Several of the original members joined with current members in the group that has grown in strength over those years. Original member Daphne Lister spoke of how they sat on children’s chairs at the Merimbula School each month as they organised exhibitions and workshops. She said that her best memories were of the friendships she made and the encouragement given to her by so many marvellous people.

Merimbula RSL sub-branch will hold a service at the Beach Street memorial, on Thursday, August 18, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan on Vietnam Veterans Day. All veterans, ex and serving members are invited to attend. 

Assemble in the RSL car park at 10.45am for a march down Alice Street to the memorial for a service to start at 11am. Medals are to be worn. After the service lunch has been arranged in the RSL Club dining room. Cost $10 per head. School students who attend are invited for drinks and snacks in the downstairs function room of the RSL Club.

The next meeting of the Merimbula Garden Club will be on Saturday, July 23. After our winter warmer break at Oaklands last week, our activities this month will continue with a trivia quiz and a short DVD. Members are also reminded to bring a plate to share for morning tea, as well as the usual goodies for the trading table and the displays. Visitors are always welcome, so join us if you can at 10am for a 10.30am start at the Merimbula RSL Club.

Until October 31, a free and confidential tax help service is available at the Women’s Resource Centre, Bega offering help in preparing tax returns using e-tax and lodging a tax return electronically. Tax help is for those on low incomes who need help with their tax returns including seniors, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, those with a disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Phone 6492 1367 to book in.

It’s the 30th Nethercote Seasonal Produce Market on Saturday, July 23, and market organisers are inviting you to come along and have some cake with them in celebration.

‘Nethercotians’ Karen Lott and Barbara Green, started the market back in January 2009.

“We were both disappointed with the amount of fruit and veg available locally, even though there was a great range of micro-climates in the valley, and a range of soils,” Karen Lott explained.

“Nethercote has a beautiful hall, and location, and the good will of the community from years of fundraising and voluntary labour in re-building the hall. We saw the market as a great opportunity to encourage local growers to get involved and hopefully grow more.

“We wanted to make the market an event, so we included live music and a cooking demo – plus great coffee! So even if the produce runs out early, there is still plenty to enjoy,” Karen said.

Thirty markets on, this simple recipe for success remains the hallmark of a fun morning out in the stunning Nethercote valley.

The ever-popular, fantastically priced community fruit and veg stall, will be a glorious vista of winter citrus.

Stock up on award-winning local oysters, Rocky Hall wine, Tilba cheese, Palarang organic meat, Ena’s pickles, Beth’s jams and spreads, Jan’s pastries and Kay’s skin creams based on produce straight from the garden.

Bread-lovers can choose from Wild Rye breads from Pambula, or try out the artisan breads from Wheatley Lane Bread of Candelo – their first time at Nethercote Market.

The Nethercote Residents Association will cook up a breakfast storm on the barbie, with proceeds supporting further Nethercote Hall improvements.

There will be some of the yummiest cakes you can find to enjoy with plunger coffee, while listening to Paul Dion’s jazz trio.

Join Amanda Stroud in the kitchen at 11am as she whips up Cornish pasties made with market ingredients during the cooking demo. There will be piping hot pasties fresh out of the oven for sale around 11.30am. 

Help us continue supporting Wyndham Primary School’s Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden project, by buying a ticket in the raffle.

Sapphire Coast Rotaractors and local Rotarians were all glammed up for the Rotaract Changover dinner on Saturday night, July 16. 

Dressed in their best Op Shop attire, around 20 people gathered for a relaxed evening at Ritzy’s to celebrate the year that was and to prepare for what is hoped to be another successful year for Rotaract. 

Former president Jillian Browning gave a brief speech thanking all those who attended before she officially handed over the baton to incoming president Lily Warby. 

Another highlight of the night was the introduction of what is hoped to become a new tradition. 

A beautiful flowery vest was purchased from a local Op Shop and for the first time ever it was handed on to the person who was named The Rotaractor of the Year. 

Cara Hay was the lucky winner of the inaugural vest. It will be embroidered with her name and she will be able to hold on to the vest for the year until it is passed on to the next deserving individual at next year’s changeover. 

Ms Hay was chosen as the Rotaractor of the Year because of her dedicated service to Sapphire Coast Rotaract since it’s inception. She attends every meeting and is always willing to help out in any way she can. 

Rotaract is a global organisation that empowers students and young professionals to create positive change in their local communities and around the world.

Anyone between the age of 18 to 30 is encouraged to get involved. Simply email sapphirerotaract@live.com or call or text 0467 984 616. 

The Salvation Army in Bega is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of their new Family Store.

The event will take place on Saturday July 23 starting at 11am at the new store, located at 70 Gipps Street, Bega.

As well as the official ceremony they will be conducting tours of the new premises and providing a range of activities for a fun-filled family celebration until 2pm.

There will be a sausage sizzle, jumping castle, face painting, special guests, local hand crafts and a range of fun activities and give aways. All are invited. 

Students from Lumen Christi Catholic College are deep into rehearsals for the annual Saltwater Festival; to be held on Friday July 22.

The annual event showcases a range of creative and performing arts from the college. Once again, visitors are invited to be part of a fabulous night with students performing a variety of dramatic, musical and dance performances, as well as artworks, photographs and short films being available for viewing.

Families are encouraged to attend the special event, with a wide range of children’s art and performance activities being accessible as part of the Festival.

Lumen Christi’s Hospitality students will be cooking up a storm with soup, pizza, coffee and a variety of delicious desserts available for visitors to enjoy.

The Saltwater Festival will run from 5.30pm until 9pm on Friday July 22.

Sapphire Coast Business Women in conjunction with Our Merimbula Chamber of Commerce are running a Business Master Class Series which will be open to all local business men and women.  Prices start at as little as $20 a session,  with eight sessions covering various different topics running from Monday, July 4 until Monday, October 10. 

All classes will take place at the Regional Learning Centre in Merimbula and will run from 9am until midday. See www.scbw.com.au/ for more information. 

The General Meeting of the Old School Museum at the RSL on Monday, July 25, will feature a talk on the Australian/Chinese role in WW1 and their difficulty in enlisting. The meeting will also be a time to remind all Members of the AGM on Monday, August 24 when the group will present the amended constitution and vote for its adoption.