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HOW did a Gamilaraay man from Walgett, some 460 kilometres from the coast, end up representing Australia at the world oyster opening championship?

As Gerard ‘Doody’ Dennis says, “being Aboriginal from the black soil plains and representing Australia in opening oysters is quite ironic”.

Perhaps his great-grandmother, a Yuin woman who was stolen from Wallaga Lake, passed something down to him.

Mr Dennis moved to Batemans Bay when he was 14.

Through school he did work experience at T & J Lucas Oysters and then worked weekends at Batemans Bay Oysters.

He loved the work – it was physical and out on the water – so started a two-year traineeship for a Certificate IV in Aquaculture with C & J Single Seed Oysters.

He completed it at Batemans Bay Oysters where he did quality tests…

BASKETBALL fans will have much to look forward to in July with a major international series featuring Australia’s top teams against China and Japan at John Cain Arena.

Dubbed Ballin ’24, over four nights from 2-5 July, the Boomers, Rollers, Gliders and 3×3 Gangurrus men’s and women’s teams will come together for a massive series in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.

A stack of domestic and international talent is locked in for the series.

The Boomers and Opals will battle Team China offering a prime opportunity for audiences to see Australia’s best players on home soil.

Australia’s 3×3 Gangurrus, the current FIBA Asia Cup Champions, and featuring Ally Wilson and WIll Hickey, will play against the might of Team China.

Australia’ s wheelchair stars will face Japan, with the Gliders and Rollers…

WARNING: Readers are advised this story mentions themes of suicide and self-harm.

REGISTRATIONS are now open for The Push-Up Challenge, Australia’s largest mental health and fitness event.

From June 5-28, participants will take on 3,249 push-ups across 24 days, putting the spotlight on the tragic number of lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2022.

Media star, Indigenous & LGBTIQA+ advocate and Health & Wellness Influencer Matty Mills, a proud Kamilaroi man, is taking part in this year’s challenge.

He said the challenge is a great way to get fit, connect with your community, and learn about mental health – all while honouring lives tragically lost to suicide.

“When you look at the amount of people…

THOUSANDS of people attended opening night at this year’s Parrtjima – A Festival in Light, and as the free 10-night festival rolled on, thousands more turned out to soak up the spectacular installations under star-studded desert skies.

From April 12-21, both locals and tourists flocked to the Alice Springs Desert Park to watch the night sky above Mparntwe/Alice Springs light up against the backdrop of a 300-million-year- old canvas, the MacDonnell Ranges.

Celebrating this year’s theme, ‘The importance of interconnectedness across First Nations culture’, curator for Parrtjima, Rhoda Roberts AO, a Widjabul Wiyebal woman, said one of the best things about Parrtjima is that it’s a light festival like no other.

“The theme for this year’s Parrtjima festival centred around ‘interconnectedness’, and when we think of interconnecting we think of our ancestors, our matriarchs…

KYAH Simon believes A- League Women underdogs Central Coast can go all the way, and that her body can help them get there.

Simon played a full 120 minutes in the Mariners’ gutsy elimination-final win over Melbourne Victory which sets up a two-legged semi-final with Sydney FC.

Simon, 32, was contentiously picked for last year’s Matildas’ World Cup squad, despite having not played since tearing an ACL in October 2022.

Multiple setbacks meant she never appeared in her home tournament, then missed a large chunk of the Mariners’ season.

“That’s the most minutes I’ve played since…

WALKING through Todd Street Mall in Mparntwe/Alice Springs at 9.30am on a Monday, it’s hard to believe the tired-looking shopping strip was once a bustling tourist mecca.

But these days, most of the shutters on the shops are down, the mall is all but deserted, broken glass is scattered along footpaths, and there’s a high level of security and police presence roaming the streets. And that’s just during the daytime.

When approached by the Koori Mail, an Arrernte woman in the mall who asked to be referred to as ‘Ms Arrernte’, said what’s happening in Mparntwe recently – in terms of the negative portrayal of Aboriginal people there by certain media organisations…