Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue#20.2 Februay 2017 i Australian Country

I’D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR. WE’VE AN EXCITING PROGRAM PLANNED FOR 2017 WITH LOTS of fascinating people and destinations on our story list. We also have some great new projects on the agenda, starting with an Australian Countrysponsored scholarship as part of the Royal Agricultural Society Foundation (RASF) Rural Scholarship program. We are thrilled to be supporting the RASF in this venture, which assists students who demonstrate a passion for country issues and are committed to playing a part in shaping the future of rural and regional Australia. These scholarships are open to students of any age and include a diverse range of tertiary education and training studies. During the past five years the RAS has helped 234 students…

It was meant to be. As Robyn Hicks recalls that sultry summer day in 1994 when she and her husband, Bill, made the trek from the Blue Mountains for a job interview, Dubbo was in post-Christmas shutdown mode. “There was hardly anything open, so we walked the streets looking in real estate windows,” she says. “As luck would have it we spotted the house of our dreams, an early-1900s cottage on 20 acres [eight hectares] at Wongarbon, about 20 kilometres west of Dubbo.” Of course Bill got the job, which is how he and Robyn made their tree change long before the term was even invented. These days the Hicks and their two teenaged sons have strong roots in the NSW western plains and can’t imagine ever returning to city…

When Don Hearn announced his desire to return to the family farm in the Caldwell district of southwestern NSW it would be putting it mildly to say his family was underwhelmed. As the youngest of three sons, it was not in the plan for Don to return to the bush, particularly not with his wife, Jo, a primary school teacher from Newcastle whom he’d met while backpacking in the UK. It wasn’t a question of their not wanting them to be part of the family business, more that they felt they didn’t have suffi cient land to support an extra couple. But Don, who’d studied psychology and criminology at university, was adamant that he wanted to return to his rural roots, and his parents conceded 20 acres upon which they…

2016 DENI UTE MUSTER Drenching rains and a muddy site couldn’t dampen the spirits of the almost 20,000 fans who converged on the NSW Riverina town of Deniliquin for the Deni Ute Muster. Drizabones and gumboots were the order of the day as day visitors and campers alike braved the weather and turned out for the annual ute count and blue singlet tally sidelined by a feast of country music. The mud-splattered two-day festival featured events including the Australian National Circle Work Championships, Coates Hire Show N Shine competition including the title of Ute of the Year, Ute driving competitions including the Barrel Race (think horse barrel racing, but with vehicles), the GME Go To Wo precision driving event, and the Deni D-Max Hay Bale Hustle, where teams of two…

KIM SELBY PHOTOGRAPHER Kim is a multi-award winning family, wedding and commercial photographer. She is best known for her natural and emotion filled lifestyle photography. She loves capturing those special little moments that abound in everyday life and knowing people will be looking back at their photos in years to come. She lives in the Macedon Ranges with her husband, two beautiful boys and dog Fergus and has recently tried to correct the gender balance by adopting chickens Myrtle and Gertie. JOHN DOWNS PHOTOGRAPHER Four generations of John Downs’ family have been photographers, starting with his great, great grandfather in Wales in 1868. John started as a staff photographer at London’s Natural History Museum and his varied career has seen him shoot everything from fluffy cushions in the studio to…

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John and Lynne Derwin lost everything in Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009 … their Roundstone Vineyard and Winery, cellar door, restaurant, all their stockpiled wines, irrigation and fences. All that survived were the hayshed and their sheep. Even though they counted close friends among the 173 people who lost their lives on that tragic day, they tried to soldier on and spent three years reinstating the fencing, vines, pumphouse and irrigation on the Yarra Valley property. But in the end they couldn’t face rebuilding the rest of their highly successful enterprise and took the very difficult decision to sell and move on. Which is why, in 2012, the Derwins opted to start afresh, sold Roundstone to De Bortoli Wines and headed to the NSW Southern Highlands to be…

Plums are such neat packages of good things; wrapped in an array of wonderfully rich colours, juicy, tangy yet sweet, and all this carrying antioxidants, vitamins C and K, copper and potassium and valuable fibre. In countries such as Australia where crop seasons often blur, the plum season seems to have retained its integrity, the appearance of the first fruit still affords the delight of anticipating that first taste. An increasing number of varieties with creative names appears each year — Purple Majesty, Amber Jewell, Black Poly, Rose Plums, Vanette, along with the favourite sugar plums and blood plums. Recently however, the limelight has been stolen by Queen Garnet, dubbed a super fruit. It was developed almost by chance by scientists trying to create a disease-resistant version of the common…

DINNER WITH EDWARD ISABEL VINCENT, AFFIRM PRESS, $19.99 A heartwarming memoir written by author and journalist Isabel Vincent, Dinner With Edward tells the story of a beautiful friendship between Isabel and an elderly gentleman called Edward. New to New York City and with a faltering marriage, Isabel is asked to look after her friend’s 90 year-old father. Worried that he’s losing the will to live, as it turns out, it becomes a transformative friendship for the author as much as for Edward. This book is about love and nourishment, a rare and beautiful creation about living life generously. EAT TO BEAT CHOLESTEROL NICOLE SENIOR AND VERONICA CUSKELLY, NEW HOLLAND PUBLISHERS, $32.99 Promising to lower cholesterol in as little as three weeks, Eat to Beat Cholesterolis a healthy yet delicious cookbook…

Thanks for being in touch. We welcome your feedback. We appreciate your thoughts and in each issue, one correspondent wins a prize. Simply email the team at australiancountry@universalmagazines. com. au or write to us at Australian Country, Locked Bag 154, North Ryde NSW 1670. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters before publication. Our favourite correspondent next issue will win a crafty bundle. Tell us about your favourite story or feature to be in the running to win this wonderful prize.…

The home was a microcosm of TheVintage Tree world with natural fibres and native American accents contrasting against a neutral backdrop. As a little girl growing up on acreage at Lilydale in Victoria’s Yarra Valley Ellie Collins loved nothing more than having the space and freedom to roam and play in the bush. Her other great joy in life came from crafternoons with her mum. “I made anything and everything,” she recalls. “I loved making bunting from natural fabrics and every pot plant in the house was wrapped in hessian or bark or whatever I found in the great outdoors. I collected timber to make wooden picture frames and planter boxes. I was always busy with a project, either finding the materials to make it or actually involved in the…

DINNER IS SERVED Update your dinnerware with these timelessly stylish pieces. DRESS TO IMPRESS These finishing touches will leave you dinner guests wanting more. STYLE TIP! NATURAL COLOURS, FIBRES AND MATERIALS ARE AN ELEGANT WAY TO MARRY DISPARATE ELEMENTS FOR A COHESIVE LOOK AT THE DINNER TABLE. TEA PARTY Classic designs that have us head over heels. STYLE TIP! HIGH TEA IS THE PERFECT EXCUSE TO BRING OUT YOUR BEST LINEN AND TABLEWARE, SERVE DELICIOUS MORSELS AND PERHAPS A GLASS OF FIZZ.…

CASA CARBONI (SA) Situated in the breathtaking Barossa Valley, Italian cooking school and wine bar Casa Carboni offers authentic Italian cooking classes like no other. It’s owned by an Australian-Italian duo, Fiona and Matteo Carboni, who have travelled the globe discovering the best artisan products and wine, and are now bringing their profound knowledge to South Australia. Learn Tuscan masterpieces and Sicilian gourmet recipes using the best of Barossa Farmers Market produce, handpicked by Matteo himself on the morning of the class. The school’s philosophy is to teach recipes that can be easily replicated at home so you can show off your skills for your family and friends. casacarboni.com.au THE COOKING PROFESSOR (WA) With Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, there’s not much you won’t find at The Cooking Professor…

GILLY STEPHENSON From restoring your finest antiques to caring for your wooden furniture, Gilly Stephenson’s waxes and polishes are made with the finest Western Australian beeswax for the best possible results. gillystephenson.com CHRIS’ DIPS Chris’ Dips offers high quality dips and yoghurts made locally using wholesome ingredients that are full of delicious flavour. Even for the most demanding palate, the company provides an authentic taste of Greece. chrisdips.com.au RAW KAYA ORGANICS Packed with nature’s best plant-based ingredients, Raw Kaya Organics has released a new three-step rose and cinnamon range including cleanser, toner and moisturiser. The anti-aging range includes MSM. rawkayaorganics.com ANTIQUE BATHS As the only manufacturer of cast iron baths in Australia, Antique Baths offers an exclusive varity of new and restored cast iron baths. This traditional cast iron bath…

Old farm gate We live on the beautiful Atherton Tableland inland from Cairns FNQ. Your magazine really does give me a calm feeling, after reading it I am back in the painting mood. I took the last issue on a cruise to PNG last week and read it while reclining on a deck chair, with a cool drink of course. Owen Pointon, Atherton Qld Take on Tulip Tops I was born in Egypt with Armenian heritage and French upbringing and I migrated to Australia in 1963 at the age of 17. I have been painting on and off for many years, but have only been attending art classes since moving upon . was an easy choice as my husband Bob grew up here before moving to Sydney. We live in…

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