Edition Number 108 February / March 2013

WEB PAGE www.csci.org.au

DISCLAIMER

ALL ARTICLES IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE PRINTED IN GOOD FAITH FOR THE COMMUNITY

AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE INNISFAIL COMMUNITY

SUPPORT CENTRE INC THE CENTRE ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY

FOR THESE ARTICLES

ContentsContentsContents

Page 2 Editorial

Pages 3 February

Page 4 & 5 Joice Nankivell Loch

Page 6 World Inner Wheel Day

Page 7 Woodworkers Guild & Swap Meet

Page 8 Recipes

Page 9 & 10 Community Survey

INNISFAIL & DISTRICT Community Information Newsletter

Produced by the

COMMUNITY SUPPORT CENTRE 13-17 Donald Street, P O Box 886, Innisfail 4860

Phone: 40438400 Fax: 4061 7312 Freecall: 1800 616 001

Email: info@csci.org.au

The Community Support Centre is funded primarily by the Department of Communities

Bush Stone Curlew with Young (photographed by Barbi)

Talkabout February / March 2

Well here we are at the beginning of another year. Here’s wishing everyone the happiest of new years. I well remember, in those pre-washing machine years, I used to stand by the hour and wash my good frocks and, of course, to protect them I wore my apron. Aprons were so handy for lifting hot dishes and drying the tears of the little ones when they fell over and are so well described in the article you will find in this issue. I would also like to thank the people who send me verses or articles to print in the magazine. It’s so good to share things. I decided, as another lot of little ones will be starting school, the biscuit recipes would be handy for lunches. Here’s hoping you enjoy our magazine. Sincerely, Gwen

EditorialEditorial

Remember making an apron in Home Economics?

TTHEHE HHISTORYISTORY OFOF ‘APRONS’‘APRONS’

I don’t think our kids know what an apron is. The principal use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children’s tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came those aprons were ideal places for shy kids… And when the weather was cold Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled it carried out the hulls. In the fall the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields for dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron’ that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her Granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don’t think I ever caught anything from an apron… but love.

A Valentine’s Day No-No!

Talkabout February / March 3

For your chance to win, complete the CSCI survey printed on the last page of this

newsletter and return it by 1March 2013.

We want your feedback!

Facts about February — did you know (and do you really care)?

February is the second month of the year in the Julian and

Gregorian calendars. It is the shortest month and the only month

with fewer than 30 days. The month has 28 days in common

years and 29 days in leap years.

February starts on the same day of the week as March and

November in common years, and on the same day of the week as

August in leap years. It ends on the same day of the week as

October every year and January in common years only. In leap

years, it is the only month that ends on the same weekday it begins.

February was named after the Latin term februum, meaning purification, via the purification ritual

Februa held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar. January and February were

the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, since the Romans originally considered

winter a month-less period. They were added by Numa Pompilius about 713 BC. February remained

the last month of the calendar year until the time of the decemvirs (c. 450 BC), when it became the

second month. At certain intervals February was truncated to 23 or 24 days; and a 27 day intercalary

month, Intercalaris, was inserted immediately after February to realign the year with the seasons.

Under the reforms that instituted the Julian calendar, Intercalaris was abolished, leap years occurred

regularly every fourth year, and in leap years February gained a 29th day. Thereafter, it remained the

second month of the calendar year, meaning the order that months are displayed (January, February,

March, ..., December) within a year-at-a-glance calendar. Even during the Middle Ages when the

numbered Anno Domini year began on March 25 or December 25, the second month was February

whenever all twelve months were displayed in order. The Gregorian calendar reforms made slight

changes to the system for determining which years were leap years and thus contained a 29 day

February.

Historical names for February include the Old English terms Solmonath (mud month) and Kale-

monath (named for cabbage) . In Finnish, the month is called helmikuu, meaning ‘month of the

pearl’; when snow melts on tree branches, it forms droplets, and as these freeze again, they are like

pearls of ice.

Talkabout February / March 4

Joice Nankivell

Loch Australia’s unknown heroine.

Ask anyone ‘who is Australia’s most decorated woman’ and they are sure to say Nancy Wake, also known as The White Mouse. Nancy was

awarded nine medals for her efforts during WWII. However, Joice

Nankivell, who was born in Ingham, was awarded 11 medals. Although she was known as an author, her medals were mainly awarded for her

humanitarian and heroic efforts.

Joice was born in Ingham in 1887 during a cyclone. Her grandfather was, at the time, Australia’s richest man. However, his sons including Joice’s father were not given any monetary assistance and after some

disastrous farming attempts Joice, with her parents and brother,

ended up living in abject poverty in the bush for several years.

Joice loved writing and successfully had some of her children’s books and poems published. When WWI broke out

Joice landed a job as secretary for the head of the classics department at Melbourne University. Her work included

reviewing books, which was how she met her husband, author Sydney Loch, a Scotsman living in Melbourne. They

married and travelled to England, which they did not like, so moved to Dublin where they rented a furnished room in a

boarding house. Their plan was to write a book about Ireland showing both sides of the Irish ‘troubles’.

Unbeknown to the Lochs, one of the boarders was the wife of Michael Collins. This resulted in the boarding house being

raided on several occasions. An English friend of Sydney’s had also moved to Dublin and he turned out to be a British

spy. Then Sydney was arrested and thrown into jail for several weeks. Needless to say, the Lochs had plenty to write

about. However, they were viewed with suspicion by both sides and had to leave Dublin in a hurry. Their book “Ireland

in Travail” was republished only a few years ago.

Back in London, the Lochs decided they would like to write about Russia, however getting there was something of a

problem in those days. A relative suggested they approach the Quakers (The Religious Society of Friends) who

required volunteers to assist the Russians. The couple were not religious and after an interview were considered to

be too frivolous for the work. However, the interviewer realised that as writers the Lochs could promote the efforts of the Quakers to raise funds and they were asked if they would consider going to Poland. Poland had been at war on and off for years and thousands of Ukrainian and Polish farmers and peasants who had been deported to Russia were now

returning to their homeland. However, there was nowhere for them to go. The Quakers sent trainloads of food to Poland (and other countries) but thousands died of malnutrition. The Lochs assisted the locals to commence farming,

with the Quakers providing ploughs and horses. Joice studied medicine (in the barefoot doctor fashion) and helped deliver hundreds of babies and save thousands of lives.

While Sydney completed his work in Poland, Joice went to Greece which had been at war with Turkey for years and

was suffering an influx of 1,500,000 refugees. The refugees were of Greek origin but had lived in Turkey for several

generations. Joice went to work in a refugee camp in Thessaloniki where she helped with vaccinations and a program

to reduce eye disease. Once more there was a massive food shortage. The Greek government was repossessing

vacant land from private owners and the many monasteries (often low lying, swamp infected land) and giving it to the refugees. The army assisted in building small, concrete houses but as there was no sanitation or water, wells had to

Talkabout February / March 5

be sunk in each village. With the help of a Greek interpreter, Joice taught the girls survival skills such as cooking,

sewing, reading and writing. She also taught them some home nursing skills. Malaria was a problem for the refugees and Joice read that gambuzia fish, which breed rapidly, would kill the mosquito larvae and therefore control the

malaria. She arranged to buy and introduce gambuzia fish and the result was that malaria was eradicated.

Joice and Sydney fell in love with the peninsula of Mount Athos. Sydney was invited to see some of the ancient treasures in the monastery and was allowed to photograph them and later wrote about them. He and Joice settled in a small village called Pirgos (later to be renamed Ouranoupalis), where they leased an old Byzantine tenth century

watch tower. There was no sealed road into Pirgos and no industry or shops. Cottages had been built but the water wells had been placed close to where the villages stabled their mules and donkeys. The water became contaminated,

which led to outbreaks of typhoid, dysentery and Blackwater fever. There was no rubbish collection so a large tip formed nearby, attracting rats and flies and causing further illnesses. To make a living the villagers tried to grow olive trees, transport timber or make simple fishing boats. The villagers came to Joice for all medical assistance. One day

Joice was visiting a sick man when his daughter showed her some beautiful silks and told her that, in Turkey, they had designed and woven silk and woollen rugs. Joice saw this as an opportunity for the local women to earn money for

their families so she found a local carpenter who made up some rug weaving looms. She then formed a women’s weaving cooperative and designed patterns that incorporated design motifs from the Byzantine carvings that Sydney

had photographed in the monasteries. Joice studied Byzantine art and eventually put together some unique designs

that would appeal to the luxury market — and so, Pirgos Rugs was born. Today, one of those Pirgos rugs can be

viewed in the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.

In September 1932 a large earthquake took place in nearby Lerissos. Once again, the Lochs rushed to the aid of the

villagers and set up a hospital on the beach where Joice tended the injured while Sydney and the men dug through the

rubble, desperately searching for survivors. Joice worked continuously for eight hours under the blazing sun. The last

of her medical supplies ran out at the last patient. Joice saved over one thousand people who would probably have

died if not for her intervention.

After the start of WWII, Joice and Sydney were transferred to Rumania. Sydney was appointed head of the Mission to

Polish civilians and Joice was responsible for delivering humanitarian aid to Polish women and children. Fundraising

efforts were mounted to try and supplement the internee’s rations. Joice also became mother to 50 Jewish orphans.

Goods and money came from overseas Quaker organisations and the lovely pink and blue knitted layettes were a cause of great merriment—the women internees had not seen their husbands for well over nine months! When

France fell in 1940, the Rumanians felt threatened and were less tolerant to the Poles, who were fleeing to Rumania

from Hungary. Joice managed to take over a thousand Jews and Poles to Constantinople just before the Nazis invaded.

In 1944, the Lochs returned to Ouranoupalis where the people were in a state of starvation as they fought off the

communist guerrillas. The retreating Germans had burned down many buildings and the Lochs, once more, set about

rebuilding and assisting the people to make a living. The Lochs moved back into the old tower and Sydney died there in

1955. Joice stayed in Ouranoupalis, helping the villagers and writing her books. She died there in 1982 and she and

Sydney are buried in the Ouranoupalis cemetery. Her headstone is engraved with one of her poems.

Why should you cry? Do you think I lie Quietly, silently under the sky?

Why should you weep? Do you think I sleep? Instead I dance where the wild waves sweep.

You think me dead but I have fled, While stars were glittering overhead.

Eileen Bedford

Talkabout February / March 6

INNISFAIL INNER WHEEL CLUB CELEBRATES

The 10th of January is known as World Inner Wheel Day, when clubs in over 100 countries worldwide

perform some act of service and friendship in memory of the founder of Inner Wheel, Margaret Golding,

of the Manchester club, USA, in 1924.

This year, members of the Innisfail Inner Wheel club celebrated this special occasion with a luncheon

at the Crown Hotel function room. The club was able to distribute a total of $2,000.00 from their recent

fundraising efforts to several worthy organisations within the Cassowary Coast Region. President Mrs

Anna Kotzas welcomed members and guests and called upon the representatives from each

organisation to accept their donation. Each representative gave a brief speech about the important

role their organisation plays in providing professional and caring services to those in need and how

cash donations are always welcomed and extremely appreciated.

The club's next major fundraiser will be a High Tea and Fashion Parade at the Senior Citizens Hall on

Saturday the 23rd January commencing at 2.00pm. Bookings are essential.

The Community Support Centre Innisfail is most grateful to the Innisfail

Inner Wheel Club for their generous donation.

Lyn Moore — Camp Quality Townsville Branch; Sally Dorrington & Theo Bacalakis — St Johns Community Care Ltd; Jan King — Meals on Wheels; Anna Kotzas — Inner Wheel Presidant; Diane Green — Blue Care;

Despina Parakas — Backpacks 4 Auzzie Kids; Joanne Crook — Community Support Centre Inc; Carolyn Jones — Australian Sugar Industry Museum

Talkabout February / March 7

Innisfail Woodworkers Guild Inc. Phone: 0437 334 344

Email: innisfailwoodies@gmail.com

Facebook: Woodworkers Guild Innisfail

We are running SCROLL SAW and INTARSIA classes for anyone aged between 12 years and 80+ years who

wants to learn woodworking. The 1st of 4 Classes will start on Sunday 17th February from 9am to 12pm

and will be conducted by Vera Alberich.

There is a 1 off $20.00 temporary membership fee additional to class costs (for insurance

purposes).

Bookings Essential If you are interested in this course please contact Vera on 0437 334 344

Scroll Saw Class - $30 Starts 17th February

Approx 1 - 2 weeks duration

Intarsia Class - $45 Starts 3rd March

Approx 3 - 5 weeks duration

Fretwork Class - $30 Starts 24th March

Approx 1 - 2 weeks duration

Inlay Class - $35 Starts 31st March

Approx 2 - 5 weeks duration

Do you have an abundance of either books, toys, clothes or baby clothes and

don’t know what to do with them?

Why not bring them along to the Community Support Centre’s February

Recreation Day & join us in our Swap Meet Exchange Morning.

This event is completely free, working on a honour system. You bring along

books, toys or clothes you no longer want or need and swap them for something

else and enjoy a cuppa and a chat at the same time.

When: 18th February 2013 from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm

Where: CSCI, Donald St 13-17, Innisfail.

Talkabout February / March 8

Back to School BickiesBack to School BickiesBack to School Bickies

Cornflake Ginger Crisps 125g butter (softened), ½ cup raw sugar, 1 egg, 1½ cups SR flour, 2 cups cornflakes (lightly crushed), 60g glacé ginger (finely chopped). Beat butter and sugar in bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and beat. Add chopped ginger and sifted flour and stir until well combined. Roll tablespoons of mixture in cornflakes, place on baking paper lined oven trays and flatten slightly with your fingertips. Bake at 180°C for 10-12 mins until golden. Stand on trays for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling racks.

Condensed Milk Biscuits 500g butter (softened), 1 cup caster sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 395g can condensed milk, 5 cups SR flour (sifted), ½ cup rolled oats, 100g glacé cherries (finely chopped), 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ cup desiccated coconut. Beat butter, vanilla and sugar in bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add condensed milk and beat well. Fold in flour until well combined then divide dough into 3 pieces. Roll one piece of dough into 20cm-long log, wrap in baking paper and chill until firm (or freeze for later use). Repeat with remaining dough, lightly kneading oats and cinnamon into one log and cherries and coconut into another. Slice each log into 16 slices and place (4cm apart) on lined baking trays. Bake at 180°C for 10-15 mins. Cool for 5 mins then transfer to cooling racks.

Marzipan & Pistachio Biscuits 125g butter (softened), ½ cup caster sugar, 1 egg, 1¼ cups SR flour, 1 tsp almond extract, 85g marzipan (grated), ⅓ cup dried cranberries (chopped), 150g pistachios (chopped). Beat butter, sugar, egg and almond extract in bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Fold flour, marzipan and cranberries through mixture. Roll heaped teaspoons into balls and arrange on lined baking trays. Chill 30 min. Bake 15-20 mins at 160° until golden. Cool for 10 mins then transfer to cooling racks.

Triple Choc Mega Cookies 185g butter (softened), ¾ cup brown sugar, ¾ cup caster sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 cups plain flour sifted with ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, ½ cup dark choc chips, ½ cup white choc chips, ½ cup milk choc chips, ½ cup hazelnuts (roughly chopped). Beat butter, vanilla and sugars in bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in egg and yolk until fluffy. Fold in flour, choc chips and hazelnuts. Roll heaped tablespoons into balls and arrange on lined baking trays 5 cm apart. Flatten slightly. Bake 10-15 mins at 160° until golden. Cool for 5 mins then transfer to cooling racks

Peanut Butter Choc Cookies 185g cooking milk chocolate melted together with 60g butter, 1¼ cups plain flour sifted together with ½ cup cocoa powder and ½ tsp baking powder, 2 eggs, ¾ cup caster sugar, ¼ cup crunchy peanut butter, ½ cup sifted icing sugar. Beat egg and sugar in bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Gradually beat in chocolate/butter & peanut butter on low speed. Mix in dry ingredients until well combined. Set aside 5 mins until firm. Roll tablespoons into balls, dip tops in icing sugar, and arrange on lined baking trays 4 cm apart. Flatten slightly. Bake 10-15 mins at 160° until cracked and slightly firm on the outside. Cool for 5mins then transfer to cooling racks.

~ All biscuits should be stored in airtight containers ~

Talkabout February / March 9

Community SurveyCommunity SurveyCommunity Survey

Each year the Community Support Centre Innisfail Inc. offers programs that it is hoped will be of value and interest to the community. This year we would like your input as to what topics and programs you would find useful. Please assist us by completing the following survey which you can tear off and return to our office, by post or even respond over the telephone. If you prefer you can log on to www.csci.org.au and complete

the survey online. All respondents will go into a draw to win $50.00 gift voucher. Closing date for reply - 1 March 2013.

Name: ___________________________________ Phone: ______________________________

1. Are you an individual or an agency?

Individual

Agency

2. Gender?

Male

Female

4. Which of the following one day workshops would you like to see happening at your local Community Support Centre? Please tick the relevant answer/s

Cooking (i.e. Indian, Italian, Thai)

Art and Craft (i.e. painting, scrap booking, pottery)

Physical Wellbeing (i.e. Zumba, yoga, tai chi, creative dance)

Up Skilling (i.e. how to decorate cakes, how to write a poems, how to make a floral arrangement)

Other (please specify) __________________________________________________________________

5. Which of the following community talks would you like to attend?

Men’s matters (i.e. self care, managing stress, health)

Grief and Loss

Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Stress

Back Care

Sleep: how to get a better night’s sleep

Menopause

Other (please specify) ______________________________________________________________

3. Age?

Under 18

18—39

40—59

60 +

Talkabout February / March 10

6. Which of the following programs would you be interested in attending?

Parenting Program (i.e. teens, children with a disability)

Anger Management (i.e. adults, teens, children)

Stress Management

Protective Behaviour (education on personal safety: children, teens and adults)

Budgeting

Baby Massage

Nutrition Workshops

Other (please specify) _________________________________________________________________

7. What time of the day would be the best for you to attend our programs?

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

8. If you were to attend one of these workshops would you require child care?

No

Yes

9. Do you have any skills that you would like to share with other members of the community in a fun filled group settings?

No

Yes.

Please comment: ________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Do you have any other ideas or feedback that you would like to pass on to the CSCI?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

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~ The CSCI thanks you for your time ~