Archive for category: Frontpage Article

Jana Pittman to Headline Balranald Women’s Lunch & Women of the Murray-Darling Dinner

Olympian, World Champion and Doctor Jana Pittman will visit the Balranald and Wentworth regions on Friday 7 November 2025 to headline two major community events designed to bring women together for connection, collaboration and shared learning.

The Balranald Women’s Lunch and Women of the Murray-Darling Dinner will feature Jana’s presentation on resilience, adaptability and leadership, alongside opportunities for women to network and strengthen community ties.

The events are supported by Balranald Shire Council, Wentworth Shire Council, Community Bank Wentworth & District (Bendigo Bank) and RZ Resources through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.

The Balranald Women’s Lunch will run from 12pm to 3pm at the Theatre Royal, 90 Market Street, Balranald. Presented in collaboration between Wentworth Shire Council and Balranald Shire Council, the event includes a catered lunch and entertainment by DJ Ash with proceeds supporting a local sporting or community group in the Balranald Shire.

That evening, the Women of the Murray-Darling Dinner will be held from 7pm to 11pm (doors open 6.30pm) at the Wentworth Conference Room, upstairs at the Wentworth Visitor Information Centre, 61 Darling Street, Wentworth. Guests will enjoy a catered dinner, entertainment by DJ Ash and networking opportunities. Proceeds will support the activities of the newly formed Women of the Murray-Darling network.

Jana Pittman is one of Australia’s most accomplished athletes, winning two World Championships and four Commonwealth Games gold medals in athletics before switching to bobsledding, where she became the first Australian woman to compete in both a Summer (2000, 2004) and Winter (2014) Olympic Games. After sport, she completed a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (First Class Honours and University Medal) at Western Sydney University, a Masters of Reproductive Medicine at the University of New South Wales, and is now undertaking a PhD in Obstetrics, focusing on uterus transplantation. She works as a doctor in Women’s Health and is an ambassador for the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation.

The Women of the Murray-Darling is a new community-led group dedicated to connecting women across the region, supporting personal and professional growth, and strengthening local networks.

“Both the Women of the Murray-Darling Dinner in Wentworth Shire and the Balranald Women’s Lunch provide valuable opportunities for connection and collaboration,” said Mayor Daniel Linklater, Mayor for Wentworth Shire Council. “Jana Pittman’s involvement will bring a depth of experience and practical insights that will resonate with women across the region.”

Tickets are $25 per person and available at the following links:

Wentworth Shire has welcomed six new Australian Citizens as part of Australian Citizenship Day celebrations, with a formal ceremony held on Wednesday 17 September 2025 in the Wentworth Conference Room overlooking the Darling River.

The new Citizens are Ms Megan Jackson (United Kingdom), Ms Antonia Antonova (Bulgaria), Mr Hsi-Jung Chen (Taiwan), Mr Abraham Cronje (South Africa), Mrs Mercedita Kemp (Philippines), and Mrs Thi Thuy Diem Sheehan (Vietnam).

To mark the occasion, each conferee was presented with a native Australian plant from Wentworth Shire Council and a 2025 Australian Citizenship Commemorative Coin.

Wentworth Shire Council Mayor Daniel Linklater said, “Australian Citizenship Day is an opportunity for all Australians, whether by birth or by choice, to reflect on and celebrate what’s great about being Australian. To welcome these six individuals as Australian Citizens in Wentworth Shire is a great honour. On behalf of Council and our community, we wish them every success in their future endeavours.”

Australian Citizenship Day provides an occasion for individuals, schools and community organisations to reflect on the contributions of all citizens, new and old, to their local communities.

For more information about Australian Citizenship Day, Australian citizenship (including eligibility criteria and application process), and our shared values, visit www.citizenship.gov.au.