From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 5 July
If a group of black men and women were to dynamite and raze Rome’s Colosseum, there would, justifiably, be an international outcry....
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 28 June
The time has come for all even-handed people to call for a halt. The invisible and ubiquitous ‘they’, whomsoever they might be,...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 14 June
I do not understand racism. I ponder it, regularly, and I find myself asking the same question: What causes someone to hate...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 7 June
I have never been one to back away from a stoush. I will stand-up for my rights regardless of the consequence; however,...
What is the Question – June
For this month’s What is the Question Roland chatted with pharmacist Deborah Gray.
What is your name? Deborah Gray What is your occupation? Accredited pharmacist UFS...From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 31 May
You need to exercise caution when it comes to what you say, and how you react, publicly, to a specific and disputatious...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 24 May
The less than flattering report from the Victorian Ombudsman, Deborah Glass, in which she is highly critical of detailed behaviour within the Ballarat City...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 17 May
I have never thought of myself as intellectually concussed; however, I have, finally, come to the realisation that, quite simply, some things are beyond...
What is the Question – May
For May’s What is the Question Roland spoke with promoter and entertainment producer Andrew Guild.
What is your name? Andrew Guild What is your occupation? Entertainment...From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 10 May
To dob, or not to dob, that is the question when it comes to stealing from the Commonwealth; which is, in reality,...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 3 May
The plethora of prognostications surrounding coronavirus are unsettling. While we must not bury our collective heads in the sand, or ignore the...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 25 April
“If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ fields.”
In...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 19 April
It is a puzzlement that some people are not staying at home in self-isolation. Indeed, they continue to carry-on as though nothing has changed,...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 12 April
The advent of pop music, catering for teenagers listening on their portable, and later transistor, radios, brought a flood of mixed creativity, which horrified...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 5 April
For the most part, I live a blissfully solitary life. Like my late mother, Beria, I have a great capacity for my own company...
What is the question – April
For April’s What is the Question Roland spoke with anaesthetist Michael Whitehead. What is your name? Michael Whitehead What is your occupation? Anaesthetist at Anaesthetic Group Ballarat...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 29 March
Traditionally, in times of a national crisis, there has been three essentials ingredients for the populace. They needed to be fed; to...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 22 March
You would be a hard-hearted Hannah not to be moved by some of the recent pictures of dazed animals in distress during...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 15 March
In this materialistic world, where success or failure is measured by an accumulation and public display of wealth, it begs the question: ‘What is...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 8 March
While there are myriad aspects to our diverse culture, things do not come any more Australian than ‘football, meat pies, kangaroos and...
What in the Question – Wen McLachlan
For March’s What is the Question, Roland chats with Wen and Ware owner, Wen McLachlan. What is your name? Wen McLachlan. What is your occupation? Owner of Wen...
A stitch so fine captures a moment in time
MEMBERS of the Ballarat Branch of the Embroiderers’ Guild, Victoria, will be hosting an embroidery and quilting exhibition, Needles, Knots and Threads, at St...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 1 March
I was born into that generation which believed, unconditionally, when a politician swore to faithfully serve Elizabeth and Her people of The Commonwealth of...
From the desk of Roland Rocchiccioli – 23 February
I was born at 9.05pm on Thursday, 20 February, 1947 in Agnew, Western Australia, a shanty goldmining town which no longer exists....