April 8, 2026
Indigenous artist Bryce Moran joins CHL exhibition to promote mental health awareness Bryce Moran and his sea life-inspired artworks on display at the Port Macquarie Library. Photograph: supplied.
Community

Indigenous artist Bryce Moran joins CHL exhibition to promote mental health awareness

A PICTURE can tell a thousand words, but for 76-year-old Bryce Moran, a paintbrush can also tell a story of culture, healing and hope. The proud Indigenous artist, Elder, and Community Housing Limited (CHL) tenant, has exhibited his work across Australia. Yet, it’s a local art show that holds the deepest meaning for him. This […]

Read More
Applications open for regional artist development program Jeremy Sheehan, a visual artist and Lead Mentor in the program.
Editor's Picks

Applications open for regional artist development program

ARTS Mid North Coast has launched “Shared Practice”, an 18-month regional artist development program designed to support emerging and mid-career visual artists. The program connects local artists with experienced mentors to foster professional growth, artistic exploration, and community engagement. Through mentoring, group sessions, and creative development, participants will have the opportunity to gain fresh perspectives, […]

Read More
Athletics medal haul for 10yo Courtney Date
Sport

Athletics medal haul for 10yo Courtney Date

COURTNEY Date has just completed her first year of Little Athletics at Camden Haven. The 10-year-old from Bobs Creek now has a haul of awards so large that her family jokes about her needing a bigger bedroom wall to accommodate them all. Last month, Courtney attended the School Sport Australia (SSA) Track and Field Championships […]

Read More
Marine Rescue volunteers return 800-plus boaters to safety A Marine Rescue crew member with a rescued sailor.
Local News

Marine Rescue volunteers return 800-plus boaters to safety

MARINE Rescue NSW volunteers across the state returned 823 people safely to shore during November, completing more than 370 search and rescue missions including 108 emergency responses. Acting Commissioner Todd Andrews said demand remains high for the volunteer service. “Following successive record months in September and October, our volunteers were in high demand throughout November, […]

Read More
Hastings community reminded to review bushfire plan Robert Dwyer MP with Johns River Brigade Captain Chris Bawn.
Community

Hastings community reminded to review bushfire plan

WITH the summer season well underway, emergency services are urging the community to prioritise safety and take simple steps to prepare for extreme weather and potential emergencies. Member for Port Macquarie Robert Dwyer said, “Summer is one of the busiest periods for emergency responders, with increased risks of bushfires, storms, floods and water-related incidents. “Agencies […]

Read More
Legal Hypothetical: A one-way ticket to the naughty list
Hypothetical

Legal Hypothetical: A one-way ticket to the naughty list

AFTER many years of delivering Christmas Cheer around the world, Santa decides it is time to get his legal affairs in order. He visits his long-time solicitor Ebenezer Scrooge, who dutifully prepares a Power of Attorney (‘POA’) appointing Santa’s son, Kringle Jr. The POA contains a specific power allowing Kringle Jr. to oversee “emergency operational […]

Read More
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, Real tree or fake? Kids are nagging me for a real one, but I have a tree on the mezzanine that I can just drag down and decorate. Katherine E. Dear Katherine, I don’t want to alarm you, but do you realise we are heading towards the pointy end of Christmas? With just […]

Read More
Christmas symbols and decorations steeped in ancient history Some of the symbols and decorations associated with Christmas date to ancient times.
Regional

Christmas symbols and decorations steeped in ancient history

HAVE you ever wondered why we decorate cone-bearing trees, eat turkey and ham, light candles, pull bonbons, hang Christmas stockings, decorate homes, make wreaths and credit Santa with delivering presents via flying reindeer? Most of us know that many Christmas traditions from the Northern Hemisphere sailed south with immigrants. But many so-called Christmas traditions originated […]

Read More
Channelling my mother’s festive spirit through her Christmas cake Ladies in black: Jean Ball, Ann Cain and Duna Miranda with Miss McGregor in her shop in 1958.
Food

Channelling my mother’s festive spirit through her Christmas cake

The recipe written in Mum’s hand in 1958. Photos: Pauline Cain. Ladies in black: Jean Ball, Ann Cain and Duna Miranda with Miss McGregor in her shop in 1958. : Soaking the fruit in Grandma Cain’s bowl. Mum wrote the recipe in the back of this well worn Presbyterian Women’s Missionary Union cookbook, which I […]

Read More
Christmas visits inspire joy at Camden Haven aged care facilities True to character, the Grinch added a little mischief.
Local News

Christmas visits inspire joy at Camden Haven aged care facilities

True to character, the Grinch added a little mischief. True to character, the Grinch added a little mischief. FESTIVE cheer was delivered to residents at Laurieton Lakeside Nursing Home and Lake Cathie Manor earlier this month, with Christmas visits that brought smiles, music and laughter to both facilities. The visits were organised by Simplicity Funerals, […]

Read More