THE FORGOTTEN BUSH
The highland scene is a feature of the Australian landscape.
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The “bush” has inspired fine writers such as Ion Idriess, Frank Clune, Henry Lawson and many more. Mountains, plains, rivers, lakes, desert it is a land of many parts and resolute land working people. Life is often rewarding, often tough for people on the land – folk so vital to the nation. But life is becoming ever more difficult for people in the vast expanses beyond our coastal cities. Country people belong to the “real Australia” – an Australia that sadly is being driven into the ground by uncaring city-based politicians and bloated bureaucracy. A combination of drought, governments’ ever increasing taxes and regulations become too great a burden. A sad example is from a family I have known in S.W Victoria. Fourth generation farmers, a great mum and dad with four teenage children – they were battling tough times. Then five “heavies” from the windfarm industry knocked at the door and told the dad “We’ve surveyed your property from the air. It’s ideal for a windfarm”. “There’ll be nothing of the life on our land”, replied this really good man. “You’ve got no say in it” the men in suits told him. This current day breed of federal and state politicians in power has much to account for.
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WHEN WINTER COMES
After a mild, sunny autumn, winters first month has also been mild. Probably July will see the traditional Kilmore mid-year weather. But I doubt we’ll see a return to the scene of a decade or so ago which shows ACK students revelling in a July snowfall.
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FREMANTLE GETS THE NOD
With the AFL season beyond the half-way stage the front runner is certainly Fremantle. If it continues its winning form it should get two finals at Optus Stadium in Perth with a 95 per cent raucous home crowd. Meanwhile the power brokers of the AFL seem to have cooled on their idea of trying to take this game to India and instead are talking California. Efforts to gain a footing in England, South Africa, China and New Zealand have proved futile.
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VARIA
Shannon is a well known and respected name in the Lancefield region, and a number have attended ACK over the generations. A branch of the family is equally well known in the Riverina. Several generations from the north have schooled at Assumption with distinction. Now residents of Griffith (NSW), Jim Shannon and his wife Maureen made the long trek south to visit a son, Luke, who is boarding supervisor at the college having been a student there a decade ago. I caught up with Jim and his wife and reminisced about great times over the years. Roast dinners at the Shannon farm near Finley were a highlight of some holiday visits.
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Briefly met up “down town” with three good men the other day – Noel Baker of Kilmore East, Geoff Ral and Vince Brancatisano of Kilmore. Each a fine person, good to know. The trio are highly respected in the region. Geoff Ral and his brother Denis were very early students of mine at ACK and the years have rolled by so quickly. Vince was at Assumption in the eighties with Billy Brownless, Tim Powell and co.
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SHINING STAR
Ellyse Perry has been a star of the women’s game for nearly two decades. She debuted for Australia as a teenager and her career has been a glittering one. She is still starring for the Aussies in the 2026 T20 World Cup in England. A standing ovation from a big Lord’s crowd greeted Ellyse’s brilliant innings against the West Indies.
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Meanwhile the New Zealand men’s team has continued to perform superbly in tests in the UK. It hammered England before capacity crowds at The Oval in London. A small nation, with its total population less than Melbourne’s, it punches well above its weight in rugby, cricket, soccer, netball etc. Their cricketers play tests in Australia this coming summer and it will be a tough hard-fought series. With far less financial resources than the Australians the Kiwi’s make up for this playing with tremendous pride and spirit.
