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Isolation and the domestic violence curve

8/4/2020

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Eve Jeffery

This story and video first appeared in the Byron Shire Echo and Echonetdaily in April 2020


With a larger proportion of people staying at home and the unusual circumstances we now find ourselves in, another downside of isolation is the rise in domestic violence (DV).

Even people who don’t usually have aggression issues within their homes are feeling stressed, and with services at a distance, or inaccessible, there has been a rise in DV incidents.

‘I’m in a lovely, respectful and kind relationship,’ says a local nurse. ‘We had our first proper argument in forever this week. No violence, threats or safety issues, but it highlighted how tense things are and how quickly they could escalate if one of us couldn’t regulate our emotions.

‘I was the one yelling. I felt misunderstood. I stopped yelling. We were both quiet for a bit, gave each other space. He apologised, I apologised.’

She said that she and her partner are both usually reasonable and neither likes conflict. ‘We were both quite startled by it. For families with high levels of conflict as a base line, I could see how the heightened tensions would increase the likelihood of violence.’

Another woman who was once the mayor of a large town and is married to a doctor, said that even though her partner is the most wonderful person, recently they had a ‘little tiff’ about her not wanting him to go to the supermarket. ‘We never argue but I felt so stressed about it. It settled after ten minutes but how do people cope who don’t have our situation?’

The remedy was to give each other space. ‘I am the fuming one, the sulker. My lovely human just walks away and then comes back in about ten minutes with a cup of tea, looks at me to see if I am still cross, gives me a bit more space then tries to make me laugh.

‘I was so stressed about him going to the shops and I became quite irrational. I even said he could go and live elsewhere and yelled!

'Now we are negotiating what it looks like for him to return to GP work (after retiring last December) with trepidation, and trying to look after each other.’

Another issue coming to the forefront is for people with disability (PWD) and their carers, especially families who now have more care responsibilities with kids at home from school or with services shut.

People with disability work, play and live in the same way other people do, but need support to access the community – with more and more service providers shutting their doors, carers are increasingly responsible for supporting a family member. Time apart can be important for self care, but there’s little help available, especially for people with high support needs.

There can be additional challenges to help people with a cognitive disability understand the risks that COVID-19 presents.

How do you explain to someone that they can’t see their friends or support workers any more? How do you help someone understand why they are now trapped in their own home? For people who were already segregated and isolated, losing the small freedoms they once had can feel much bigger and can lead to stress and an increased need for support.

Another tension for families who are living with a disabled person is that often that person is at higher risk of contracting coronavirus. Do you all go out for exercise and potentially risk a family member’s life? What if you need to shop for essential items and possibly come into contact with someone with the virus? What impact does close proximity have for both disabled people and carers living together without a break? The pressure cooker heats up.

Chief Executive NNSWLHD Wayne Jones says in the Northern NSW Local Health District, COVID-19 planning and response includes support for all members of the community, including vulnerable people like those affected by homelessness and domestic violence.

‘Our existing understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence and anecdotal evidence to date suggests that for many people experiencing domestic violence, social distancing and self-isolation measures may place them at greater risk of harm.’

Mr Jones adds that the mental health implications of living through natural and other disasters can be cumulative and can intensify existing experiences of trauma.

‘People’s complex coping responses to violence, abuse and childhood neglect, such as alcohol and other drug use, or the impacts on existing mental health issues, may also increase during times of natural and other disasters, requiring enhanced health care.’

Mr Jones says the NSW Government has committed to a series of changes to enhance the support available to victims of domestic violence during COVID-19. ‘The NSW Health website and new Department of Communities and Justice COVID-19 (coronavirus) website contains information about how the community and frontline services are being supported during the COVID-19 pandemic.’

NSW Health currently provides a response to domestic and family violence through the Domestic Violence Routine Screening (DVRS) Program, Social Work services, Emergency Departments, specialist Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol services, and Aboriginal Family Health services.

‘Northern NSW Local Health District is working with key service partners to ensure that the needs of individuals and their families who are victims of domestic and family violence continue to be met,’ said Mr Jones.

‘Violence Abuse and Neglect service provision continues to be a priority of the LHD during this time, and domestic and family violence support services will continue to support people to stay safe.

The nurse I spoke to said kindness helps. ‘When he apologised, it wasn’t to get it done with, it was because he cared about how I felt.’

The ex-mayor says it is a really stressful time. ‘I think sometimes we think we’re ok and coping, when underneath the surface we’re really anxious and frightened and we aren’t operating at our best because of this.’

There are a range of services providing immediate support to individuals experiencing domestic or family violence.
These include:
• 1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732 – is a confidential information, counselling and support service;
•  NSW Domestic Violence Line – 1800 65 64 63 – is a state-wide telephone crisis counselling and referral service for women;
• Child Protection Helpline: 132 111;
•  NSW Elder Abuse Helpline: 1800 628 221;
•  Men’s Referral Service – 1300 766 491 – provide telephone counselling, information and referrals for men;
•  Link2Home – 1800 152 152 – can help refer women experiencing domestic violence to crisis accommodation; and
•  Lifeline – 13 11 14 – is a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
If you are in danger or in an emergency, always contact Triple Zero (000).
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Disability worker saving lives – on her birthday

8/4/2020

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Eve Jeffery

This story and video first appeared on Echonetdaily in April 2020

There’s isolation and there’s isolation.
For most folk, isolation means just doing the right thing to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
For some folk, the very old, the very young, people with some pre-existing conditions and many people with a disability, isolation is a matter of life or death, and making sure they are truly isolated holds a greater weight for them. READ MORE
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Pets and human health

31/3/2020

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David Lowe

This story first appeared in Byron Healing in March 2020

Picture
Leo the Lion (yes we know he's a cat but he thinks he's lion). Leo brings much joy and entertainment to his pet human. Photo Tree Faerie.
​
​There have been lots of photobombing opportunities for pets recently, with many more humans working from home and virtual meetings being interrupted by all sorts of happy animals with no respect for social distancing.

Furry friends have a big upside though – a growing body of research suggests that getting a pet is one of the best things you can do for your health. READ MORE
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Fun events to help others

31/3/2020

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David Lowe

This story first appeared in Byron Venue in March 2020

Fundraising events for causes have always been a big part of Australian life. Old standbys like cake stalls, raffles, garage sales, trivia nights and car washes are taking a hit at the moment with social distancing limits, but with a bit of creativity, you can still raise funds for your worthy cause.
​There’s no shortage of those! 
READ MORE
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Mythbusting COVID-19

31/3/2020

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David Lowe

This article first appeared in Health Byron in March 2020

Don’t panic! Now that we’re all spending an unhealthy amount of time on the internet, it’s easy to get swept up in strange human crowd behaviours even while we’re self-isolating. What to believe? Who to trust? Is that thing everyone’s sending around actually true? READ MORE
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Almost like being there

31/3/2020

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David Lowe

This story first appeared in Byron Venue in March 2020

Picture
Oh - remember the good ol' days when performers and audiences were all in the same place at the same time. Iggy Pop at Bluesfest 2019. Photo David Lowe.

​
​Bluesfest isn’t happening, Splendour has been postponed and even James Bond is on ice while we all learn about social distancing, but that doesn’t mean humans aren’t still getting together. Technology, so often blamed for isolating people, is also making new connections possible.
 READ MORE
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Accentuate the positive

31/3/2020

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David Lowe

This story appeared in Byron Venue in March 2020

There’s a theory that all human emotions boil down to fear and love. For every situation that we face in life, there are two basic response paths. Unlike computers though, we’re not binary – humans are more complicated. Although we can’t control most of what happens to us, we have a lot of agency in how we respond. READ MORE
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Wedding videos – ready for your closeup?

31/3/2020

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David Lowe

This story first appeared in Byron Venue in March 2020

Wedding videos have come a long way since the days when you would ask Uncle Cyril to bring his handycam along and get some shots. But how do you choose a wedding videographer? It all comes down to what sort of wedding video you want. READ MORE
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Supporting equality

31/3/2020

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Eve Jeffery

Guest Echo Editorial in the Byron Shire Echo in March 2020

Picture
David Kingston and I before we were parents – How much we thought we knew. What little we actually knew – about life and love and parenting and adulting. What little we knew about being gentle with each other when it was needed most. What little we knew about the mental health help we BOTH needed. Photo Paul West.

​The Wikipedia entry for feminism says: ‘Feminism is a range of social movements, political movements, and ideologies that aim to define, establish, and achieve the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes’.

Yep, that’s me. Equality for all. In fact, if you took a peek at my sensis entry for ‘religion’ you’d see ‘equalitarian’, though I think it will be a while before the movement catches up to ‘Jedi’.
​
Equality for all, including animals (I am an annoying vegan), women, children and even men – ALL earthlings… READ MORE
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‘Only a reckless, negligent government would approve a CSG project'

28/2/2020

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Picture
Narrabri farmer Sarah Ciesiolka is still fighting for the safety of the water she needs to irrigate her land. Photo Tree Faerie.

Eve Jeffery

This article first appeared on Echonetdaily in February 2020

Yesterday a 104-page report was released by the parliamentary inquiry into the CSG industry in NSW detailing how the NSW Government has failed to fully implement the majority of the NSW Chief Scientist’s 16 recommendations from 2014…READ MORE
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Vegan becomes the new black and the new green

26/2/2020

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PictureThis photo is from the Instagram feed of Rachel Jeffery https://www.instagram.com/rachel_jeffery_dietitian/
​
​I’m often told how nice my lunch looks, so I thought through 2020, I share some of my meals on Tasty Bowl Tuesday.

​This weeks Tasty Bowl was made by my sister. She was visiting from interstate and she kindly prepped lunch while I was out running errands.
Eve practises veganism and so she created a wonderful plant based lunch for us.

The meal included - A green salad with tomatoes, olives and cucumber, as well as tofu cooked with ginger, zucchini and roasted capsicum. Raw corn was added after cooking with a dollop of hummus.
                                                 
                                                               Rachel Jeffery Dietitian 

Eve Jeffery

People ask what they can do to help the planet then they stick their fingers in their ears and ‘la la la la la’ when you give them an answer.

Well, the answer is – a food trend is shaping up to be the biggest lifestyle change in 2020 as veganism takes hold of growing numbers of climate activists.

Animal welfare aside, people are turning to veganism as it becomes clear that animal agriculture is causing a lot of harm to the planet as it produces less food per square hectare than cropping, and we just need the extra tree space that cows, pigs, chickens and sheep on death row are currently using.

Also, the oceans are a lot healthier with sea life in them rather than in your belly. 

People are also working out that you are fitter, faster, stronger and healthier on a plant-based diet which is taking the strain off the medical industry –  if you haven’t watched The Game Changers* yet then you haven’t seen Schwarzenegger at his best.

We double-dare you to watch it.

(*Nothing gory or judgey people, just some
awesome athletes winning, winning, winning
​on quinoa, carrots and chickpeas!)
 

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Big plans to help injured wildlife

26/2/2020

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Picture
Lennox Head vet Evan Kosack – Photo Tree Faerie

Eve Jeffery

This article first appeared in The Echo in February 2020

There is exciting news if you’re a koala, tawny frogmouth, snake or any Australian native animal species as a new veterinary service – exclusively for wildlife – is opening up in Byron Bay. Housed in a custom-built, fully-equipped, solar-powered truck, the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital aims to start work in early May…READ MORE
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Talking about vaginas for V-Day

26/2/2020

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Picture
Vagina conversationalist Rose Weaver – Photo Tree Faerie

Eve Jeffery

This article first appeared in The Echo in February 2020

​As part of the V-Day events for global revolution to end violence against women and children, the fifth edition of the Vagina Conversations played to sold-out houses last Friday and Saturday in Byron Bay… READ MORE
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Alana joins royal family of dancers

6/2/2020

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​Eve Jeffery

This article first appeared in The Echo in February 2020

It’s not easy to become part of a royal family, particularly a talented royal family, but that’s just what local dancer Alana Frazier has achieved in New Zealand.
​
Home in Mullumbimby after a hectic week of auditions, Alana was one of 100 candidates (including 40 current family members) to try-out at the Palace Dance Studio. After a gruelling trial schedule, Alana was the only new dancer chosen for the world championship-winning Royal Family Dance Crew, a mega-crew based in Penrose, Auckland… READ MORE
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Dr Gondarra's message is for all Australians

6/2/2020

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Picture
Dr Gondarra wants to see a day where all Australians can celebrate the birth of a nation. Photo Tree Faerie.

Eve Jeffery

This article first appeared in The Echo in January 2020

Survival Day in Byron Bay played host to a very special visitor when the Rev Dr Djiniyini Gondarra, a senior Yolngu man of the Dhurilli clan nation of Northeast Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, spoke to the crowd gathered on Main Beach.
Dr Djiniyini Gondarra has spent much of the last 50 years of his life as a civil rights activist for his people.
From his early years he has walked gracefully in two worlds as a Yolngu lawman, spiritual leader, freedom fighter and community leader.
Picture Four-year-old Rahim with his big brother Djiniyini in the Yolngu kinship system. Photo Tree Faerie.
A day that everyone can celebrate
​
​
Dr Gondarra believes that the day Australians celebrate being Australian should be a day that everyone can celebrate, not a day that Indigenous people are in mourning. ‘The 26th of January, this “Australia Day” we are being asked to celebrate the day Captain Phillip came and put that flag here? For us, this is the invasion day.
'I would like to see them change the date so that we can celebrate something about mourning and how we lost our great people.
'Then, I would love to see them choose another date for Australia Day when we all, whether we are Aboriginal or white or anyone who has been naturalised an Australian, can celebrate the birth of a nation, when the seven colonies came together: January 1.

Land Rights Act designed to divide
​

Dr Gondarra says he wants to see a way that Indigenous people can make a treaty with the government but believes many of the obstacles are seated in the Land Rights Act and that only people from certain parts of country can be recognised on that country.
'In this area here there are the Arakwal, the Bundjalung and you are all allies but there is a particular clause in the Land Rights Act that says in this country here, only Arakwal people can be recognised here, not somebody else. That’s written in there. That’s a divide and conquer, because, if you are allies you are stronger.’
Dr Gondarra says the way Aboriginal people work is to have allies – there are pathways to visit another nation and enter into a treaty with them.
’We enter a parley system to do business, we sell something to them and they sell something to us – there is a pathway. That’s what it’s about. What I am trying to do is find a way that the government can come and sit with us, parley with the elders of all the nations – forget about land councils, forget the people that the government have “shaped” and we are told “this is your leader”. No! This is not my leader. You shape them and give them to us. No! They are not our leaders, we didn’t chose them – send the government diplomats to talk to us, to the elders, to our chosen leaders.’

A new film made with people power
​

Dr Gondarra is set to make a new documentary with local film director Sinem Saban who has worked closely with him for the last 12 years, in particular for her first documentary Our Generation.
Ms Saban and Dr Gondarra are joining forces again for a new project, Luku Ngarra, which Saban says will not only celebrate the humble yet profound life of Dr Gondarra, but also his vision and wisdom for a better Australia.
‘This film is a sign of the times more now than ever,’ says Ms Saban. ‘But it would have been just as relevant 10 or 20 years ago, it’s just that perhaps audiences might not have been ready to actually stop and listen to the message back then.
‘Many people now are witnessing the faults of the colonial ideology we live under, the cracks are expanding. And I don’t just refer to what we have done to the environment, but also to the way our so-called democratic government system is a shambles, how we can wage a war at the drop of a hat or how the patriarchy treats women.
‘Indigenous culture and law has a lot to teach us about these things. Women are revered just as mother earth is, and priorities are not with warmongering but with societal cohesion and balance.
PictureDr Gondarra met with local Arakwal, Bundjalung woman Delta Kay on Saturday to talk about treaty and days of celebration and days of mourning. Photo Tree Faerie.
We need to listen to our Indigenous people

​
‘I can’t think of any other people that we need to be listening to right now other than our Indigenous people. More so than scientists and academics.'
Ms Saban says she is forever humbled and honoured to have the trust of her Yolngu family to make this film. ‘I don’t take it lightly. I think it is imperative that when non-indigenous film-makers make films about them that they are involved in every step of the process. They are the executive decision-makers. They are the ones who make the final call. I am just the facilitator of their messages.
'If I don’t do this with full integrity, I run the risk of doing more damage than good. I am driven to make more educational resources for our classrooms, lounge rooms and global community.'
Ms Saban believes wholeheartedly that funding for the film must come with no strings attached in order for the film to be made with full integrity and for this reason she and all the stakeholders have chosen to crowdfund. ‘I want to demonstrate that independent film and media is one of the most important forms of communication in our society. It is gravely at risk of being homogenised.’
Dr Gondarra, who turns 75 this week, will head home soon to continue his work forging a better Australia for all of its people.
‘I want to be a bridge-builder,’ says Dr Gondarra. ‘I want to help both sides’.

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Vale Uncle Digby Moran, artist and Bundjalung man

19/1/2020

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Picture
Digby Moran sitting in his sand sculpture for Djurra at City Hall Lismore in 2017. Photo Tree Faerie.


​David Lowe

​The popular and highly respected artist Albert (Digby) Moran died suddenly this week in Lismore at the age of 71. He is remembered as a humble, spiritual and selfless man, always with a ready smile and words of encouragement for young people.

Digby was born in Ballina in 1948. His mother was a Bundjalung woman and his father Dunghutti.

Young Digby spent his formative years in the mission community of Cabbage Tree Island, in the midst of the Richmond River, between Broadwater and Wardell in northern NSW. Surrounded by a large, supportive family, he remembered his childhood on the river as an idyllic time.

At sixteen he left to work as a cane cutter and then as a boxer with Jimmy Sharman's travelling troupe, following in the footsteps of his father Teddy, who had been a heavyweight champion of the north coast. Digby also played rugby league for Lower Woodburn.

After the relationship with the mother of his children collapsed, alcohol and cigarettes took a great toll on Digby's health. It was only when he managed to give up both substances that he started painting seriously.

His first step was an art course at Ballina TAFE in 1991, but it was 'too European' so Digby started to create art in his own cultural style.

'Painting gives me great pleasure and brings me peace,' he said. 'It is a way for me to tell the stories that were told to me by my grandparents and elders when I was growing up.'

Digby's work soon brought him acclaim in the Northern Rivers and then beyond.

In 1995 he had his first work selected for inclusion in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Islander Art Awards in Darwin. Digby exhibited in this competition multiple times, winning the People's Choice Award in 2000 for 'Mullet Spawning'.

In 1998 a cabinet made by Evans Head craftsman Kristin Crisp and painted by Digby won the open art section at the Southern Cross Art Award.

Digby exhibited in numerous group exhibitions at Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative in Sydney, Fireworks Art Gallery in Brisbane and Berlin Aboriginal Art Gallery in Germany. In 2002 he showed at the New Media Gallery in Vienna, Austria.

In 2004 his work was part of the exhibition 'Energy of the Earth' at Germany's Museum Hamelyn.

In 2009 Digby temporarily became a 'Living Book' as part of the Human Library project at the Lismore Library. He always enjoyed talking to people and breaking down stereotypes.

A travelling Australia Day ambassador for many years, in 2010 he had a solo show at the NSW Parliament.

Despite his growing fame, Digby Moran remained firmly connected to his own country. 'You’ll never catch me painting things like barramundi or crocodiles,' he said. 'Water is a big part of all Bundjalung Dreaming. I have always been a saltwater man.'

With his studio based in Lismore, Digby was an important contributor to numerous shows in his own region, including at Lismore Regional Gallery and Tweed Regional Gallery. Both galleries acquired his work.

Country was very important to Digby Moran. In a 2013 interview he said 'I love walking around the coast especially at Goanna Headland, Evans Head, just to feel the energy of the place.'

Traditional carved trees and shields from the region informed Digby's art practice, particularly the distinctive interwoven diamond shapes of his ancestors.

In addition to his gallery projects, Digby was an active public artist, with well-known large scale works including 'Someone's Always Watching You' outside Ballina Woolworths, an 85 metre mural inspired by the local natural environment at the Goonellabah Sports and Aquatic Centre, and a major temporary sand sculpture, made in conjunction with Richard Clarke, on the grass outside Lismore's City Hall coinciding with NORPA's production Djurra in 2017.

It was during that year that Digby's home studio was devastated by the Lismore flood, with many of his current and past works destroyed by the mud and swirling waters. Undaunted, he went straight back to painting and transmuted the flood disaster into new art, reflecting on the swimming, camping and fishing of his childhood.

Gallery director Brett Adlington recalls that Digby's 'infectious laughter and smile would erupt under his curls with these memories'.

In 2018 a major solo show of this new work opened at Lismore Regional Gallery. 'Growing Up On The Island' became the most highly attended exhibition in the Gallery's history, apart from the Archibalds, indicating the special place Digby occupied in his community's heart.

But there was more to Digby Moran than his exhibitions.

Guided by what he described as spiritual instruction, Digby devoted a lot of energy to teaching children of all ages about art and creativity, both in Australia and the UK.

He also worked in drug and alcohol rehab at Namatjira Haven in Alstonville, showing others how art can help find a way out of the darkness, as it had done for him.

As news of Digby Moran's death spread, social media was flooded with memories from those who knew and were touched by the artist in different ways.

Mungo MacCallum wrote, 'A huge loss. His work has given us enormous pleasure over the years. We bought a few minor pieces and should have bought many more. In particular, while waiting for treatment for cancer at Lismore Base his great work was a genuine comfort – confirmation that life was worth living. Vale indeed.'

Film-maker Karenza Ebejer, who made a documentary accompanying Digby's final solo show at Lismore, said she was 'so sorry to hear of the passing of a great artist, Uncle Digby, who shared his life spirit with us through his canvas. My life is richer for having met him and hearing his story.'

Digby's partner Kerry Kelly said she was devastated by his loss. 'He is loved by so many people and will be sorely missed. Thank you all for supporting him.'

The Lismore Regional Gallery has opened a special display of work honouring Digby's artistic legacy, including a condolence book which visitors are welcome to use to share memories with his family.

People are also leaving flowers in the metalwork of Digby's Ballina artwork.
​
Digby Moran leaves behind three daughters, a son and many much-loved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

​The Northern Rivers community will not be the same without him.

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Ten years of missed opportunities

18/1/2020

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Picture
A very interesting ten years for Barnaby Joyce. Photo Tree Faerie

David Lowe

This article first appeared in The Echo in January 2020

How to sum up this decade of politics in Australia? Numbers-wise, we had six prime ministers (counting Kevin twice), three National Party leaders, ten budgets, seven environment ministers, two apologies, one plebiscite and a Hercules-load of hubris…READ MORE

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Living in the Pyrocene

18/1/2020

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Picture
Image David Lowe

David Lowe

This article first appeared in The Echo in January 2020

​
(and a few apocalyptic summer reading suggestions)

As one of many bushfire refugees in Australia and beyond this year, I was faced with that classic question – what do I take and what can be left behind? A houseful of stuff and a small car are very different sizes, but when time is short, it’s amazing how it sharpens the mind, and the Tetris skills… READ MORE

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When the river runs dry – civilisations have ended

18/1/2020

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Picture
Stone Girl – Image David Lowe

David Lowe

This article first appeared in The Echo in December 2019

A while ago my creek stopped running. Well, it’s not really my creek, any more than the inland waterways belong to the cotton irrigators, but it’s hard not to feel a bit proprietorial about a place you visit almost every day, year after year…READ MORE

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Farewell to a genuine Australian hero, Bill Ryan 1922-2019

18/1/2020

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Picture
Bill Ryan, Martin Place 2017 – Photo Tree Faerie

David Lowe



One of Australia's foremost environmental activists, Bill Ryan, has died in Sydney at the age of 97.

Bill was part of the legendary Kokoda campaign during World War II, in which Australian troops finally stopped the southward advance of the Japanese Imperial Army in appalling, mountainous conditions. Wounded in action in 1942, Bill later returned to fight in New Britain.

After the war he worked for the PMG, and later Telecom Australia (now Telstra). Bill's son Colin also worked there, and both were involved in the struggle to improve workers' rights.

Bill struggled with PTSD and depression for many years following his military experiences. He was painfully aware that the sacrifices of the war did little to improve stark situations of injustice at home and abroad.

A lifelong and active trade unionist, Bill was also involved in successful campaigns against apartheid in South Africa and to end the Vietnam War.

After Bill retired, his beloved wife Joyce died, and his life temporarily lost all meaning. But concern for his grandchildren (and then great-grandchildren) motivated him to become a dedicated environmental activist, undaunted by the fact that he was almost blind and had trouble walking.
“What sort of a world are we leaving for them?” he wondered.

Using a specially modified computer, Bill was able to stay on top of the latest science of global warming. He wrote letters and lobbied politicians. When that got nowhere, he joined civil disobedience campaigns to actively do something about the climate emergency, putting his own frail body on the line. His ever-supportive son (and expert sign painter) Colin was frequently arrested alongside him.

Bill was a passionate supporter of non-violent direct action.

When asked how he felt about being arrested, Bill said: “I was willing to put my life on the line in the Second World War, so putting my body on the line for climate action is a small inconvenience.”

Bill came to particular prominence during the struggle to save the Leard Forest from coal mining, but he was also tossed into the Hunter River alongside Josh Fox while supporting the Pacific Climate Warriors, marched with the Knitting Nannas in Narrabri, blocked railway tracks carrying coal trains, went to Parliament House in Canberra to educate politicians, blockaded Adani subsidiary Downer, and took the long train ride into Martin Place week after week to protest the insanity of Santos's Narrabri gas project.

He became a familiar sight on his walker outside the Channel Seven studio, educating Sydney-siders one on one.

I got to know him in the fights to save Gloucester from unconventional gas and coal, and to stop Santos in the Pilliga. But Bill was an integral part of innumerable campaigns, most of which came under the banner of climate change. He couldn't remember how many times he'd been arrested. His concern for environmental and social justice powered all that he did.

His gentle humour, integrity and passion moved all who met him.

As Bill put it: “People who are producing these fossil fuels and having them burned throughout the world, they're the enemy.”

Politically active throughout his life, Bill was a proud member of the NSW Greens. Senior Greens figures paid tribute to Bill Ryan including NSW MP David Shoebridge who said: “Bill led a principled and inspiring life. We are celebrating the example he set throughout his life.”

Former Greens NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon said: “It is an enormous loss. Bill set a high standard for all of us. Just last Friday he was with the Knitting Nannas at a climate protest in Martin Place.”

Climate campaigner and trouble-maker Jono Moylan said Bill “knew that change becomes unstoppable when enough people act together. He knew the power of peaceful civil disobedience.”
On social media, Jono paid tribute to his friend, saying: “You taught us to be resilient, you taught us to be generous, you taught us to be courageous and you taught us to be cantankerous when we need to be.

“Bill strongly believed in the power of people to create change. He believed in justice and treated everyone with equal respect. He was a thorn in the side of greed and short-sightedness while never losing his determination or cheeky sense of humour. We owe it all to Bill to carry on fighting until the world has moved on from fossil fuels.”

Fellow activist Annie Kia described Bill as an “inspirational” man with “Heart. Soul. Ethics. Resolve.”
“He was a very caring man,” said Bill's son Gary Ryan. “His family are very proud of what he has accomplished, and what an inspiration he has been to so many fellow activists.”

In 2018, Bill won the John Davis Climate Award, which was presented at Parliament House in Sydney, and two months ago he shared the inaugural John Kaye Memorial Award for Social Justice and Environmental Protection, alongside fellow activist legend Jack Mundey.

Bill leaves behind two proud sons, two grand-children and three great-grandchildren.
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Vale Bill Ryan, a true Australian patriot whose courage and smile will be long-remembered.

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When pokies get personal

15/12/2019

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David Lowe

This article first appeared in The Echo in October 2018

The latest national gambling statistics make sobering reading. In spite of horse racing ads on the Opera House, poker machines are by far the biggest contributor, with $12 billion lost across Australia in 2016–17 and almost half of  that in NSW.
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Over $200 million of that comes from the northern rivers, making  it one of the worst-affected areas in the state…READ MORE
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Welcome to the Machine

14/12/2019

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This article first appeared in The Echo in August 2019

No matter which way you look at it, the statistics around poker machines are devastating. Every day, money is wasted, homes are gambled away, families are broken and lives are lost.
The suicide of a mate in 2001 prompted local filmmaker David Lowe to write about the subject and when the opportunity came up to put an anti-pokies message on the big and small screen, Welcome To The Machine was made…READ MORE

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Been thinking about going off the grid? Here’s some firsthand advice

14/12/2019

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No I did NOT get up on the roof – self portrait

Eve Jeffery

This article first appeared in The Echo in July  2019

Thinking about going off grid? ‘Do it!’, says local filmmaker David Lowe.

‘Being responsible for your own power (and water, waste, food etc) is a beautiful and life-affirming thing,’ says Lowe. ‘In terms of solar power, I’ve been living this way for over ten years.’
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Lowe is just one of a growing number of people who are using the sun to power their lives by living off the grid or using grid-connected solar power…READ MORE
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Getting the Lowe down on Benny Zable

14/12/2019

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Eve Jeffery

This article first appeared in The Echo in August 2014

As part of the current exhibition, Protest Songs: Artful Actions at Lismore Regional Gallery and its sister exhibition, Artful Actions at Lismore City Hall, the gallery has commissioned two films by local filmmaker David Lowe which provide two very different portraits of Benny Zable and Greedozer/Fossil Fool, the iconic characters Benny plays in  his protest performances.…READ MORE
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Big voice silenced ­ – George Whaley 1934-2019

14/12/2019

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David Lowe

This article first appeared in The Echo in August 2019

The great Australian actor, director, teacher and writer, George Whaley, died last week in the Northern Rivers of NSW. I knew George as the Head of Directing at the Australian Film Television and Radio School in Sydney in the 1990s, but this was just one of many hats he wore in a long and distinguished career.…READ MORE
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