This week, and all into the holidays, The Burdekin Libraries at both Home Hill and Ayr, are running school holiday programs with some fun crafts. The children's librarian at the Burdekin Library, Carli Kovacich, discusses their school holiday programming, focusing on Christmas tree decoration crafts aimed at fostering family connections. “Tuesday’s programming is called Christmas tree decorations where we provide craft materials and do clean-up. But what our programming is really about is con
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Dear Community, As we approach the holiday season, we would like to remind you that the Neighbourhood Centre will be closing for our Christmas and New Year’s break. Our office will be closed from 12pm on Friday, December 20th, until 9 AM on Monday, January 6th, 2025. Reflecting on the past year, we recognise the significance of this time for our team. We are looking forward to taking a well-deserved break to recharge and gather our energies for the exciting new year ahead. That said, as w
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As the Christmas season draws near, activity at the Ayr Bowling Club has eased, with many members heading off for holiday festivities. However, the spirit of social bowls remains alive, ensuring skills stay sharp and friendships flourish. Men’s social bowls on Wednesday saw two engaging games of triples. The winning team of Ron Smythe, Happy Horan/Ray Wall, and Col Essex triumphed over their opponents John Pirrone, Margaret Chapman, and Lew Stidston. Wednesday night social bowls brought a live
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Saturday 21st of December, 1pm to 5pm: Patrol Group F - Lisa and John Furnell, Jen and Jo Morgan, Lauren and Isla Chapman, and Ryley, Jake, Kat and Dave Satori. Sunday 22nd of December, 9am to 5pm: Patrol Group D – Ben, Bella, and Kellie Lawry, Parker Bonato, Richard and Zac Dale, William Holt, Sharli and Danica Archibald, Lisa Vivian, and Kristy and Briella Wassmuth. Wednesday 25th of December, 9am to 1pm: Christmas Day Patrol Members - Jimmy Hayllor, and John, Anne, Sophia and Isabella Molon
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The countdown is on for the 2025 NQIB Burdekin Sprint, which is being held 18 January 2025, at the Ayr Pool. The event draws some 250–300 competitors annually, with families visiting the Burdekin from Ingham to Mackay, out through to Collinsville, Richmond and Charters Towers. Beyond the club, the benefits extend to the local businesses and community, with visitors often staying over the weekend during the carnival. With the Burdekin Swimming Club being such a small club, this type of importa
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As the cricket season wraps up for most of the Home Hill Cricket Association juniors, two talented players, Marshall Parker and Thomas Cardillo, are set to continue their cricketing journeys on the representative stage this December. Marshall Parker has been selected for the North Queensland Under-12B team and will head to Townsville from 16 to 20 December for a week-long Northern Hub Championship. His team will compete in 40-over matches against squads from Central Queensland, Mackay, and Far
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The Lower Burdekin Ski Club was buzzing with talented athletes on the weekend, with families travelling from across the northern end of the state to participate in the Club’s annual Christmas Classic Competition! 33 competitors showcased their skills on the water across three events, trick, jump and slalom with Lower Burdekin Ski Club President, Jay Wiseman thankful the sunshine pulled through for the competition. “We’ve really turned the weather on today,” said Jay. The Lower Burdekin Ski Cl
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The Delta Cleaners Night Soccer Grand Finals lit up International Park last Friday, drawing a large crowd to witness the thrilling conclusion of the 46th season of this iconic competition. With 13 games on the schedule, the event showcased the region's top teams battling it out for glory, with UDS and UDS Ladies emerging as the Men’s and Women’s A Grade champions. In the Men’s A Grade Final, UDS claimed the title after a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Show Me Da Mane. The match was deadlocked at
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Over the weekend, 42 competitors from the Ayr Surf Club travelled to Sarina to battle the best of the North Barrier in the annual Branch Championships. It was lovely to see the nippers being joined by a strong cohort of masters to give it their all over 2 very big days of strong competition. The club had some brilliant individual results, incredible team efforts and genuinely showed some amazing never give up attitude in all events giving them one of their highest overall points scores at a car
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A huge crowd of about 500 plus people descended upon Watson’s Green in Home Hill, on Sunday, December 8, to celebrate this year’s 2024 Christmas Carols in fine style. Led by home grown talent and singing sensation, René Le Feuvre, the large audience was treated to something special. With free entry, free facepainting, a photo booth, plenty of local entertainment and yummy food and drinks, plus a special appearance from Santa Claus, before the night finished with a spectacular fireworks display,
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Since coming to Home Hill and Burdekin over a fortnight ago, I’ve been made to feel welcome wherever I’ve gone. Being a regional boy myself, albeit from down south (don’t hold that against me), it doesn’t really surprise me. You see for a lad that’s travelled the globe, seen 60 countries, over six continents, living in 8 major cities around the world, I’ve always been drawn to smaller towns and places. It’s there that you really get to see a country. Bright lights and the hustle and bustle of
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Two of Home Hill’s service clubs have joined forces for the Home Hall Hospital Benefit Fund in a sign of solidarity, all in the name of a good cause. The Home Hill-Ayr Lions Club and the Home Hill Rotary Club, worked together to ensure that the Home Hill Hospital benefitted from the double-teamed fundraising event, with both organisations donating a total of just over $6000 in a show of strength and wonderful community spirit. The combined money raised, now allows the Home Hill hospital to im
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The Burdekin Racing Club, recently celebrated their 100th anniversary. The club's history and evolution are rich, with many key figures and events shaping its current state. Charlie Barbagallo, a patron and life member of the Race Club for over 50 years, and local historian, gave a detailed history. “Since I've come into the club, there's been a lot of changes. We've got a new building, our tracks are probably as good as any surface in Queensland. We've now got plastic running rails and safety
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As the school year wraps up Member for Burdekin Dale Last has sent a timely message to those school leavers seeking opportunities to stay close to home. Mr Last said while the agriculture sector remained the Burdekin’s key economic contributor, it relied on a strong local manufacturing industry to support it. “I’ve always said the Burdekin punches well above its weight and our manufacturers are certainly no exception,” Mr Last said. “As major supporters of our agriculture industry, it is impo
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Burdekin Shire Council representatives have been visiting plenty of local Burdekin primary schools lately as they engage students in interactive discussions about the importance of conserving water. While the Council has long promoted sustainable water use throughout the community, this latest initiative focuses on empowering the youngest members of the Burdekin Shire, giving them the knowledge and tools they need to make a difference. The students had the chance to explore the ‘Blue House’ wh
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With nearly 47 years of service to the community across Ayr and Home Hill health services, cook Rhonda McBow will be hanging up the apron for the last time. Getting her start at the Home Hill Hospital in 1977, Mrs McBow had been working at the old Coutts supermarket and was looking for a career change. “I’d heard the money was better at the hospital, so I went up and spoke to Matron Davies,” Mrs McBow said. “There were no interviews or resumes required back then, and she offered me a clean
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When I first started this column I was thinking of the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral with its hit song Love Is All Around because it was performed by the band Wet Wet Wet. How quick things can change because now this weather feels more like the upbeat vibe of Hot Hot Hot! The scorching days have certainly turned up the heat, making us all long for a cool breeze to break the spell. This isn’t the scorching weather I envisioned while writing my final Councillor column for 2024. The days have f
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This past month has been a whirlwind of firsts for me, and I’ve loved every moment of it. I was honoured to celebrate the incredible 100-year anniversary of the Home Hill Race Club. It’s amazing to think about how much history and community spirit has been poured into this club over the last century. Attending the BCA Seniors Luncheon and the Tourism Volunteers Christmas Party for the first time was such a treat. Meeting so many wonderful people who contribute so much to our community made these
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Last week on Thursday, December 5, Burdekin based company Aglantis, launched their smart irrigation, on-farm Smart Irrigation Demo Field Day with great success. Led by Luke Malan, Aglantis’ Managing Director, between 40-50 farmers turned up for the demo to witness the future of smart irrigation solutions in operation, today. Luke ran through what they’ve been able to achieve, how they operate, the ease of installation, and the low-cost entry point for local farmers of the Burdekin, which pleas
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Community Bank Home Hill and Ayr, a part of the Bendigo Bank, is committed to supporting the local community and there is no better time for giving than the festive season. As a Community Bank model, the organisation must deliver at least 50 per cent of their profits back to the community in which those profits were generated, we understand the importance of families and friends uniting in times when not everyone wants to celebrate. We are delighted to be partnering with the Burdekin Shire Cou
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Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR) has shared its dismay at the Australian Sugar Milling Council, saying it has lashed out at farmers for their criticism of the performance of mills this crushing season. QCAR has said that ASMC CEO Ash Salardini accused cane farmers of taking “pot shots” at mill workers and alleged they were “seemingly blaming the mills for not controlling the weather”. Mr Salardini further said he was “frankly dismayed” at commentary from grower collective groups
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Paul Schembri's election as grower-director to the Sugar Terminals Limited (STL) board has been met with strong approval from grower advocacy organisations CANEGROWERS and Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR). This milestone highlights the increasing demand for transparency, accountability, and grower-focused decision-making within the sugarcane industry. CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens hailed Mr Schembri’s election as a victory for growers, emphasising the significance of his lea
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The Burdekin Library’s Mini Book Sale has been in full swing this week, welcoming the community to pop down and browse a selection of biographies and autobiographies from Monday 9 December until Saturday 14 December. The community are encouraged to fill a bag of books for just $4 to keep themselves and their families entertained during the holidays and give the library’s deleted books a new home. Pop down to the Burdekin Library located at 108 Graham Street, Ayr between 9am and 5pm Monday to
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The graduation for Group Four at PCYC, held on December 5, celebrated five participants who completed their 10-week program Get Set For Work Program, each earning certificates for their efforts. The five participants all graduated, having achieved certificates in skills for work and vocational pathways, first aid certificates, and RSA. The participants range in age from 15 to 19 years old, with three part-time employed and one fully employed. “The five participants all participated well and a
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The Burdekin Tourism Volunteers came together on Saturday to celebrate another successful year of tourism in the Burdekin at the annual Volunteers Christmas Party. Held at the Malpass Hotel, the occasion saw the volunteers treated to a delicious buffet lunch in appreciation of their hard work throughout the year. The group of 40 volunteers have contributed to welcoming over 11,000 visitors to the Burdekin Visitor Information Centres in Ayr and Home Hill this year. Operating seven days a week,
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