Zac Anderson’s Football Journey Many young footballers dream of making the game their livelihood—their legacy. Of bursting onto the professional scene as a teenager and never looking back. Of crossing continents, sitting shoulder to shoulder with international stars as the muffled roar of 50,000 fans seeps through the changing room walls. For Zac Anderson, that dream became reality. But before all that, he was just a boy from the Burdekin. Born in Ayr to two school teachers completing their co
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From Birmingham To The Burdekin When John and Linda Gooding left their teaching jobs and comfortable life in Birmingham, England, in the early 1970s, they weren’t entirely sure what they were jumping into. What they did know was this: if an opportunity comes along, you take it—and be prepared to adapt. More than 50 years later, the couple are still proud to call Ayr home. They've raised their children here, watched the town change, and become a beloved part of the community. And while their acc
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This week, we asked a few of you two big questions: 'What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you?' and 'What’s on your bucket list?', courtesy of a suggestion by Allan Finn. Jimmy James Best thing that's ever happened to you? "The best thing that's ever happened to me is being around my family and spending time with them." Bucket list items? "I really want to go to an NBA game in America." James and Amber Sutherland Best thing that's ever happened to you? James: "When I got to stop mowin
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Thursday, 21st August Home Hill State High School’s Agricultural Precinct Open Day 9:00am - 11:00am Showcase of Home Hill State High School’s cutting-edge Agricultural Precinct, with tours, displays, tastings, and interactive industry experiences for all. Home Hill State High School Agricultural Precinct Friday 22 August Hunter’s Golf Night Drive for show, putt for dough at Ayr Golf Club’s Edwards Street course! Junior Ambassador Hunter Oar invites golfers of all abilities to an exciting night
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The Burdekin Roosters A Grade suffered another injury setback last Sunday, going down 32-22 to Western Lions in Townsville. After dominating Charters Towers in the second half last week, the forwards were expected to perform similarly against the Lions. That didn’t happen. Last week’s player of the match, big forward Braedyn Cotter, went down injured in the first ten minutes and didn’t return. Soon after, recent signing and Fijian first-grader Kalevi Raluli injured a hamstring and was forced of
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A not so good weekend for the Panthers, winning just two and losing four of the six matches played. On Saturday, away to Brothers the Premiers won 4-1 but the Reserves lost 0-9. On Friday, in Townsville the Ladies lost 2-3 to Brothers and the Division 1 Men lost 2-5 to Brothers. The Division 2 Funkies lost 1-6 to Saints Eagles Souths. And on Wednesday evening the Ladies beat Wulguru 9-1 at home, This week the Premiers and Reserves are away to Warriors, the Premiers at 7.30 and the Reserves at 5
Read moreAyr Bowling Club Report This week at the Ayr Bowling Club had a busy week with competition games played all week. Tuesday 12th August saw Ladies Social Bowls giving us 2 triples game. Winners were Isabel Cislowski, Ron Soper and Betty Schultz defeating Jeanette McDonald, Donna Soper and Irene Wilson. Karen Shepherd Merle Nixon and Rayleen Hervey defeated Linda Giumelli, Katharina Stuckler and Dot Cutting. On Wednesday, we saw a great afternoon’s social bowling competition. There were three game
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Home Hill Bowls Club Report Welcome to winter, Burdekin style, to our visitors and new members: Mack Swaine from Maclean NSW, Ray Hollis from Beresfield NSW, Ken Ferguson, Brandon Bowls Club, and new member Rob Dale. Thursday's winners (pictured) were Ken Ferguson, Dino Poli, and Joe Linton. The raffle was won by Norm Bethell. Next week’s prizes will be $15 for 1st, $10 for 2nd, and $5 for 3rd. With 24 players again, we played 4 games of triples. Rink 3: Bob Pickard, Ray Hollis, and Alex Bojac
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In just a week’s time, nine members of the Burdekin Netball Association (BNA) will rock the chop as part of a wonderful fundraising initiative in support of both the Cancer Council Australia and the Ponytail Project! Aimee Gibson, Kristine Patti, Brittany Bohl, Cailin Gosling, Dominique Gorey, Ella Zabel, Jade Bolam, Tayah Gibson and Tayla McKaig have all committed to cut their hair at the Burdekin Netball Association’s Wigs and Wine fundraising event in aid of Home Hill Harvest Festival Entran
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Tec-NQ House grade 11 boarding student Max has his boots firmly planted in two very different worlds: the rugged, hands‑on life of a central Queensland cattle station, and the bustling day‑to‑day routine of boarding school in Townsville. “I live on a station north of Clermont called Mazeppa,” Max explained. “When I’m not here at school, I live there with my family.” Home for Max is anything but quiet. Mazeppa Station is a working property that runs both cattle and crops, keeping everyone on thei
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Saturday morning saw Ayr's beloved CBD fountain turn pink in support of the 'Step Up to Breast Cancer' fundraising endeavours of two local teams. At 9am, a small crowd including Mayor Pierina Dalle Cort watched on as pink-coloured solution was poured into the fountain water, transforming it into a symbol of solidarity. The event—initiated by Zara Frost and Ella Logan of the 'Tata Slides', alongside Kaitlyn Warren, Chloe Rehbien, and Molly Julyan, who operate under the 'Hakuna Ma-Tata' moniker—
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In a time when many services are decreasing in smaller communities, the Burdekin has bucked the trend. The Burdekin MyTime group has been operating for over 20 years. It caters for families with children with special needs and provides regular opportunities for carers to share, encourage, educate and support. Long-term MyTime coordinator, Gwen Marshall, said that the group’s primary aim was for carers to “meet with friends who understand!” “Our group has elected to have around half of the meet
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Last weekend saw the Burdekin FC Women's teams honoured with the annual 'Ladies Day' event—a fantastic event for a fantastic cause, raising thousands of dollars to fund the upcoming season for the women’s sides. Events like these are crucial beyond the financial aspect. For a substantial period in history, sports were largely male-dominated. Events like these help to dismantle that outdated concept. They’re about showing real support for women in the sport—and sport as a whole. It’s about maki
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On Tuesday, 5 August, a relic of Australian motoring history rolled into the Burdekin Woolworths parking lot: Bubsie—a Citroën 5CV that earned its place in the record books as the first car to circumnavigate the entire continent. An almost identical replica, its recent arrival in Ayr was part of a national centenary tribute to one of Australia’s boldest road adventures, offering locals the rare chance to admire the vehicle’s ingenious 1920s design up close. The tribute honours the original 192
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Four in five Australian small businesses experienced a cyber incident in the last year and Burdekin businesses are also falling victim according to Member for Burdekin, Dale Last MP. With costs to deal with cyber incidents increasing to an average of $49,600, Mr Last said a recent state government announcement was both welcomed and timely. “I’m aware of two local small businesses who have been targeted in the last few weeks, so these attacks aren’t something that is confined to the cities or t
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Meet Lachlan Dance Ayr Fire Station has strengthened its ranks with Queensland native Lachlan Dance, who clocked in for his first shift last Monday. The recruitment follows Dance’s completion of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services intensive 16-week recruit course, which he passed with flying colours. Dance brings a strong background in community service. After nine years with the Australian Defence Force, posted in nearby Townsville, he says serving others is what drives him. “Having a
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Australia is blessed with abundant resources — coal, uranium, sunshine, wind, and water. We should have the world’s cheapest and most reliable power in the world. Instead, electricity bills are soaring, reliability is falling, and households are feeling the squeeze. The gap between what we are paying for power and what we should be paying, keeps growing. Investors are walking away from major wind and hydrogen projects, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. Even members of the government are quiet
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An All-Ages Community Event To mark the beginning of celebrations for 2025 National Skills Week, on Saturday, August 23, North Queensland Senior School and training organisation, Tec-NQ, will throw open its doors for an all-ages Open Day with a difference. With 69 trades currently identified as experiencing a national skills shortage, there is no better time to try out a trade. Tec-NQ Chief Executive Officer Ross Jorgensen said this year’s Open Day will be an all-ages celebration of everything
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The Burdekin Community Association Inc. (BCA) Home Care Service delivers a wide range of services for seniors and their carers. Home Care Packages Program (HCP) The HCP Program provides support to older people with complex care needs to live independently in their own home. We can offer services to eligible seniors on a Level 1, 2, 3 or 4 package. Services include in-home support services, transport, home maintenance/repairs/modifications, access to allied health services and other care related
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Local residents will have the chance to get involved with Special Olympics when a ‘Come N Try’ day is held in Ayr on Saturday, 30 August, from 10am to midday. The event is open to anyone in the Burdekin who would like to participate or learn more about the organisation, which has been transforming lives since 1968. Special Olympics is a global movement dedicated to athletes with intellectual disabilities, supported by hundreds of thousands of volunteers and coaches around the world. It provid
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Councillor Detenon beat me to the official announcement of the pump track in his column a few issues ago, but I wanted to share an update on what’s happening next and how you can get involved. Council has awarded the contract to Common Ground Trails, and they’ve now started the design phase. The exciting part? They’ll soon be reaching out to the community to help shape how the track looks and functions. If you ride, have kids who do, or just have some good ideas, this is your chance to have a sa
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Council has received questions following the removal of trees in the Australia Post Park area beside the Burdekin Theatre Forecourt. Here’s what you need to know: • A line-of-sight assessment conducted by Queensland Police Service identified that mature trees were blocking essential signal paths between the Ayr Police Station radio tower and the Ayr Water Tower. • This obstruction posed a risk to public safety and emergency response capability in our district. • The land is owned by Australia Po
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In early 2023, Honeycombes Sales and Service Ayr commenced a new chapter in its long history with the addition of Honeycombes PowerSports. Located in the heart of the Burdekin, this dedicated division brings motorbikes, ATVs and power equipment offerings, and expert parts and servicing together under one roof, building on Honeycombes’ reputation for reliability that dates to 1913. Honeycombes PowerSports partners with trusted names like Honda, Suzuki, and STIHL, offering a broad range of equipm
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The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is reminding the public to think before calling Triple Zero (000) for non-urgent matters, as demand for emergency assistance continues to climb. In the first six months of 2025, QPS emergency call takers handled 488,096 inbound calls — an 8.53 per cent increase on the same period last year. Of these, more than 93 per cent (453,764) were Triple Zero emergencies, reflecting a growing demand for immediate police assistance across the state. Acting Superintenden
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The closing date for applications to the Building Resilient Tourism Infrastructure North Queensland Fund has been extended to 1 September 2025. The four million dollar fund offers grants between thirty thousand and two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, excluding GST, to help tourism businesses in disaster-affected areas strengthen infrastructure and prepare for future natural events. All projects must be completed by 31 March 2027. Eligible initiatives include flood prevention works, constru
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