General News
4 February, 2026
CWA in fine form to mark big day
NEWBRIDGE Fire Brigade captain Jason McDonald had the honour of raising the flag at the town’s Australia Day ceremony on Monday morning.
The local CWA organised the event, with Newbridge vice-president Kath McNaught as MC.
Tarnagulla Ward councillor Nick Angelo was on hand to address the gathering after earlier in the day presenting the ward’s Citizen of the Year to Brian Baker.
“Brian is a great advocate for local issues, often meeting with politicians and company representatives to discuss important matters,” his citation said in part, praising his encouragement to community members to come together to socialise.
The CWA provided a typically magnificent spread for the 100 or so people who gathered at Newbridge Public Hall.
Guest speaker was Bendigo’s Richard Petrie, who spoke movingly of his and his wife Dianne’s journey to care for their disabled daughter Natasha, who was born with a rare genetic abnormality.
Natasha, now 43, was diagnosed with Williams syndrome, which affects just one in 10,000 children, at the age of 15 months.
Mr Petrie said Natasha had been described in the hospital after she was born as “an FLK” – a Funny Looking Kid.
It may sound cruel, but it is commonplace nursing slang for a child who may need special attention, he said.
The Petries scoured Australia to find other people with Williams syndrome, and eventually established Genetic Alliance Australia, which now offers support for families dealing with more than 1500 rare genetic conditions.
Mr Petrie said the couple moved from Sydney to Bendigo a little more than three years ago and had found a much stronger and warmer community in regional Australia compared to the capital city.
Both have been awarded Medals of the Order of Australia for their work in the area – Dianne in 2006 and Richard in 2009.
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