Saving the space in between

By : editor

Seeing red

By : editor

Bloody hell

By : editor

Surviving the season

By : editor

Take what you need, give what you can

By : editor

Acropolis now

By : editor

From the Editor

This issue of The Bangalow Herald is a reminder that our community is not just a place – it’s a conversation.
Across these pages, you’ll find stories shaped by different voices, experiences and values: from the fierce beauty of queer performance to the calm focus of horsemanship, to a heartfelt call for blood donors from the Stockdale family, and the insights of many with a dream of reclaiming the Bangalow Bowlo.
These stories might seem unrelated, but together they reflect something vital – that community engagement and representation aren’t just nice ideas. They’re the tools we use to understand each other. To make space for truth. To build something stronger than the sum of our parts.
When people are invited to speak – and are actually listened to – they show up. Whether it’s through surveys, storytelling, or stepping into the spotlight for the first time, every voice adds nuance, depth and diversity to our picture of this region.
Sometimes that picture is joyful, like a dance on the beach. Sometimes it’s hard to read – confronting, even. But that’s life. It’s not all rainbows and unicorns. We can’t turn away from the uncomfortable because we can’t respond clearly to what we don’t fully see.
The local landscape isn’t just about place. It’s about people power, individual and collective identity, hopes and dreams, and belonging.
This issue is a patchwork of those realities.
Thank you to everyone who contributed, responded, showed up, engaged, or simply picked up the magazine. Your voice matters.
Your stories matter.

Sally Schofield

Current edition

Recent stories

  • Surviving the season
    by editor
    Christmas, in theory, is a time of joy, connection and togetherness. But for neurodivergent (ND) folk, it can feel more like one giant peppermint-scented panic attack of flashing lights, overbearing… Read more: Surviving the season
  • Take what you need, give what you can
    by editor
    Byron Leeworthy meets two of the driving forces behind the Bangalow Community Pantry.
  • Acropolis now
    by editor
    He ran the Athens Marathon so you wouldn’t have to – and hallucinated Cliff Young 35km in – here Bangalow’s Angus Thurgate shares his experience of running up that hill.
  • Bowled over
    by editor
    For 115 years, the Bangalow Bowling and Sports Club was a constant in our community. You’d know a face, find a seat, and settle into conversation. It didn’t matter who… Read more: Bowled over
  • Stage bright
    by editor
    It seems likely that Anouska Gammon was predestined to a career in the spotlight, even if her childhood was spent on a Northern Rivers farm in a small, close-knit community,… Read more: Stage bright
  • Locals united in bid for beloved Club
    by editor
    It was a feeling of deja vu (and not the good kind) for the Bangalow community as word spread around the village on Friday 24 October that the beloved Bowling… Read more: Locals united in bid for beloved Club

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