Plus flash floods, bush fires and cyclonic wind. Welcome to Galah Weekly, our newsy newsletter keeping you up to date with regional headlines that matter, plus other delightful things from life beyond the city. By Anna Rogan, who is windblown after a week of wild weather.
Australia’s spring season kicked off this week with bushfires, storms and cyclonic winds across south-eastern Australia. Plus thunderstorms and hail in WA.
Hundreds of homes were damaged by cyclonic winds in Tasmania, and 20 flood alerts were issued in rural towns as the River Derwent rose to record levels. In Victoria, emergency services responded to more than 4000 calls for help; one woman was killed by a falling tree while holidaying in Moama. Meanwhile, further north, firefighters battled bushfires in the Hunter Valley, NSW, and the Scenic Rim, Qld.
The wild start to September comes after Australia’s hottest August on record, thanks to “a giant mass of extreme heat” stretching 3700km from Qld to WA.
What’s next? The Bureau of Meteorology’s official spring outlook is a mixed bag, and it says the long-range forecast is even less clear than usual. The odds favour above-average temperatures for most of Australia, above-average rainfall for eastern states, and drier-than-average conditions for WA this spring.
For 23 years, the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award has celebrated the innovation and leadership of women in rural industries, businesses and communities. State award winners receive a $15,000 Westpac grant to develop their project, business or program and gain access to the alumni program and community.
Women with a project, business or program having a positive impact on rural and emerging industries, businesses and communities are encouraged to apply. Applications for the 2025 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award are open now until 9 October.
American investors are snapping up Australian farmland, with two major property aggregates in NSW and Qld acquired recently by US-based companies for a total of $1.1 billion.
Alkira Farms, the agricultural investment arm of the Utah-based Mormon Church, has acquired the 26,000-hectare Worral Creek aggregation in southern Qld for more than $300 million. This expands Alkira Farms’ current $3 billion agricultural portfolio, which includes 300,000 hectares of farmland in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Florida.
“Australian agriculture continues to be an attractive proposition for both domestic and global investors, providing genuine portfolio differentiation in a region that has a strong reputation globally,” said agricultural executive Adrian Goonan, on behalf of Alkira.
Meanwhile, 222,000 hectares of farmland at Hay, Deniliquin and Coonamble in the NSW Riverina region have been sold to NASDAQ-listed Agriculture & Natural Solutions Acquisition Corporation for a reported $780 million.
Bathurst residents have rallied to support the only Vietnamese restaurant in town as the family behind it face deportation. An online petition calling for the Nguyên family to stay in Australia has attracted more than 20,000 signatures. And Bathurst MPs and traditional owners have written formal letters of support appealing to Immigration Minister Tony Burke on behalf of the Nguyêns.
The Nguyêns moved to Australia in 2015 on a temporary skilled work 457 visa. In March 2019 they discovered they were at risk of deportation after their employer-sponsor allegedly breached immigration regulations that were unrelated to their case. The Nguyêns’ experience is not an isolated one, and immigration expert Associate Professor Chris Wright says the case is a reflection of a “badly designed visa” that unfairly penalises immigrants for the actions of their employers.
From pho in Bathurst to “Toowoomba pasta” in South Korea. The popularity of a seafood and mushroom pasta dish called Toowoomba Pasta is on the rise in South Korea. It was introduced by the Australian-themed US diner chain Outback Steakhouse, and while the dish is no longer on its menus, Toowoomba Pasta is now widely available at Korean pasta restaurants and convenience stores. Australia Korea Foundation board member Peter Lee admits that Australia "does not often figure into the Korean imagination", but experts contend that the dish’s popularity could be a sign that Korean consumers are hankering for Australian fare.
The release of a new tree that produces giant one-kilogram avocados is set to sell out, and retail nurseries in Qld are keen to get their hands on more of the plants. Retired citrus farmer Lorna Spackman, 81, developed the gargantuan fruit, which she describes as attractive, slow-to-brown and delicious.
You’re intelligent and educated. You’re interested in creativity, in other people’s lives, and success stories. You’re community-minded and clear about your values. You enjoy connecting with people and entertaining family and friends. You worry about climate change, health and work-life balance.
You’re creative and curious. You seek out new experiences, visit museums and galleries, travel to new places and spend time outdoors. You’re discerning. You enjoy stories about regional Australia that go beyond the stereotypes. You prefer to buy Australian-made high-quality brands. You love to read.
More than 1,200 Galah readers responded to our annual survey, and the data confirms what we already knew: our readers are a special bunch. You also love Galah.
We work hard to bring you stories that matter, that you can trust and that you love. The survey says we’re doing a decent job. Half of you spend more than two hours reading each issue of Galah magazine. 99% of you trust the stories we publish. Half of you have given Galah as a gift and most of you would recommend us to a friend.
Thank you.
As thanks for completing the survey, all respondents went into the draw to win one of our lucky door prizes. Congratulations to Lilian Topic, who won the Galah mega gift pack; Carol Anderson, who won a complete set of Galah magazine issues 01-10; and Judith Stewart, Pauline Downing, Larissa Moore and Louise Walker, who all won a copy of Galah contributor Belinda Jeffery’s wonderful cookbook, In Belinda’s Kitchen.
Your feedback helps us decide which stories to tell and how to make Galah even better. It also helps us develop the business side of Galah, and the team is already putting the data from our most recent survey to good use.
Katie has been reaching out to libraries, art galleries, bookstores and retailers on her mission to add to our growing list of stockists. If you have a shelf that’s bereft of Galah, Katie can fix that for you. Meanwhile, Annabelle and Lyndsie have been busy preparing to pitch Galah to advertisers.
If you’re curious about the business side of things, how we work with retailers and advertisers, and what’s next for Galah, read Annabelle’s thoughts here: Coming in hot, and here: So how much does Galah cost to make?
Galah’s Victorian book tour is coming up. Catch editor-in-chief Annabelle Hickson at one of these events in October:
The name may suggest excess, but the Bundarra Hogfest weekend is about celebrating sustainable food systems, thriving communities and the slow food movement. And good food and wine, bright ideas and live music. At Barham, NSW, on 20-21 September. Read more.
Margaret Olley’s incredible career, enormous capacity for friendship, and dedication to the art world have made her one of Australia’s best loved artists. This exhibition spans Olley’s career from 1938, when she was just 15, to her death in 2011. At Cairns Art Gallery, 7 September-8 December. Read more.
Held every three years at HOTA Gallery, the Gold Coast Triennial is a thought-provoking and irreverent exhibition that explores the depth and dynamism of the Gold Coast’s creative community. The Here and Now triennial includes works by 43 artists displayed across seven interconnected and immersive spaces at Home of the Arts, Gold Coast, 28 September 2024-16 February 2025. Read more.
The national winner of the 2024 AgriFuture’s Rural Women’s Award, Tanya Egerton, lives and works in the remote Aboriginal community of Ntaria, 125km south-west of Alice Springs. As founder and CEO of Circulanation and the Remote Opshop Project, Egerton works with First Nations communities to create Indigenous enterprises that support economic participation and self-determination.
What do you love about working in remote communities?
I've spent a significant amount of time in the Roper River region in South East Arnhem Land, a place close to my heart. My favourite time of year is right after the wet season passes. The rivers are teeming with barramundi and the waterfalls come to life; it's the perfect time for fishing, swimming, and camping.
How did the Remote OpShop project start?
I was working as a business facilitator in Katherine when a group of women from the remote Aboriginal community of Jilkminggan approached me asking for help to start an arts centre. We held a brainstorming session, and among the ideas was starting an op shop to self-fund the centre and provide much-needed clothing and household goods to the community.
We put out a call on Facebook, expecting to get a couple of boxes of clothing, but the post went viral. Before we knew it, 700 boxes arrived on two trucks in Katherine. That op shop ended up making around $10,000 in sales, which was enough to buy art supplies and incorporate the arts centre. This is self-determination in action.
What has surprised you most about your work founding the Remote OpShop Project and Circulanation?
I never expected the level of passion and creativity that communities would bring to the Remote Opshop Project or how people from all over Australia would get behind it, donating tonnes of pre-loved goods to our remote community partners. It’s been amazing to see how everyone rallies together to turn what might seem like a simple idea into something that has a real impact.
What's next for the Remote OpShop?
We’re developing a network of reuse and recycling hubs, and we’ve just opened our first hub in Darwin. We’re working with some of Australia’s biggest fashion and apparel brands to redirect high-quality excess goods from landfills to remote First Nations communities.
Thanks to the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award and Westpac, we’ll be able to scale these plans even further. We’re also in the process of developing a First Nations Leadership Council to oversee this game-changing project, ensuring it’s driven by the voices and leadership of the communities we serve. I’m excited to see where this journey takes us next.
We’d love to hear about the news, events and people that should be making the headlines in the Galah Weekly newsy. Share what’s new(s) in your neck of the woods with us at newsie@galahpress.com
