Members of Hay Plains Landcare travelled to Carrathool and Narrandera recently to hone their skills in composting and propagating.

To fast-track their nursery and demonstration site development, members visited the established nursery at Narrandera to learn effective methods of propagating native seed.

The workshop touched on the different containers and potting media available, labelling and record keeping, watering regimes required, and the seed preparation needed for the hard coated seeds like acacias.

The Hay branch of the Country Women’s Association hosted another successful bi-ennial flower show at Hay War Memorial Hall on Saturday, supported by volunteers from Hay Youth Taskforce.

The most coveted award, for best overall rose, sponsored by Hay Services and Fitness Club, was won by Linda Anderson (nee Headon), pictured above with her bloom and prize.

Two new gardening gurus emerged as winners of the 2023 CWA Flower Show’s Best Garden Competition.

Robyn Vickery took out the Small Garden category and Anna Antonakas the Best Large Garden category.

Council’s unrestricted cash remains sound with a balance $8,648,000 showing in the financial statements.

Even allowing for prepaid grants of $6,133,000 which are included in this figure, this still a very satisfactory result for the year and gives Council sufficient cash moving forward.

“Good financial management would be to try to keep this figure around this mark, although there is scope to use some of these funds if required,” Director Corporate and Community Services, Mark Dowling said.

This story is about Billy Curtis. Billy or Bunter as he is affectionately known had a great playing record after starting with the Magpies as a 19 year old in 1958. It was a time when Rugby League was played by hard men. Men who were physically hard men who did not have the skills of today's player. They were men who were as tough as teak, no sooking, just took what was dished out in the 'Era of the Biff’. The game was not policed as much then. There were no videos, and head high tackles were good old stiff arms. Billy said to get hit with a stiff arm tackle was like running into a pick handle.

In the early years of the settlements of Hay, Booligal and Balranald midwives were often the only form of medical care, and the townships have hosted a variety of private hospitals throughout the years.

This is an interesting glimpse into the care of women and babies in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

11 of best places to eat in Hay, NSW, as voted by the locals

Finding the best meals in any town requires a great deal of insider information – the best way to find out what is on offer is to ask a local!

The Riverine Grazier asked residents of the Riverina township of Hay where their favourite places to eat are, and which menu items are always at the top of the list.

“Hay is very spoilt for choice,” one local commented. “I don’t think I’ve had a bad meal at any of our local food outlets.”

Here are the very best meals in Hay, NSW right now.

Driving back and forth from Deniliquin to Hay over the years, one’s imagination would surely be ignited by the legend of the Headless Horseman.

Legend tells of the Headless Horseman riding the saltbush plain of the Cobb Highway on his grey steed, striking fear and often terror into the very hearts of the drovers moving their stock.

It’s a simple cross of nails mounted on a small wooden plaque. But the story behind the cross and how it came to be a powerful symbol of peace and reconciliation after the Second World War is a poignant one.

The cross is believed to be a Coventry Cross of Nails, made from nails salvaged from Coventry Cathedral in England after it was destroyed by German bombing in November 1940.

It was discovered at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Hay, NSW, and gifted to the Australian War Memorial.

At the recent Hay Shire Council meeting, the updated Investment Attraction Strategy was presented to council. The 2022 – 2027 IAS was adopted in 2022 and has guided the economic development function of Council.

Booroorban-based Maddy Telford scooped the pool at the Royal Melbourne Show last week, winning the supreme Red Angus exhibit with her 14-month-old bull, MGT T3 Texas.

It is the second Royal Melbourne win for Maddy, who took out the Grand Champion in 2022, with MGT T3 Texas’ grandmother.

Read on to learn more about Hay’s touching tribute for returned service men and women; the beautiful painted water towers, overlooking Sandy Point Reserve.

Robert Rice Howard was born in 1833, and was Sydney’s State

Executioner, the hangman, for 30 years.

Howard was considered of dashing appearance before an unfortunate accident disfigured him in he late 1860s when a horse kicked him in the face. This badly disfigured his nose and ruined his taxi business and he turned to drink. The most unpopular job in the city was the role of Hangman.

Nosey Bob, as he was now referred to, assumed the role between the years 1873 through to 1903 and during his time he hanged 64 people.

John William Alexander Jackson born on 13 September 1897 on 'Glengower' Station at Gunbar, and is the youngest Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross.

Looking for the best coffee spots in Hay, NSW? Read on!

The village of Booligal was a hive of activity on Saturday as one of the regions most unique events enjoyed a successful relaunch.

Over $20,000 has been raised in total, with plans for funds to be donated to local charities including the Royal Flying Doctors Service, used to improve local community buildings and to build a bigger and better event next year.

Former Hay War Memorial High School student, Simon McClusky has been honored for his volunteer work in paleontological excavations by having a spider named after him.

Dr McClusky discovered the fossil site of what has been named Megamonodontium mccluskyi at McGraths Flat near Gulgong in Central NSW.

Over a century ago, before World War I, this paper was praising a young local in the most glowing terms. The Riverine Grazier was predicting that “big things may be expected” from the town’s “boy champion”, who “promises to be … the best Hay has ever produced”. The Grazier also reported the assessment of an admired local teacher, who described the youngster as “a coming champion”.

The Hay schoolboy attracting such lavish compliments was 14-year-old Norman Callaway, who was a highly talented cricketer. His parents, Tom and Emily, had resided at Hay for over thirty years, and Norman had grown up in the family home at Hatty Street.

Bishop’s Lodge Historic House in Hay, NSW is a remarkable iron building constructed in 1889 as the official residence for the Anglican Bishop of Riverina.

The house and its 19th-century garden are now maintained as a house museum by the Bishop’s Lodge Management Committee.

Owned by the Anglican Diocese until 1946, the Lodge was home to the first three bishops -Sydney Linton, Ernest Anderson, and Reginald Halse. Between 1935 and 1946 it also became the Linton House hostel for boys attending the Hay War Memorial High School. From 1946 until 1985 it was a private residence.

The town that went to war and a very unique memorial.

The Hay War Memorial High School Museum commemorates both Hay and district war service and the history of the school in this unique war memorial which has served the Hay community since 1923.

The Hay War Memorial High School was opened on Anzac Day in 1923 as the town's war memorial built to honour those volunteers who lost their lives while on active service during World War I. Of the 641 who served in World War I, 103 did not return. This impacted greatly on the Hay and district community, which had one of the highest enlistment rates for a small town in Australia.

Read about the tragic tale of Alexander Bryson known as The Boy Murderer, who’s deadly acts near Hay, NSW saw him sentenced to hang.