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REGIONAL NEWS
Home > Regional News
New film choices for Bathurst
25 Aug 2009
The special screening in Bathurst on Wednesday 2 September of the acclaimed documentary, The Burning Season could be the start of a new series of film screenings for local audiences. Associate Professor Jane Mills at the School of Communication at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst, says this one-off screening is the initiative of former co-director of the Sydney Asia-Pacific Film Festival and new Bathurst resident Ms Juanita Kwok, supported by the School of Communication. “We’re hoping this screening will bring Bathurst’s screen buffs out and that this could be the start of a series of screenings if there is audience support,” Professor Mill said. “Juanita took the decision to hire the cinema and rent The Burning Season, and we’re personally splitting the costs and hope people will come along. We’re both committed to screen culture and like to see all that cinemas around the world have to offer beyond the mainstream. I’m teaching two film subjects at CSU this semester and it’s a constant frustration that my students can’t see the films that are available to those living in the capital cities. Ms Kwok chose The Burning Season because it’s had a fantastic reaction among audiences at film festivals around the world.”
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Associate Professor Jane Mills from School of Communication at CSU at Bathurst. The Burning Season screens at 7pm Wednesday 2 September at Metro Cinemas, 144 Piper St, Bathurst. For more information about the screening contact Ms Juanita Kwok on 6331 3158 or send an email.
Dr Jane Mills is Associate Professor in Communications (Research and Teaching) in the School of Communication. She is the author of Loving and Hating Hollywood: Reframing Global and Local Cinemas and The Money Shot: Cinema, Sin and Censorship. Ms Juanita Kwok is the former co-director of the Sydney Asia-Pacific Film Festival and co-author of Film Asia: new perspectives on film (Curriculum Press).
The Burning Season follows the journey of young Australian carbon trading entrepreneur Dorjee Sun as he goes in search of a solution to the deliberately-lit fires that rage across Indonesia every year destroying rainforests, endangering orangutans and contributing to climate change. Directed by Cathy Henkel and narrated by Hugh Jackman, The Burning Season is an eco-thriller about a young man not afraid to confront the biggest challenge of our time.
To request an interview with director of The Burning Season, Ms Cathy Henkel, please contact Ms Tara Wardrop by email. Further information about the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Sanctuary is available here.
Print this story TAFE students visit uni
25 Aug 2009
.jpg) Forty-two TAFE NSW students from Bathurst, Lithgow and Orange who are currently completing the Tertiary Preparation Course (TPC) and eight students completing the Diploma of Communication and Media toured Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Tuesday 18 August. The TAFE students met staff and current students and inspected the University’s many facilities. Ms Fran Dwyer, Prospective Student Adviser at CSU at Bathurst said the day provided insight and motivation for students who are interested in furthering their education. “We know that TPC students who enrol at university generally do very well, so it is important that prospective students understand the excellent range of facilities and support services that Charles Sturt University offers,” said Ms Dwyer. Anyone interested in further information about studying at CSU should phone the CSU Contact Centre on 1800 334 733, send an email or log on to the CSU website here.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews.
Print this story Funds for theatre/media student productions
25 Aug 2009
.jpg) To help fund their final-year end of semester productions known as the Sprung Festival, third-year theatre/media students from the School of Communication at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst held a fundraising event on Tuesday 18 August. “We decided to raise extra funds because theatre productions aren’t cheap and we have big visions to realise and we want to present the best quality productions we can,” said event organisers, Ms Erica Heller-Wagner and Ms Amy Morcom. Fundraising activities on the Bathurst Campus library lawn included food stalls, second-hand clothes stalls, and busking performances. This year’s Sprung Festival in October features 12 productions that range from more conventional dramatic plays, to short films and a ‘physical theatre’ production.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. The Sprung Festival season will be launched at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre on Tuesday 6 October. The festival will run from Wednesday 14 October to Saturday 7 November.
Print this story Beauty in bloom
25 Aug 2009
 The beauty of the camellias at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga will be on display for all during the 2009 Camellia Show. Organised by Friends of the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens, the event will be held on Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September. One of the major exhibitors at the annual show has been CSU. The success of the University’s blooms at the event has been due to the work of Mr Bill Mitchell, who retired from the University’s Division of Facilities Management in 2008. For more than 10 years he collected the camellias from near the library at CSU at Wagga Wagga and prepared them for exhibition. Mr Mitchell will continue to exhibit on behalf of CSU this year. “The camellias were planted in abundance in the library precinct and despite the drought, they have done well to produce beautiful blooms each year,” said Mr Mitchell.
Media Note: Friends of the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens will hold its 2009 Camellia Show on Saturday 5 September and Sunday 6 September at the Sturt Public School Hall, White Street, Kooringal, Wagga Wagga. Mr Charles Lee from the Friends of the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens is available on 02 6931 2147. Mr Bill Mitchell is available on 02 69262 260.
Print this story Dentistry students get their hands on new clinic
24 Aug 2009
 The Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Dentistry and Health Sciences will reveal the first completed section of its new multi-million dollar dentistry teaching facilities and clinic on Tuesday 25 August. The Simulation Clinic features 60 mannequin heads and state-of-the-art simulation equipment giving each student a practical introduction before working with patients. "Over two days students will be inducted into the teaching clinic by CSU Simulation Clinic Manager Mrs Lorraine Wenham and will also be given an Infection Control Induction by infection control nursing specialist Mrs Sandra Wharton from GWAHS," said senior lecturer Dr Sabrina Manickam.
Media Note: Media are invited to the unveiling of the Simulation Clinic at 9am on Tuesday 25 August. Media are asked to inform Holly Manning 0418 654 226 or Judy Stone 6365 7291 if they plan to visit the CSU Dentistry buildings. Fully enclosed shoes must be worn. Media are asked to park in the first carpark on the left hand side (the first road to the left after entering the main CSU entrance), and will be accompanied by CSU Clinical staff when entering the building. For more information please contact Holly Manning 0418 654 226. Print this story Born to run
18 Aug 2009
 A serious accident 18 months ago spurred Charles Sturt University (CSU) fifth year veterinary science student Ms Emma Packer on to achieve her goal of running a marathon. And achieve she did. Ms Packer not only finished the Gold Coast Marathon in July but went on to be the first woman to complete the Wagga Wagga Trail Marathon on Sunday 16 August. The CSU student broke her neck and elbow when she fell from a balcony in February 2008. “I was in a neck brace for months after the accident and when it was removed I found I couldn’t run to the end of the block,” said Ms Packer. “But I’ve built up steadily; to prepare for the marathon I ran up to 100 kilometres a week.” Originally from Cowra, Ms Packer was recently named one of the winners of the 2009 Professional Experience Scholarships. Read more here.
Media Note: To arrange an interview with CSU veterinary science Ms Emma Packer, contact CSU Media. As one of the inaugural students to study veterinary science at CSU at Wagga Wagga, Ms Packer is about to start an intense 30-week schedule of work placements which will shore up her veterinary science studies prior to graduation in 2010. A rotation of three-week placements at 10 veterinary practices, commencing at Warrnambool, Victoria and Coonamble, NSW will see Ms Packer putting into practice the skills and knowledge gained after four-and-a-half years of study.
Print this story Students care for foal in need
18 Aug 2009
 An orphaned foal born prematurely at the Veterinary Clinical Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga is receiving round-the-clock care from dedicated veterinary, equine and animal science students. Affectionately named Tim Tam, the foal was born by caesarean section in early August when it was clear his mother would not survive irreparable bowel damage. Since his birth he has received 24-hour attention from a team of veterinary and nursing staff at CSU, ably assisted by over 30 students rostered on six to 12 hour shifts. Students were only too happy to be involved in his care, which has included respiratory support, intravenous feeding, medication and two hourly turning. Senior Lecturer in Equine Medicine at CSU, Dr Sharanne Raidal says the mare in foal was brought to the Veterinary Clinical Centre with severe colic, as it was one of the only facilities in the region that could provide the immediate care needed. “Not only does the foal receive excellent care at the centre, it provides our veterinary science students with hands on experience that is invaluable in their training to become rural vets. We are very proud of the enthusiasm and dedicated care demonstrated by staff and students,” said Dr Raidal.
Media Note: Dr Sharanne Raidal is a Senior Lecturer in Equine Medicine in the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga. The Veterinary Clinical Centre opened in April 2008 and is located on Agriculture Avenue adjacent to the Equine Centre at CSU. It includes a modern large animal hospital with operating theatres, sophisticated diagnostic imaging facilities, a reproduction unit and small animal teaching laboratories.
Print this story Radio award nominations
18 Aug 2009
 A tutor and a student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst have been nominated for awards at the annual 2009 Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRA). Ms Janeen Hosemans, a tutor in commercial radio and advertising in the School of Communication at CSU has been nominated in two categories; Best Talk Presenter and Best On-air Team. Ms Hosemans hosted the popular Morning Wireless Program on local Bathurst radio station 2BS. She co-hosted the weekly ‘Fishy Friday’ segment with Mr Peter Harrison. “This is the toughest category of the awards and the other nominees are all men in state capitals,” said Ms Hosemans. Mr Charles Croucher, a student in his final semester of the four-year Bachelor of Sports Studies/Bachelor of Communications (Journalism), offered through the Schools of Human Movement Studies and Communication, also works at 2BS and B Rock FM at Bathurst. He has been nominated for Best News Presenter.
Media Note: The annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards night will be held on Saturday 10 October at the Bayside Grand Hall at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour in Sydney.
Print this story NASA astronaut lands in Albury
18 Aug 2009
 As part of National Science Week being celebrated at Charles Sturt University (CSU), NASA astronaut Ms Megan McArthur from USA will give a series of lectures on her unusual workplace: space. Ms McArthur’s latest activity was on the shuttle mission to the repair the Hubble space telescope in May this year. “The telescope is a large, space-based observatory which has revolutionised astronomy by providing unprecedented deep and clear views of the Universe, ranging from our own solar system to extremely remote fledgling galaxies,” said Border Stargaze co-ordinator Mr David Chandler. “The May mission completed by Ms McArthur and the team extends the telescope’s operational life an extra four years, allowing even more spectacular images to be recorded. Ms McArthur was responsible for the fragile operation of the robotic arm to capture the Hubble Space Telescope and then release it again once the repairs were complete.” The lectures will be co-hosted by the Astronomical Society of Albury Wodonga and CSU on Wednesday 19 August in the University’s Nowik Auditorium, Guinea St, Albury.
Media Note: For interview with NASA astronaut Ms Megan McArthur, contact Border Stargaze president, Mr David Thurley on mobile 0418 690 142.
Print this story Challenging AIF’s larrikin image
11 Aug 2009
.jpg) The popular image of the soldiers of the first Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) during World War I is of high-spirited larrikins. This will be challenged by historian Dr Peter Stanley when he delivers the third Theo Barker Memorial Lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst on Friday 14 August. Dr Stanley, who is Director of the Centre for Historical Research at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, says memoirs, battalion histories and biographies are full of stories that reinforce the idea that Australian citizen soldiers in World War I behaved like naughty boys, and that their antics were harmless or benign. “But there was a dark side to the AIF's wrong-doers,” he says. “Though little acknowledged, the AIF included many men who contravened military law. They stole, answered back, refused to obey orders, got drunk, wounded themselves to get out of the war, and went absent or deserted, and in huge numbers,” said Dr Stanley.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews with Dr Peter Stanley from the National Museum of Australia. Dr Stanley is the author of over 20 books, mainly on Australian and British military social history. The third Theo Barker Memorial Lecture is free and is jointly presented by CSU and the Bathurst District Historical Society. It will be held from 6pm on Friday 14 August in the main Lecture Theatre, building S15 at CSU at Bathurst. The lecture is held in honour of Mr Barker, a history lecturer at one of CSU’s predecessor institutions, the Mitchell College of Advanced Education. He wrote a history of the Bathurst campus and a two volume history of Bathurst.
Print this story HSC study on trial
11 Aug 2009
Does cramming really help students prepare for the HSC? With many starting their HSC trial exams today, students are discovering what study methods work best for them. Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer Dr Deb Clarke believes a well prepared study plan is a great start to study and suggests a visit to NSW HSC online for inspiration. “NSW HSC online explicitly follows the syllabus content and has a range of activities for students to complete that can be used to refine and rehearse their knowledge of HSC content,” said Dr Clarke. With so many resources now available online, Dr Clarke advises students to find government-supported sites that provide accurate material. For more information on NSW HSC online visit here.
Media Note: Dr Deb Clarke is a senior lecturer with the School of Human Movement Studies at CSU at Bathurst. For interviews contact CSU Media. NSW HSC online was hosted by CSU in 2007 in collaboration with the NSW Department of Education and Training.
Print this story Making students MaD
11 Aug 2009
Charles Sturt University (CSU) is giving young people the opportunity to have an input into the challenging issues such as homelessness, teen suicide, drugs, poverty and crime. The Making a Difference (MaD) competition is now open and submissions close on Monday 5 October. “By writing a story, poem or script that addresses any issue of social justice, entrants are in the running to receive one of four $250 cash prizes,” explains CSU coordinator Mr Bill Anscombe. “In addition, Charles Sturt University will donate $250 to the charity of the winners’ choice.” The School of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Social Justice Innovation Award is eligible to anyone aged between 15 and 21 and are in Years 10, 11 and 12 at high school or studying at TAFE. Judging will take place in October, with the winners announced early November.
Media Note: Mr Bill Anscombe is a senior lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU at Wagga Wagga. More information, including a full list of competition conditions, is available here. For interviews contact CSU Media
Print this story The pulse of Asia
11 Aug 2009
International trends for grains, oilseeds and pulses will be discussed at the annual Asia Today Forum 2009 on Thursday 13 August in Parkes. Following the successful forums on beef in 2007 and lamb in 2008, the Asia Today Forum 2009 will focus on cereals, oilseeds and pulses and their outlook for Asian markets. “While the focus of the forum will be on Asia, it will also broaden the view towards the relevant underlying developments and driving forces of today's agricultural and grain markets,” says Director of the Asian Agribusiness Research Centre at CSU, Dr Claus Deblitz. Speakers will include Professor John Chudleigh from Analysing Agriculture and representatives from Emerald Group, the Bread Research Institute, Buckwheat Enterprises, Lachlan Commodities and MSM Milling - Manildra.
Media Note: The forum is free and will be held from 9am to 4pm on Thursday 13 August in the Parkes Services Club, Parkes in NSW. Read more about Asia Today Forum 2009 here. The forum is jointly organised by the Asian Agribusiness Research Centre at CSU and Regional Development Australia Central West. The event is supported by NSW Farmers Association, Central West Farming Systems and Conservation Agriculture and No-Till Farmers Association Australia. The Asian Agribusiness Research Centre at CSU provides research and consultancy services related to trends and developments in the Asian agribusiness sector.
Print this story Preparing pharmacists for regional Australia
11 Aug 2009
 Reflecting Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) continued support for students who wish to study and gain their professional qualifications in regional Australia, a new application process for entry into the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree will commence in 2010. In addition to lodging an application with the University Admissions Centre (UAC) by Wednesday 30 September 2009, a ‘Supplementary Application Form’ and interview process has been introduced. These changes will allow applicants to demonstrate an interest in, and commitment to, rural Australia, a career in pharmacy and the overall health of the rural population. “By showing an understanding of the unique issues that confront pharmacists and other health workers in rural and remote Australia, Charles Sturt University is ensuring students are prepared for an education and possibly a career in regional Australia,” said Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Associate Professor Lyndall Angel.
Media Note: Further information is available here or telephone 1800 334 733. For media interviews contact CSU Media. The Bachelor of Pharmacy course was the first pharmacy degree in Australia to be offered outside a metropolitan area. It is run through the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU at Orange and Wagga Wagga.
Print this story Student energised by international travels
11 Aug 2009
 Primary teacher student Ms Emma Wagner returned from the United Kingdom to Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Bathurst in July to complete her studies after her fortnight long fully paid overseas trip. Ms Wagner from Sydney was one of 20 Australian and New Zealand students to win a place in the inaugural myOE University Tour, organised by the company My Overseas Experience. “There was a great mix of planned and unplanned moments as we travelled in a Kombi from London to Newcastle, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bath, Brighton and many other destinations in between,” said Ms Wagner. “We toured old buildings, castles, art galleries, museums, churches and other sights all on foot and sometimes even on bikes. Summing up my trip as ‘amazing’ doesn’t even come close to describing how wonderful the trip was. As a soon-to-be teacher, travelling gives you knowledge and skills that you can’t just read about and learn from a text book. I would recommend starting these travel experiences now to all students.” Ms Wagner also travelled to South Korea in 2008 through CSU Global.
Media Note: Read more about CSU student Ms Emma Wagner’s UK trip here. Print this story Scholarships fund practical skills for vet students
11 Aug 2009
 Vital financial support of almost $30 000 has been awarded to veterinary science students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga. The 2009 Professional Experience Scholarships and Prizes were presented on Tuesday 4 August to help the students while they attend their practical work placements across Australia. The awards included fifth year students who are about to embark on the third phase of the veterinary science program, which involves ten clinical rotations over the next 12 months. “The scholarships to assist the students with their field experience come at an exciting time for the first intake of students into the veterinary science program,” said Head of the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences Professor Kym Abbott. “The students have been very well prepared for the final phase of their training but now need to apply their full focus to this final development of their clinical skills before they graduate next year. The financial support from donors will help them at this critical stage of their studies.”
Media Note: Further information about the inaugural Professional Experience Scholarships in 2008 can be found here. The scholarships were generously funded by the Moruya Veterinary Hospital, the Rotary Club of Wagga Wagga, Pfizer Animal Health, the Piper Street Veterinary Clinic at Tamworth and WP and AG Holmesby, Coopers Animal Health and many donors to the CSU Foundation.
Print this story Bathurst premiere of 'The No Chance in Hell Hotel'
11 Aug 2009
.jpg) An acclaimed play starring Ms Kate Smith, a tutor and PhD student at the Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Communication, will have its new season premiere in Bathurst on Wednesday 12 August before touring regional NSW during August. Ms Smith, who co-wrote the play with co-star Mr Drew Fairley, says The No Chance in Hell Hotel is a nail-biting comedy thriller set in the back streets of Kings Cross in Sydney. “The No Chance in Hell Hotel is a fast-paced two-hander and full of laughs,” said Ms Smith. “It’s been enthusiastically received by audiences elsewhere and we’re really looking forward to bringing entertaining live theatre to regional communities across NSW.” This production is organised and supported by Critical Stages, which is dedicated to touring high-quality independent theatre in Australia.
Media Note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews. The No Chance in Hell Hotel starts at 8pm Wednesday 12 August at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre in William Street, Bathurst. Tickets are available from the Entertainment Centre on 02 6333 6161. Further information about The No Chance in Hell Hotel is available here. Print this story South Koreans receive visit from home
11 Aug 2009
 Three academics from Dongguk University in South Korea will be in Albury today, Tuesday 11 August, to check on the progress of seven students who started their business degrees at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in July. The visitors will tour the environmentally sustainable campus and residences at the University before meeting with CSU staff and students to discuss how the students are integrating into their studies and their new lives on the Border. The Associate Dean of Administration with the CSU Faculty of Business, Associate Professor John Atkinson, said the visit was important for developing further educational opportunities with South Korean partners at CSU, as well as looking after the welfare of the new students. Professor Atkinson is due to fly to South Korea next week for a return visit.
Media Note: For interviews with Associate Professor John Atkinson, contact CSU Media. Print this story Treading the boards for literary pub crawl
06 Aug 2009
 The 'Write Around the Murray' Writers Festival that begins in Albury this week will include a large presence from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in one of the Festival’s most popular community events. Ms Jenni Munday from the University’s Murray School of Education based in Albury is coordinating two Literary Pub Crawls through Albury, while several colleagues will present local and Australian writing to an audience moving between indoor and outdoor locations around central Albury. Mr John Rafferty, a lecturer in science education, will present some wry and witty poetry to perform at the ‘pub location’ in this year’s event. Finalists in the Rotary Poetry competition will also present their works. "It's wonderful to have young poets reading their own work - it gives their work more of an airing", says local writer, Dotty Simmons, whose writing is also featured in two stages of the walk. The first of the two 'pub crawls' will start at 6pm on Thursday 6 August, leaving from the Albury Library Museum in Kiewa St. The second ‘crawl’ will leave from the Zed Bar in Dean Street at 6pm on Sunday 9 August. Prospective audience members are asked to arrive early.
Media Note: For interviews with Ms Jenni Munday, contact CSU Media. Print this story Conservation on the market
06 Aug 2009
 The emerging market of conservation real estate will be in focus at a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Orange next week. Local residents are encouraged to attend the lecture where Nature Conservation Trust of NSW chief executive officer Mr Rob Dunn will explain the work of the Trust, outline how it is helping to protect private properties with high conservation values, and examine the emerging market of conservation real estate. The Nature Conservation Trust is a non-profit organisation that aims to protect rare plants and animals on private land. Many of the state’s unique plant and animal species survive outside National Parks on unprotected private land. However, many of these sites are under increasing threat from factors such as climate change, drought and general neglect. The properties protected by the Trust include small lifestyle blocks, major wilderness properties and large agricultural properties in the Riverina and Central West.
Media Note: The lecture will be held in the CSU Orange campus Conference Room on Wednesday 12 August, beginning at 6pm. CSU wines and cheeses will be served following the lecture. All are welcome to attend. For catering purposes, please RSVP to Ms Kerry Madden on email kmadden@csu.edu.au or by phone 6365 7500. Print this story |
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