Galston Uniting Church has recognised Amy Kosilo for leading an appreciation project at the Galston Early Learning Centre. She worked with the centre's Preschool team, and the project helped children think about nature, community and caring for Country. Later in the month, Amy Kosilo, Catherine Koutlis and Daniela Palmer attended the 2026 NSW Early Years Nature Connections Conference. The centre plans to grow its Bush Program so children can explore and learn about the natural world.
Hornsby artist Roslyn Kean will show her woodblock prints at Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre in Hornsby. The exhibition runs from 20 November to 6 December 2026, Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, and entry is free. Kean, who won the 2025 Hornsby Art Prize Local Artist Award, draws on the Japanese idea of ma, a pause in space or time. The show also includes Rock at the Roadside, a collaborative mokuhanga project pairing woodblock techniques with tanka poems. Hornsby Shire Mayor Warren Waddell encouraged residents to attend.
Hornsby Shire councillor Jane Seaglove urges residents to prepare properties for bushfire season by clearing gutters, managing vegetation and planning survival steps. She also promotes energy-saving home changes through a Council video series. Planning for the Glenorie village is progressing, and the Glenorie Village Investigation report considers housing, services and connections. Seaglove is also seeking community views on a possible shared footpath along Galston Road in Dural.
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Blacktown pilot Aglaya Papadokokolakis flew the first commercial aircraft out of Western Sydney International Airport on Sunday. She said the milestone was a career highlight, launching operations in her home region. Her father is also a pilot, and she encouraged young women to pursue aviation despite its male-dominated reputation. The airport opened after about eight years of construction and is set to run around the clock. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially opened it at a Sunday morning ceremony, and its first international flight arrived on Monday.
As part of Small Business Month in October, three New England and North Coast businesses are being highlighted. Steve Shaw runs GH Innovations in Thrumster, helping local firms attract customers through online search and sales improvement. Di Wade runs Rawspice Boutique in South West Rocks, offering independent fashion and lifestyle products. Meagan Hudson and Rory Taylor run Beardy Downs in Emmaville, making small-batch tallow and beeswax products through BD Collection.
Drivers travelling between Armidale and the coast on Waterfall Way should allow extra time from Monday, 26 October, to Sunday, 8 November. Transport for NSW says a string of maintenance jobs and projects may cause cumulative delays, with some sections of up to 10 minutes. Vehicles wider than 3 metres face restrictions on parts of the route, and a permit is needed. Motorists can follow signs and directions from traffic controllers, or use alternative routes including the Oxley Highway, Gwydir Highway or New England Highway.
Sydney will host the 2027 Super Netball Grand Final for the first time since the competition began. The event is expected to attract more than 8,000 visitors and inject more than $4 million into the NSW visitor economy. The match will be played on Saturday 31 July at Afterpay Arena, Sydney Olympic Park, and is proposed rather than confirmed. Netball Australia chair Liz Ellis said the event would celebrate the sport's passion across New South Wales. NSW Premier Chris Minns said the state would invest more in netball, one of its biggest participation sports.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has defended the state's gun buyback scheme after 150 applications were lodged in its first hours. Bookings opened on Monday, and the government plans to remove up to 274,000 firearms from the community. Catley said fewer guns in circulation would make the community safer, pointing to firearms stolen across the state. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has criticised the scheme, arguing it focuses too heavily on licensed owners rather than illegal guns used by organised criminals.
An 88-year-old woman has died in hospital after she was struck by a car in Pyree, in the NSW Shoalhaven region. Police were called to Pyree Lane at about 1:45 pm on Saturday, 24 October, after reports of a pedestrian being hit. Paramedics treated the woman at the scene before she was flown to St George Hospital in a critical condition. Police were told on Sunday, 25 October, that she had died. The 43-year-old driver returned a negative result on a roadside breath test and was taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital for mandatory testing.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycleway Ramp has been officially named Patyegarang, after a Cammeraygal woman who helped bridge colonial and Indigenous communities. The name was chosen through a collaborative process with local Aboriginal community members. Transport for NSW has also unveiled new bronze signage and a cyclist counter board, which shows live usage statistics. The ramp's opening in January has led to a 30% increase in cycleway usage, averaging 1,600 daily riders over the past six months.
