National Walk Safely to School Day Turns 25

As National Walk Safely to School Day approaches on Friday, 10 May 2024, primary school-aged children across Australia are encouraged to lace up their shoes for a walk towards a healthier future. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this initiative, championed by the Pedestrian Council of Australia, highlights the myriad benefits of walking and other forms of active transportation, particularly to and from school.

This annual event not only emphasises physical health but also aims to improve road safety, reduce environmental impact, and promote the use of public transport to lessen car dependency near schools. Harold Scruby, Chairman and CEO of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, emphasises the importance of adult supervision for children under 10 when crossing the street, reinforcing the safety aspect of the campaign.

“Walk Safely to School Day is a great opportunity to teach our kids about the benefits of physical activity,” said Scruby. He also pointed to the worrying statistics of childhood obesity, which affects one in four children at critical levels across the nation, according to the latest ABS National Health Survey results from 2017-18. “The best form of physical activity for all Australians is walking regularly. Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day,” he added.

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The day is not just about walking; it also encourages schools and parent groups to host healthy breakfast events to start the day nutritiously. This initiative supports the dual goals of fostering healthful eating habits and providing social interaction within the school community.

As the event marks a significant milestone, schools across Australia are gearing up to participate more actively than ever. Parents, teachers, and caregivers are encouraged to get involved, not only to support their children but also to take part in making walking a regular part of their daily routine.

This initiative plays a crucial role in mitigating traffic congestion around school areas, promoting environmental stewardship, and fostering a sense of community. Everyone in the community is invited to support the initiative, helping to instil healthy habits in children that can lead to lifelong benefits.

For more information on how to participate in National Walk Safely to School Day, visit the Pedestrian Council of Australia’s website or contact your local school to see what activities are planned for the day. Join the movement on 10 May and help make a difference in the lives of young Australians.

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$500,000 Upgrade Set to Enhance Nursing Training at TAFE NSW Ballina

The NSW Government is ramping up its efforts to meet the increasing demand for healthcare professionals in the Northern Rivers region with a significant $500,000 investment to upgrade and expand the nursing training facilities at TAFE NSW Ballina.

This funding boost aims to address the anticipated national shortfall of 123,000 nurses by 2030 by enhancing educational infrastructure and capacity.

The enhancements at TAFE Ballina Nursing Facilities include the addition of a state-of-the-art simulated nursing ward and a dedicated home care training room. These new facilities are designed to offer nursing students a more immersive and practical learning experience, preparing them for the realities of healthcare environments.

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Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan, who recently visited the campus, emphasised the importance of the upgrade. “This investment will greatly enhance the training opportunities for our students, bringing simulation learning experiences up to the best practice standards,” said Minister Whan.

He noted that the upgrades would allow the campus to accommodate an additional 32 students per week across various nursing programs, including Certificates III and IV in Health Services Assistance and the Diploma of Nursing.

The project is set to begin construction in May and is expected to be completed by August 2024. The upgrades are not only a response to the growing healthcare needs but also a strategic move to support the largest employment sector in the Ballina Shire.

“The healthcare and social assistance sector is the largest employer in the region, and we are committed to investing in facilities, training, and industry-standard equipment at TAFE NSW to meet this workforce demand,” Minister Whan added.

He also highlighted that the investment would prepare local healthcare students for success and support the region’s critical skills needs.

This initiative is part of a broader commitment by the NSW Government to enhance the infrastructure at TAFE NSW, ensuring that it continues to deliver high standards of education and training to future generations of healthcare workers in the region.

For more local Ballina news, click here.

Grafton High mummy reveals more secrets

By Tim Howard

The existence of a mummified Egyptian head in the library at Grafton High School is common knowledge for generations of the school’s students.

But when the ABC show, Stuff the British Stole, revealed its existence to the rest of Australia last year, the response was shock and wonder at how such an artefact came to be in the care of a regional high school.

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The discovery also ramped up interest in the mummy and in a follow-up report the ABC has revealed forensic experts have discovered the sex, age and the period in which the person lived.

A forensic Egyptologist from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and Department of Forensic Medicine, Janet Davey, scanned the mummy in a CT scanner.

The ABC reported Dr Davey’s team combined with the University of Chieti in Italy to discover the mummy was female and had died aged between 50 and 60.

Flecks of gold leaf attached to the head put the mummy in the Greco-Roman period of Egypt, roughly between the time of Alexander the Great in 332BC to the Roman occupation of Egypt and the early Christian period, around 395CE.

Dr Davey told the ABC the quality of the mummification, including the full removal of the brain – a process known as excerebration – plus the presence of gold leaf showed the woman came from a wealthy family.

For more than a century a mummified head about 2000 years old has been stored in the library at Grafton High School. In the past year forensic experts have been able to reconstruct the mummified remains and give people an idea of what this person once looked like. Photo: Jennifer Mann

The data from the CT scan encouraged Grafton High to fund a reconstruction based on the data from the scan and put a face to the mystery.

The CT data was sent to forensic toxicologist Matthew Di Rago, at VIFM, who created a 3D print of the skull.

A forensic sculptor at VIFM, Jennifer Mann, took over and she was able to make a complete “forensic facial reconstruction” sculpture.

“[It] involves doing a portrait in reverse — so in effect, starting with a skull, and putting all of the musculature on, and then having to recreate the face based on very strict formulas,” she told the ABC.

The mummy has been in the school’s possession since 1915, according to note from 1960 which explained that a Grafton doctor, T J Henry bought the mummy while he was a medical student in Edinburgh during the late 19th Century.

But like the mummy itself, the story of how it got to the high school also has twists and turns with suggestions another famous former Graftonian was the source.

Another version has the mummy coming from Sir Grafton Elliot Smith, a local who became one of the world’s foremost Egyptologists in the early 20th century.

He revolutionised the study of ancient mummies using X-rays to reveal their secrets without disturbing them.

When the tomb of Tutankhamen was discovered, he was responsible for the examination of the preserved body.

Grafton High School was contacted for information, but did not reply.

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