Arts & Culture

Today (November 11) is Remembrance Day when we’re urged to stop at 11 am in memory of those who died and suffered in all wars and conflicts and to remember the impact that their service has had on those left at home. Significantly, 2018 is the centenary of the signing of the Armistice, the formal agreement made between the Allies...

The village of Majors Creek will host the 25th Annual music festival this weekend - November 9, 10 and 11. The Majors Creek Festival (formerly called Music at The Creek), has a full programme of performances, workshops, discussions, dance and creative sessions. Over the weekend you can get involved, or just watch, at the Poets Breakfasts, Clog Dancing, Scandinavian Guitar,...

When the new expanded Australian War Memorial opens in about a decade's time, Director Brendan Nelson will be able to declare 'mission accomplished'. His achievement at securing nearly half a billion dollars over nine years to redevelop the AWM with bipartisan support is astounding, especially in a climate of budget uncertainty and ongoing cuts to other national cultural institutions in Canberra....

Ageless, stately, elegant. This rural home in Jeir, north of the ACT in wine country has been designed and built to stand the test of time. The effort from Southern Highlands builder Quality Country Homes was rewarded with the Home of the Year award from the Housing Industry Association ACT and Southern NSW at its annual awards on Saturday night....

Sinking into the creamy leather back seat of a Rolls Royce, Rob Evans searches for a pair of picnic tables. The principal of online auctioneers Allbids Fyshwick, Rob finds a clue in the Silver Spur model’s two seats in front of him. He gently unfolds two small tables - the picnic tables - with varnished timber tops. Gleaming in the...

Cooma's sister city bond with the Japanese city of Yamaga is on display this week. Locals will notice a Japanese delegation in town, as the Cooma Lions Club steps up once again to play host of this bi-annual exchange. The group of 27 high school students and eight adults arrived on Sunday (November 4) for a busy 6-day program that...

With an eclectic mix of instruments and sounds, the Haystack Mountain Hermits will return home to Queensland as this year’s Australian National Busking champions. Hundreds of spectators gathered in Cooma’s Centennial Park for the national finals concert with the Hermits declared Australia’s best buskers. The family-band from Tamborine Mountain on the Gold Coast wowed audiences on Sunday with their gypsy...

Gillian Triggs has made a rallying call for the freedoms we take for granted to be safeguarded during her Friday (November 2) night lecture in Bega. With the doors of the Bega High School theatre wide open to catch any passing zephyr, Triggs started a conversation just as hot as the day had been. As President of the Australian Human Rights Commission...

Vimy Ridge resident and Bega Valley Shire Councilor, Jo Dodds strongly believes climate change is at play in her community, she points to the bushfires of March 18 that ripped through her community at Tathra. Sixty-five homes were lost on that day, Jo's home was very lucky not to be one of them. Her appeal to the Prime Minister in...

Ros and Gordon Butt are about to enjoy their first Eden Whale Festival as spectators rather than as busy tour operators aboard Cat Balou. The new owners of this famous Eden vessel will be on the water this year instead, hoping to thrill visitors. For the first time, Ros and Gordon, who are pioneers of whale watching in New South Wales...

Like it or loathe it Halloween is increasingly becoming part of what young Australian families do on October 31. One Bega Valley community has trialed a way of managing the American side of this tradition that answers some of the concerns parents have and brings the community together; it appears to have been a success. The residents of Kalaru, between Bega and...

If you're doorstepped by a horde of pint-sized ghouls, ghosts and monsters on Wednesday night, will you be handing out the lollies or slamming the door? Local reaction to the ancient Celtic feast of Halloween is probably best judged by the fact that most "official" celebrations, from Boogong at Googong to  Mooseheads' Decade of Death happened last weekend rather than on...

Bermagui-based artist Matt Chun is drawing an oversized cassowary made up of hundreds of tiny white lines and dots on the front window of Candelo Books in Bega. In between strokes of the pen, he is carefully erasing his own fingerprints from the glass - the finished picture is a result of his self-described perfectionism. Chun is drawing on bookshop...

Region Media is pleased to announce that some of the most trusted and respected names in local media have joined the group in senior/leadership roles. Based in the ACT, Region Media is now the masthead for 12 influential media platforms in Canberra and surrounding communities, headlined by long-standing Canberra news site, The RiotACT. “Local knowledge, respect and trust are critical...

Goulburn Mulwaree Council’s new Youth Services Co-ordinator is all about delivering outcomes for the region’s youth. No ifs, buts or maybes, the programs Luke Wallace wants to bring forward will all have some benefit for young people. “They will be meaningful programs that support all our young people. Like Vibefest (the annual youth music festival) which gave youth performing, administration...

The Canberra Symphony Orchestra and Four Winds, Bermagui have joined the music world in mourning the passing of Richard Gill, who died from cancer at his Sydney home on Sunday morning (28 October), less than a week before his 77th birthday. The CSO said it echoed the deep sadness felt by Australia’s music community at the loss of Gill, one of the...