Did you know that the Burdekin Community Association Inc (BCA) has a Specialist Homelessness Service and Crisis Accommodation Program?

Our Housing and Community Support Team can assist adults and their children and young people aged 16+, who are sleeping rough or in non-conventional accommodation and people who are experiencing chronic homelessness.

The team will assist eligible people by:

   • Providing Temporary Supported Accommodation (if a place is available in one of our five crisis accommodation properties)

   • Working to ensure clients are housed in secure and sustainable accommodation

   • Ensuring there are appropriate casework supports in place

For support or information please visit the BCA Support Centre, 130 Queen Street, Ayr. Ph 4783 3744 or Email bca@bcaburdekin.org.au.

Debra Cochran

Chief Executive Officer

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A couple of weeks ago, we touched on the idea of a Compassionate Community and rallying around to provide a support network for people experiencing challenges in life.

This week, we would like to talk about Compassionate Communities from the perspective of death, dying and grief.

Compassionate Communities is a way of recognising that we all can care for and support those dying. In the past, people often died at home, and their families knew how to take care of them. But nowadays, dying has become more of a medical issue, and we've lost some of that knowledge and confidence to help our loved ones at the end of their lives. Compassionate Communities is about bringing back that sense of community support and care for those who are dying.

Did you know the Neighbourhood Centre has access to resources for death, dying and grief that we can make available to you or link you with?

The Neighbourhood Centre, over the last couple of years, has held community education opportunities in collaboration with Palliative Care Queensland. We have covered subjects including What Matters Most to Me, How to Have Conversations About Dying and Grief, Last Aid, Community PalliNavigator, Getting Your Affairs in Order: Enduring Power of Attorney and Advanced Care Planning.

Life has a 100% mortality rate regardless of who we are and what our situation is. It is a normal part of life, and the more we learn how to talk about it, the less confronting it becomes to us.

We’ve all been touched by death, whether it is a sibling, parent, child, partner, friend, or pet.  There is something to learn from each of our stories.  

Would you like to come together and have conversations that contribute to building a Compassionate Community in the Burdekin? Finding ways, together, to be able to bring up the conversations about death, dying and grief in a way that can help us all have a better life and, ultimately, a better death.

Join us at the Centre on Wednesday, February 28 at 5:30pm for an informal chat to get the ball rolling.

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Did you know that the Burdekin Shire Council operates two cemeteries located in Ayr and Home Hill?

These cemeteries are well maintained, open environments with no gates, therefore providing 24 hour access for families and friends to visit the resting place of their loved ones. Council also maintains a burial register that contains records of all burials in the shire of Burdekin, dating back to 1888.

Home to lawn, columbarium, and traditional burial sites, the Ayr and Home Hill Cemeteries cater to diverse preferences.

The burial register can be accessed online through Council's website, burdekin.qld.gov.au, where you can search by cemetery, name or date. The burial register is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history and heritage of the Burdekin region.

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Member for Burdekin Dale Last is calling for Federal Government support to fund additional Police Patrols to combat youth crime in the Burdekin.

Following the announcement of Federal Government’s $1.3 million for night patrols in regional communities, Mr Last is calling for this to be echoed in the Burdekin.

“It’s already been demonstrated that these night patrols are extremely effective in reducing youth crime with one community seeing a staggering reduction in offending and there is no reason similar results couldn’t be achieved in the Burdekin,” Mr Last said. 

“In the month of January alone we have seen the number of unlawful entry offences committed in Ayr nearly triple from the previous month, while Home Hill has recently seen its highest number of unlawful entry offences in at least 12 months.”

The Burdekin community have rallied together, following a recent string of youth crime, with over 50 residents and business owners appearing at the local police station, and a petition, which has been signed by over 1000 local residents, calling for private security patrols and an increase to police officer numbers.

“This community has already demonstrated that they are willing to be pro-active on addressing youth crime in their community and it is now up to Labor governments on all levels to support it.”

“Let’s not forget, community safety is first and foremost a state government responsibility and given that Labor is in power at a state and federal level, it shouldn’t be too much to ask for the Minister to knock on the door of his federal mates to provide the funds needed to make these patrols happen.”

Mr Last said having night patrols formalised and fully funded in the Burdekin would mean that business owners and residents were not being left out of pocket in a bid to improve community safety.

“At a time when costs of living are impacting everyone, we are seeing community members using their own vehicles and fuel to keep their community safe and victims of crime left out of pocket for repairs and increased security,” Mr Last explained.

“The initiative already has the support of the Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox and given the response to the ongoing petition this community has sent a clear message they are not willing to let this issue lie.”

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Ayr resident June Pola knows a thing or two about preparedness for natural disasters. Having lived in the Burdekin Shire for 45 years, she’s experienced many cyclones and floods. She’s lost a roof – and kept her family safe. Like most people here, she’s well aware of the dangers and how to prepare. And she thinks that lived experience of natural hazards is important factor that pushes people to prepare.

“I follow all the things that they say you have to do,” says June. “I moved everything that might blow away under the house because I've seen what's happened with the winds.

People just have no idea of the strength of those winds and the driving rain when you get a category 4 cyclone. Unless you've gone through it, you just cannot experience it any other way.”

Insights like June’s on what helps people prepare, stay resilient and recover from natural hazards is the subject of research currently being conducted in the Burdekin Shire. A team from Deakin University in Melbourne is visiting Ayr this week, to ask locals about how disaster communication is done here. The research is being undertaken for Natural Hazards Research Australia, Australia’s research centre for natural hazards resilience and disaster risk reduction.

“By ‘disaster communication’ we mean, all the messages that people receive about how to prepare for natural hazards, how to survive through them, and how to recover,” says Dr Gabi Mocatta from the Deakin research team. “This might be from emergency authorities, the Council, from media – even from your neighbour.”

The team is particularly interested in what type of information makes people prepared and resilient in the face of ‘compound hazards’ (when two or more hazards occur at the same time or in quick succession) meaning protective responses may be more complex, and there’s less time for recovery. The team also wants to find out how people prefer to receive hazards information.

The Burdekin Shire is one of three case study locations across Australia. Each location has experienced different hazards – storms, floods, fires, drought, flooding, cyclone – some in middle of COVID lockdowns. Communities have different levels of preparedness.

“Sometimes, there are several sources of information and messages can be confusing or contradictory,” says Dr Mocatta.

Burdekin Shire does disaster awareness well. “It all comes through the Council they send out messages all the time,” says June. “The Bureau of Meteorology, they send out the warnings. Then, in the paper the week before the cyclone was a list of things that people needed to pack and get. Birth certificates, insurance documents, some of your better photos, put them in plastic. Because when the roof goes all that gets wet!”

In the latest event, Cyclone Kirrily, June’s house didn’t have any structural damage, but her garden suffered. “It’s nature’s pruning, you know.”

The Deakin team invites all Burdekin community members to join the forum this Saturday 24th February to discuss disaster communication, Burdekin-style. The event will be held at PCYC Burdekin, 64 MacMillan Street, Ayr. Afternoon tea will be served. More information here: https://bit.ly/4bjnCIQ

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Caption: Deakin University invites community members to discuss disaster communications at a forum this weekend

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What started with a simple idea of supplying locals with sporting equipment has far exceeded even what owner Neville Eathorne expected, when he first opened the doors of Eathorne’s Sports Village in 1974.

A born and bred Burdekin local, Neville looks back at the growth of his sporting store with pride, explaining that the last 50 years has been “a ride and a half”.

It all started in 1973, when Neville was playing a lot of cricket and basketball, and realised that he couldn’t buy locally what the professionals were using, and thought it was a good idea to bring this standard of equipment to Ayr.

“And with absolutely no business experience, I opened Eathorne’s Sports Village,” Neville explained.

“At first it was a rough store, with rough presentation, but I was always reinvesting back into the shop.”

As much as it was Neville’s dedication and hard work, the longevity of Eathorne’s Sports Village also rested upon the support of the local community, something that Neville continues to value implicitly to this day.

“In the early days, we had accounts running, and people would put their equipment on the account and come back later to pay for it,” Neville explained.

In fact, Neville can remember vividly a time when he was in the store and a man walked past the counter with a tennis racquet.

“’Nev! Put this on my account!’ the man said. I couldn’t remember his name, but the next week, he was back to pay for the racquet!” Neville explained.

Understanding the value of community, Neville joined every sporting committee that he played on, and learnt how the clubs were run, and the equipment they needed.

For Neville, looking back over the years, he is most proud of the team members that helped build up the shop.

“How we achieved all that we have achieved is through the great staff and team members we have had over the years,” he said.

By 1983, buying groups and franchises boomed in popularity.

“And I knew that to survive against them, I would have to join them,” Neville explained, and Eathorne’s Sports Village transitioned into Eathorne’s Sportscene.

During this time, Neville expanded the shop’s offerings, bringing on trophy engraving, which increased in popularity before long, and Neville was moved to bring on a permanent engraver.

In 1997, Neville’s two sons returned home to Australia, following a career of playing college basketball in America, with Brett staying on in the family business, and Wade deciding to pursue a financial planning career.

By 2001, with Brett on the books and computers at the counters, Neville and his wife Karen were able to purchase a premise on Queen Street in Ayr, which continues to host the business now.

The business went through another transformation in 2003, when it transitioned into Eathorne’s Sportspower, as Sportscene and Sportspower came together under the ARL Group.

Neville was invited to join the Sportspower Board, which saw him travel to Melbourne regularly to move the Sportspower brand forward.

“I was on the board for five or six years, and I enjoyed it so much. It gave me this great insight in the business and the brand,” Neville explained. “But it was really hard to be away from my family for days at a time.”

Following an injury, Neville took a step back from the business, and Brett transitioned into a managerial role where he continues to be a key partner in the business.

In 2024, another key moment in the business’ evolution occurred when it moved across to the Intersport brand. Neville continues to be a part of this business and Brett continues to take a bigger role.

“This venture would never have happened without the support of the Burdekin people,” Neville shared.

“They have supported a small business trying to grow and I hope they have enjoyed the ride. We are proud to have been supporting the Burdekin district, with us sponsoring just about every club during the 50 years. It has created some lifelong friendships.”

“I am so proud to have started way back in 1974 and am still trading 50 years later. I am also proud of what I will be leaving to Brett and his family to work with for how many years they want.”

Without a doubt, Neville’s legacy will continue to prevail throughout Burdekin history, even though he is vowing to not go anywhere anytime soon.

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1. Eathorne’s Sports Village, in 1974

   2. Eathorne’s Sportscene with Neville Eathorne in 1983

   3. Eathorne’s Sportspower in 2020. Photos supplied

   4. Three Generations: Neville, with his son Brett, and his twin grandchildren

   5. Eathorne’s Sportscene, making waves in Ayr

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The next round for the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) grants for child care centres in regional and remote areas has now opened and Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP is encouraging local childcare providers to look into how this opportunity could benefit them directly.

Funds are available for eligible childcare centres to renovate or extend their facilities to cater for high un-met demand or for those wishing to work with other organisations to create sustainability support.

The funding is directed at helping early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to address barriers to ECEC participation for disadvantaged and vulnerable families and communities.

Mr Willcox says he welcomes the announcement of additional funding to support a fourth round of financial support for these crucial services.

“This funding aims to support centres in regional and remote areas to increase the viability and sustainability of early childhood education and increase the accessibility of services where there is high unmet demand.”

“Eligible childhood education and care centres can receive funding of up to $300,000 for capital works, including repairing, modifying, renovating, or extending their facilities.

“Alternatively, eligible centres can receive funding of up to $400,000 for sustainability support including working with other organisations and families to identify and address barriers to early childhood participation.

Applications for this funding close on March 8, 2024.

To find out more about the eligibility requirements and application process visit: Current Grant Opportunity View - GO6796: GrantConnect (grants.gov.au)

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NQ Dry Tropics has been awarded a grant through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund (FDF) Longterm Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices (LTT) Program, to complete a five-year trial testing the efficacy of drought resilient grazing strategies in the Burdekin region.

Taking place at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ (DAF) Spyglass Beef Research Facility, this trial is the only Northern Australian trial, utilising virtual fencing systems in remote environments, that will shape and promote wider adoption.

The predominate virtual fencing system used by this study will be the Gallagher eShepherd Virtual Fencing System, pioneered by CSIRO.

Using the Gallagher eShepherd System, the herd will be monitor in real time, using both desktop and mobile applications, with the farmers able to instantly modify boundaries for any reason, including to lower stress drafting, directing high need cattle to better pastures, or to protect areas of land vulnerable to erosion.

The System was initially tested in 2023, with cattle first observed for their behaviours with the device, to ensure the technology has minimal behaviour and welfare impacts on the animals, with this new trial expanding to test efficacy in improving drought resilience capacity.

“Virtual fencing has unparalleled potential to drastically change the impact of grazing,” explained Marc McConnell, a DAF representative.

“My hope is the trial will demonstrate how the technology allows graziers to move fences and herds to promote healthier pastures and boost carbon sequestration by preventing overgrazing, while saving them time and money,”

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1. Cattle in the Spyglass Station trial wearing the Gallagher eShepherd collars

   2. The tracking for one individual shows how quickly the animal learns the meaning of warning sound emitted as it approaches the virtual fencing. This animal received two small shocks, after which it paid attention to the alarm on seven occasions. Photo supplied

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Tracpower Brandon recently hosted an open day to showcase their range of Deutz-Fahr products, inviting the agricultural community of the Burdekin to discover what the high horsepower range can offer on Monday, February 19 and Tuesday, February 20.

Tracpower have been Deutz-Fahr dealers for 12 months and Tracpower Dealer Principal and Director Justin Minuti said the brand is gaining traction in the area.

“The higher horsepower is what we were after with Deutz-Fahr,” he said.

“We are a Kubota dealer as well … Kubota has been the top brand in the Burdekin region for the last four to five years so I wanted something we could offer our customers in the higher horsepower range that Kubota doesn’t offer.

“We looked at Deutz-Fahr and their tractors are very heavy, simple, easy to use, good technology and good backup and good backup service is something we pride ourselves on.

“We’ll drop everything if we have to to get to you.

“If you’re broken down, we’ll be there straight away.

“We’re service-orientated, it’s more about the experience for the customer.

“We’ve got a very good staff with the same ambitions and the same idea of putting the customer first.”

“That’s why our motto is, ‘We not only sell, we service as well.’”

The open day was also held in partnership with Queensland Cane Agriculture & Renewables (QCAR).

“We’ve been a partner of QCAR for a few years, so we offer members a discount of 2% on whole goods and 5% on spare parts and servicing,” Mr Minuti said.

“QCAR have done a fantastic job of getting exposure for this event.”

QCAR CEO Panikos Spyrou said QCAR was happy to be supporting the event.

“We respect Tracpower’s very honourable and generous support of our organisation and the discounts their providing to our members on sales, service and parts,” Mr Spyrou said.

“Our members are benefitting incredible from that at the moment and the extension of that to our collaborative partners as well, so full credit to Tracpower and Justin to allow us to enjoy those benefits.”

An open day was held at Tracpower’s Ingham branch today, Thursday, February 22 and tomorrow.

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Caption 1: Christian Lago, Charles Quagliata and Ben Pontifex

Caption 2: Mick Brombal, Frank Mugica and Scott Harness

Caption 3: Panikos Spyrou and Barry Breadsell

Caption 4: Aiden Kratzmann and Julen Achurra

Caption 5: Justin Minuti and Charles Quagliata

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By Chelsea Ravizza

Ashley De-Campo established the Burdekin Clothes Shop Facebook page in December of 2021 to solve one simple problem many women face: too many clothes, too little closet space.

Looking for a solution, Ashley created the group in addition to other Burdekin trade Facebook pages in the interest of harboring a niche topic with a tailored audience.

“I needed to make room in my cupboard, and I had lots of clothes that still had their tags on, clothes I had never worn before, and clothes in really good condition,” explained Ashley.

“It felt like a bit of a waste, so I thought why not make some money out of them by selling them.”

The sustainable fashion page has blossomed into a lively community of over 2,200 women looking to make some space and make some cash.

Members often hop onto the page to search for unique costume pieces other people may have buried in their closets, finishing touches to Race Day outfits, or even to post enquiries on clothing pieces they cannot find anywhere else.  

“I felt like it was something everyone would be able to get involved in, because particularly us women, we’re all in the same boat with having too many clothes not being worn and needing to make space in our closets.”

Ashely, as the page’s administrator, monitors the member requests to ensure all Burdekin Clothes Shop members are living in the local region to simplify the trading process.

“I wanted the interactions to be as easy and stress free as possible, and not have people wanting to be sent clothes or come from out of town, and it was an easier option to create a more intimate group with less people to make it easier for all the users,” explained Ashely.

Since creating the page, Ashley has received an overwhelmingly positive response she never could have imagined, and she is very grateful for the community’s continued support.

“I just thought there would be a handful of people, but 2,200 members is huge!

“I’m so grateful for the community getting involved, and for making the Burdekin Clothes Shop such a successful and supportive group.”

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Caption: Ashley De-Campo. Photo supplied

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The first Burdekin Industry Breakfast for 2024 was held earlier this week welcoming two guest speakers to illuminate the morning event.  

The Burdekin business community gathered at the Burdekin Theatre on Wednesday, February 21 to hear from Rhian Aguirre, the Senior Manager of Operations and Maintenance of Ark Energy Corporation and Ranee Crosby, CEO of Port of Townsville.

Mr Aguirre discussed Ark Energy’s goals, completed projects and future plans for the company, outlining the importance of opportunities for the involvement of north Queensland businesses.  

Established in 2021, Ark Energy has become a leader in Australian renewable energy company specialising in wind, solar, and hydrogen, and is dedicated to the decarbonisation of the energy supply of their parent company, Korea Zinc Co.  

Following Mr Aguirre, Ms Crosby provided an overview of the Port of Townsville, of current and future projects, and of how the Port influences and supports the Burdekin region and its industries.

The Port of Townsville is Northern Australia’s largest container and vehicle port, and the country’s leader in export of copper, zinc, lead, sugar, fertiliser, and molasses.

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Caption 1: Ark Energy Corporation Senior Manager – Operations & Maintenance Rhian Aguirre, Burdekin Shire Councillor and Emcee Kaylee Boccalatte and Port of Townsville CEO Ranee Crosby

Caption 2: Ranee Crosby and Michael Kern

Caption 3: David Jackson and Pierina Dalle Cort

Caption 4: Eusebio and Laura Aguirre

Caption 5: Jarrod Vassalini and David Pedley

Caption 6: Kaylee Boccalatte

Caption 7: Rhian Aguirre

Caption 8: Ranee Crosby

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Leaders’ Investiture

Congratulations to Home Hill State High School’s leaders for 2024 who were sworn in at a ceremony on Tuesday, February 20.

Senior Secondary School Captains: Saelym Poli and Jacob Machin

Junior Secondary School Captains: Lucy Young and Alex Swinney

Junior Secondary Vice Captain: Kalen Linton

Indigenous Captain: Graycee Messer-Watego

Indigenous Vice Captiain: Blaize Palmer

Beachmount House Captains: Sienna Heron and Meleik Billy

Inkerman House Captains: Rian Berryman and Geoffrey Terare

Upstart House Captains: Chloe Blacklock and Maliq Ogomeni

Student Council Executive

President: Sean Phayre-Leung

Vice President / Treasurer: Maliq Ogomeni

Secretary: Sharni Smerdon

Student Council Form Class Representatives: Dontaii Clubb, Emily Power, Alex Hayne, Jaydon Srisoongnoen, Katie Krug, Ashlyn Poli, Kiara Werda, Luke Blacklock, Rowen Petersen, Cheyenne Worland, Jack Srisoongnoen, Milly Berryman, Campbell Cooke, Grace Ogomeni, Cruz Torkington, Khiara Turner and Bridget Zimmerlie

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Caption 1: Senior Secondary School Captains Saelym Poli and Jacob Machin

Caption 2: The HHSHS class of 2024

Caption 3: L-R Senior Secondary School Captains Jacob Machin and Saelym Poli, Indigenous Captain Graycee Messer-Watego, Junior Secondary School Captains Lucy Young and Alex Swinney and Junior Secondary Vice Captain Kalen Linton (Absent: Indigenous Vice Captiain Blaize Palmer)

Caption 4: L-R Upstart House Captains Maliq Ogomeni and Chloe Blacklock, Inkerman House Captain Rian Berryman and Beachmount House Captains Meleik Billy and Sienna Heron (Absent: Inkerman House Captain Geoffrey Terare)

Caption 5: HHSHS’s 2023 School Dux was awarded to Talitha Carroll by Glenn Nicolson of Wilmar

Caption 6-7: Student Council Form Class Representatives

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Fast Facts:

Rehoming Fee: $425

DOB: 31/12/2022

Sex: Male

Breed: Staffy Cross

Kid Friendly: Older Kids

Cat Friendly: Untested

Other Dogs: Yes with Slow Introduction

Fences: 5ft

Oddish is a friendly and loveable boy whose favourite thing to do is spend time with his people. He is food motivated and knows how to sit and is keen to learn new tricks.

He walks well on a harness but can pull out of excitement when people walk past.

Oddish would be best suited to a home with older kids as he isn’t aware of his size yet. With some more love and training Oddish will become the perfect pooch.

Oddish is available for adoption, has been desexed, micro-chipped, is up to date on his vaccinations, has been flea, tick and intestinal worm treated, and is on heartworm preventative.

To schedule a meet and greet with oddish, complete and submit an animal enquiry form: https://www.angelpawsinc.com.au/forms.html

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Brigitte Davies, the recipient of the Tom Kruger Award, Year 12 Dux of Burdekin Catholic High School in 2023, has not only excelled academically but has also exemplified remarkable dedication in every facet of her life. Her stellar ATAR of 99.55 is testament to her efforts. The Class of 2023 achieved outstanding results. Brigitte was one of six students at Burdekin Catholic High School who received an ATAR of 90 or above, and 47% received an ATAR of 80 and above.

Brigitte's academic achievements and those of her fellow year 12 students were acknowledged at the 2023 Awards Night held this year. She was awarded the top of subject in an array of subjects including Mathematical Methods, Specialist Mathematics, Chemistry, Study of Religion, and Physics.

Brigitte Davies has left a lasting mark on our school community. As the School Captain, she seamlessly blended her leadership responsibilities with her academic pursuits, setting a shining example for her peers and the whole Burdekin Catholic School community. There is a song that is played at graduation ceremonies called “Standing on the Shoulders.” The message is about overcoming life’s challenges, persevering, and finding inspiration from those who came before us. Brigitte and the class are 2023 are truly an inspiration.

Beyond her academic commitments, Brigitte was a valued part time employee to Woods’ Newsagent. Her ability to balance academics, leadership roles, and employment is an example of her time management skills and resilience.

Brigitte's was accepted by the University of Queensland in a dual degree, Bachelor in Engineering and Design. This remarkable achievement is a testament to Brigitte's intellectual prowess.

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Contributed by BCHS

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Caption: The recipient of the Tom Kruger Award for Year 12 Dux of BCHS 2023, Brigitte Davies

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Burdekin Christian College has welcomed their 2024 Student Leaders at their official Student Leadership Induction Ceremony.

These students embody the values of the College, showing grace, dignity, and confidence in everything they do.

At the Official Ceremony earlier this year, the students were presented with their leadership badges by honoured guest, 2023 College Captain, Emily Holmes, who returned for the event.

Senior Leadership Team

College Captain – Brent Dingle

College Captain – Shanay Arroita

College Vice-Captain – Jayden Shelton

Collage Vice-Captain – Laney Lando

College Vice-Captain – John Grabs

College Vice-Captain – Faith Luke

Cultural Captain – Emily Pacey

Christian & Pastoral Care Captain – Danelle Laubscher

Sports Captain – Erica Gongora

Luke House Captain – Ezrah Henaway

Mark House Captain – Pouhila Finau

Matthew House Captain – Michael Mayor

Junior Leadership Team

Junior College Captain – Cooper Cordie

Junior College Captain – Adison Robertson

Junior College Captain – Amelia Dwyer

Junior College Vice-Captain – Lincoln Tunbridge

Junior College Vice-Captain – Chelsea Cordie

Junior Cultural Captain – Dakota Dixon

Junior Cultural Captain – Kadie Wilson

Junior Sports Captain – Lakirra Offord

Luke House Captain – Francheisca Dela Cruz

Mark House Captain – Jahzelle Harman

Matthew House Captain – Charles Dyball

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The Burdekin Christian College Student Leadership Team. Photo supplied

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