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Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

The nearby city with a history and a future

HOME to more than 57,000 residents, Queanbeyan is the largest city in south-east NSW and Canberra’s nearest municipal neighbour. 

Its name is the anglicised form of “quinbean” – an Aboriginal word meaning “clear waters”. 

It was officially proclaimed a township in 1838 when the population numbered about 50. The local parish was also known by that name and later still the member for the electorate of Queanbeyan held a seat in the legislative assembly of the colony of NSW. 

Traces of gold were discovered in 1851 and lead and silver mines also flourished briefly. Settlers were harassed by bushrangers, of which James Shaw, William Millet, John Rueben, John Tennant, Jacky Jacky, Frank Gardiner and Ben Hall were some of the more notorious. 

In 1880 the residence of John James Wright, the first mayor of Queanbeyan, was constructed along the edge of the Queanbeyan River. In 1982 that building became the Queanbeyan Art Centre.

At the height of its rural prosperity Queanbeyan boasted 16 public houses and six flour mills powered by wind, water, horse and steam. The Royal Hotel on Monaro Street opened in 1926. 

In Canberra alcohol was prohibited from 1911, at the time of the territory’s foundation, until 1928, when Federal Parliament had relocated from Melbourne. In that period many of the capital’s residents crossed the border to drink at one of Queanbeyan’s hotels.

Queanbeyan was granted city status on 7 July 1972 and continues to flourish as an independent community. 

Time to get equipment winter ready

WITH winter in full swing, now’s the time to get agricultural equipment ready so it runs smoothly into spring, says Bayldon Ag general manager Paul Nicholl.

“Rather than park your machine in the shed, [it’s important] to service your machine so that the oil is fresh [and the equipment’s fuel is stabilised for the rest of winter],” Paul says. 

But whether it’s people looking to ensure their machinery is ready for winter, or they’re after repairs, Paul says the qualified mechanics at Bayldon Ag always respond quickly and make sure the job’s done properly.

“We have two service vehicles that can come to a customer’s property and service or repair their machines,” he says.

“We also have two tilt trays that can pick up a customer’s machine if more extensive repairs are required.” 

Coming up to its second year under new management, Paul says Bayldon Ag is a great company, which has a rich history of serving the ACT region and he says it’s been a great opportunity to continue the great sales and service that is offered by Bayldon Ag.

“We pride ourselves in selling the right product to the customer, rather than just selling them something a salesman thinks they need,” he says.

“We try to make it personalised so that it’s not just a run of the mill experience. [And we also] like to engage with our customers and get good feedback.”

Bayldon Ag, 10 Bayldon Road, Queanbeyan. Call 6297 2833 or visit bayldonag.com.au

Family business builds premium dreams

WHETHER it’s building a dream home from scratch or refreshing a home with renovations, the family-run business Bordeaux Construction and Management treats every project they do as a “dream” project, says project manager Michael Milutinovic.

“Everything we deliver is a high-quality product that we can stand by for the long term because our reputation and our clients’ needs are very important to us,” he says.

“We only ever use premium subcontractors and premium products. 

“When a client comes in with a vision in mind we work with them step-by-step, from the beginning to hand over, to meet all their requests.”

Michael, who holds an unrestricted, A-class builder’s licence, has been involved in the family business for two years but has more than 10 years’ experience in the construction industry in Canberra and Sydney.

What he likes about Bordeaux Construction and Management is that there’s always a point of contact.

“Clients always feel that their project is prioritised and they often say they like the personal relationship we build on throughout the process,” he says. 

He says they get a lot of referrals for this reason, too.

“Our ultimate goal is always constructing their dream project at the highest quality possible,” he says. 

Bordeaux Construction and Management, 8 Aurora Place, Queanbeyan. Call 6299 4642, visit bordeauxbcm.com.au

So many reasons to love porcelain tiles

PERFECT for almost any surface, the general manager of Rivoland Tiles, James Hibberson, says porcelain tiles are the popular material of choice for home or commercial spaces.

Porcelain tiles have so many great characteristics, according to James, such as being strong, resistant to hot and cold shock and resistant to chemicals, which he says makes it the perfect material for almost any surface. 

What’s even more amazing, he says, is the size options available, which can be as big as 1600x3200mm but only 5-6mm thick. 

“The large format porcelain is popular for its smooth, clean line appeal,” James says.

“It’s great for the home in kitchen splashbacks, bathroom feature walls, plinths, internal and external cladding. 

“Commercially these products have so many benefits – they are lightweight, suitable for external and internal walls and very easy to maintain.”

But it’s not all about porcelain tiles at Rivoland and James boasts that they’re one of the largest tile stockists on the eastern coast and the largest supplier of tiles in the Canberra region. 

“We believe we are this size because Rivoland staff love people and have the experience to understand not just what is needed for their project, but what people need too,” he says.

“We love helping people, helping families build their dream home or making their investment a success. 

“We do our homework and understand the market needs and desires – and most of all we do it with passion and a smile.”

Rivoland Tiles. Queanbeyan showroom at 100 Crawford Street, call 6297 4510. Mitchell showroom at 55 Darling Street, call 6241 1557. Visit rivoland.com.au

Debbie’s got the right fit to help women feel good

FROM casual to “after five” (semi-casual) clothing, Debbie Maree, the owner of Debbie Maree’s Fashion Boutique, is all about making women of all ages, shapes and sizes, feel good through clothes.

“Fashion and style needs can change depending on where you are in life,” says Debbie, who understands the importance of building trust and identifying a customer’s shape to support them with the right fit.

“We [also] offer access to a personalised stylist, Kim Williams, through in-house events and workshops, which are available throughout the year.”

But whether customers are coming in for a workshop or to pick up a new outfit, Debbie says they will always receive a friendly, supportive and personalised service.

It’s their service which makes the boutique stand out, according to Debbie, who says the team at Debbie Maree’s Fashion Boutique is creating a style community with a friendly approach. 

She says their labels also stand out and highlights some of the Australian labels such as Elk, Philosophy, Joseph Ribkoff, Jendi and the newest addition to the boutique is Valia, a Melbourne-based label.

“We’ve got a lovely range of boutique labels made with Australian merino wool,” Debbie says.

Open 9.30 to 5.30pm, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 9.30am to 6pm, Thursday, and 10am to 2pm, Saturday and Sunday, Debbie says there are plenty of opportunities to come in and find the right item for any body shape. 

Debbie Maree’s Fashion Boutique, 232B Crawford Street, Queanbeyan. Call 6299 3335.

Capital Cartridges’ owner Shirley Arrow.

Clearing confusion around cartridges and printers

THERE can be a lot of confusion around printers and cartridges, according to the owners of Capital Cartridges, Shirley Arrow and Noel Kitt, which is why they pride themselves on providing personal and informed advice, while also offering the best deals.

They’re both backed with about 18 years’ experience in the printer industry in Queanbeyan and the ACT, so customers can rest assured they’re receiving expert advice. 

“We want our customers to find a quality product at an affordable price when they visit our store,” Shirley says. 

And, according to Shirley, they also stock items for a broader customer base, saying whilst their competitors only stock popular or current printer model cartridges, Capital Cartridges are able to source cartridges for older printers as well as new. 

“[We carry] a broad range of printer models and styles, if we don’t have what a customer wants we can usually source it within 24 hours,” Shirley says. 

Capital Cartridges is able to offer repairs for printers too. 

But no matter what a customer is after, Shirley says they look forward to continuing their association with all their customers across the region.

Capital Cartridges Queanbeyan, Shop 6, 166 Crawford Street, Queanbeyan. Call 6284 4344 or email qbn@capitalcartridges.com.au

Orime pendant lights large and small.

Fink’s new venture into unique lighting 

KNOWN for their fantastic and unique homeware, Fink Designs has expanded to include Fink Lighting, offering distinctive and unique light designs that are locally made, says Fink owner Gretel Harrison.

“We design and manufacture everything in our workshop,” Gretel says.

Currently, Fink Lighting’s designs, which are described by Fink Lighting as bold and innovative, include table lights, a standing light, a chandelier and sculptural wall lighting for both commercial and domestic settings. 

“Each light is handmade and hand finished, they are made to order and are not mass produced,” Gretel says. 

“All of our lights are organic in their design [too].”

Gretel says Fink Lighting also works with acrylics, anodised aluminium and powder coating.

The full range can be seen at Fink Lighting’s Queanbeyan showroom or on their website. 

Fink Lighting, 25 Endurance Avenue, Queanbeyan. Call 6298 1884 or visit finklighting.com

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