_Gloucester District Archives - Gloucester District News Of The Area

Margery Phair’s lifetime of community service

Margery Phair volunteering as a Guide leader. Simeon Beckett SC, Governor-General Sam Mostyn, Margery’s granddaughter Alison Phair and Margery in Canberra. MARGERY Phair has lived a life dedicated to community service. Born in 1936, she turns 90 on 23 April. Since the age of eleven Margery has enjoyed a long association with the Guiding movement […]

Local News

EXPLAINER: Comet returns after roughly 170,000 years

A VISITOR from the deep past is about to grace Australian skies. For those willing to rise before dawn, it offers something close to time travel. The long-period comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) – last seen when humans were shaping stone tools and learning to master fire – has returned after an absence of roughly 170,000 […]

Community

Second charity bookshop break-in in 18 months

WHEN Ronda Teece and her team turned up on 26 March to open up the Gloucester Charities bookshop, they were greeted with a shock. The store had suffered significant vandalism, with two doors, drawers, cupboards and a filing cabinet badly damaged. A laptop was stolen, as were cash and gift cards intended for distribution to […]

Regional

Trains returning but no firm timeline on Regional Rail fleet

WHILE trains between Sydney and Grafton resume next week, a date has yet to be set for the introduction of the long-awaited XPT replacement fleet. “A timeline for the new Regional Rail fleet’s entry into service on the North Coast line will be confirmed once the trains have progressed through testing and the relevant verifications […]

Community, Government, Health

Free fire safety visit could be the difference between life and death

LOCAL Ray Fitzgerald, who has been a firefighter with Gloucester Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) for 14 years, knows better than most the importance of smoke alarms in saving lives. Ray strongly supports the current campaign by FRNSW to encourage Gloucester residents to book a fire safety visit. FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell has indicated that […]

Local News

Clubs raise $70k for farmers

THIRTEEN regional clubs have collectively raised more than $70,000 to support farmers impacted by the devastating floods of May last year. Member for Port Macquarie Robert Dwyer said the fundraising effort brought together clubs from across the region with the support of Clubs NSW. “[It] highlighted the strong community spirit and commitment to supporting those […]

Local News

Buckett’s Radio recording Gloucester’s past

BUCKETTS Radio is Gloucester’s local radio station, broadcasting a rich mix of music and community content produced entirely by its dedicated volunteer announcers. According to Tim Carroll, one of the hosts of “The Old Mates Radio Show”, the station is “jumping with some exceptional input from the dedicated group of volunteers”. One such project, “Stories […]

Regional

Progress in Scotch Broom battle, but Barrington Tops weed fight far from over

The Scotch Broom infestation near Polblue in 2023, which has now been cleared. A large area recently cleared of Scotch Broom by the mechanical muncher. LIKE many other plant and animal pests, Scotch Broom was brought to Australia by the early European settlers. Apparently, it was imported here in the early 1800s by Governor King […]

Regional

Liberals’ migration plan ‘strange’, from ‘another time’

THE coalition’s hardline migration plan has been lashed as divisive and Australia’s multicultural communities say they are tired of being dehumanised by all sides of politics. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has unveiled a plan to boot migrants from the nation if they do not exhibit “Australian values”, shut the door on some asylum seekers and […]

Government

Sydney to Grafton XPT service to resume this month

The XPT trains have been painted to reflect their history. The XPT trains have been painted to reflect their history. THE Sydney to Grafton XPT train service is set to return from 28 April, after a year of coach replacements during fleet upgrades. Sydney to Grafton train services – travelling through the Central Coast, Hunter […]