was 45 minutes before the ambulance arrived and two hours before they were able to get me out of the bus and onto a helicopter to go to hospital in Sydney.“They think when the bus rolled over the glass shattered, my hand fell out and was pinned under the bus as it slid sideways down the road.Glass shattering“I have a full memory of the bus rolling over, I have the audio of the glass shattering and the bags falling and people screaming. I was lucky to be awake through it all and to have awesome guys climb in an save my life and apply torniquetes to my arms and make sure I was able to bet out of the bus."There were about 50 people on the bus and about 27 were hospitalised for stitches or skin grafts. Three of us were airlifted in serious or critical conditions.Hospital“In hospital, before they took me into that first surgery, the doctors asked me if they could amputate my left hand. They didn’t know what the extent of the damage was then. I didn’t hesitate to say yes – it was about doing what had to be done to keep me alive.“I woke up without my left hand and suffered tendon damage in my right hand which was stitched back together. I also had multiple face lacerations and glass in my face.Rehabilitation“I was in hospital for two weeks and the ongoing rehab was about seven months before I went back to training at the academy.“I had to learning to do basic things again like get dressed, feed myself for two months after the accident. I didn’t have the prosthesis for a while so we could let the stump heal and then I learned to do things single handedly.Prosthesis“Because I was in the military, I was lucky to be fitted out with an advanced prosthetic robotic hand.“It speeded up my rehab, but I had to learn the most basic tasks like learning how to pick up a peg from a peg board. At first, I was doing six to eight hours a day of training and rehabilitation to learn to use the hand.“It has two sensors – electrodes - inside the socket of the prothesis and they press against the forearm of my residual limb. When I flex the muscles, it picks up the signal and translates that to open or close or rotate the wrist.“Because I didn’t have a hand with a wrist it was about trying to build up flexion muscle strength to be able to use the prosthesis all day.Graduation“The military did a lot to look after me and give me the resources I needed to get me back on my feet.“I was good at rehabilitating from my injuries and the force let me go back and continue my degree and training and look at other options in the military.“So, I resumed my studies in the Bachelor of Technology Aviation.“I was lucky enough to graduate the military side of the training alongside my peers – the same cohort I joined the ADF with and had the bus accident with. I finished my degree the following year.“If all went to plan, I would have progressed onto learning to be a pilot, but unfortunately my injuries made it impossible for me to continue done that pathway.Pilot dreams“The military came to me and said we want to see what you can still do.“In 2017 they looked at me to see if I could still progress onto the pilot’s course and unfortunately, due to the nature of military flying, the risk, and my injuries, it wasn’t likely I would be able toprogress down that military pathway.“I didn’t have the same sense of touch and military aircraft are complex and require fine motor skills – that was one of my barriers they identified.“I knew I still wanted to fly and wanted to see if I could still do that - so I took time away from the military.Shattering“For me it was pretty shattering. Losing that dream of flying military planes was far more devastating than losing the hand.“It was a challenging time in 2017. But I was lucky enough to have support to refocus on other opportunities.Northern Rivers Aero Club “Three months after the accident in 2015, I was back home in Lismore doing some rehabilitation and I set a goal to get back in the air.“I went to the Northern Rivers Aero Club – where I’d learned to fly as a 15 year old going through school. I went to see what I could still do and the members there were so supportive.“For them there was never really any barriers. They said we will put you in an airplane and see what you can do. I was lucky and spend time working on the challenges of getting my recreationalflying licence.Recreational flying“So, when the military decided I couldn’t fly in the military capacity, I still knew I had options to fly recreationally and wondered if I could pursue it as a career.“So, then I started some pretty intensive training at the NRAC to see what my limitations were with the prosthesis.“Now I have worked through the private pilot and the commercial pilot level of training and can now be employed to fly in a commercial capacity in civilian flying.Teaching flying“Now, I’m incredibly lucky to be able to teach people to fly recreational aircraft.“Even though it’s not the military jets I imagined I’d be flying, I’m enjoying it just as much being able to share my passion for flying and pass that on and help others realise the same goals and ambitions I once had.“These days it’s getting more affordable to fly - there’s a scholarship program people can apply to if it’s something they really want to do.“I’ve been lucky enough to train seven or eight people to the stage where they can now fly locally.”Motivational speaking“I’m really enjoying doing motivational speaking to pass on some of the lessons I have learned through the challenges I’ve had to overcome.“One of the major lessons I’ve learned is the idea of resilience.Resilience“Resilience is nothing but a series of consistent small choices by you one at a time and no matter what goes wrong, there’s always a choice that can be made.“For me, when I was trapped in the bus, it was about breathing and getting to hospital with a pulse. Then in hospital it was about what’s the next small choice I can make to keep moving forward to keep getting better. It’s about keeping moving forward in whatever way you can.Where did the resilience come from?“I think the military training had an impact – as well as the support of family friends and team mates.“I’d always thought about motivational speaking after the days in hospital.“I was lucky enough to be visited by a navy clearance diver who lost an arm and a leg in a shark attack - he gave me a number of key lessons to get through those initial times.“I decided that wasn’t going to be the end of my story – so going forward, what could I do to help one person work through the darkest days?“I went through some tough, dark times and if I can help someone obtain those lessons without having to go through the school of hard knocks, it will make the accident worthwhile.Schools“I’ve been speaking to young people at schools who are going through some big challenges, especially during this last year with Covid-19. I’ve also spoken to charities and community groups.“It’s a real privilege and ideally, I’d like to be able to talk on a national level and share a message of resilience and hope for people.Inspire people“This year It’s been about getting my flying goals ticked off and as restrictions ease, I look forward to doing more speaking and share my message and inspire more people.“One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that we have far greater capacity than we think. day to day, each and everyone of us has the capacity to over come the challenges put in front of us. Now more than ever, the other key message is don’t be afraid to seek help.“For me, I’d gone from being a fit and healthy 20 year old, aspiring to fly technologically advanced airplane - to needing help to feed myself.“I learned its never a bad thing to ask for help. It actually makes things easier. There’s not shame in that – it’s actually courageous to seek out assistance.”Invictus GamesNathan became involved in the Invictus games in 2017 as he rehabilitated from his injuries. He won nine medals, including three gold medals. He has also won 17 medals from two US Warrior Games.“The Invictus Games is a Para-Olympic style sporting competition founded by Prince Harry in 2014 in London,” he said.“Its purpose is to rehabilitate wounded servicemen and women. I got involved in 2017 after the accident.“I had the opportunity to compete in sports on the world stage, but the biggest benefits were gaining community and seeing different people and hearing about their stories and journeys overcoming injuries and refusing to give up.“I found the people I met were ringing me to check in when they knew I would be going through tough times.Sports“My main sports in the games were indoor rowing, and sprinting. but I also participated in swimming and volleyball as well."It allowed me to redefine my limitations and try sports I thought I’d never do before the accident, let alone with my new injuries. It was amazing to see how other people adapted to also play sports.Community work“I’ve been helping out with a number of local organisations Amp Camp three day camp for 12 to 18 year olds who have amputations. Some of them had never seen another amputee before and we bring them together and get them to do activities and pass on lessons.“I also work with The Hangar Mentoring – we use aviation to mentor youth through challenges. For me that’s the perfect mix of two passions.“Some of the young people might be disengaged or struggling and we teach them techniques how to change your perspective, take responsibility in changing your own situation.“It’s about giving them tips and tricks to take back to their normal lives and also learn to fly.NSW Young Australian of the YearLast week, Nathan was named NSW Young Australian of the Year at an awards ceremony in Sydney.Nathan said the NSW awards were about recognising people who are achieving and working to make a difference in their communities.“I hope winning the award will allow me to keep doing the work I’ve been doing, working with young people and as a motivational speaker,” he said.“My passion to inspire others to turn the toughest times into greater opportunities and not let setbacks stop them pursuing what they want to achieve in life.”“I feel privileged to have been one of the 16 finalists over the four awards categories.“Now, I will progress through to the national awards Australian of the Year awards on January 25, 2021.“I could still win next year, I don’t know what will happen.“I just love the idea of meeting other people and learning about what they are all doing in their communities.”ContactTo find out more about Nathan, visit his website https://nathanparker.com.au

Vale Michael (Mike) King-Prime who died recently from cancer in Lismore Base Hospital. Mike’s wife Evelyn (Ev) tells the story of his life, which begins as a love story that spans continents, from the UK to the US and finally the Northern Rivers. With Mike’s artistic talent and Ev’s business and marketing know-how, Mike became a successful artist whose foundation of working in advertising and animation, eventually saw him catapult to success as a painter whose work was highly sought after in the United States and across the world.Cancer“Mike passed away from cancer a few weeks ago,” Ev said. “And he kept on smoking through it all. He said ‘I’m doomed’ and kept smoking up till the end. “He was 78 when he was diagnosed and I guess he thought what’s to battle for? The kids are fine, my life has been fantastic, the only thing I leave behind is Ev.“He did well for nearly four years after the diagnosis before he went downhill - so we had to put him in a home. He couldn’t dress himself and I couldn’t look after him properly. “He was there for four months and got weaker and weaker. He did quite well considering he got four years out of his initial diagnosis.“Together we had two kids – a boy and girl – they are not artistic and they weren’t impressed by Michael's career much – but he had a fantastic life.”Name“Mike’s grandfather was a miner in South America and the labourers used to call him the king of the mines but his real name was Prime so they just added King to Prime. Love story“I was brought up in Argentina with English and American parents and he was brought up there too with British parents.“I didn’t meet Mike till I went to London and I met him at a party. He was very good looking and very rude and arrogant, covering up a lack of self esteem - and I thought he’s mine. I said to mum 'that’s the man I’m going to marry' and she said 'he’s a bum'.“I didn’t see him again for a couple of years - he’d been on a ship as a mate going through the canals in the States. He came back with a massive beard and turned up at my brothers place and I thought 'it’s you under all that hair'.“He invited me out one night and said I can’t pay, you’d better pay - I’m broke. I thought that’s a good start and the rest is history. My mother was determined I wasn’t going to get involved with this bum as she called him and she whisked me off to Spain to live and a year later Mike turned up on my doorstep again.Meant to be together“He lived with us in Spain for a couple of years then we went back to London and got married in 1965. I met him when I was 18 and he was six years older, but he was so cute.“He was working in advertising then, but painting on the side. He hadn’t had any exhibitions at that stage. It was only when we came to Australia that he started painting seriously. Coming to Australia“We had a five month old daughter and were having lunch in London one day and he said to me it's cold and dismal here – where would you like to live – Australia or Canada? I said where’s Australia, I was totally ignorant. He said Australia is warm and I said obviously, Australia. “When we arrived in Sydney we thought we’d won lotto and fell in love with the place.“He went to Australia first in 1971 and got a job in advertising again. He was paid a massive salary, well beyond what he made in England.Hanna Barbera“Then he started working in animation, working as a background artist for Hanna Barbera.”Some of the animated shows he worked on included Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones cartoons, The All New Popeye Hour, Pink Panther and Sons and The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang.“Mike went to art school when he was younger, but his hard yakka painting training came from working at Hanna Barbera. He worked in inks, watercolours and acrylics. he used to do one background after another – it was like a factory line,” Ev said.“It taught him a lot – he might paint shops, prisons – anything.Kombi van“We bought a flat and business in Manly, then later sold it all, bought a Kombi van and came up here to the Northern Rivers in the early 1970s.“The Aquarius Festival was on here at the time and we looked for somewhere to buy here. I went to Federal and we looked. You could buy a place at Wattagoes Beach for $14,000 and it was a little block with sandy soil, but I wanted to grow things.Federal“So, we looked at some acreage in Federal and I knew it was for me – 64 acres and we built our own house. they were beautiful days and we grew stuff , planted trees and reforested.“Mike kept going down to Sydney to get work at Hanna Barbera because we needed the income, then he went to Los Angeles and the Phillipines to teach animation and he was away a lot. Gallery“One day I woke up and thought I want to open a gallery and I opened a gallery in Byron called the Cape Gallery and we had some marvellous exhibitions. Then Mike came home and I said he should put his work in there – and his work took off like wildfire.“One day he went back to Los Angeles in Arizona and put a piece he’s painted while in Phoenix in a gallery and the owner called us at 2am and said he’d sold it and told him to come over. Arizona and galleries “So, we sold out house in Byron and took our son with us and went to the States to live in Arizona for nine years. “Mike painted and I marketed his work. We were supplying six galleries at any one time. He was prolific. After that we went to California to live – we were away about 11 years. “We bought a condo in Arizona and when I decided to market his work, I rang up a top gallery in the South West region and arranged a meeting.“A friend and me rented a van and took two pieces of his work. We walked up into the gallery and the grumpy gallery owner had to come down to the car park to see them.“We pulled out the paintings and they said these could sell. They sold a week later and he rand up and said ‘got any more?’. He paid us quickly, but some galleries didn’t pay and we had to hassle them.“Then galleries across the States caught wind of him and wanted his work and we would fly there for opening night. Santa Fe was a huge gallery and he provided 20 pieces there and 14 pieces sold on opening night.Heart attack“Then I had a heart attack. It cost me $80,000 to get out of that alive. It was the worst thing that could have happened. They took all our savings and it diminished it all in the end and Mike said let’s go back to Australia.“We had a lot of friends still here and couldn’t imagining living anywhere else."Bangalow We lived for a while in Bangalow and opened a gallery and sold his work there. People would come and say you’re back – they remembered him. Then we came to live in Lismore, in Girard’s Hill. Then we sold that house and came to live in this flat near the hospital. It was good for me and in the long run it was good for him too.Stroke“It was about six years ago Mike had a stroke – that was before he got cancer. He always smoked and would have a paint brush in one hand and a ciggie in the other.“He said he couldn’t live without both. He never drank, but he loved his fags and coffee.Painting “I didn’t know what started him painting but he was always on the cusp of graphic design and painting. He loved landscapes, seascapes, rainforests and the environment. he loved Arizona – all that lovely oxide monumental stuff. He loved doing it.“He didn’t do plein air painting - his medium was liquid – water, acrylic – so he would take photos of landscapes and worked from them. We went to Monument Valley and Utah, Grand Canyon. He did ten big pieces of that.“In his portfolio, there is a lot of landscape work.”There’s one painting of the town of Bangalow that is still on the walls of a real estate agent there.Abstract“He always aspired to do abstract work – not pretty paintings.” Ev said ."His work before he died was very abstract. He loved messing around with pushing paint around, but there wasn’t a market for that. Persistence“I never painted. Two artists in one house? We’d kill each other. I helped him a lot. He would overwork something, take the freshness away and I would say leave it. Don’t boss me around he would say, but he respected my opinion – I’d seen enough art in my time. “One thing he had was incredible persistence. He painted all day long and apart from playing golf, he didn’t do anything else.“He loved jazz music and classical music and would listen while he painted.”“When he died and my son cleaned his painting room, he said there was paint all over the walls.Ev’s support and marketing“The first thing I realised when he started painting was that I had the product – I knew he would sell. It wasn’t hard for me to market him.“I don’t think he could have marketed himself, he was very humble and insecure. He never would have gone out and put his work in a gallery. It scares most artists to have to go and sell themselves to a gallery. I used to have a gallery and I know what it was like for them.Lismore Art ClubMike also shared his knowledge of painting with the local community and would give talks at the Lismore Art Club, sharing skills and techniques. “He used to outrage all the old dears and say he would be going to check the time and he would go outside and have a cigarette.“You shouldn’t smoke, you know they would say to him.Lismore Art Club Mike demonstrates mixing colour washes at Lismore Art Club.Our House In Lismore, Mike’s work is on the walls of the Our House charity. Ev said Dr Chris Ingall was a good friend of theirs and insisted his work be on the walls there.In Art Aspects Gallery in Lismore, you can also see some of Mike’s prints.Ev’s son has some of Mike’s paintings, but she said all that’s left is the prints of the paintings.If people are interested in buying Mike’s work, they can contact Art Aspects Gallery.

Kate Webber has only been in the job a few weeks, but as Lismore City Council’s new executive director of corporate services, she’s ready for the challenges of working in local government.With a law degree under her belt as well as previous experience working in local government and the private sector, she’s ready to bring a fresh set of eyes to Council and its processes as it navigates through challenging times.Challenging circumstances“All local government is faced with challenging circumstance at the moment,” Kate said. “Lismore is no different.“There are some issues that need to be sorted through, and we have great things going on and some opportunity to streamline processes, improve and get better.”The move to LismoreKate, her husband and child moved up to Lismore from Sydney to take on the new job, but her dad was actually born and bred in Lismore.“We used to come here for Christmas holidays from Sydney,” Kate said. “My brother, sister and parents are living here now too - I’m the last to stay in Sydney and I was looking to relocate.“I feel like we’ve lucked into it. It’s a lovely opportunity and delighted to be up here. I love the role – working at the grass roots.”Kate said she and her husband are both career people.“When I had my daughter, I took the first year parental leave and he took the second. He is an IT executive and has flexibility moving up here with a job.“It’s a balancing act – I’ve been lucky he’s a hands on dad."ImprovementKate said her role at Council is to drive improvement as she looks at internal finances, IT procurement and projects, bringing consistency and reliability to project management.“My job is to keep council moving smoothly and let council staff do their job,” she said.“I’m not Council’s lawyer and will not be providing legal advice. I do have a good understanding of frameworks and the way things should be operating and I try and make sure the right principles apply to Council operations in the way we business.”“It’s the responsibly of any local government authority to act in the interests of its residents - and it’s quite often a balancing act. I have a strong passion for good and transparent governance.“I see that Council has already begun that journey toward improvement of processes. It’s about having clear milestones and communication when things go off track.Public service and career“I started my career in a local government department in London and I have a strong desire to make things better.“I also have respect for people called to public service. I believe they are here because they want to make community better – and I believe they have that at the heart of what they do.“I have also a lot of experience working in professional and financial services.“I know about running large projects and pulling together robust business cases. I understand risk and change management and how to be proactive and preventative in a controlled environment.“I see opportunities from commercial world that we can bring into a council environment, as well as a fresh set of eyes and perspective on things.Good decision making“I studied law and arts in Sydney and then spent five years practicing family law.“I had a major in history and have a strong passion for modern history. I like to understand what things happened before me – so we can learn the lessons of history and not repeat them.“I have a real interest in good decision making – so much of law is about that.“Ten years later, I studied for an MBA, once I had experience under my belt.First job“When I started my first job in a department of local government, I was hungry to learn. I gained a helicopter view of experience of local government and came to understand the legislative framework and explore the different responsibilities of government.Filming protocols “I was involved with the drafting of the local government filming protocols and saw how different local government areas were interested in the commercialisation of filming - bringing people into there area to increase jobs. Others saw it as an administrative burden to grant and monitor approvals for filming.Pecuniary interest “I took an interest in pecuniary interest reviews in councils – and the hands on investigations in that space. It’s about balance for the councillors living their lives. There will be times decisions affect them personally and they draw the line.“I’ve noticed how this is a positive focus at council meetings here.Britain “Then I did traditional Aussie thing travel overseas in my 20s. I did a bar and cocktail course in London to pull pints. It was expensive to live there though, so I remembered I was a lawyer and I and took a job for the local government authority in the east end of London.“It’s like local government in Australia on steroids – there are massive portfolios of housing, education and homelessness. It was full of diverse councillors and interesting challenges in a less affluent socio-economic area.“That whet my appetite for good decision making and administering reviews of decisions government makes. Contentious cases“I’ve run exclusion appeals looking at education - if a child was suspended or expelled from school, they could appeal to the local government authority.“Council oversight could be a hard role to play, but I loved giving people a chance to be heard.“Then I came back to Australia. I took a brief role in migration law, reviewing department decisions, then I moved into risk and compliance, setting up right structures to make well informed decisions.“If we understand our obligation when we make decision, then we negate the risks from occurring. Every decision an organisation makes involves this and good organisations need to get comfy with it.“A boat is safe in a harbour, but that is not what a boat is for.Volunteering While career has been important to Kate, she said volunteering has always been something she has also done throughout her life.“I have a long history of volunteering and was awarded the NSW corporate volunteer of the year award in in 2014,” she said.“My role lets me contribute well to the volunteer space.“I was volunteering on a board for a child abuse prevention service for a while – and I was a coach for the NSW mock trial comps. I enjoy being part of a community – Its harder to find that in Sydney.“When the role here in Lismore came up, and the Covid lockdown was happening, I felt like it was great timing. I wanted to get back to work in the grass roots of local government.“It felt like destiny. Now I look forward to seeing what my fresh eyes can bring to old processes as I take a hard look at the environment this Council is in.“We don’t miss the Sydney traffic and are also looking forward to exploring the region and finding hidden gems."

It’s been 25 years since the miniature train arrived in Heritage Park. Since the day it opened, there’s only been one train driver – Brain Grey.In fact, Brian has been there so long now, that people tell him they rode the train when they were kids and now, they bring their own children to the park for the experience.If you’ve never been on the train in Lismore’s Heritage Park, it’s an experience you need to have at least once. You sit on the tiny train and go around the park twice and under the tunnel. It takes about six minutes usually brings a smile to your face.So, who is the man behind the train, how did it all begin - and did he always dream of being a train driver? BeginningsBrian has lived in Lismore 46 years. He grew up in Tamworth and Yippoon as a country boy and now . has a wife and two kids. He lives in Wyrallah and his family lives in South GundarimbaA day in the life On a normal day, Brian arrives at the park, collects the rubbish and sets up the train for the day.He gets out the train engine and carriages and rolls them onto the tracks, checking they are in working order. He also removes branches and any obstructions from the rail tracks, puts out his signs and he’s ready to go.Train history It was in 1995 that Brian brought the railway to the park.Brian runs the train as his own business and pays rent to Council for the train site.“We opened on Saturday, November 5 - 25 years ago,” Brian said.“Council had called for Expressions of Interest to run a train in the park and at the time I already had a steam train – so I applied and got the job.”Brian organised the equipment and bought the train tracks, signs, signals and two passenger carriages from Tweed Heads. Once it was laid on the ground, it became Council’s mini railway and they built the crossings and the station.“The park was planned by parks and gardens,” Brian said. “We just advised on the room needed for trains on corners. There’s nearly 400 metres of tracks there.”Above: The first steam train that Brian brought to the park, 25 years ago. Below: the beginnings of construction in the park. Railway enthusiast“There are people out there who are train nuts, who live, breathe and eat trains - but I’m not a train nut,” Brian said.“I never grew up wanting to be a train driver – this just sort of came along.Brian has only been on the XPT to Sydney once, but he’s been on other trains, including Puffing Billy (near Melbourne) and on his train hat, he wears a collection of train badges, including one of Puffing Billy.At home however, he has a 10,000 gallon concrete water tank that doesn’t hold water – now it holds a train room.“The train goes around the inside on the tracks,” he said. “There is a table with scenery and a model village on it - but there’s a lot more work to be done on it.”Brian had model train sets as a kid, given as Christmas presents, but it wasn’t until 1990 when he went to Western Australia on a holiday with his family and saw a model railway that the love of trains was sparked.“So, I came home and through the Trading Post, I found a guy in Brisbane and bought his steam train and started playing trains.“I’d take it up on a trailer to train clubs in Brisbane on the weekends and run on their tracks.”Track gaugesIt’s a bit train geeky, but it’s interesting that the track gauges of trains vary so much. A bit like the vagaries of computer and phone connections and USB connections.Brian said the Heritage Park train tracks are 7¼inch, but there is also have 5 inch and there’s 3.5 inch gauge too.“Most passenger pulling ones are 7 and a quarter,” Brian said. “In America they are 7.5 inch just to be different. Across America, on the east coast they are 7¼ but another part of the country is 7.5 inch.”Brian and the guard's caboose at the back of the train. The wheels on the train go round and roundThe front of the Heritage Park train is a replica of the XPT train – to a model scale of 1:6.At the back of the park train is the old-style carriage “caboose”, where the guard would have travelled in the olden days. It has a section of roof that can come off and Brian can put a seat on there and can actually have a guard on the train.There are also two passenger carriages, with padded seats.Now, there’s also a new carriage, purpose built by Brian and his uncle especially for Covid social distancing requirements“We needed to create distance between one passenger carriage and another,” Brian said. “At first we thought we’d just put a bar in, but people might have tripped over it - so we built another 1.5 metre model carriage that’s a replica of a gas tanker.”Brian and his uncle built all the model carriages together, except for the passenger carriages. Brian is the wood worker and his uncle works with metal, and together they painstakingly replicate real life carriages.The new carriage.Heritage ParkWith its recent upgrade, Heritage Park now boasts a water play area and trampolines as well as a train and the usual suspects of play equipment – like swings and roundabouts.“It’s the most used park in Lismore,” Brian said. “In the original park discussions there was a mention of putting the train in Wade park, but we knew it had to be in the centre of town and it was next to the visitor centre. (which is now closed).Covid changes As a result of Covid restrictions, Brian has now installed a gate so people can’t just walk into the train area, and a piece of perspex on the station window. There’s also a QR code you need to useto register as you enter the train.“Now the train runs constantly, instead of every 15 minutes because I have less people on the train now,” he said. “I could normally get eight on each carriage, but now it’s six at a maximum, unless they are in a friend or family group.”Covid and train businessRunning a miniature train as a small business, it can be hard for Brian to know if he will make any money each week. The vagaries of the weather and relying on $3 per person per ride makes for an unstable income.“If it rains up to 10am in the morning, people usually don’t bother coming down to the park,” he said.“When we closed at the end of March for Covid, at the same time Council started to do the upgrade. The park was closed for six and a half months, until two weeks ago.”Luckily, Brian had another job. But the closure period was not a holiday.“I work at a school one day a week looking after gardens and lawns and painting things,” he said. “So, being self-employed and having the school job too meant I wasn’t eligible for Jobkeeper and Jobseeker.“Luckily the school gave me another day work and my wife is a cleaner at the school, so she had some work too.When Brian takes a holiday – there’s no replacement to drive the train. Luckily for the big and little kids of Lismore, he doesn’t take many holidays.Laugh and cryWhen you are a train driver, some days are better than others.There have been days that Brian has been driving the train around the park and someone just hops off mid-journey. The train is only travelling at 10 kilometres an hour, but it still not something Brian likes to see happen.“Sometimes kids just get off,” he said. “Usually with an adult, it’s because they are holding a kid who is getting upset and instead of asking me to stop - they just get off.“I love that my job is an outdoors job, but sometimes It can be hard to keep up the enthusiasm.“The best days are when you have nice clients, good kids and no hassles. Some days parents might have a go at me or whinge about the price I charge.”His advice to train park visitors is to take responsibility for your kids – be considerate, patient and respect the equipment.FutureHeritage Park has changed over the years and Brian hopes to see some cool additions as part of stage two of the park. Lismore Council is currently calling for the community’s idea about what else they would like to see at the park.Read more about the upgraded park: Waterworks galore! Take a sneak peak at the new Heritage ParkIt's open! Lismore's new water park makes a splashThe train at Heritage Park is open (weather permitting) on Thursdays and public holidays 10am to 2pm, Friday and Saturday 10.30am to 4pm. In school holidays. it’s open every day except Mondays (that’s when he does his other jobs.)Tickets are $3 per person, or $12 for a group of 5 maximum.You can find out more at http://www.heritagepark railway.com.au

You may have seen Denise Alison working at Fundies Health Food shop in Lismore’s CBD. As Lismore’s un-official ambassador, Denise has been celebrating the diversity of people at the heart of Lismore through her popular Facebook page Humans of Lismore. Denise has heard sad stories, inspirational stories - and has helped people raise money. One of her talents is finding people who say they have no story to tell, then bring them to life for the rest of the world. So, how did The Humans of Lismore start?“I was sitting in a café in Byron Bay six years ago when I overheard people at the next table talking about Lismore,” Denise said. “One of them lived in Lismore and the other said how can you live there? It’s such a hole. They gave Lismore the worst rap.“I was thinking how dare you? And I thought I’ll show you - Lismore rocks. Lismore humans are bloody awesome.”Denise Alison at home.So, inspired by the Humans of New York Facebook page, Denise created the Humans of Lismore page.“I thought I’m going to make a local little page, thinking it won’t go anywhere,” she said.“I thought the Humans of New York was a beautiful idea - to get everyday people from the city’s community on the street and hear their stories. I loved how it showed everyday people who aren’t famous - people can relate to them.“I found my very first person the next day, selling daffodils outside Dan Murphy’s when I went to get a bottle of red. Daffodil girl Katie - the first Human of Lismore. Read her story: https://www.facebook.com/Humansoflismore/photos/a.559195990870285/559206084202609The first Human of Lismore“This young girl called Katie was selling daffodils and I had my camera. I asked her if she wanted to be photographed for my page.“She said sure. I asked her why was she doing this today and she said I lost my mum and all of a sudden, she started to cry and I started to cry - and in the end we were hugging in the car park in Dan Murphy’s. It really touched me and I put that story up that night – and people loved it. “People want to see and hear ‘real’. When the everyday stuff we all live and go through is put out there for people to read, they think I’m not the only one, or that happened to me. It brings people together.Margaret the busker is one of the Humans of Lismore. https://www.facebook.com/Humansofli 56654784457714 smore/posts/3056654784457714Everyone has a story“Everyone has a story. The number of people who say to me I have no story is huge, but as soon as I sit and talk to them, they have so much. “Now I write stories with buskers and homeless people, the mayor, musicians and famous people, actors and shopkeepers – sportspeople – anyone.“There is so much texture in this town – from artists, creators and business people to ferals and farmers - I love it.“We all live together and everyone is so accepting - and it can be grotty and it can be beautiful and everything about it makes me happy.”Photography history“I was about 18 when I set up a dark room in my house and started doing surfing photographs. “My husband used to be a professional surfer. I used to have a big telephoto lens and I would sit on headlands photographing surfers. I had pics in Surfing World and Tracks and old school magazines. “Then I was in bands and I photographed them and started doing weddings and family portraits.“When I don’t have a camera in my hand, I’m shooting with my eye It’s a constant thing in my heart - I love it. “Now, I shoot with a Fuji digital camera and I mostly do manual photography. “I do miss having a dark room though. I love that raw black and white film.”Maude Boate is one of the Humans of Lismore.2020 Hurford Portrait Prize finalistDenise has recently been announced as a finalist kin the 2020 Hurford Portrait Prize, with a photograph she took of her long-time friend and local icon, drag queen Maude Boate aka Michel Gates. Denise’s photograph of Maude will be hanging in the Lismore Regional Gallery from November 7, when the exhibition officially opens. Read the Lismore App news story and see the photograph when Denise captured the image of an unguarded moment when Michael transformed into drag queen Maude Boate. Humans of Lismore creator Denise Alison makes the portrait prize finalFoxy the drag queen is one of the Humans of Lismore.ExhibitionsWhile she has been a photographer for a long time, Denise hasn’t exhibited in many exhibitions – so she’s excited to have one of her works hanging on the walls of our regional gallery.“I had an exhibition a few years ago, when Natsky opened Fox Den over in South Lismore,” Denise said. “I sold about ten of my photos - it was really exciting.“I mostly give away photos as gifts and frame some for my walls, but winning the prize has inspired her to make more of an effort and maybe do more exhibitions.”John Stewart is one of the Humans of Lismore.Humans of Lismore popularityWhen Denise started writing stories of people’s lives for the Humans of Lismore Facebook page, she hadn’t had any experience in journalism and she wasn’t tech savvy either. In fact, she’d never created a Facebook page before – and so began her journey of creating something that would grow to have thousands of followers within a few years.“I’ve always loved English, but never been to journalist school,” Denise said. “I took the challenge on and I hope people are forgiving with my grammar and punctuation, I just do it.Cobbler John is one of the Humans of Lismore.Followers“The page’s following grew very quickly – a year after I started it, I did an interview with ABC radio and then I had about 4000 followers. Now there’s 22,000 and it’s all organic followers, not paid.“I started to learn to look at the insights of the page. At one stage there was 27 countries. If I do a story on some sone with roots in another country, they share it with their family. “A few times I get negative feedback, but most of the time people say you make me want to live in Lismore and I love your town.”Meet the Humans of LismoreNorma and Harold.“I remember walking down the street one day and I saw a very old couple - Norma and Harold - walking down the street holding hands. She was Aboriginal and tiny in a pink twin set and he was a tall man wearing a top hat. I stopped them and said it’s so nice to see you holding hands and they told their story. They had been together 60 years and he has since passed away. I asked them what they loved about each other, and she said he was sexy.”Joel North.“Joel North is a local Lismore boy with brain cancer and we helped raise money for him. He touched a lot of people’s hearts."John Trigger.“I did an interview with John Trigger and he said he couldn’t afford to get dentures. So, I created a gofundme page and raised enough money for him to get his dentures. He came into Fundies one day with a big smile and said thank you so much.“The page slowly and quietly helps people in the community."Sad storiesGrant Stones and Sufi“Grant was a homeless guy who would always outside the conservatorium with his dog. He was an ex addict and his dog kept him alive. But the dog got arthritis, so we raised money for the dog’s vet care and to get a trolley for the dog. Eventually the dog died, then Grant just died last week.Darryl Healy“The Darryl Healy from Keen Street vets is a story that attracted hundreds of likes. Darryl said ‘what amazes me reading these comments is that you normally don’t hear people say these beautiful things about normally – it’s what people usually say at funerals.“’To hear them now while I’m still here is so humbling’, he said. ‘It’s overwhelming’.Billy the busker.“After I wrote the story about Billy the Busker – who had a heart attack earlier this year, Billy said it was so good - ‘people say g’day billy – they know me now’ he said.Melita“Melita, from Lips and Lashes in the Star Court Arcade’s story was story touching and raw. She said ‘I don’t have a story, I’m boring’ - and her story was full on. Happy storiesRhoda.“Rhoda was an old lady from Caroona retirement village and everyone loved her. “Then there was Harry Crethar a local legend, the wildlife twins -who were snake catchers and identical twins, Teddy the rapper, Winsome soup kitchen workers, and Ron with the big deep voice who sells coffee at the market.“And Shanti who wears suits like Elvis and always can be seen walking up the roads."Luke Close.“I interviewed Luke Close - the artist who painted the mural near the gallery."Digby Moran.“Digby Moran was very quiet. When I interviewed him, we sat on his lounge and he told me about his childhood and growing up – I got some beautiful photos of him."Jodie McRae. Read her story: https://www.facebook.com/Humansoflismore/photos/a.559195990870285/772321092891106“Jodi McRae was the founder of Jodie’s Inspiration, a cancer fundraising charity. She had breast cancer and was full of passion for what she was doing. Her family and the people around her kept the Jodie’s Inspiration foundation going. “When I interviewed her, I went to her house and met her and her husband, she was full of life and so inspiring right to the bitter end. I saw her in bed just before she died."Moppy the busker. Read her story: https://www.facebook.com/Humansoflismore/posts/1754399308016608“Moppy the busker is another person we all see on the street, with her accordian and her pigeons pecking seed at her feet on the streets while she busks.”Dogs of Lismore Not content with just writing about the humans of Lismore, Denise started writing about the dogs of Lismore too.“When I started interviewing humans, often they would have a dog with them - so I started up the Dogs of Lismore Facebook page,” Denise said.“I write it I like it’s the dog talking and people love it. There are all sorts of stories there – happy and sad stories about dogs and puppies.Denise’s own dog Clover is a celebrity herself and has made it into the Dogs of Lismore page a few times. Clover Alison.So, what does the future hold?Denise intends to keep uncovering the hidden gems in the community of Lismore and telling the stories of the people we may see around town, but don’t know anything about. “It’s a privilege to tell peoples stories,” Denise said.And we love reading them.To find out more about Lismore’s humans and dogs, visit the Humans of Lismore or the Dogs of Lismore Facebook pages.

As a former farmer and government advisor on water reform policy, Southern Cross University’s Associate Professor Peter Coombes has got his own ideas about what water security is. With drought hovering nearby and Rous County Council proposing a new dam for Dunoon, the future of water in the Northern Rivers is an issue close to the heart of our local community. As one of the co-authors of the Prime Minister’s Science Engineering and Innovation Council assessment of Australia’s water future, what does Prof Coombes see as the way forward in this dry land of ours?Water security“Water security, the way it’s pitched, worries me,” Prof Coombes said. “It’s often seen as part of an agenda relying on centralised large infrastructure – and it’s often falsely perceived as the only way forward.“The reality is water efficiency. The way communities use and don’t use water can make a difference to water balance in a region’s ecosystem. “That’s the bit often left out of the water security discussion and it doesn’t appear prominent in the discussions I’ve read since I’ve been in the area. “There’s a lot of all talk about contributing as a society, and this region is more suited to a collaborative effort than other regions. We need to empower and include citizens in creating solutions - and properly count the contribution of people saving water – whether it’s rainwater tanks or grey water. Questions“We also need to look at what the water utilities like Rous County Council are doing well.“We need to have a community conversation about the challenges – what is the future of harvesting water out of dams as the climate changes? - and it’s changing.“What is the future of water out of rivers? There’s a wide range of other things we can also do – not delivered by a centralised water utility.Ground water“We need to talk about ground water extraction. “NSW chief scientists have said there doesn’t seem to be a lot of impact on our ground water – but you need to look village by village in the region. Your water table will change if you are immediately downstream from significant groundwater extraction.“Across the country, the reality is - everyone is drawing down groundwater and this affects the flow of rivers.”Farmers and gasProf Coombes moved to Lismore just over a year ago and he’s seen how people here are concerned about the environment and want to be part of these “important discussions” about water and environment.With the gas industry pushing exploration in our communities, how does he see the extraction processes impacting on water?“Up until last year I was also a farmer and experienced living a region that went through gas exploration processes,” he said. “Now, as a systems scientist, I see that it’s not right to say the processes do not impact our water systems - so we need to be careful. In a region like this where we use a fair bit of ground water, we need to be sure that the gas industry’s impact on water resources is acceptable.“I’m not convinced that type of gas extraction can go ahead without impacting on ground water.Politics and gas lobby“I was a political advisor for 25 years, and I know how these things play out. I also know the gas lobby is a strong lobby and the Federal Government is now pushing gas strongly. Coming out of Covid, people are looking for nation building projects and have strong agendas.”From farmer to scientistProf Coombes grew in South Australia, then worked in Queensland as a farmer on avocado and pineapple farms. Then he moved to Newcastle and studied at Newcastle University before moving on to work in various government departments. While he was studying civil engineering and working on surveying projects, he discovered he had a great interest in science and added environmental science into his studies. His PhD looked at water sensitive urban design as he combined science with his humanitarianism and desire to understand human behaviour. From Santos to Government“I then worked in what used to be BHP as one of their chief scientists – it was interesting to get the experience. I also worked for Santos as an exploration officer in the Simpson Desert for 18 months before working in government.DisheartenedIt wasn’t always easy though. Prof Coombes also served as Chief Scientist for the Office of Living Victoria, advising the Victorian Government on water reform policy.He said that working in government “you can get disheartened on a daily basis when you are concerned about the environment”.“But it also makes you aware of the fantastic things people are doing – that the world is not ass negative as you think it is,” he said.Outspoken change maker“I see myself as making change,” Prof Coombes said. “I’ve always been fairly outspoken - saying the hard things when no one else will.”“Often government departments are staid organisations – then passionate young people come in. When I came in, the local government bosses harnessed my desire to make things better.When he had an appointment to the government science and innovation working group on water, he worked with the Federal water minister to find a solution to the Murray Basin water issues. “They had 12 people working under a chief scientist as part of a national initiative to have a serious go as to how to approach water in this country.”“I worked with the inspiring Peter Cullen - who passed on his great contribution to water and environment and we were able to make significant change.”Sydney water efficiency“In 2000, I was also invited into national cabinet with the water minister and North Sydney mayor and worked on water efficiency solutions which contributed to reducing the environmental impact of our cities.Liveability“I introduced liveability into water policy. When you are creating systems, you need to think about how the water solution is not about a security outcome – it’s about a whole of society objective.“Part of the change process of people’s thinking is introducing key ideas into the argument – at first my ideas were hotly contested.Habitat“But I showed they contribute to quality of life. Water is about the environmental experience - about rivers and enjoying that habitat.“Life isn’t a series of disconnected things – everything is connected to everything else and when we don’t consider that, we lose a whole range of things, from insects to birds.Trade off“Every time we create a water plan for the human population, we have to have a trade off. Like, what is the fate of the river versus quality of life and water security?“Nothing comes for free and there are things that are valuable, not in dollar value, but in terms of shaping the lives of us and our children. “When making decisions about policy, I start with the ideal and if I get 10% of the outcome I want, it will be a great achievement.” Urban water cycle solutionsFor the past two decades, Prof Coombes has been Managing Director of Urban Water Cycle Solutions, an independent applied science and policy think tank. “I started this in 1990s, so I could do independent studies - and directly contribute to policy processes,” he said. “I’ve helped reshap policy debate in Australia - like the recent tribunal to change the pricing of water. Citizens were not charged for water - only charged for what they used “I’m planning to work more on community environment and water utilities, looking at what’s best for the whole society and am hoping to collaborate with Rous Water on a new way of thinking about water resources.Southern Cross UniversityProf Coombes is currently the Chair of Engineering in the School of Environment, Science and Engineering at Southern Cross University.In his career, he has been awarded more than $3 million in research funding, the GN Alexander Medal for contributions to the science of hydrology and water resources, and recently the president’s medal for services to engineering by Engineers Australia.He said he enjoys teaching young people so they can make a difference. “This year, I’m teaching reclamation of water to civil engineers for when they work with buildings,” he said.“I want to pass my knowledge onto people so they can make the world better.

Bernie MacDonald has been a teacher at St John's College Woodlawn for more than forty years, having also completed his own high school education as a boarder at the school. On the sporting field, MacDonald played for Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, was a key member of the successful Marist Brothers Rugby League Club during the 1980s and he was a competent First Grade cricketer with Lismore Workers Cricket Club and has played cricket at various levels for more than 50 years. MacDonald also is a director of Lismore Workers (Licensed) Club.Bernie MacDonald was born in Bowraville (which according to State of Origin qualification “that’s in Queensland”). A stellar rugby league career started as an eight year old lad who wanted to emulate his dad Noel, who was himself a handy second rower in the Group 2 competition. Bernie was a tall child and he actually played in the forwards for many years, including front row, where he was a skilful player who possessed great game sense and he would become a prolific goal kicker.Despite attending boarding school at St John's College Woodlawn from 1970 to 1975, MacDonald played rugby league for Macksville when returning home for school holidays. One such trip saw him play in a winning Under 18 Grand Final and in a lead up game, the “toe-poker” goal kicker landed an extraordinary 13 goals from 14 attempts in a personal haul of 41 points. The talented young forward was spotted by a footy scout and a trial was duly arranged with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, which aligned well with MacDonald’s move to Sydney post-graduation from high school to study at the Australian College of Physical Education at Croydon. A trial with the “former Berries” in 1976 saw the country player competing in a Reserve Grade trial with the likes of Mark and Gary Hughes, as well as George Peponis and Peter Mortimer. Tough competition indeed and with a 13 player import rule in place, MacDonald did not make the squad immediately.MacDonald’s efforts were however enough to earn a scholarship from Canterbury-Bankstown, that paid for him to attend College. While playing in the Canterbury Bankstown district competition, MacDonald also played in the 1976 winning Canterbury-Bankstown President’s Cup side that defeated Parramatta at Pratten Park, Ashfield. Few players could earn a living from playing football, with match payments for wins a common reimbursement and MacDonald played for Bankstown Sports in 1976 and 1977, before progressing to play in the Under 23 Canterbury team in 1978. MacDonald played plenty of Reserve Grade and got his first start as a centre in 1979 as well as playing in a Amco Cup match and remembers playing against a young Wayne Pearce who would become a Balmain Tigers Legend and the rising star halfback Peter Sterling in a Grand Final loss against Parramatta. MacDonald was a regular on the bench in 1979 for First Grade as the Ted Glossop coached Bulldogs made it to the Grand Final only to be beaten by St George.Fate would see MacDonald return to this region in 1980, when he secured a teaching position at his former school St John's College Woodlawn. Offers would continue to be received for MacDonald to pursue a league career in Sydney, but choosing the security of a job over the uncertainty and meagre potential income available from a football career meant that the Northern Rivers would become home for Bernie, Cathy and over time, children Kristine, Belinda, Anthony and Alyson. The intended focus in 1980 was to teach at Woodlawn and not play league locally. This was until MacDonald met fellow Woodlawn College teachers, former Deputy Principal Kim Evans and the late Bob Delaney, who at that time were playing for Ballina. If it had not been for the treacherous, windy road between Lismore and Ballina in those years, MacDonald may have been convinced to play for the Seagulls. A curious look at a Marist Brothers game one Sunday afternoon and a subsequent meeting with a few Brothers identities, saw MacDonald lured to Brothers, where he would forge a wonderful local league career.Marist Brothers had previously won a Group One premiership in 1966 and were runners up in 1973, but season 1980 would see the start of a golden period for the Brethren and MacDonald was a key player as he became part of four premiership victories, in 1980-81, 1986 and perhaps the pinnacle of that decade in 1987 when a mighty Marist Brothers side went through undefeated and won the much coveted Clayton Cup, which is awarded to the best rugby league team in Country NSW each season.Between the four grand final victories were grand finals in 1982-85-86 and 1988. MacDonald speaks in glowing terms about respective coaches Greg Jones and Denis Meaney, who guided Brothers into a new era that has seen the club set new benchmarks for local rugby league from that time and beyond into the following decades with Michael Woods from the 90s writing his own impeccable history that was borne from the seeds set back in 1980. Being named Group 1 Player of the Year in 1981, when he broke the Group record for most points scored by one player, is but one of MacDonald's many league highlights.MacDonald scored more than 100 tries during his local career and he was a prodigious goal kicker who would set the ball on a mound of sand before piloting it between the sticks from almost any position in the opposition half. MacDonald was selected in 1981 to play for Group 1 (coached by Greg Fryer) and that season he was picked for the Country train on squad. In 1987. MacDonald was part of the Northern Rivers team (captained by Graeme O’Grady and coached by Greg Fryer) that won the Country Championship. As one would expect, MacDonald also waxes lyrical about a host of players that he has played with and against - Danny Lee, Terry Dardengo, Tony Durheim and Steve Donnelly get a mention from MacDonald, but I sense that the late Gary Sampson was a favourite and much admired team-mate. Described by MacDonald as being mercurial, tough as teak, a smart ball player and just a complete footballer, Sampson sadly passed away this year and is fondly remembered by his mates as being a terrific player and a conversation with MacDonald about Sampson and other team-mates typified the close bond that footy and sport brings.Retirement from league in 1989, as child number four arrived, found MacDonald take up the whistle as a referee for one season and he continues his involvement with league by being part of the NRRRL Judiciary for the past five years. MacDonald was recognised with Life Membership of Group 1 Junior Rugby League in the late 90’s and his casual 15 years as club president of Lismore Workers Cricket Club saw him awarded Life Membership with that organisation in 2009. MacDonald is also a director of the Lismore Workers (Licensed) Club and he continues to get his sporting fix by playing cricket with the “Emerging Greys” where the mention of names like local cricket legends including Roger Boyd and Graham Rose tells me that MacDonald’s competitiveness remains vibrant. Has scored two centuries in his cricket career, one in 1973 and the second 45 years later in 2018.The story of Bernie MacDonald is much more than the focus that I have put here around rugby league, but that is how I have known this local sporting champion. Beyond talking sport, the glint in Bernie’s eye is sharpest when talking about his wife Cathy, his four adult children and his four grandchildren. Noah who is now in Year 7 and and Charlotte who is in Year 8, both at .… you guessed it …. Woodlawn and MacDonald clearly delights in seeing the kids daily! Youngest grandchildren, two-year-old Bailey and three-year-old Hunter, may be too young to get to high school before Bernie clocks up a fifty year association with Woodlawn (six as a student and now 41 as a teacher) but there is no doubt that they will one day revere the extraordinary legacy that their grandfather has made to local rugby league, to Woodlawn and as a person who I suggest that we can herald as a champion of our community.Sport brings us so many stories that inspire and help illustrate how there are many individuals who walk amongst us every day who have and continue to make a positive contribution to our collective identity. Bernie MacDonald is one such person and I say thanks Bernie for sharing your commitment, your skills, your energies and for a story that I believe is worth telling. 

Surviving 37 years in business in a time that has seen a rapidly changing business environment due to the introduction of the internet, cheap imports, a financial crisis, floods and a global pandemic is no mean feat. Yet Alan Magnay (or AJ as he is commonly known) has achieved that number and is still going strong. This is the story of the man that "can make a buck out of anything".Ann and AJ met 5 years ago (their inside ongoing joke) at the ages of 22 and 24 in Feb 1991, the weekend before Valentine's day. Ann was literally the girl next door, when she moved in with a girlfriend that was right next door to where AJ lived in Casino Street. They have two children Lauren and Amber nearly 10 years after his first daughter Krystal by his previous partner and 4 grandsons.AJ and Ann have been partners in life for 29 years now.The Magnay family have a rich heritage around the Northern Rivers with AJ’s Mum and Dad being from Green Pigeon (north of Kyogle) before they moved to Lismore in Ballina Street.“He and his brothers were born in Green Pigeon”, AJ explained, “Pop got a job at the Post Office so in we came.”“My grandfather Bert worked at the Post Office all his life, I can’t remember him having another job.”“And his brother was the Post Master General.”“My parents met at one of the old Hall Dances they had back in those days in Lismore.”‘I was born at the Lismore Base Hospital in 1962. Followed by my two sisters Lynette, she’s the adopted one and Toni”.“It’s a family joke about Lynette being adopted. She is the only one without red hair, it’s a mousy colour.”“Dad ended up as a plumber. He worked for Sidney & Hacking in Keen Street then for another mob where Car-Align is in Woodlark Street. Back in those days plumbing was heavy duty work with ceramic pipes, welding, digging septic tank drains by hand with a pick and shovel. This ended up causing him some pretty severe back problems.”“We grew up in Brewster Street then left a few years later and moved to Wollongbar. Dad was having troubles with his back so we rented a house from Colin King, that man never wore any shoes, toughest feet of anyone I have known, like leather.”School Years“The old primary school was near the water tower, there were two classrooms. One for class 1, 2 and 3 and another for years 4, 5 and 6.”“It was pretty relaxed, you didn’t have to wear shoes if you didn’t want to.”“I had to walk 5k’s to school and 5k’s home every day unless Dad was going into town at the same time. When I got a push bike it made the journey a lot quicker.”“I can remember getting the cane one day, the teachers got sick and tired of hearing me say “nothing sir” when he asked me what I was doing. After the tenth time he lost his patience and I got the can on suspicion.”“The last two years of primary school , we moved to Ballina Primary School. I was at the public high school which was next to the Conniewackers (what the local Catholic school kids called it in the day).”“I was the prime target for bullying in high school, a talkative red haired smart alec but I had cousins at the same school who were state champion boxers. If kids were starting to pick on me the kids were were quickly warned to lay off.”Starting Work“At the age of ten I started doing a paper run in Ballina. Mum and Dad never had much money, Dad was always crook with his back, so if you wanted some money you had to go and earn it.”“I had a morning paper round Monday to Friday and a Sunday round too. You would blow your postie whistle at caravan parks and in the pub and people would come and buy my paper. As with all redheads ‘Blue’ was my nickname from everyone back then.”“In the afternoons I would work at a friend’s fruit market shop packing potatoes and onions.”“At 16 I left school. I wasn’t a good student, was reasonable at maths but average at everything else, I just wasn’t interested. I did like manual arts though.”“My first full time job was at a supermarket. When I turned 17 someone would leave and they would get me to manage the place but this was way too much stress so I packed my bags and went to Sydney. This lasted 3 months as I moved from house to house while working in the Sutherland Shire as a storeman and packer. I didn’t like the big smoke so I came home.”“I went back to packing, this time at night at Woolies then a job came up at a Funeral Directors digging holes and cutting grass for 2 years.”The Turning Point“A man called Jim Hensley owned a few sheds and he had one that needed to be dismantled. I asked a mate of mine I met at Woolies if he was interested to come and help. We paid the guy $500, went in and bowled it over in 4-5 weeks, advertised it in the paper and sold it for three grand. That was the start of my career.”“We’ve always been scrounges I suppose, dad would go to the tip and mum would go where have you been?Me: To the tip.Mum: But you left 3 hours ago. I thought you only had one load to take.Me: Yeah, we do mum but we had 3 loads to bring home.“In those days you could scavenge at the tip and take anything home with you.”“Our next job was a house in Lennox Head where you could keep the materials and what you could salvage and that’s how you made your money. This was 1982 coming into 1983, I was 21.”We did really well out of the building making $500 a week each while at the supermarket we were getting about $80. We were working hard for our money doing the demolition with pointers from my dad and uncle. I had to learn how the structure worked and learned that you had to pull it down backwards.”“I started AJ Magnay in this same building in 1983 (cnr Macaulay and Lake Street, North Lismore).It was me and my ex-partner at the time. I didn’t know anything about business. I had $2000 saved up and was thinking about getting a building. Pop knew a guy who had one so I approached him to rent the building and the back yard for $80 a week.”“It cost me $500 for a caravan chassis, then I would go to some auctions in Brisbane to buy some stock for another $500. I thought his is going along easily until the owner of the building turned up with a lease for me to sign. I never knew anything about signing a lease with 4 weeks up front rent plus another $500 to draw up the lease. All of a sudden I was down to my last hundred bucks.”Back then advertising was very simple. You had one newspaper, one tv station and one radio station. I would just put a few ads in the Northern Star and people would come and see what I had to sell. At the time I could only fill half the shed and just laid it out on the floor.”“People would ask “how much for that?” and I would reply 5 bucks or 2 bucks, they would buy it and it went from there.”“We would go to a few auctions at Weirs Auctioneers, some junk sales or people would talk to builders who would say Magnay will come and clean up your site. We did that for a few years.”“I got to be known as the ‘Dollar Man’ for a while. When I was at the auctions and they couldn’t sell some stock they would combine a few items and still couldn’t sell it so I would go up to them say “I’ll give you a dollar”. So, if they couldn’t sell some stuff then Magnay will take it for a dollar.”“Then I started to go to the auctions and timber yards and the manufacturers to get factory seconds. Back in those days, no one did factory seconds. At the same time a lot of hippies came north and built their own houses with material they’d buy from us. They still come in and get bits from us 30 years later.”‘We started doing more houses and expanded very quickly, basically we exploded within a couple of years.”(Inside AJ Magnay's today)Advertising Has Changed“About this time Peter Butcher was working at the radio station. He came in and said there is a guy who used to work in Sydney doing a special jingle offer for $800 to $900 and said I should do it. The guy came in and wrote down points about toothpicks to railway sleepers and even kitchen sinks. When it came back we loved it straight away and started humping it on radio, every hour for months.”“We had people saying ‘that bloody ad Magnay, that bloody ad’. It was an unbelievable investment, the best I have ever made. I still have that jingle on an old reel to reel.”“Advertising is much more complicated nowadays. You have 3 TV stations now, the introduction of the remote control, recording devices, Pay TV, the internet has given us Netflix and Stan then there’s social media and every other platform. It just goes on and on.”“In the heyday, about the mid 1990’s we had sales up and up every year. Normal retail was having a hard time which is when we would boom because we were selling items at half price then we started selling factory seconds. We were making good money.”Bunnings“The worst time for our business was when Bunnings came to Lismore after it bought BBC Hardware in 2001. Around the same time the government lowered import taxes so the cost of products coming from overseas cost less than we manufactured it for. It levelled the playing field for imports.”“In those days you had 7-8 hardware shops in Lismore now there’s just one, Bunnings although JH Williams, the old Hurfords, sells to tradies up in Goonellabah.”“It is hard for local businesses to compete with the multi-nationals because of their buying power. Who can afford $1 million worth of stock a month? I remember when I could sell a second hand toilet suite for $100, now I can’t even give them away as pot plant holders for a garden.”“There is so much really cheap stuff from China or Vietnam being sold brand new but the quality is crap. People won’t spend $10 on a good quality product, they will buy the cheap brand new product.”“We’ve seen a lot of businesses come and go during the last 37 years. We must be the most stubborn. We feel a responsibility to our workers which is 2-3 people now. In our heyday that was 12 full time people.”“We’re always ducking and weaving trying to figure out what the next big trend will be.”“That’s why we’re having this sale of up 50% off selected items in our back shed because I want to stock more carpets, carpet tiles and vinyls. I can get brand new stuff that is cheaper than the second hand stuff.”“If I think I can make a dollar then I’ll be there.”(AJ Magnay in North Lismore, the same building for 37 years)This has been AJ’s thinking for the last 37 years so why not the next 20?You can find AJ Magnay at the corner of Macaulay and Lake Streets, North Lismore. Support Local, Buy Local.

Janie Herron Conway once got chucked out of a folk club for playing electric dulcimer. She was the support act for Frank Zappa when he toured Australia – and was one of the first women in the Melbourne music scene to play electric guitar.That was in the late 1960’s through to the 1980s, when Melbourne’s vibrant music scene was still growing. These days, you may know her as Dr Janie Herron Conway – the long standing creative writing lecturer from Southern Cross University.Now retired from academia, Janie has immersed herself in recording music again and writing novels. She now has a new novel and album Another Song About Love and will be launching them next Saturday at Lismore’s Music Bizarre.Music rootsWhile Janie is perhaps best known in the Northern Rivers for her work as a creative writing lecturer and course coordinator at Southern Cross University, Janie’s first love has always been music. “In 1967, I started playing in folk clubs,” Janie said. “Many people don’t know I did that.“I was born in Sydney and moved to Melbourne at about six years old and my extended family were all musical. My cousin was a folk singer on who played on Bandstand and inspired me to play guitar. “The first time I plucked a guitar string, I fell in love with it and started pestering my parents for a guitar.“I was taught to play classical guitar by Susan May – the daughter of the creator of Maton guitars. I learned by watching, practicing and memorising pieces and never learned to read the music.“Then I was asked to be in folk groups at school - and I could sing moderately well - so it was a natural progression into the folk world.”TouringWith her ex-husband, Janie started a band called Myriad and was asked to be the support act for Frank Zappa when he toured Australia.“We got the job because Zappa thought the scheduled support act McKenzie Theory Band were too much like him - they were experimental – and we were very different,” Janie said. “I was a hippie and played recorder on songs too – I’ve started playing it again recently.“I never actually met Zappa – I met the rest of the band, but Zappa always came late, then was on stage and left quickly.“I was one of the first women in Australia to play electric guitar in a time when women were singers in bands. I was inspired by Neil Young and Bob Dylan.“We were a popular band, recorded albums and toured and when we split up and Myriad finished, I found myself as a single mum. “I wanted to keep going with the music – I’d seen bands like Skyhooks and Paul Kelly came out of that same music scene.Stiletto“I went out on my own into other bands and then I joined Stiletto. Our first supper shows were sold out and we made a go of it.“At the time, I really wanted to come and live on North Coast, by my child’s father was in Melbourne. Eventually, I moved to Sydney and started other bands and had a hit on the dance club scene – a Grace Jones style song.Sydney“In Sydney, my son and I were living in a small house and I worried if music could support us.“Then my cousin suggested I go to university and I started a Communications degree at the University of Technology in Sydney.“It was great - full of wonderful ideas and I started learning creative writing and theory. There were marvellous people there and great discussion.“That’s when I wrote my original manuscript for my new novel. At the same time, I started a PhD, got a scholarship and then moved to the Far North Coast. Lismore Janie found her way into academia at Southern Cross University - beginning as a casual – and staying for 20 years.“Apart from the enormous hours and pressure, it’s best job in world,” she said. “I was lucky to get tenure when I did.”Retirement When Janie retired from teaching creative writing at SCU a few years ago, she needed a writing project to sink her teeth into.“I had lots of novels in mind,” she said. “I had an experimental work about memory under the bed. I did it for my masters at UTS - and Allen and Unwin were interested as a publisher in the early 1990s.“But when I started my PhD, it took over and I left the manuscript under the bed.“Then I wrote my novel Beneath the Grace of Clouds. It told the story of the 1788 colonisation of Australia from the point of view that it was an invasion.“Another Song about Love stayed under the bed for 15 years.”FictionRetirement inspired Janie to pull out the original manuscript of Another Song about Love.Janie describes it as a fictional memoir of a year in the life of a woman in the early 1980s Melbourne music scene. Janie said it’s based on her own experiences, but it’s definitely a work of fiction.“The main character Lilly Bloom tries to get a band together and juggles her life between being a single mum, her music and non-monogamy – which is what we called polyamoury back then,” Janie laughed.“It’s a juggle for Lilly and a look at coming of age and what makes a performer - the need to communicate and the need to be loved.“The book is a meditation on being a woman in rock n roll – and how difficult it was to get to gigs on time and still be glamorous.Chapter titles and songs“At first, the book chapter titles were well known 1980s songs, but I thought why don’t I use my own songs?“So, while I was rewriting the novel from third to first person, I started recording old songs and writing new songs. I recorded them with my son Tamlin Tregonning, who is a fabulous musician and producer.“The songs don’t retell the stories of the chapters, but the title song tells story of being on the road night after night.“The project took six years – and I brought to life characters based on my experiences. “People wanted me to write the dirt on the Carlton music scene but I’m not going to name names – it’s not an expose. I prefer to explore the inner life.”PandemicJanie said the book and CD Another Song about Love were both all ready for launch at the time the Covid pandemic hit, but Covid put a stop to gigs and launches. With no festivals to take her music to, Janie turned to online distribution platforms and has been on a steep learning curve is bringing her music and words to Spotify, Kindle and her website.Janie said Covid was hard for artists and musicians.“You get despondent, with no opportunity for gigs,” she said. “Gigs give you a focus and make you want to do things better. You can meet and play and have a lovely time, but the gigs make you take it to a different standard.“I can play at home, but I want to get out there."FutureJanie said she still has lots more novels to write and has a band she sings with called Jatika. She’s not giving up on the music and will keep creating until it’s ok to play gigs again.Book and album launchThe launch of Another Song about Love is at Music Bizarre on Magellan Street on Saturday, October 10, at 12pm. Because of Covid number restrictions, only a limited number of people can attend.If you would like to go, email Janie at [email protected] You can buy the book and CD at Book Warehouse on Keen Street, at Music Bizarre or, download it on Spotify, Kindle, or from Janie’s website http://www.janieconwayherron.com

October 22-24 was to be the 135th annual North Coast National Lismore Show at the Lismore Showgrounds. This historic and valuable community show was cancelled in May because of the coronavirus pandemic. Two years ago Will Jackson had a chat with local legend and president of the North Coast National Agricultural and Industrial Society John Gibson. John had just marked 30 years as president so Will wanted to learn more about John and the future of the North Coast National.I first got involved with the show society because I worked for AK Barnes and Son. They displayed and had retail sites at the show and I was involved in that. I was also showing poultry and cattle. I went on the board of the show society in about 1979 and became president when James Gordon, current treasurer Andrew Gordon’s father, stepped down in 1988. The 30 years since has gone very, very quickly.My family are generally from the area. They were dairy farmers, and grew bananas as well. My father left the land for a while and had a mail contract - delivering mail out through Dunoon, Dorroughby, Rosebank those places - and then bought a post office at South Gundarimba before getting back into dairy farming.I started working for AK Barnes and Son, who were builders in Lismore, when I finished school and worked there for 19 years. I got married in 1971 to a pharmacist and in ‘79 we bought a pharmacy in town. We were involved in pharmacy for about 27 years. In the meantime we were running a farm as well, where we lived at South Gundarimba. We started with about 70 acres and we're running on almost 400 acres now, which are all side by side farms, and we also run an angus stud.  I’ve show poultry since I was about seven years old. My father showed poultry, so as kids we just started showing them well. It grew and I've been privileged enough to judge some of the biggest shows in Australia over a long period of time. It gives you a lot of joy. As you get a bit older, you've got grandkids and things change but I still do that.It's interesting, you get people from all walks of life that show poultry. Travelling around and going to various shows you'll have judges, doctors, down to pensioners - no reflection on pensioners - but just ordinary people, workers or farmers. You don't have to have a lot of money and you can still enjoy it as a hobby.Showing poultry is very detail oriented. There's a thing we call the book of standards and you've got to know all the different breeds and their characteristics. They're all a bit different. I showed a lot of white fowls, leghorns and things. The way you can improve something is amazing if you wash them and do them up, and that gives you a lot of satisfaction. So does breeding or producing something and seeing how it has turned out.I guess I’ve got something of a competitive nature because I’ve also shown cattle and that's the same sort of thing. It's about the way you present them and how you look at the breed type and characteristics and all that type of thing.A lot of the people that show animals, these people will have started with breeding chooks and one of the reasons for that is you can see your results very quickly, within six to nine months you can see what you've produced. While if you're breeding cattle it's much longer. Of all the hobbies, it's one of the cheaper ones. In the days gone by it also gave people eggs and meat as well; it was referred to in those days as a poor man’s hobby.I think it’s a good thing for families. It’s good for kids when they're growing up to have some sort of responsibility, going out and feeding the chooks and collecting the eggs.My first year as president of the show society was 1988, which was the year of Expo at Brisbane. There was a heatwave that year and a heap of busses left Lismore and went to the Expo in Brisbane. Well, we couldn't compete against that and it was one of the worst shows we’ve had.The show wasn’t doing very well at the time. We didn't have a lot of commitment from the council or the Northern Star. The mayor, Harold Fredericks, called a meeting at the Workers Club and in ‘89 the Northern Star became our major sponsor and for some time they were the naming rights sponsor of the show. That gave us a bit of confidence because at that stage we felt we were just over there by ourselves and didn't have the support of the town.We also learned a bit from Expo and so we also brought more in more entertainment. We introduced, and not everybody would probably like it, but we still do it today, we brought circuses to the show, a free circus. We brought professional rodeo, which was just starting to get going. And we were able to do all that because some sponsors got behind us and helped us and that kept the crowds coming.Things have been up and down along the way as the economy changes at times and one thing and another. But it's very important to have the support of the community and businesses of Lismore. Without them we haven't got anything.The show has changed a lot over the years. When I came in as president, the dairy industry was still very strong. We might have had 300 or 400 head of cattle in dairy alone. The beef was starting to grow but not as big as that. And so you were assured entries in the dairy and the beef cattle being a good section.Well, as we know the dairy industry has changed so much and we've got nowhere near the dairy we had in 1988 so that section is nowhere near as big. But the beef cattle has continued to grow and now we've got a beef show that's probably recognised as the biggest in NSW outside of Sydney Royal.I think if those who could remember what the showground was like back in 1988, with the improvements we've got there you wouldn't recognise the ground now. A lot of the buildings were in a bad state back then, much worse than they are now. That's not to say we don't need improve them, because they're ageing, but I think one of the achievements over there is that we’ve kept our showground viable in a time when entertainment and things are changing.We have a lot more events there now. Much more than we used to. There's the organic markets, the farmers markets, the 4wd show, the gem show, and at New Year there's the Tropical Fruits which are major events and in amongst that we've got people doing horse shows, poultry shows, there's an auction every about six weeks and the speedway. These days people using showgrounds all over australia for caravans and that's become a pretty busy part of the Lismore Showground as well.Like all organisations you have ups and downs. WIthout support and sponsors and putting on what people want, it can be up and down in one year. I think if I come back or you come back in 10 or 15 years the show won't look like it does today, everything has got to evolve. Just where we're going to be I'm not sure. I don’t know whether we will still have dairy cattle at the show in 15 years time, but there will still be people growing vegetables, and doing pickles and all that type of thing. People will still be showing something.And that's what it's about. When the show started in 1885, the business people would have displayed a horse drawn plow or something, and that's what shows were about in those days. Down the track they were selling milking machines and then new cars and that's still what it's about it's about. It’s about going out there and displaying the best of what we've got in the district, in livestock or one thing or another.How we do that changes. We're working on getting meat displays now. All of us eat food differently, whether we like it or not, to what we did even 10 or 15 years ago. There's much more marinating and that type of thing done today and we've got to display that type of thing. The blueberries that we’re growing around here today, 30 years ago you didn't hardly see any. Macadamia nuts. We've got to promote what's in the region.We've just received a grant to develop a master plan for the whole showground. We can then apply for more development of the ground that might help the city of Lismore. We'd like see the infrastructure upgraded because it is quite old. Another thing we should explore is looking at a new type of pavilion or museum which involves a history not only of the show society but our indigenous people as well. The showground, we're led to believe, is on what was a meeting place for the aboriginal people long before we were here so I think we should honour that as well.I think one of the reasons I've been involved in the show society for so long is because there is something very special for the town in bringing people together from all walks of life. We have so many different people involved in putting the show together. People might just show a chook or a cow, or show vegetables or flowers. It's quite across the board.And it's not only during the show. As a community, we've got to have a meeting place and if you go over there on a Saturday, we get 500 to 1000 every week for the markets. It's not a huge market, but it's a good market. People sit down, have a cup of coffee and talk about what’s happened during the week. I think that's important, that people communicate with one another. There's not enough people sitting down and having a talk with one another these days, rather than fight one another we can actually gain a lot more by having a conversation.You can't go on forever. Within the next few years, I won't be there as president I don't think. Sooner than later, if you know what i mean. I don't know how long it'll be. It will be interesting to see who puts their hand up to take over. It will just be interesting to see what happens. There could be somebody out there that's not involved even. Show societies, from time to time, need new people.

Goonellabah’s Luke Kane has always been a natural electrical genius. Now a qualified pyrotechnician, lighting and sound expert, he works with Lismore Theatre Company – among other things. He’s also rescued over 500 koalas for Friends of the Koala and wants people to understand the plight of koalas in our area. Luke Kane has always loved fireworks – and koalas.As a Lismore boy, growing up on High Street, Luke Kane would see fireworks at the Lismore Show from on high and would listen to his parents talk about “back in the days of cracker night”.“They were long gone when I was born,” Luke lamented. “I did a few illegal things with fireworks and mum said you can’t keep playing with fireworks unless you get a licence - so I did.”A local boy, Luke grew up and went to school in Lismore, before studying lighting and sound production at TAFE. He honed his skills in the entertainment industry, working for companies like Queensland Performing Arts and found he was able to combine skills in pyrotechnics with lighting.Luke setting up at Tropical Fruits in Lismore Showground for NYE.PyrotechnicsNow, as one of only 300 licenced pyrotechnicians in Australia, he is in big demand for shows – but that was before Covid hit. Even Luke’s work at Tropical Fruits New Year’s Eve at the showground has been cancelled this year.In fact, Covid also impacted on Luke’s work in lighting, sound and production with Lismore Theatre Company, which is in hiatus because of restrictions.“Covid is hurting a lot of industries – the entertainment industry is in a lot of trouble,” Luke said.Curious kid“Lighting has always fascinated me from a young age. My father tells me the day he couldn’t answer my questions was when I sat on front steps and asked him how the torch worked.“Thankfully my grandfather was a trained electrician and helped me learn things. Eventually, my parents would bring home gadgets I could pull apart because they got sick of me pulling apart good stuff. “They were hesitant to give me access to hot things like soldering irons, but I started doing Dick Smith kits, building doorbell intercoms and annoying the crap out of my parents.“In year 7 at high school, a design teacher saw my interest and encouraged me to design a skill tester based on something I saw at a carnival.“I even fix my cousin’s toys - usually it’s relatively simple – their parents were not that way inclined.”Present dayNow 32 years old, Luke works for Jackson’s Technical Services as well as Mr Fireworks International. As the head technician at Lismore Theatre Company, he would also supervise work placement students at the theatre.“Recently, I worked for The Memory Bank, a local company - converting old video tape and film to digital,” he said.Old machines“I keep machines older than me running. Earlier this week, I worked on a machine from 1965 - I was born in ’88. It was interesting to work on something almost as old as my parents.“It was an old reel to reel video machine with gears, pulleys, belts and large components – that was before microcontrollers. Now, capacitors and resistors process digital info.”Luke said he has mastered the dying art of soldering by working on older machines.Luke working at the Rochdale Theatre in Goonellabah with Lismore Theatre Company.Lismore Theatre Company“I started working with Lismore Theatre Company (LTC) when they advertised for a tech person,” Luke said.“I started on a show called ‘Wait until dark’. The last two scenes had to be lit only by a radio and a fridge. So, I found a fridge hidden in a shipping container, cleaned it up, put lights in it and found a radio. I made some sugar glass for it and also had a working phone on the stage.“At the time, I didn’t think too much of it - I came from a professional theatre background where anything can be done.“Afterwards, I was told ‘I know how we would do it without you’. These days, we now do more planning about what we will need at the beginning of the season.“Over the years, I’ve made good relationships with different companies and they have given us fixtures that work. LTC had 15 fixtures at first, now we have over 100 because different lights do different jobs.Cage Birds“When we did 'Cage Birds', we used 60,000 LED lights and 14 lighting effects. At first people said ‘why so much work?’ but at the end they said it was amazing and they understood.“Our first show we got reviews about the tech. People said ‘I felt uncomfortable – the lighting made me feel claustrophobic’. That’s what I wanted - I knew I could pull off the effect.“If you can make people feel things through simple lights, colour or effect, that makes me happy.”CovidLuke said Covid is hurting a lot of industries – and had really hurt LTC.“The entertainment industry is in a lot of trouble,” Luke said. “It’s not designed to function under Covid restrictions and are not adaptable to a new normal – venues are designed to pack in people to make them profitable“Some companies have State Government backing, but we don’t. LTC runs on the smell of an oily rag and relies on volunteers.”Luke goes up to rescue a koala.Friends of the Koala“As a kid I loved watching wildlife and in Brisbane I volunteered with the RSPCA answering the phone lines. So, when I came back to live in Lismore, I started doing koala care work with Friends of the Koala (FoK), then answering their hotline.“Now I’ve rescued 100 koalas a year for the last few years. Sometime koala rescues are challenging and need someone who’s not scared of going in up in a bucket lift to rescue a koala from a power pole.Goonellabah rescues“There are more and more koalas needing to be rescued in Goonellabah every year.“We’ve gone from 300 to over 400 a year from when FoK started – it jumps about 25 a year.“I get calls all the time – some days are worse than others. Once I got four calls in 45 minutes and I had run out of people to send. I had to leave the hotline and do it myself.“I’ve had koalas show up at peoples homes clinging onto doors with scared parents and babies inside wondering what to do.“I show up and scratch my head and wonder ‘how did this happen?’ or ‘how did a koala get up a power pole when it’s walked past six trees. It makes no sense.Silly story – koala on my doona“Sometimes you wonder if someone is pulling your leg.“One call at 2am was a bloke who rang and said ‘I’ve got a koala in my campervan’. He said he was driving and saw a koala on the road, so he stopped, walked up to him, but he didn’t move then followed him into his van.“He said he drove home with the koala in the van and the koala was on his doona.“I told him to get out of the van. Koalas might look friendly, but they aren’t. If they feel threatened, they might bite and scratch - and it hursts. I‘ve been bitten and scratched many times.“The koala turned out to be one we knew, who was raised by us - it had a parasitic infection in his blood.Luke as a boy, always had a soft spot for koalas.Weird ways“Koalas act in weird ways when they are not well. If you find them in places that is not in a tree, call us – there’s probably something wrong with it.”Luke said calls to FoK were increasing because encroaching development of housing and roads was impacting on the available habitat for koalas.“When you take away the trees, you affect a lot of animals,” he said. “I’ve pulled so many off fences with dogs barking under them.Dogs“If a dog bites a koala, you have 12 hours to start antibiotics. Dogs communicate with their mouths and if they bite a koala you may not see the punctures – koalas don’t bleed like normal animals –you might not see blood even when there is a puncture.“If you are in doubt, call us. I’d rather go and check it out than not.Grommet the koala – serial offender“Grommet is a wild koala who lives in East Lismore. I’ve rescued him four times in three years. He’s been hit by three cars and the first time I rescued him, he was drinking out of a puddle.“He’s not too sensible and a difficult koala.“Recently, he was sitting on the ground watching kids playing with a ball. I picked him up and every time he bites me and he is vocal and tells us what he thinks. Sure enough, he had injury to his abdomen - an impact trauma so we gave him antibiotics and took him back.“Grommet is an idiot, but he’s cute. I take him back to the wild and tell him please don’t it again.”Luke when he was young, with his sister - and a koala.Koala storiesLuke wanted to make an impact on how people in the community looked at koalas, so he started writing funny stories about the rescues he would do and posted them on Facebook.He said he wanted to connect people back to what was happening in their backyards.“I want to make sure people know what to do if they see a sick or injured koala and do what they can to help FoK.Help FoK“We always need volunteers and donations so we can keep rescuing, housing and feeding koalas – and we always need volunteers who can recue, answer the hotline, do admin and social media hotline.”If you are interested in helping out, or find a sick or injured animal, you can find more information by visiting https://www.friendsofthekoala.org or phoning the FoK 24 hour rescue hotline (02) 6622 1233.

“Water was shared by the animals. Water was shared by everyone. Water didn’t belong to anyone. Everyone was responsible for that water. There was, and there still is, a spirit of the waterhole. Be mindful. No-one can live without water.” R.C. Gordon, Widjabul descendant, in Coopers Creek: A Place of Many Stories.Widjabul Elder Aunty June Gordon remembers collecting fruit and vegetables that washed down the river from the farms above the community she lived on at Cubawee when the 1954 flood swept through Lismore and surrounding areas. She also remembers dancing at a corroboree the year before at the Lismore Showground. The area is the site of an old bora ring and sacred to the local Widjabul/Wy-abal people and Aunty June believes the flood came as a direct result of that corroboree. During the flood, as Lismore went under water and cattle were washed downstream, the Cubawee community moved up the hill to shelter at the nearby Italian farmers’ banana farm.Aunty June told these stories to historians Emma Stone and Marie Matthews while sitting by the river near Ballina Road bridge in Lismore. Coopers Creek: A Place of Many StoriesAunty June’s stories, along with other stories from other local Indigenous Elders, were to become part of the book Coopers Creek: A Place of Many Stories. The book was part of the Reconnecting to Country project and is a collaboration between the Widjabul tribe of the Bundjalung nation, Rous Water and Sustainable Futures Australia.Marie and Emma are part of the book’s publication team who spent three years consulting with local Elders and gathering information about the history of the local area surrounding Coopers Creek, a tributary of the Wilsons River. Dunoon damEmma said the book played an instrumental part in her recent submission to Rous County Council about the proposed new dam for Dunoon.“I quoted some of the book as I talked about the significance of the waterways to our area,” she said.”Oral historiesAs Emma and Marie gathered oral histories and searched through dusty local archives, reports, newspapers and historical texts, they uncovered hidden stories and discovered the history behind local people’s connection to country. Their goal was to re-tell history from the perspective of the local Indigenous community, as well as the white settlers’. By embracing Widjabul stories and the significance of land to Indigenous people, they wanted to create a new picture of local history with hopes for a better future for land and water management.Widjabul stories“History is usually told from a white perspective and it’s important we see the story of this place from an Aboriginal and white point of view,” Marie said. “It’s possible the book could change people’s thinking to be more inclusive, instead of just seeing things from a white Western perspective. It’s about the idea of caring for land as much as trying to get something out of it. “Rather than us looking at our own private land property boundaries, we need to have a sense of how this area fits into the water catchment. Water is the life-blood of the land and we need to look at the whole landscape more. Upstream is just as important and everyone has a responsibility for the creek.”Emma and Marie have been involved in local Landcare restoration projects on the Wilsons River and Upper Coopers Creek including ongoing projects at Rosebank Reserve.Local mysteryWhile they were compiling information for the book they found a reference to a local mystery mentioned in a Village Journal from August 2006. Local bush regenerator Garth Kindred had uncovered a series of three stone walls on a steep slope at Chendana, Rosebank. No-one knew why they had been constructed but one idea was that during WWII the women around Federal made a wall to keep their minds off their men still at war. It was also thought that it could have constructed to keep livestock in, or maybe made by the efforts of people clearing their land selections after WWII. The mystery still remains.Art of researchFor Marie and Emma, learning the art of historical research to put together a book required dedication, persistence and an open mind.“I loved doing research but I didn’t have a clue how to start,” Marie laughed. “I knew Corndale School had archives and I spent days going through their records. It was hard work: there was so much information and you don’t know what you’ll come up with. I photocopied anything about Coopers Creek and pooled information from Village Journals, books and newspapers. I noticed there were gaps in available information: there was very little about the wars, only a little information about raising money.”Cultural protocolsAs well as working with the Coopers Creek catchment water-users group, consisting of farmers, government and local representatives, Marie and Emma spent many months learning the right cultural protocols so they could work with the appropriate Elders and knowledge holders in the Indigenous community.“It was challenging, but so rewarding and inspiring,” Emma said. “It took a long time to get off the ground so we could create a bridge between cultures and collaborate with Aunty June, Aunty Irene and Roy Gordon. “The whole process has helped with communicating with all people on the land now about how to manage the water catchment sustainably. Different lives, common ground“We all have different lives but common ground: the dairy farmers and macadamia farmers blame each other for the silting of the creek. Bush regenerators blame cows and point the finger at farmers. “Our consultative process helped people to relate better to each other and realise it’s not about taking sides but working together to restore the creek banks and river systems.”Two culturesThe book is filled with stories highlighting the differences in how the two cultures, Indigenous and white, lived on and managed the land very differently. While the white settlers portioned off and ‘owned’ the land they found here, the Indigenous tribes have long been its caretakers. Each clan of the Bundjalung Nation is responsible for particular areas of country and there are 111 dreaming or ‘creation’ sites recorded in the Northern Rivers region, many of which are linked by traditional pathways or travel routes. Bad spiritsIn the book, there are stories of people swimming at the Coopers Creek causeway, and Aunty June tells a story about not being able to swim in certain waterholes because of the bad spirits that lived there, as told in local Aboriginal legend. She also recounts a Widjabul water creation story with the moral that everyone should protect the water and keep it clean.SwimmingWilsons River and Coopers Creek were once popular places for swimming for both Aboriginal people and white settlers with catfish and perch up to 28 kilos in weight being found in the river. Due to the poor management practices of white settlers the water became more polluted and fishing became less viable due to habitat degradation and over-harvesting. It is known that the eastern freshwater cod, once found in abundance in the Richmond River system, began to decline from 1926. While the species is now protected the last authenticated capture of a wild cod was in 1971. A number of floodplain restoration projects have been taking place in the local area, including at Boatharbour and Corndale, and there are signs that water quality is improving.Tale of three brothersFrom an Indigenous perspective, the story of the peopling of Wiy-abal country began with the tale of how three brothers left their grandmother behind when they were collecting food at Evans Head. She became so angry that she climbed onto Goanna Headland and made the waves sink their canoes and the brothers came ashore in Ballina. Each brother went on to populate the land in different areas: one went north to Tweed, one came up the Richmond River and one went south to the Clarence River area.White perspectiveFrom a white perspective, it was in 1828, when Captain Henry Rous discovered and named the Richmond River that the occupation of the area by the new white settlers began. In 1842, the first cedar getters and their families sailed up the river to access the region’s ‘red gold’, the cedar which was to be steadily cut out from the Big Scrub, subtropical rainforest which covered the region. Cedar campsCedar camps were set up on the banks of the river and one such camp that accessed Coopers Creek was found at Bald Hill (later renamed Bexhill). It thought that Coopers Creek was named after George Cooper, one of the first cedar cutters. More farmers moved into the area after the John Robertson Land Act of 1861 opened up the Big Scrub land for farming. The dense jungle was cleared and burned and the first crop to be planted was corn, giving birth to the village of Corndale. CattleOnce the new settlers introduced an exotic strain of paspalum grass to the area the dairy industry was able to flourish as food for cattle became more abundant.“With white settlement the Indigenous people became trespassers on their own land,” Marie said. “Life was difficult for the farmers with their English farming practices and animals but the Aboriginal lifestyle was much more comfortable, living on the land. “The Aborigines often worked with the cedar getters to clear the land and the young Aborigines were often found to be better rafter drivers and bullock drivers than the sawyers themselves.”New settlersLife was not easy for the new settlers. The roads were basic and everything was carried by horse or on foot. When wheeled vehicles began to be used more bridges became necessary to help people get over the fast- flowing creeks. BridgesPutting in bridges was quite expensive however and the job would go out to tender. In 1888, Coopers Creek bridge eventually opened near Corndale Hall, making life easier for farmers trying to transport their crops and dairy cream. Railway at BexhillIt wasn’t until 1904 that the Lismore-Tweed railway line opened and the first passenger train stopped at Bexhill. Dairy farmers would take their cream to Bexhill railway station and then on to Byron Bay. In 1913, a butter factory opened at Corndale.“I liked discovering stories of co-operation between the two cultures,” Emma said. “The women and children helped to bridge the divide and learned each other’s languages. The Indigenous women’s midwifery skills were also highly valued.“It wasn’t until the 1960s that white people began to see Aboriginal people as real people, not as lesser beings and part of the country’s flora and fauna. I often felt uncomfortable when reading some of these histories: I felt a strong sense of shame for the inappropriate conduct of the settlers.”Healing wounds“This is a positive journey to heal the environmental and social wounds and it’s an opportunity to understand the past,” Marie added. “The current generation of Elders have a limited knowledge and as they pass on history we need to keep the stories alive, because they can disappear so quickly.”SecretsWhile some of the land we walk on still remains secret, gathering these stories from two cultures will help to keep the past knowledge alive and as caretakers of land, we can hopefully move into the future, having learned from our mistakes and successes.Coopers Creek: A Place of Many Stories is a great resource for research in the home or office and Dunoon Primary School have used it in their Aboriginal Studies classes. The book also holds some amazing photographs of what life was like over 100 years ago, including some of Aboriginal and settler families during the late 1800s.The development of the book was funded by a grant from the Environmental Trust.Buy the bookIf you would like to buy a copy of the book, you can find it at the Dunoon General Store and the Dunoon Post Office, or contact Emma Stone by email [email protected] 

You might know her as Lismore’s candid photographer – with at least two cameras slung around her neck, waiting to shoot the perfect photo. Natalie Borowski (Natsky) has built herself a reputation as an intuitive photographer who can capture special moments as they happen – no posing.But who is the woman behind the camera?She’s an avid motorcycle lover who can tell you all about motorbike parts. She trains for the sport of roller derby and she’s getting pretty good at formal (posed) school photography – something she never could have imagined herself doing a year ago.Natsky. Photo by Rebecca Rushbrook.School photographyEarlier this year, when Covid-19 put a stop to weddings, parties and events – all the things which were the lifeblood of her Photography by Natsky business – Natsky found herself out of work.“I used to fall out pf bed at 8 or 8.30am but now I’m working as a school photographer, I have to get up at 5am so I can photograph school staff before the school day begins,” Natsky said.“There are thousands of schools in NSW and I’ve already travelled from Kingscliff to Coffs Harbour and Burke.“There’s no creativity but I have a regular income now – it’s very strange, I haven’t had that for a long time. Running my own photography business since 2009 means some weeks I would make thousands and other weeks nothing – and you have to budget around that.”“Taking pictures of kids is not easy - I am surprised – it’s opposite to what I’m used to.“These days I’m shooting on a Canon, not a Nikon camera and using an Apple, not a PC computer and I shoot tethered and get kids to pose – I always did candid shots.”Natsky. Photo by Richard Thompsett.Herding cats“Getting kids organised is like herding cats. The bigger schools with 600 kids are easier - they are used to having to be organised to get kids to do it.“Some kids show up with vegemite still on their faces and toothpaste on shirts – and some have no tie and I have to wait till they borrow one from their mate.“We are supposed to get kids through in 6-8 seconds each, and I also have to create a rapport with them to get them to smile.“It’s a challenge.It’s about the smile“It’s all about getting that smile from that kid. I remember at school being traumatised by having my photo taken – and I want to make it fun for the nervous or shy ones and make them not dread it.“Trying to get teens to smile and show their teeth is hard. Some may have braces or bad teeth or lost a front tooth. Sometimes I take time and take a photo of them with and without teeth - and they all prefer it with teeth.Natsky. Photo by Brad Mustow.BeginningsNatsky was born in Sydney and came up to Lismore in 2000 to escape from the city. She’s been a dance instructor, a graphic designer illustrator for a magazine house and worked in the motorcycle industry. She said she masters something and moves on, but photography has been the longest profession she has stayed in.MotorbikesWhile she had to get rid of her motorbike so she could buy a car to drive her camera equipment around, Natsky said she’s always loved motorbikes.“I used to pillion with my boyfriend and loved it – so I got my licence and bought my own bike. “I’ve had three bikes – a Honda, a Ninja, and my dream bike, a Ducati Monster - I loved it.“I love the feeling of freedom and I feel safer on a bike than in a car.“Sometimes I’d ride through the hills and scream my head off if I was stressed, or sing or laugh. People would wonder 'what was that?'“In Sydney I got into sales in the motorbike industry and learned about engines and parts before I came to Lismore.Music“Then in Lismore, I met Nick, my boyfriend - and went to work with him in The Audio Room.“It was fun, I love music – sometimes when an ABBA special was on TV, everyone came in and wanted to hear ABBA all day.“I worked with him for 8 or 9 years before I started taking photos for myself in 2006 when we went to visit his sister in Bali.Cameras and quality “I got a point and shoot camera, but it wasn’t until we went to the Great Ocean Road in 2007 and Nick had an SLR camera, that I got frustrated. I saw the better quality of his photos and I got a proper camera again.“I used to shoot film in my teens and early 20s and had access to a dark room, but when I lost access to the room, I stopped taking photos and life took over.Self-taught photography“Since I was 16, I knew the basics about cameras – like ISO, shutter speed and aperture. I was self-taught and it was always easy, but I didn’t know technical terms that someone with formal training might use.“It’s instinctive - I’m an opportunistic photographer.Opportunistic“I don’t set things up in place and time. I take photos of what I see around and what’s appealing to some people. I look at things differently.“People will often see me in strange positions – lying on the ground or getting up high. I often use things to frame my point of view because I want a different perspective that people might not find themselves.“I want them to be curious and wonder about it – make people think or feel. I want them to spend time with it.Instinctive eye“I have a natural affinity with composing photos - people say I have the eye“I’ve given up trying to quantify it – people seem to like it and wanted to pay me to do it, so in 2009, I started Photography by Natsky.Own business“Within two years, my business was self supporting. I had steady work because I’d been out in the community taking photos and people knew me.“I stated taking photos at a Lismore jazz club night at Maggie Moore’s – I cut my teeth and fell in love with low light photography there.”Roller derbyIn 2012, Natsky discovered Lismore’s roller derby league. – Northern Rivers Roller Derby.Not only did she join the league and start training, but it gave her a chance to practice her love of low light photography at a skating rink, capturing the fast moving sport.“It’s a challenge and a specialty,” Natsky said, “I learned quickly how to pan. Some pro photographers come along and try it and don’t get any decent photos – it’s hard to shoot with no flash and the light sources and colours are mixed and not ideal.“I did get some great shots and was quite pleased with myself, I knew how hard it was.Ninjargh Natsky’s alter-ego name in roller derby was Ninjargh and after eight years, she’s still training every Thursday night at Lismore’s skating rink.“I cracked a rib a year into training when I did something stupid,” she said. “It took a year to heal because I was so impatient I kept playing and it would re-crack."After a Covid hiatus, she said the league is growing again.“When I started training, it was for fitness - I like challenge. Now it’s my zen, my meditation, my stress release. It’s very physically demanding and I’m getting older now and more mindful of my body limitations.”WeddingsNatsky has been asked to photograph a lot of weddings. She said it takes a lot of trust for people to invite her into their special day and capture in in pictures, and she mainly gets people who want her special brand of non-posed picture taking.“I always meet my couple before I do the wedding and make sure we are a match. Lots of people are shy and get me because they hate getting their photos taken and I’m the fly on the wall.“Some couples want direction, but I don’t do that.“I will try and choose different options for them though – they might be seated or walking and just ignoring me - but I will have already warned them if I see beautiful light, I’ll get them to stop or say 'can you head over there?'Magic“I want them to forget about me and concentrate on each other while I shoot with a long lens. That’s when you get the magic photos.“Because it’s not posed, I need to be tuned in, listening and watching to get those moments or I miss them. I anticipate and develop a sixth sense about cute kids doing things or a nervous groomsman doing silly speeches.Natsky. Photo by Nicki Deabel.Significance“I also don’t just give the best 400 pics – every picture tells stories and I don’t know the significance of some photos till afterwards. Maybe someone died not long after. This is their wedding day and I document it.“One time, I was up on a fence shooting down and all I could see is the top of the bride’s head while a couple showed her a crucifix – that photo turned out to be special as the crucifix had an important backstory.“I’m currently editing a 12 hour wedding. It was beautiful - lots of emotion and stories and I’ll have about 1000 photos.Covid weddings“There’s only been a few weddings this year and they were all different.“At a wedding the weekend before we went into lockdown, everybody was buzzing about what’s happening – almost an excitement about the corona thing. 100 people flew in and there was a rumour all the airports were closed and people could not get home.“Then there was a limit of five people at a wedding and a couple streamed it. Her dad drove up from Newcastle, but there were no other guests. In hindsight, it was a good thing because they were shy and didn't want performance pressure.Dream“I have a recurring dream I’m at a wedding, then the bride is walking down the isle and I’m not wearing any cameras and I’m trying to think of a reason to tell them why I missed the shot. I wake up in a hot sweat and I hope it never comes true.Gunslinger equipment“I’m always carrying two cameras like a gunslinger and I wear a belt with spare cards and flashes. It can weigh 10-15 kg and I can be wearing it for 12 hours. That’s my gym session – it’s physically demanding and sometimes I might need to run 50 metres down a beach to get a long shot with a headland behind it.“The day after I’ve shot a wedding, I am knackered.”To find out more about Natsky’s photography, visit her website http://www.natsky.com.au

Now retired, Southern Cross University academic Dr Peter Helman has spent his life studying storms. His research culminated in a PhD from Southern Cross University and shows some startling data about severe storms and climate wobble and shows the relationship between coastal storm events and Lismore floods.When academic Dr Peter Helman lay in bed at night in his beachside home in Suffolk Park 25 years ago, he could feel the house “wobbling” at night on its sand base, as the sea pounded the shores nearby.“When there was a big swell, the coast seemed like jelly,” Dr Helman said. “I thought ‘my house won’t survive a big storm’.”That was when he decided to sell up and move to higher ground. He bought a house on a large lump of bedrock at Broken Head, 300m from the sea, but he’s moved on from that too.“The whole coast is being eroded by rising sea levels,” Dr Helman said. “Headlands will be shaved off and estuaries will fill up. Living on the coast is not sustainable.”He tells me the beach at Broken Head would have once been 20 kilometres inland; that old sand dunes exist in inland Byron Bay and that the sea will again go inland.“You don’t need to have a PhD or believe in climate change to realise that the sea levels are rising,” he said.Severe stormsTwelve years ago, Dr Helman completed a six-year study of severe storms on the east coast of Australia for his PhD in Resource Science and Management at Southern Cross University, and the results should send strong messages to people living along the coastlines of Australia. His research documented 200 years of weather events, their frequencies and their effects on the coastline. Using research gathered from historic maritime records, surveys, journals, photos and scientific data, Dr Helman mapped the historical data from 1770 to 2008 and noticed there was a pattern to the weather cycles, which he refers to as the “wobble”.PhasesHe noticed there were two distinct phases of weather: wet, stormy phases and dry, calm phases – each phase lasting for several decades. At the moment, we are leaving a dry weather phase and moving into a wet, stormy one.“There have been less storms on the east coast in the last 30 years than in the first six months of 1967,” Dr Helman said.Dr Helman said tropical cyclone Dinah hit Surfers Paradise in 1967, and at the time, it was the most severe storm recorded in SE Queensland. Darwin had been wiped out by cyclones and storms in 1897, 1937 and 1974. Closer to home, a tornado devastated Lennox Head earlier this year, and in the past few years, severe hailstorms have been lashing the North Coast of NSW.Lismore floods“The next storm will be a doosey,” Dr Helman said. “Over the last 150 years, storms have dropped houses off dunes in well-known spots… Whenever we get big storm events on the coast, these are exactly the same periods we see floods in Lismore.“In 1954, there was a cyclone that hit Byron Bay. The jetty, fishing boats and beachfront houses were damaged. At the same time, Lismore had an 11km wide major flood with two-metre waves chewing up buildings.”Some of the earliest records of weather events around Byron Bay that Dr Helman found were in the journals of Captain James Cook from 1770.Captain Cook“In the Endeavour, Captain Cook came round the bay in a gale at night, with his compass and sounder,” Dr Helman said. “Joseph Banks wrote he’d seen the strongest winds he’d yet recorded.”Early maritime records also detailed shipwrecks and recorded severe droughts and dry weather. Ships had been noted to run aground in smoke during drought periods. During the 1870 Gold Rush, the beaches were mined for gold and then surveyed. From Seven Mile to Suffolk used to be called the three-mile scrub and it was one of the main travel routes.The current coastline can be compared to these surveys and it shows that the surveyed areas are now in the surf.Changes“I remember when there were trees at broken Head,” Dr Helman said as he described how the beach at Broken Head has changed.“In the 1920s, you could drive out over the sand to the outer rocks. Now there is a surf break there. The wreck off Byron’s main beach used to be on the beach.”At the Broken Head headland, concrete stormwater pipes sticking out of the sand once used to be part of a concrete structure located back in the dunes, but, over the last 40 years, it slowly eroded away.DunesDr Helman has been measured the dunes on the beach for decades and said they have been eroding faster than we might have expected – especially since we’ve been in a dry weather phase and haven’t had many major storms here with the energy required to move the sand around.“I read the coast like few other people,” Dr Helman said. “When I say, ‘the sea is high today’, I don’t mean the tide. It is really high at the moment. The dunes want to be here, but the high sea level is causing erosion on such a scale that many beachfront homes are at risk.”As well as being a scientist and ecologist, 30 years ago Dr Helman used to work as a coastal planner for Byron Shire Council.“We still have the same problems today as 30 years ago,” Dr Helman said. “People still haven’t got the message.”At the time, he believed coastal management plans were not addressing the issue of climate variability, or the “wobble”. He wanted to look at the issue of rising sea levels, storms and climate change in a different way and hoped to come up with some answers and affect changes in coastal planning through his PhD research.Storm surge erodes away the coast.ScienceThe science involved is a complex tapestry of weather conditions and ocean temperatures, including the SOI (Southern Oscillation Index), which is measured by differences in air pressure between Tahiti and Darwin; and the IPO (Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation) a long-term record of changing sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.Dr Helman believes that the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) are still focusing too heavily on the SOI trends without taking into account the long- term oscillation of the climate.“The rising trend of sea level is not an even rise,” Dr Helman said. “It’s a fallacy to say the coast will erode one metre per year when it may have periods of great erosion. At that time, I didn’t know it came in distinct periods.”While he was researching for his PhD, Dr Helman made an important connection by lucky accident. He was working with two graphs: one of sea levels from the 1880s onwards and an IPO graph from the 1850s onwards. He dropped one of the graphs and when he picked it up, it was upside down. He noticed when he held the two together that they matched up; there was an inverse correlation between the two graphs. WobbleThe wobble of sea level over time was inversely related to the wobble of the Pacific sea temperatures. It showed that when the IPO was negative, sea level was higher than trend and the weather was in a wet and stormy period.“The graphs are detrended, which means we take out the rises and just look at the wobble on the graph,” Dr Helman said. “In a dry phase, the wobble is largely positive. There is uncertainty, it doesn’t always relate. For example, there was a period in the 1930s when the SOI and IPO didn’t relate, we should have been in drought, but we had cyclones and coastal erosion.”Dr Helman then decided to put his head together with fellow researcher Jeff Callaghan- who was a senior storm forecaster with the BOM and had been conducting complementary research. They combined their research and published their data ‘Severe storms on the east coast of Australia 1770-2008’.DroughtSince then, Dr Helman has researched storms over the whole of Australia and has conducted a drought study of the Murray Darling basin using the same kind of long-term climate analysis.Dr Helman said there were a number of other researchers in Australia now making correlations between the IPO and other scientific data, including scientists looking at droughts across Australia.“There has been a whole rush to link climate change to the wobble,” Dr Helman said. Climate changes“I think of climate change in terms of sea levels and yes, the climate is definitely changing. We are certain that the temperature is rising; we can measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and fossil records for hundreds of years tell us that. The real crunch is sea level – we have been measuring that for over 100 years and it has risen considerably. When Europeans settled here, it was during a dry period and the sea was low, but now it is rising even faster because of climate change.”Dr Helman said he has concerns about our creation of numerous gas platforms in the Pacific Ocean, particularly with a wet and stormy period coming again with the potential to devastate man-made structures.Dr Helman is currently writing a number of books, including a popular version of his PhD thesis looking at how the beaches on the coast of Australia are changing.“My aim is for surfers to understand that if people build walls on beaches, there won’t be a surf break any more,” Dr Helman said. “I hope surfers will act as a lobby group to argue for natural beaches to protect the surf. It’s already pretty crowded in the surf breaks we have without losing any more of them.”

Ken Bryant and his family have spent their lives on their Corndale dairy farm. It's been a labour of love that has spanned generations - and they are one of the few dairy farming families left operating dairies in the area. He and his mother Kaye talk about the dairying lifestyle and the changes over time.It’s 6am in the milking shed at Cosy Camp Farm and 30 cows are happily munching on feed mix. Dairy farmer Kenneth Bryant detaches vacuum pumps from their udders, while another shower of cow dung from above lands near him.“After milking, we spray their udders with an iodine and oil spray to stop them getting mastitis,” Kenneth said.The fourth generation dairy farmer from Corndale and his family own one of the 90 remaining dairy farms on the North Coast and he’s quick to say that it was because of the support of his family.“Around here, all farms are family farms,” he said. “People can’t get into farming unless it’s passed on as a family business. The entry cost is so capital expensive that unless you have parents who will help you into it and provide vendor finance, there’s no way in.“Dairying is something that really lends itself to families because it means working seven days a week.“Unless you have grown up with it, it seems absurd to get up at 4am.”Ken in the dairy.LifestyleFor over 100 years, the Bryant family has been dairying on the North Coast. Kenneth’s parents Selwin and Kaye Bryant took over running the farm from Selwin’s mother in 1965. Selwin passed away a few years ago, but he and Kaye loved the farming lifestyle. Selwin grew up on a farm and wanted his kids to grow up on a farm too.As a young, married couple running a dairy farm in the 1960s and 70s, Selwin and Kaye would wake up at 3am every morning, make a cup of tea and take their small children to the milking shed.“I’d carry the smallest kids in a basket and put them all near the vacuum pump engine in the shed,” Kaye said. “The vibrations would put them back to sleep so you could get on with the job of milking 70 cows.”With the cows needing to be milked twice a day and with so many jobs on the farm to be done, the husband and wife team rarely made it to bed before 10pm.“When Selwin’s mother ran the farm, she used to say ‘Bryants don’t go on holidays’,” Kaye said.To get through the daily tasks of sorting and drenching cattle, fixing fences, irrigating, ploughing, planting and mixing feed and washing and sewing clothes, the farmers relied on their children to help.“I taught Lynette to cook with waterless saucepans when she was six years old,” Kaye said. “Selwin and I would never have made it without our kids. We are proud all our kids could work.”Kaye and Selwin Bryant.AccidentIn 1985, before Kenneth began share-farming with his parents, Selwin was involved in a farming accident and lost one of his legs.Kaye said he got up early at 2am because he hadn’t milled the feed for the cows the day before. He went down to the shed about 3am and turned the machine on, but he was tired, stepped back and his leg got caught in the universal drive and wrapped around the back of it and threw him out. Kaye said he hobbled, stopped the tractor engine with one leg dangling and called out to Kaye, ‘My leg’s off’.“If he hadn’t been able to turn the tractor off, I wouldn’t have heard him,” Kaye said. “I had just done a first aid course and I thought ‘you are not supposed to tourniquet things – I need a pressure bandage’, but I thought he’s not going to die, I’ll fix him.“When I got to him I knew straight away that his leg was gone, but he wasn’t bleeding because the muscle and flesh had been so shredded it had congealed.”When Selwin got out of hospital, Kaye bought him a quad bike, which gave him mobility on the farm so he could go out and chase cows. Then in 1986, Selwin wore a prosthesis on his leg for the first time when he walked his elder daughter down the aisle to be married.Selwin with his prosthesis.ProsthesisBefore the prosthesis, he was on crutches and his bum in the mud trying to move irrigation lines.“He’s always just got on with it,” Kaye said. “There wasn’t many jobs he couldn’t do. We eventually banned him from milking because he fell over a few times and eventually broke his hip; he doesn’t have a lot of balance.”When Kenneth and his wife Kendall bought the farm from his parents in 2002, they built a bigger milking shed and now, the farm is one of the larger family-owned dairy farms.Industry changesChanges in the dairy industry over the last few decades have seen many dairy farmers in the area leave their farms. In 1960, there were 4,232 commercial dairies operating from Richmond to the Tweed. In 1948, there were 11 dairy farms on Cosy Camp Road alone, where now there are two.“The dairy industry was deregulated about 10 years or so ago,” Kenneth said. “It meant that the milk price became unsustainable, and a lot of farmers got out of the business. Then in 2007, there wasn’t enough milk supply and the price went up substantially. Market forces had driven too many people out so the price went up.“You don’t mind doing it if you are getting paid a decent return. When returns are low and you are working hard, eventually it gets you down and that’s when dairy farmers give it away.”Kenneth said that dairy farms across Australia are becoming larger and more corporate to be able to sustain a viable income, and at the same time the marketing power of the dairy industry is becoming concentrated in fewer companies.SupermarketsMarketing is a concern.“A lot of milk goes through the two big chain supermarkets; they have a huge say in our milk and it keeps the price down. They say it’s supposed to be better for farmers, but it’s detrimental – they make sure they always get their profit margin first.”At the moment, things are looking good for the Bryant family business and Kenneth said he still loves farming.Ken on the farm.Managers“I love the challenge of farming and learning new things every day,” Kenneth said. “There are lots of different facets to the whole system of making milk… we are pasture managers and cow breeders. Every half hour I have to analyse something and make a decision. It’s hard work, but you are your own boss.”With one cow eating about 20kg of food every day, Kenneth uses knowledge gained from studying an Agricultural College degree to continually experiment with better ways to grow food crops and improve the soil.“Farmers are the custodians of the environment,” Kenneth said. “It’s our responsibility to look for more efficient, sustainable farming practices. Here, we use cow dung as a soil fertiliser and have good effluent management practices. We’ve also implemented tree planting programs along creek lines and keep the cattle away from the creek banks.”Kenneth also spends his mornings checking to see which of his cows is ready to breed and then uses an artificial insemination (AI) gun to implant them with quality bull semen.On heat“Cows are on heat for only one day,” Kenneth said. “In the old days, they ran a bull with the herd to do the job, but by AI’ing, we are using better genetics, so we get theoretically better cows. We want the cows to have a calf every year. They give most milk just after they calf.”IrrigationThe Bryant family has always been at the forefront of modern farming advancements. In 1946, Selwin’s father Donald Bryant was the first dairy farmer on the North Coast to irrigate. Then, when bulk milk refrigeration was introduced in 1969, the Bryants quickly decided to embrace the change and bought a refrigerated milk vat to supply fresh milk for bottling to Norco.“Before that, we used to separate the cream into cans and leave them on the side of the road for the truck to pick up and we’d feed the pigs the leftover skim milk,” Kaye said. “Many of the older farmers didn’t want to change and so they went into beef… then the beef price fell and they had to move into town to work.”Despite the hardships of farming, such as the 2am round up of cattle in the rain when the creeks are rising and about to flood the pastures, the farming lifestyle seems to be in the Bryant family’s blood.Long haul“In agriculture you’ve gotta be in it for the long haul,” Kenneth said. “You have your herd to think of so you can’t say ‘I won’t dairy this year’… you have to ride the highs and the lows or get out.”With three children of his own, Kenneth said that he’d be happy if one of his children decided to take over the farm from him.“It’s hard work with long hours, like any small business, but very rewarding.”

There’ some things that just aren’t talked about. When you’ve lived though a war and been in the navy Like Phil Eckford, sometimes, your lips are sealed about the “happenings” that took place, but memories are still strong.Phil, a Goonellabah resident, is now 94 years old and one of the few living veterans who can still clearly remembers what it was like to live through World War 2.He was born in Sydney in 1926, and after a long and colourful life of travel in the Navy, Phil moved to Lismore and started local sub-branches of the RSL especially for Navy veterans – because he saw there wasn’t anything for them.In 1941, Phil Eckford was dead keen to join the Navy but at 15, he was too young. So, with the second world war underway and a strong desire to serve from having been in the sea cadets, he joined the mercantile (merchant) navy first - they took them younger. A few years later, he followed in his father’s military footsteps and finally joined the Navy.Phil as a young navy man. Mecantile Marines“One Saturday, I got dressed in uniform ready to join the navy. I was 15 and I was ready to go but I was too young,” he said.“The fella at the recruiting bay said ‘do you really want to go to sea?’ I said ‘yes’ – so I went round the corner because customs house was calling people for the mecantile marines.“I was at sea a few weeks later. I went away as a deck boy and it was long day at sea.“I was up at 5am to give cook a hand and look after the officer’s cabins. Then I would relieve the helmsman where I learn to steer. In the afternoon, I’d work on deck, then back to the galley to help with supper. At night in the saloon, the officers would teach me about things on ships.”“In the cadets, I was trained as a seahorn. When one of the ships I was on got pulled up by a patrol boat and questioned where we were bound for, I’d answer with the flags – it’s language and a forgotten art, because these days we have radio and communications technology.”Phil on parade while he served on the Sydney.DangerFor Phil, the years he spent in the merchant navy were fraught with danger because the ships were always at sea, full of cargo and vulnerable to attack.“We were loaded up with dangerous cargoes and not able to defend ourselves,” Phil said.“At least in the Navy you could fight back.“In the merchant navy, if your ship was hit and went down, then your pay stopped – that was only if you survived it – a lot never did.“You didn’t belong to anyone until you joined a different ship. When you went home port you had to wait till a ship was there for you.”Phil had a chance to serve on many ships – including the NTS Nelson and Lavender Bay. His favourite was the Sydney.\The Sydney.Seaman’s ticket “At sea, I got my ordinary seaman’s ticket. They asked me did I want to go on deck or below. I chose below,” he said.“It wasn’t easy work - I was a coal firing stoker and often worked coastal areas like the Solomon Islands for a while during the war, moving munitions and food stores.Damage control“If we were in a dangerous situation, if I wasn’t on watch below, my station was at the fire pump at the bottom of the hull of the ship. If it got hit below the waterline, I was to switch the pump on and get out quick. I never had to do it – we were lucky.“A few things happened though - I think it was an exercise. Once, we were supposed to have a submarine under us that wouldn’t come out – and every now and then, we would get a warning an aircraft was coming, but we were already underway.“The merchant navy is a service and an industry but in wartime, there were surface actions between ships and submarines.“Before Japanese submarines came with their torpedoes, we had German ships laying surface mines around the Australian and New Zealand coasts. They were washing up on beaches years later still.The Nimbin goes down“The first ship to hit a mine off Newcastle was the Nimbin - a little steamer.“We were always on the lookout for mines – then, they designed ships to have an inverted Y on the front, so that would hit the mine first and explode. Lots of ships went down.“If people only knew just how close we went to being invaded in the war.War is over“I was in the Solomon islands when the skipper told us the war was over. A lot of the fellas were silent, but we were laughing and joking. Some bloke said what do we do now? There were some larrakins there.“But when we were sailing overnight, we were still blacked out - just in case.“In the war time, the ship’s bridge was covered and we could just see through a slit on the cover where they were steering. It was before sonar and a lot of those ships didn’t even have a radio operator.Plum pudding“A cook on one of the ships used to make a plum pudding. Some days, it was alright, but some days it was like a football and the fellas threw it around a bit. One day, it hit the deck head and broke up and piece of it went down into the engine room and clogged up the ship. A few days layer when the engineering officer put down his hand to clean the filter, pulled out some pudding.“On deck, the cook was there and one fella said if it can clog the ship up, what’s it doing to a man’s guts? You should have seen the look on the cook’s face.Navy and travel“I was 22 or 23 when I joined the Navy. It was a different system, but I knew about discipline and I accepted it because it is just a code. You could be discharged for looking at an officer the wrong way.“I got to travel a lot in the Navy. I’ve been around the world and I went everywhere except Russia.“The Navy was generous with leave, as long as you behaved yourself. I liked visiting England, Japan and Canada best.Coronation“I was in London for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. I was picked to be in the guard there. It was one of my favourite times – very special.“I remember when she was going to be crowned, she drove past and looked straight at me. She was a beautiful women.“As a navy guard, we lead the procession through London, then marched to the palace and took up our positions there. It was an experience.“Eventually, I finished up in Korea, then the Malayan campaign. I was crewing ships like the Sydney, the Avengence, the Melboune, the Platypus, the Penguin and the Woomera.“Korea was the forgotten war – some say there was a ‘truce in 53, others say it finished in ’56. We were still up around there.Married“In 1960, I left the navy. I had a wife at home – that’s what made me come out at the finish - I thought I’ve got a wife and two kids at home. We had three eventually – the eldest was a naval architect.“When we met, I was home on leave one time and saw a girl and thought she not a bad looker. We’d known each other for quite some time.“Now, we’ve been married for 70 years. She’s at Maranoa now being looked after because she had an accident, but she’ll come home again when she’s recovered.Jobs on land“I had a few jobs on land. I’d learned a lot about naval stores and engineering in the Navy.“As a stoker mechanic, I’d mainly worked on boilers – welding, keeping the steam and auxiliary machinery working. Sometimes I’d worked on the flight deck on machinery up there.Lismore TAFE“When the family moved up to Lismore, I got a job at TAFE as a storeman.“I wasn’t a tradesman but had experience in engine rooms.“It’s a funny thing, but when I first started at the TAFE, there was a lathe there and I had a funny feeling about it – I remembered it was off the Sydney (the ship) and the other big one was too.“We had a big workshop on the Sydney – and I found out they had been designated to two tech colleges.“I made a lots of friends there and they never forgot it - I was the ‘Navy’.Some of Phil's medals.Lismore RSLWhen Phil came to Lismore, he was in the Retired Servicemen’s League (RSL) and transferred to the Lismore RSL sub branch. He realised there was nothing here for the ex-navy veterans.So, he formed new sub-branches of the naval association for them in Lismore, Ballina, Mullumbimby and Tweed Heads.Then he started the naval cadets, out of the museum Ballina and became the vice president of ANZAC House.“I had a busy time and I enjoyed every bit of it,” he said.“I was also in Legacy and a JP for 50 years.“I’m a life member of the naval association and have been for 50 years.Medals“I was up for an award, but an officer at ANZAC House pulled officer’s privilege and I didn’t get it. It did hurt, but when Kevin Hogan came to visit this week and gave me the medal to commemorate the end of the Second World war, I was stoked.”Phil has lots of active service medals, including those sent to him for serving in Korea, PNG, and Malaya. He is still going strong and looks forward to many years yet.

There’s a new top dog coming to the Richmond Police District.The Lismore App had a chat with incoming Superintendent Scott Tanner, who starts his new role in the local district tomorrow, taking over from Supt Toby Lindsay. We wanted to find out more about who he is, where he’s been and what direction he wants to take local policing in - especially as we move into a new era of living under Covid restrictions. Superintendent Scott Tanner is a self-professed Bali bogan, who loves rugby league and is ready to take serious action on domestic violence. As he takes over the head police role, he is ready to bring his empathy and people skills to the region and take the district into a new era.“My motto is that I want police to be approachable and for the community to have faith and trust in them – after all, we go to work to look after and protect the community,” Supt Tanner said.“I’ve developed community engagement skills over the years and want to make sure our police force does a good job and are supported in what they do.”Before coming to our local area, he was Superintendent in the New England Police District and has moved around regional over the course of his career, gradually moving up the ranks of the Force.Why join the police?“I was 19 when I joined – before that I did odd jobs and went to university for a while, but it didn’t suit me,” he said. “I was in Port Macquarie and a friend’s dad was a police inspector there. That was my first link with police and I admired and looked up to him and thought it would be a good career, so I joined the police. I was in training on my 20th birthday.”Training“Back then, the emphasis was on physical fitness and teamwork. I’d played football all my life and sport and the police force have a lot in common. I looked forward to the camaraderie that’s a part of police culture – and it’s about having a good time.”Supt Tanner graduated from police training in Newcastle as a Probationary Constable and started doing demonstration patrols in different locations for three months at a time. In1994 he, transferred to Grafton, then moved around NSW, to Nymboida and Manilla near Tamworth, Gunnedah, Coonabarabran, then Dubbo and Armidale.He moved up the ranks from Constable to Sergeant, then Inspector, until he was promoted to Superintendent in the New England region. He said while the aspirational career path moves toward the role of Commander, he’s just focussing on his new role as Superintendent and is looking forward to the job ahead.What does the Superintendent role entail?“I am the commanding officer in charge of all district police and I set the strategic direction of policing crime and engaging with community,” he said.In the Richmond Police District, he has 190 staff – but in his previous role he had 209 and managed three large police stations in Armidale and Moree.“I’m used to big stations,” he said. “To do the job takes empathy and people skills. Communication is the key. You need to be well organised and give people your time.Tough things“As police, we see the best and worst in society. We attend fatal motor vehicle accidents, suicides, murder scenes - heart breaking stuff.”It was not an easy career path sometimes.“I was only 20 years old when I graduated and I had to go to people’s places where domestic incidents had occurred and tell people a lot older than me how to run their lives – that was hard," he said.Scary momentBeing a police officer is not for the faint hearted. Supt Tanner said he had already spent 13 years on the tactical squad, being involved in sieges and high risk incidents.“We were faced with guns and cranky people with knives,” he said. “You rely on your training to get through that stuff – and we have good trainers, role models and mentors.What does it take to be a police officer?“Common sense is a big part of it – so is being part of a team. You need to have a bit of get up and go and be a good communicator and have a crack. It’s the greatest career."Great things He said some of the good things about the job are getting to interact with different people, giving them an opportunity to change their life direction.“In the western region, I’ve been working with Aboriginal communities - running fitness programs, Sydney trips and one on one mentoring with kids,” he said. “It’s important to help break kids out of cycles that lead them into crime and poverty – it helps them get jobs and a better life.“In the Lismore PCYC, the Fit for Life program is an example of this. It’s part of the Rise Up strategy to empower young people to make better life choices.“It’s often as simple as interacting with them in a positive way when attending a job.Positive influence“For example, if I see a kid riding a bike with no helmet, I’ll refer them to the PCYC or buy them a helmet – that’s a positive influence, not a negative interaction.Sport“I’m also a big Newcastle Knights tragic. I love rugby league and I played for the Grafton Ghosts when I was younger.“We played against the Marist Brothers team quite often and I remember they were a strong side back in the day.“I also used to coach the under 16s team and won a premiership with them.”Covid and policing With police playing a big role in policing the Government’s constantly changing Covid-19 regulations, how does Supt Tanner see this role changing in the future?“It’s a difficult balance. If you said 12 months ago you can’t leave home because of a virus, it sounded crazy,” he said.“When Covid initially hit, we engaged with people and explained why we were doing it. We worked with the Aboriginal community on a daily basis to protect them.“While the Government decides the rules and enforcement is a part of it, as Covid goes on, we need people to take personal responsibility.“If I can come to Richmond and not issue one ticket, I’ll consider it a complete success. I know people are doing it tough and losing their jobs, but people are also losing their loved ones.“Police have been given a lead role in protecting community – Serve and protect is our motto and we will make sure we get through this Covid crisis. This lifestyle is the new normal and it’s a bit of an adjustment period for people.What’s his plan for Richmond Police District?“First, I listen to the police already working there and get a sense of what has been working and what can be improved.“We are lucky here, Richmond cops do an outstanding job. It’s not about re-inventing the wheel.”Focus on domestic violenceSupt Tanner said he intends to bring a strong message that domestic and family violence is not okay.“Domestic and family violence incidents were high in the western region,” he said“It’s been something I’ve been involved in for years – the rising number of them means I focus on checking up on those people with restraining orders and engage with the victims to break the cycle.“In New England, if I issued a restraining order, you would expect to be in court - no buts or maybes. I will be strict on protecting those who can’t protect themselves."“We know the time between an arrest and court is the most successful time to change someone’s behaviour. We want to break the cycle of people ending up in jail."“Often, when someone commits a crime, there’s a lag time of up to six weeks before their court time. That’s’ when they should be under scrutiny and can practice self-awareness and make a change."Rural crimeSupt Tanner said he will also be taking a hard line on rural crime.“Rural crime could be everything from stealing firearms, growing drugs or trespassing,” he said. “There is already a great rural crime prevention team at Richmond.”Life and familySupt Tanner is married and has four older children, and one foster daughter.His wife is also a police officer and will be taking up the role of Sergeant in charge of domestic violence incidents at Richmond Police District next week.When it comes to living and working together, Supt Tanner said “at work, I’m the boss and at home she’s the boss.”“She’s passionate and good at her job and I’m lucky to have her,” he said.“We met in the police force when I worked in Tamworth and then we got married.”HolidaysSupt Tanner said he is a Bali bogan who will unfortunately be going through withdrawal from his island paradise this year.“I can’t go to Bali with the family this year because the borders are closed, so overseas holidays are on the backburner,” he said. “We took a caravan holiday earlier this year instead."He is on the road for most of next week, but you will see him around as of August 17 - so say hi if you do.

Eating musk sticks, mint leaves, red frogs, freckles, milk bottles and cobbers have long been part of the culture of growing up for Australian children. While these days most kids buy their lollies in plastic bags from the supermarket, it wasn't so long ago that to get a sugar fix, all they had to do was take a short walk to the local corner shop. Just a few cents was enough to buy a handful of colourful lollies, all on display behind the glass counter in cardboard boxes. Choosing which ones you wanted was often the highlight of the day, as was watching the shopkeeper put them into a paper bag and then deciding which one to eat first. In the 1980s, lollies cost about one cent each, but in the 1950s and 60s, lollies were 12 for a penny.Sadly, these days the local corner shop has all but disappeared, replaced instead by big supermarket chain stores and shopping centres. In Lismore used to be about 70 corner shops, but sadly, most have now closed. Lismore's Corner ShopsDocumenting the history and the demise of these local shops has been taken on by a dedicated history lover, Dorothy Edwards. Dorothy grew up in Lismore and spent the six years compiling stories for a book called Lismore's Corner Shops."These corner shops were a part of daily life," Dorothy said. "They were set up in the front of people's houses and were mainly run by women, bringing in supplementary incomes to their husbands' wages.""I remember when I was a kid, I would go in and buy a hapenny's worth of lollies or a penny ice-cream. We were often sent to the shop for a packet of Sao biscuits and if I lost the shilling to buy them with, I'd get a talking to. I loved musk sticks and was allowed to buy lollies with the tuppence change."Dorothy Edwards.In the era before telephones, Dorothy remembers corner shops as the hubs of the community, where people would leave messages for each other with the shopkeeper. These were days when few people had cars and would walk to the local shop to get any ingredients they had run out of."One shop had a customer who would come in every day at 10 to 12 and buy three slices of devon sausage for lunch," Dorothy said.While some people would buy everything at the corner shops, most of the main shopping was done at the larger stores such as Mewings, McLeans or AG Roberts. Customers would place their weekly or monthly orders, which would then be delivered to their homes.Shop at 12 Second Avenue.Shopkeepers"Going through the histories I collected made me aware that shopkeepers looked after the community and kept an eye on the kids," Dorothy said. "One woman told me she taught them how to be respectful and have manners… and also taught them maths by teaching them how to count pennies."Throughout the 1900s, running a corner shop was a family affair and work days were long, with families often working seven days a week from 7am until 7pm. The women made cakes and pies to sell in the shops and Dorothy remembers being lucky if she got a real ice cream, instead relying on the shopkeeper's home-made square ice-blocks as a staple.Corner of Ballina and Rous Roads.Ice creamFlavours included fruit salad, milk and date, and chocolate and they were served wrapped in a piece of paper for the cost of a penny."People would bring in their empty Lismore cordial bottles to the shops and get sixpence for them," Dorothy said. "Arnott's biscuits came in big tins and were weighed up and sold to customers in paper bags, and broken biscuits were sold at discounted prices. Wholesale ice creams, milk and small goods were all sourced from Norco."Wotherspoon familyWotherspoon familyDorothy's interest in corner shops was in her blood. Her grandfather Andrew Wotherspoon used to own a shop in Zadoc Street, close to Molesworth Street.Her interest was sparked when she found an article in The Northern Star from 1920 that related a story about her father, James Wotherspoon, who was rowing up the river one day and pulled in so he could go into his grandfather's store for a cool drink.Menin'sMenin's, a shop which finally closed down last year (after being re-branded as Foodworks) in Leycester Street, was started by Mrs Gray and was known as a tuck shop for the nearby Catholic school (now Trinity College). In 1937 it was taken over by Mrs Cusack, who looked after it with the help of her daughters while her husband went off to work. Many of these shop owners relied on their children to look after the shop before and after school. In one shop, the eldest boy would put his younger brother to bed and then go into the shop to weigh up flour and potatoes out of sacks, into one pound brown paper bags for the next day. Corner of Keen and James Street.Long hoursFor some of these female shopkeepers, eventually selling their businesses was like "getting out of jail". The long hours with no holidays took their toll on them and their families - many of them were often unable to attend school plays and other events during work hours.One industrious entrepreneur who started a successful Lismore corner shop in the early 1900s was Mrs Tucker."She came out on a boat in 1910 and did mending for sailors who paid her in tinned goods," Dorothy said. "When Mr Tucker couldn't find work, she opened a shop at 25B Keen Street and sold the collected canned goods. They made enough money from the shop to by a block of land on Orion Street and build a house."While few of these shops are still in business today, the presence of these old houses can still be seen in the local landscape. Some of them have been relocated or raised up above flood level and are still in use as residences for local families, and some still have their distinctive shop verandahs stretching over the sidewalk. 135 Union Street, South Lismore.Keen StreetThanks to Dorothy's research, we know that there used to be at least three corner shops on Keen Street, six on Wyrallah Road and four on Terania Street, and the corner shop on High Street closed in 2011. None of them could keep competing with the giant supermarkets."It's a pity this personal, everyday history is being lost," Dorothy said. "Shops are totally different today… in my day, ice blocks were one of the staples for a kid, now it's chips. I'd like to think in 200 years at an antiques roadshow, people will ask 'what's this book?'… it's a record of a long-gone history."

He could have been a champion cricketer, but Les McGuire followed a path from optical technician to being recognised as one of Australia’s best financial advisors. The Lismore born lad who died three times as a young man has gone on to achieve a lot. These days, he is the senior managing partner of Future Proof Financial. He is the only financial adviser in regional NSW to be recognised by Barrons, which has named him in the top 100 financial advisors across Australia.Died and back to lifeHe wasn’t to know it at the time, but in 1999 when a six-tonne truck hit Les McGuire, it was the event that marked his journey to becoming one of Australia’s best financial advisors.Les was 22 when he tried to cross the Bruxner Highway in Goonellabah, near the Hilltop Hotel. That’s when the large truck, travelling at 87 kilometres an hour, hit Les so hard that he was thrown 37 metres onto the road.“It was crazy - I actually died three times,” Les said. “I died at the scene and paramedics brought me back and took me to Lismore Base Hospital where I had a grand mal seizure and died again.“My head injuries were so bad, the rescue helicopter flew me to the Royal Brisbane Hospital. The fact I survived goes to show you that anything can happen. I was in a coma on life support for six weeks before I started to come out of it. The doctors said my brain injuries were so bad, I had no chance of living a normal life.“After the accident, that was when I started wondering how I could help people.”Coma and cricketLes was born at Lismore Base Hospital, grew up on College Road and went to Lismore High school.Despite becoming a financial advisor later in life, he said maths was not his passion. In fact, after his accident, he realised that giving advice and helping people was his passion.“At the time of the accident, I was actually doing optical studies at the University of Technology in Sydney,” Les said.“I was also a great cricket player and on the day I was hit by the truck I had two first grade scouts from Brisbane coming to Lismore to watch me play and offer a chance to play with the Queensland Bulls.“When I was in a coma, they came to see me and brought me a Bulls tshirt saying get well soon.No more sport“After the accident, I was lonely. I went from being state level sportsman to maybe not ever playing sport again.“I had changed from being a young bullet-proof kid to someone who was told I would never work again because of brain injuries.“Now, I’ve been named in the top 100 of Australia’s best financial advisors by Barrons three years in a row. There are about 24,000 advisors in Australia, so it’s a pretty big honour.“For someone the doctors said would never achieve anything and would need assistance and care in life’s journey, that’s pretty amazing.“I really believe the mind is powerful tool. With determination and resilience, anything is possible.”Why financial planning?After Les finished studying to be an optician, he went on to study a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). He had always been able to save money and had an interest in becoming financially independent.“My goal was to get ahead and not have to ask others for money – so I started to invest,” he said.“Money often creates a massive disconnect with people and then creates health related issues like stress, anxiety and depression.“As a financial planner, I help them achieve a better understanding of financial outcomes, which provides better social and lifestyle outcomes.”Les said to be a great financial advisor, it’s not about maths.“It takes extreme emotional intelligence and being able to work with people and their challenges,” he said.“Giving advice takes more than maths and strategy - as a financial planner, I was able to help people navigate through life’s difficulties to achieve better outcomes – emotional and financial.”High achieverHis path to being recognised among Australia’s best financial planners, was a journey of a high achiever who worked in different industries until he found his calling.“After my accident and more study, I was the chief executive of a medical company, then in the motor home industry, where I managed lots of staff,” Les said.“Then I joined Fairfull as a financial advisor in 2008 and I eventually became the owner and rebranded it to Future Proof Financial. Now I have offices in Lismore and Ballina with 13 staff.”In 2010, While he was working at Future Proof Financial, his university offered him an opportunity to study financial planning at a specialist academy, where he topped the course.National stageThese days, the boy who grew up as a country kid now works on a national stage and has clients who are big name sport people, managers of big banks and state department commissioners.Last year, Les was mentioned twice in parliament twice for his commendable contribution toward financial advice in industry.Les said his being named in the Barrons top 100 listing of financial advisors was because of his giving “highly technical and compliant advice”, as well as being personable.“The quality of advice and compliance needs to be exceptional,” he said. “They also look at your philanthropy and charitable work, education and expertise, client outcomes and feedback.”Why see a financial advisor?“Regardless of wealth, everyone has goals they want to achieve,” Les said.“People might want to pay off their home early or pay less tax - no one is the same.“When a client comes to me – everything is about them. We talk about their goals and dreams and come up with a plan.“Life without a plan or goal is just a wish – we need to achieve outcomes.“It’s a misnomer that good financial advisors start with your cash flow. You don’t nee.d lots of money to see one. Some people don’t have a lot of money but love what we do for them“So, we start with what people want, before looking at cash flow. It’s amazing how many people don’t know about things that affect them.First meeting is free“The first meeting with me or one of my financial advisors is always free. We meet and discuss where people are sitting financially. If they won’t benefit from the advice we will say they, if we can, we will put them in a better position.“The second meeting is fact finding – and we do a risk profile and get an idea of who you are.“We do detailed research about your current super investments, insurance policies and put together a strategy and then we implement them for you.“Even with Covid and superannuation investments and low interest rates, there are always opportunities.“With the right strategy and careful positioning in these uncertain times, investments can still be good in the low term.“Some people put money in bank, but is it safe? Interest rates in banks are low right now, but it’s also taxed.”So how much will you pay a financial planner?Les said it depends on how much money you have – but between $2000-3000 is an average.“Some financial advisors charge a lot of money just for a statement of advice," he said. "We are more simple and fees can be paid through superannuation and investments.“If you gave us a call, it’s a risk free opportunity – you can sit down and chat and decide if it’s worthwhile.“Someone who is working and paying rent may not be able to how to dig themselves out of a hole of paying rent and tax. They might want to plan for holidays, buy a new car or retire.“There are so many ways advice can be provided. Structuring cash flow into a better tax environment than savings and get where you want to be in ten years.Superannuation and Covid“Superannuation is a powerful tax tool with right advice. It is the retirement vehicle for many people and some people think the government will get hands on it, but that’s not possible, it’s your asset.“Some people are tapping into their superannuation through Covid. In some cases, it’s important for people, but lots are tapping into it for the wrong reasons and the impact later is massive.“With an ageing population, there is no guarantee we will have an aged pension in the future, so how do we become self sufficient?“We need to plan for tomorrow because it may not be as rosy as we want it to be.”To find out more about Future Proof Financial, visit https://www.amp.com.au/ampadvice/futureprooffinancial/contact-us