Bush faces in Canberra for ICPA conference
Jodie Keogh, Innamincka Station, South Australia; Donna Doyle, Glanworth Station, Charleville; Heather Turnbull, “Narada”, Tambo; Irene Lund, Canberra, and Judith Bryant, “Daisy Springs”, Tullamore.
ICPA federal council secretary, Suzanne Wilson, Darwin, with Telecommunications Independent Review Committee panel members, Wendy Duncan, Mannup, Western Australia and Kylie Stretton, Charters Towers, Queensland.
NSW ICPA members at the federal conference in Canberra.
Harrison Wood (nine months) with his mother Connie, Blina Station West Kimbereley, Western Australia; Jessie MacQueen, “Murralah”, Millmerran, Qld, and Matt and Fiona Brown “Ranui”, Meandarra, Qld.
Scott Mitchell, “The Lagoon”, Bourke, NSW, with Emanuel Okpara, Telstra, Queanbeyan, NSW.
SA delegates, Emilee Warnest from Martins Well Station, Hawker, in the Flinders Ranges, with Helen Williams Nilpinna Station, Oodnadatta.
From NSW, Skye Bragg, Beemery Station, Bourke, with Kelly Smitham and Stephanie Thomas, New England Girls School, Armidale.
Royal Far West chief executive officer, Lindsay Cane, Sydney, talks with Alice Springs ICPA branch president, Amber Driver, Elkedra Station, Northern Territory.
Telecommunications Independent Review Committee panel members, Philip Smurthwaite, Department of Communications, Canberra; Kylie Stretton, Charters Towers, Qld and Wendy Duncan, Mannup, WA, collecting feedback on telco issues from the ICPA conference.
Education Changemakers chief executive officer, David Faulkner, addresses the 2018 conference in Canberra.
Sydney’s St Ingatius College (Riverview) representative, John Newey with Susan Shakespeare, Nudgee College, Brisbane.
Australian War Memorial director and former federal Education Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson, with Sue Gordon, Young, NSW at the ICPA conference dinner at the war memorial.
Federal president, Wendy Hick, Thorntonia Station, Camooweal, Qld, with ICPA Award of Appreciation winners Sue Shotton, Douglas Daly Research Farm NT, and Australian Boarding Schools Association general manager, Tom Dunsmore and executive director, Richard Stokes, both from Brisbane.
Sam Dimarco, NBN Co, Coffs Harbour, NSW, with Australian Communications Consumer Action Network’s policy director, Una Lawrence, Sydney.
NSW attendees, Nerida Healy, Court Nareen Station, Pooncarie; Mike Tom, NSW Department of Education, Bathurst, and ICPA state secretary, Helen Ponder, “Avondale”, Louth.
Contact Inc chief executive officer, Sue Kingwill, Sydney; Jesse Donoghoe, Gold Coast, and ICPA federal vice president, Sally Sullivan, Cave Creek Station, Mataranka, NT.
Libby Dalton, Telstra Country Wide, Melbourne, chats with Ellen and Geoff Walker, “Kalangi”, Rankins Springs, NSW.
Clermont, Qld, branch delegates, Alana Moller, “Star of Hope”; Kasie Scott, “Paradise Downs”, and Christy Moller, “Recruit”.
Queenslanders Tracy Frohloff, Starbright Station and Julia Broad, Low Holm Station, Charters Towers, with Loretta Goodwin, Cremorne Station, Alpha.
NSW attendees, Morgan Foster, Kangaloon and conference speaker, Nathan Kitto, Junee.
Isolated Children's Parents' Association federal conference speakers, Lindsay Cane from the Royal Far West, Sydney and Fiona Nash, Charles Sturt University, with federal president, Wendy Hick at this year's Canberra event.
Hunter Valley Grammar School marketing manager, Dionne Molina, and deputy principal, Penny Cameron.
WA ICPA members, Kym Ross, “Murrundie”, Gairdner, and Bianca James, Hyden, with Joanna Gibson, Yudnapinna Station, Port Augusta, South Australia.
Donna Doyle and Heather Turnbull present a case for discussion on behalf of Queensland’s Tambo branch.
Sarah Cook, Aileron Station, Alice Springs, chats with NSW school representatives, Peter Reuben, The Kings School, Parramatta: Tim Jenkinson, Tudor House, Moss Vale; and Malcolm Powys, The Kings School.
Kindon branch delegate Di Skene “Moreacres”, Brookstead, Qld, with Tasmanian Midlands branch’s Kate Thompson, “Handroyd”, York Plains, Tasmania.
Belyando-Mt Coolon delegates Amanda Clark, “Ibis Creek and Goselyn Sullivan, Mt Coolon Station.
NSW conference participants, Sue Gordon, “Mungi”, Young, and Dennis Kitto, “Uralba”, Gulgong.
Federal ICPA president, Wendy Hick, Queensland, addresses the 2018 conference in Canberra.
Anna Appleton, “Islay Plains”, Alpha, Qld, with Stuart Delaney and Kim Holman, St Peters Lutheran College, Brisbane.
Some of Australia’s most isolated regional dwellers were out in force in the national capital this week when the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) hosted its 47th annual federal conference in Canberra, drawing attendees from across the continent.
Championing the needs of isolated educators and their students of all ages, the appropriately themed “Country kids in CAPITALS” conference was markint its first time back in the national capital for 15 years ago.
It included a special dinner at the Australian War Memorial, where former federal Education Science and Training Minister, and friend of the ICPA, Dr Brendan Nelson, was special guest (and host) in his current capacity as director of the war memorial.
Dr Nelson was warmly applauded for an address highlighting how the war memorial represented, not war, but the love and friendship of Australians, their love of the country and the harmony of its community, the nation’s democracy and education priorities, and a deep gratitude to the 2 million who fought to defend those national qualities.
He also paid tribute to the struggles and economic contribution rural Australians have made and the efforts farming communities – often in the most remote of circumstances – still make “in playing an enormous role in defining what our nation is all about today”.
More than 120 members and guests debated about 80 conference motions pitched at ensuring equitable access to better education for children living in rural and remote areas.
Former regional MP, Fiona Nash, opened the two day event where issues such as reliable internet and telephone services, changes to parent support funding arrangements and regional travel costs were all hot issues on the agenda.
