but Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have the happiest citizens in Eurasia The World Happiness Report 2025 evaluated the moods of citizens in 147 countries globally as seen through a prism of “caring and sharing.” The survey based its rankings on a variety of factors including tangible expressions of “caring behavior,” such as benevolence and charity The survey also looked at such factors as family dynamics social connectivity and subjective well-being Benevolence was measured by such actions as donating Family dynamics and connectivity were evaluated by sharing meals and other bonding activities while subjective well-being tried to gauge life satisfaction and levels of trust in others.  the people who benefit most are those who are least happy happiness is more equally distributed in countries with higher levels of expected benevolence,” the study found “The degree of benevolence in a country also has a profound impact on its politics But whether populists are on the left or the right depends on trust Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan achieved the highest overall rankings among Eurasian states included in the survey coming in at 43rd and 53rd respectively out of 147 countries Both scored comparatively well in the benevolence category even though they both ranked near the bottom of the table in the sub-category of volunteering.    The survey noted that in Central and Eastern Europe “regional differences may represent cultural variations that shape norms for caring for others,” adding that “an informal benevolent act appears to be more common than other formal acts of benevolence such as donating and volunteering.”  which ranked 90th overall in the happiness table was deemed to have the fourth highest rate of volunteering of all the countries surveyed Happiness is not necessarily tied to income level The Caucasus as a region is wealthier in terms of per capita GDP than Central Asia But citizens of all three Caucasus states tend to be unhappier than those in Central Asia.  Armenia was the highest-ranked Caucasus state in the survey at 87th Georgia – which just a few years ago seemed on a trajectory toward European Union membership but which has been buffeted by political upheaval over the past year – ranked 91st is the poorest in terms of citizen contentment Denmark and Iceland top-ranked in that order.  The survey established a clear connection between happiness and voting patterns in democratic societies.  “Subjective experiences like life satisfaction and trust play a much greater role in shaping values and voting behavior than traditional ideologies or class struggle,” the survey states the decline in happiness and social trust explains a large share of the rise in political polarization and votes against ‘the system.’” Sign up for Eurasianet's free weekly newsletter. Support Eurasianet: Help keep our journalism open to all Isuzu Australia Ltd names Barlin CSO in bid to better service customers Ms Barlin’s appointment comes at a landmark juncture for IAL with a new generation product line-up launching in Australia this year and against a backdrop of a swiftly changing and increasingly competitive market landscape She joins IAL following previous key roles at Toyota Finance and Toyota Motor Asia Pacific and brings considerable experience in the automotive sector across corporate planning Ms Barlin will oversee enterprise strategy project management office and marketing department The remit of IAL’s strategy department also takes in the development of solutions for the here and now something Ms Barlin reflected on regarding her appointment Ms Barlin said: “There’s a growing level of product parity across a whole range of retail markets so part of my work is about identifying where we can be most effective in enhancing our customer’s experience with Isuzu products “It’s all about creating meaningful value over the lifecycle of a truck a piece of software or even a financial or ownership solution “We’ve worked hard within the department over the last twelve months to review our own offer and really home in on key areas where we can genuinely affect some change and “We do this by best understanding what technology is available how these tools are being employed around the world and how we can design business services harnessing these developments to deliver reliable “I’m grateful for the vote of confidence Isuzu has shown me with this appointment and I look forward to complementing the strong activity already well underway in this important space.” ​ IAL director and chief operating officer Andrew Harbison said the role was critical for IAL’s continued evolution into the future “This is an increasingly important space for us due to the ongoing requirement to create tangible solutions to the transport needs of our customers … a better way of doing business now and in the future,” he said “We’re acutely aware of the imperative to explore a range of mobility solutions to suit the rapidly changing needs of our customers and the competing requirement to provide personalised “It’s on us then to deliver the best product and an ownership experience that provides our customers with value beyond the actual piece of equipment they’re operating “Having capacity in this space – to really think outside the box and structure products and services that create new genuine business efficiencies – is an exciting prospect for IAL to be involved in right now “Having someone of Kylie’s calibre step in to lead the thinking around how we do business into the future is a big win for IAL and our customers.” ​ AMIEO region including Australia hands expanded roles to numerous Nissan executives Mini PR manager Ruth Li moves to product role in BMW marketing department brakes company Pedders appoints first non-family CEO in 75 years « Back The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) is pleased to announce four recipients of pediatric lupus research grants under the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Lupus Research Program The grants will support researchers in their studies of lupus in children as they address the most urgent challenges in this area of medicine Established in 2006 with the generous support of the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, the LFA’s Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Lupus Research Program is the first and only national childhood lupus research program founded in memory of Michael Jon Barlin who passed away at the age of 24 following a long battle with lupus “Studies indicate that lupus is more aggressive and severe in children and adolescents than adults The disease can devastate a child’s growth and day-to-day life and even shorten a child’s life,” said Joy Buie “The Lupus Foundation of America has long recognized the critical importance of supporting our youngest lupus warriors and we are excited to support the important work of these grantees within the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Research Program who are dedicated to solving the unique challenges of childhood lupus and helping to improve their quality of life.” “Young people who get lupus often have organ involvement making the disease more difficult to control and having a severe impact on quality of life These research grants under the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Research Program will move childhood lupus research forward and help to ensure that more children can live their lives to the fullest with more controlled lupus disease and improved prognosis,” shared Wayne and Judy Barlin The pediatric grant recipients are committed to advancing childhood lupus exploration by studying these important areas of lupus research: Learn more about these pediatric grant recipients and their studies here Supporting lupus patients and advocates in Arizona This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn more 404Page Not FoundLooks like we can't find this page When a lighthearted office prank gets out of hand Ed is left to pick up the pieces to save not only his job but his dignity One of the great things about the short format is that it allows talented directors to dabble in a variety of genres. Case in point: director Antonio Oreña-Barlin. A SotW alum, his previous featured short, Suburbia was an intense single-shot portrayal of an active shooter event—suspenseful and emotionally harrowing is a comedy about a guy who draws a dick on a sympathy card If that doesn’t’ show directorial range Oreña-Barlin paid a pretty penny to purchase the rights to the song Beyond the strong joke-writing, Drawcard  is perfectly cast. It’s great to see Adam Dunn (who also co-wrote the film and is the star of Dan Reisinger’s terrific Aussie short comedy Status Update) get another lead turn veteran Aussie actor Anthony Phelan is perfect boss material He continues to develop the sci-fi project he mentioned when we interviewed him for our review of Suburbia He is also writing a screenplay based on a trip he took with his father and grandparents over ten years ago He states: “It’s a cross between Little Miss Sunshine and Rain Man I can’t wait to bring this story to life it’s been a long time coming.”  Whoopi Goldberg, physician and renowned researcher Dr. Michael Lockshin and humanitarians Judith and Wayne Barlin were honored for their work to improve the lives of people with lupus at the Lupus Foundation of America’s annual Butterfly Gala in New York City on October 18 Other special guests at the Gala included multi-talented musician philanthropist and photographer Julian Lennon Actor Phylicia Rashad served as the Master of Ceremonies Arie inspired and moved the crowd with a performance of her song There’s Hope: a salute to the honorees and the hope they bring to people with lupus Judith and Wayne Barlin received the Lupus Foundation of America Family of the Year Award for making possible more than $1.5 million in support for pediatric lupus research and for establishing the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Research Fund The Barlins also developed a college scholarship program for young people with lupus The Gala seeks to focus attention on lupus an autoimmune disease that affects 1.5 million Americans Although lupus can be fatal and can rob a person of their most productive years it does not share the high profile of other diseases “The challenges we face to make lupus one of the top national health priorities do not daunt us,” said Peter Schwab chair of the Lupus Foundation of America’s National Board of Directors “We remain steadfast in our mission to advance lupus research and provide education and support to those with the disease as well as to further raise awareness of this significant health threat.” The Lupus Foundation of America’s New York City Butterfly Gala is the companion event to the Foundation’s National Butterfly Gala held each year in Washington The Butterfly Galas raise awareness about lupus and generate critical funding for research It’s the first day of class at Piedmont High School and sophomore World Literature students are all settled in their seats A few minutes go by and one student mutters “Leave it to the new guy to not come on the first day.” That’s when Aaron Barlin — or Mr Barlin —rises from a desk behind the student He introduces himself to the class as their new teacher.  Do I really look that young?’” Barlin said about the prank “[Department chair] Beth Black said it’d be funny if I hid among the students I told her that I’m 22 [years old]; they’re going to know ‘I’ll probably never get the chance to do this again in my career.’” Barlin is starting his first year of teaching World Literature to sophomores and American Literature to juniors at PHS Sitting in his class before a Socratic Seminar it is clear that Barlin knows how to co-mingle with his students He proudly announced after roll call that he has 70% of his students’ names memorized The students dissected blogger Renegade Mothering’s post “How I discovered I am white,” which dived into identity and race relations in the United States One student said she doesn’t see racism in at PHS but that racism exists outside of Piedmont Another replied back saying that there is still distance between perspectives One student played the Devil’s Advocate and asked: what if racism is transgenerational and passed down (The class answered in unison: education.) The students generally agreed that modern perspectives from minorities are needed to expose the modern undercurrents of racism Barlin highlighted one particular text on the syllabus Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen: An American Lyric,” a book that has been integrated by many schools and centers Rankine explores microaggressions and the deep scars that racism leaves in its wake Barlin has a plan to advocate for the addition of “Citizen” to the English Department’s curriculum starting next school year Students who were seated in the innermost circle were expected to speak The rest of the class sat behind them and contributed to the online discussion — called the “backchannel” — on their Chromebooks students would rotate so that everyone had a chance to speak out loud or weigh in from the backchannel “Our challenge as instructors is how to push you further,” Barlin told his students after Expanding this outside of high school is another action and helps us avoid singularity.” Barlin’s experience teaching at PHS has been fantastic That’s because he recently finished student teaching for half a year at Horace Furness High School in South Philadelphia He taught 10th grade and 11th grade AP English Language and Composition and designed units using concepts like unconscious bias intersectionality and Social Reproduction Theory to which he credits his mostly hands-off mentor Horace Furness High School is a Title 1 school and is comprised of a community largely susceptible to violence “The trust that students have in education over there [in South Philly] is a lot less than it is here [in Piedmont].” “The teachers do their best to try and earn that trust back It’s odd to say the least to be in a school where the trust is already there; we get to move forward to curriculum.” Both of his parents are originally from California so the family naturally moved back Barlin would say that his talents for teaching came before his decision to choose English as his subject.  “Seventh grade is when I realized I wanted to teach,” he said “Eighth grade is when I realized I liked English a lot and that was thanks to my English teacher at that time.” Barlin graduated magna cum laude from UC Irvine’s Education Sciences program in March 2018 There he completed field work for a year as an intern for a ninth grade class He said he also taught a discussion section to first years for academic and social acclimation.” he attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education program and earned a Master’s in Secondary Education in May 2019 It was during this program that he became a student teacher at Horace Furness High School Barlin followed his girlfriend to the Bay Area where she currently studies at UC Hastings College of the Law.  Barlin was interviewed on video by the PHS English Department “We were very excited by Aaron’s enthusiasm right away when we spoke to him,” said English Department Chair Beth Black We hope that he learns as much from us as we do from him.” Black said that Barlin had shared a lesson with the Department that matched their views on teaching social justice — with a “mirror and window” concept that was part of their professional development through Teaching Tolerance a program that emphasizes social justice and anti-bias by providing resources to educators.  “I really leveraged the fact that teaching in Philadelphia at the lowest levels when it comes to standards really taught me to be a better teacher,” said Barlin “It helped me learn how to genuinely differentiate for different kids.” The Exedra comments section is an essential part of the site. The goal of our comments policy is to help ensure it is a vibrant yet civil space. To participate, we ask that Exedra commenters please provide a first and last name. Please note that comments expressing congratulations or condolences may be published without full names. (View our full Comments Policy.) Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" independent news site created by a group of Piedmont citizens and launched in November 2018 Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News University of Wisconsin-Madison student Morgan Barlin traverses the campus making stops at three dining halls on a spring afternoon Barlin is met by kitchen staff who present her with various leftover foods which would have otherwise been thrown away will be redistributed to students at no cost Barlin records the weight of each donation she saved 271 pounds of food from ending up in the landfill the Food Recovery Network at the UW-Madison uses the recovered food to provide free community meals Groups across the state have searched for alternatives to get food that would be wasted to people in need “(The Food Recovery Network) addresses both food waste and food insecurity at the same time because they’re paradoxical problems,” said Barlin “We shouldn’t be throwing away food at the same time that people in our community are also going hungry and so it seems like the most practical and easy way to kind of ameliorate different issues in our food system.” But redistributing restaurant and grocery food that has not yet spoiled is controversial within the charitable food assistance world — and difficult to accomplish under existing food-handling standards other programs in Wisconsin intercept still-edible food from grocery and convenience stores and restaurants that would normally be heading to the dumpster The River Food Pantry operates a food recovery program that collects food from more than 100 stores around Dane County “There’s so much food that is thrown away every single day,” said Helen Osborn-Senatus “If you’re in the grocery store and you see that dollar off coupon In 2021, about 40 percent of the 3.6 million pounds of food served by The River came from this recovery program “This is quality food that’s safe to eat and that’s the only reason it’s being thrown away,” Osborn-Senatus said But Osborn-Senatus’ perspective on the value of food recovery is not universally shared the executive director of the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee says her agency refuses to redistribute such food “Our organization does not accept donated food from grocery stores or food that would be otherwise wasted,” Tussler said “Our organization has a value of dignity We will not pass through our food pantry network any food that we would not personally give to our best friend.” Tussler suspects there are other motivations for grocery stores offloading their food to these recovery programs “There’s this secret in the food bank world that began with Second Harvest and they’re sourcing their food from grocery stores,” Tussler said “Grocery stores then don’t have to pay dumpster fees… (They) can get a tax write off for donating food — but what is the quality of that food?” the CEO and president of the Wisconsin Grocers Association acknowledges such efforts do cut dumpster fees “When you have to put (food) in the dumpster you are wasting that money — which you don’t want to do,” Scholz said (after) they have exhausted all other options One of these options includes making banana bread with bananas that are turning brown Otherwise food can be donated to local pantries the food resources manager at Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin says his organization takes precautions to ensure donations are safe to distribute Second Harvest checks the temperature of food to ensure there are no items in the “temperature danger zone.” The Foodbank also checks for potential cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat items Department of Agriculture does not regulate food items’ code dates a portion of the food we receive in via donation and distribute out is in fact past (its) listed code date (But) this does not impact the safety of the food being distributed,” Steele said Scholz explains these dates are “more of a guideline than a requirement,” adding “What happens if you eat a product with a sell-by date of April 7th on April 8th Grocers are more motivated to keep food fresh to satisfy customer demand rather than because of any health code requirement “There is not necessarily a specific law that says you have to get rid of lettuce that looks brown,” Scholz said “This is a highly competitive business so you don’t want to have crummy looking produce because if your competitors have better looking stuff then your customers are going there.” a grocer is only left with just 80 cents in profit — a margin of less than 1 percent “If a grocery store is throwing away food it’s probably for a reason,” he said “There’s probably some foolish retailer out there that does (throw away food for no reason) but I can assure you that there isn’t one in Wisconsin.” Restaurants must adhere to health codes that sometimes prompt them to discard edible food executive vice president of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association If food is continuously kept within the required temperature range “If it’s something that is supposed to be kept cold then you are not able to keep that product — you must dispose of it within four hours,” she said Restaurants are under the same pressure as grocery stores Quam says profit margins in the industry are low and restaurants are incentivized to reduce food waste since they are losing money for each dish that is discarded “Food safety plays a big factor in anything a restaurant does,” she said “We protect public health first and foremost Ideally we have (restaurant) operators not doing anything that produces waste.” Beyond waste produced at grocery stores and restaurants, Barlin says the majority of food waste is generated by individuals. According to the USDA, 31 percent of the edible food supply in the United States was not eaten in 2010 — with consumers responsible for more lost food than retailers That year, consumers threw away 90 billion pounds of food; Barlin notes this presents a good opportunity for people to learn how to reduce food waste at home, with campaigns dedicated to repurposing food components often thought of as inedible, such as broccoli stems The task can be as simple as making a grocery list to avoid overbuying or educating themselves on unregulated “best by” dates to avoid throwing away food while it’s still edible “If you’re more attuned to how far your food has traveled to get to your plate or who has labored to get that food to your plate,” Barlin said “it’s much harder to throw out that meal.” The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch collaborates with WPR other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates This article originally appeared on MPA-i.org. It was written by filmmaker Antonio Oreña-Barlin, about his film Drawcard and the experience of showing it at Tropfest, in Australia. You can check out the film here "My day at Tropfest Australia and why making short films doesn't mean getting short changed." Late last year, the Drawcard team found out we were one of only 16 finalists from over 600 entries selected to screen at the 24th annual Tropfest we found out that Tropfest had been cancelled and our celebration turned to dismay the gods of film smiled upon ‘Tropfestivus’ after a last minute bail out by CGU Insurance (shameless plug After we found out that Tropfest was back on we were elated that around one hundred thousand people would see our film live at Centennial Park as well as many other thousands via television simulcast and on the net in the months to come we’d slaved hard on our passion project and were thrilled at the prospect of high profile judges such as Mel Gibson and Simon Baker seeing our film Our team had a great experience at Tropfest itself like a cross between a music festival and an outdoor film festival – there’s nothing like screening your film live to around 100,000 people Despite an electrical storm and rain that threatened to empty the field just before half time most people hung tough and were rewarded with the second half of films It was a massive relief as our film was last – and I’d had a bitter experience 11 years before where a previous film had been singled out for torrential rain and the judges hadn’t even seen it as they were dodging the downpour It’s an exhilarating and terrifying feeling when your film comes on you wonder about all of those little details and compromises and hope no one else notices I think the degree of anxiety is also in relationship to how diligent you were – how confident you can be to stand by the work Having been a director for 15 years and a guest lecturer at AFTRS I’ve often been asked to give pointers to young filmmakers We’d all like to think that we’re wonderful Collaboration is one of the most valuable things that’s necessary to create films and as the wonderful end result of filmmaking It’s so important to get your people around you – your director of photography Embrace all of your partners in crime that are going to help you realize your vision – you can’t do it without any of them great ideas can come from anywhere; don’t be so arrogant to think that you are the sole custodian of brilliant ideas Don’t compromise… until you have to It’s an unwritten law of filmmaking that compromise permeates everything you do physical impossibilities… all of these things and more are trying to ruin your film You must be a diligent and painstaking guardian to protect your film from all of these things intuition and your team will help decide where you must draw the line It’s your job to make sure that whatever compromises you concede are the ones that impact the film and your team the least Push too hard one way and you break people and the budget/schedule; if you don’t push hard enough you will have a film you are too embarrassed to show anyone The sweet spot is the gap between perfectionism and physical realities go either side of this and you’re in the danger zone… and not in a good Top Gun/Tom Cruise/Kenny Loggings kind of way A lot of people like to sit back and have a whinge about the opportunities that weren’t given to them when they haven’t asked themselves what they’ve done to cause the outcomes they want The way technology has evolved has made filmmaking accessible in an unprecedented way look at films like Tangerinethat was shot with iPhones got a premiere at Sundance and a cinema release PLUS they made a profit it’s about finding that idea you just can’t stop thinking about driving it and really doing the work so you can get the resources to make your film Get your story; be creative in finding the solutions to your ‘boring’ production problems (this is probably the biggest component of a Directors’ work) It’s possible; you just have to solve the puzzle you need to be doing it for the right reasons Part of the art of putting a film together is looking at the business model Many people make short films expecting no returns the creative process is its own reward and learning is often short films’ raison détre you want to make a living from your creativity people expect to be entertained for free (for the most part) and what happens when In those weeks when we thought Tropfest was cancelled I kept thinking of the constant tension between commerce and art Here were hundreds of thousands of eyeballs watching films at a free event – logic dictates that someone’s got to pay for it at some stage This tension between a passion project turning into entertainment and then economics needs to fit into that equation to make things happen Tropfest is a massive event and requires a great deal of organization services and infrastructure to enable that to happen It occurred to me that what happened to Tropfest during those despondence inducing weeks of purgatory was not just a single unfortunate event but was symptomatic of a broader malaise in our industry Many creative people don’t like to think of themselves as salespeople or businesspeople – almost as if they are the antithesis of creativity I prefer to think of sales as gaining people’s co-operation and business as a way of making sure you have the appropriate resources to make your film; plus it’s also a way of giving you an income so that if your film is successful you have a passive income – no matter how small – to invest in yourself or to put into your next project Thinking in these terms gives you a sustainable perspective to see if you can make a living from your filmmaking rather than treating it as a hobby then reciprocity dictates I give that to others Many of the people that I’ve seen ‘freeloading by downloading’ over the years have These artists expect to go home with a paycheck but don’t value the industry enough to pay a modest fee for the many millions of dollars worth of product that they consume These dollars go towards supporting their own colleagues and industry We are so lucky that the scale of the filmmaking medium affords us the privilege to watch a $200m film for only $5 – $15 (depending on whether you rent it or go to the cinema) It’s even less if you’re on Netflix where your monthly subscription is amortized over how many films you watch it kills off over 600 new films being made having the excuse and the deadline to experiment So this is why I mentioned CGU insurance earlier as that company (and all of the other sponsors) helped prop up… who ‘Us’ is who and the thing we love – film It’s not selling out to big business it’s just not being naïve about how things work We need sustainable business models for any of this to happen – that extends to the small scale business model of needing $500 to make a short film through to funding a $250m film We can all do our bit to give ourselves an industry to be a part of We can do that by valuing our work and others’ by a fair exchange “I’m going to watch your film that you spent thousands or millions of dollars on here’s a few bucks to make sure the wheels keep turning.” was nominated for an AFI/AACTA Award and was in Official Selection at the Sydney Film Festival Dendy Awards Flickerfest & Foyle Int’l Film Festival His long-form slate includes feature films and television series Featured image: Antonio (middle) and the Drawcard team Keep up with The Credits for the latest in film a delivery broker that processes international orders for Sports Direct's 33 overseas operations Around 6% of Sports Directs' £2.9 billion in revenue comes from overseas orders and Barlin makes an estimated £300,000 a year Further investigation by Business Insider also suggests Barlin is working with other bands owned by Mike Ashley and the online shop of football club Rangers.  Barlin's headquarters are registered at a detached house in a Cleethorpes cul-de-sac a small seaside resort on the Humber estuary in Lincolnshire and the company does not own any trucks or employ any drivers instead working as an intermediary that arranges delivery for Sports Direct The business relationship has to date not yet been disclosed despite usual rules requiring directors to detail engagements with "related parties." Sports Direct t0ld the FT its auditors Grant Thornton decided no disclosure was necessary Barlin was only formed in February 2015 and has yet to file accounts In May it was served with a compulsory wind-up order by Companies House These orders can be made for a variety of reasons such as the company being dormant or accounts being overdue The compulsory strike-off order was withdrawn in late June Sports Direct was unavailable for comment at the time of writing but the company told the FT: Sports Direct’s revenues — and we believe it has that effect From our perspective [Barlin] delivers valuable arms-length services." ran Sports Direct's computer systems from the 1980s until 2 years ago when he resigned his directorship Sports Direct has been under serious political and business pressure with its working practices under scrutiny and performance slipping You can read the full FT story here. We take a strategic approach to investigating lupus in children by calling on some of the greatest minds in the field to address the most urgent challenges in this area of medicine.  we established the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Lupus Research Program with the generous support of the Wallace H The program is founded in memory of Michael Jon Barlin who passed away at the age of 24 following a long battle with lupus the program was expanded to include the Lucy Vodden Research Grant Award established by LFA and a generous gift from Julian Lennon This program supports discoveries in childhood lupus research for: International studies indicate that children with childhood lupus have more pervasive and life-threatening organ involvement than adults We attack that problems that have stood in the way of progress and which hold the greatest promise for accelerating our understanding of how lupus affects children and adolescents See a list of the researchers who have received grants for their work on pediatric lupus Financial Reporting Council is understood to be looking into the agreement with John Ashley’s Barlin Ltd Sports Direct has been heavily criticised by its own shareholders and corporate governance experts after it emerged that the sportswear retailer pays an obscure company owned by Mike Ashley’s brother to deliver online orders outside the UK One of Sports Direct’s biggest 10 shareholders said the arrangement with John Ashley “doesn’t look very good”, while Royal London Asset Management said it had “lost confidence” in the directors of the retailer to protect the interests of investors other than Mike Ashley is understood to be looking into the agreement and why it was not disclosed in Sport Direct’s annual report as a related party transaction It has not yet launched a formal investigation but could so if it finds evidence of wrongdoing Listed companies in Britain are required to disclose deals with parties who are connected with the directors Mike Ashley is the executive deputy chairman of Sport Direct and still owns 55% of the company Sports Direct said in a statement that the company and its auditors Grant Thornton were “comfortable that there was no related party disclosure required in Sports Direct’s historic accounts” Online orders from overseas customers make up about 6% of Sports Direct’s £2.9bn annual revenue and Barlin makes about £300,000 a year from the arrangement, the company told the Financial Times, which first reported Barlin’s work for Sports Direct This profit is twice the annual salary paid to Dave Forsey John Ashley worked alongside his brother at Sports Direct as head of IT until he left in 2014 The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association which represents pension funds with £1tn of assets and shareholdings warned the arrangement was “yet another unseemly detail at a company where there are already serious concerns about corporate governance and oversight” head of stewardship and corporate governance at the PLSA added: “Sports Direct is an example of a case where shareholder pressure is needed on a range of significant issues.” head of sustainable investments at Royal London said: “We have long-standing concerns about the governance of the company and have lost confidence in the ability of the non-executive directors to govern the company and protect the interests of minority shareholders.” Accounting experts said that the existing concerns about Sports Direct mean it may have been prudent to publish the arrangement with John Ashley said: “Investors don’t like surprises and so look for transparency and business models that are easy to understand “The spirit of the law is as important as the letter Sports Direct’s culture appears to be about minimum compliance – something we can see elsewhere in the annual report in relation to its strategic review where it publishes a laundry list of risk factors but says very little about how its management systems engage with its responsibilities.” The address where Barlin Delivery is registered in Cleethorpes is one of the upmarket homes in Hewitts Manor a 16-house estate sheltered from a busy main road by a six-foot privet hedge boasts a mock Tudor frontage and a Victorian-style street lantern outside the front door Neighbours said that a woman named “Maggie” lived there but that they did not think John Ashley was living at the property Ashley’s co-director at Barlin is listed as a Margaret Brown Sports Direct said the tie-up with Barlin allowed it to “derisk” its overseas delivery services The company said: “Sports Direct took professional advice at the time (and subsequently) as to the most efficient way to structure its operations so that it could satisfy the following objectives –maximise its internet sales “The result of this exercise was to set up a company outside the group in order to deliver some of the services required in the successful running of an internet operation Barlin Delivery was the company chosen to carry out this role Barlin arranges all international deliveries including dealing with the courier companies Authorities in Uzbekistan have set a new pay scale for cotton-pickers with the hope of injecting economic dynamism into rural areas badly affected by the coronavirus outbreak The Agriculture Ministry announced this week that pickers will earn anywhere between $0.10 and $0.40 for every kilogram of cotton collected by hand That is up from the $0.02-$0.08 range of 2019 Manual picking is typically preferred as it produces a higher-quality yield But rates for cotton gathered by combine harvester have also been increased from $60 per ton in 2019 to $90 per ton this year The government has furthermore advised that fieldworkers should be paid every five days for their labor or even Withholding payment has traditionally served as a way of compelling laborers to persist in sticking out the entire harvest season notwithstanding fatigue or any other obligations that might have arisen Deputy Employment and Labor Relations Minister Bahodir Umurzakov said at a briefing that work contracts would be signed with pickers before they went into the fields “During this year’s cotton season, labor legislation and the recommendations of international labor organizations will be strictly observed, and forced and child labor will not be tolerated,” the official pledged Cotton is an important cash crop for Uzbekistan Around 1.3 million hectares of land are under cotton cultivation Around 3 million tons of the raw material is harvested annually But the industry has undergone some dramatic changes in the past few years. In March, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved a decree canceling quotas for the production and sale of cotton opening the way for farmers who rent land from the state free to cultivate alternative and more lucrative crops The sector has been bedeviled for decades by well-documented charges of reliance on forced and child labor Decisive and encouraging steps have been made on those fronts In April, the Employment and Labor Relations Ministry issued a statement appealing to the Cotton Campaign a coalition of rights groups focusing on forced labor to lift its campaign promoting a global boycott on Uzbek cotton exports that was devised to counter those problems more than 300 brands and retailers have declined to source Uzbek cotton Uzbek officials argued that the government had successfully shown commitment to stamping out forced labor and that the end of the boycott would have provided much-needed relief to a population badly hit by the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic The proposal was meet with cool reluctance “We recognize and are heartened by the progress that Uzbekistan has made toward ending forced labor,” Nate Herman senior vice president for policy at the American Apparel & Footwear Association said in a Cotton Campaign response statement at the time given brands’ zero tolerance policies on forced labor and the [International Labor Organization’s] findings that more than 100,000 cotton pickers worked under forced labor conditions in 2019 brands need additional assurances of worker protections.” But in a promising contrast with the denialism of earlier times Uzbek officials appear indisposed to protest and dissemble in the face of such observations Umurzakov admitted in his briefing that cases of forced and child labor were still being detected in 2019 A lawyer who is one of Mike Ashley’s closest confidants was involved in setting up the obscure company that organises international deliveries for Sports Direct and is owned by the billionaire retailer’s brother The Financial Reporting Council, the City regulator, is looking into the agreement between Barlin Delivery Ltd and Sports Direct, which was revealed last week Shareholders have said the arrangement casts further doubt on corporate governance at the company that Ashley controls Companies House records show that Justin Barnes was the only director of Barlin Delivery from its incorporation on 6 February 2015 until 7 July 2015 when he resigned and John Ashley Records also show Barnes has been a director of a separate company since before 1992 and that he has been linked to other companies using the Barlin name Barlin Investments is registered at the same address in Reigate that Barlin Delivery registered before changing its address to a house in Lincolnshire in October 2015 Barlin Delivery’s terms and conditions on Sports Direct’s website list Barlin Delivery’s address as Millennium House Barnes’s involvement with Barlin Delivery raises fresh questions about its status as a provider of services to Sports Direct, which has been criticised by shareholders and governance experts John Ashley is the sole owner of Barlin and was Sports Direct’s IT chief until 2014 Barlin Delivery’s other director is Margaret Brown Barlin arranges all international deliveries for Sports Direct by commissioning couriers such as DHL to deliver goods ordered online from outside the UK Sports Direct said Barlin was set up on the advice of professional advisers to reduce complexity and risk for Sports Direct when the retailer floated in 2007 and was one of five directors who shared a £25m bonus He stopped being an employee of Sports Direct Holdings Ltd Dunlop International and other companies linked to Sports Direct in 2008 but has continued to work for Ashley Shareholders and investor groups have said Barlin adds to concerns about how Sports Direct is run by Ashley, who is executive deputy chairman of the company he founded. Earlier this year it emerged the billionaire had put his daughter’s boyfriend in charge of Sports Direct’s property division placing him in line to earn millions of pounds from deals Sports Direct’s annual report says the company’s board “reviewed and approved certain situational conflicts of interest that were reported to it by directors” It said the company keeps a register of conflicts and keeps them under review Keith Hellawell, Sports Direct’s chairman, and other directors are expected to suffer large votes against their re-election and could be voted down by minority shareholders. A resolution calling for an independent review of working practices, proposed by trade unions but opposed by Sports Direct’s board, is also expected to receive the backing of some big City investors. Sports Direct and Barnes did not respond to requests for comment. No individual wrongdoing is suggested. ABC News News HomeMuch-loved Canberra Centenarian Iris Barlin diesShare Much-loved Canberra Centenarian Iris Barlin diesTopic:Community and Society George and Iris Barlin first met as teenagers in Canberra. (ABC News) Link copiedShareShare articleOne of Canberra's oldest and most-loved residents, Iris Barlin, has died peacefully at her nursing home aged 100. Mrs Barlin, who died on Thursday morning, celebrated her milestone birthday alongside her husband George in February this year. The couple were married for 77 years with their birthdays falling just three weeks apart. Mrs Barlin moved to Canberra from Bega at the age of 10, while Mr Barlin moved to the territory as a teenager to work at the radio station 2CA. Mr Barlin went on to establish Canberra's first television station and is now regarded as the father of television in the territory. A birthday card to Iris Barlin from the Queen. (ABC News) As a teenager Mrs Barlin worked as an usherette at Capital Theatre, where she first saw her husband-to-be. "He used to walk past coming to work, going home for lunch, coming back again. I used to get quite a few glimpses of him," Mrs Barlin told ABC earlier this year. "When I first set eyes on her I thought, 'Oh she is not a bad looking girl', and then I never got my eyes off her," he said earlier this year. Mr Barlin used to sneak into the theatre just in time to catch the last 10 minutes of every film that was showing, after he clocked off from work at 10:30pm. What followed was a "prim and proper" courtship. The pair was only able to go for dates once a fortnight at a local cafe due to Mr Barlin's work schedule, but eventually they married at the age of 21. ABC News met the couple on Mrs Barlin's birthday in February, when she was thrilled to have received a birthday card from Queen Elizabeth. "I remember her [Queen Elizabeth] as a baby... I am very lucky," she said. Mrs Barlin also recalled watching the opening of the original Parliament House in 1927. As the pair's relationship matured, so did the city they called home. From the sparse open paddocks of the territory, Mr and Mrs Barlin have together watched a bustling city grow. Editor's note: George Barlin died in Canberra aged 100 on September 25. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) The Dominican Mausoleum at Campo Verano in Romel A search continues for the remains of the first native Filipino bishop who died in Italy more than a century ago A team of Filipino student-priests went to the Dominican Mausoleum at Campo Verano in Rome on Nov 24 in search for the bones of Bishop Jorge Barlin who is part of the team composed of post-graduate students said that it is their intention to bring home the remains of Barlin in time for celebration of the 500th year of Christianization of the Philippines in 2021 “It would be a great tribute to the man whose courage and unwavering faith had preserved the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines against the threat of a schism,” Josue said the Roman Catholic church in the islands would have been dragged as minority and would not have reached a glorious quincentenary,” he said rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino and Dominican Fr Gerard Timoner of the Vatican’s International Theological Commission The attempts to bring back Barlin’s remains started several years ago but to no avail because his bones were deposited on a common grave of a religious Order “It has become difficult to identify which of the remains were his (Barlin),” said Josue While his death and burial records are well-preserved As parish priest of Sorsogon town during the Philippine Revolution Barlin was declared the civil governor of the province by the Spanish Governor who left the country making him the first Filipino priest to be a governor Barlin broke the 350-year-old myth that no Filipino is worthy of such a high ecclesiastical office he defended the properties of the Catholic Church against the encroachment of the Aglipayan clergy Barlin was given the honor to deliver the invocation at the inaugural session of Philippine Assembly on Oct The bishop died in Rome while on an “ad limina” visit in September 1909 the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines released a pastoral letter on Barlin for putting “above all else service to God and people.” “When the temptation of power and prestige was offered him he chose to remain faithful to his commitment,” the CBCP wrote Shareholder unease like to rise as retailer’s accounts do not disclose that international deliveries are run by John Ashley firm Sports Direct pays a company owned by the brother of the retailer’s majority owner, Mike Ashley to deliver online purchases to customers outside the UK Britain’s biggest sportswear chain has not disclosed the arrangement with Barlin Delivery Limited in its annual accounts Its registered address is a detached house in a cul-de-sac in the Lincolnshire seaside town of Cleethorpes Sports Direct’s website says it only delivers to the UK but that Barlin may provide international delivery to online purchasers. Barlin’s terms and conditions say it uses DHL to deliver goods Online orders from overseas customers make up about 6% of Sports Direct’s £2.9bn annual revenue and Barlin makes about £300,000 a year from the arrangement, the company told the Financial Times, which reported Barlin’s work for Sports Direct (£). With the company’s annual general meeting coming up on 7 September, the contract with Barlin may add to shareholder unease about how Ashley runs Sports Direct. Ashley has put his daughter’s boyfriend in charge of the firm’s property team despite his lack of experience in commercial property Sports Direct chose to have an outside company manage its overseas orders because of the complexity and certain risks involved Barlin provided “valuable arms-length services” and the arrangement added to Sports Direct’s revenues rather than diverting them Sports Direct was not immediately available for comment. George and Iris Barlin have each celebrated their 100th birthdays Link copiedShareShare articleCanberra's oldest couple have celebrated their 100th birthdays among dozens of children George and Iris Barlin married at 21 years old and they today marked their 100th birthdays Earlier this week, the Barlins talked to 666 ABC Canberra about their love story for the ages, and what makes a marriage last the distance of 77 years. Iris Barlin moved to Canberra with her family as a young girl and can remember watching the opening of the original Parliament House in 1927. George Barlin moved from Taree to Canberra as a teenager to work at radio station 2CA. He went on to establish Canberra's first television station, CTC7, which went on to become Capital. He is regarded as the father of television in Canberra. The couple still hold hands and giggle like sweethearts. (ABC News) The couple courted at the Capitol Theatre, where Iris worked as an usherette. George did not clock off from his job at the radio station until 10:30pm each night, so he would sneak into the theatre in time to see the last 10 minutes of every film that was shown there. "Her mother was very, very strict and there was no time for anything other than the bare essentials," Mr Barlin said. He only had one night off per fortnight, and he would take Iris out to a local cafe. "We were allowed to go into Harry Notaras' cafe Kingston and have pie and peas," Mr Barlin said. "Of course her parents lived directly opposite the cafe so they could look in and see everything we were up to. "So the courtship was very prim and proper believe me." The couple have seen Canberra grow from little more than a paddock into a bustling city. Mr Barlin said he thought it was too quiet when he first arrived, but he changed his mind a long time ago. "I thought, 'oh I wont last here very long'," he said. "But the time's not up yet. They'll take me out in a box!" George and Iris Barlin have seen Canberra blossom during their almost eight decades together. (ABC News) Share via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe Overseas buyers are already showing strong interest in the sale of Todd Barlin's Oceanic art collection with Theodore Bruce on 17 August The 311 lots represent only part of Barlin's substantial collection It was a collection that began in the late 1980s when as a 24-year-old he travelled to New Guinea Barlin later opened the Oceanic Arts Australia gallery in Paddington in Sydney and spent several years in the 1990s as Sotheby's Australia's tribal art expert SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy link Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. Read MoreArtLatest In Arts & CultureFetching latest articles Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country Digital access for organisations. Includes exclusive features and content. See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times. Truck-maker Isuzu appoints Barlin to head of innovation in preparation for BEV rollout ISUZU Australia Limited (IAL) has appointed automotive professional Kylie Barlin as head of innovation. IAL’s innovation department, which sits within the company’s strategy division, develops new products and services that create value for customers while evolving IAL’s business to maintain its leadership in the Australian truck market. The company said that Australia’s truck market will experience substantial change over the coming years, including the launch of an all-new Isuzu Trucks model range and Isuzu’s first battery electric vehicle offering for the Australian market. “Amidst these changes, Ms Barlin brings considerable experience in the automotive sector across enterprise strategy, corporate planning, ESG, distributor engagement and transformation,” IAL said in a statement. “Her experience includes previous key roles at Toyota Finance and Toyota Motor Asia Pacific.” Ms Barlin said: “With so much change afoot, it is not just about moving the metal, but also working to support the scale of industry transformation that’s coming ahead. “Key to this is delivering the type of projects that ensure Isuzu continues to set the standard for the industry well into the future.” As head of innovation, Ms Barlin will work closely with IAL chief of strategy Grant Cooper, identifying new opportunities for Isuzu and its national dealer network, while delivering industry-best outcomes for its customers. “The trucking industry as we know it is changing, and it is imperative that we are on the front foot not only with the right product but ensuring our business can support it and our customers for years to come,” Mr Cooper said. “Isuzu is not content to rest on past laurels, with the evolution of our business a major focus going forward. “We are very confident Kylie is the right person to bring an even greater focus on delivering significant value for our customers – during this transformative period and well into the future.” The Isuzu brand plans to keep gathering feedback and creating innovative solutions to address Australian road transport challenges, an approach IAL says has been a key contributor to its long-held market leadership here. “Isuzu has been very successful leading the Australian truck market for 35 years with a business that has the customer at its core, and I feel this is a great advantage,” Ms Barlin said. “However, there is a driving need to evolve with the significant technological changes coming at us, and to see how we can structure products and services that are best fit for future road transport and the applications of Australian businesses. “The strong activity that IAL has underway to cater to this is evident across the organisation and I’m excited about the future prospects for the company, our business partners and customers.” Global suspension, brakes company Pedders appoints first non-family CEO in 75 years Love story for the ages ... George and Iris Barlin are having a party to celebrate their 100th birthdays just three weeks apart. (666 ABC Canberra: Alex Sloan) Link copiedShareShare articleGeorge and Iris Barlin, who may be Canberra's oldest couple, are set to be the centre of a celebration that has been a century in the making. Iris turned 100 at the end of January and George will clock in his century on February 18, with a joint party to be held at the weekend. Mr Barlin jokingly described himself as a toy boy for his wife, who is three weeks older than him. "She regards herself as the senior partner and when she says 'jump', I say 'how high'," he said. Mrs Barlin responded: "I don't often tell him to jump." As well as a good sense of humour, their 77-year marriage has been built on a foundation of mutual respect. "We must always give and take," Mrs Barlin said. "And perhaps give more than we take." Mr Barlin grew up on a dairy farm in Lansdowne, 24 kilometres by horse and sulky from Taree, with all of the simplicities of a 1916 lifestyle. "No electricity, no refrigeration. I'd never seen an asphalt road until I came to Canberra," he said. So many things have happened in the meantime that it's hard to imagine what it was like when I was a kid. "I can remember when I first saw a motor car. "So many things have happened in the meantime that it's hard to imagine what it was like when I was a kid." Mrs Barlin's father was also a dairy farmer, but in 1920 he moved the family from Bega to Queanbeyan to open an apparel store. "He had two daughters at that stage and he thought, 'well, I'd better do something different for the daughters'," she said. They lost their shop and adjoining house to a fire in 1923, then they were flooded out in 1925. "So dad decided Canberra was on the move so we came to Canberra," she said. Mrs Barlin was 10 when her family moved to the capital, which she recalled was a mass of open fields with grazing sheep. The Barlins each have their own versions of their love story. Iris said when George moved to Canberra in 1932 to take up a broadcast cadetship with Canberra's fledgling radio station 2CA, the minister from his Methodist church in Taree asked her local minister in Kingston to look out for the young man. Mrs Barlin's family invited him over for regular meals and the pair would walk together from her home on Giles Street in Kingston, across Telopea Park to church on Sunday evenings. George and Iris Barlin were married in 1938. (Supplied: Karen Barlin) Friendship turned to romance when they were 18 and by 19 they were unofficially engaged, but they were not allowed to make it official until they turned 21. Mr Barlin's version of the tale was cheeky, if not a little taller. He recalled that the shop where 2CA was started was on the same street as Mrs Barlin's family home. "When I left the shop to go home for lunch, or finish work, or come to work in the morning, I had to pass by the Taylor house where Iris was the eldest girl," he said. "And somehow or other she put a tripwire across the footpath." They married in March 1938 and went on to have five sons but lost one to pneumonia when six months old. "He was a lovely baby and we have a photo of him only at three months old, he looked beautiful," Mrs Barlin said. At one point they came close to moving into a retirement home however changed their minds at the last minute and now consider themselves lucky to live together in their own Mawson home. With help from Baptist Community Care home visitors and Mr Barlin's motorised scooter, the pair have maintained a level of independence few centenarians have. Among the dozens of birthday cards Mrs Barlin received was the oft-anticipated letter from Queen Elizabeth II. Humbled by the honour, Mrs Barlin was almost lost for words in describing how she felt when the card arrived. "Really good, I really like it," she said. Halima Hassan with her children in the new shelter in Barwaqo 2 Life has not been easy for Barlin Abdi Ali The drought that ravaged most parts of Somalia in 2018 forced the young mother and family out of their village in the Bay Region We left to find a better life,” she said.  The drought meant Barlin and her husband were unable to till their land "Not only had we faced a severe drought,” she said “but we also faced a lot of pressure from extremist groups my husband and I decided to flee to find refuge in the camps here." Barlin’s family were not the only ones to flee Other residents from her village decided to seek a better life elsewhere the capital of South West State in Somalia that currently accommodates one of the country’s largest populations of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) there were almost 60,000 displaced families living in 514 settlements in and around Baidoa Numbers continue to grow due to conflict and natural hazards.  Displaced communities before relocation in Baidoa told IOM that armed groups tried to forcefully recruit her boys I did not want my children to join the fighting."  The road to safety and security has been difficult for the families of Barlin and Halima This has been compounded by another obstacle: the ever-looming threat of evictions Without any formal agreement from a landowner displaced families can be forced to leave their newly found homes at any time the unplanned sites where they often settle pose serious protection and safety risks for these populations.  When the International Organization for Migration (IOM) met Barlin two years ago one of the many congested camps in Baidoa set up on private land “It is very tough for us to constantly think about when we are going to be evicted again after already moving around so much,” Barlin said Barlin and other residents living in Marmarsoon were told to vacate their camp after a private developer laid claim to the land they were obliged to move to find the next place they could call home The humanitarian community estimates that there are currently over 2.6 million IDPs living across Somalia The new town of BaidoaTo provide longer-term solutions and mitigate risk to these families of repeated evictions the government of South West State of Somalia allocated public land to relocate families who IOM launched a project to relocate the IDPs to the donated public site in partnership with the South West State Government Barwaqo 2 – locally known as ‘the new town of Baidoa’ – is located 6 km north of Baidoa It is made up of four areas with the capacity to host more than 48,000 people.  different partners coordinated the development of the site involving the community from the beginning to ensure they took part in the design and planning of what was meant to be their new home.  To avoid relocated families selling plots and risking further evictions residents were made aware that they cannot receive title deeds until they have completed two years of resettlement.  Some 1,000 families have since been relocated to the new site and another 1,009 will be relocated by the end of March 2021  Each family received cash assistance and a plot of land to build their new shelters.  It was a welcome surprise for Barlin’s family and many others "We were always worried when we will be evicted," Barlin said Halima’s family was also among the lucky ones they prepared for their move in June 2019 and after several days of packing and transportation they were resettled in their new homes.  the most critical change in her circumstances has come from realizing ownership of her own plot of land "What I love about living here is that this land belongs to us; we can build whatever we want we have our own toilets and access to free water," she explained.  Zeynab Farah stands in front of the new shelter in Barwaqo 2 Still room for improvementOne year after the relocation Barlin’s family and others are enjoying improved access to services The newly established health clinic provides free health care services to all the residents of Barwaqo 2 Barlin’s children are benefiting from free schooling and have access to water near their home any time of the day.  the relocated families feel grateful for the opportunity to rebuild their lives at the new site and are generally satisfied with the services available a majority agrees that there is room for improvement as we currently have none and even for the smallest items we want to buy we have to go to the city,” said Halima.  Although Barwaqo 2 was designed as a city extension taking into consideration the long-term urban expansion of Baidoa the site is yet to experience commercial activity  The new site is over an hour’s walk away from the city centre of Baidoa And while access roads were built as part of the project residents still must travel long distances to buy basic necessities.  they won’t need to wait long to see a change The South West State Government has laid the foundation stone for a new hospital near the Barwaqo site and a new UN joint programme called Saameynta will be proactively promoting private sector investment in the area.  daily life in the new site consists of a family breakfast if food is available Adults look for temporary jobs in the town other days we come home empty-handed," Barlin said While Barlin’s family members say the new shelter in  Barwaqo 2 is much better than their previous home Barlin herself feels that the one-room house is too small for a family of nine "We would love to add two or more rooms to the house," she explained.  Barlin plays with her child in the new shelter just after the relocation Barwaqo 2 residents remain optimistic and committed to building their future here "We have no intention of going back to our home area any time soon; some of the issues that made us leave our village are still there," Barlin explained who also left his village because of conflict "Now that I have such a good place for my family and me to call home Barwaqo 2 is an example of how the nexus between humanitarian protection actors and government can be leveraged to achieve major impact but also long-term durable solutions for displaced populations in Somalia IOM believes that moving beyond just responding to humanitarian needs to resolving them sustainably is critical to achieve longer-term recovery To learn more about IOM’s approach, read: ‘Community stabilisation and operationalising the nexus: lessons from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Somalia’ The Baidoa Relocation project was implemented by IOM and Danwadaag Durable Solutions Consortium in coordination with the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster Rural Education and Agriculture Organization (READO) the Somali Children Welfare and Rights Watch and Deeg-roor Medical Organization The Baidoa Relocation project was made possible thanks to funding from The Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and the Government of Japan For additional information, follow IOM Somalia on Twitter and Facebook or contact us at iomsomaliapsu@iom.int IOM can save lives by providing crucial assistance wherever andwhenever it's needed the most Give today 17 Route des Morillons,1211 Geneva 19 Subscribe to IOM newsletter to receive the latest news and stories about migration This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Iris Barlin's death on June 9 brings to an end one of the oldest and most vivid of connections with Canberra's short history Mrs Barlin was a few months over 100 years old and had recently celebrated joint 100th birthdays and a 78th wedding anniversary with her husband George As the wife of Canberra's pioneering broadcast engineer and innovator she was close to many of the significant developments in the story of this town Iris was born in Bega less than a year after Australian troops had made landfall at Gallipoli She recalled recently that her farming father "decided that with a wife and three daughters we might not make good farmers so we moved to Queanbeyan!" For five years her parents worked to establish a clothing and haberdashery store there "Dad drove a horse-drawn Wagonette to Canberra Westlake and the Causeway to sell his goods Mena [Iris' sister] and I would go with him in school holidays and I remember the treeless paddocks with sheep grazing." the Taylors lost their house and shop in a fire They were barely back on their feet when the great Queanbeyan flood of 1925 all but ruined their new home and its contents with Parliament House well under construction the resilient Taylor decided that Canberra held the future and the family moved house and business to Kingston From humble beginnings – Iris and Mena slept in the shop at first – Taylor's business came to provide a stable home life and great community involvement for Iris and her sisters As an 11-year-old she enjoyed the excitement of opening day at Parliament House She was always involved with the local Methodist church from its first meetings in the hall of the Kingston Friendly Society and remained a lifelong part of the Uniting Church moved into a boarding house across the road in Tench Street there soon began the romance that would lead to their marriage in March 1938 By now the young Barlin had become the go-to man in Canberra's first radio station and would in time develop 2CA into the jewel in Macquarie's regional network All of which meant an extremely full life for his new wife especially when it came to making ends meet during the Depression and war years But as any of her large family or comprehensive circle of friends will testify making ends meet was a signature theme in this gracious lady's life The Barlin boys arrived with some regularity during and after the war years Great sadness came for Iris with the loss of their second son Keith and Robert thrived under their mother's care and in time many more regional stations in the Macquarie Network Iris was often left to fend for herself and her boys These were not easy years for the young mother but her equanimity and fierce loyalty to her five men never wavered and with it the plans of her ever-energetic husband Against all odds (and industry wisdom) he would establish a television station in the still-small town The hectic life that would have pressured many a marriage seemed only to strengthen the Barlins and Iris sailed through the increasing number of social functions and important events with dignity and apparent ease "Her patience," wrote George in later years when it should have been the subject of my admiration." For despite her husband's signal achievements and rightly recognised place in the story of Canberra it was Iris who took on the central task of our kind rearing and enculturating of another generation Her warmth and hospitality have become legendary As the boys married and began families of their own and as those children in turn have partnered and produced Always at the centre of countless holidays ever the hostess with something in the freezer or preserving jar she was a tireless worker with a union all her own and the growing up of each successive Barlin generation most of all by her husband and four sons and their wives by eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren She will be missed by a far wider circle as well few of whom now remember a young Canberra with the clarity and detail that Iris Barlin commanded Iris Barlin's disarming memoir is available at the Paper Chain bookshop in Manuka under the title Two Lives Lived in Full in Canberra Iris Barlin's death on June 9 brings to an end one of the oldest and most vivid of connections with Canberra's short history As the wife of Canberra's pioneering broadcast engineer and innovator \\\"decided that with a wife and three daughters we might not make good farmers so we moved to Queanbeyan!\\\" For five years her parents worked to establish a clothing and haberdashery store there \\\"Dad drove a horse-drawn Wagonette to Canberra Mena [Iris' sister] and I would go with him in school holidays and I remember the treeless paddocks with sheep grazing.\\\" From humble beginnings \\u2013 Iris and Mena slept in the shop at first \\u2013 Taylor's business came to provide a stable home life and great community involvement for Iris and her sisters By now the young Barlin had become the go-to man in Canberra's first radio station and would in time develop 2CA into the jewel in Macquarie's regional network making ends meet was a signature theme in this gracious lady's life Keith and Robert thrived under their mother's care \\\"Her patience,\\\" wrote George in later years when it should have been the subject of my admiration.\\\" For despite her husband's signal achievements and rightly recognised place in the story of Canberra Iris Barlin's disarming memoir is available at the Paper Chain bookshop in Manuka The best local news sent straight to your inbox every workday Make a donation and support the future of journalism and media diversity in the ACT CANBERRA’S radio and television pioneer George Barlin has died He arrived in Canberra on a Friday night in February struggled to its feet in the midst of the Great Depression It was a long way from his hometown of Lansdowne “My first impression was that I couldn’t live in such a scattered place with nobody around,” George recalled in an interview with “CityNews” in 2013 “It wasn’t a town as I knew it; Taree was a good flourishing little town serving the fishing “Canberra consisted of a few scattered houses in Ainslie and a few scattered buildings in the civic centre the Melbourne Building was half-finished and the newly planted trees stood little more than six feet construction workers lived in what was intended to be a World War I internment camp further contributing to the feeling of isolation But by the time Australia had begun to emerge from the economic gloom shortly before World War II George had grown to love the city he has lived in for the past 83 years He married his wife Iris in 1938 and the couple celebrated their 78-year anniversary in March The era George said he remembered most fondly was the late ‘30s when he and Iris had just met when there was plenty of trout to be caught and his neighbours felt safe going on a month’s holiday without bothering to close the front door “Everybody knew everybody; you’d go down the street and be stopped at every 10 yards George got to know the Crown Solicitor’s son – a young Gough Whitlam – and used to pass Prime Minister Ben Chifley in the street “I was driving home one night and there’s this bloke walking along beside the road and I knew him because I used to see him every Friday morning to do a recording for him I like to get a bit of fresh air and get away from the mob before they get at me.’ That’s the sort of place it was.” “CityNews” marked the 80th birthday of Canberra’s first radio station 2CA with an interview and cover story with George Barlin He recalled that he was two weeks away from turning 17 when he started working for 2CA a year after Jack Ryan began the station from the back room of his small electrical shop in Kingston “It was the middle of the Depression,” George said “You would have no idea what that Depression was like People were committing suicide; [others] walking around prepared to do anything to get a meal; there was no jobs so in January after I got my Leaving Certificate my father said I had better apply for a job.” Mr Barlin’s father learnt of the position as a “broadcasting cadet” from a Sydney newspaper “I was very interested in this because my father had one of the very first radios in the area and I was fascinated by what could be done over the air over two wires.” One of 2CA’s first transmitters.Travelling from Lansdowne (near Port Macquarie) young George went to Sydney for the first time with his father for an interview Despite the overwhelming interest from other applicants of similar age he was selected for the position by Jack Ryan ‘we’ve narrowed it down to six applicants – you are one of them You’ve come the farthest and if you come to Canberra with me tomorrow morning When he first arrived in Canberra with his new employer it was straight into the station at Kingston my first look at a broadcast station,” he said “The transmitter and everything all in the one room ‘I’m running late’ and flicked some switches on and said: ‘Quiet!’ ‘Now this is 2CA Canberra operated by A J Ryan Broadcasters Limited Operating on a wavelength of 286 metres,’ which we had to do in those days here now we are crossing to a relay from Adelaide with a summary of today’s Test cricket match.’ “He pressed a button and on came a description of the Test match.” 2CA founder the late Jack Ryan… “A very brilliant man and at the forefront of developments.”The young Mr Barlin was told to “learn and learn fast because on Monday night you’ll be doing this on your own.” He did learn fast and from 9am he worked in the shop “selling and servicing radio and electrical equipment” and from 1pm to 10pm was in the radio station working in all aspects of broadcast – as an engineer 13 days a fortnight with Saturday afternoons mostly free and every Sunday night off Running the station wasn’t profitable and the shop wasn’t much better “We were in opposition with ‘The Canberra Times’ “This went on for some years and then we gradually expanded the hours on the air “We also undertook the first air radio service in Canberra.” being the only radio transmitter in the capital “The interesting offshoot was that anybody who had their radios tuned to 2CA would hear everything we said to the aeroplane,” he said Some listeners helped them find planes that had gone off course “Jack Ryan was a very brilliant man and at the forefront of developments,” he said “And he had built this station himself with his own two hands “Every public holiday we would do something to experiment with this station to try and improve it The Kingston front of Jack Ryan’s shop in Kingston.“One day we were fiddling with the transmitter and the whole thing caught on fire And we switched it off and Mr Ryan said to me: we’ve just discovered something that someone is going to make a lot of money out of one day.’ After taking over the reins as station manager from Jack Ryan during World War II and making a success of the business after the war he was soon doing the same for other regional stations across the district the station has moved to various locations from Kingston to the bigger location at “Radio Hill” Fyshwick to Mort Street in Civic and various changeovers in owners he was employed to start Canberra’s first television station The 2CA station on Mort Street Civic.“I thought if Jack Ryan started radio in Canberra and I was his number one boy then I should be the one to start television,” he said GEORGE Barlin told “CityNews” it was a challenge from former British media mogul Cecil Harmsworth King that prompted him to fulfil his dream to start television in Canberra plus other regional radio stations under the company Macquarie “King used to come out to Australia periodically and look at his investments here,” Mr Barlin said “One of these trips I had to take King and [Macquarie boss John] Patience to Yass Patience said to King something complimentary about what I had done “King then said: ‘That might be all very well but what has he done about television?’ and I piped up and said: ‘We could never afford television in Canberra “King said: ‘Are you aware of what has been going on in the United States the United Kingdom and Europe?’ and I said: ‘No I haven’t followed it’ and he said: ‘Well I would advise you to know what you are talking about before you express an opinion in future’ or words to that effect “That immediately gave me the impression that he wanted me to look into television… I went to America and learnt as much as I could.” Mr Barlin’s six-week trip took him to metro and regional television stations in San Francisco He described the transition from radio to television as “a pretty steep learning curve” my job was to see what was happening to radio in the days of budding television,” he said “And I did a report on that and how I felt about it But in a separate one-page sheet I said I had learnt enough about television to recommend that we go all out and learn what we could and do what we could to bring it to Canberra and other country areas in Australia.” Mr Barlin described the establishment of television in Canberra as a “dog fight” as two commercial stations in Sydney – one owned by the Fairfax family and the other by the Packers – were looking to relay all television programming out of the city Mr Barlin founded CTC – Canberra Television Canberra – a 22-person station that sat on top of Black Mountain there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free Become a supporter A rural community has been hit hard by the deaths of two young boys as their grandmother is treated in a mental health unit ahead of likely serious charges the depleted coalition could still reclaim at least one inner-city seat from an incumbent teal independent Canberra are on the verge of re-signing hooker Tom Starling who will reject interest from elsewhere to stay at the Raiders until the end of 2027 Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) has appointed Kylie Barlin as its new Head of Innovation. IAL says Barlin brings considerable experience in the automotive sector across enterprise strategy, corporate planning, environmental, social and governance, distributor engagement and transformation.  Barlin’s previous experience includes holding key roles at Toyota Finance and Toyota Motor Asia Pacific.  “With so much change afoot, it’s not just about moving the metal, but also working to support the scale of industry transformation that’s coming ahead,” Barlin says.  “The key to this is delivering the type of projects that ensures Isuzu continues to set the standard for the industry well into the future.”  IAL says Barlin will work closely with its chief of strategy Grant Cooper to identify new opportunities for Isuzu and its National Dealer Network, while delivering strong outcomes for its customers.  “The trucking industry as we know it is changing, and it’s imperative that we’re on the front foot not only with the right product, but ensuring our business can support it and our customers for years to come,” Cooper says.  “Isuzu Australia is not content to rest on past laurels, with the evolution of our business a major focus going forward.  “We are confident Kylie is the right person to bring an even greater focus on delivering significant value for our customers during this transformative period and well into the future.”  Barlin says having customers at its core has been key in seeing Isuzu successfully lead Australia’s truck market for the past 35 years.  “There is a driving need to evolve with the significant technological changes coming at us, and to see how we can structure products and services that are best fit for future road transport and the applications of Australian businesses,” Barlin says.  “The strong activity that IAL has underway to cater to this is evident across the organisation, and I’m excited about the future prospects for the company, our business partners and customers.”    For more than 30 years, Australasian Transport News (ATN) and its digital platform Fully Loaded have been the leading source of intelligence for owners and managers of medium to large transport businesses. HomeTributes & FuneralsView PhotoDeath NoticesBarlin, Brian2022 • Monash, ACT Dearly loved son of George and Iris Barlin (both dec). Devoted husband and best friend to Guillermina. Cherished father and father-in-law to Rebecca and Michael, BJ and Lisa. Adored and never to be forgotten grandfather (abuelo) to Karly, Jake, Molly, Evie and Charlie. Adored brother “Joey” and brother-in-law of Warren and Suzette, Keith and Karen, Robert and Narelle, John (dec), and treasured uncle to all of his nieces and nephews. Brian Kenneth Barlin was as kind, honourable, and industrious as they come. He had a great enthusiasm for books, the land and its preservation. He will be sadly missed, but forever in the hearts of all that knew and loved him. Friends and family are invited to a gathering in Canberra on Wednesday the 13th of July to celebrate Brian's life at the Wesley Uniting Church Hall, 22 National crt Forrest at 10.30am. Refreshments will be available. Picture by Liz Langdale Port Macquarie resident Robert Barlin knows what it's like to receive a shock diagnosis of skin cancer All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueTragically Robert is one of four siblings who have all been diagnosed with different types of cancer His eldest brother Brian passed away suddenly from bladder cancer Another brother Warren was diagnosed with blood cancer (Multiple Myeloma) about 12 years ago "He continues to benefit from medical breakthroughs which are constantly being made," Robert said who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer are going to participate in the March 2023 Shitbox Rally All proceeds raised from the event go to the Cancer Council and help funds research The brothers also urge people to get checked by their doctor "Early diagnosis is so important," Keith said Robert and Keith will drive a 2003 Toyota Avalon Advantage from Rockhampton to Hobart for the rally in March Keith and Robert hope they don't break down during the event "I hope we've got it in reasonably reliable condition but you just never know when you're travelling over rough dirt roads for 400km or 500km a day," Robert said Robert said there's an awards ceremony at the end of the day for teams whose cars didn't make it Robert also participated in the Spring 2021 Shitbox Rally in March 2022 "It took no convincing at all," Keith said Robert said cancers of all forms continue to take those near and dear to people "Anything we can do to help discover treatments and cures for these diseases will benefit all of us Teams participating in the rally are required to raise a minimum of $5000 Keith and Robert are aiming to raise over $10,000 To make a donation to support the cause, visit The Bad Barlin Boys' donation page via summer2023.shitboxrally.com.au/the-bad-barlin-boys Shitbox Rally is the largest community lead fundraiser for the Cancer Council in Australia and is now in its 13th year Newsletters & AlertsView allDaily Today's top stories curated by our news team Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over Your digital replica of Today's Paper A former topless waitress has sobbed in court after a judge lashed her for making a “complete mockery” of his decision to keep her out of jail Don't miss out on the headlines from National Followed categories will be added to My News who last year pleaded guilty to being part of a criminal enterprise to import and distribute steroids with her boyfriend has sobbed in court after a judge told her he was strongly thinking about sending her to jail who once boasted they kept the “whole (NSW) central coast” supplied with human growth hormones appeared in the NSW District Court on Friday Both of them were due to be sentenced however prosecutors raised an issue with Judge Michael Bozic’s decision in June 2018 to give Barlin an Intensive Corrections Order (ICO) an alternative to a full-time jail term where a person is able to serve their sentence in the community but is subject to unannounced visits from police Barlin submitted an emotional affidavit where she admitted to being bullied as a child for being an “ugly duckling” which had made her “obsessed with her appearance” later in life Barlin said she was no longer talking to the people that had been involved in the illicit drug trade and said her beauty business Luxe Lashes had put her back on the right path and given her the “clean break” she needed Judge Bozic took into account Barlin’s affidavit and told Gosford Local Court last year the couple’s chance of rehabilitation was high He found Barlin especially had shown remorse But less than a month after Barlin tendered her affidavit to the court Barlin allegedly discussed money and her annoyance at the police bust “It’s just annoying because what Dyllan has got going on at the moment is really good We are making 50k a week … that’s what I mean we are making a lot of money,” she allegedly said including Luxe Lashes bank statements and covert recorded conversations “When a matter of judgment has been made it’s important not to be overturned,” Barlin’s solicitor Michael Mantaj told the court describing the Crown’s late submission as “chaotic” Judge Bozic told the court he was not making a decision on Barlin potentially being involved in further crimes after she entered her guilty plea in June last year Judge Bozic told the court the evidence would help him decide if Barlin should be sent to jail or be given an ICO Barlin started crying when Judge Bozic accused her of making “a complete and utter mockery of this sentencing exercise” and suggested his only option was to send her to jail Referring to his decision in June last year Judge Bozic said he had placed “100 per cent weight” on what Barlin had said in her affidavit “Now at some point it’s just not appropriate to continue this sentencing exercise in an air of utter naivety,” he told the court not withstanding everything said that what was going on here there is no basis for anything other than a sentence of full-time custody “This makes a complete and utter mockery of the sentencing exercise It holds the court to complete and utter contempt Judge Bozic said the “time for naivety is well past in this case” The Crown told the court Barlin’s alleged behaviour caught by police showed she had a “cavalier attitude to criminal activity” The Crown also alleged bank statements from Barlin’s business Luxe Lashes “clearly indicate money from drug deals was going into her account” Judge Bozic adjourned Barlin’s case until May 3 telling the court he needed to “very carefully” go over the conversations the 24-year-old had had in July 2018 Barlin’s solicitor debated she was not always the one talking about drugs with potential customers and told the court “some money” going into her Luxe Lashes account was related to legitimate business Barlin and Shaw were arrested on November 6 after Australian Border Force officers raided their rented home at Jilliby in the central coast hinterland 600ml of anabolic steroids and 20 vials of human growth hormone Barlin has pleaded guilty to one count each of importing testosterone and Shaw has pleaded guilty to three charges of importing human growth hormone anabolic steroids and the deemed supply of steroids The pair was arrested after a two-year investigation Police said the seized drugs were destined for the black market ABF commander of immigration and customs enforcement Anthony Seebach previously said the seizure of the drugs was a win for law enforcement “These drugs can have serious health impacts for users and the ABF is committed to protecting our community by stamping out the illicit importation of these dangerous drugs,” he said “If you import steroids or other performance and image enhancing drugs without a permit you’re breaking the law and you will face the consequences.” was sentenced to 18 months in prison relating to his role in the drug supply enterprise He will be eligible for parole on 11 November 2019 Originally published as NSW central coast steroid couple Nateesha Barlin, Dyllan Shaw appear in court Super-strength opioids that have turned major US cities into zombie zones are creeping into the country, the AFP warns. An NDIS business told the Federal Court it had virtually no income and was owed “millions of dollars” by the Commonwealth, as investors in Specialist Disability Accommodation reveal they have also suffered “significant losses”. and is reluctant to advertise holiday accommodation because of the state of the Brindabella Road All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueBrian Barlin has run a working farm and holiday cottages at Brindabella Station for 30 years and believes rising popularity of four-wheel-drive vehicles is causing more wear and tear on the road which is also used by people taking the scenic route from Canberra to Tumut Brindabella Station owner Brian Barlin believes rising popularity of four-wheel-drive vehicles is causing more wear and tear on the road Photo: supplied"It is extremely bad and there's a lot of dust and pollution going into the Cotter catchment," Mr Barlin said The ACT Government has no plans to upgrade the road Photo: Andrew Sheargold One of the mountains' best known valleys the Goodradigbee River weaves a glistening silver ribbon through the farming area where author Miles Franklin went to school and playwright Gwen Meredith wrote many episodes of the radio serial Blue Hills Mr Barlin said the worst sections of the Brindabella Road were around an area known as Piccadilly Circus He said the government had been able to find a huge amount of money for cycling in the mountains and Brindabella Road was an important access for bushfire fighting vehicles Mr Barlin said if the ACT Government came up with an amount of $3.2 million for sealing a small section on the ACT border Tumut Shire Council would probably upgrade the road on the NSW side Brindabella Road has 16.8 kilometres of sealed road followed by 8.7 kilometres of gravel road to the ACT/NSW border According to Territory and Municipal Services a traffic count in March 2014 recorded on average 25 vehicles a day A spokesman said traffic had not increased over the long term "TAMS is currently conducting an upgrade of the Mount Franklin Road This requires heavy vehicle access via Brindabella Road so there is a short term increase in traffic in the area," the spokesman said Today's top stories curated by our news team. 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January 2 Natasha Barlin was catching the afternoon train from Wauchope to Taree A spokesperson from Busways says the company is in the process of reviewing its current timetable of services between Wauchope and Port Macquarie All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueAccording to the Train Link timetable of the six trains that stop at Wauchope station daily only two have connecting bus services to Port Macquarie However these two buses only service half the journey One drops passengers off to the train station to connect to the 8.44am train but will not return passengers from Wauchope to Port Macquarie The only other connecting bus service with a train alighting at Wauchope departs for Port Macquarie at 6.45pm The situation hasn't deviated over the past 10 years according to an article published in the Port News on January 8 The article states back in 2010 there were also six trains that stopped at Wauchope but just two trains had a connecting bus service Natasha Barlin lived in Port Macquarie for about five years and moved away to study at Newcastle She returned to spend a week in the town but had to rely on lifts and taxi service to get her to and from the Wauchope train station January 2 Natasha was catching the afternoon train to Taree She got a taxi to the station which cost about $60 Natasha had been visiting friends in Port Macquarie for about a week She said she would definitely have taken a bus to and from the train station if the services had linked better with her arrival and departure times Natasha said at the moment the bus service only comes with some trains and it should be available for every train Meanwhile Debra Fitzgerald travelled from Sydney to visit her friend Debbie Glen Debra got a lift with Debbie to and from the train station but said she would definitely catch a bus to Port Macquarie if one was available to her Debbie said a better bus connection with trains would be handy if she was required to stay at work or couldn't get to the station to collect Debra A Busways spokesperson said while there is no current timeline for additional services staff are working with Transport for NSW to develop a solution for the medium-term future "The community will be informed once a decision has been made," she said In September 2019 a coach service between Tamworth and Port Macquarie became timetabled after a successful trial Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams said locals had embraced the trial service since its introduction in Mach 2018 The Tamworth to Port Macquarie trial was developed based on feedback collected through surveys and a series of community engagement sessions While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE. Brindabella Station, the former home of author Miles Franklin who wrote My Brilliant Career, is for sale.    The property on the ACT and NSW border has been a cradle of national culture, loved and lived in by an assembly of notable Australians including Banjo Paterson, Malcolm Fraser and Richard Carleton.  It was 100,000 hectares that Miles Franklin’s family squatted on 100 years ago – about the size of Bahrain or Hong Kong – but now it’s a much smaller parcel of land that current owners Brian and Guillermina Barlin are selling. Brindabella’s five-bedroom homestead, two large cottages, a fishing hut and 40 hectares are on the market for more than $1.8 million.  “We have lived here for over 30 years and would do anything to stay but family circumstances are forcing us to move closer to Canberra,” says Mr Barlin. “But we plan to keep a block of Brindabella for our children so we aren’t letting go altogether.”         For their part the Barlins have embraced Brindabella’s history, restoring the rendered rammed earth homestead, built in 1900 after the original house burnt down in the 1800s. The property, on the Goodradigbee River, also has two cottages beautifully restored by Brian and Guillermina. “Brindabella Station was a cattle property in the 1840s and sheep substantially from 1900 through to the 1960s,” Mr Barlin says. “But it was the trout fishing that it became so well known for and that is what attracted people to the property such as Malcolm Fraser, Richard Carleton, WC Wentworth and Banjo Paterson.” Mr Barlin says Brindabella’s most famous resident Miles Franklin came to the property as a baby in the late 1870s. “I understand her father employed a tutor for Miles who took a liking to her and certainly encouraged her writing. “If you read Childhood at Brindabella or any of Miles Franklin’s books which are supposedly fiction, there’s so much real history of her upbringing in them.” While the property is 66 kilometres from Canberra and feels remote, it’s certainly a different lifestyle today than when Miles was a child. Many in the area commute daily to the city on a road that didn’t exist in the Franklin family’s era Mr Barlin says his father introduced him to Brindabella Station in the 1940s to learn to fish. “Many years later in 1984 I had the opportunity to buy the homestead and we just couldn’t let it go by,” Mr Barlin says. “We have loved every minute of being here, the beauty, the peace and quiet, the wildlife and the history. “It’s been a privilege to have lived here.” Kosciuszko National Park sits to the west of the homestead. To the north is Brindabella National Park and to the east is Bimberi Nature Reserve. It is being sold through McGrath Estate Agents Woden. The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. where we are privileged to live and operate