Cindy Verdich inspects her trays on the Karuah River.
DENMARK was occupied in WW1 by the invading Germans and young men were being conscripted into the army. Having sons, Hans and Marie Verdich were not prepared to see them sent to war and arranged to flee the country of their birth. One of their boys, Edward Wilhelm, found his way to Australia and set […]
A previous whale entanglement mission in Sydney Harbour.
NATIONAL Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) teams hit the water at Port Stephens on Friday to practice the critical and complex task of disentangling whales, ahead of the start of the annual humpback migration season. NPWS Team Leader Conservation Doug Beckers said, “Whale-watching is an increasingly popular activity right along NSW’s Coast, and it’s humbling […]
Pilar Patterson with her large coral-inspired ceramic piece
PILAR Patterson is a Clarence Town artist whose skill in making and decorating ceramic works is deservedly gaining attention. Recently, at the Dungog Arts Society “Faces and Places” exhibition, her work “the Brig O’Johnston Bridge” won first prize in Ceramics. It is a wheel-thrown platter, with a softly-coloured and thoughtfully-observed view of the bridge and […]
Robinson Reserve, Anna Bay - the drop off location for patrons of the Birubi Beach Shuttle Bus.
PORT Stephens Council is trialing a beach shuttle bus service in Anna Bay during the upcoming holiday period to improve connectivity and accessibility and ease congestion around Birubi Headland. The Birubi Beach Shuttle Bus trial runs from Saturday 12 April until Sunday 27 April, on a continuous loop from 9am to 12pm and 12:30pm to […]
Fingal Beach is alive with mullet over Easter.
WITH the colder months just around the corner it is time to reorganise and focus our efforts on fish that are more likely to arrive in our waters. This is the start of the bream and luderick season so you can expect to see the breakwall in Nelson Bay bristling with rods with an expectant […]
THE community has an opportunity to celebrate the incredible women who volunteer their time to make a difference, by nominating them for the 2025 Hidden Treasures Honour Roll. The Honour Roll, an initiative by the NSW Government, highlights the vital contributions of female volunteers across rural, regional and remote New South Wales. Since its inception […]
The murder of six people in a stabbing rampage is among incidents driving up the homicide toll. Photo: Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS.
MURDERS have spiked in Australia’s most populous state, driven by multiple-victim homicides including a shopping centre massacre in which six people were killed. A total of 85 people were murdered in NSW in 2024, up from 56 in the previous year and the highest toll since 2014, the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reports. […]
The agricultural sector is facing a mental health crisis.
A COALITION of rural organisations has called for immediate action to address the mental health crisis in agriculture. More than 30 rural and healthcare organisations launched a joint statement to address the crisis this week. Ahead of a federal budget and election, the group is calling on the Government to make an immediate investment of […]
The RAP will combine the Council’s current road funding as well as $7.1 million from the Special Rate Variation and $10 million of State and Federal grant funding.
PORT Stephens Council is committing more than $20 million to improve local roads as part of its new Roads Acceleration Program (RAP). Mayor Leah Anderson said the program was developed in response to community concerns about road conditions. “We know how important safe and reliable roads are to our community,” Mayor Anderson said. “Through ongoing […]
The Clarence Town Community Builders Task Team: Terry Anns, Robyn McKenzie, Heather Kilparick, Sue Shillington, Cathy Schneider, Trudy and Tobi Balstad, Sacha Anderson, Karen Drinan, Sandra Hastedt, Rose and Dusty Roberts. Absent: Chris O’Neill, Alan Green, Bec Towers, Christine Penderson and Michael Anderson.
THE Community Builders Program has been making waves across Dungog Shire and Stroud over the past 12 months, inspiring residents to think critically about what it means to build a strong and thriving community. The program is now entering its next phase, and locals are invited to take part in shaping their towns through a […]
