Tales of the Valley

How many residents of the Manning Valley have featured on an Australia Post stamp? Macquarie Island, located between Tasmania and the Antarctic, was the site of the world’s most successful rabbit eradication program ever conducted and Gus, the Springer Spaniel, was part of this program. Narelle Campbell, Team Leader on the island, fell in love with Gus and adopted this amazing dog after a tragic accident. This is their heart-rendering story.

Paralympian runner James Turner is the best in the world. He's hoping to repeat his world beating performances in the T36 category of the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics. James tells us that he’s always been active despite living with cerebral palsy. He took up ballet, Tai Kwon Do and even football as a child but now running is what he excels at. And his able-bodied, athlete twin sister Hayley has always kept him competitive!

There are some really well known 'main street' families from Taree. One of them is the Dahdah family which had a high profile connection to  Victoria Street for generations. Peter Dahdah worked in the clothing retailer for many years and has contributed to the local community through his extensive service club work and connections. We asked Peter to recall his recollections of the family's early days in Taree, the changes to the business and how the Manning Valley has changed in his lifetime.

Travel in our younger years can expand the mind and our ideas. Then many of us settle down to our regular life back at home. For Brian Wallace his earlier adventures have led him on a path to living and working in China for around 30 years where he is the Founder and Director of the Red Gate Gallery. The gallery is famous for the forstering, development and showcasing of contemporary Chinese art and artists. Brian has lived through the massive social and cultural changes and challenges the world's most populous nation of the last three decades. He was back in his home town Taree and on an extended visit due to COVID 19 preventing his return to his other home, Beijing.

The Cochlear implant has changed the lives of many - both young and old. One of the men responsible for surgeries that have brough hearing to so many is  Professor William Gibson who has a close connection to the Manning Valley. Listeners may want to check out the group Cicada for more information and connections

Who could forget the summer of 2019/20? The horrendous fire season destroyed lives, property and wildlife. For many it will be a life changing season, where communities fought the fires together, looked out for each other and hope to rebuild again in recovery.  Bushfires surrounded the coastal village of Wallabi Point. Kirby shares her story of preparation, evacuation with her three small children and then the start of the recovery process. Despite the odds, her village didn't lose a single house, but it was oh so close and very scary!

Narelle Campbell's dreams of going to the Antarctic began when she was a 16 year old.  She didn't not get to realise that goal until she had achieved success in her business career. Now she has been a team leader at four Australian Antarctic bases. In this episode she shares the story of her journey from Wingham High School to one of  the world's final frontiers. Its fascinating and inspiring! 

Wendy Machin rose quickly through political ranks to be a local member, speaker of the NSW Parliament and then a leader in a billion-dollar company. From humble days at Wingham with sawmilling family, she, like so many others from this small country town in the Manning Valley, has made her mark in the world. Today we’ll hear how her parents and her disabled older sister have had an enormous impact not only on the family, but on her view of our community and the world. 

"We know more about outer space than we do about soil life". This week's guest Lee Fieldhouse is excited about microbes, earthworms and soil health. We might all be learning about where our food comes from, but ultimately is comes from the soil, and we hear Lee's philosophy and practice are about caring for our land.  You can find more information here about Lee's products and services. He is based on Oxley Island in the Manning Valley

Our region has some really terrific signature events such as Taree's EnviroFair  and the upcoming Festival of the Sun at Port Macquarie.  But remember, events don't just happen  - they start as ideas, and then need to be built, managed and maintained! There are volunteers to be mustered and money to raised, bands to be booked and the food tents locked in. In this  episode of Tales of the Valley you'll meet Rosíe Smith, a real driving force behind the development of our vibrant annual event calendar. Her work takes her around the country, away from her family but her heart is both in her event management work as well as here in  the Manning Valley.

It takes a lot of courage to establish something brand new. To take a risk, trust yourself and your colleagues, and to keep going when the going gets tough. Donna Ballard has done just that. She is a driver behind the Akoostik Music Festival in Wingham NSW which is a now a premier 3-day music event. She is the first in our series called "Tales of the Valley".