Plus a muster cat and snake stories. Welcome to Galah Weekly, our award-winning newsletter keeping you up to date with regional headlines that matter, plus other delightful things from life beyond the city. By Dean Southwell, who is having snake nightmares again.
The future of regional airline Regional Express – better known as Rex – is likely to be dependent on a US company that until now has specialised in air cargo and aircraft spare parts.
Rex administrators have announced that Minneapolis-based Air T has signed a sale agreement expected to be put to creditors in the next few weeks. Air T says it expects the deal to be completed by the end of the year if approved and would see sustainable growth of Rex’s regional business.
Rex was placed in voluntary administration in July last year, creating uncertainty for regional travellers. The federal government has been underwriting its operations while it seeks a buyer.
Meanwhile the financial fallout from the collapse of another regional airline continues. The FBI has accused two of the key figures behind the company that bankrolled the failed airline Bonza of stealing more than $US500 million from investors and customers. Equity firm 777 Partners faced several legal cases last year as creditors moved in and Bonza collapsed.
The Victorian Auditor-General has highlighted flaws in the state government’s response to the 2022 floods, including unnecessary red tape that caused delays in accessing relief funds.
The report also questioned whether flood relief was sent fast enough to affected residents in towns such as Shepparton, Echuca and Rochester. Although almost $1 billion in state relief funding had been announced within a fortnight of the floods, it took up to six weeks for some basic relief such as food and waste disposal to be made available.
It said assessors had delayed the release of money for regional councils by requesting more information even though the councils had largely met submission guidelines.
A Victorian art gallery has opened a surprise exhibition to honour the art of a man who has been giving impromptu piano recitals for the past few years.
Hamish Elsmann lives with autism and schizoaffective disorder. Each week his father Johan brings him to Hamilton from their home 30km away in Merino. There Hamish plays the Hamilton Gallery’s grand piano before doing some sketches at the adjacent library.
After each visit he leaves a finished drawing for gallery staff, who have quietly collected more than 250 of them.
Hello Hamish, an exhibition that runs into next month, is the result.
Imagine capturing the sweet scent of hay and the joy of gardening in a fragrance. Perfumer Katrina Cochrane, founder of Archer Farrar Perfume Atelier, has cracked the code, creating a perfume that smells like hay and jonquils and damp earth.
It was inspired by a trip by the Sydney-based perfumer to Mona Farm in Braidwood, NSW, and like all the other scents Cochrane makes, it contains only botanicals: essential oils, absolutes and resins.
Galah’s editor-in-chief Annabelle Hickson is charmed by the result, so we’re going to give away a sample box of eight tiny bottles filled with the scents that Cochrane has used to create Mona Farm in her living-room atelier.
Follow @archerfarrarperfume on Instagram and we’ll randomly pick a winner from her new followers in one week. (Australia only.)
Leo Sayer, an international music star in the 1970s and now living in the NSW Southern Highlands, is leading opposition to plans to turn Berrima’s historic former prison into an entertainment precinct.
Blue Sox Developments wants to spend $55 million reshaping the heritage-listed Berrima Gaol, built in 1839, into a precinct that includes a hotel, restaurant and function centre.
British-born Sayer, who topped the charts with songs including You Make Me Feel Like Dancing before moving to Australia 20 years ago, is among locals who say the development would destroy the “sleepy” character of Berrima. Sayers has said the gaol should instead be transformed into a museum.
It’s not just wine lovers who are spoilt for choice in the Hunter Valley’s rural haven of Pokolbin. The SMH Good Food Awards has confirmed it as a hot spot for fine dining.
EXP. Restaurant in Pokolbin celebrated its 10th anniversary by being named Regional Restaurant of the Year at the awards last week.
It was one of six NSW regional and ACT restaurants awarded two hats in the awards. Muse, also at Pokolbin, was one of them. The others were Bistro Livi (Murwillumbah), Pilot (ACT), Pipit (Pottsville) and Raes Dining Room (Byron Bay).
Sharon Winsor, founder of Mudgee-based Indigiearth, received the Bill Granger Trailblazer Award for her work promoting Indigenous culture and cuisine.
A well-meaning wildlife rescuer forced the temporary evacuation of a northern NSW sanctuary last week when she turned up with a highly venomous sea snake found stranded on a beach.
In a case reminiscent of incidents of snakes being brought to hospital with their snakebite victims (readers: don't even think of it), the Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary said the woman had turned up at the front counter with the snake, which she had found on a Woolgoolga beach. Sea snakes are among the most venomous of all snakes.
Meanwhile, Narooma man Tanny Parsons survived the surprise appearance of a tiger snake sliding across his bare feet while he was a passenger in a friend’s car. Snake catchers were called to find and relocate the snake, dismantling sections of the car in the process.
Ever wondered what it takes to cast sculptures in bronze?
In Galah magazine’s Issue 13, we quiz sculptor Harrie Fasher, who works from a cavernous heritage-listed warehouse in Portland, about 50km east of Bathurst. She describes the “amazing alchemy” of works that go from “solid to a void to molten fire and back to solid again”.
Don’t miss this story and many others in Issue 13, which ships from 3 November.
Also see Fasher’s work in a solo exhibition opening at Orange Regional Gallery on 28 November.
An exhibition of more than 300 works drawn largely from the Bundanon collection but with key loans from national collections and the Boyd family will showcase the creative work of five generations of women from one of Australia’s most prominent artistic dynasties. At Bundanon, Ilaroo, NSW, 22 November-15 February. Read more
Inspired by the work of Claude Monet, this is an exhibition of abstracts made exclusively as a site-specific creative project by Sydney artist Anna Johnson. At New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale, NSW until 9 November. Read more
Galah readers don’t need an introduction to journalist Edwina Bartholomew and her husband, We Bought A Hotel columnist Neil Varcoe. Bartholomew is behind the Mudgee Artist in Residence program, which will welcome 14 artists to interpret the region’s landscapes ahead of an exhibition opening at Rosby Gallery on 6 November. Blue Wren Farm will host an artist lunch on 7 November. Mudgee, NSW, 6-24 November. Read more
Before the Mudgee events, Bartholomew and Varcoe’s home community will host the 11th running of the Carcoar Marathon. Events include the marathon, shorter events and the Carcoar Cup for Kids. At Carcoar, NSW, 1-2 November. Read more
Beck Smith is one of many property owners who has faced the losses and the monumental mess left by devastating floods across western Qld earlier this year. The single mother runs a 52,000ha cattle station near Stonehenge, a town about 160km south-west of Longreach.
She’s passionate about all things in the bush, especially her working dogs – one of them is leading a national competition. Yet in a particularly tough year dealing with flood recovery, it’s a cat named Mango that has become her constant companion. Mango has become an outback star of videos on Smith’s Facebook page, Mulga Madness, helping raise awareness of the challenges and sparking joy along the way.
Tell us about Mango. I brought him home last year as an eight-week-old kitten, the runt of his litter. About two weeks later my border collie bitch whelped, so Mango grew up with five border collie pups. I tried to train Mango alongside the pups but failed, although he loves being a part of the dogs’ daily life. He happily rides in the back of the car with the dogs as well as riding on a two-wheeler bike and in the buggy and being in the cattle yards when the dogs are working.
What prompted you to create Mulga Madness? I was sending a video message to a mate who was behind the Pay 4 A Panel initiative to help flood-affected graziers. I was on my two-wheeler and had Mango on with me. My mate replied, “Beck, is that a cat on the bike with you?” So from there we thought Mango might be a bit of a mascot when we told our story of flood devastation. It’s taken off from there.
Do you think Mango’s stories have helped others? I think possibly, because he has shone a light on our stories of the floods out here. With that brings much-needed help, especially for those who usually don't put their hand up.
Why has Mango become so important? I'm big on speaking about mental health – it's a part of my own healing journey. Having Mango as my mulga mascot takes the sharpness off the hard-hitting realities out here when I'm telling my story. I say all this, but I'm well aware I’m far more blessed than many others. My motto is glass half full, always.
Tell us about the Cobber Challenge? Your dog wears a GPS collar to track the distance covered, speed and hours worked over 21 days. The competition attracts up to 60 nominations Australia wide, with only 12 selected. Duke and I are the ring-ins in this year's competition but we’ve just moved into the lead. Everyone else has a far more refined style, but Duke has a big heart and he works so hard day in and day out. He will always be a winner in my eyes.
Agrifutures Australia marks 25 years of celebrating women making a difference at its 2025 Rural Women’s Award in Canberra next week.
The award aims to recognise and foster women in rural leadership. Galah Weekly featured last year’s award winner – business facilitator Tanya Egerton – in an In The Flock profile and she will MC the 2025 award dinner on 28 October.
The state winners in the running for the national award are Nicole McNaughton (Qld), Carol Mudford (NSW/ACT), Mary Cole (Vic), Sarah de Jonge (Tas), Kelly Johnson (SA), Kristy Hollis (WA) and Isabella Thrupp (NT).
We’d love to hear about the news, events and people that should be making the headlines in the Galah Weekly newsletter. Share what’s new(s) in your neck of the woods with us at newsie@galahpress.com
