Australia’s New High Commissioner to Canada

We are delighted to welcome Australia’s new High Commissioner to Canada, Her Excellency Natasha Smith. High Commissioner Smith is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently First Assistant Secretary, Multilateral Development and Finance Division. She has previously served in Jakarta and at Australia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. High Commissioner Smith looks forward to furthering the #AusCan relationship, and we look forward to more formally welcoming her in Winnipeg when her schedule allows.

Although we didn’t get the opportunity to personally meet the outgoing High Commissioner Tony Negus, we did meet with others during his time in the big chair and appreciate the efforts made to extend the HC’s reach all the way to Manitoba.

Burrumbuttock Hay Run

This post was originally published in the February 2018 issue of the monthly newsletter of The Down Under Club of Winnipeg, The Southern Yarn – http://downunderclub.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Yarn2018_02-Feb.pdf

On January 26, 2018, the 13th Burrumbuttock Hay Run headed west to provide essential resources to drought-stricken farmers across regional New South Wales and Queensland. What exactly is the hay run and how did it get started?

Photo: http://hayrunners.com/index.php/photo-gallery/

The Burrumbuttock Hay Run (BHR) was founded by Brendan Farrell in 2014. When he heard about a farmer in Bourke, NSW, struggling in the drought, Brendan offered to take him a truck load of hay to help him out.

There have now been 13 successful hay runs delivering donated hay to drought-affected farmers all over NSW and Queensland.

BHR is about mates helping mates in times of need. Farmers impacted by drought often struggle to ask for help, and many also battle mental health issues because of the financial strain of trying to keep the farm afloat.

Although the hay delivered only provides temporary relief, it’s about showing fellow Australians that someone cares about them. Awareness and education are also important for Brendan and the team because they believe “Aussie farmers are critical to our future in Australia”. Continue reading