Narromine $2.50 incl GST
Thursday, April 6, 2023
PROUDLY SERVING THE NARROMINE, TRANGIE AND TOMINGLEY REGION
HOME DELIVERY AVAILABLE: CONTACT YOUR LOCAL NEWSAGENT FOR DETAILS
A day at the races, Tomingley Picnics “magnificent” success
Women’s Shed Smiles and grit at celebrates 10-years League Tag Gala Day STORY: PAGE 3
STORY: PAGE 8
STORY & PHOTOS: PAGE 20
Local artist’s work unveiled, and firefighters receive National Emergency Medals By LUKE WILLIAMS A FITTING tribute to deceased local artist Lionel Phillips has been unveiled by the Trangie outfit of Fire and Rescue NSW. Last Thursday (March 30) a special ceremony was held to officially unveil the Rainbow Serpent Creation artwork on Rescue Pump 465 Trangie. Mr Phillips’ painting tells the story of the Rainbow Serpent - that many years ago the land was flat, and all water would be wasted. Bannoona (moonspirit) and Yunghi (sunspirit) created a lot of rain. Gulna (motherearth) softened the ground, then the Rainbow serpent would wiggle his way all over land creating mountains, hills, water holes, lakes, and rivers. This is how today we have all the water catchments on our land. Mr Phillips’ daughter, son and nephew were in attendance, to explain the story being told by the painting. A smoking ceremony was conducted by Uncle Ralph Naden from Gilgandra and the Trangie Local Aboriginal Lands Council arranged an Acknowledgement to Country in language. At the special ceremony, Trangie fi refighters were
Trangie F&RNSW brigade has unveiled a tribute to deceased local artist Lionel Phillips. PHOTO: NARROMINE STAR.
also presented with National Emergency Medals for their contribution to the fi refighting efforts during the 2019/20 bushfi res. The
National
Emergency
Medal is an award of the Australian honours system given for sustained service during a nationally significant emergency. The medal was established by Queen Elizabeth II in
October 2011. Trangie’s brigade member Robert Armstrong has been a fi refighter for years. He’s seen homes razed. Flames rising higher than trees. In the 2019-
Strike gold with a career in mining Alkane Resources ŚĂƐ Ă ůŽŶŐͲƚĞƌŵ ŝŶǀĞƐƚŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ ŵŝŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŐŽůĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ Ăƚ dŽŵŝŶŐůĞLJ 'ŽůĚ KƉĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ, south of Dubbo. If you’re interested in a rewarding career in mining, work with us. dŽ ĮŶĚ ŽƵƚ ŵŽƌĞ ĂďŽƵƚ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ĞŵƉůŽLJŵĞŶƚ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ͕ ŐŽ ƚŽ ǁǁǁ͘ĂůŬĂŶĞ͘ĐŽŵ͘ĂƵͬĐŽŵƉĂŶLJͬĐĂƌĞĞƌƐ ^ƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵů ĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐ ũŽŝŶ Ă ǀŝďƌĂŶƚ ĂŶĚ ĞŶƚŚƵƐŝĂƐƟĐ ƚĞĂŵ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƚĞ ƚŽ Ă ĐƵůƚƵƌĞ ŽĨ ŝŶĐůƵƐŝŽŶ͕ ŝŶƚĞŐƌŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƚ ʹ for each other, the environment and the local community.
20 bushfi res, he saw something he’d never seen before at a fi re front “grown men collapsing on the ground crying”. “These too were fi refighters who had also fought many fi res,” Mr Armstrong told the Narromine Star. “The size and the strength of the fi res, coupled with 12-hour shifts and a lack of sleep meant some of the guys just broke down in tears”. Mr Armstrong and other fellow Trangie Fire Brigade members were deployed after bushfi res began in September 2019 in the state’s north. They worked their way down to the south by the time fi res were all but completely extinguished in February 2020. “It roars at you,” Mr Armstrong said of those fi res, “things explode around you. You have very little visibility. They reach as high as you can see.” Over 11,400 fi res burned 5.5 million hectares or six per cent of the state - destroying 2448 homes, as well as 284 facilities and more than 5000 outbuildings in the state. It took poise, resilience, and bravery to fight those fi res.
Continued page 12