Friends of the OBH Community Cultural Centre 

Newsletter 1 October 2025

The OBH Regional Community Cultural Centre is a place where we celebrate our past, nurture our community and dream about our future.

3 Corkhill Place, Bega NSW 2550 – message Secretary Kay Dowman on 0437 101 625 - www.obh.org.au

Dear Friends of the Old Bega Hospital

Welcome to another Friends’ newsletter with updates on goings on at the Old Bega Hospital.

Spring Fair – Sunday 2 November

The Friends Committee is gearing up for the OBH Spring into Summer Community Fair (which replaces Raise the Roof) happening on Sunday November 2, 10.00am to 4.00pm. Entry is free and it is overall a cash only Fair.

With our region taking on the colours of Spring and Summer we invite you to get into a warm, sunny mood by gearing yourself up in your best Spring outfit – don’t forget the hat. And by ‘you’, we mean everyone – all of us. Friends will have spotters walking around and quietly making a note of the most springy/summery outfits for prizes.

And continuing the Spring into Summer theme enter the OBH Spring Bouquet of Local Blooms flower show. Two groups – Under and Over 14. And please, no florist foam. Keep an eye on your garden, or your neighbour’s garden, for colourful flowers. Then on the day of the Fair, pick yourself a nice bunch, and arrange it, in a normal household size vase, to suit your idea of a pretty presentation of nature’s beauty. Bring your vase of spring flowers to the Men’s Ward by 11.30am where judging will occur. Prizes awarded.

There will be plenty of handmade products on display and for sale by OBH’s resident artisans and market stall people. Beekeepers will fascinate you with the latest developments in Bee World, and the Men’s Shed will also fascinate you with all the bits and pieces they offer for sale – and with what they do to help our community. And make sure you catch the demonstration of Pickle Ball on the concrete area at the southern side of the Nurses’ Quarters. Admire the landscaping work of the Garden Buddies and Land Care. Music will be nonstop. Starts on the NQs verandah with our Bega Brass Band at 10.30am – 11.00am, followed by BAAD Band (Bega All Ages Development Band), 11.00am – 11.30am; then our buskers will keep your foot tapping from 11.30am – 1.30 pm. At 2.00 the action will move to the front of the OBH when the much in demand Figments will entertain for the next 2 hours.

Chris Rogers and her helpers from Bega Weavers, will be running the Friends Cake Stall along with providing morning tea and lunch. Scones jam and cream, fresh sandwiches and your pick of the home baking from the cakes and slices on offer make up the menu. All served with a smile, reasonably priced and set up in the Women’s Ward and Verandah. If you are able to volunteer a couple of hours of your time to help please let Chris Rogers know (email: rogers@netspeed.com). Baking is always needed. Cakes, slices, scones (any sort), muffins, biscuits will all be appreciated.

Secretary Kay Dowman will be laying down her pen to run Friends very popular Sausage Sizzle Tent. There’s nothing quite like fresh bread, sausage, sauce, coleslaw and onions that spells out community fair! And you can stroll and eat all at the same time.

As our new Fair date is also Candelo Market Day some of our normal Market Stall people have a regular date with Candelo Markets. However you might know of local artisans or other creative people who may not have regular market days. You can help to publicise the Fair by letting them know they will be welcome to come to display and sell. But they must have own insurance and the cost for 3mx3m is $35. Any questions they can contact Kay Dowman – 0437101645. Not for profit community groups are also welcome – no charge.

Check your family out for the Cake with a Story competition. Celebration Cakes, Birthday Cakes, Christmas Cakes, Anniversary Cakes, recipes handed down through the ages – every baker and family has its cake with a story – maybe you just haven’t thought about ‘this special cake’ which actually holds a special place in the family story! Nelleke Gordon, Paul West and Lisa Herbert will be our judges. Cakes will be on display in the Women’s Ward – and interviews telling the story of some of the cakes will also occur there. Rules are minimal – the cake will be judged on; – Appearance, Flavour and the Story. Entry forms are at https://obh.org.au/Friends/documents/CakeComp20251001.pdf, and at various locations around Bega.

Bega Lions Club will help with Fair parking arrangements. But it’s good to have a couple of people from Friends working with them to learn what happens and also so the Lions volunteers can get a break. If this is you message Val on 0428 991 683.

Help is especially needed to manage the Spring into Summer Fair – setting up, signage, guiding people, answering questions, staffing Friends various stalls, parking, trouble shooting etc, etc. If you are coming to the Fair and can include a couple of volunteer hours in your day – anytime from 7.00am to 4.00pm – please let Val know on 0428 991 683.

Building progress

Friends are extremely pleased and excited that Leser Build will be bringing all its heritage expertise and cooperative local tradies back to OBH on October 1, to work on Stage 2 of the OBH restoration, the remaining three rooms at the eastern end of the building. And as you would expect this area will again become a building site, and access via the existing one way road around the building will be fenced off from, roughly, 50 metres past the Men’s Shed to the parking spots between Potters workshop and the radio station. For approximately 3 months, access will only be possible by creating 2 x two way roads from the entrance road in. The Land Managers will nut out how this can be done safely and more information will be provided ASAP. Expect signage to change to direct traffic, and communications with Leser Build will be ongoing to ensure tenants and visitors are not too inconvenienced by the closure. Leser Build have already made note of our Fair date and will make sure access will not be difficult on that day.

Landscaping

The Landscaping Buddies have completed bed mulching and the planting of the northern boundary with small trees and shrubs. Friends thank the Bega Land Care crew for helping out with half of the boundary planting. At the working B on Saturday 27, the Buddies completed the job. Our Landscaping coordinator, Judy, is spending time sorting out the weeds and ensuring strong lawn grass growth. The precinct will be mowed when the grass is ready for it, and the bees have finished buzzing around the yellow flowers that come with some of the weeds, Fireweed, Capeweed and others.

The next landscape working B will be held on Saturday October 25. From 9.00am to around 10.00am and will involve planting seeds and seedlings of flowering annuals in the front gardens of OBH. Come mid Summer and Autumn the gardens should present a blaze of colour to welcome everyone to the precinct. The annuals, when their show is finished, will have prepared the beds for the planting of flowering perennials. All welcome to come and help, or drop off some morning tea. Any questions, email Judy - voltairesgarden@bigpond.com.

Judy will be available at the Fair, in the Men’s Ward, with diagrams outlining the whole Landscaping Project. If you have a question for her or a suggestion once you have looked at the future plans please let her know. It’s your precinct – all suggestions considered. Friends thank Bendigo Bank for sponsorship of our Landscaping Project to date.

Bega Valley Seed Savers held their second workshop on Saturday, September 27, at OBH. The workshop showed the 20 people who attended how to plant and care for a variety of vegetable seedlings. An informative, interesting and fun workshop. Seed savers thank Bendigo Bank for sponsoring the workshop.

Reserve Land Manager

Got ideas about how to run the Old Bega Hospital? Join the management team! Crown Land has commenced a recruitment process for additional Reserve Land Manager board members. Advertising will be published in the Bega District News on October 4, 2025. Applicants will be assessed on merit and may be contacted for an interview to determine suitability.

You might wonder what does a Reserve Land Manager do? All across our country countless facilities like showgrounds, local halls and parks, community centres are run by Statutory Land Manager Boards, made up of people, just like you. People who understand the need and have a desire to manage public land and assets for the benefit of the entire community. Your role as a board member is voluntary, but the rewards of giving something back to the community are priceless. Don’t let this opportunity to do something for yourself and your community pass you by. The term of the appointment will be for a period not exceeding 5 years. Applications for membership can be made via portal.crownland.nsw.gov.au. Applications must be lodged by November 1st, 2025. For further information contact Helen Peterlin on (02) 4428 9108 or go to reservemanager.crownland.nsw.gov.au.

Please pass this information onto your family, friends and anyone you think would be interested. And we are appealing for our younger cohort to get involved – the future is yours and as a Land Manager you can help shape how the OBH Regional Community Cultural Centre becomes an exciting active part of that future.

Thanks for your continuing support of the Land Managers and the Friends Committee. If you have any questions or suggestions about anything to do with the operation of the OBH RCCC (Old Bega Hospital Regional Community Cultural Centre) please don’t hesitate to contact friends@obh.org.au.

Val Little

on behalf of the Friends Committee of the OBH Regional Community Cultural Centre

October 1, 2025.

Proudly sponsored by:

Find us at www.obh.org.au and https://www.facebook.com/FriendsoftheOldBegaHospital/.

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please Reply to newsletter@obh.org.au with Unsubscribe in the Subject line.