Articles published in February 2026

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There's a new club in town
February 5, 2026 in Community

Oberon has a new Probus Club (new because there was one here in the 1990s). The aims of the club are set out below.

Our Probus Club exists to bring together retired and semi-retired members of our community in a spirit of friendship, fellowship and fun. We provide opportunities to stay socially connected, mentally stimulated, and actively engaged in life after work. Through regular meetings, guest speakers, outings, and special interest groups, we foster companionship, encourage lifelong learning, and celebrate the joy of shared experiences. Our goal is simple: to enrich retirement by creating a welcoming space where friendships flourish and every member feels valued.

You can find out all you need to know about Probus Oberon at their web site.

An old scam resurrected. And it's completely legal. February 5, 2026 in General News When Benjamin Franklin said that the only inevitable things were death and taxes he couldn't have foreseen the scam invoice industry. If there's a "legal" way to defraud people or organisations, someone will find the niche and fill it. One method of fraud has arrived at Oberon Matters twice in the last few weeks. There's more to see here

Moron Alert February 5, 2026 in General News and People Unfortunately, even a small and friendly town like Oberon has its share of people who behave like idiots. See the latest example here

Open letter from The Pines Wind Farm
February 5, 2026 in General News

Following some misleading information spread through social media, the Pines Wind Farm have issued an open letter to anyone who cares to read it. Rather predictably it has triggered more misinformation on social media.
See the open letter here

It's schoolin' time again February 5, 2026 in Schools It's the first week of the school year so not a lot is happening, except for kindergartens starting and students moving into Year 7 and finding out what to do next. See the stories here

Sport is back February 5, 2026 in Sport A new year and a new start for Oberon's sporting community. See the initial moves here

Celebrate the Avenue of Trees
February 12, 2026 in Community

Nobody who lives in or around Oberon could be unaware of the Memorial Avenue of Trees in O'Connell. 2026 marks the centenary of the planting of the first of these trees as a memorial to the local residents who served and the some who died in the First World War. The avenue has been maintained over the century with regular pruning and replacement of trees that have died, but there are still many of the original trees there.

On March 15 there will be a ceremony to celebrate the hundred years since the planting of the first tree and to remember those who went to war and never came back.

The ceremony will start at 10am with a walk along the avenue from the O'Connell Hotel. O'Connell Road will be closed to traffic between Beaconsfield Road and the hotel. The ceremony will include

• Attendance by a Notable Military Dignitary
• A Tiger Moth aircraft fly-past
• A stirring Light Horse re-enactment
• Planting of a Desert Ash tree, grown from original 100-year-old rootstock
• Unveiling of a commemorative plaque mounted on locally sourced pink granite
• Bathurst Air Cadet Group participation and Catafalque Party
• Bathurst City & RSL Concert Band performance
• A hauntingly poignant bugle tribute

This is the sort of thing that you really need to be there for.

New faces at the Fire Station February 12, 2026 in Community and People Fire and Rescue Station 411 at Oberon is always looking for new firefighters and a couple have come on board. Find the details here

A gentle reminder
February 12, 2026 in Community and Entertainment

Review: "AI Snake Oil" by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor February 12, 2026 in Reviews Artificial Intelligence seems unavoidable these days. For some reason it seems necessary to build AI into everything, but is it worthwhile and can it even do what is claimed? This book looks at the myths and the reality. Read the review here

The pace is building up at Oberon's schools February 12, 2026 in Schools The new year has well and truly started at the schools around Oberon. See what's happening here

Golfin' the days away February 12, 2026 in Sport While everyone else waits for their season to start, the golfers are out there golfing. That's what it's called, isn't it? See some results here

126th Oberon Show February 19, 2026 in Community Oberon didn't turn on its best weather for the 126th running of the Oberon Show, with cloudy skies and the constant threat (and sometimes delivery) of rain. That didn't keep the crowds away and everyone there looked like they were having a good time. See lots of photos here

Buy me a coffee
February 19, 2026 in General News

Let's get one thing clear right from the outset. Access to everything on this site will always be free. No paywalls, no subscriptions, no "special access to more content". Free. Everything. To everyone. Always.

Having said that, it costs money to produce the site and keep it available to everyone. Software licensing fees, web hosting costs, annual fees for the business and domain names, petrol for getting around to things, ... . Even coffee to keep the brain cells active.

So here's what you can do. You can drop some money into the tip jar occasionally (or even regularly if you are so inclined). The system is called "Buy Me a Coffee" and it's easy to get started.

Just go to "Buy Me a Coffee" and start giving.

And thank you in advance.

See also: Bye, bye Buy me a Coffee

February 2026 Oberon Council Meeting February 19, 2026 in Community Updated February 26, 2026 February Oberon Council meeting. See a report on the meeting here

A new wave of romance scams is washing across the internet - here's how to stay safe
February 19, 2026 in Community and People

Scam warnings aren't a rarity here at Oberon Matters but this one is important. An Oberon resident is facing homelessness and bankruptcy because she has become the victim of a romance scam. The "lover" in question claims to be a major star in a big US TV series but she has to keep sending him money to cover some debts and to pay for his air ticket to Australia. Of course he always has an excuse for why he missed the plane. Friends have tried to intervene but she will not be convinced and even tries to find ways to get around caveats that helpers have had placed to prevent her selling her possessions.

This article from The Conversation puts the case for extreme caution and even more extreme skepticism.
See the article here

More information can be found at the Australian Government's Scamwatch site and from the Australian Federal Police.

When too much schooling is never enough February 19, 2026 in Schools The learning goes on at the schools around Oberon. And swimming and artwork too. See the latest school report here

If sport's your thing ... February 19, 2026 in Sport A bit more into the year, a bit more sport happening. Look here for the sporting news

Editorial - It's FUD time in Oberon
February 19, 2026 in Opinion

The acronym FUD came out of the computer industry a few years ago (it had been around for a long time but became a major marketing tactic in about 1975). It stands for "Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt" and was a technique used to denigrate a company or idea by simply generating mistrust rather than by using real, cogent arguments. Facts don't matter, only perceptions.

There was an outbreak of FUD in Oberon on Wednesday, February 18, when a post appeared on Facebook suggesting that Oberon is about to face a significant public health threat and that the company responsible is evasive and won't answer questions.
See the rest of the editorial here

It's what cricketers call "A Century"
February 26, 2026 in General News

They said it wouldn't last. They said it couldn't be done. They said all sorts of things. But they were wrong.

This is the 100th edition of Oberon Matters and over 650 articles of local interest have been published since the site went live on February 1, 2024. The number of readers has been constantly increasing and in some months almost all the population of Oberon has a look at something. As Paul Kelly sang (in a different context) "from little things big things grow", and Oberon Matters intends to keep growing and featuring the "local news for local people".

Thank you to all the people who come here every week, who send nice emails and say complimentary things when met around town. You make the effort all worthwhile.

The staff here are very excited and are having a cake for morning tea.

Junior Tigers Big Day Out 2026 February 26, 2026 in Sport The Oberon Tigers Junior League launched their 2026 season on February 21 by having the first event at the new Sports Complex. The fields aren't ready for play yet but it wasn't a day about football, it was a day for fun. You can see lots of photos here

The Autumn Garden Showcase is coming
February 26, 2026 in Community

It's coming up to that time of year again when some of Oberon's best gardens are opened to the public. Each year new gardens are added, because there's no shortage of places around the town to relax and admire the surroundings. This year the Festival is on April 18 and 19, so mark the dates in your diary. You can keep up to date at the Oberon & District Garden Club's Facebook page.

To whet your anticipation, have a look at last year's pleasures.

Oberon Men's Shed to hold an Open Day
February 26, 2026 in Community

Have you ever wondered what the Oberon Men's Shed Inc actually does? Have you thought about joining, but are unsure or work during the hours they operate?

Here's a fantastic opportunity to find out for yourself. The Shed will be holding an open day on Saturday, March 14, from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. So reserve the date! There will even be a sausage sizzle.

Call over to the shed on any Tuesday from about 9:30 and talk to the members about their activities and how the shed might benefit you. If you are new to Oberon then this might be the opportunity you are looking for to meet the locals and form lasting friendships. You'll find them in the Oberon Showground. Just look for the building with the sign.

You can find out everything about the Oberon Men's Shed at their Facebook page.

Moron Alert!
February 26, 2026 in General News

On Saturday, February 21, the first function was held at the new Oberon Sports Complex. It was a Welcome Day for the Oberon Tigers junior players. As the kids there were "juniors", almost all of them would have been of primary school age.

There was a man there wearing a baseball cap with some Australian flags and the words "Fit in or F*** Off". The hat did not have asterisks. Have I mentioned that this was an event for young children? He obviously didn't feel the need to fit in to the social rules about how you behave near young kids.

Would he object to being called a moron? Well, there's that old cliché about caps and how they fit.

You need schoolin' and I'm not foolin' February 26, 2026 in Schools Another week and the schooling goes on at the schools around Oberon. It's never too early to learn things. See some of the action here

Sporty, sportier, sportiest February 26, 2026 in Sport It might get cold sometimes (often?) in Oberon, but we didn't have any players in the Winter Olympics or even people who play the sorts of sports they do there. That doesn't stop us from having fun doing sporty things. See what happened this week here

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There were 5,424 unique visitors to the site during February, 2026. The most read page was Moron Alert.

"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.

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