Latest news with #Naracoorte
ABC News
14-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Erin Patterson mushroom deaths trial raises family pain of four poisoned children
The high-profile trial of mushroom poisoning killer Erin Patterson has brought up 160-year-old scars of four tragic deaths in SA's south east. In May 1861, at Hynam — east of Naracoorte — Sophia, Charles, Emma and Susan Norris, aged between seven and one, died from poisoning after eating foraged wild mushrooms. They were believed to have eaten Galerina marginata or funeral bell, which were commonly mistaken for edible honey mushrooms. Noel Norris, whose grandfather was a sibling of the Norris children, said the tragedy stayed with the family for decades. "It wasn't discussed very much for many years, because it was still pretty raw and tender, even after 100 years," he said. "My grandfather would never speak of it. "I did know about it but I didn't take it too seriously. "It was almost told to me like a bit of a children's story." Mr Norris and his wife searched for where the children were buried, eventually finding them in the Hynam cemetery in 2017. The grave was marked out with a fence and a plaque telling the children's story. "It must've been absolutely horrific and I think it left a scar on the Norris family, until now where we've been able to find the graves," he said. Mr Norris said the recently completed trial of Erin Patterson in Victoria brought up some of the emotions. "It brings it back to mind, but our story has been basically put to rest," he said. "We've gone through all the agonies of putting the children to rest, so whilst it does it bring it back, it's at arms length." In South Australia, 932 mushroom-related calls were made to the Poison Information Centre in the decade from 2015 until 2024, most of which were children aged less than five. Of those, 319 cases were referred to hospital. Mr Norris said his great aunts and uncle's stories should serve as a reminder for people of how dangerous mushrooms could be. "Even back from those years of when my family members died, there was still no real realisation of how deadly they can be," he said. "It's only this trial that's brought it back to people's mind to be a bit more aware. "It's a cautionary tale what happened to those beautiful children, but it hasn't stood up and people forget." Hynam Heritage Group secretary Lyn Schinckel said it had long been rumoured the children were buried at Hynam. "Nobody seemed to know where," she said. "There were stories that they weren't allowed to be buried here because it was a private cemetery. "One of the members decided to get the ground-penetrating radar here to actually find if and where they were." Mrs Schinckel was among the attendees at the ceremony in 2017. "We were pretty excited that we'd found something useful that no one else really knew," she said. "It was a very moving little ceremony, particularly for Noel and his wife. "We always knew what had happened but not really how it had finished or where it had finished."
ABC News
02-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Heritage poultry auction attracts bidders stocking up on backyard birds
Early on a brisk Sunday morning in the middle of winter, a shed in the Naracoorte Showgrounds in South Australia's south-east is drawing a crowd. Families, children and cage-carrying feather fanciers are ready for a bidding battle to rival any good country clearing sale. Lining the walls of the poultry pavilion are dozens of pens of purebred and heritage chickens; preened, plump and full of plume. From speckle-feathered Anconas to lace-winged Wyandotte, mighty Australorp and sentimental favourites, the White Leghorn, the birds will find their way to new pastures after the last auction hammer falls. "These are definitely an upgrade from the common backyard layer," Naracoorte Pigeon and Poultry Club (NPCC) president Kim Hebberman said. "As a club, we've been sourcing these heritage hens from across South Australia to promote purebreds and rare breeds with a view to growing numbers and keeping historic breeds alive." Poultry and pigeon fancying has been a staple of country shows, something Mr Hebberman wanted the next generation to continue. Mundulla farmer William Peck, who showed chickens when he was growing up, said his 19-year-old daughter Paris had also taken up the hobby. They attended the NPPC June sale on Sunday, which attracted buyers and sellers from across the state. Ms Peck said she fell in love with raising chooks as a way to improve her mental health after a period of illness. "I think they're just very relaxing animals," she said. "It's been great for stress relief to go out there and watch them and take care of them. "I see a few kids at home who go out there and read to their chooks and get right into it, which is good." Mr Peck said it was a great experience to share with his daughter and had allowed him to re-enter the showing community. "I'm only just getting the bug back again, but definitely there's a little community there," he said. "A lot of the older breeders are pretty supportive of the younger guys now getting in, setting them up with a good trio and some advice. "It's a great hobby for anyone to get into." Pigeon and poultry club member Eddie Locke, 17, said he had been involved in poultry showing since he was a kid with the help of his dad. He helped facilitate Sunday's auction. "There's so many fancy breeds, so many characteristics and when you breed them and hatch them out, they have a great nature," he said. "You can spend hours out in the chookyards hanging out with your birds and picking what you want for a show. "Even though it's a bit of a strange hobby, you get a lot of enjoyment out of it." Mr Hebberman ran the auction as seasoned poultry fanciers and backyard enthusiasts placed their bids. Ms Peck said she enjoyed the adrenaline rush. "I actually like the nervousness of it all and going along and seeing what they all go for," Ms Peck said. The highest trio sale of a rooster and two hens reached more than $700, while others grabbed a bargain hoping to cut down on their grocery bill. While egg production is not the main aim of the poultry auction, Mr Hebberman said he expected a number of buyers would be bidding to shore up their own egg supplies. "It costs as much to feed an ordinary bird as it does a good one," he said. "So we see an opportunity for people to get a start in heritage breeds as well as reap the benefits of their laying potential."
ABC News
13-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Australian dog trainer teaches labrador to detect footrot in sheep
An Australian dog trainer has successfully taught her dog to detect footrot in sheep. The innovative process could help streamline footrot detection if implemented on farms. Footrot — a contagious bacterial disease in sheep and goats — can be identified by a visual inspection or laboratory testing but is labour-intensive. Dog trainer Jo Griffiths, based near Naracoorte in South Australia's south-east, has been working with her labrador cross Leroy for the past two years. Leroy can detect which sheep in a small group is footrot scented, successfully finding the right animal in seconds. "I tie a [scented] sock to one of the sheep's legs, and then tie clean socks onto all the other sheep," Ms Griffiths said. It has been a complicated training process, with Leroy needing to learn both the footrot scent and how to work around sheep in the narrow pathways, or races, where sheep are held for inspection. While labradors are a popular breed, they are not commonly used in farming operations in Australia. But Leroy has an edge on other sheep-herding breeds for this kind of work. "Leroy loves food because he is a lab, whereas a kelpie would want to work the sheep," Ms Griffiths said. "I made sure I got a puppy and started desensitising him to sheep straight away. According to Ms Griffiths, the idea came from Colin Earl, a farmer and researcher who knew how difficult footrot could be once it took hold of a flock. "You could do a lot of work to eradicate footrot in your flocks and you get it down, and you spend all the time and work and then it resurfaces," Dr Earl said. "It is time-consuming. The idea came to train a dog which would be able to identify those few remaining sheep." Dr Earl said he was impressed with the progress Leroy had made, and believed the concept showed a lot of promise as a helpful management strategy. "This idea can work, I'm sure it could be used across Australia and maybe in other parts of the world," he said. The next step for Ms Griffiths will be trialling Leroy on a farm. "Up to this point, my main focus has been proof of concept, [and] we're there now," she said. "We think that he'll be most useful when you have a footrot eradication program and when you're getting towards the end and you just have a small group left where you're not sure if they're clear or not. "That's where Leroy can come in, he could detect those last few that often come back, then that would be a great help."
ABC News
08-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Drought impacts South Australia's wool industry leaving shearers without work
Shearers are struggling to find work as Australian wool production falls to its lowest in more than a century. Steep falls in wool production and sheep numbers in drought-affected South Australia have forced shearers to look interstate and overseas for work, or consider leaving the industry. Naracoorte farmer Paul Oster said he had seen the wool industry from many angles as a grower, shearer, trainer and shearing contractor, and the drought and increasing costs were impacting all involved. "It has a rippling effect through everyone's business livelihood, their family livelihood, community livelihood … it's of great concern," Mr Oster said. Mr Oster is worried good workers are turning away from the industry due to the lack of opportunities. He said well-organised shearers could once keep themselves busy enough through the year to make ends meet, but options had become limited. "We have such a high-performing level of staff right now that are unfortunately questioning, 'Where is our future?'" Mr Oster said. Shearing Contractors' Association of Australia shearer woolhandler training executive officer Glenn Haynes was also concerned. "I honestly think we are going to lose around 20 per cent of our workforce in South Australia," he said. Mr Haynes said he was putting on extra training sessions in 2023 to help fill a shortage of workers in the industry. He said the shortage had since turned into an excess. "We've still got a lot of young people wanting to get into the industry … but it's having a job on the other end of it." While those looking for work would usually go interstate, he said the opportunities were not there either. "The trouble is you have the majority of Victoria in a similar situation and a lot of NSW in the same situation, and then the floods in Queensland, and Tasmania is just full," Mr Haynes said. "WA's sheep numbers have dropped dramatically over the last 12 months … so we have a lot of Western Australians ringing looking for work as well. "There's a lot of guys and girls out there that are just … going to have to travel [overseas for work] this year." The Australian Wool Forecasting Committee expects the nation's wool production to decline almost 12 per cent this year compared to last. It has forecast a further 8.4 per cent drop in the coming financial year. The estimated wool production for 2025-26 is 256.6 million kilograms, which would be the lowest recorded level since the early 1900s. In SA and WA, this year's clip is forecast to fall 18.4 per cent. Australian Wool Network SA manager Rod Miller said many producers had reduced their flock due to the ongoing drought. "The excessive, long feeding cost is the proverbial straw breaking this camel's back," Mr Miller said. "The drought will finish one day, but we're going into the second year now and if you're feeding out sheep over 14 months continually, it's a real Groundhog Day for a lot of these producers. "With higher input costs and include shearing as well, and the feed costs, it's just soaking up all the profit margin and taking a lot of the fun out of it." Mr Miller said SA was feeding an oversupply of drought-affected wool into a market of low global demand. While people in the wool industry agree times are dire, those who have stuck with it believed it could bounce back once rain returns. Sandy Martin, who operates Baratta Station in SA's mid-north, said he had ridden the ups and downs of the sheep industry for the past 45 years. "In the last 10 years, we've had three years of drought, two years of COVID, two years of low commodity prices, and we're still in business," he said. "Actually, we've had a lovely year at Baratta and our sheep and wool production has been above-average, and our farming country at Jamestown is just hanging in there. "If we get rain, we'll get back on track pretty quickly. "If it all comes together, it's a bloody beautiful industry — I couldn't think of anything better."
ABC News
07-05-2025
- ABC News
South Australian MP Nick McBride appears in court over assault charges
Independent MP Nick McBride has appeared in court for the first time since being charged with assaulting his wife. Philip Nicholas McBride, 55, of Robe, appeared in the Naracoorte Magistrates Court on Wednesday where his lawyer adjourned the matter to next month. The South Australian MP was charged with three counts of assault last month. Court documents provided to the ABC state that Mr McBride allegedly assaulted his wife three times on April 10 at Conmurra, in South Australia's Limestone Coast region. The charges against Mr McBride came after unrelated criminal allegations against several other former South Australian Liberal MPs, including Troy Bell, Fraser Ellis and ex-leader David Speirs. Loading
