1. Dallas Reeves’ folio of sports news, feature and human
interest stories printed in various mediums while working
for The Courier, Pty Ltd.
Publishedinthe Namoi ValleyIndependent,Gunnedah;October2009. This is a Q&A piece with
former International Cricketumpire Darrell Hair compiledwhile workingat the Courier,Narrabri.

2. PublishedinThe Courier,Narrabri, July 2009. (MatthewStiegercame from Narrabri but playedhis
formative golf on sand greensat Bellatabefore becominga touringprofessional on the Asian tour.
In May 2009, Stiegerhad just won the Handa JuniorMasters in Perth on hisway up.
Stiegerovercomesobstaclesto win Handa Junior Masters
After spendinghis formativeyears mixinggolf, rugby league and cricketyou could argue Bellata Golf Club
junior Matthew Stieger has learned more than a littleabout maintainingcomposure.
And when you can miss 52 days of school in Year 12 (without one s ick day) and still havea lowestscorein any
subjectof 68 per cent in your Higher School Certificateexams, well, italmostproves tough times are no
obstacle.
However, risinggolfer Matthew still had to learn he was good enough how most do – the hard way.
Pressurewas the buzzword in May at The Vines in Perth when the former Bellata golfer held his nerve to win
the Handa Junior Masters by one shot.
The 18-year-old had opening rounds of 70-71-73 to establish a handy lead in the 72-holeevent but the trouble
struck on the final day.
Ragingwinds and a double bogey-bogey startto his lastround only poured on the nerves but a heart-to-heart
with his caddieand father Andrew Stieger on the 14th tee after parringthe 13th helped change his round.
Five more pars followed and Stieger shot a final day 79 to win the tournament by justone stroke from West
Australian Ryan Peakeand Queenslander Cameron Smith.
“I was playingreally well thewhole week … I knew I only had to shoot a mid-70s round (on the final day) and I
was going to win,” Matthew said.“But I started poorly.
“My dad went over and caddied for me. On the 13th hole, I’d justhad four bogeys in a row, I justturned to him
and said ‘Whatam I doingdifferently to the firstthree days?’. Then we had a bit of a chat on the 14th tee, he
assured me I was doingthe samestuff things justweren’t goingright, and I was ableto hold on with those six
straightpars.
“It was a bigconfidence booster for the rest of my career. Now I’ve been in that winningsituation and I know
what I’ve got to do.
“It will be a good key to my next few victories which I don’t think aren’t too far away. Itwas easily thebiggest
win of my career.”
More is setto followfor this skilled 18-year-old who as lateas lastyear was consideringpursuinga rugby
league career.
In four years,he hopes to turn professional and attack the Asian or European circuits.
A hooker or halfback,the perennial Group 4 junior leaguerepresentative had attracted interest from the
Sydney Roosters.
However, ligament damage to his rightshoulder and left knee turned Matthew on the path to up-and-downs
and birdies rather than 40-20 kicks and dominanttackles.
“I’ll stick with the golf, I’ve made up my mind now,” Stieger said.“If those injuries didn’t happen maybe I might
have stuck with footy. Itmade the decision (between golf and rugby league) much easier.”
There is more to this tale than Matthew’s rugby league talent.
This is the story of a kid who grew up on the outskirts of Narrabri butplayed his golf atBellata – sand greens,
bouncy, tractor-mowed fairways and a heap of fun.
It taught him to appreciatethe game as a form of leisureand he is awareenough to realisehis passion isjusta
pursuitto some.
When he firstwent for a hitof golf with his father and a few of his dad’s friends around a decadeago, he
noticed what a good time they were havingand was hooked.
“The toughest thing is actually playing.It’s oneof them games where you could go out, have a bitof fun and a
few drinks with your mates and not care about it,” he said.
“But playingtournament golf is so much different. One shot can cost you thousands of dollars,thetoughest
thing is the pressure.
“You can be playingwell and be right in the hunt, and then you start thinking:‘Oh if I make one mistake, it
could costme the tournament’.

3. PublishedinNarrabri Courier, July2009. Andy Knowlesand Danny Patrick barely kneweach other
in theirmother land England, but wenton to form a great bond together while playingfor the
Narrabri Bluesin Group4 rugby league during the 2009-2010 seasons.
Englishpair loving the league spotlightin Narrabri
AndyKnowles and DannyPatrick didnot know eachother before theyflewto Australia last year but nowtheyare good
friends andhave learnedsweet andsour talestogether down under.
The goodpart of the storyis the Narrabri Bluesandthat’s whythe Englishpair plan to returnto Group 4 rugbyleague next
year.
Knowles, a back-rower or centre, andPatrick, a classybackwhocanhandle anywhere from number one to seven but
prefers fullback, are hopeful ofbeinga part of Narrabri’s roadto recoveryin2010.
The Blues hada horror seasonin2009, not winning a game andconceding 626 points from11 appearances.
However, most footballers knowthe enjoyment ofa seasonisn’t always judged purelyon results. Friendships and
communitybonds alsoform an important part of the culture.
The Britishpair have beensoimpressedwith how theyhave beentreatedinNarrabri theywant to returnthe townand
Collins Parkin2010.
It was a different tale at MackayandDistrict RugbyLeague clubMagpiesinnorth Queenslandlast year.
When bothwere scoutedto MackayA-grade club Magpies for the 2008 season, theyformeda bond.
Another player recruited fromBritaindidnot survive long at Magpies while Patrick andKnowlesplayed around half ofthe
season.
Jobs that were promisedhadmeagre payments andthe pair was not made to feelwelcome at Magpies.
A seasonand1200km downthe track, andNarrabri is first-class despite the poor on-field results accordingto Patrickand
Knowles. Knowlessaidthe pair were told they’dget a house and jobs inMackaybut it “didn’t reallyhappen.”
“It was a good comp but the clubweren’t settledverywell,” he explained.
In Englandthe pair weren’t familiar with each other despite both playinginthe same league (National Conference League).
Patrick lined-up for HullIsberg while Knowles wasa keyplayer inWest Hull.
The NCL forms the top set of amateur competitions in Britain.
Now Hull Isberg are in Division Two(thirdhighest division)while West Hullare inthe Premier Division, but backin2007-08
the pair were playing against each other.
After their ill-fatedstint at Mackay, bothmade their wayupto Townsville and thenseparated.
Knowles went down to Brisbane andPatrickeven further southto Melbourne.
Gettingwork wasa struggle in the Sunshine State capital for Knowles. He hadlinks to Narrabri throughhis girlfriend’s
mother sohe decided to come to the townandwas impressed.
Knowles went to Blues training, got settled, andthen rangPatrickwhoarrived near the start of the seasonandnowthey
are housematesandpassionate Blues.
“I just thought, whydon’t I come down here andgive it a crack,” the 21-year-old Knowlessaid.
“It’s workedout quite well. The lads introducedthemselves straight away(at training) and showed a bit of interest inme.
“At Mackayit was twomonths until people were talkingto us. Everyone has takenus in here.”
Knowles andPatrickboth saidit is a funnybut pleasant feelingto playrugbyleague ina countryand regional townthat
embraces the code.
Playing in derbies against Wee Waainfront of big crowds has beenexcellent, the pair said.
“We talkto people backhome andexplainto them countrypeople live andbreathe rugbyleague” Knowles said.
“Everyone’s dedicated, the fanbase is good, we are inthe limelight a bit more, a lot of the town watches.”
Patrick added:“It’s a goodthing the sport (league) beinga priority, it’s different but enjoyable.”
Both have foundemployment in Narrabri but their two-year workingvisa’s run out next February.
The planfor both is to applyfor sports-based visas before Christmas, headto England for the December festivitiesandthen
return to Narrabri onthe new visas.
“The teamis good but it’s onlyyoung …it’s going to be different next year” Knowles said.
Patrick had been fruit pickinginVictoria and washeadingup to Brisbane withfriends when he got the call and was“more
than willing” to come. He hasn’t been disappointed.
“People made us welcome straight away…outside of rugby(league) if anything’s happeningwe get invited,” Patrick
explained. “That’s the general gist of it …it’s whywe want to come back. We enjoyit here.”
Not gettinga winhasnot beeneasyto handle but Patricksaid it wouldbe muchharder to take beingdenied the chance to
post a victorywithNarrabri in 2010.
He has alsoenjoyedhis Australian experience whichincludedseeing Englandbeat Papua New Guinea32-22 in a WorldCup
pool matchat Townsville last October.
“It’s beenverydifficult but we’ll (Narrabri) doa lot better next year” Patricksaid. “It wouldbe a disappointment (tonot be
able to return)…we’re just getting settledinhere. If it’s not to be, it’s not to be.”
Narrabri Blues administrator JustinSmith saidthe duo have fittedinbrilliantlythis season.
“These boys have giventheir all everytime they’ve pulledthe Blues jumper on” Smithsaid. “We wouldlove to have them
in our 2010 plans. The boys whohave put their handup this year show there is still pride inthe Narrabri jumper.

4. PublishedinThe Courier,Narrabri, July 2009. There is a lotto Boggabri businessmanPhil Bower,
but the Kangaroo named Skippy isstill was he is best known for.
Notedbusinessmanstill bestknown for link with Skippy
Three aspects make the difference to the success of animals on properties – genetics, nutrition and farm
management accordingto a successful Boggabri businessman thatonce trained ‘Skippy The Bush Kangaroo’.
Phil Bower, 72, has been in Boggabri for 20 years and has spent most of that time runni ngRational Nutrition.
“Without one of those (three keys to success) everythingwill fall down,” Mr Bower said.
Mr Bower has a distinctconnection with the Narrabri Shire.His maternal grandfather John Manningwas in
charge of the policeand the gaol in the 1910s.
“I quite likethe area … the people are nice,I likethe people,” he said of l ivingin Boggabri.
Rational Nutrition supplies to clients acrossAustraliaas far away as Emerald in Queensland,Kalgoorliein WA
and Tasmania with overseas markets in Korea and Thailand.
The business caters to leadingMerino Studs, Sharlea Sheep producers,Beef Cattle Studs, Equine Studs and
even Goat and Camelid breeders.
Mr Bower is in demand as a speaker on nutritional matters at field days and cattlecamps and courses and also
writes for the CharolaisAnnual,Poll Hereford Tech Report and Red Poll Annual.
He is also an experienced horse and cattle judge who has presided atvarious shows.
But he is probably bestknown for spending10 years as wildlifesupervisor atWaratah Park,where he trained
the animals for the ‘Skippy The Bush Kangaroo’television series in the 1960s and 1970s.
He revealed Skippy was actually named “Jo Jo” and was found near Walgett.
Jo Jo’s mother was knocked over when the now famous kangaroo was simply a joey in her pouch.
A nurseraised her until shewas 18-months-old before she became famous.
In that 10-year period he clocked up 280,00 air miles with the legendary bush kangaroo across Australiaand
New Zealand.
“It was a very interesting time,” he said.
“With kangaroos,I can’t make up my mind whether they are too smart to train or too stupid to train.You can
teach them one thing… if you teach them something else, well they forget the lastthingyou taught them.”
There were nine different Kangaroos needed at times to fulfil Skippy’s commitments.
Upon moving to Boggabri, Mr Bower had a few jobs before his livestock supplement manufacturer Rational
Nutrition was formed back in 1995.
The business formulates and manufactures lick blocks,loosemixes,pre mixes and complete feeds.
Producingquality nutritional products has been a life-long “hobby” for Mr Bower.
“I’ve been interested in it for 50 years,” Mr Bower said.
“And the field has changed markedly … but farmers didn’t require that much changing.
“You get a lot of people on farms that have studied at Ag College or have a university degree.
“They understand more about what you aretalkingabout than their fathers did.They are quite open … they
have enough knowledge to question what you are saying.”
The needs of animals depends on soil type and what farmers or clients aretryingto achieve.
Once clientwanted finer wool. Mr Bower helped him produce wool ata staggering10.6 microns.
The business’coreproduct is Economin blocks,which accountfor around 29 per cent of sales.
These trace-element lick blocks contain majorand micro minerals and aresuited to a wide range of clients and
are safefor all animals.
Mr Bower also runs a Chevrolet Stud that once boasted around 50 cattlewith bull prices averaging$7000.
That stud contained 2002-2003 Narrabri Showand Canberra Royal Show winningChampion Bull 4U2Vitalick.
His wife Jennifer is a former scientistand has been a great benefit to the business in terms of her knowledge.
“It’s given us an edge … people see us as havingpractical knowledge,” he said.
As a horse trainer his bestperformer was Our Jassman,who won seven races and placed another 14 times
from 28 starts.
The gelding was best suited to 1200m events and raced at provincial tracks likeGosford,Wyong, Hawkesbury
and Kembla Grange but picked up one third at Canterbury.
Mr Bower paid $5000 for Our Jassman as a yearlingand recouped those funds with earnings of around $18 ,
000. It was a hobby while he worked in Sydney for a company called Medical Research.

5. PublishedinNamoi ValleyLife (The Courier,Narrabri magazine),2013.A detailedfeature piece on
north-westNSW performerBenjaman Ballangarry. He is a man with quite a story to tell.
Local musician and familyman lands bigdeal
FOR a man that describeshimself as a ‘modern country’ performer, north-west NSW artist Benjaman Ballangarryis all
about traditionandfamily.
An energetic musician, Ballangarryhas backed upThe Whitlams andWolfmother, launcheda solo career andplayed with
scores of bands in almost two decades of gigs.
The 32-year-oldnow has his secondsingle (Trust ‘n Love) oniTunes, Amazon, Nokia andother digital formats after the
success ofhis first iTunessingle She’s MyMotivation.
Now boastinga digitaldistributiondealwith Wolf Entertainment, 2013 is shapingas a bigyear for Ballangarry.
“It has beena dream of mine to get mysongs heard ina bandor solo,” he said. “Now that dreamhas come true.”
He has alsostarredin the powerful documentaryseries ShiftingShelter that traced Ballangarry’s life andthree other
Aboriginalsfrom northwest NSW as theyprogressedfrom childhoodto adult life andfacedthe accompanyingpressures.
Ballangarryhas contrasts – he is a modest bush character but alsoa showman.
He is leadsinger for Narrabri bandCountafitt aside fromhis solo career.
“When I singoriginals, I’mtellinga storywith power init …that’s whoI am;I’ll keepdoing this untilI die,” Ballangarrytold
The Courier in 2011.
And in a 2003 interview withthat newspaper, Benoffered:“Mysongs maynot be pure country, but I wrote themandI live
in the country…I wouldcall them moderncountry. I like to write about truth, familyandlife in general.”
After his musical andspeaking appearancesat the 2011 Message Sticks Indigenous film festival inSydneyas Shifting
Shelter 4 premiered,Ballangarryreceived a telephone call fromfilm industryexpert Jan VanRoey.
Ballangarrywas asked if he wouldlike to do some recordings for VanRoey’s friendHellmut Wolffrom Wolf Entertainment.
“I was nervous …here’s me, little Benjaman Ballangarryfrom Pilliga ina studio inSydneywithallthese well renowned
musicians, filmmakers andsound engineers,” Ben recalled. “But Hellmut, JanandI hit it off.”
She’s MyMotivation wasrecordedat Wolf Entertainment’s Sydneystudioin2011 while Trust ‘n Love wasrecordedat
Ben’s GheckoStudios last year.
Both acoustic love songs are about his wife Michelle andfamily.
She’s MyMotivation is a tale of his wife’s support while Trust ‘n Love declares that time spent apart whenBallangarryis
performing will never breakthe couple.
“The motivationbehindmost of mysongs are life relatedandfamilyandthere is also a higher power,” Ballangarrysaid.
“I just don’t know, sometimes I wake up out of a dream and the first thing I run for is a pen and paper …before I knowit
I’ve just written a song.”
***
Ballangarry’s success comesfrom a road ofmusical discoverythat beganas a nine-year-oldlistening to his late father
Michael Ballangarryplayguitar.
Michael Ballangary(1960-2005) was borna Dunghutti manat South Macksville but lived at Pilliga inthe aridNSW inland.
Michael gave solidrenditions of Charlie Pride, PatsyCline, Slim Dustyand Archie Roachamong others onhis acoustic
guitar.
BenjamanBallangarryalsolearnt to live ina traditionalAboriginal manner.
Bush tucker, hangis (feasts cookedinpits inthe ground), fishingand music were the staples of hislife.
He startedplaying acoustic as soonas he arrived inPilliga.
“It was a cultural awakening,” Ballangarrysaid. “I alsoowe myfather a lot for mycareer inmusic.”
It was a far different upbringingfrom Ballangarry’s earlytime inSydneywithhis mother MaryWalton.
There, Ballangarryattendedchurchandwas alsoa junior soldier for the SalvationArmy.
“Living in Sydneyhasn’t hadanyrole inmymusic,” Ballangarrysaid. “But mymother gave me and the opportunityto seek
whatever I chose to do.”
After being inandout ofschool bands between nine and 15, Ballangarry’s first gig was in1995 at Wee Waa’s Royal Hotel
with ‘The Top Rockers’.
Ballangarryhas since buskedandpushed onto playat parties, festivalsandconcerts.
The talentedmusicianhasbeen ingroups Locust, Massiah, Fire andIce, Element 3 andalsoperformedsolo.
In the mid-1990s he also purchaseda tape recorder and learned to recordhis own music – something that reapedbenefits
with the self-recorded Trust ‘n Love.
Ballangarryhadhis first serious relationshipinhisteens anda son Kyle was bornin1999.
He had lost contact with Kyle for 12 years, but Ballangarryhas developeda relationshipwith hisnowteenage child.
Earlylast decade Ballangarrymet his future wife Michelle Seymour andsonBaileywas born in2002.
Isaac (2003) and Bonnie (2005) followedto complete the “little Ballangarrytribe” before BallangarryandMichelle were
married. The couple are ‘soul mates’ accordingto Ballangarry.
Ballangarryalsohappilytells youhe has twosisters (Tara andSarah) andthat he was never afraidto work hard for a
musical break.

6. Whenever bigacts came to Narrabri, Ben got involved. He wason stage crews for JimmyBarnes, DavidCampbell, Thirsty
Merc, Suzie Quatro, Jeff Brown, TroyCassar-Daley, DanHarvey, The Choirboys and Jimeoinamongothers.
In 2000, his first solo act was supporting The Whitlams in Narrabri. Ben has alsoopenedfor Joel Turner andWes Carr.
The highlight was Countafitt doinga two-daytour with Wolfmother at Narrabri andGlen Innes concerts inlate 2011.
“These things aren’t just given to you …there is a lot of pesteringand phone callsuntil people talkto you,” Ballangarry
said. “When givena chance, you have to make a goodimpression. I’ve playedplentyof gigs for free. I love music andI’ll
keep playing. I’drather burnout thanfade away.”
Christopher Smith, a guitarist, and Ballangarryare the core of Countafitt.
The band has beenaroundfor eight years andalso includesdrummer Dylan Passmore andrhythmguitarist Kyle Appleyard.
Countafitt gigs right around NSWandis also preparing five originalsfor the second heat of the GlobalBattle of the Bands
(Sydneyrural semi-finals)after winningthe Tamworth heat last year.
The group alsohasits ownstudio dubbed‘CF Studio’ andis working ona self-titled album.
Ben alsohas his own‘GheckoStudio’ for acoustic recordings ina caravan. “It’s a big stepfrom recordinginmybedroom …
my wife and kids don’t have to trip over microphone stands anymore,” he chuckled.
Ballangarryhas been sloggingit out for almost two decadesyears but he’s not about to stop. “With a dream, a goal
persistence andhardwork, we can all make our own dreama reality. Never give upyour dream,” Ballangarrysaid.
***
WHEN Benjaman Ballangarrywas playfullyrunning from a camera as a childhe didn’t understandthe impact Ivan Sen’s
powerful documentaryseries Shifting Shelter wouldhave on hisfuture.
The charismatic Ballangarryalways hada presence onstage or infront of a camera without evenknowingit.
In 1995, a group of indigenous students from Wee Waa HighSchool went on an excursionto Boggabilla for the Euraba Arts
Festival.
At the festival, Ballangarrychose to studymusic andmet artists like Roach, Christine Anu, The Blackfire Band and Roger
Knox along withnumerous other indigenous musicians.
It was alsothe first time he saw a videocamera. The “reallybig” object captured hisattention.
“Me being me, I kept running past the camera …I was reallyfascinated byit,” Ballangarryrecalls. “I didn’t care that the
people using it were trying to call me over. After hours of runningpast it, I thought I wasgoing to get intotrouble. I kept
running until theycorneredme.”
Once ‘cornered’ Ballangarrydiscoveredthe filmcrew just wantedto ask himsome questions for a documentary.
The youngster agreedandBallangarrywas soona star inSen’s groundbreaking series.
Shifting Shelter featuredfour Aboriginal teenagers from northwest NSW.
Sen, raisedinthe same region at Inverell, understood his subjects.
After the first Shifting Shelter was broadcast in 1995, Sensuddenlyre -appears to film the lives of the subjects
approximatelyeveryfive years.
Shifting Shelter 2 (2000), 3 (2005) and 4 (2010) have followed.
This documentaryhas helpeddrive Ballangarry’s musical career to the point he nowboasts a digital distributiondeal with
Wolf Entertainment andhas twosingles, She’s MyMotivationandTrust ‘n Love oniTunes.
It’s alsogivenBallangarrya chance to analyse his life.
He was a carefree 15-year-oldwhenchosenbecome part of Shifting Shelter documentary.
Ballangarryhas since completeda spray-paintingapprenticeship, workedvarious jobs, hadfour children, playedgigs across
NSW and landeda digitaldistribution dealwith Wolf Entertainment.
“I enjoyit because I can see where I startedfrom,” he explains.
“I haven’t lost mydirectionor culture. Mywhole life hasbeen about music …now I’ma much better writer and performer.
I’ve got more responsibilities andI’mwiser. It’s funnyto lookbackandsee what I was like.
“I like thinking about the past because it reminds me of how much I’ve grown.”
EmilyDunn’s article inthe SydneyMorning Herald in 2006 about Shifting Shelter 3 describedBallangarryas ‘perhaps the
least scarredof the four’ (documentaryparticipants).
Shifting Shelter 2 revealedBenleft school because hisfirst son (Kyle) was bornand Ballangarryneededto find a job. That
relationshipfell apart andBallangarrylost contact with hisson.
Sen trackeddown Ballangarryfor Shifting Shelter 2 while Ballangarrywas spray-paintinga truck as part ofhis
apprenticeship back in2000 Wee Waa.
For Shifting Shelter 3 (2005), Ballangarryhadsettled withhisnew partner (now wife Michelle) in Narrabri andhad two
more children(BaileyandIsaac).
The additionof daughter Bonnie before Shifting Shelter 4 (2010) means Ballangarrynowhas three childrento wife
Michelle.
If and when it is made, ShiftingShelter 5 couldreveal a new twist as Ballangarryis in contact again withhis son Kyle.
The musiciantoldthe SMHhe felt wiser as a result of taking part in the project
When he went to the Shifting Shelter 2 premiere as part of the Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival, it was Ballangarry’s
first time on an aeroplane. When he returned for the 2011 release ofShifting Shelter 4, Ballangarrywas performingQ and
A sessions withleadingAboriginal filmmakers and delivering polished renditions of She’s MyMotivationandTrust ‘n Love.
Ballangarryhas noticedthe attentionbut believes it makes hima better manandfather.
“I feel like I am inthe eye of the community. Everything that I do…it’s for myfuture name. It is for mykids’ future,” he
said.