Top shot recornised nationally
Kyabram hobby photographer Estelle Close has finished in the top 10 in the black and white section of a national photo competition.
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The Kyabram nurse’s shots of Kyabram’s famous rodeo in March 2024 has just made the top 10 placings of a Australian Photograph Magazine competition.
The latest issue of Australian Photography (Special Photographer of the Year 2024-25 edition) presents a stunning visual record of the best entries across the nine categories of the competition.
Now in its 12th year, Photographer of the Year is the largest competition of its kind for amateur photographers in Australasia, and this year attracted more than 2800 entries from across the region.
Estelle submitted three rodeo photos in the competition and was pleasantly surprised last week when informed they had made a big impression with judges.
Estelle has always been a shutterbug and studied photography in her days at the Kyabram High School.
‘‘Three years ago I joined the Echuca Camera Club and got really interested again,’’ Estelle said.
Estelle said being on outback photo shoots with noted Australian photographers Adam Edwards and Tom Putt had been very beneficial for her hobby.
“I’ve also done the Bright Photography Festival for the last three years which I really enjoy,’’ she said.
Lake off limits
Don’t think about venturing to Green’s Lake for the new year break.
Because of public safety concerns the lake will be closed, as it has been for the past 10 years over the new year period, after emergency services pushed for the shutdown following multiple incidents.
The lake will be closed from Tuesday, December 31, and reopen at noon on Wednesday, January 1.
Anyone seeking more information, visit www.gmwater.com.au/greenslake
Heat hits region
Yes it was stinka.
But fortunately not quite as hot as the weather forecasters tipped.
On Monday of last week, the mercury climbed to a maximum of 43ºC, which is still unpleasant enough but not quite as uncomfortable as the 45-46ºC predicted.
It is easily the hottest day Kyabramites have encountered this year and the first time for the year the mercury has gone over 40ºC.
And the dry spell continues.
No rain has been recorded since December 8 when 0.4mm was recorded up to last weekend.
The December total up to then weekend was 15.2mm which is well below the December average of 450mm.
Dry here, soggy elsewhere
While it’s been a bit of a dry argument weather-wise of late in our district it's been pretty soggy in other parts of the country, especially in the northern states.
Up at Burketown in Queensland they have had 1458mm of rain up to December which is 187 per cent more than the average and quite a deal more than Kyabram’s 450mm average.
In the Northern Territory at Victoria River Downs Station, it has also been a wet year with 1431mm recorded which is 213 per cent more than the average.
Closer to home, Cunnamulla in south-western Queensland has also endured a wetter year than normal with 599mm, which a 166 per cent above its yearly average fall.
Big sales
Serious money has exchanged hands for properties in Australia in 2024.
Australian Food and Agriculture Company unloaded an aggregate of properties totalling 225,405 hectares at Deniliquin, Hay and Coonamble NSW for $789 million topped the list and is now in the ownership of Agricultural and Natural Solutions Acquisition Corporation (US).
Closer to home, Katunga Fresh, a 21-hectare property in the hands of the Van Der Goor family, was acquired by Centura Capital Group for $100 million.
This is not exactly play money.
Quiz master
Barooga resident Lily Noonan got some national exposure for her town when declared the recent winner of the ABC’s Hard Quiz competition.
Hard Quiz pits four contestants against each other in a battle to find the ultimate quiz champion.
Lily’s category was Supernatural, a US television show and she was awarded her prize from the quick-witted comedian presenter Tom Gleeson.
The series was filmed in November of 2023 and keeping what she had achieved under her hat for so long proved a real challenge for Lily.
Well wishes to all
Wishing all our readers and advertisers a happy Christmas and safe new year.
Normal weekly publication dates of the Free Press will be resume on Wednesday, January 8.
Square dinkum
G’day
Santa Claus is busy and so are all the elves,
packing up the presents and emptying the shelves.
Children gently sleeping, dreamtime in their heads,
pillow slips and stockings hanging at the foot of beds.
Fairy lights and tinsel adorn a Christmas tree,
a midnight choir of carolers are singing way off key.
A turkey with the trimming, some eggnog and some beer,
a little sprig of wattle for some extra Aussie cheer.
Families will gather, each in their own way –
to celebrate the season and the joy of Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas to all.
Sports reporter