PRESIDENTS REPORT
Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers out there. I hope you had a lovely day.
Our 125yr celebration organising is going well and I can tell you now that we are having a bush dance on the Saturday Night (26th Oct). We have had a few requests from people about a dance so we have included one in our celebrations. Again we ask that you let people that might be interested know of the event and book the night on your calendar. We also hope to have the Big Poplar ready to reveal. Council has been great in helping us with a few of the expenses. If anyone knows of any grants that could help, please contact us asap.
Some exciting news is that we now have a lockable area at the Recreation Ground. We promised to put money back into the area when we first catered for the Gymkhana and have finally done so. Money also came from the sale of the wood from the yards. This means that we can start to fit the place out with items that can be there permanently.
Thank you to all who have filled out a survey. We have not looked at all responses yet but from emails there are some positive things that can come out of it. Progress is here for everyone so if ever you have an idea etc please come along to the meeting or send a letter /email. We may get you to follow it through with lots of help from us but it would be fantastic. As I have said before “We know what we want but not always what you want!!”
We also had the Catholic Church checked for white ants and I am pleased to say there is evidence of them having been there but nothing at present.
Until June…
Yours in Fun
Louise Barron (64544086)
This year we celebrate 125 years for Bredbo Village. To mark the occasion, Progress is planning an event on the weekend of 26-27 October 2013.
So please mark the date in your diaries, pass on the details to former residents and friends of Bredbo.
Ideas and volunteers to help organise are very welcome! More details as we get closer to the date.....
ANZAC Day 2013
ANZAC Day Report by Jenny Lawlis
The ANZAC Day Service2013 was very well attended. School children numbers were down on account of the School Holidays but there were many teenagers in the crowd, which was very pleasing. The school children led our Inaugural March. A large number of adults participated also. I am sure many more will march in 2014.
The poetry reading was done by Mr. Frank Brennan who read one of his own poems titled "A War Grave" The poem tells the story of how SapperMerlin, a sniffer dog, went to war in Afghanistan with his handler Sapper Peter Lawlis andwas killed. Merlin was buried in Afghanistan but later was repatriated back to Australia and then to Bredbo.
Reconstruction Task Force soldiers carry Merlin's coffin to his final resting place.
Family members and organisations laid many wreaths. Prayers were shared amongst the locals. The morning service concluded with the Final Prayer. Attendees then assembled in the Hall for Morning Tea.
Everyone is Thanked for their contributions.
A WAR GRAVE
By Frank Brennan
In Bredbo there’s a monument to the fallen in all wars.
Where a hundred thousand dead must give us pause.
On ANZAC Day, we gather there to remember those who served.
We try to give the honour they’ve deserved.
But there’ s another monument, not all that far away,
Where the Aussie flag flies proudly every day.
It’s the grave of a fallen soldier, returned here by his mates,
And he’s given the respect a soldier rates.
This soldier was an Army Dog, in the Aussie Engineers.
He shared the misery of war, the fighting and the fears.
He died in far Afghanistan, a long, long, way to roam.
And at his end, his duty done, his comrades brought him home.
His name was “Merlin” . A sniffer dog, and trained to use his nose,
to find explosives…mines and bombs…any one of those.
With his handler there beside him, he sought the hidden threat.
The booby traps and roadside bombs. As bad as it can get.
They were a team, the closest mates, to do the job they must,
They needed full dependence. They needed total trust.
We all can love our canine friends, whether working dog or pet.
But when both your lives are on the line, it’s as close as it can get.
Merlin was killed: his blood was shed, into the foreign dust.
His mate survived to bring him home: fulfilled a sacred trust.
Now he lies in Bredbo, still tended by his boss,
And on this day, his story told, we all can share the loss.
Sapper Peter Lawlis with explosive detection dog 'Merlin' checking items at a local market.
BOTH PHOTO’S COURTESY OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE - COPYRIGHT
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Bredbo Coffee and Chat:People with memory changes, carers and those livingwith dementiafrom the Bredbo
and Michelago areas are invited to join us for morning tea and an informal social get together.
Venue:Snowy Mountains Gourmet Food, Bredbo
Dates: July 9th, 17th Sept, and 12th November 2013
Time:10-11.30
Gold Coin donation
If anyone in the Community is worried about their memory or wants more information on
Dementia they can contact Verity Jackson, Dementia Advisor, Alzheimers Australia NSW
on 64523961
BREDBO RFS Brigade notes – May 2013
Annual General Meeting 2013
This year’s AGM is to be held on Thursday 13 June 2013 at the Hall starting at 7:30pm. All welcome, all positions will be available and new faces welcome.
Rick is off to Botswana!
NSWRFS sought trainers for the Botswana Rural fire service. The RFS have been involved in Botswana since 2009. Rick Davies was selected and is there10th to 26th May.
Rick has been a member of Bredbo for over 20 years and has held the positions of Deputy Captain, Training officer, equipment officer, first aid officer, Secretary/treasurer and also ran the junior brigade back in the 90’s.
Calabash hazard reduction – Bredbo brigade joins in!
In April, several volunteers participated in the Calabash hazard reduction along with the Colinton and Michelago brigades on a Friday and Saturday.
The burn was used as a training opportunity and involved a helicopter and incendiary devices. Getting to and from the burn involved some serious four wheel driving with the brigade’s 9 vehicle doing well.
Photos were taken on the day and are included here so you can see some of the fun.
Village hazard reductions
To date we have had only one request for this year. Time is running out to get your name down for a burn this winter. Again, please email (see below) or contact the captain Ken Bowerman
(Last month’s bulletin listed the things required to have one done)
RFSA conference 2013
The Bredbo Brigade Captain and President are going to the Rural Fire Services Association conference in June in Mudgee.
RFSA grant
The brigade has applied for a grant for much needed equipment to support activities including GPS’ so we can find and communicate specific locations in difficult terrain.
A notice to all members- Equipment
Please do not remove any equipment without notifying the equipment officer or captain. The equipment is there for emergency use. Please return anything you may have currently. We plan to have a stocktake in June and would appreciate a return of all items prior.
Brigade email:
BREDBO RURAL FIRE BRIGADE
Treasurers Report – April
We have had a great month with fundraising thanks to those members who maned the BBQ and those who did the Pub Meat Raffles, the results are as follows:
Helmet from Bredbo Pancakes $215.00
Helmet from Bredbo Inn $ 86.80
Helmet from the Servo $ 107.25
Pub Meat Raffle 20/4 $ 128.55
Mt Oak Community Donation $ 20.00
BBQ Village Markets 26/4 $ 170.00
Amount Banked $727.60
I would like to thank all those concerned for their support.
Regards Sandra Robinson Treasurer
Police Rounds
Between 5.10pm on Tuesday 14th May and 9.45am on Wednesday 15th May unknown offenders have entered a rural property on the Monaro Highway near its intersection with Ryrie Hill Road. They have then entered a shed on the property and stolen in the vicinity of twenty one thousand dollars worth of property. I would ask all of you to assist by being vigilant if approached to buy items such as chainsaws, air compressor, brush cutter, grinder, drop saw, various drills, generator, welder, assortment of air tools, camping swags, horse saddles, game fishing rods and shearing handpieces. A comprehensive list is in my possession and I am very keen to obtain information that might assist in identifying the persons responsible for this shameful act. Inquiries are continuing in relation to this matter. If you live in the vicinity and witnessed a suspicious vehicle or wish to contact me confidentially and provide information you can do so by ringing 6235 9131 or emailing me at .
Again, if you witness poor or dangerous driving in the local area contact triple zero if you think it is an emergency or otherwise 62359131 (if I am not on duty the phone diverts to Queanbeyan police station and a police response is organised). It is that time of the year where Monaro Highway patrol vehicles will be a regular sight on the local roads so don’t get caught up making irresponsible decisions either prior to or when you drive your car. All the best.
Hi everyone, the next Bredbo CWA Village Market is on Sunday the
26th May from 10am – 2pm. Local honey and produce, homemade biscuits, cakes and preserves, goat milk products, handmade craft and art, aroma therapy products, photography, great coffee, a yummy sausage sizzle and lots more! It’s a great day and we look forward to seeing you there.
Held in the Bredbo Community Hall and grounds on the Monaro Highway, it’s an easy 40-minute drive from Tuggeranong.
You can follow the markets on Facebook too, just search for Bredbo CWA Village Markets.
CWA Report
Our May meeting was a dinner meeting held at the Bredbo Inn Hotel. This was a very successful meeting with discussion on many topics.
Philippa Dodds attended State Conference in Moree and gave us some news of the Conference, but will give a full report at the June meeting.
At the June meeting – Tuesday June 11, Bredbo Hall at 1030am, we will be having a guest speaker from COTA ACT, a session about Medications and You. All are welcome to come along and hear Danielle Gilchrist speak, it will be interesting. We look forward to our Group Cultural Day on the 18th of June. The theme for lunch will be Moroccan – our Country of study this year. Visitors are welcome.
Remember our Biggest Morning Tea – Tuesday May 21st – Bredbo Hall- 10am.
Dorothy Povey (Publicity)
St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, Bredbo
You are invited
A Service of Celebration
11.00am
Sunday, 2nd June
After a lot of hard voluntary work and termite pest control,
the Bredbo Anglican Church floor and door frame are again sound
– and ready for the second 100 years of service!
Heather & Peter Jauncey
Phone: 6454 4305
Local wildlife group busy winter 2013
With increased traffic on the roads each winter, members of local wildlife group ‘LAOKO – Snowy Mountains Wildlife Rescue are busy attending to the seasonal carnage to wildlife in the region.
Every year many kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, possums and birds are killed or injured by cars on their way to the snowfields.
President of LAOKO, Mr Peter Graham, urges drivers to be aware of the wildlife on Snowy Mountains’ roads at this time of year and to slow down.
LAOKO provides a 24 hour wildlife rescue service from Bredbo to the Victorian border and from Kiandra to Nimmitabel.
LAOKO members are all volunteers who attend accidents with wildlife, rescuing pouch or at foot joeys and, if necessary, arranging for seriously injured to be euthanased by an authorised LAOKO shooter, the police or a veterinarian.
"Last year LAOKO received around 413 phone calls and a total of 121 native animals and birds were rescued. Many of these will be rehabilitated and released back to the bush over the next year or so," Mr Graham said.
Sadly, not all native animals involved in accidents can be saved. Last year LAOKO volunteers and the police euthanased 75 animals too badly injured to survive or be released.
"Like most car related accidents speed plays a major role in animal collisions. In most cases it is impossible to see something dark on the road at night and stop in time when driving at 100kms an hour.
"The message is slow down at dawn, dusk and at night time and save yourself your car and local wildlife from a largely preventable accident," Mr Graham said.
LAOKO is in need of more volunteer rescuers and carers. People with lots of spare time and a love of baby native animals are encouraged to become involved as carers. People who might be able to stop and check motor vehicle victims and rescue joeys from mum’s pouch are needed to be rescuers. LAOKO also runs a 24 hr emergency rescue phone system which is run by volunteers for 1 – 2 days per month each.
If you would like to do some volunteer community work from home then LAOKO may be for you. Full training is provided for a small cost and ongoing help and mentoring is available.
BREDBO LANDCARE NEWS May 2013
Jack's Gully Extension
During June we will be concentrating on finishing Jack's Gully - fencing, spraying, whipper snippering and a general clean up. Also planting trees, so if you could spare some time to help it would be appreciated. At the end of the project we will be holding an inspection and field day at which we will have a sausage sizzle and a cuppa.