Vince Toohey Memorial Bursary for her academic excellence and achievements. A prestigious award, the Vince Toohey Memorial Bursary is annually awarded to a graduating student who has obtained the highest ATAR across the Burdekin district to assist with university fees as managed by the Home Hill - Ayr Lions Club. Club members, Patrick and Lydia Toohey tragically lost their son Vince Toohey as he was beginning his tertiary studies, and to honour the Toohey family, the club established the bursar
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At the end of November, the Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre held our 37th Annual General Meeting. Our long-term President, Kay Duggan, stood down to Vice-President and Denise Wallace has taken up the mantle. We congratulate all of the incoming Committee and thank them sincerely for supporting the Neighbourhood Centre and our collective goals. As the new year approaches, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the past year while looking ahead toward the future. Making plans for the new year can
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With the sounding of the final school bell for the 2024 school year set to ring across the region at 3pm on Friday 13 December, there’s no better time than the present to dive into the Burdekin Library’s fun filled Holiday Program for 2024 and 2025! In the interest of kicking the holidays off on a festive note, the 2024 December Holiday Program will have you swimming in waves of Christmas crafts, treats, and eats! January will provide even more opportunities for fun and creativity, with activit
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Thursday afternoon saw 20 players turn up at Rummeny Green. Rink 4. Margaret Linton and Mick McClosky defeated Tony Caruso and Gary Nosworthy. Rink 5. Des Chapman and Alan C accounted for Maude ? and Hugh Montgomery. Rink 6. Paul Vass, Dino Poli and Glen (Bones) Berryman won over Phil ?, Mick Olsen and Joe Linton. Rink 7. Bob Pickard, Bruce ? and Wayne Newton proved much too strong for Alex Bojack, Steve Doig and Henry Hazel. At 11am on Saturday the 7th of December the AGM for the Homehill co
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Despite heavy rain across the district, Home Hill Golf Club members were fortunate to enjoy a dry day on the course for the highly anticipated Power Family Cup. The annual 4BBB competition drew a strong field of 48 players, all vying for the coveted Christmas hams. A big thank you goes to the Power family for their ongoing support of the club. Their contributions throughout the year are greatly appreciated and help ensure events like this are a success. John Ross Dale and Simon Power emerged a
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The Ayr Pony & Hack Club brought their year to a thrilling close with an unforgettable ride and camp at Virginia Park Station in November. Members and their families immersed themselves in the beauty and adventure of the great outdoors, making lasting memories in a picturesque setting. The weekend was filled with excitement as riders explored bush trails, galloped across river sands, splashed through refreshing waters, and tackled every jumpable log in sight. The scenic station provided a perfe
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It has been a bustling week at the Ayr Bowling Club, with social bowls, awards presentations, and the Annual General Meeting bringing members together to celebrate a successful year of bowling. On Wednesday 4 December, the club hosted three games of triples with Ron Smythe, Joe Papale, and Anthony Bull emerging victorious over Cisco, Col Essex, and Ron Soper in a close match. The club's covered greens provided respite from the summer heat, ensuring an enjoyable afternoon for all participants.
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The final junior cricket games for 2024 before the Christmas break were played last Friday evening at the Nutrien Ag Solutions Cricket Complex, bringing together players, families, and the wider community for a fantastic celebration of the season. The Tuesday Rookies joined forces with the Challengers for the occasion, creating an exciting atmosphere where all players showcased their skills before enjoying a well-earned sausage sizzle, generously sponsored by Woolworths. In the Challengers' ma
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The rain stayed away long enough last Friday for the penultimate week of Junior Cricket before the Christmas break, giving the young cricketers a chance to showcase their skills. Thanks to Dan and the grounds team, the Nutrien Ag Solutions Cricket Complex fields were in top condition, despite the recent wet weather. In the Challengers group, Noah Tanner and Corey Pensini stood out with a superb partnership of 19 runs, with Corey remaining not out. Batting wasn’t easy, but the bowlers made their
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Saturday 14 December, 1pm to 5pm: Patrol Group A - Chris Wicks, Damien Rickets, Emma Rickets, and Jane Wicks.Sunday 15 December, 9am to 5pm: All Day Patrol Group D - Ben Lawry, Kellie Lawry, Zac Dale, Parker Bonato, Richard Dale, Bella Lawry, William Holt, Sharli Archibald, Danica Archibald, Lisa Vivian, Kristy Wassmuth, and Briella Wassmuth. Contributed with thanks to Hockey Vernon.
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Burdekin Christian College’s open boys’ basketball team made history by winning the inaugural Calvary Cup, held at Townsville Basketball Stadium on November 28. Competing against schools like Annandale, Whitsunday, and hosts Calvary Christian College, BCC’s boys remained undefeated, securing the boys' basketball title. Coach Rachel Cornelius praised the team’s effort, while BCC also celebrated standout performances from Peter Heron, Linked Darr, and Lataiah Trindle, who were awarded Best & Faire
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Plantation Parkrun #307 saw local runners and walkers gather for a morning of fitness and fun on Saturday 7 December. The weekly event showcased the talents of participants across various age groups, with Skye Claussen taking the top spot overall. Claussen crossed the finish line with an impressive time of 24:26. Hot on her heels was Drew Bursey, who secured second place in 26:22, followed closely by Robert Tama at 26:25. The fourth and fifth positions were claimed by Karin Thorburn in 26:31 an
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The Burdekin Clay Target Club wrapped up its year in style with a highly successful Christmas shoot on Sunday, December 8. With 58 competitors braving the steamy heat, the event showcased impressive scores across the board. The day featured six exciting events, and participants from various grades delivered outstanding performances. Event 1 – 15 Target Medley (15m) • AA Grade: 1st Aaron Lemphers (50/50), 2nd Wayne Cislowski (49/50), 3rd Jarrod Coleman (48/50) • A Grade: 1st Tony Robins
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On Sunday, December 1 in Ayr, and Monday December 2 at Home Hill, the lighting of two beautiful Christmas trees took centre stage for the Burdekin community with good sized audiences in attendance, to witness it. Mayor, Pierina Dalle Cort, had the honour of flicking the switch for each tree after the crowds counted down from ten to one with her. Both trees lit up the night skies, despite the prospects of rain, with Sunday’s event held at the Burdekin Theatre forecourt in Ayr, and the Comfort S
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Hi Everyone, You may have noticed a new man around town lately – Mark Rasmussen has joined the team as our journalist and, since he started last week, he has certainly been busy! As many of you will know by now, Miah has sadly left the company, opting to pursue different career options, and we wish her well with her future endeavours. In a couple of weeks’ time, we will also be welcoming Chelsea Ravizza back to town. She has been working remotely from Brisbane as our journalist across three o
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On Thursday 21 November, Paula, Henry and the pioneers behind the Jean Morris fundraising efforts were blown away and left with tears of gratitude by not one, but two extraordinarily generous acts of kindness. A newly illustrated portrait of Jean Morris created by Trevor Neal of Whitsunday Monuments has encouraged plenty of public attention over the past week, not just online. A regular day at Paula’s salon saw two walk-in donations, one of $200 and another $1000, leaving Paula overcome with g
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Jeff Lunn and Leon McCormack, are better knowns as the Christmas Lights Guys. They have been running a Christmas lights display for 17 years, something that was inspired by their childhood experiences. “When I was growing up, mum and dad used to take us around to the houses and suburbs. I thought, ‘Yeah, I could give that a go all right.’ So, I did. I used to put lights up for my folks, and for my grandparents,” Jeff says. “Leon was a bit of grinch the first few years, but now, now he's total
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Opinion Piece. Having seen the impact years of youth crime has held over North Queensland communities, Member for Burdekin Dale Last MP says the Crisafulli Government’s introduction of the Making Queensland Safer Bill sends a clear message to victims of crime that they had been heard and their safety was a priority. The Bill includes the legislating of Adult Crime, Adult Time and delivers on a key commitment to Queenslanders to restore community safety and turn the tide on the youth crime crisi
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On Sunday, December 1, Mayor, Pierina Dalle Cort, flicked the switch to light up Ayr’s Christmas tree for the very first time, now at its new location in the forecourt of the Burdekin Theatre. With a countdown from 10-1 by all those in attendance, the night was a good success despite the heavy rain earlier in the day that threatened to take the shine off the event. Thankfully, it held off long enough during the official tree lighting ceremony, which allowed people to get along and support the n
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On Monday, December 2, Mayor, Pierina Dalle Cort, lit up Home Hill with the flick of a switch that turned on Home Hill's Christmas tree for the very first time, at its cosy Comfort Stop location. With the help of a great crowd attendance, Mayor Dalle Cort led a countdown from 10-1 before the lights flicked on and sparkled into action, much to the approval of the many people that turned out, and even a few truck drivers who drove past at the time honking their horns. Despite the prospects of ra
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Faith Luke has recently celebrated the conclusion of her secondary schooling with pride after graduating from Burdekin Christian College with flying colours as the 2024 Valedictorian. Over the course of her schooling, Faith exhibited an unwavering commitment to her academics, undertaking subjects including mathematical methods, English, biology, physics, and chemistry, whilst balancing a world of extra-curricular activities, including dancing a plethora of styles offered at Rhythm Edge Dance S
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The Burdekin Sports Fishing Club, is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and they’re having a special get together to mark the milestone, with former and current members asked to come along. The club, first founded in 1974, has around 30-40 active members, with Simone Sutcliffe (club treasurer), and her husband Russell (club president), along with the Richard Berryman (club secretary), doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Notable achievements include Russell holding the Queensland, and Austral
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Last Wednesday at 7am, November 27, at the Burdekin Theatre, the Burdekin Shire Council hosted their popular Industry Breakfast. Speaking this month was Jet Zero Australia’s managing director, Ed Mason, Industrial Manager, Adam Douglas, new Burdekin Shire Council CEO, Matthew Magin; and an update from The Home Hill Chamber. Mayor, Pierina Dalle Cort opened the breakfast speeches before inviting keynote speaker, Ed Mason to speak. Mason, spruiked the benefits of Jet Zero Australia’s aviation in
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On Saturday 30 November, Austin Dewar, Brayden Rawlins and Campbell Johnston were joined by a few of their close friends and family as they completed the final kilometres as part of their 540km total, officially concluding their mammoth 2024 Three Blokes Running efforts. “It was a pretty good feeling to see how proud mum, dad, my brother, and my girlfriend were to see me cross that finish line, and to know we can have a rest now feels pretty good too,” said Campbell. “The reason we’re doing this
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The Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre held their AGM on Wednesday night which I attended. It was good to see such a big turn-out. The Centre offers some great classes ranging from Exercise, Crochet, Mental Health, Parkinson Support Group, Cooking, Bereavement Counselling, Dementia Support, and free Legal Advice plus many more please support this Centre. I attended the Burdekin Industry Breakfast on Wednesday 27th November at the Burdekin Theatre. It was a very interesting morning listening to
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