Community Archives - Dungog Shire News Of The Area

Nerong fires continue to burn and smother towns in smoke

The 6500ha bushfire sits just a few kilometres north of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest. Image: Fires Near Me website. A water-bombing helicopter refills at a dam on a property near Nerong. Photo: Pindimar-Tea Gardens RFS/Facebook. Diggers clear burnt trees and open up hidden ground fires near the pine plantation. Photo: Pindimar-Tea Gardens/RFS Facebook. Grass […]

Community

Dungog Clarence CWA call for entries to handicraft competition

LOCAL crafters of all ages are being invited to put their skills on show, with the Dungog Clarence Town Country Women’s Association (CWA) calling for entries to their upcoming Hunter River Group Handicraft Competition. Handicraft Officer Julie Fitzgerald said the competition features a wide range of categories open to the general public, including children and […]

Community

From paddock to pantry: the local producers powering Dungog Wholefood Co-op

Baker Simon Brownbridge. Dave and Robanne Morris with some of their garlic crop. Maxwell Wood with eggs from his rescued hens. DUNGOG Wholefood Co-op has long championed the idea that good food starts with strong local relationships, and nowhere is that more evident than in the diverse producers who supply its shelves. A cornerstone producer […]

Community

Rescue, recovery and hope: Inside Sea Shelter’s fight to save Port Stephens’ green sea turtles

Spearow on the day of her rescue in Tanilba Bay, September 2025. Photo: Sea Shelter. Spearow, in December 2025 on the road to a healthy recovery and her subsequent release. Photo: Sea Shelter. BEHIND the walls of Irukandji Shark and Ray Centre, the team at Sea Shelter are quietly continuing to write the rescue tales […]

Community

Vendors and crafters invited to Community Market Fair at East Gresford on 17 and 18 January

VENDORS and crafters are being invited to take part in a Community Market Fair set to run across two days in East Gresford on Saturday 17 January and Sunday 18 January 2026. The Community Market Fair will be held at 12 Park Street. It provides a weekend opportunity for makers, creatives and small businesses to […]

Community

Stroud’s Joy Tull is still line dancing, well into her 80s

Yvonne Lowrey., Linda Benson, John Rosenbaum, Joy Tull (teacher), Annette Ritter, Sheila Murray, Kaylene Gorton and Carol Bennett. Absent: Bethany Ritter, Elizabeth Bartlett and Gail Ellis. Some of the dancers in action. FOR Joy Tull of Stroud, age is just a number. At 86, she’s still leading a group of line dancers at Stroud Road […]

Community

Shannon’s year in review

OVER the past year, reporting for News Of The Area has given me a front-row seat to something quietly powerful unfolding across Dungog and its surrounding villages: a renewed confidence in community, creativity and connection. One of the clearest signs of this has been the appetite for live music. From the unmistakable harmonies of The […]

Community, Police

Port Stephens-Hunter Police step up community engagement this summer

Kids and families checked out the paddy wagon at Karuah police station. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. Karuah locals touring the station. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. Youth Liaison Officer S/C Leanne Mann, S/C Michelle Chandler, and S/C Fred Saba from Lemon Tree Passage. Photo: Thomas O’Keefe. ACLO Jemma McLeay, YLO S/C Leanne Mann and Inspector David Donovan at […]

Community

Paterson youth to lead new environmental project

YOUNG people in Paterson are set to take an active role in caring for their local environment and strengthening community connections through a new youth-led initiative backed by state-wide funding. Local changemaker Julie Overton has been awarded a $50,000 grant through the Backing the Future program for her “Cultivating Futures For Our Youth” initiative. The […]

Community

Big dreams for small-town singer Reese Lawrence

TEN-YEAR-OLD Reese Lawrence from Clarence Town is quickly making a name for herself on the local country music scene, driven by a love of classic ballads and a determination well beyond her years. Inspired by legends such as Patsy Cline and LeAnn Rimes, Reese stepped onto the stage for the first time just four months […]