13th Oct 2017 by brandsa2018

Girl power takes over Naracoorte shearing sheds

By Melissa Keogh

Down in the Limestone Coast town of Naracoorte, women are picking up the shears.

This is despite shearing sheds being men’s territory, particularly during the golden years of the Australian wool industry.

Last year TAFE SA held the world’s first all-female shearing workshop in Naracoorte, which led to many of the 18 participants finding work.

The inaugural workshop was instructed by three of the industry’s best female shearers, including women’s world lamb shearing record holder and New Zealander, Kerry Jo Tehuia.

Another all-female shearing workshop was planned for 2017, although it was cancelled due to wet weather.

TAFE SA student Chloe Swiggs, left, with trainer Te Atakura at the all-female shearing workshop in Naracoorte.

According to TAFE SA’s Shearing and Wool Handler Training Program lecturer, Glenn Haynes, South Australian women are doing a solid job at taking on the blokes.

“There’s been a lot of young girls who want to have a go and we want to help these girls get into the industry.

“It’s more to do with giving them confidence and also open the eyes of the employers, especially the older guys who may have thought women couldn’t do it and therefore knocked them back.

“It’s about changing people’s opinions.”

According to the Bureau of Statistics, the number of female shearers in Australia has almost doubled in the past decade to about 1260.

In past decades women only stepped foot in shearing sheds as wool classers (sorting the fleece), shed hands or morning tea deliverers.

TAFE SA student Kimberley Allison.

Glenn says TAFE SA’s ongoing standard shearing course is experiencing high demand.

Offered to both men and women, shearing courses are offered statewide and teach participants clip preparation, wool handling, wool classing, fitness and nutrition tips, as shearing is a physically demanding task.

“It teaches them how to do it properly so they don’t cut the animal or themselves,” says Glenn.

“There’s been a really big demand for the courses in the last couple of years, 99% of the classes are full and we have about 15 kids who are on waiting lists.”

Chloe Swiggs, 25, travelled from Hamilton, Victoria, to undertake the TAFE SA course and workshop.

By the end of the course she was fleecing about 120 sheep a day and has now found full time employment as a shearer across SA, Victoria and NSW.

“My dad was a shearer and my mum was a wool classer,” Chloe says.

“I wanted a different perspective from everyone else – I wanted to do everything.

“But it took me a while because it’s such a hard job, physically and mentally, it’s very demanding.

“I definitely think that there should be more girls because we need to show that we can do it just as well as the men can.”

The end result is beautifully shorn sheep.

Like this story? Nominate a story from your region.
Click here to nominate >>

These inspiring regional stories made possible by:

Major Partner[logooos_saved id=”5491″]Program Partners[logooos_saved id=”17589″]Major Media Partner[logooos_saved id=”5506″]

13th Oct 2017 by brandsa2018

SA entrepreneur: Start-ups are the key to state’s success

By Melissa Keogh

Adelaide start-ups have the ability to become a “global force” and help steer the state’s future economy, says South Australian entrepreneur Kirk Drage.

“We can be a global force from Adelaide, we have world class expertise and passionate people here,” says the CEO of LeapSheep and former head of entrepreneurship and innovation at Microsoft.

“Building a start-up is becoming increasingly accessible and affordable, and we’re seeing more people across the state choosing this path which bodes well for creating new economy jobs.

Kirk’s enthusiasm for the future of South Australian entrepreneurship is well-placed; he has spent his working life either launching or engaging with start-up founders.

The former Flinders University student spent more than a decade at technology giant Microsoft, where he was responsible for 20 Microsoft Innovation Centres, supporting entrepreneurs and driving growth of innovative new businesses.

Kirk Drage has has held leadership roles in Silicon Valley – the centre of high-tech developments.

Kirk Drage is the CEO of Adelaide company LeapSheep.

He also launched Microsoft’s start-up support program, BizSpark, recruiting more than 8000 start-ups across Asia in its first year.

Kirk travelled from city to city to support start-up founders, helping them gain access to customers, develop technologies, connect with investors, and manage company growth.

“It was an amazing journey at Microsoft and I would recommend to anybody to seize the opportunity to join a growing, multi-national company,” he says.

In 2011 Kirk became an angel investor – someone who provides financial backing to emerging entrepreneurs.

“I helped them (entrepreneurs) move from Singapore to Silicon Valley; a rather steep learning curve, turns out picking winners is hard, who knew!” he says.

“In Silicon Valley there is a deep culture of curiosity around what’s possible with new technology and a race to build companies that can leverage those technologies to solve global problems.

“I enjoyed my time in Silicon Valley, and what’s great is you can take what you’ve learnt and that culture with you, including home to Adelaide.”

After more than a decade overseas, Kirk decided it was time to return to his home state and be with his family.

“It goes without saying that the lifestyle here is amazing.”

Upon his return Kirk launched LeapSheep, an artificial intelligence start-up, with business partner Kathryn Heaton.

LeapSheep empowers start-up founders to successfully build hyper growth (rapid expansion) companies and facilitates connections with universities, companies, governments, accelerator programs, and investors.

“We now have 24 start-ups on our beta program and we’ve engaged with more than 100 since I’ve been back in Adelaide,” Kirk says.

“We want to really transform the way start-up founders are supported to build their companies.

“There’s so much advice about how to build a start-up, but it’s often too much for a busy founder to sift through, assess the quality and figure out how to apply it.

“The opportunity is to provide founders with the right kind of support, at the right time in a way that’s accessible and affordable.”

Kirk is also the City of Adelaide Smart City Studio’s Entrepreneur in Residence, sharing his experiences in building “high-growth, investment-ready” businesses.

Kirk says the key to SA’s success is local founders aspiring to scale into global markets.

“One of our weaknesses is that we haven’t had to look too far for prosperity in the past,” he says.

“Now is our biggest opportunity to build scalable products and services that allow us to enter foreign markets to support growth of local new economy companies.

“Then we’ll have plenty of great jobs to match our world-class lifestyle.”

12th Oct 2017 by brandsa2018

Fermented feasts and choosing SA

By Melissa Keogh

While you’re tucking into some camembert and tossing back some kombucha at next weekend’s Ferment the Festival, keep an eye out for the State Brand.

I Choose SA Day is on Saturday, October 21, and in celebration the Brand South Australia team will be at the three-day Ferment festival encouraging foodies to choose SA products and services.

Cheese genius and head of Woodside Cheese Wrights, Kris Lloyd, is combining the worlds of chocolate, cheese, bread, sauerkraut and kimchi to bring Ferment the Festival, the first event of its kind in Australia.

More than 120 SA producers will showcase their wares from October 20-22 at Rundle Park, Kadlitpina, with many of the state’s renowned artisans hosting fermentation masterclasses and food and drink labs.

Woodside Cheese Wrights cheesemaker Kris Lloyd is bringing the inaugural Ferment the Festival to Adelaide in celebration of all food and drinks that rely on the process of fermentation to exist.

Cheese genius Kris Lloyd is bringing the inaugural Ferment the Festival to Adelaide in celebration of food and drinks that rely on the natural process of fermentation to exist.

Fermentation is the natural process responsible for making cheese, bread, smallgoods, beer, wine and gin.

Entry into the festival starts at $30 and people can graze between food stalls, enjoy lunch on the grass or settle in with a drink at the beer garden, tea bar, gin bar or whisky lounge.

The festival program includes workshops, demonstrations and pop-up labs where you can indulge in the best fermented products, including chocolate and charcuterie.

Inside South Australia guest writer Jessie Spiby from Jessie Does Food will host a food lab cooking dumplings and kraut pancakes (tickets $30).

Emily Salkeld from Langhorne Creek’s Small World Bakery will be sharing the secrets of sourdough bread (tickets $25) while expert Pepe Saya will be making homemade butter (tickets $30).

Ferment The Festival runs for three days, with Saturday, October 21 falling on I Choose SA Day.

Swing by the I Choose SA stand on either of the days to purchase an I Choose SA tote bag (to carry all those fermented goodies in) and enter our I Choose SA Day competition where you could win 1 of 100 totes filled with local goodies.

Limited edition I Choose SA t-shirts, featuring a print by SA artist Emma Hack, will be available.

If you can’t wait until Ferment to snap up State Brand merchandise, visit Shop South Australia.

When snapping selfies with your plate of fermented veggies or an icy gin and tonic, don’t forget to tag Brand South Australia and use the hashtags #ichoosesa and #ichoosesaday!

Visit I Choose SA to find out how you can support our State by choosing South Australian businesses, products and services.

[logooos_saved id=”13411″]

11th Oct 2017 by brandsa2018

How an Adelaide entrepreneur pedalled to success

By Melissa Keogh

Adelaide entrepreneur Daniels Langeberg has zipped through almost every nook and cranny in Adelaide’s CBD and has come to one conclusion.

“It’s blatantly clear that Adelaide is awesome,” he says.

The 32-year-old spent three years in Shanghai – one of the flashiest cities on earth – but chose South Australia to launch his two successful start-ups, EcoCaddy and Maché.

“Adelaide has a lot of unrealised potential,” he says.

“The city is coming out of its adolescence and realising that it’s actually really smart, fun and doing things in its own way.”

Daniels Langeberg says Adelaide is supportive of start-ups and holds less threat of business competitors.

Daniels Langeberg says Adelaide is supportive of start-ups and emerging entrepreneurs.

So why does a young man living in Shanghai as an urban designer pick Adelaide to launch a start-up?

“My health was deteriorating, I became really sick from the polluted air (in China),” he says.

“I would come back to Adelaide for Christmas for three weeks and I got to see the city progress in these bite-sized pieces – the building of SAHMRI, the footbridge and Adelaide Oval.

“My sister, being an influence on me, convinced me to stay for two months and I then considered moving back.”

Daniels had an idea for a short-distance transport system similar to rickshaws or ‘tuk tuks’ on the streets of Asia.

He was already connected to rickshaw manufacturer TreeCycle in Shanghai and had a feeling the bamboo three-wheeled bikes would be a hit in Adelaide.

“Adelaide has a flat terrain making it the best city in the world to cycle,” he says.

The pedicabs, pedaled by fit and knowledgeable riders, transport passengers across the city for a small flat rate.

Daniels says South Australia is the perfect place to launch a start-up because it’s “less competitive” and “more supportive”.

SA Premier Jay Weatherill, right, is a fan of EcoCaddy.

With the help of the state’s Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, he brought his EcoCaddy idea to the Velo-city cycling conference in Adelaide in 2014.

Everyone loved it but money was an issue, until a private investor came along and helped lift EcoCaddy off the ground.

Since its launch in 2015, EcoCaddy has helped transport 40,000 people across the CBD and now employs 16 staff.

It currently only operates during specific events, such as Oz Asia, and for same-day delivery services and tour experiences.

Daniels aims to relaunch a daily public service and have the pedicabs designed and made in Australia by late 2018.

“We’re also looking at all Australian capital cities in the next two years and a move into South East Asia as well,” he says.

Daniel’s two start-ups EcoCaddy and Maché provide employment to South Australians.

With EcoCaddy a rolling success, Daniels again began brainstorming and launched Maché, a space offering co-working areas for creatives, entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Maché, located on Wright Street, has meeting rooms, co-working desks, artist and recording studios, as well as EcoCaddy’s headquarters and workshop.

“I’ve gone global and gained a great perspective on how unique Adelaide is,” Daniels says.

“If people can learn the (start-up) process and reach out, we can accelerate and grow the community.”

10th Oct 2017 by brandsa2018

Hats off to Australia’s oldest wine family

By Melissa Keogh

It was 1837 when early settler Richard Hamilton came to South Australia and planted some of the state’s very first vines.

Importing three vine cutting varieties dipped in wax to preserve their dormancy, the tailor-by-trade went on to make SA’s first wine in 1841.

Fast forward to 2017 and Richard’s legacy is being celebrated when the Hamilton family raises a glass to 180 years of winemaking on October 14.

Headed by fifth-generation family member Hugh Hamilton and his daughter Mary, Hugh Hamilton Wines will host a 180th Anniversary Bloodline Dinner in conjunction with the Adelaide Fashion Festival.

Fifth-generation family member Hugh Hamilton.

The five-course degustation – cooked by revered chef Simon Bryant – is also a nod to Richard’s history as a tailor on the high streets of Dover, England.

Mary, CEO of Hugh Hamilton Wines, says her family’s story was relatively untold before now.

“We liked the idea of threading together Richard’s tailoring history and the winemaking,” she says.

“It’s my ambition to tell this story because we’ve become such an iconic SA brand,” she says.

So how does a European tailor arrive in SA in the early 1800s, sprouting a legacy that would exist almost two centuries later?

In 1837, a 47-year-old Richard purchased an unseen 32ha on the banks of the Sturt River at Marion, packing up his wife and eight children.

Hugh Hamilton Wines in McLaren Vale.

They began the voyage from England to Australia aboard the Katherine Stewart Forbes.

“That was an amazing thing to do – to uproot your life and travel to the bottom of the globe,” Mary says.

The Hamiltons planted crops, fruit trees, veggies, and of course the three vine cuttings of Grenache, Shiraz and Pedro Ximenez.

Hamilton’s Ewell winery was established and as the years ticked by the family produced a successful range of drops, becoming Australia’s biggest wine exporter and moving operations to McLaren Vale.

By the 1970s the company was sold and disbanded, however, the family continued grapegrowing and winemaking ventures.

Hugh Hamilton’s recently-released Georgian-inspired Saperavi wines feature names such as The Oddball and The Quirky.

Hugh Hamilton, the ‘black sheep’ of the family, launched his self-titled winery in 1990 from one of the original McLaren Vale blocks.

Hugh’s daughter Mary, with a background in marketing, rejuvenated the wine labels, recharged the brand and drove the presence of the businesses’ ‘black sheep’ and ‘oddball’ taglines.

Employing at least 14 full-time staff, Hugh Hamilton Wines exports to several countries.

Despite the chops and changes among the family, the 180-year winemaking tradition remains due to an unbreakable passion for the industry.

“My grandfather died on the job and his brother was the same,” Mary says.

“They were lost without work and came to work until the day they died.”

For more information on the Hugh Hamilton Wines 180th celebrations, visit the website.

Visit I Choose SA to find out how you can support our State by choosing South Australian businesses, products and services.

[logooos_saved id=”13411″]

6th Oct 2017 by brandsa2018

Read the winning 2017 Regional Showcase stories!

Regional

By Melissa Keogh

We told you about Riverland almonds, the world’s best beer and that cheese with the ants, but which success stories came out on top?

Every year Brand South Australia’s Regional Showcase program highlights individuals, groups and businesses that have significantly contributed to SA’s regional areas.

The best stories, written and shared by our team of journalists, were shortlisted earlier this year before three winners were declared at a regional celebration in Whyalla on October 6.

Regional Development Minister Geoff Brock congratulated all the winners and finalists of this year’s program.

“Regional South Australia is a vital part of the economic and social fabric of our state, contributing around $25 billion to the state’s economy,” he said.

People’s Choice Award – Farina Restoration Group
Bakery thrives in Outback ghost town
https://brandsanews.com.au/a-bakery-in-a-ghost-town/

The bakery leads to the underground oven. PHOTO: Rob Fairweather.

The ghost town of Farina in South Australia’s Far North is the last place a traveller would expect to be met with the aroma of freshly baked bread.

But that is exactly what visitors to the almost forgotten remote town will find – in addition to freshly baked pies, pasties and buns.

For eight weeks every winter volunteers flock to the small town in the state’s Far North, 55km from Marree, to fire up an old underground wood-fired Scotch oven.

The old oven is one of many ruins discovered by Victorian man Tom Harding and his group of caravanners about a decade ago.

Now, the Farina Restoration Group helps boost the town’s profile by luring thousands of hungry tourists every year and restoring the ruins to their former glory.

Business Award – Sundrop Farms
Port Augusta’s high-tech tomato source launches
https://brandsanews.com.au/port-augustas-hi-tech-tomato-source-launches/

Sundrop Farms founder and executive officer Philipp Saumweber.

It’s been a year since horticultural company Sundrop Farms launched its tomato farm that relies on sun and seawater to produce 15,000 tonnes of fruit a year.

That’s a lot of tommies.

The $200m sustainable facility launched in Port Augusta and includes four 5ha climate-controlled greenhouses, a desalination plant and solar power system.

This solar system features more than 23,000 mirrors to reflect the sun’s energy.

Sundrop has proved its worth in being a leader of sustainable agriculture, benefitting job creation and driving long-term sustainable profits.

Community Award – Diesel and Dirt Derby
Diesel and dirt jets into Keith
https://brandsanews.com.au/diesel-and-dirt-jets-into-keith/

This year’s derby attracted 10,000 people who watched a round of the 2017 Australian Jet Sprint Championship.

What do you get when you combine demolition derbies, jetboats and thousands of spectators? The Keith Diesel and Dirt Derby, of course.

2017 Australian Jet Sprint Championship as part of its booming Diesel and Dirt Derby.

The Keith event is one of the most action-packed events regional SA has to offer, attracting 10,000 people to enjoy tractor pulls, buggy racing, a header demolition derby, and the Australian Ket Sprint Championship.

The jetboat sprint circuit is dug by hand – one of many displays of passion from the event’s organisers who first launched the diesel and dirt derby as a way to transform the Keith and Tintinara District Show.

Adrenaline junkies and rev-heads look forward to the next derby in March, 2018.

Regional Showcase 2017/18:

It’s not the end of the line for Regional Showcase. We’re always on the hunt for inspiring yarns from our regional communities.

If you know an individual, organisation or business that deserves to have their story told in the next round of Regional Showcase, submit your idea for consideration here!

Header photo courtesy of SA Media Gallery, Kangaroo encounter, Fitzgerald Bay, Eyre Peninsula.

Click here to nominate >>

These inspiring regional stories made possible by:

Major Partner[logooos_saved id=”5491″]Program Partners[logooos_saved id=”17589″]Major Media Partner[logooos_saved id=”5506″]

6th Oct 2017 by brandsa2018

Coeliacs rejoice! Lobethal Bierhaus is developing a gluten free beer

By Melissa Keogh

Adelaide Hills brewery Lobethal Bierhaus is developing South Australia’s first gluten free craft beer in a bid to boost interest in the state’s pulse industry.

Lobethal Bierhaus owner and head brewer Alistair Turnbull is working with the University of Adelaide to develop a beer made from red lentils and the seed sorghum.

The project is still under development, but Alistair says he hopes the first batch will be released by the end of 2017.

Lobethal Bierhaus head brewer Alistair Turnbull alongside his bespoke malting system.

“For a craft brewery to be doing it, it’s certainly out of the ordinary,” he says.

“It’s almost definite that it will be the first gluten free beer from a SA craft brewery.”

Earlier this year, Lobethal Bierhaus brewed the country’s first lentil beer, made at a ratio of 30% red diamond-cut lentils and 70% barley.

The barley component meant the lentil beer was not gluten free, but Alistair said at the time that it could lead the way to developing a brew that is able to be enjoyed by people with a gluten intolerance.

The lentil beer, supported by pulse processor AGT Foods, was deemed a huge success and lauded for its flavour, mouthfeel and head retention.

The gluten free beer is expected to be released by the end of 2017.

“When we worked with AGT Foods, part of the purpose of the lentil beer was bringing about local awareness of the opportunities in the grain industry,” Alistair says.

“We grow it here, but 99% of it is exported.”

The gluten free beer project has received a $30,000 boost from Primary Industries and Regions SA’s Advanced Food Manufacturing Grants Program.

Alistair says a researcher from the University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine will provide guidance in the malting and fermenting processes, and recipe development.

“They help with the protocols so we can call it gluten free and have also been working behind the scenes on regimes for the cleaning of our equipment,” he says.

“We have to make sure the beer is exactly what we say it is – gluten free.

“It’s adding that little bit of researcher expertise.”

The Lobethal Bierhaus is renowned for its craft brews, including an Australian first red lentil beer made at the beginning of 2017.

The main ingredient in the yet-to-be named gluten free beer is sorghum, grown in Queensland and distributed from Melbourne.

Sorghum is a grain native to Africa, but is grown worldwide and is Australia’s third largest crop.

Alistair says he is yet to discover what the beer’s flavour profiles could be, but hopes the end product will offer “something quite different” to sorghum beers brewed in South Africa.

“A lack of mouthfeel and head retention are (common complaints) with sorghum beers,” he says.

“It’s about making something a little bit outside of the mainstream.

“We have 25 different beers that we make now, whereas 10 years ago we couldn’t sell anything other than a pilsner.”

Also setting Lobethal Bierhaus aside from other craft breweries is its malting system.

Before barley is brewed, it must be malted. Only few large beer companies undertake their own malting.

“We have our own system for malting grain, whereas usually people bring in the grain malted from large companies,” Alistair says.

“We are about to put sorghum through our system today (October 6) so that’s a step forward.”

Like this story? Nominate a story from your region.
Click here to nominate >>

These inspiring regional stories made possible by:

Major Partner[logooos_saved id=”5491″]Program Partners[logooos_saved id=”17589″]Major Media Partner[logooos_saved id=”5506″]

5th Oct 2017 by brandsa2018

World-first immersion therapy is changing lives

By Melissa Keogh

Adelaide man Peter Wilson’s life changed forever when he was severely injured in a motorbike accident in 2007.

A decade later the father-of-two has changed the lives of people with disabilities with his world-first therapy service, Determined2, that allows participants to enjoy freedom, regain confidence and build muscle strength.

Available on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Return to Work SA, ‘Immersion Therapy’ allows people with disabilities or injuries to move and breathe under water using specialised scuba diving equipment.

“One participant is walking under water and doing somersaults – this is someone who can’t walk on land,” says Peter, 37.

“Another of our participants is a wheelchair user who used to make three movements to get from their chair to the bed, but now they can do it in one.”

Peter Wilson, front, with Immersion Therapy participants.

While the world first therapy is available at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre and in Port Lincoln, Peter hopes for a national roll out, and has even received interest from overseas.

At the age of 27 Peter was left with severe injuries when he came off his motorbike and was hit by a car one day during work.

He was told he might never walk again and must use a colostomy bag due to injuries to his abdomen.

But Peter defied the odds and returned to work a year later in the used car industry.

He continued to struggle with worker’s compensation, insurance companies and a decline in his mental health.

“I realised that I had to make a decision to either give up on life or start again,” Peter says.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I knew that I wanted to give back and help other injured workers.”

One day Peter took up recreational scuba diving, discovering the weightlessness did wonders to his wellbeing.

Wanting others with a disability to experience the same under water freedom, he began planning his own therapy service with the support of Dr David Wilkinson OAM from the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

“We met a young lad, Ben, who had a high-level spinal cord injury and he wanted to be part of the immersion therapy trial,” Peter says.

While under water participants are able to have greater mobility.

“Ben’s reaction cemented for me that this is what I’m meant to be doing with my life.

“We have built the program from the ground up, and we have since had 200 people engaged.”

Peter largely attributes his success to the State Government’s passing of the new Return To Work Act in 2015, meaning significant changes to workplace insurance rules.

Determined2 participants have mild to severe impairments including spinal cord injuries, amputations, neurological conditions, autism, PTSD, and aches and pains.

Before getting in the water, they must undergo a hypobaric medical assessment by a team of doctors.

With the specialised diving equipment, participants are able to breathe under water, and often experience pain relief and increased mobility.

“The service has developed a lot since starting, it has now gained further support from senior doctors across the state including Dr David Wilkinson, Dr Adrian Winsor and, Dr Kade Davison,” Peter says.

“The University of South Australia is now moving towards evidence-based research on the benefits of immersion therapy.”

Peter says he’s proud to have launched the therapy in South Australia.

“It feels like the first time in life that I have purpose,” he says.

“Our state has an amazing resource of innovative and dedicated people.”

Determined2 was the 2016 winner of the National Disability Awards’ Excellence in Inclusive Service Delivery.

For more information on Determinded2 visit the website.

4th Oct 2017 by brandsa2018

Tailem Bend in the throes of change, but community centre still its heart

By Melissa Keogh

Tailem Bend is the Murray River town remembered by most as the gateway to Melbourne, but this important transport service centre is in the throes of huge change.

The Bend Motorsport Park, a multi-million dollar solar farm and the 25th National Scout Jamboree are just a few projects tipped to change the face of the old railway town.

But what about the hard-working locals who believed in Tailem Bend before these infrastructure projects were even heard of?

At the heart of the community’s spirit are the staff and volunteers at The Tailem Bend Community Centre (TBCC).

The centre has helped to build lifelong skills, reduce isolation and offer learning opportunities for locals since 1987.

This financial year the TBCC has already secured almost $500,000 in grant funding to support services in the Murraylands region.

Tailem Bend Community Centre staff and volunteers with State Volunteers Minister Zoe Bettison, centre.

TBCC co-ordinator Tammy Shepherd says Tailem Bend is a caring community that is wary of the changes ahead, but hopeful they will bring huge economic benefits for the town.

“Our main industry is farming and it used to be a big railway community,” she says.

“Tailem Bend is experiencing massive changes and there’s certainly an awful lot happening here.

“We are a town to watch.”

On average 3500 people take part in the variety of courses, programs and activities offered by the TBCC to learn new skills, make friends or simply unload with a cuppa and a chat.

The centre receives funding from various State and Federal government programs to put on the courses, which include exercise, sewing, craft and woodworking classes, school holiday activities, grief education, and internet support for seniors.

Funding streams include the Commonwealth Home Support Programme, Communities for Children Murraylands Program, and the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion Community Services Support Program.

Along with a small handful of staff, 40 volunteers help to run the centre and its programs, putting in more than 3800 hours annually.

The community centre is not far from the main highway and helps bind locals by providing social support services and education.

The TBCC services a total population of 59,800 across the Coorong, Murray Bridge, Mid Murray and Mt Barker council areas.

TBCC co-ordinator Tammy Shepherd says Tailem Bend has limited health and social services, meaning the community centre is the “frontline” for providing assistance.

“Tailem Bend is a small community, so we don’t have any mental health services, people have to travel to Murray Bridge (25km away) to access these services,” Tammy says.

“So we are the frontline.

“We offer counselling services and support to people to be able to talk and get them through the tough times.”

The community centre partnered with four other groups to deliver a sea of colour to the Tailem Bend District Hospital earlier this year.

TBCC’s regular ‘Our Time’ group allows parents to have a coffee and a chat, while their bubs interact with other children.

The woodwork class is popular with seniors and allows them to acquire and build upon skills and socialise.

The services are affordable, accessible and targeted to those who are “most in need”.

“It’s a crazy busy centre,” Tammy says.

“The funding model in the centre is renowned and often replicated by others in SA.”

“We are definitely a caring community, it’s got that community vibe about it where everyone looks out for each other.”

Tailem Bend is about 96km from Adelaide and home to 1500 people.

For more information on the courses and activities available at TBCC visit the website or Facebook page.

Like this story? Nominate a story from your region.
Click here to nominate >>

These inspiring regional stories made possible by:

Major Partner[logooos_saved id=”5491″]Program Partners[logooos_saved id=”17589″]Major Media Partner[logooos_saved id=”5506″]

South Australian News

Month / Oct 2017

Girl power takes over Naracoorte shearing sheds

SA entrepreneur: Start-ups are the key to state’s success

Fermented feasts and choosing SA

How an Adelaide entrepreneur pedalled to success

Hats off to Australia’s oldest wine family

Read the winning 2017 Regional Showcase stories!

Coeliacs rejoice! Lobethal Bierhaus is developing a gluten free beer

World-first immersion therapy is changing lives

Tailem Bend in the throes of change, but community centre still its heart