From the Editor, 2022 wrap

And, spoiler alert...maybe another in 2023...

It has been a huge year for Gilgandra Newspapers, and our staff. I think all businesses have been left wondering how much stuff we used to get done before the big COVID-19 disruptor came to town.

I don’t think we have had one week where some part of our staffing or associated business partners have had nothing out of the ordinary happen - that is if you can find staff to work!

Of course, nothing puts a hammer in your plans more than having children, and it is also with that in mind that I say “it takes a village”. At times my villagers are notified (mostly at short or indeed no notice) for a baby sit, or ‘baby entertain’ while I’ve got my work hat on - you know who you are, and I thank you. At many events - which my four-year-old finds ‘very’ exciting and the 18-month-old even less so. My children have found themselves being smiled at and watched by members of this shire lots of times, and even the most mayorally ones - I will add.

So, it takes a village to support and help each other and it also takes a village to build each other’s successes. This is evident in the pages of our newspapers each week. Stories of those at their best, and sometimes at low points - but all of these stories generally have someone else, behind the scenes - holding it all together.

We are lucky people - Gilgandrian’s in particular punch above our weight. We have so many success stories, and in the nine-years I have lived here, I have lost count. We have also had some rough times - in those nine years we have lived through a once in a 100-year drought, a mice plague (we’d all like to forget), wet harvests, record flooding all around us, and a global pandemic (also something we’d all like to forget about).

But, we have also been witness to so many great things - and we continue to grow. In fact, Gilgandra was the only smaller western shire to grow in the last census - amazing. Council have even now created a strategy called ‘Towards 5000’ a plan for future growth.

So, what is on the horizon for 2023. One of the things that will provide the town with some short term growth is the inland rail. This project has been in the minds of local landholders for some 30-years, and next year will be a big turning point - a thing that many said and thought would never happen. Another thing that seemed like it wasn’t happening ....is the roof of the Gil Library Hub space in Miller Street is finally up.

Each year Miller Street undergoes a scattered transformation; 2022 was no different. Aside from the huge building site in the middle, another bank has closed in the street (for good), a new creative business has opened and other shop fronts have been revamped, renamed and will be opened in 2023.

The Coo-ee Heritage Centre is also back open and a few harvesters might be able to pull up for Christmas lunch. After a full year of almost weekly rain - we are looking out for a dry run into the end of harvest in early 2023.

Although 2022 has blown past - I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks so, 2023 is looking very interesting. The Gilgandra Weekly is proud to continue to create and collate the stories of our residents, and some blow-ins.

We are also very lucky to be well-supported by our contributors, regular columnists and our advertisers - without all of you, we couldn’t produce our newspapers. While we take a bit of a break - not all of us owing to the New Year’s racing carnival.... please have a great holiday season and travel safe about the countryside - which is still pretty damaged due to flooding and rain!

No doubt we will have many letters about the bad state of the roads in 2023!