OATLANDS House is close and convenient to Parramatta, yet you would be forgiven for forgetting where you were given the greenery that surrounds it.
Oatlands House sits next to Oatlands golf course. Your first impression of the elegance of the venue is the entrance, which sees the driveway lead you alongside the fairway of one of the holes until you reach the parking lot.
Then you walk across the loose pebbles and past the carefully manicured gardens into a grand sandstone cottage.
Oatlands House was built in the 1800s, and plenty of care …

AUSSIE Rules officials might want to look at Merrylands Public if they are serious about finding talent in Sydney’s west.
The school’s junior Aussie Rules team won the PSSA competition with an undefeated record.
That culminated in the final against Parramatta West on Friday at Merrylands Oval, which the home team claimed 40-6.
Manager and teacher Paul Douglas said no one in his team played the game on weekends, but they benefited from the school’s sports education.
“We do heaps of skill work at school,’’ he said.
“We do lots of PE and development sessions, …

AN historic bell that took pride of place in the playground of Parramatta West Public School has been stolen.
Staff and students found the 100-year-old bell missing, as well as 22 bubblers, when they returned to class one Monday morning.
Principal Anthea Donaldson said the bell played an important role at the school and was rung at the start of the school day for many years.
“It symbolises the history of the place,’’ she said. “It is an old school and heritage listed.
Mrs Donaldson often takes former students of the school for tours …

WITHIN days of an 11-year-old boy calling for clean streets, Parramatta Council has announced heavy fines for people caught dumping rubbish on footpaths.
Laith Jammal spoke out about household rubbish being dumped in his street, Virginia St, Rosehill, in last week’s Advertiser.
The feisty boy said he was ashamed by all the rubbish and discarded furniture in his street when he invited his friends to his 11th birthday party.
He called on council to clean up his and other streets where rubbish was piling up.
Last week council admitted it was difficult to keep …

A former New South Wales doctor has faced court on 52 new charges including aggravated sexual assault of some of his patients.
In September last year, Graeme Reeves was arrested and charged with 17 offences, including the genital mutilation of a female patient.
Today, sex crimes squad detectives laid 52 fresh charges, including 16 counts of aggravated sexual assault relating to alleged incidents between 1989 and 2004.
Reeves’ lawyer told the court that the charges would be staunchly defended.
Police decided not to oppose bail, and instead recommended stricter reporting conditions.
The court decided that …