Adele Compton with the champion photograph by Julie Samerski.
ALMOST 2,000 entries and exhibitions were on show at this year’s local Gloucester Show, which ran from 21-22 March. Over 1,000 entries were entered across the pavilion halls, ranging from flowers, farm and garden produce, handicrafts and the arts. The photography section received record entries this year, said steward Adele Compton. “The judge was very […]
Steve Parkin with his Alice in Wonderland-themed falcon for the Mystery Box Rally
GLOUCESTER’S Steve Parkin is on a mission to raise over $20,000 with his Alice in Wonderland-themed Ford Falcon in this year’s Mystery Box Rally. The event, a five-day return trip from Broken Hill on a mystery route, combines adventure and fun with raising critical funds for the Cancer Council. Over 300 people are expected to […]
The damaged softfall will be replaced at Billabong Park.
THE Gloucester community will soon see the restoration of the Billabong Park playground, with work beginning on 24 March to replace the damaged softfall, a key feature of the playground, which was affected by the 2021 floods. The replacement of the softfall is funded under the Community Local Infrastructure Recovery Package (CLIRP), as part of […]
Gloucester School of Arts.
WHEN driving through country towns across Australia, you often encounter buildings with “School of Arts” inscribed on their façades. Historian Joan Beddoe notes that the first Australian School of Arts was established in Sydney in 1833. It provided library facilities and hosted activities such as lectures, debates, and essay writing, as long as the topics […]
The Royal Hotel, Dungog.
THE most popular names for NSW pubs have been revealed, with Royal Hotel taking the top spot as the most common watering hole in 2025. The latest data from Liquor & Gaming NSW shows that 73 out of the state’s 2,112 licensed hotels share this prestigious name, reflecting its iconic status in Aussie pub […]
The NBN is finally expected to realise its original mission. Photo: James Ross/AAP PHOTOS.
TEN years after the National Broadband Network was declared “fully operational,” industry experts expect the project to finally realise its original mission: high-speed internet connections for almost everyone. The accomplishment is expected in 2030 after the announcement of a $3.8 billion investment to strip more ageing copper connections from the network, replacing them with […]
Residents reported being flooded in at Waukivory. Photo: Sasha Fenton, FB.
A LOW-PRESSURE system off the northern NSW coast caused widespread rainfall and strong winds across the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions last week. Flood warnings for the Gloucester area began on Wednesday, 15 January, with predictions of dangerous flooding on the Manning and Gloucester rivers. By 5:30am Saturday, 18 January the Gloucester River at […]
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and damaging.
WILDFIRES in Los Angeles, heavy snow in other parts of the US, floods in Saudi Arabia and heatwaves across Australia have all confirmed the fears of climate scientists. The Climate Council, an independent organisation formed after the Abbott Government abolished the Climate Commission in 2013, says scientists have confirmed 2024 was the world’s hottest since […]
For those with solar panels who can afford it, adding a battery could beat the "sun tax". Photo: Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS.
FOR those who can afford it, adding a battery could beat the “sun tax” that will further deplete the once-generous rate of return for rooftop solar pioneers. A third of Australia’s households have rooftop solar and almost three quarters of the output has historically been exported into the electricity grid. But a new tax, […]
