Ballina Information Blog

Treudie Kaehler of Flowers in Paradise in River Street with her North Coast Local Business Award presented to her recently for the ‘The Most Outstanding Florist’ in the region. As well as capturing the judge’s votes, Ballina residents have known for over 37 years of Treudie’s floristry expertise and downtown shoppers have always admired Treudie’s [...]

Australian Seabird Rescue co-founder Marny Bonner has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to wildlife rescue by being awarded a prestigious International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Action Award. The award is also dedicated to her late partner and ASR co-founder Lance Ferris, who passed away in October 2007. IFAW Asia Pacific Director Erica Martin presented the [...]

A foster care couple from the Ballina area have been congratulated for their outstanding commitment to helping children and young people by Community Services Minister Linda Burney. Shelley and Paul Giltrap were presented with medals to recognise their role as foster carers at a special celebration to mark Foster Care Week 2008, which runs from [...]

Peter ‘Barney’ Boland, centre, flanked by Allan Lane and David Hoey, checks the quality of the trophy after their horse, Trick On Track, won last Sunday’s $25,000 Casino RSM Club Casino Cup (1400m). The Gary Neilsen-trained seven-year-old Trick On Track was ridden by Emily Kehoe and won by three-quarters of a length. Trick On Track [...]

East Ballina Post Office licensee Alison Campbell has been honoured by Australia Post for her charity work. Alison has been named a winner of the Australia Post Community Champion Award for her dedicated involvement with Animal Rights and Rescue Group. Alison volunteers her time making dog coats to sell and raise much-needed funds for the [...]

We are inviting you to tell us about your most memorable Mothers Day. We did think about calling it “What Mothers Day means to me” but only briefly because that has already been done to death and we thought we could all have a bit of fun here… and to do that we need you [...]

Congratulations to East Ballina couple John and Victoria Kennedy, who today celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The Kennedy’s family and friends gathered at the Lennox Head Bowling Club to mark their April 19 anniversary. John said he went on a blind date in Broken Hill and realised that he had met Victoria a year before. [...]

Two Ballina Shire residents are in the running for the inaugural NSW Volunteer of the Year Award after being announced Northern Rivers Regional winners. Marie Jane Taylor, of Wardell, was named as Northern Rivers Volunteer of the Year. Marie Jane has for more than 30 years been supporting people with a stoma. Also honoured was [...]

  The equine influenza outbreak has robbed Ballina man Vic Gwynne of the chance to see a horse he part-owns contest the ‘big three’ of the Melbourne spring racing carnival. Vic, along with his brothers Errol, of Sydney, and Peter, of the Gold Coast, are members of a 14-person syndicate which races Empires Choice, winner [...]

  Ballina’s Barry Regan is a true saltwater man. The 78-year-old who has twice beaten leukaemia had his first surf at Curl Curl in Sydney in about 1943. These days he’s still surfing — and what’s more, he’s still making his own surfboards. But they’re not your usual foam and fibreglass boards: These boards are [...]