Making their way

The three young people pictured grew up in Broadford and attended St Patrick’s Primary School and Assumption College Kilmore.

Georgia, Cooper and Nikki Knight-Martin enjoyed their school days. The youngest Cooper graduated in 2020. He is pursuing an army career and is currently stationed at Bonegilla.

His sisters studied nursing and Georgia is at St Arnaud Hospital. Nikki is at Griffith University in Queensland, studying medicine.

They are grateful to a number of their primary and secondary teachers along the way.

Sojourn in Africa

My sister, one of her sons and his wife have just spent some time in Africa.

They found the people polite, helpful and ever-smiling – even in the desperately poor townships.

We often read of crime in South Africa but they felt safer than what many now feel in Melbourne.

Buying souvenirs for family and friends back home, they found most items were made in Africa. In Australia, it’s nearly impossible to find anything not made in China.

The churches were packed with young and old, with some glorious singing.

The Brownlow

The Brownlow count at Crown is a big event in the AFL calendar.

Life changes for the winner who, in the modern era, is inundated with product sponsorships and Australia-wide publicity that greets them.

Collingwood’s Nick Daicos may have clocked up enough points before his injury. His closest challenge comes from Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli or Carlton’s Charlie Curnow.

I still recall the excitement engendered at Assumption when Shane Crawford won the coveted medal in 1999.

Teenage champion

Nineteen-year-old Coco Gauff was a brilliant winner of the women’s grand slam in New York.

The Florida girl gave thanks to her parents and acknowledged her dad’s coaching. She also knelt in prayer straight after her victory.

A devout Christian from a Baptist family, she thanked God for the gifts bestowed upon her. This upset the anti-religious crew in the media.

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The little fellow, pictured, is waiting for summer and cricket to return.

From a cricket-loving family near Harrow in Western Victoria, he can’t wait to join his older brother and sister on the playing fields.

He is growing up on one of the great rural estates from whence came Australia’s famed Aboriginal team that toured England a century and a half ago.

The idyllic township of Harrow has a museum in honour of that team and a statue of the captain Johnny Mullagh overlooks the tree-lined oval

Varia

If the Voice ‘yes’ fails, it will be quite possibly because ordinary Australian people don’t like being lectured on how to vote by millionaire sports executives and billionaire corporate executives or the wealthy self-styled elites who reside in the most affluent suburbs of our big cities.

QANTAS, among other big companies, gave multi-millions to the ‘yes’ case while the ‘no’ case got peanuts.

The latter campaign has relied on two magnificent indigenous folk, Jacinta Price and Warren Mundine, who have done the heavy lifting.

The pair know the Aboriginal story far better than any of the politicians and if the ‘yes’ vote fails much of the outcome will be to their credit.

Jacinta Price, pictured, is an extraordinary lady.

Her speech and presentation at The National Press Club in Canberra 10 days ago was brilliant and deserved the standing ovation she received.

There are more than a few in high places who believe she will one day be Prime Minister of Australia.

Price has spent most of her life in the Northern Territory and has for years advocated on behalf of indigenous women and children.

Highly intelligent and articulate, she is a shining star way ahead of most of the politicians of all sides in judicial and state politics. She never dodges a question and always provides straight answers.