.jpg)
On Monday 10 June, over 700 Australians were prestigiously recognised and celebrated under the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours List, and among them was the Burdekin Shire Council Chef Executive Officer Terry Brennan. His dedicated service to the Burdekin community has been honoured with the Public Service Medal to recognise his dedication, and outstanding service to Local Government in Queensland. Mr Brennan has led an extraordinary 45-year career devoted to Local Government since 1979 when he b
Read more
In breaking news for the community, the celebrated Burdekin Water Festival will return to the region for 2024 on Saturday 7 September. The theme for this year’s Burdekin Water Festival will be Bring it Back, a nostalgic theme set to capture the hearts of the entire community. “The theme, Bring it Back, was based on the committee’s discussions of fond memories of the Water Festival, and things that we used to enjoy when we were growing up and visiting the event every year, so we want to bring b
Read more
The Queensland Government is hosting an information session for its Cyclone Resilience Programs in Ayr this evening, designed to enhance property resilience in cyclone-prone coastal areas. This information session, aimed at homeowners, bodies corporate, strata managers, and contractors, will detail the Strata Resilience Program and Household Resilience Program. Both programs are co-funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments and have been developed in collaboration with James Cook Unive
Read more
After almost a year of campaigning and fundraising, a significant step will be taken in the Burdekin’s journey to honour Jean Morris, a 19-year-old murder victim from 1932, as locals plan to construct a concrete slab for her gravestone on June 17. The fundraising campaign, led by Henry Petersen and Paula Dawson, recently reached $3,600, marking a pivotal moment in their mission to give Jean a dignified resting place after 93 years in an unmarked grave. Jean Morris's story is a haunting chapter
Read more.png)
While nineties and naughties fashions are making a resurgence in popular culture, so too are some vintage scamming techniques, says Bendigo Bank. As we approach tax season, the Bank is alerting customers about a trend of scammers targeting customers asking recipients to open an attached HTML file to view important changes or to electronically sign a document. “At this time of year, pre-tax time purchases are on the increase and email traffic peaks, so for criminals, the conditions are perfe
Read more
After a decade, the much-loved Cava Indian Restaurant will close its Queen Street doors on Sunday 23 June. Their closure comes as a surprise to the region, with hundreds of locals taking to Facebook to share their saddened reactions and messages of support. Jyoti Sharma announced her business’ closure on Tuesday 4 June, explaining the decision was not made lightly, and expressing her immense gratitude to the community, and to the customers who became family since 2014. Devastating the commun
Read more.JPG)
The RSL Home Hill Sub Branch held its biannual dinner at the Crown Hotel on Thursday, June 6 where President Richard Kelly presented two young achievers with certificates of appreciation. Sophie Robertson was recognised for her efforts in being awarded the Premier’s Anzac Prize and her fundraising for Australian Defence Force Veterans Charity Mates4Mates, while Ethan Pengelly was recognised for his fundraising efforts for the Sub Branch through selling commemorative merchandise. “We like to pre
Read more
Emergency Relief Program BCA provides financial and material assistance for adults experiencing personal, family, relationship and/or financial issues. The service assists adults and children with basic needs in times of financial hardship through the provision of vouchers, prepaid cards/vouchers, chemist or transport vouchers, payment of third-party accounts, or direct material assistance such as food parcels. A Centrelink Income Statement is required unless you are affected by domestic and f
Read more
Applications have opened for Australia Post’s 2024 Community Grants program, which funds community-led, local projects across Australia. Eligible not-for-profit groups can apply for grants of up to $10,000 to support projects which have the primary purpose of improving mental health and wellbeing in local communities. Last year’s program saw 72 projects awarded funding across the country, totalling over $500,000, with half of the successful applications awarded in rural and remote locations
Read more.jpg)
Welcome to my second newspaper column. I am very excited about the possibility of there being a Water Festival later in the year. Thank you to the dedicated locals who attended the meetings to help get the festival going. To the dedicated people who put their hands up to be on the committee, thank you. It is great to see so many people wanting the festival to go ahead so, stay turned for an update and fingers crossed we will see a Water Festival. I attended the Burdekin Theatre on Friday night
Read more%20(1).jpg)
Did you know Burdekin Shire Council offers community message boards to help promote local events and important information. As part of the Burdekin Shire Council's commitment to supporting a broad range of community events, advertising on the Community Event Board can be utilised by community and not-for-profit groups conducting events in the Burdekin Shire. Your organistion will need to complete the Community Event Sign Application Form found on Council’s website and return it to the Community
Read more
Burdekin Community Association (BCA) has been announced by Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) as one of 17 providers that will deliver the redesigned Mental Health Stepped Care service model in North Queensland from July 1, 2024. As defined by the Department of Health and Aged Care, stepped care is an evidence-based, staged approach to delivering primary mental health care that supports individuals with care tailored to meet their needs. Stepped care recognises there is a spectr
Read more
Celebrating its 27th birthday in the Burdekin region, Optique Eyes stands as a business operating with a centralised focus on serving the community with “exceptional eye care and exquisite eyewear”. Established in 1997 by Helene Holmes, the Queen Street optometrist has withstood the changing tides of business for almost three decades. Helene established Optique Eyes after moving to the Burdekin to purchase an existing practice to seize an entrepreneurial opportunity. In 2018, the business relo
Read more
Groundbreaking automation for a soil-scanning process developed at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre could be vital to the future of successful broadacre cropping planning. Electro-magnetic survey scanning has long been used to identify variability in soils, including assessment of salinity, water and clay content. The process has usually involved a scanning sled being dragged behind an all-terrain vehicle. However, in a possible world-first, t
Read more
Griffith University’s Dr Yunying Fang has successfully progressed with a research proposal regarding the Soil CRC’s Round 24-1. The Soil CRC (CRC for High Performance Soil) works to connect scientists with farmers to uncover practical solutions for Australia’s underperforming soil. The organization aims to enable farmers to increase their overall productivity and profitability levels through providing them with knowledge and tools to improve the performance of their soils. The success of Dr
Read more
The Burdekin Football Club is set to host their annual Ladies Day on Saturday 17 August and 2024 will showcase the best fashionable florals yet. Spring Fling; a theme of vibrancy, a theme of florals, and a theme of fun. Subtly drawing from the fashions of 2024’s Met Gala, the Burdekin Football Club will liven up Beach Road’s International Park from 3:30pm with Spring colours and fabulous florals. The evening will provide a smorgasbord of raffles, lucky door prizes, and of course the infamous
Read more
Saturday 15 June Perform Studios presents Rise Saturday from 2pm and 7.30pm Perform Music presents their annual showcase concert - RISE! Burdekin Theatre Wednesday 19 June Home Hill Community Meeting Wednesday, from 9am Residents of Home Hill, particularly new residents and over 60s, are invited for a chat and cuppa to meet Labor Candidate for Burdekin Anne Baker. Raise your concerns and share your views, ideas and hopes for the community. Morning tea supplied. Home Hill Community Sports Club
Read more
The Japanese Film Festival Online 2024 will brighten our television screens across Australia for another year from Wednesday 5 June until Wednesday 3 July. The program for 2024 will showcase a dynamic collection of cinema and television released over the past 70 years as presented by the Japan Foundation. The festival celebrates the breadth and diversity of Japanese storytelling, serving as a cultural bridge connecting global fans of Japanese cinema. The 2024 program will host a diverse selec
Read more
On the evening of Saturday 8 June, Hotel Brandon hosted a celebratory 50-year school reunion for the Burdekin Catholic High School (BCH)’s graduating class of 1974! A fabulous night was had by all with the cohort recalling the establishment of BCH in 1974 following the amalgamation of the Marist Brothers and St Francis Xavier Convent High School. Many of the attendees travelled far and wide to catch up with one another, with some travelling from Toowoomba, the Gold Coast, Yeppoon, Tin Can Bay,
Read more
On Friday 7 June, the Burdekin flocked to Alfie’s Bakery to get their hands on a precious round treat for National Doughnut Day! Deon Crowdy hand-made over 500 delicious doughnuts to satisfy the cravings of hundreds of locals and visitors for one of the biggest events on their calendar. “It was a huge day, we had lots of support from locals, people from Townsville and other out-of-towners, and we had lots of support from the schools and businesses coming to collect doughnuts to have for smok
Read more
The annual Burdekin Show will light up the Ayr Showgrounds on Wednesday 26 June, with a plethora of special guests scheduled to attend. One of Australia’s most inspirational and award-winning dog trailer and trainer, Steven Elliot, will make his Burdekin Show debut as one of the event’s special guests, and his story is nothing short of extraordinary. Steven has led a celebrated career, and following a rodeo accident in Townsville in 2003, his life took a turn, leaving him confined to a wheelch
Read more.JPG)
From the 7 to the 8 May, the Ayr High Hawks basketball team put it on the court for the Molten Championship Basketball School of Queensland – Townsville Regional Tournament (CBSQ). The competition, making its Townsville debut, encompassed 26 schools from Cairns to Mt Isa for a two-day jampacked event. The U19 boys played in Division 2 of CBSQ and showcased exceptional team spirit throughout each game, providing mixed results to conclude the event. The 2024 team included a range of skills, with
Read more
Local Last weekend the Burdekin Panthers had three games, losing all of them. On Friday the Division 1 met Brothers in Townsville and lost 0-7. On Saturday the Premiers, Under 23s were away to Saints Eagles Souths. The Premiers lost 0-2, the Under 23s lost 0-2 and the Women Premiers had a bye. This weekend the Funkies are away to Brothers in Townsville on Friday night and the Premiers, Under 23s and Ladies are at home to JCU Riverway. The Annual Mooney Cup Charity Match will take place this S
Read more
On Thursday 6 June, the Home Hill Bowls Club was packed with a huge attendance of 32 players ready to have a go at social bowls. The day saw Tony Caruso, Stephen Doig, and Wayne Newton as the celebrated winners, Mick Olsen fortunately winning the meat tray raffle, and Stephen Doig scoring $125 after picking the correct jackpot lucky ball! All 32 players gave it their all over 5 games of triples, and the results are as follows: Rink 3: John and Henry outclassed Yogi, P. Saur, and J. Taylor 20
Read more
On the weekend from the 1 to the 2 of June, eight of the Burdekin region’s best bowls players travelled to Townsville to play in the Pennants Bowls Competition against seven other dedicated clubs. After a 10 years hiatus from the pennants scene, the club took out fifth place in the competition out of the eight teams. Contributed by Stephen Doig
Read more