Local news for local people
Welcome to the Oberon Matters web site
No 132 - October 15, 2026
Mrs Plover and her chicken.
Technology (and its price) marches on.
I've recently had the frustrating experience of changing the email system I've been using for decades (and which did exactly what I wanted) because of changes made to other email systems (I'm looking at you, Gmail) and by service providers (suddenly I couldn't send emails at all). The experience attracted the acronym PITA.
Once that was almost fixed I turned my attention to the outrageous price changed by Adobe to use Photoshop and Acrobat (ten times what Microsoft charges for Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint). It seems that I have alternatives for both in other software subscriptions, so I'm experimenting with using these other products. The Acrobat replacement seems to work without any problems, but the Photoshop replacement means learning a whole new way of going about things. A couple of things that are easy in Photoshop are probably available by digging down through menus and I'm sure there will be things that are too difficult to keep using so I will have to do something else.
I spent my working life figuring out what software does and doesn't do and how to use it effectively so I accept the challenge. My university studies into the internal working of the minds of first year students and white rats have been helpful.
The short version is that the quality of photos here might not be quite as good as I would like for a while but things will get better.
PB
Your Federal Member's Community Update Your community update from the Federal Member for Calare, Andrew Gee MP, can be seen here. |  |
 | A day out at the markets Saturday, October 10, saw another edition of the Seasonal Markets at the Edith Rec Ground. The number of stalls was a little smaller this time that in the past, but that didn't affect the experience. There was still lots to see and, with a busker performing, to hear. |
Opinion - Do we need a puppy farm near Oberon? For some unknown reason I wasn't aware until this
week of a proposal that has been put to Oberon Council for a dog and cat
breeding operation at O'Connell. Apparently the business has been
running since 2020, so it's rather strange that approval has not been
sought before this. |
Oberon Council Mayor's Column This fortnight's column from Oberon Mayor Andrew McKibbin can be seen here. |  |
The Oberon taxi has new owners.
Ring
to book your ride.
 | A little bit of schooling does you good Things are slowly getting back to normal after the holidays, although Year 12 students starting the HSC this week would probably love something approaching normal. |
Worried about your Year 12 exams? 3 ways to help anxiety Nobody would deny that exams are very stressful, even if you think you know the work. The stress is probably greatest at the HSC if you think the results will dictate the rest of your life (hint - they shouldn't and don't). This article from The Conversation has some useful advice about coping with exam stress. |  |
 | All the sport that's fit to print Another quiet week in sport with only the pony club, hockey and the inevitable golfers challenging the back pages. We are all waiting for a summer season of something. |
Corner of Oberon and Dudley Streets, opposite the RSL
Another place to eat in Oberon
And what about the food? Oberon Matters test drove a bacon and egg roll and some chips and the reviewer kept mumbling "Excellent!" through mouthfuls of bun. But you need to go there to see for yourself. Find out more at Emma's Facebook page. While you're here, Emma lost her house in one of the fires a few days ago. You can help by going to https://gofund.me/f53b941d1 and throwing a few dollars into the collection bucket. |  |
Have you ever got back to Oberon late in the evening (and even later now with Victoria Pass closed) and wanted to buy some food but everything seems to be closed? Well, now there's an answer because Emma Leggo has opened Emma's Takeaway, It's in the BP service station on Albion Street and it's open at the following times: | Excitement in the forests is coming to Oberon Forest rallying returns to Oberon with events on October 31 and November 14. On October 31, the Australian Motor Sport Action Group (AMSAG) will be holding a rally based on Black Springs. The service park will be the Avoca Reserve and the action will take place in Vulcan and Essington State Forests. The roads in these forests provide excellent action for both competitors and spectators. Two weeks later the Rally Car Club will be running the final round of the NSW Rally Championship. The service park and rally HQ will be at the Oberon Sports Complex with competition happening in Jenolan and Hampton State Forests. If you want to get even closer to the action, both events require officials and you don't have to have any specialised knowledge. Officials are always needed for road closures, timing control points and spectator control. For more details contact AMSAG or the Rally Car Club. Better still, contact both of them. |
Remembering the goodest dog This week marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Cody, who was my best friend in the world when I moved to Oberon. This is something I wrote for the Oberon Writers' Workshop in 2019. |  |
Two views of the same subject
 | Book review: "The Digital Delusion" by Jared Cooney Horvath There is a range of views on the use of screens and other technology in schools. One extreme is that they are essential to prepare students for life in the real world where the technology is ubiquitous. The other extreme is that their use is harmful and degrades the learning process by both distraction and deskilling. The truth, as with most things, lies somewhere in between. This book leans towards the "harmful" end of the spectrum. |
New research looks at how screens are actually being used in Australian classrooms - the results may surprise you With all the schools on holidays there's not a lot of activity to report, so here's an article from The Conversation detailing research into the use of screens and devices in schools. It seems that things might not be as bad as some people think. |  |
 | When most sport stops, the golfers don't Almost all sports have finished their seasons and celebrated with presentations, but the golfers just keep getting back out there doing a whatever it is that golfers do. |
 | A neutral safe space to enjoy other local blokes' company, with a range of activities. It's a great starting point for blokes new to Oberon to meet locals or for locals to catch up with old mates. There's even a very nutritious lunch at minimum cost. |
| Oberon Men's Shed meets every Tuesday at the Showground | |
First piles drilled in major milestone for Victoria Pass reinstatement Someone was whining on Facebook a few days ago, complaining that no work was being done to reopen Victoria Pass. He was wrong, of course, but attempts to educate him failed. Here is the latest report from Transport for NSW, with a video showing that a lot is really happening. |  |
 | RFS recognises years of service The Rural Fire Service had ceremonies on September 26 to recognise the service that its members have provided over the years. Members from Oberon and surrounds figured prominently. |
Oberon Council Mayor's Column This fortnight's column from Oberon Mayor Andrew McKibbin can be seen here. | |
 | We like it when firefighters just play cards all day Everyone likes to keep busy, but there are some occupations which we all wish never had to do any work at all. One of these is Fire and Rescue. Last week, the firefighters in Oberon had almost too much work to do with two house fires only days apart. |
They Say They're Saving a Forest. They're Really Saving Coal. There's that old saying: "Follow the money". Social commentator Frackman Project has done a bit of research into what is going on around Oberon. It's worth a read. |  |
Mayoral Message: Request for Respectful Debate The investigation into the feasibility of constructing and operating The Pines Wind Farm is a highly significant issue that has generated strong and differing views across our community. Mayor Andrew McKibbin asks for politeness and restraint. |
 | Year 12 students might feel anxious as exams approach. Here's what can help With final exams coming up, students might (probably will) be anxious about their results and what those results mean for the rest of their lives. This article from The Conversation might help with that anxiety. |
Schools settle down for the holidays. And the HSC. The week before the holidays and everyone is looking forward to a few days away from education. Except for Year 12, of course, who are looking forward with trepidation to the HSC exams. Good luck to all (although you probably don't need it). |  |
 | Sport winds down for the season With almost all the sports reaching the end of their seasons, it was a week of presentations and looking back to 2026 and forward to 2027. |
Visitor statistics
October 1, 2026
Here is what has happened around this site over the last three months
| Month | Unique visitors | Most read page in the month |
| July | 14,531 | New owners for Oberon's taxi |
| August | 11,150 | What's On In Oberon |
| September | 11,962 | Opinion - When adults behave like children |
With new filters against AI scavengers, the recorded visitor numbers are now at a much more reasonable level. And this month, both Google and Bing have crawled more pages than ChatGPT.
And the weirdness continues. For over 20 years I ran a successful online magazine called The Millenium Project. Other than search engines it is now the second highest referral site after Facebook. I can only assume that my old fans have asked themselves "What is he doing now?" and followed the link there that sends them here.
"Unique visitors" counts IP addresses that have connected to the site at least once during the month. It doesn't include search engines, but even if it did Google and Bing (who index the site at least once a week) would only be counted as one visitor each. Put another way, it is the lowest estimate of the number of visits to the site during the month.
Stories and articles for the most recent three weeks appear on the front page.
For earlier stories
see the Site History page.
We would like to acknowledge the Wiradjuri, Gundungurra and Dharug nations as the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work and we pay our respect to Elders past, present and future
Site last updated on October 14, 2026
