By this time Cupid’s evil mate must have been having a good laugh, as the same thing happened again. With fury and frustration in my eyes and a style of walking which is best described as speeding stroppy stomp, we go to reception to see if they can help. As it turns out there are in fact 2 towers, which means there are two sets of car parks and about 10 different lift options to get back to wherever my car may be. Eventually we found the car and it was Champagne O’clock.
It was the weekend of love, Valentine’s Day, and as Cupid struggled down from the heavens with the torrential rain, reports of the rising flood waters began appearing on the computer screen in front of me. Looking forward to a weekend away, I decide to go to the farm and make sure things were going to be OK if the rain continued while I was gone. Approaching the running cause way in Mazzy my Mazda, it becomes clear that the rain was not mucking about and there was real potential for flooding. Farmer Sophie is quick to leap into action like some sort of cowgirl superhero. Tippy toeing through the long, wet grass like some sort of fairy goblin creature, I head toward the creek to drag the long pumping pipe out of the strong current of the creek. Bell, my dog assumed it was a two person job and cheered me on from the bank watching as I wrestled the long pipe out of the creek and saving the water pump as best I could if the water was to rise any further. With soggy clothes and mattered wet hair I head home glancing only in the mirror once to see my eyelashes leaving my face as if in protest for the wet conditions. It was the perfect opportunity for a make over much like the cheesy montages you see in single girl comedies. After a bath, some wine, a hair wash and some more wine I head to bed to wake up a few hours later ready for my trip to the Gold Coast. Unlike the single girl comedies, this year I had lassoed a companion that some might even label a boyfriend. The boyfriend and I jump into Mazy and cruise toward the Gold Coast. I use the term cruise very loosely as I have not long had my license and driving in the city is like riding a horse that is wearing high heels on ice in the dark. Arriving at the hotel successfully we drive into the car park of the high-rise hotel, park and go to check in. After getting our room key and admiring the city and beach views we go down to move the car to the correct car parking area. This was a seemingly simple hassle-free operation, but I can honestly say that Cupid’s evil mate may have shown up because this hour-long battle had only just begun. Confidently I enter the lift and push the button to the level where I was sure my car was parked. Exiting the lift, I stride out to find my precious automobile was no where to be seen. Calmly I turn to the boyfriend and explain that obviously I knew where my car is parked and that I had obviously taken us to the wrong level. No worries I thought, just try again on another level because often I do not pay attention to silly parking level details. 8
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Monday morning came and I thought about how easy life was in Casino. That even the times I did forget where I parked, it was always much easier to find it and continue my journey. Of course, this only relates to parking. Just days early, I was dealing with flood waters and on most other occasions there are challenges with my farm work. When I lived in the city I struggled with finances and loneliness in a sea of people. It doesn’t matter where we grow up or where we have chosen to settle down. The city and the country both have valid struggles and challenges. Luckily for me Cupid found his way through the rain and has sent me someone who will accompany me anywhere…and help me find my car in the city or country. Thank you to Heather Newly who sent this picture to us. Minyon Falls taken between 1954 and 1957 at a picnic to raise money for the Casino Hospital. One of the Holdens belonged to Matron Green.
BUILT TO LAST In today’s world we use butter daily and easily go to the supermarket fridge to quickly grab a container to take home and use at our leisure. We also use objects and tools for a short time without passing them down for the next generation to use. This was not always the case as John Roy explains with the aid of pictures of his newly restored butter churn. The Kangaroo Minute butter churn was first made in Bega in 1914 and finished production in the 1940’s. This particular butter churn has been in the Roy family for many years and has been used over 3 generations. Once a simple item that most properties would have had, it is a special object which would have provided the simple ingredient of butter, which for those times would have been a small joy. Rationing was tight and the butter churn would have been a highly valued machine.
Butter Churner before
Through time the butter churn has been used and maintained but did loose some of its original lustre until its recent restoration. John Roy gave permission to Doug and Jason Campbell to restore the churn. Col Hyde was responsible for sand blasting while Col Garred made a replica cylinder. The fresh red paint and the beautiful sign writing was the handy work of John Mills and as a group the men had brought life back to a piece of machinery which had a very long and well used life. John Roy has donated the butter churn to Kyogle Museum. He demonstrated how the machine was used and successfully made some butter which he then paddled into shape. John was able to use his memory of watching his parents make butter from the many years ago. The freshly restored churn operated perfectly and took onlookers back in time to when its use would have been a common occurrence. Not only has this beautiful piece of machinery been restored for future generations to admire and learn from, but an important piece of the Roy Family history and heritage has been secured.
Heartland Magazine |
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Harold and Beryl Moss
Helen Trustum Harold was born at Murwillumbah on 17th April 1936 to parents Herb (Pat) and Doris Moss. The family lived at Wyrallah first then to Cougal and Grady’s Creek where Pat was working a bullock team around the area. It was here they lived in a tent. The family are; Audrey, Jean, Harold, Margaret, Dorothy, Earl, Norman and Peter. The Moss Family were originally from Wyrallah. An Uncle, Les Moss started the butcher shop in Wyrallah. After a few years Les left and moved to Stanthorpe. He delivered vegetables and fruit as far as Bonalbo, Woodenbong and Urbenville. The Family moved around quite a bit in fact 13 times in a few years. Each time they moved, the piano which was purchased from Sydney and delivered to Murwillumbah when they were living there, moved with them by bullock team. Doris loved the piano and her daughter Jean, can still see her playing, even when living in the tent. That piano is still in the family and with daughter, Dorothy.
Harold taken in Casino - Dec 2019
From they
Cougal,
Pat with his bullock team 10
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moved to Wilsons Creek – Huonbrook, Meeshaum Vale and Tullera (these last two were on a dairy farm’s) then on to Busby’s Flat. The children attended Busby’s Flat School which wasn’t far from the property. This is where Harold met up with the Baldwin Family. The boys Ernie, Bill, David and Norman became Harold coming onto Cleveland Crossing good friends. From there they moved to Old Bonalbo where Harold’s father Pat was still hauling timber with his bullocks. They also lived at Lower Duck Creek. Jean remembers her mother hitching up the draught horse to the spring cart and taking the children up Haystack Mountain to have lunch with him in between his log loads. Early forties the family left the Bonalbo area and moved to Tullymorgan where Pat was a cream carrier. He would also carry cane across a punt in his truck to meet the boat to be taken down the river to Harwood Sugar Mill. This spot was near the now Police Station which was getting built at the time. Situated right next to the Moss Family home was a trotting track. This was owned by Lindsay Sutherland. Every chance Harold got he was watching the training of these horses. He remembers one horse “Andy’s Quest”. One particular day when he was watching, the dogs started fighting and one of the horses kicked out and Harold received a blow to the head. He was taken to Maclean Hospital where he didn’t know anything for 3 weeks. His mother Doris sat with him all the time. While he was in hospital for over a month, he made friends with Nurse Sutherland, Lindsay’s sister, also Doctor Willard. Both were very good to him. They then moved up to Repentance Creek where Pat teamed up with his Uncle Victor and went hauling timber using a bullock team. The children attended
Coopers Creek School. They were also at Rosebank before moving over to Bottle Creek on to Tom Moss’s farm. This was in 1950. Jean was 16 years of age. In 1951, at the age of 17 years, Harold was selected to ride as a rodeo rider at the Sydney Royal along with his good friend’s Ernie Baldwin and Jimmy Kahan. He had to get permission from his parents to go. While at Sydney he met the Newstead Family from Glen Innes. They offered him employment, working on the property and attending shows and rodeo’s at the weekends. This he loved, his particular work was fencing and breaking in horses. They would travel down as far as Tamworth and Armidale for camp drafting and rodeos. He enjoyed his time there with the Newstead’s.
Tiny Coopers truck at Ewingar State Forest
From there after a few years Harold secured work for Wally Hamilton on Ewingar Station. His job was looking after the sheep. Dingos were a big problem. Harold remembers the stag hound dogs keeping the dingo’s back. He spent a couple of years there. From there Harold began work for Tiny Cooper at Mallanganee driving log trucks. Tiny was left with one arm after a tree fell on him. This did not stop him from driving and hauling logs. “Tiny Cooper and his wife were two of the nicest people you would meet”, Harold remarked. After 8 years with Tiny, it was sad to leave because of a down turn in the logging business. At this stage, Harold was 25 years of age when he met his partner for life Beryl Gregory. Beryl is the daughter of Mervyn and Edna Gregory from Numulgi. Edna later remarried Fred Cross and moved to Bonalbo where she opened a cake shop with Jean Nicholls. The shop was called “Nick Across Bakery”. Harold and Beryl were married on 6th August 1961. Mick Benton, who had the garage in Bonalbo, backed Harold into his first house in Bonalbo.
Harold secured a job on to the Tick Staff working around Bonalbo. The tick eradication was on where he travelled around the farms dipping cattle by horseback. Bonalbo’s first outbreak was Pat and Doris in the Capeen/Upper Duck Creek area back in 1909. Full credit must be given to the “tickie” for over the years controlling the cattle tick. Pat Cosgrove and Harold were in charge of Bonalbo and Old Bonalbo areas. Top horseman like Laurie Stephenson, Kelly Rowsell and Neville Gear all worked in the Bonalbo Tick Quarantine Area in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Harold also joined the Committee of the Bonalbo Show Society where he played an active part. For many years Harold competed in Camp Drafting at the local shows and was a regular pick up man at the rodeo. A sport he really enjoyed. Harold and Beryl
Both Harold’s parents, Pat and Doris Moss are buried in the Bonalbo Cemetery.
Harold and Beryl’s children; Greg, Linda, Kerri Ann and Robyn all attended Bonalbo Primary School then Casino High by bus. Harold and Beryl moved to Peacock Creek and retired from the tick staff in 2005. A home was built on their property where they spent 12 years Harold before retiring to Casino in 2017. Visiting Harold and Beryl at their home in Casino, they are happy in their retirement and look back on all their memories that have gone before. Ref; Harold and Beryl Moss - 9th December 2019 in Casino. Jean Hannon, Bonalbo – 7th January 2020. I sometimes think of an old bush track And the sound Harold, Beryl and Family of the old bullock whip comes echoing back I hear the clink of a bullock chain And wish I was back with the team again. Author unknown
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TAMWORTH HISTORY
EARLY TAMWORTH ENTERTAINMENT Tamworth has never lacked entertainment opportunities, leading to the present-day variety with TRECC, Capitol Theatre, Town Hall, Forum 6, AELEC, Pubs & Clubs, School-based shows, our iconic Country Music Festival, etc, etc.
duly obliged. Can the echoes still be heard downstairs in the CH Boutique Hotel? Today’s plethora of entertainment options is certainly a far cry from that amazing corroboree alongside the river back in 1844!
An interesting form of entertainment witnessed by locals was recorded as early as 1844, only a decade after European occupation of the Peel Valley. This was in the form of an aboriginal dance ceremony, involving around 300 males, taking place alongside the Peel River near one of our current Riverside cricket grounds. With campfires amongst surrounding bushland, the ochre-painted dancers produced a wonderful spectacle to onlookers, with aboriginal women providing accompaniment with clapsticks and rhythmic clapping of palms on thighs. The arrival of the first piano in Tamworth, brought here by the wife of the first public school teacher John Crawford in the 1850’s, attracted a gathering of young children outside their residence to listen to such novel music. One of Tamworth’s first significant regular entertainment venues was located at the Paradise Gardens, established by Charles Zartmann in the 1870’s. These were located across Paradise Bridge at the start of today’s King George Avenue, which was then the main road leading north through Nemingha. The Gardens Grand Opening was held on March 5, 1878, 7 months before the first train arrived in Tamworth. Entertainment was provided by the Uralla Band. Dancing and skating were soon taking place every evening in the Gardens Casino alongside the river, the main section of the building still standing today. There was an admission charge of one shilling. The Singleton Band, one of our first prominent local bands, provided music at regular Carnivals held at the Gardens. It was started by local businessman John Singleton (no - not that one!) who was the grandson of Hunter Valley pioneer Benjamin Singleton. Two of John’s children, Louis and Eden, became popular dance-band leaders, with Louis later becoming prominent in the Sydney music scene. As Tamworth developed, special occasions were often marked by parades and processions accompanied by the German and Wolverine Bands. Amongst other prominent local musicians were the Flanders family, forming the Flanders Band in the 1890’s; John Brunell through the early 1900’s; Bertie Solomons, a world-class violinist in the early 1900’s who put aside his music advancement to take over the family photographic studio upon the death of his father. Later Clyde Turner and son Eric were forces in establishing and leading the Police Citizens Boys Band and Tamworth City Band. Organisations catering for similar entertainment interests got underway from 1888 with the Tamworth Musical Operatic Society, whose first performance was “HMS Pinafore”; and in 1947 with the start of the Tamworth Dramatic Society, their first performance being “The Importance of Being Earnest”. Silent movies were a popular form of entertainment in Tamworth from the early 1900’s, until out-competed by the “talkies” with the opening of the original Capitol Theatre in 1929. This era was covered in detail in a previous “Stepping Back in Times”. Possibly the greatest star entertainer to visit Tamworth was the great opera soprano Dame Nellie Melba who came to our town in 1909 to sing at a Gala Concert in the Central Hall at the corner of Brisbane and Dowe Street, where the CH Boutique Hotel is now located. Accompanied by her son, sister and secretary, the singer had arrived in Tamworth by train. They stayed at the Caledonian Hotel on the site of the Coles supermarket in Peel Street. On the night the admission price was “half a guinea” and all 300 seats were sold out. George Reichel and his wife had driven their buggy in from Bowling Alley Point for the concert, and when Dame Nellie invited requests, George asked for “Home Sweet Home” which she 24 | Heartland Magazine
The Central Hall, then on the corner of Brisbane and Dowe Streets, where Dame Nellie Melba performed in 1909.
EARLY ELECTIONS IN TAMWORTH “Oh NO!”, I hear you cry. “I thought the Elections were finally over!” No such luck, as this week we are looking at the timely topic of Early Elections in Tamworth. My apologies ! It wasn’t until 1842, when there had been a European presence of around a decade in the Tamworth area, that the English Parliament granted Australia the right to elect some of its own representatives. Previously the Governor had made all appointments. The term “fighting an election” was well and truly realised when the first major election was held in the County of Cumberland Sydney area in 1845. Rival supporters of the two candidates, Fitzgerald and Bowman, engaged in a very nasty conflict on polling day. Around 200 palings were torn of the Courthouse polling-place fence to use as weapons, rocks were thrown, opposition houses were attacked and residents terrorised. The conflict went on for some hours before police arrived from Parramatta to restore law and order. Things were perhaps a little more civil when, 14 years later in 1859, the first election involving a wide area around Tamworth took place. Voting was non-compulsory and restricted to males over the age of 21. With AA Company Superintendent Philip Gidley King appointed as Returning Officer, candidates had to nominate in public at the local Courthouse on the corner of Ebsworth and Gipps Street. The two candidates nominating were F.T.Rusden and Andrew Loder, the latter hailing from Colly Creek near Quirindi. Rusden was first to nominate in front of the public assembly at the Courthouse, leading to an outbreak of boos, hisses and catcalls from Loder supporters, with a threat to call police ensuing from the disturbance. Anyone was free to speak in support of their candidate. Following this a vote was taken through a separation of supporters leading to a count, eventually won by Loder. However, Rusden then had the right to challenge the result by initiating a wider local polling day. On the July 5, 1859 polling day, under huge banners with band accompaniment, both groups of supporters paraded around Tamworth. As described by the local newspaper the Tamworth Examiner - “supporters of Mr Loder marched through the streets,
TAMWORTH HISTORY
cheering at all the houses favourable to that gentleman and hooting at all those opposed to him. Mr Rusden’s supporters were not far behind, cheering and hooting a la Loder’s supporters.” At the completion of the 9 to 4 voting hours, Returning Officer P.G.King announced that Loder had won. Of the 1400 eligible electors on the roll, only 531 voted, with Andrew Loder gaining 380 votes to Rusden 151. Quoting the Examiner - “Mr Loder was then put in a chair and carried around the town, headed by a band and banners, one of which was the prettiest we have ever seen and bore the inscription ‘Loder for ever’ “ Interestingly, Loder remained in the office for only 9 months before resigning, soon become disillusioned with parliamentary culture and procedures. Could this happen to our elected candidate from last Saturday ?
majority. Lord was expected to win but Chaffey scored a surprise upset. On coming downstairs from the hotel balcony, Chaffey had to flee up Peel Street, pursued by irate Loyd supporters, luckily gaining sanctuary in the Caledonian Hotel where Coles is now located. Kevin Anderson would have been right, with a sub 3 hour Marathon to his credit but Barnaby I’m not so sure !
By 1876 Tamworth had a population of around 3 000, sufficient to form a Borough Council, leading to our first local government elections. A remarkable 33 candidates nominated, still a record to this day, the next best being 25 candidates in 1965. The election resulted in 8 Councillors - Henry Lye, Abraham Cohen, Edward Lewis, William Dowel, Philip Gidley King, Joseph Chaffey, John Denning and Daniel Regan. That’s 8 Councillors representing 3 000 people - today we have 9 Councillors representing 50 000 people ! AA company Superintendent Philip Gidley King was then elected as our first Mayor, going on to serve 5 consecutive terms. Then living 14 miles from town at the AA Co. headquarters at Goonoo Goonoo Station, his other (1875) house at what is now Calala Cottage Museum was a very handy addition to conduct his mayoral ship. Come 1913 there was an interesting 3-way election contest for the
Philip Gidley King, who became Tamworth’s first Mayor after Tamworth Borough Council elections in 1876.
Frank Chaffey - Yes, he won the 1913 election and also outsprinted his pursuers up Peel Street ! Frank Chaffey - Yes, he won the 1913 election and also outsprinted his pursuers up Peel Street !
seat of Tamworth in the State Legislative Assembly. The candidates were Harry Levien, Jack Lord and Frank Chaffey. Candidate speeches were given from the balcony of the Post Office Hotel in Peel Street. Levien’s speech went on for nearly 3 hours and he was the first eliminated in the vote. (How could anyone speak that long - those that know me - don’t answer !) A big crowd had gathered in Peel Street listening to the speeches, with Lord’s supporters in the
Stories submitted by Michael Cashman of the Tamworth Historical Society © 2020
Heartland Magazine | 25
Janelle Saffin
Photo: Denise Alison
The world moves at an alarming pace and it isn’t often that people have the embraces the challenges and time to sit down to talk and listen to celebrates the successes and is always each other. Heartland Magazine had the striving to just ‘do good’. honour to spend time with Janelle Saffin which was unlike a meeting or interview and taking proactive measures to mediate but rather an easy discussion between and solve problems when they arise. friends. Gleaming an insight into the person rather then the politician, Janelle Janelle sees each person’s individual generously shared with us what has inspired and led her to where she is today. journey and challenges, helping the best way she can, given the knowledge and skills she has. By solving the smaller Growing up in Ipswich and leaving issues, she is able to clear the way to school at the early age of 13yrs old, ensure better solutions for the bigger Janelle supported herself and was able to picture. gain employment in a range of different jobs instilling in her what a hard day’s Janelle sees politics in the same way as she work was. In turn she learnt that being sees life in that it is simply listening and adaptable and learning new skills on working with people and compromising the spot was going to be the difference to find the best possible outcomes. between survival or long-term growth and personal progression. Described as a Parliamentary Whip, Janelle has carved her way through a Moving to Lismore at the age of 24, predominantly male environment, and Janelle was self-educated and eventually although of small physical stature, she gained qualifications in teaching and has been able to share a larger voice law. Her strong sense of humanity and which resonates with the people of not passion to ‘do good’, to effect positive only Australia and her electorate, but on change, challenged her to become a global level as well. an active member of the community by becoming a teacher, lawyer and At the age of 65, Janelle appreciates politician. It was a natural progression the maturity that comes with age and by seeing the issues the community faced
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experience. Approaching work in a calm but effective manner, she feels that she is able to articulate herself better, having had experience in a range of workplaces, is also able to relate to a greater range of people. Janelle Saffin is a wife and a mother, with early mornings and late nights, she navigates her way through daily life and serving her community with no sign of slowing down. Keeping a healthy mind and body is important to manage the days events as Janelle likes to do at least a half hour work out on her tread mill or a brisk walk through the streets each morning. She takes time to properly prepare in the mornings for each new day and ensures all her phone calls are caught up at night when she gets home before resting for the next day. Regardless of how we come into the world, the best anyone can do is to make use of the time we have on the planet by using our talents, skills and passion to make positive change and leave the world better then we found it. Janelle Saffin embraces the challenges and celebrates the successes and is always striving to just ‘do good’.
and proud of our successful tea plantation. Sustainability and purity are foundational to the way we choose to go about our craft. We strive to uphold these values today by employing from our community, helping to support the local economy while providing income, stability, education and training to our workforce. On a national scale, we help keep profits in Australia by actively seeking out and partnering with other Australian owned and operated companies and suppliers that share our values and standards.
Madura Tea – extraordinary tea, for extraordinary people. When you’ve been part of Australia’s tea history for over forty years, one can suggest that you’ve had a lot of time to perfect one’s craftsmanship, business principles, operations and resources to ensure you’re continually meeting your commitments to environment and sustainability, all while producing Australia’s favourite award-winning brews. We believe Australia is truly the ‘lucky country’, but it takes more than luck to succeed in a competitive market while adhering to your principles. It takes experienced craftsmanship, commitment, passion, and a team of very loyal customers. What makes Madura different? Every good story begins with a great cup of tea, and our brewing adventure started back in 1978 in the hills of Clothiers Creek, North of Byron Bay with the very first planting of our evergreen Camellia Sinensis shrubs. After five years of patiently waiting and we were finally able to introduce to kitchens all over Australia a delicious range of loose-leaf Green and Black tea. Fast Forward to 2020 and our award-winning brews are still created from passion, pioneering, and personality; refined all by hand for over forty years. We believe tea is still one of life’s simplest pleasures – so we continue to keep it simple ourselves - over 26 blends with one goal: the purest, cleanest, best-tasting brews. Our brews showcase a range of classic blends, including black, green – including our specialty white, chai, organic teas and our refreshing range of herbal infusions including lemon and ginger, peppermint, camomile and one our country’s greatest native flavours – lemon myrtle. We equally understand that our loyal customers want choice; hence we actively encourage our customers to consider our broad range of teas and herbal tisanes available in loose-leaf, leaf pyramid infusers and tea bags.
As a company, we also want to inspire people to make healthy choices – not just for themselves, but equally, for the environment, we live in. It is for this reason that we also nurture and respect our nation’s most valuable asset – our environment, through sustainable practices. We do this by not using harmful pesticides on our plantation, installing solar technology, keeping all manufacturing and packaging on-site, and meeting recyclability targets to reduce our environmental footprint. Our current achievement to minimise waste to landfill has us sitting at less than 0.75%. We equally only use recycled cardboard for our packaging and shipping cartons and FSC-certified paper for other uses in our production cycle. Additionally, we use vegetable-based inks where possible, and our teas are independently tested in Australia to ensure they contain no harmful chemical and bacterial residues. At Madura, our brews, principles, values, and estate continue to demonstrate our commitment to growing our business in a way that makes us proud. We invite you to take time out to revive your mind with Madura – as refreshing your senses can be as simple as putting the kettle on. To discover more about our farm or our range of brews visit maduratea. com.au Steep, sip and enjoy.
Madura Tea Estate
753 Clothiers Creek Road, Clothiers Creek NSW P: 02 6670 6000 E: info@maduratea.com.au W: https://www.maduratea.com.au/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/maduratea/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madura_tea/ Tea shop: Our Tea Estate Shop is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday, excluding Public Holidays. Eftpos and Credit Card facilities are available.
To this very day, we remain a 100% Australian family-owned farm Heartland Magazine | 27
Spirit of the Dance-Oliver Lewis From the age of 8 years old Oliver Lewis has been bringing joy into the world with his music when he began his life-long relationship with his violin. Although Oliver enjoyed his music and the and the journey he was on, he never imagined that one day he would play on some of the biggest stages with some of the worlds most incredible talents. He also didn’t realise that he was on track to become the Guinness Book of Record’s Fastest Violinists. Oliver’s gift was clear early on and at age 12 he became leader of the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain. Winning scholarships to the Purcell School of Music, the Guildhall School of Music, and the Bern Conservatoire, he studied with some of the world’s finest teachers, including Carl Pini, David Takeno, Jack Glickman, Igor Ozim and Wenxun Chen. Whilst at the Bern Conservatoire he completed his post-graduate studies with Richard Tognetti who went on to become the Artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. He made his concerto debut in 1991 in Switzerland, playing Bruch’s G minor Violin Concerto and Ravel’s Tzigane as soloist with the Bern Symphony Orchestra. In 1991 he became the leader and soloist of the Heidelberg Chamber Orchestra, and toured Europe with them for many years. During this time, he also made several CD recordings of chamber music for Guild Music, and his recordings of Elgar’s Violin Sonata and the complete works for violin and piano by Eugene Goossens (with pianist Jeremy Filsell) received a double five-star award from Classic CD Magazine. He made his London debut at the Wigmore Hall in 1997, and his UK concerto debut in 1999 as soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Bruch’s G minor Violin Concerto. His recording of the title music to the film Ladies in Lavender (2004) - also as soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - became a Classic FM Hall of Fame hit. He recorded Bach’s G minor Fugue for part of the soundtrack to Ladies in Lavender and played all of the solo gypsy violin music in the ‘Master of the House’ scene on the soundtrack to the 2012 blockbuster film Les Misérables. In October 2010 Oliver Lewis became the Guinness Book of Record’s World’s Fastest Violinist, after playing the Flight of the Bumblebee faster than any other violinist in history, live on BBC One’s Blue Peter. He broke his world record again in 2011 on the Ellen DeGeneres show in the US. Since 2001 Oliver has been the onstage solo electric violinist star of the smash hit Irish dance show Spirit of the Dance, notching up over 2000 performances with them worldwide, and he continues to tour with them to this day. Collaborating with the show’s music producer, Dave Williams, he created Deviations Project - a unique classical crossover group which was signed up to Neurodisc Records in the US in 2007. They produced three albums in total, and the huge popularity of their music peaked in 2009, when their Christmas album Adeste Fiddles reached #16 in the US Billboard Classical Crossover Chart. From 2015 - 2018 Oliver toured the UK as solo violinist with the shows The Last Tango and Tango Moderno, starring as the onstage tango violinist alongside World 30 | Heartland Magazine
Tango Champions Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, stars of the British TV show Strictly Come Dancing. Heartland Magazine was fortunate enough to catch up with Oliver via phone and immediately his energy and excitement for his work transferred through the line all the way from England. Spirit of the Dance will be blessing the stages throughout Australia on a tour through in April and May 2020 with Oliver featured amongst the high energy dancers and performers. Oliver gained his position with Spirit of the Dance when his actress friend drew his attention to a newspaper ad asking for a violinist. He answered the call and met with the producer who asked Oliver if he could move and entertain while he played. Immediately Oliver jumped on the table and performed letting out an elated ‘yee- haa’ at the end. Impressing producer David King, Oliver was in and hasn’t looked back since. Oliver’s preparation for show days entails a run in the morning which keeps him fit and energized and a light but filling lunch as not to be too heavy and full before show time. Pre- show Oliver enjoys a coffee and takes in the harnessed energy of the whole cast backstage. While the dancers are warming up and preparing for the show, Oliver describes the energy as an elastic band being pulled back before being released at show time. Audiences look forward to Oliver’s performance of Flight of the Bumblebee. The fast tempo and intricate fingering required to flawlessly perform this piece is immense however Oliver loves the anticipation of the audience and the sheer joy from the applause afterward. From the 8 year old boy who started playing the violin to the man who is now sharing his gift around the world to all types of audiences, he still has the same intense joy and continues to see what he can do next with his magnificent fiddle. As the violinist’s career reaches new hights, Oliver has been fortunate enough to appear in a wide range of performance opportunities. Oliver Lewis is a D’Addario Artist and endorses their products. He has appeared in films and commercials, playing the concert violinist lead role in a series of Europe-wide TV adverts for Opel cars, the featured violinist in two Christmas TV commercials for M&S, and was featured in the Cadburys Olympics TV commercial, in which he got to show off his record breaking violin speed. Oliver enjoys coming to Australia because he loves the people and how warmly he is received, as an artist as well as a person. He finds the people easy to talk with and can always find a good Irish pub to wined down in after the high energy show. Oliver Lewis has an incredible spirit and love for life which translates through his music and into the hearts of audiences around the globe. Lismore City Hall will host Spirit of the Dance on May 2nd and welcome Oliver with open ears and open hearts.
CUTLERY CREATIONS
Each piece of art not only looks intriguing to the eye, but it comes with a story of its own. You see, each sculpture is handcrafted from a little piece of history. Forgotten spoons & forks that could have potentially travelled the seven seas, fed the starving during the depression or created kitchen masterpieces! How many pieces of Art do you know that can literally transport you through time? The mantra of Cutlery Creations is to explore & discover pieces of our past & turn them into something we can enjoy today! From Australiana sculptures to insects & sea creatures you will never look at your cutlery the same way again. How it all began; Lewis was in his workshop during the early 1990’s trying to create a wind chime from old cutlery, he cut the tines off 2 forks, they landed on top of a teaspoon and to him it looked like a spider. He began cutting up spoons & forks of different shapes & sizes to see what other images could be found. One by one they began to evolve & collecting cutlery became a priority. As Lewis’s imagination grew, he developed many skills & techniques. The admiration that was obvious from others convinced him that he was creating something special. He began selling his sculptures at local markets & then bigger & better exhibitions; including the Darling Harbour Olympic Exhibition in 2000 where he received ‘A Gift of the Year Award’. Cutlery Creations has previously been featured on Totally Wild, Sunday Sunrise & in the Manning Great Lakes edition of the Focus Magazine.
not need re-polishing! Slight imperfections are not a fault but a reflection of the item being upcycled & handmade giving them individual characteristics. They hope you receive the same joy from owning them as they do in creating them. Lewis and Suzanne Alessandro
e: cutlerycreations@gmail.com w: www.cutlerycreations.com.au f: https://www.facebook.com/cutlerycreationsLewiSuzanneAles sandro/ I: Instgram.com/cutlerycreations
In 2002 Suzanne joined Lewis & they have been creating together ever since. The highlight of their career to date was in 2007 building 70 kangaroos & 18 platypus as gifts for the world leaders during the APEC conference in Sydney. A protective coating has been applied to all their sculptures, so they do Heartland Magazine | 31
From a few beers with mates, Mudgee Brewing Co has risen to success from a simple idea to become the forefront of the craft beer renaissance in Australia. Gary Leonard not only enjoys a quiet drink but also exploring and learning all about the techniques and heritage that go into making the different styles of craft beer. His passion lead Gary to choose Mudgee as the perfect location to establish the Mudgee Brewing Company.
couple well with the selection of brews offering a laid back afternoon with mates or a family gathering. Mudgee Brewing Co has not only tapped into Mudgee’s long heritage of beer making but the rich heritage of the area, conducting their brews out of a rustic 100-year-old red brick former wool store. Gary Leonard continues his journey and exploration of the craft beer world and produces fine, crafted beers ranging from seasonable pale ales to the rich taste of Mudgee.
Gary Leonard
Mudgee has a long history of brewing dating back to 1853 with the establishment of Crossings Brewery followed by Federal Brewery in 1883. Federal Brewery closed its doors in 1956 but not before instilling the legend of Mudgee Mud, which came about because of the amount of sediment in the beer due to a difference in the water quality being used. This has inspired Mudgee Brewing Co’s very own imperial stout which boasts hints of aniseed and liquorice undertones. Its smooth drinkability is reflective of the high-quality water used in todays brew and has put Mudgee back on the map for their beer, ale, stout, porter and larger. Mudgee Brewing Co hosts live music events and shares with guests the opportunity to meet the brewer and experience a tour like no other. Guests are welcomed to ask questions and learn about the brewing process as well as a grain tasting and a chance to smell the aromas from different hops. Taste 8 different beers and enjoy the included snacks while taking in the brewery’s surrounds, smells and tastes. Gary and his team at Mudgee Brewing Co can also cater for those special occasions or meetings that crop up throughout life. Their main hall can comfortably seat 80-100 guests or stand up to 150. The mezzanine is a great personal space which can fit up to 30 guests and is perfect for a morning business meeting, bridal or baby showers or any event which requires a more intimate setting. The extensive menu range offers breakfast and lunch from Wednesday to Sunday and dinner from Thursday to Sunday. Their all day pizza and snack menu 38
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Opening Hours Monday & Tuesday: Closed Wednesday: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm Thursday - Sunday: 8:00 am - Late Open Mic Night - 1st Thursday of every month Live music on Fridays from 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm Live music on Sundays from 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Mudgee Brewing Company info@mudgeebrewing.com.au
(02) 6372 6726
4 Church St, Mudgee NSW 2850, Australia
www.mudgeebrewing.com.au
Beers of the Month
Smokey Red – 5.1% The Smokey Red is a cracker of a smooth red ale. It has the hoppiness of an IPA with the smokey finish of a fine whiskey. Gary brewed this one to honour his wife, Debbie
Galaxy Pale Ale – 4.6% Brewed with Australian Hops this beer has a fruity up front hoppiness with a late bitterness. A beer suited to the Australian climate.
Mudgee Mud – 8.5% Mudgee Mud is a rich and smooth imperial stout, which boasts hints of aniseed and liquorice undertones. Topped off with a creamy head this stout revives the legend of brewing in Mudgee.
Pale Ale – 4.4% This crisp & lighter style of Pale Ale makes it an ideal first beer, guaranteed to wipe the dust from the back of your throat or the office from you day.
Heartland Magazine Special Feature | 39
AUSSIE MOTORING
The History of Holden The Holden Commodore 1978-2020 The Holden Commodore is a medium to large sedan sold by Holden since 1978. It was manufactured from 1978 to 2017 in Australia and from 1979 to 1990 in New Zealand, with production in Australia ending on 20 October 2017. Production of the Commodore ended in late 2019. For the original model, Holden replaced the long-serving Kingswood and Premier large executive cars developed in Australia, with another rear wheel drive (RWD) platform that was, however, based on a smaller European design by Opel, reengineered for Australian conditions. Subsequent series became larger, culminating with the fourth generation Commodore, fully developed in Australia and based on the GM Zeta platform.
The car was officially launched on 26 October 1978 with showrooms receiving the first examples on 13 November 1978. Production of the VB only lasted seventeen months, the shortest reign of any Commodore. The VB Commodore was effectively the successor of the Holden HZ, although most models in that series continued to be produced until the introduction of the facelifted VC Commodore on 30 March 1980. 95,906 units of the VB Commodore were manufactured during the car’s lifespan, and during 1979 the VB became Australia’s number one selling car. Also in 1979, the VB won Wheels Car of the Year award, with the car being praised in the media for its value for money and engineering sophistication. Introduced in October 1978, the VB Commodore development covered a period with the effects of the 1973 oil crisis still being
Initially introduced as a single sedan body style, the range expanded in 1979 to include a station wagon. From 1984, Holden began branding the flagship model as Holden Calais, with the Commodore Berlina introduced in 1984 gaining independent Holden Berlina nomenclature in 1988. Long-wheelbase Statesman/ Caprice derivatives and Commodore utility body variants followed in 1990. The third generation architecture spawned the most body styles, with a new Holden utility launched in 2000 (now officially as the Holden Ute), reborn Monaro coupé in 2001, fourdoor Holden Crewman utility and all-wheel drive (AWD) Holden Adventra crossover in 2003. Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) in 1987 began official modification of high performance variants of the Commodore and its derivatives, under its own nameplate. Rivalry came predominantly from the Ford Falcon—also locally built. Prior to the second generation Commodore of 1988, the Holden was positioned a full class below the full-size Falcon. To varying degrees, competition also came from mid-size offerings from Toyota Australia as well as Chrysler Australia, which morphed into Mitsubishi Motors Australia. Moreover, between 1989 and 1997, Australian federal government policy saw the launch of the Toyota Lexcen, which was a rebadged version of the second generation Commodore. With the introduction of the third generation in 1997, Holden implemented its largest export programs involving Commodore and its derivatives. In the Middle East, South Africa and Brazil, the Commodore sold as a Chevrolet. High-performance export versions followed in North America, sold as Pontiac and later Chevrolet. HSV also exported to the United Kingdom as Vauxhall, in the Middle East as Chevrolet Special Vehicles (CSV) and in New Zealand and Singapore as HSV. In December 2013, Holden announced that it would cease its local production by the end of October 2017 committing, however, to use the long-standing Commodore nameplate on its fifth-generation fully imported replacement, moving to a front-wheel drive (FWD)/ all-wheel drive (AWD) platform. On 10 December 2019, Holden announced that the Commodore nameplate would be discontinued, in what is, according to Holden’s interim Chairman and Managing Director Kristian Aquilina, “decisive action to ensure a sharp focus on the largest and most buoyant market segments”, focusing on their SUV and Ute range, which had accounted for over 76% of their lineup during 2019. This marks the end of the Commodore nameplates’ 41 years.” It all started with the First generation (1978-1988) VB (1978–1980) The Holden Commodore (VB) was was produced by the Australian manufacturer Holden, from 1978 to 1980. It was the first iteration of the first generation of the Holden Commodore. 48 | Heartland Magazine
felt. Hence, when Holden decided to replace the successful full-size HZ Kingswood with a new model line, they wanted the new car to be smaller and more fuel efficient. Originally, Holden looked at developing a new WA Kingswood, but that project was abandoned. With no replacement in development, Holden looked to Opel to provide the foundations of the VB, basing it loosely on the fourcylinder Rekord E bodyshell, with the front grafted on from the Opel Senator A, both constructed using GM’s V-body platform. This change was necessitated to accommodate the larger Holden six- and eight-cylinder engines. Holden also adopted the name “Commodore” from Opel, which had been using the name since 1967. Opel went on to use Holden’s Rekord-Senator hybrid as a foundation for its new generation Commodore C, slotting in between the two donor models. VB Commodore SL/E interior The VB series retained 96 percent of the preceding HZ Kingswood’s interior space, despite being 14 percent smaller in overall dimensions, although five percent larger than the Torana. With the Commodore dropping a full class below the Kingswood and its Ford Falcon competitor, the smaller Commodore was predictably more fuel-efficient. This downsizing was first seen as a major disadvantage for Holden, as they had effectively relinquished the potential of selling Commodores to the fleet and taxi industries. These sales losses were thought to be unrecoverable; however, the 1979 energy crisis saw Australian oil prices rise by 140 percent, putting substantial strain on the automotive industry to collectively downsize, a change that Holden had already done. During the VB’s development, Holden realised that when driven at speed over harsh Australian roads, the Rekord would effectively break in half at the firewall. This forced Holden to rework the entire car for local conditions, resulting in only 35 percent commonality with the Opel. The Rekord’s MacPherson strut front suspension was accordingly modified, and the recirculating ball steering was replaced with a rack and pinion type. These modifications blew
AUSSIE MOTORING development costs beyond expectations to a reported A$110 million—a figure close to the cost of developing a new model independently. With such a large sum consumed by the VB development programme, Holden was left with insufficient finances to resource the development of a wagon variant. Added that the Commodore architecture was considered an unsuitable base for utility and long-wheelbase models, Holden was left with only a sedan, albeit one in three levels of luxury: a base, SL, and SL/E. Desperate measures forced Holden to shape the Commodore frontend to the rear of the Rekord wagon. As the wagon-specific sheet metal had to be imported from Germany, the wagon, introduced in July 1979, suffered from inevitable component differences from the sedan. Although infrequently criticised in the early years, quality problems were evident, with poor trim and panel fit problematic for all first generation Commodores. This coupled with mechanical dilemmas such as water pump failure and steering rack rattle ensured warranty claims were high in the first year. In face of these issues, VB was praised for its value for money and sophistication, especially in regards to the steering, ride quality, handling and brakes, thus securing the Wheels Car of the Year award for 1978. Design & Development The VB Commodore was loosely based on the 1977 Opel Rekord E bodyshell but with the front grafted on from the Opel Senator to accommodate the larger Holden six-cylinder and V8 engines, giving it a similar appearance to the Opel Commodore, the Vauxhall Viceroy, sold in the UK and the Chevrolet Commodore, sold in South Africa. Overall, the body was strengthened substantially to withstand the harsh conditions of the Australian outback. Total cost of development is reported to be over A$110 million. The Commodore represented a major shift in thinking for Holden since it was significantly smaller than the previous full-size family car, the Holden Kingswood, but visually similar in size to the midsize Torana / Sunbird sedans. It essentially came about in response to the 1973 oil crisis and the need to produce more fuel-efficient cars. Holden, hedging their bets, initially built the Commodore alongside the other two established body styles, until the Torana was dropped in mid-1979, with only the Sunbird surviving into mid-1980 following release of the updated VC Commodore. The VB was available in three specification levels: Commodore, Commodore SL, and Commodore SL/E. A station wagon variant – not available in SL/E form – was released on 24 July 1979, hitting showrooms on 6 August 1979. It featured a large cargo area and an easy access one-piece lift-up tailgate. As the wagon-specific sheet metal had to be imported from Germany (from the Rekord), the wagon suffered from inevitable component differences from the sedan, confirmed by the separate keys for the ignition system and rear door. The OHV engines were largely carried over from the Kingswood: a 2.85-litre 64-kilowatt (86 hp) straight-six, 3.3-litre 71-kilowatt (96 hp) straight-six, 4.2-litre 87-kilowatt (117 hp) V8, which was also available with dual exhausts to produce 96 kilowatts (129 hp) of power, and a 5.0-litre 114-kilowatt (153 hp) V8, which in dual exhaust form was rated at 125 kilowatts (168 hp). The engine blocks on these motors were painted red and are therefore commonly referred to as the Red motors. The VB was also available with either a four-speed manual transmission or a three-speed Trimatic automatic transmission, or the Turbo-Hydramatic 350/400 automatic transmission with the 5.0-litre V8.
All V8’s came with power steering. On the station wagon, there was no 15x6 inch alloy wheels option. Commodore The Commodore was the baseline variant, and was available as a sedan or station wagon. The sedan was priced from A$6,513. Engines offered 2.85 L Red I6 (64 kW ( 86 hp)) 3.3 L Red I6 (66 kW ( 89 hp)) 4.2 L Red V8 (87 kW (117 hp)) 4.2 L Red V8 (96 kW (129 hp), dual exhaust) 5.0 L Red V8 (114 kW (153 hp)) Motorsport The VB Commodore featured heavily in Australian motorsport in the latter part of 1979 and through most of 1980. In 1979 the factory backed Holden Dealer Team entered a threecar VB Commodore team in the 20,000-kilometre (12,000 mi) Repco Round Australia Trial which started and finished at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and travelled clockwise around the country over some of the most inhospitable terrain imaginable. The team Commodore’s were powered by the 3.3-litre straight-six Holden Red motor rather than the more powerful V8 due to their much lighter weight. Anxious to prove the then new cars reliability, the cars were perfectly prepared and finished first, second and third. Lead HDT driver Peter Brock won the event along with codrivers Matt Phillip and Noel Richards. Brock has cited this event as his career highlight as it was an event in which many motor racing experts throughout Australia, as well as the media, did not believe he would do well in despite his previous rally and rallycross exploits. With new regulations for Group C Touring car racing introduced by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport in 1980 which forced teams to use low emission engines, the HDT (by now owned by Brock and with actual support from Holden dealers after Holden had pulled out of racing at the end of 1979) had been secretly testing a VB Commodore as its replacement for the A9X Torana. The new regulations saw that the Holden’s racing 5.0-litre V8 engine had a drop in power from 1979’s 380 hp (283 kW) to approximately 300 hp (224 kW). However, the new regulations also saw to it that the HDT had arguably the only race ready car for the 1980 Australian Touring Car Championship. Peter Brock won the championship in his VB Commodore, winning four of the eight rounds while claiming pole position at each and every round. 1979 ATCC winner Bob Morris also won a round of the championship driving his Craven Mild Racing VB Commodore. Brock then won the 1980 CRC 300 at Sydney’s Amaroo Park circuit before upgrading to the VC Commodore by the Hang Ten 400 at Sandown Raceway. The VB’s final placing in an Australian touring car race was a strong third place by Ian “Pete” Geoghegan and Paul Gulson at the 1980 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst (Brock and Jim Richards won their third straight Bathurst 1000 in their VC Commodore). As of 2015, the VB remains only one of two Commodore models (along with the VN) not to have won the Bathurst 1000.
We continue to the History of the Commodore in the next issue of Heartland Magazine Heartland Magazine | 49