2025 - Community News - Page 4

2025 NAIDOC Art Exhibition
July 10, 2025 in Community

The Oberon Community Centre is again hosting the annual NAIDOC Art Exhibition from July 7 to 17, and you really need to go there to have a look. And buy artworks too, of course.
See some photos of what's there here

Cars and coffee
July 10, 2025 in Community

It was the first Sunday in the month, so cars came from all around the place to gather in Oberon for the monthly Cars'n'Coffee gathering.
See a 4:45 slideshow of the cars here. (Photos supplied.)

It's hard to find the right word ...
July 3, 2025 in Community

... to describe what was on sale at the Oberon Men's Shed garage sale on Saturday, June 28.
It's easier to just look at the pictures

Do some good in your spare time
July 3, 2025 in Community and Schools

In 2011 an amazing program was started in NSW schools designed to teach primary school students about right and wrong, about how to behave towards others, how to use evidence instead of guesswork and how to live a good life. Since then over 70,000 children have been through the program. It is staffed completely by trained volunteers who give up their time each week to sit in a classroom and encourage students to do better with their lives.

Oberon Public School is looking for more volunteers. You can find out about volunteering and training here, and for more information specific to Oberon please contact Melanie Lawson on  or see the brochure here.

Would you like to be a shopkeeper?
July 3, 2025 in Community and Business

The General Store in Burraga has been closed for some time, and it's time it was back in business. All it needs is someone with a bit of time to take over the operation and bring some life back into the town. It was always a magnet for the groups of motorcycle riders who go for runs at weekends and has the possibility of becoming the place that tourists will be looking for when they want a coffee or some chips before heading to their next stop on the itinerary. Or the place the locals will be looking for when then need to buy some milk or bread without a 100km round trip to Bathurst or Oberon.

Running the shop won't make you Frank Lowy at Westfield, but it would suit someone looking for a quiet lifestyle and a desire to help the local community.

For more information, contact Michelle on .

Firemen focus on fitness
June 26, 2025 in Community

On Sunday, June 22, firefighters from Fire and Rescue NSW Station 411 Oberon completed their annual fitness test at the Oberon Recreation Ground.
See some photos of the day here

A new record. $69,000!!!
June 26, 2025 in Community and Sport

This year's Can Assist auction put on by Oberon's league teams raised a record $69,000 for the charity that provides help for local people with cancer and their families.
See some pictures from the night here

A modest proposal
June 26, 2025 in Community
Updated October 9, 2025

Oberon seems to be running out of street festivals, but a suggestion has been made for something that doesn't require the closing of any roads. The idea is to have a busking festival, with musicians performing in front of the shops on Oberon Street. These events happen all over NSW, so why not here too? It's early days in the planning and there's a lot of work to be done before a date can be announced (some time in October seems likely). There will be costs associated (payments to performers, Council fees, ...) so we will be looking for sponsors. If you think such a festival is a good idea (or even a bad idea) or would like to help or be a sponsor, please with your comments.

Update: Unfortunately bureaucracy, red tape and lack of time thwarted the idea. Maybe next year.

June 2025 Oberon Council Meeting
June 19, 2025 in Community
Updated July 17, 2025

Another month, another Oberon Council meeting (with a full complement of Councillors, because nobody has resigned this month). Opposition to wind farms showed its face, but some of it was deferred to a later date. And the Councillors voted themselves a pay rise of 0%!!
See a report on the meeting here

2025 Waste to Art competition
June 19, 2025 in Community

The Annual Sims Metal/NetWaste Waste to Art competition is on again and you can see Oberon's entries at the Library. This year's theme is "The Year of Toys", where ideas abut creating art works from old or discarded toys are encouraged.
See Oberon's entries here

Black Springs needs mobile coverage
June 19, 2025 in Community

The quest to get adequate mobile phone coverage in Black Springs has now been going on for nine years. That's nine years during which the residents of the town have been asking for something that the majority of the population of Australia take for granted. There have been plans, grants, arguments about where to put the tower, submissions to all levels of government, ... But you still can't call the NRMA if your car breaks down, ring the family to say you will be late home, call 000 when you need the police or an ambulance, use Google Maps when you get lost in the forest, or any of the other countless ways we've come to rely on those magic rectangles we all carry.

There's a petition asking for action. It might not make a difference, but the more people who sign it, the more likely they will be listened to.
See the petition here

Disappointment
June 12, 2025 in Community

The sad news is that Springfest planned for September this year has been cancelled. The decision was made because not enough support could be raised around town, and something like this needs a significant amount of money guaranteed to come in before the event to enable it to go ahead - insurance, performer fees for bands etc, government charge for closing the street, ... .

Oberon has had some very successful festival events in the past, like the long-running Daffodil Festival, the End of Year Spectaculars in 2022 and 2023 which brought out the biggest crowds seen in town for years and the Oberon and Villages Summer Festival. It was hoped that Springfest could repeat the success and enthusiasm of these past events, but it was not to be.

Jacqui Harman from Kenzell Farm must be congratulated and thanked for the work she put in to try to revive the festival spirit in Oberon. One day, maybe, we will all be able to get together to celebrate the town and surrounding area.

Remember when it really snowed?
June 12, 2025 in Community

The promised heavy snow falls over the long weekend didn't happen. There was some snow but nothing like what the inevitably optimistic tourists were told before they loaded up the 4WDs and headed west across the Blue Mountains. So here's a nostalgic look back to some days when there was actually some snow around.
See the pictures here

We have winners!!
June 12, 2025 in Community

Oberon Men's Shed's latest raffle has been drawn and the results are:

1st Prize, de Longhi Coffee Maker valued at $700, Darren.
2nd Prize, trailer of firewood valued at $300, Chad
3rd prize, voucher to purchase groceries at Mawhood's IGA valued at $150, Renee
4th prize, honey hamper supplied by Bathurst Honey Bee valued at $50, Kylie.

Congratulations to all winners.

The colours of Autumn
June 5, 2025 in Community

It's that time of year when Autumn turns to Winter, so here's a collection of pictures of what Autumn means around Oberon to remind us of the last few months.
See the pictures here

Cars and coffee
June 5, 2025 in Community

It was the first Sunday in the month, so cars came from all around the place to gather in Oberon for the monthly Cars'n'Coffee gathering.
See a 3 minute slideshow of the cars here. (Photos supplied.)

Click go the needles, click, click, click
May 29, 2025 in Community

Friday, May 23, saw the third installment of the project to produce rugs to warm up the laps of people going to events at the Malachi Gilmore Hall. The project has followed the entire process, from bales of wool to finished rugs.
See more about this here

Finding missing people
May29, 2025 in Community and People

Duckmaloi resident Dan Pritchard has an unusual job - he locates missing people. What makes his work more unusual is that he is very specialised - he looks for and finds missing people who are in vehicles under water.
See Dan's story here

Congratulations!
May 29, 2025 in Community and People

Congratulations to Felicity Webb on receiving her Oberon Rotary Scholarship, for the Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management at CSU Wagga Wagga. Thank you to Oberon Rotary for sponsoring and supporting education.

Check your smoke alarm
May 29, 2025 in Community

Fire and Rescue NSW is partnering with emergency services in NSW and around Australia for Smoke Alarm Action Day to take place on Sunday June 1, 2025. This is an annual nationwide day of action where the community is asked to take action and test their smoke alarms. Households can scan the QR code and request a free home fire safety visit where Firefighters will come to your home, check alarms, and install new ones if needed.

 A working smoke alarm halves the risk of fatality in a home fire, yet alarmingly, nearly half of the homes damaged or destroyed by fire in NSW do not have a working smoke alarm.
Click for the poster and QR code

May 2025 Oberon Council Meeting
May 22, 2025 in Community
Updated June 19, 2025

Following the swearing in of new Councillor Robert Lee, there were several matters of interest discussed by Councillors.
See a brief report on the meeting here