Rural news:
Long gone are the days when Oz lived off the sheep's back but HRH Prince Charles is coming to the rescue and will attend the 9th Rosehill and Wool Congress in April at the Rosehill Racecourse and Convention Centre in Sydney's west in April.
There will be all manner of exciting social events, including a welcome reception, cocktail party with The Australian Wool Fashion Awards and a dinner harbour cruise on picturesque Sydney Harbour, as well as tours, field trips and visits to the Sydney Royal Easter Show to watch sheep judging and other arena events.
The Congress presents a forum for active discussion and debate on the future and opportunities of the sheep, meat and wool industries.
And clocking in after giving the country a miss last year over the sheep mulesing controversy is Count Paolo Zegna, one of the largest buyers of the best quality wool which is shipped to Italy and turned into suits to be sold throughout the world. The Count was last here in 2008 when his Zegna Wool Awards were held in great secrecy at the Sir Standford Hotel with organizers fearful of a full on protest that was rumored would include visiting pop star and PETA advocate Pink !. Zegna flew in via Melbourne, arrived at the dinner, gave out a dozen plaques to the crusty faced sheep farmers and scampered. Pink and protest placards never materialized.
Fashion designer Liz Davenport, one of only five Australian designers bestowed with the nation’s top fashion honour - the Grand Award from the Fashion Industry of Australia and whose designs are sold in more than 300 boutiques and department stores throughout the world, is researching the wool industry for the Congress.
Currently in China Liz is quoted in The Land Newspaper saying "“You would never find a king, prince, premier, Prime minister, or a president wearing anything but a pure wool suit but this alone can’t keep farmers producing wool.” She also says : "“I asked a Chinese supplier where his wool came from and he said an animal. I asked what animal and he said he didn’t know – this is a problem.”. As for Charles-he says "Wool is a fibre even the most brilliant boffin in the most high-tech laboratory could never create.”
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Meanwhile Russell Crowe's Museum of Interesting Things has finally opened at the Nymboida Coaching Station Inn . The old barn in the small NSW country town now houses a ton of Crowe memorabilia including his Romper Stomper boots, Gladiator costume, wild west outfits from 3.10 to Yuma, a dozen Johnny Cash gold albums and dozen cricket caps from famous batmen over the decades including Don Bradman.
No. we have no idea where Nymbodia is either .
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Wishing you were there:
At Sugarmill in Kings Cross on Tuesday comedian Gary Eck was upstaged by Robin Williams who was dining with Happy Feet 2 co-star Elijah Wood. Williams gave an impromptu 30 minute hilarious dissertation about his Sydney visit. Anyone who has been to a William's press conference will know just how side-splittingly funny Williams can be.
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Wishing you were there:
At Sugarmill in Kings Cross on Tuesday comedian Gary Eck was upstaged by Robin Williams who was dining with Happy Feet 2 co-star Elijah Wood. Williams gave an impromptu 30 minute hilarious dissertation about his Sydney visit. Anyone who has been to a William's press conference will know just how side-splittingly funny Williams can be.
tSS began to film part of the routine with our snap happy but a tap on the shoulder from a large gent changed our minds.
Williams and Wood are recording voices for the cartoon penguin fantasy at George Miller's Kings Cross studios.
