Dame Mary was born on 16 August 1865 at the small settlement of Cotta Walla just outside Crookwell. When Mary was one-years-old her parents, Donald Cameron, a farmer from Scotland, and Mary Ann Beattie, decided to move to Wagga Wagga. Her father had jobs at Cowabbie, Coolamon, Junee, Temora and West Wyalong during her childhood. Mary went on to become a school teacher at the age of 16, after completing her teaching exams in 1882, She accepted a position as a teacher at Wagga Wagga Public School, where she worked until December 1885. Mary had a short teaching spell at Illabo and then she took up a teaching position at Silverton near the mining town of Broken Hill. Later Mary was a writer for the Bulletin, in Sydney, as well as Poet.

Mary is not the great Crookwell girl the Upper Lachlan Council would like us to believe she is. Mary left the Crookwell district long before she could have memories of the area.

Surely elected Councillor's have better knowledge of the dozens of locals past and present who could have been given the honour of having their name given to the footbridge in recognition of their great contribution to the town/ district?

- Sharney Waters, Sydney

It's that time of year again, when we are all excited to spend the holidays surrounded by loved ones and sharing the joy of Christmas.

Unfortunately, for many of Australia's vulnerable young people, this time serves as a reminder of what they don't have. Every year there are many kids who spend their Christmas Day on the streets - they don't have a home to go to let alone presents or a hot meal. What should be a joyous time is instead lonely, stressful and traumatic.

This Christmas season, I'll be handing out hundreds of hampers and presents across our services to families in need. Just the simple act of giving a Christmas meal can drastically change the holidays for those who are struggling. By showing them they are loved and wanted, we can make a world of difference.

This year, when you are sharing the joy of Christmas with loved ones, I hope you can spare a thought for our young people who are alone. Together we can bring hope and safety to homeless and vulnerable young people this Christmas.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year and that 2020 brings you joy and happiness.

- Father Chris Riley - chief executive and founder at Youth Off The Streets

I, councillor Pam Kensit as a member of the community, wish to respond to the editorial in the Crookwell Gazette on Tuesday, December 3.

Although it was written with a 'tongue in cheek' approach, I wonder if the [writer] realised how close to the truth they were.

During this heated debate, Dame Mary's name has been linked with communism. In communist China and Russia there actually existed an 'oligarchy'.

An 'oligarchy' is a small group of people having control of an organisation for their own selfish purposes.

'An old boys club', as I called the council as I departed the chambers at the October meeting, should be considered a euphemism for an oligarchy.

So was mayor John Stafford justified in publicly reprimanding me for making what a lot of residents would consider a statement of truth?

Cr Stafford's own advice to follow the process, whilst not doing so, only reinforces my claim that the community feels ignored and disenfranchised.

In the background to the rescission motion (237/19) tabled at the council meeting on November 21, it summarised the basic error of this doomed process succinctly, as it clearly detailed.

At the council meeting held on June 20, the council resolved (resolution 144/19) to place on public exhibition and advertise the proposal to name the footbridge in Pat Cullen Reserve the Dame Mary Gilmore Bridge (DMGB).

Following the closure of the public exhibition, the council received 28 submissions.

Eight submissions (29 per cent) supported the name of DMGB; 20 submissions (71pc) did not support the bridge to be named DMGB.

The public exhibition was purely asking the question: did the public support or not support the naming of the bridge as the DMGB?

If people who did not support the naming of the bridge as the DMGB suggest alternative names, that was totally inconsequential to the survey.

The majority view, by a substantial percentage, was not to accept the name of DMGB.

The council should recognise this majority view and put all proposals back on the table for further discussion.

This explains why I took such a strong stand when I stated: 'Does this smell of goodwill? No. It reeks of an old boys' club; the true majority were ignored.'

The process was not fair. It was mismanaged by the oligarchy at the August meeting when proper processes were not followed.

The September motion to put the matter back on the table was dismissed; and at the November meeting, when a logical rescission motion was conclusively explained, the correct way forward was not adopted by the oligarchy.

The bridge is named. It's of no consequence what it is called; it's the lack of process and transparency which concerns me, because everyday rate payers are denied their say within a democracy.

I wonder if Dame Mary Gilmore, the activist, is quietly laughing to herself.

To the silent majority who feel they have been ignored, I apologise. I did my best and that was not good enough.

- Cr Pam Kensit as a private citizen

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