33 Guests from Gulargambone, Coonamble, Warren and Dubbo enjoyed a delicious three-course meal catered by volunteer chef Tracy Rae. 

Entree was a citrus flavoured pumpkin soup garnished with pancetta, chives, croutons and cream. The main course was an alternate drop of Chicken, Leek & Thyme Pie with Crusty Bread or Braised Lamb Korma with Naan Bread while dessert was a choice of Chocolate Hazelnute Torte or Carrot & Pineapple Cake. All followed by coffee, tea and chocolates and a small gift for all mums! 

Many thanks to the volunteers who helped: Paul Fisher, Deidre Walker, Stewart Herring and Greg O'Brien. 

Check out some pictures of our Mothers' enjoying their special day.

Thank you to Pru Holgate and Damaris for organising all the craft activities over the past few years. So many kids have enjoyed them during the school holidays!! From now on, Marita Paton will be running craft school holiday sessions. So stay tuned!

left to right - Korrani Reid, Kaitlyn Newton, Greygryn Holgate-Gorton (assisting), Domonic Newton, Gabby Newton and Tahlia Newton.

Thanks to Cath Peart and Carol Alchin for producing an exceptional meal!
I still maintain they would win MKR!
Such a fun night all round. Plus we had fabulous clothes for sale from Ewe Two, Trangie!
Thanks Trish Phillips! And one more BIG thank you to our tireless movie night volunteers:
Bettina and Michael Spora and Hugh Beveridge.

A very informative day was followed by a very enjoyable evening at 2828 last Tuesday. GRAS group had their March planning meeting which was a workshop focused heavily on weeds resistance/weeds management and what Western Australian farmers have been dealing with for 10 to 15 years, and what we here in the East will or already will be dealing with. The day was put on by John Cameron from ICAN and GRDC, NSW DPI, AHRI and Weeds Smart. A very well organised day but a very relaxed format and growers left there with eyes wide open. Thanks to 2828 who looked after our guests from W.A from 7.30 am and put on a delicious morning tea and lunch for all those who attended.

We all shared a few quiet drinks in the courtyard and then guests arrived for our GRAS dinner. There were 70 people in attendance and great to see some new faces at 2828 both the young and the more senior. GRAS was lucky enough to have another Wallaby visit us, Tim Gavin a former Australian rugby representative came as our guest speaker. Not many knew he was born in Gilgandra so we decided we would claim him as our own. He gave the guests a great talk about growing up and his rep career and all the ups and very funny downs that go with it. A beautiful meal was prepared by the volunteers at 2828 once again and apologies to the crew as we all stayed a little too long. But as one of the W.A guests said to me it was the most relaxed and friendly place he had been in since leaving home and the night just slipped away. So a big thank you to the volunteers: Donna & Greg Patrick, Lee Hamilton, Stewart Herring, Paul & Annette Fisher, Greg O’Brien, Stephen & Tracey Rae for an very enjoyable evening and delicious meal. Looking forward to our next GRAS event at 2828. Hugh Beveridge

The 2014 Dinner under the Stars on Saturday 1 March was forced undercover for the second year in a row - but, was anyone complaining?!

The stars were nowhere to be seen as rain fell softly on the outdoor dining area at two eight two eight. The committee waited until 9am on Saturday morning to decide where to set up, and, once the decision was made to move indoors, did not let the long overdue rain dampen their spirits. In fact the reverse: the farmers smiled, the district heaved a collective sigh of relief and everyone’s mood instantly lifted, setting the tone for a fantastic night out!

The logistics of organising an event like this in a town the size of Gulargambone where we have limited resources at our fingertips are enormous, and there are many people to thank for the success of the evening. It was a magnificent team effort spread over several months. Dividing up the jobs meant everyone ‘did their bit’ and made the whole event manageable. Thank you to our enthusiastic and dedicated sub-committee members who made it all happen: Bettina Spora, Sally Beveridge, Sara Roche, Annie Haling, Deidre Walker, Katie Rowe and Greg O’Brien who were joined this year by several more volunteers: Pauline Meers, Bianca Williams, Toni Fuller, Colleen Ower, Melanie Ferguson and Alison Tancred, and their combined talents took the organisation of the dinner to a new level.

Other people who helped in many different ways pre and post event (setting up and/or cleaning up, loading or unloading Adors equipment, hanging lights and making bon bons) included Paul Ower, Hugh Beveridge, JB Tancred, John Dent, Sam Hunt, Paul Fisher, Chris Roche, Mick O’Brien, Alex Oligschlager, Michele Hegarty, Penny Hassall, Valda Glen, Marg Hourn, Carole Spora, Keiley O’Brien, Annette Fisher, Mary-Kate McCormick, Penny Zell, and the irrepressible and always on-the-go Jonathon Thearle, Sally’s cousin from Brisbane. Roz Zell and Annette kept the workers sustained with coffees, morning tea and lunch on Saturday, several others helped on the night and Cath Peart cooked ‘all day breakfasts’ on Sunday morning for guests and workers alike and is also donating her services to cook for the Wine Appreciation Dinner later in the year.

338 guests, who travelled from as far away as Brisbane, Bribie Island and Balmain, attended the black tie event. The Memorial Hall was transformed with fairy lights and beautiful table lamps designed and created by Pauline using champagne glasses sourced by herself and Annie who must have called in to every op shop between here and Toowoomba! MC for the evening JB Tancred welcomed everyone and later joined forces with local filmmaker Hugh Beveridge to star in a very funny short movie which was screened before the main entertainment. Hugh’s wife, Sally, was responsible for organising the surprise ‘undercover’ entertainment for the evening. Singers for Hire, Australia are a group of talented singers who pose as waiters or chefs at an event before unleashing a dynamic vocal performance. 

For our event, two of the performers disguised themselves as Farmoz reps handing out lucky door tickets as guests entered the hall. During dinner the two ‘Farmoz reps’ went up on stage to announce the lucky door prize winners but were interrupted by an ‘italian chef’ who leapt up on stage and said his name was Mario Lasagne who was working with Relish the caterers. The three performers, all professionally trained opera singers, then spontaneously broke into song, completely surprising everyone as they continued to entertain for the next thirty minutes with a sophisticated performance that added a real wow factor to this year’s dinner. The singers blew everyone away with their ability to crossover seamlessly between opera, contemporary and musical theatre whilst playfully intermingling with the guests. As we listened to a range of well known songs that included ‘Shuddupa youface’, light opera and ‘I still call Australia Home’, one guest was heard to comment “I cannot believe this is happening in Gulargambone!”

The entertainment was co-sponsored by Dubbo Regional Livestock Markets who unfortunately were not able to attend, and Farmoz who brought a table of 8 guests. We were very grateful that many of our major sponsors were able to join us for the night: Platinum Sponsor Vittoria Coffee represented by Marketing Manager Garth Douglas and his wife Kristie travelled from Sydney and brought three staff members who also worked all night - thanks guys we could not have staged such a professional event without you!

Gold Sponsor GrainCorp represented by Regional Manager Wayne Earl from Dubbo brought a large contingent of guests (22) including two who flew up from Melbourne that afternoon especially for the dinner and flew back again early the next day. GrainCorp guests were also noticed bidding heavily on the live auction items! Silver Sponsors Rabobank were represented by Peter D’Esposito and nine guests and AgLink by Justen Schofield and his wife Jacqui. We had some new sponsors come on board this year mainly thanks to Bianca’s new look sponsorship package, Toni’s powerful ‘Our Story’ powerpoint and Annie’s amazing negotiating skills. Twilight sponsors Dubbo City Toyota and Gilgandra Toyota were represented by Mark Walker and his wife Jodie, while Justin Taylor from Taylors Wines donated the wines for the Wine Appreciation Dinner - one of the auction items. Other major sponsors who weren’t able to attend the dinner were: Tyreright, Western Farm Machinery, GK & LH Rohr t/as Gulargambone Rural Supplies and Elders Insurance.

MH Thomas, Gilgandra donated the printing of the auction catalogues which Melanie designed and created. Our other sponsors who donated some very generous products for the auction were: Sebel Kirkton Park, Kings Hall Jewellers, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Armatree Hotel, Australian Wool Network, Deidre & Alan Walker, MJ Bale, Alison Dent, WJ Matthews, Moree, Elk, Louenhide, RB Sellars, Central Stores, Jenny Bradley, Tooraweenah Crossroads Olive Oil, Ochre Hair, Collective, Melanie Ferguson, Jen Cowley, Joe & Judy Shalhoub, Neil & Jenny Anderson, Tingles Beauty Salon, Funky Trunks, Harvey Norman, Bunnings, Gorgeous Gingham, Gordon Scutts, Mary Kennedy, Anneka Manning, Indulgence Hair Studio, Orange, Ramiens 5 Star Supermarket, Gulargambone, Dan Murphy’s, No CSG Gilgandra, Trish Phillips & Peter ‘Chooky’ O’Brien and John Rainsford, Antiques & Old Wares Gulargambone. The auction items were co-ordinated by Sally while Katie designed the rolling powerpoint presentation acknowledging all sponsors.

The committee really appreciated the fact that both our local politicians were able to attend. Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton and his wife Robyn travelled from Warialda while State Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries and his wife Lindy travelled from Moree. Coonamble Council was represented by Mayor Al Karanouh, Deputy Mayor Danny Keady and Councillor Tom Cullen, and we thank Council for their ongoing support of our project.

Most importantly thank you to everyone who bought tickets and came to the dinner! We were pleased to see all our regular supporters from Warren, Coonamble, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Moree, Burren Junction, Cowra, and Mudgee and thanks to Toni who co-ordinated the bus from Dubbo. It was great to see several former residents back in town for the dinner: Tina Orellana (nee Morris), Jeannie Boyce (nee Waugh), Tom & Sue Ryan (nee Shepherd), Gill & Bill Waugh, Josh Connell (GrainCorp), and Mary Roche (nee (O’Brien) who brought four friends from Sydney. Also spotted: Lucy Kerr (nee Kennedy) from Walgett, Charlie Walker from WA and his sister Georgia currently living in France, while the international flavour continued with Andrew O’Brien and his wife Joan visiting from Ireland (via Mudgee). Many thanks to Ash & Lib Walker for accommodating all the Mudgee guests and organising transport for them and to Hugh & Sally for hosting the representatives from Vittoria. It was also good to see regular guests Gordon Scutts, his wife Robyn and their friend Ann Crowhurst from Taree. This year they brought friends with them and plan to come again next year!

Over 200 volunteers have been involved with two eight two eight since the beginning, and a quick head count showed that 60 of the guests at the dinner have volunteered with the project at some stage, so thanks to all our local Gulargambone friends and supporters! Each table received a gift of 2 bottles of Vittoria wine. Guests enjoyed a two-course meal prepared by Relish Catering from Cryon. The meat cuts for the meal were donated by Roger Fletcher of Fletcher International. The meal featured an entree with a choice of Peri Peri Chicken with Chargrilled Corn & Avocado Salsa Served in Glasses or Smoked Trout Asian Salad Served on Spinach Leaves with Nam Jim Dressing. The main course was Za’arta Crusted Lamb Rump with Warm Tabouleh Salad topped with Marinated Feta & Vine Roasted Tomatoes Slow Cooked Moroccan Beef Cheek with Orange & Herb Cous Cous with Minted Yogurt & Pomegranate, the Dessert Tasting Table featured Upside Down Passionfruit Cheesecakes, a Selection of Homemade Fudge and Chocolate Caramel Tarts. All followed by Vittoria Coffee made by Simon one of Vittoria’s baristas.

Pauline Hammond, Lee Hamilton & Leah Hammond very capably co-ordinated the delivery of the meals to the tables. Congratulations and thank you to Kiara Reid, Brooke Chatfield and Becc Jordison, the student waitresses from Gulargambone Central School. You were a credit to your school and to your families!

Local auctioneer Paul Alchin did a brilliant job encouraging all to dig deep to support our small community project. Paul’s daughter Kathryn, assisted by mum Carol, also did a fantastic job overseeing the bidding sheets - the auctions and bon bons alone raised over $21,000. Bettina co-ordinated the making and selling of the bon bons, a winning idea initiated a few years ago by Michelle O’Brien. The winner of the major prize, a $400 Gift Voucher to the Sebel Kirkton Park, Hunter Valley was won by Ros Ruskin-Rowe from Dubbo.

Guests enjoyed disco music courtesy of Vittoria’s IT specialist Jodan (JT) Tran who was DJ for the night. We made a total profit of just over $30,000 (our best result ever!) which will go back into the project so we can continue to offer services to the community and employment for four local people. The injection of ‘outside’ dollars into the Gulargambone economy was our aim when we started two eight two eight. One of our proudest achievements is the establishment of two Indigenous Student Traineeships in Hospitality with boys from the local central school. One of those boys, Brandon Hammond, is now employed as the cook at two eight two eight and his mother, Pauline, is employed as our Adult Hospitality trainee, a significant achievement in a town with limited employment opportunities. Thanks, everyone!

Introduction

two eight two eight (named after our postcode) is a vibrant, exciting and innovative community venture in Gulargambone, a small country town in the central west of NSW. two eight two eight boasts an award winning cafe serving Vittoria Coffee, an art gallery and a gift shop selling locally handmade craft and produce.

two eight two eight is also a successful function centre with a quality catering service. Delicious meals, monthly movie nights, a second hand bookshop, library and an annual Dinner under the Stars all add to the visitor's experience and is helping to bring people and economic activity to our town. 

But it wasn’t always that way.

This is our story.

Background

Gulargambone (population 395) lies on the banks of the Castlereagh River, 550 kms north west of Sydney. Primarily an agricultural area, it was once a thriving community. When the banks left town and commodity prices dropped, many businesses closed and services declined. Persistent drought and a downturn in the rural economy exacerbated the problem. Gulargambone is now a low socio-economic town with 30% indigenous and high unemployment. Many small towns right across Australia have faced similar circumstances and many have never recovered. 

But Gulargambone is different.

We recognised the need to diversify our economic base and, in 2002, the community purchased a dilapidated building with the aim of turning it into a tourist information centre. We felt that despite being very run down, the building, which had once been the community hall, was a perfect venue to attract tourists because it was situated in the main street of town and located on the Castlereagh Highway midway between Gilgandra (50 kms to the south) and Coonamble (50 kms north). We had been witnessing an increasing number of caravans on the highway - either travelling interstate or on their way to nearby attractions: the beautiful Warrumbungles, Macquarie Marshes, Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo and the opal fields at Lightning Ridge. Our goal was to encourage those tourists to stop - and call in.

But first we had work to do. Built in the 1920s, the hall, which had also once been home to The Majestic picture theatre, was in need of some major repairs. During the next few years, several working bees were held (involving a wide cross section of the community including many Aboriginal children) and the building was repaired, renovated and freshly painted. The Tuscan-influenced colours have brought a new lease of life to the main street and the adjoining block has been transformed into an attractive courtyard.

The end result is that tourists are now coming to Gulargambone as a destination in itself - to visit a community centre that is also enjoyed by the locals. Several of the children who helped at the working bees have been trained in hospitality and tourism, and we now provide employment for 5 local adults. two eight two eight has injected hope back into our community.

During World War 1, Gulargambone’s first community hall was destroyed by fire and, during re-construction, the second blew down in a windstorm. The current hall has been here since the 1920s and housed The Majestic, a picture theatre where movies were screened indoors in winter and outdoors in summer. Peter Simpson had owned the block since 1968, and when he heard about our project he offered the site to us for $5,000. Coonamble Council paid half the money and we fundraised the rest at our firstDinner under the Stars which was held in September 2002 in the garden at ‘Minnamoona’, the home of two of our volunteers. 

We held two major working bees, the first in October 2002, involving many members of the community. (Over 200 volunteers from the Gulargambone district and surrounding towns have helped us throughout the life of the project and we also had some generous benefactors who wish to remain anonymous - and we’re grateful for everyone’s support). 

We had sufficient funds to employ a local builder Denis Radin who worked through the summer to repair the major cracks. By the end of the second working bee in March 2003 the building was painted and ready for use. 

Our first function was a movie night in April 2003 where we screened Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. GrainCorp provided the popcorn machine and the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal assisted with a display fridge for cold drinks. The evening was so successful that we started screening monthly movie nights with the children enjoying hot dogs, popcorn and a candy bar. In recent years we set up a Film Society and the adults now enjoy a light meal with their movie - a great way to catch up with friends! 

Coonamble Council asked us to take on the town library, located across the road from two eight two eight. We initially queried the request, arguing that we were setting up a tourist centre - but quickly accepted when we discovered it would mean an annual income of $15,000. Our volunteers also help out with story-telling sessions and holiday activities for the children. 

In 2003, we were named NSW ‘Can-Do’ Community by the Department of Family & Community Services in Canberra and won $10,000. In June 2003, work started on building the toilets, including one with disabled access and baby-changing facilities.We were encouraged by the NSW Film & Television Office to restore the hall as a movie theatre with a digital projector and ‘surround-sound’ speakers. A small grant from the NSW Ministry for Arts helped us install an acoustic ceiling. 

We also built a small kitchen so we could set up a cafe serving instant coffee and tea, but when Les Schirato, CEO of Vittoria Coffee, heard about our project he had other ideas! In May 2003, after a chance meeting with the brother of one of our volunteers, Les Schirato told us he wanted to put something back into regional Australia. He flew four of our volunteers to Sydney for training at the Vittoria Coffee College in Ryde and sent a barista, James Windsor up to Gulargambone to help train others. The girls must have listened well because when Les came out to see us in 2005 he asked one of them to make him a short black - and he told her it was as good as any he had had in Sydney. Les has continued to be a very generous sponsor and we cannot thank him enough.

In November 2003, two former residents: Anna Dent, and former Wallaby Warwick Waugh, came ‘home’ for the weekend and started work on landscaping the courtyard that Anna designed. The courtyard today is a credit to all the hard work that they, their parents and many others have put into it. It has been described as ‘an oasis for weary travellers’. A local boy, Douglas Malone, designed and constructed the corrugated iron sign that hangs on our front wall.

During 2003, the community instigated a town branding program with the help of Sydney artist Sam Newstead. Sam designed and created the template for the corrugated iron ‘galahs', and a large band of Gulargambone volunteers helped to construct them. Forty large galahs now line all the roads leading into town and have become a recognised tourist attraction in their own right, with many people stopping to take photos. Tourists call in to ask questions and can now watch a dvd showing how they were made.

We opened the cafe in 2004 for three days a week with plans to serve quiche in summer and soup in winter. Thanks to the dedication of all our hard-working volunteer cooks, the menu has changed and grown - and the cafe is now open for five days a week. Opening hours: Wednesdays - Fridays: 9am - 4pm; Saturdays and Sundays: 9am - 2pm. In 2004 Gulargambone was named Overall Winner at the NSW Tidy Towns Awards in Broken Hill which meant we would host the 2005 Awards ceremony. We held our first on-site Dinner under the Stars in March 2005 with over 370 people attending.

One of our volunteers, Val Roderick, spent many long hours restoring old furniture for displaying the craft that we sell and another, Helen Ferguson, made the quilted logo that hangs on the back wall. One of Sam Newstead’s murals depicting the story of Gulargambone is a feature of our art gallery. The beautiful mosaic on the floor of the foyer in two eight two eight was created and constructed by another volunteer, Alison Dent, and the town logo was designed by artist Sam Newstead.

In July 2005 we attended our first Inland NSW Tourism Awards ceremony in Tamworth where were excited to be named winners in the New Tourism Business Category. Council’s newly appointed Tourism Development Manager, Steve Baldwin, assisted us with the submission and he and his wife Jenn went on to become regular volunteers in the kitchen at two eight two eight and Steve was a valued committee member until they moved to Birdsville in 2011.

In October 2005, The Big Weekend arrived and 400 Tidy Towns representatives from across NSW descended on the town. We organised Tent City for their accommodation, arranged a host of weekend activities, mobilised the whole town to help and handled all the catering ourselves using our amazing volunteer cooks. Many visitors said it was the best weekend they had ever been to. The Awards Dinner was a night to remember! As a result of winning the Inland NSW Tourism Awards in Tamworth we were automatically accepted as a finalist at the NSW Tourism Awards which were held at Star City in Sydney. We won an Encouragement Award. 

During 2006, Nicole Williams, the Hospitality teacher at Gulargambone Central School, instigated the idea of bringing the Hospitality students down to two eight two eight for work experience one afternoon a week. The program was so successful that the students eventually ran the cafe on their own, under Nic’s guidance, for one full day each week. Gulargambone Central School Hospitality students continue to do their work experience and Hospitality training at two eight two eight, and we have since also taken students from Gilgandra High School and Coonamble High School.

That year we also won our first major tourism award: The Gold Award at the 2006 NSW Tourism Awards in the General Tourism Awards category. As winners we went on to represent NSW at the Australian Tourism Awards which were held in Sydney in February 2007 and won there too. We also travelled to Melbourne for the ‘Communities in Control’ Conference and won $3,000 after being named Community Idol for 2007.

In July 2007, after acknowledging that the project had grown bigger than we had ever anticipated, we advertised for our first paid employee - to handle the administration and ever-increasing paperwork required by the bureaucrats. Marguerite Starr from Curban was appointed as a part-time Executive Officer and stayed with us for six years. We outgrew our small kitchen - and in 2008 with generous assistance from Les Schirato we started work on a commercial kitchen. We were also grateful when Chris Scales from the Indigenous Co-ordination Centre in Dubbo called in one day, saw the students in action - and was so impressed that she gave us a donation from FaHCSIA (Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs). The lower block has provided the perfect venue for a marquee and we have catered for a few functions here - all catered for by volunteers. A firm of external consultants from Sydney helped us develop our 2009 - 2014 Strategic Plan plan during a two-day workshop. The plan set 4 Strategy pillars: A place for everyone; Developing people; Collaborating with the wider community; Financial sustainability.

The school-based indigenous student traineeship program started in 2009 with Brandon Hammond. Brandon had been contemplating leaving school in Year 10, stayed on till Year 12, and was awarded Apprentice of the Year for the Orana Region. The other student Rorey Millgate was awarded Young Achiever of the Year in 2011. Since May 2013 Brandon has been employed in the cafe and is cooking up a storm in the kitchen! In 2009 we gained accreditation as a Level 3 Visitor Information Centre, which has firmly entrenched Gulargambone on the tourist map.

When you are part of a small community you share in the good times - and the bad. In November 2010, the town (and farmers in particular) were heavily impacted by floods. The local farming group realised they urgently needed to get farmers together to help them realise they were not alone. two eight two eight was approached to be the venue, local banks and agricultural companies sponsored the night, and 300+ locals crammed in to listen and laugh at comedienne Jean Kittson. And when the Queensland floods later put things in perspective, the community rallied again and, in true Aussie spirit and despite their own loss, raised a staggering $21,000 in January to send north.

In 2011, we advertised for our first adult Hospitality trainee and were delighted when Pauline Hammond (Brandon’s mum) applied. Brandon’s sisters, Rikki and Timeaka have also helped out in the cafe and at functions. The venue is now used for a variety of functions: Book Club, concerts, long lunches, art workshops and yoga classes and in recent years has attracted several international visitors. And children love coming for milkshakes, movie nights and school holiday activities at the library!

The annual Dinner under the Stars has become very popular and attracts visitors from across the state. Previous guest speakers include Professor Fred Watson, the ‘Country Squire’ Rob Ingram from Country Style Magazine, Peter Simpson’s son Michael from Vision Australia and chefs Peter Howard and Adriano Zumbo.

And none of this would have been possible without all our volunteers who have shown that by working together extraordinary things can happen to ordinary people!