by Dylan Stone
The Broken Hill region celebrated the Easter long weekend in style, with community markets and events right across the region.
The NSW Far West Small Business Association, at its quarterly general meeting hosted Parkes MP Mark Coulton as their guest speaker.
Committee member and marketeer Natalie Haylett said, “it was great to have our Federal MP talk at our meeting, because we were able to discuss some of the opportunities and challenges our stallholders and marketeers throughout the region were experiencing.”
On the Saturday, the Menindee Branch of the Country Women’s Association held a community market. Organiser Margot Muscat said the, “markets went very well, and we are thankful for the support of Moorara Pastoral Holdings who supplied the meat for the BBQ, and thankful to Fast Print who organised our new tear drop banners.”
The Broken Hill branch of the Country Women’s Association had three stalls at the market, and another stallholder had to go and get more stock when they sold out of their pumpkins and onions.
Menindee Charities held their Mothers’ Day raffle during the markets, and the raffle continues until Mothers’ Day, where it will be drawn at the Op Shop during their annual Mothers’ Day event. The CWA similarly had, “a very good start to their Mothers’ Day raffle,” Mrs Muscat added.
Mrs Muscat thanked Central Darling Shire Council, and the NSW Far West Small Business Association for their continued support of the markets.
On Easter Sunday, the inaugural Silverton Bakery Markets were held, where stalls sold a variety of goods, and DJ Shae Nevill entertained a packed crowd.
Naomi Schmidt, who owns Silverton Bakery and who organised the market, said “it was very busy out here and all of the stall holders want to come back out here to the bakery again for the next markets”.
Ms Schmidt thanked the, “Silverton Traffic Committee and Transport for NSW for helping with the set-up arrangements, the local community, and visitors to our area for support for the inaugural markets here in the heart of the Silverton Village”.
“We are also looking forward to working with the NSW Far West Small Business Association to develop some options to improve insurance options (in the future),” Ms Schmidt added.
On Easter Monday, the Broken Hill branch of the CRC Churches International held its first family fun day for the community, which included market stalls. Pastor Jessie Heidenreich said, “the idea behind the event was to engage the community and celebrate Easter on the Monday.
“This is the first time we have had a family fun day with markets attached, and we’ve had a couple of hundred people come through the doors across the day,” Pastor Jessie said.
The CRC is an Australian Pentecostal movement that started in the 1940s, and Pastor Jessie relocated to Broken Hill a few years ago to serve as the local pastor.
“To see the building come to life with people on Monday was great to see,” he said.
