Joan turns 90

Joan Nuttall recently celebrated her 90th birthday with family and friends at an afternoon tea..

Thye party was held at the Uniting Church Warragul the day before her birthday.

Family and friends travelled from Germany, Canberra, Bendigo, Melbourne, Paynesville, Coleraine, Cape Paterson and locally to help Joan celebrate.

Joan was born in Benalla to Olive and Stan Thwaites.

Joan's first job was working in a chemist shop washing bottles and making deliveries on her bike, then she trained as a telephonist and worked for the Post Master General's Department (PMG).

It was when Joan was relieving at Nagambie that she met Royce who was the acting postmaster at Nagambie - yes she married her boss.

Joan married Royce in Benalla in 1950 and over the next 20 years packed up and moved seven times to accommodate Royce's promotions with the PMG and Australia Post.

Joan worked as a relief telephonist at Broadford, Bendigo and Warragul where she made many friends.

Six new community members have been appointed to Baw Baw Shire’s arts and cultural advisory committee.

A number of vacancies on the advisory committee had arisen over the past six months.

Council sought to recruit new members earlier this year.

The six new members include Dalene Salisbury, Sue Acheson, Kathie Olden, Kay Lancashire, Graham Duell and Wendy Olsen.

The arts and cultural advisory committee was established in 1997 and was ratified as an official advisory committee in January 2002.

A report to council said the committee worked in collaboration with council’s cultural development officer and arts, culture and events manager to provide advice.

“The committee provides broad community input and informed opinion to council to achieve their goal of facilitating a rich arts and cultural environment for community health and wellbeing and enhances Baw Baw Shire’s reputation as a vibrant centre for arts and culture,” the report said.

Cr Jessica O’Donnell, who is chairman of the advisory committee, said the six new members were all fantastic artists.

She said at the advisory committee meeting last month it was standing room only.

“We had so many people there who are passionate about the arts,” she said.

Cr Mikaela Power said when council sought advice from these committees, they sought a range of different views.

“These people are well placed to give us that advice,” he said.