Twenty theatre/media students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will stage A Night In The Never Never, an outdoor flea market with music and performers, on the William Street side of Machattie Park in Bathurst on Friday evening 15 October. Event coordinator, Mr Tom Griffiths, said, “A Night In The Never Never is part of the SPRUNG Festival collection of final year theatre/media students’ major projects, and will bring together the cultures of the University and the local community in a unique atmosphere that combines elements of carnival and vaudeville in an elemental array of light and shadow, sound and silence, fire, circus and a little bit of magic. The stalls are a combination of local businesses, artists and community groups. There are some community art projects that the public can add to and these are facilitated by the students. The event aims to take the audience on a visual and auditory journey stimulated by a transformed local landmark with roving characters and performance, culminating in a loud and comedic show at the end of the night.”

There has been strong interest in the third Education for Sustainability Conference: connecting classrooms and communities to be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Friday 29 October. One of the conference organisers, Ms Jan Page, lecturer at the CSU School of Teacher Education in Bathurst, said, “We have received many registrations for the 2010 conference, but anyone interested can attend on the day. The program explores ways to live lightly on the earth, with presentations by highly-regarded permaculturalist Ms Rosemary Morrow. Other topics include: transition towns, a way communities are meeting the challenges of global warming and peak oil; achieving sustainability through kitchen gardens; eco-literacy – what we need to know; empowering children; and how to build support for your programs. The conference also offers networking opportunities and a range of displays.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has a diverse property portfolio across its regional locations, and one such property currently undergoing renovation at 126 William Street, Bathurst, was most recently a restaurant and function centre known as Lamplighters Restaurant. Before that it was the Galloping Grape bar and restaurant, and prior to that the AMP Society Building. “This is a landmark building in Bathurst and is on the University’s heritage register,” said Mr Keith Hogan, Director, Procurement and Risk Management, in the CSU Division of Facilities Management. “It is also distinguished on the Bathurst City Council Regional Local Environmental Plan as a significant historical building. Following an asset management review of the building in the first half of 2010, funds have been allocated to enable the start of repairs to the property. This work consists of restoration of the historic front facade, repainting internally and externally, separation of the upstairs offices with repairs to flooring and services, and a number of priority works to protect and enhance the property.” The Executive Director of the CSU Division of Facilities Management, Mr Steve Butt, said, “Charles Sturt University supports sustainability of its built environment with a view to reuse, and maintains its many heritage listed properties for the legacy of inland Australia.”

Promoting education for environmental sustainability is the focus of a conference for the Bathurst community and primary and secondary school teachers at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Bathurst Campus on Friday 24 October. Ms Jan Page, lecturer at the School of Teacher Education which is organising the conference, said the meeting is timely given the attention that environmental issues are receiving. “Education for Sustainability: Connecting Classrooms and Communities aims to raise the importance of environmental education in schools, while providing practical ideas that teachers and the community can adapt and adopt. The focus is on ways that education for environmental sustainability can be used to integrate various aspects of the school curriculum and for connecting classrooms and communities." The conference will include a panel discussion with teachers who have experience of developing environmental initiatives in schools.

BATHURST NSW: Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter, will formally announce plans to seek the support of the State and Federal governments to establish a new medical program in central west NSW based in Orange and Bathurst. “With a fully functioning, upgraded hospital in Bathurst and a new base hospital in Orange soon to open, the Central West is becoming the health hub of NSW,” said Professor Goulter. “Charles Sturt University is leading the way in growing the future rural medical workforce and this initiative exemplifies our commitment to the health of rural and regional Australia.” The announcement will be made at midday Wednesday 18 August at CSU in Bathurst.  Other speakers include: Chancellor Lawrie Willett, AO (former Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Health; former Chairman, National Health and Medical Research Council; Chairman, Australian Hospital Care Limited) Emeritus Professor John Dwyer, AO (former Head of School and Clinical Dean, University of New South Wales Medical School; Clinical Program Director, Medicine and Oncology, Prince Henry/Prince of Wales Hospitals)  Mr Danny O’Connor, Chief Executive, Greater Western Area Health Service, NSW Health  Mr Gerard Martin, State Member for Bathurst  Clr Paul Toole, Mayor of Bathurst  Clr John Davis, Mayor of Orange

The organisers of this year’s Village Fair at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst are staging Kids Day Out for families with small children on Saturday morning 25 September. “Kids Day Out is a free event held on the Charles Sturt University rugby oval for small children and their families on the morning of the Village Fair,” said Ms Alex Leis, a CSU Student Support Officer. “This year we have a baby animal farm, a fire truck and ambulance on display, plus jumping castles, stalls, face painting and the opportunity to meet Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego.” The jumping castles and face painting are a gold coin donation, with all proceeds from the day, and a donation from the Village Fair committee, going to the Bathurst branch of Riding for the Disabled. The event runs from 10am to 1pm.

Tickets are on sale for the annual Somerville Lecture to be delivered this year by leading Australian scientist Professor Michael Archer, AM, in Bathurst on Tuesday 26 October. Lecture organiser Dr Peter Wilson, from the School of Teacher Education at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst, said the lecture, titled ‘The extraordinary nature of the Australian fossil record in a global context’, is an opportunity to hear one of Australia’s leading scientists. “Professor Archer is an author, teacher, researcher and a leading authority on the Australian fossil record. He is also a friend of Professor Warren Somerville, who the lecture honours for the world-class fossil and mineral collection now housed at the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum in Howick St in Bathurst.” Tickets can be purchased from the lecture venue, the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre, William St, Bathurst, or by phone on (02) 6333 6161. CSU is a major sponsor of the Somerville Collection and the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum.

The Premier of NSW, the Hon. Ms Kristina Keneally, MP, will meet with the Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Ian Goulter, during her visit to Bathurst on Friday 20 August. Professor Goulter will discuss with Ms Keneally the University’s proposal announced on Wednesday 18 August for $90 million from the Federal Government to establish a medical school at CSU in Orange, as well as funding for an Integrated Primary Health Care Clinic at CSU in Bathurst. The University has indicated it intends to seek the support of the NSW Government to open additional clinical places for CSU medical students in NSW hospitals. While at CSU in Bathurst, the Premier will also inspect the University’s newly completed Dental and Oral Health Clinic. Ms Keneally will discuss with Professor Goulter and Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Nick Klomp, the University’s request for government support for the construction of Australia’s first national paramedic education centre in Bathurst. The centre would allow the University to significantly increase its student intake and provide students with access to world-leading paramedic education facilities. The meeting will be joined by the Mayor of Bathurst, Councillor Paul Toole, to discuss a planned Technology Park adjoining CSU and the Western Institute of TAFE in Bathurst.

The newly-appointed Professor of Paramedic Practice and Leadership at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Biomedical Sciences in Bathurst, Professor Peter O’Meara, has returned from teaching a one week course for paramedics from several states centred around the  US state of Illinois. “They have a very different system in the US to ours in Australia,” Professor O’Meara explained. “The professional practice and management issues are similar, however they have 17 000 ambulance service providers compared to eight in Australia. Services range from very small to moderately sized organisations serving a city or regional community and there are no state-wide services. Many are run by the fire brigade, others by city councils, hospitals and private companies, some for profit and others not-for-profit. In Australia we are well advanced in the education and training of paramedics and ambulance service managers. However, we can learn from experiences in the US where they face challenges over a very large and diverse country. I see potentially great opportunities for the University to extend into the US paramedic education market in partnership with professional associations and other universities involved in paramedic education. I am also pursuing opportunities for CSU paramedic students to undertake clinical placements in the US.”