Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Donzel began his Tec-NQ House journey in Semester 2, 2025, bringing fresh energy to the boarding community. As a year 10 student, preparing for year 11 in 2026, he already has his future mapped out: a career in the automotive industry. “I chose Tec-NQ for the opportunities after school,” said Donzel. “I heard about this school from family members,” he added. It’s the strength of Tec-NQ’s vocational pathway options that attracted him, and he is keen to take every chance to learn. “So far, it’s
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From Angel Paws Dog & Cat Rescue Zorro is a young feline with a heart full of promise and the opportunity for a bright future. Rescued from the pound, Zorro may initially seem a bit shy, but give him just thirty minutes, and you'll find yourself enchanted by his gentle nature and sweet demeanor. Once he trusts you, he transforms into a dedicated purr machine, letting you know you've won his heart with his melodic symphony of affection. Though Zorro's beginnings were challenging, his time in fos
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Team Spotlight: Raelene and Sonya At Community Bank Home Hill & Ayr, it’s the people behind the counter who make the biggest difference — not just in banking, but in building lasting community connections. Two of those friendly faces, Raelene and Sonya, share a deep passion for helping others and being part of something that gives back. Raelene, who has called the Burdekin home for around 35 years, joined the Community Bank just four months ago. For her, the most rewarding part of the job is si
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Step into Betta Ayr these days and you’ll feel a fresh energy in the air. That's because Dave Jenkins, the store’s new manager, has brought a friendly, homey touch to every corner, drawing on nearly 20 years of local experience in the appliance and electronics industry to make shopping simple, welcoming, and personal for everyone in the Burdekin community. “Trust is a big thing in a small town," says Dave. "Everyone walks through the door with a problem—maybe something’s broken, they want to up
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Rural Women’s Day brought together an inspiring crowd at the Masonic Temple in Ayr on Friday, October 17. Presented by Community Bank Home Hill & Ayr in partnership with Wilmar, Bowen Gumlu Growers Association, and Keir Steele Waldon, the event recognised the resilience and heart of women across the Burdekin and beyond. Hosted by Bendigo Bank’s Queensland equipment finance manager and Beyond the Farm Gate podcast host, Helen Connick, the day featured live music, a two-course lunch, and captivat
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For more than four decades, the Burdekin Machinery Preservationists have been keeping the region’s mechanical heritage alive—and now they’re calling on younger locals to join in and help keep the wheels of history turning. Based in the Brandon Heritage Precinct, the Burdekin Machinery Preservationists (BMP) are a passionate group of about 60 members, many of them retired tradesmen and lifelong tinkerers, who devote their time to restoring and maintaining historic engines, tractors, and machiner
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For one special evening, Home Hill’s Burdekin Memorial Hall will come alive with community spirit as guests gather for the Rotary Gala Ball, part of this year’s Harvest Festival. The event will feature live music, dancing, and a lively atmosphere, celebrating the people who contribute to the community. Attendees will enjoy a formal sit-down dinner, mingle with fellow guests, and support local initiatives in a night that blends elegance with fun and generosity. The Gala Ball will also honour the
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The King and Queen of the Hill event is back this Saturday, October 25, as part of the Home Hill Harvest Festival. Runners will tackle the challenging course from the base of Mount Inkerman to the scenic lookout and back, testing both speed and endurance in a thrilling competition. Competitors will be divided into multiple age group categories, giving runners of all levels the chance to claim the crown. Cash prizes will be awarded to winners, adding an extra incentive for those chasing glory.
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Watson’s Green will come alive with wagging tails, laughter, and friendly competition on Wednesday, November 5, as the popular Pet Show and Bolt for Bucks return as part of the Home Hill Harvest Festival. Locals are encouraged to bring along their beloved pets—big or small—to compete in a range of fun categories, including Best Dressed, Fastest Eater, Most Unusual Pet, Waggiest Tail, and Best Trick. Awards will also be handed out for the best kept cat, dog, puppy, kitten, guinea pig, reptile, a
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Golfers will swap the sidelines for the fairways on Sunday, November 2, as the Golf Ambrose returns to the Home Hill Harvest Festival lineup. The friendly nine-hole tournament promises a relaxed day on the greens, filled with competition, camaraderie, and plenty of laughs. Teams of four can tee off between 10:00am and 3:00pm, with limited spots available. Entry is $25 per person, which includes a round of golf, a burger, and eligibility for prizes. Awards will be presented for the best overall
Read moreWatson’s Green will come alive with wagging tails, laughter, and friendly competition on Wednesday, November 5, as the popular Pet Show and Bolt for Bucks return as part of the Home Hill Harvest Festival. Locals are encouraged to bring along their beloved pets—big or small—to compete in a range of fun categories, including Best Dressed, Fastest Eater, Most Unusual Pet, Waggiest Tail, and Best Trick. Awards will also be handed out for the best kept cat, dog, puppy, kitten, guinea pig, reptile, a
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Just 83 years young, Burdekin-born-and-raised Cass Arboit’s name is almost synonymous with Burdekin agriculture. Born into a family of Italian immigrants and raised on the family farm, the values of hard work, efficiency, and discipline formed the foundation of everything Cass would become. Over a farming career spanning more than 50 years, Cass witnessed firsthand the evolution of rural life, from the pre-electricity era of the 1950s to today’s modern operations. "We only got electricity in 1
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The Home Hill Rotary Club and Ayr/Home Hill Lions Club were both recognised at last Wednesday's Home Hill Chamber of Commerce meeting when they received official honorary memberships for their longstanding commitments to the Burdekin Shire. "It's about honouring both the individuals and the clubs as a whole for the work they've done," said Home Hill Chamber president Uli Liessmann. Alf Musumeci of the Home Hill Rotary Club and Nola Nendick of the Lions Club were both in attendance on the night
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Local seniors looking to stay active, healthy and connected can now join the Active and Social Seniors Group at the Burdekin Community Rehabilitation Centre, located at 12A Chippendale Street, Ayr. Eligible participants can take part in individual rehabilitation or group exercise sessions delivered by Accredited Exercise Physiologists and Exercise Scientists in a welcoming, fully equipped environment. Each session is designed to promote strength, mobility and confidence while encouraging social
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The author of more than 30 books, Kim Wilkins is returning to the Burdekin for two special one-off events, hosted by the Burdekin Readers & Writers Association. Burdekinite’s have a rare chance to attend a meet & greet with Kim, who has been published in more than 20 languages and won numerous accolades, to hear how she’s done it at a newly established pop-up bar at 148 Queen St, along with attending her writing workshop. “We feel very fortunate and honoured that Kim accepted our invite to com
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SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER King & Queen of the Hill 6am–8am Race to the top of Inkerman Hill and back in this thrilling test of endurance. Multiple age categories, cash prizes, plus food and coffee vans on site. Register on the day. Mount Inkerman FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER Cocktails & Convo with Award-Winning Author Friday 6pm Join Burdekin Readers & Writers Association and award-winning author (and former local), Kim Wilkins, for cocktails and conversation at their pop-up book bar. The author of more than tw
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The Ayr Bears have gone one up in the Annual Inter-Town Rugby League series against Home Hill, part of the Town of Origin Harvest Festival celebrations. The series, now in its 11th year, sees the two towns compete across Rugby League, Cricket, and Netball. On Sunday, Ayr won the Cricket 60–59, Home Hill claimed the Netball 40–17, with Krystal Kerr judged best player, and Ayr secured the Rugby League decider 32–4, giving the northern town a 6–5 advantage in the series. Ayr fielded an experience
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The Burdekin Clay Target Club held another successful shoot on Sunday, 12th October, with 28 shooters taking part. The club thanks sponsors Michael and Susy Populin and Torri Davies from Home Hill Engineering, and acknowledges Lui Populin for his continued support in donating meat trays for the raffle. The next shoot is scheduled for Sunday, 9th November. Event 1, the 25 Target Single Barrel, saw AA Grade winners Phillip Scalia, Benji Micallef and Aaron Lemphers achieve a perfect 15/15, while A
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After two wins at home last week, both teams were hoping to replicate that success again on Sunday at the Nutrien Ag Solutions Cricket Complex. The Home Hill Third Grade side faced a disciplined Suburban Parks attack and dismissed for 126 runs. The innings never quite found momentum, with four early wickets falling to J Eldho, who proved to be the chief destroyer for Sub Parks. The partnership of Alexander Romeo (35 runs) and Darcy Walters (39 runs) proved crucial to the total. Despite Home Hi
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The batters dominated at the Nutrien Ag Solutions Cricket Complex last week. In the Blue Group, Kaisen Petersen led the way with an unbeaten 30 runs, including four fours. Jake Cullen also impressed with 19 not out, hitting two fours. Corbett Cross and Kip Nicholas both remained unbeaten on 17 runs. With the ball, Tait Parker and Jake Cullen each took two wickets, while Kyle Wilkie, Henry Cohen and Petersen each contributed a run out. Jake Cullen and Henry Cohen were awarded the McDonald’s Spo
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The Junior Touch Football season kicked off last Friday with an impressive 170 boys and girls aged 4 to 13 registering to play. Teams participate in skills, drills, and games each week from 5.30 to 6.15pm, ensuring young players develop their ball-handling and game awareness while having fun. Burdekin Life member Bob Clerke said, “It’s great to see so many young players. There are over 40 boys and girls aged from four to six years. The aim is to develop their ball and playing skills while makin
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The Burdekin FC Presentation Night will be held on Saturday 25 October at Populin’s Hall. Get your tickets on-line now, or at the Mad House on Tuesday night. Night Soccer The fourth week of competition and with two forfeits, the eighteen games produced sixty two goals, and there were no Sin Bins! Top scorers were Ladies team Body Tune with ten goals. Delta Physio scored four goals and there were six draws with five games being decided by the odd goal. Top individual scorer was Sian Reardon wit
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This week the Ayr Bowling Club was filled with friendship and healthy competition. Tuesday 14th October saw Ladies Social Bowls with 10 ladies giving us 1 triple’s and 1 pairs game. Winners J McDonald, D Soper, and B Schultz defeated M Nixon, K Stuckler and P Power. In the pairs game Karen Shepherd and M Poli defeated M Smith and K Page. On Wednesday, we saw a great afternoon’s social bowling competition. There were two games of Triples. Winners were Cisco, G Nixon and J McDonald defeating D Po
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Twenty players attended, with eighteen taking to the greens across three rinks of Triples. Rink 4: Yogi Bunn, Ron Smith, and Hugh Montgomery battled closely against Bob Young, Sandra Darwin, and Glen Bones Berryman. Rink 5: Paul Vass, Gary Nosworthy, and Joe Linton, today’s winning team, comfortably defeated Michael Young, Trevor Elton, and Steve Doig. Rumour has it that Joe Linton’s team was touched by a fairy, as luck seemed to follow them all day. Rink 6: An on-fire Margaret Chapman, Bruce
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A strong field of young golfers took to the course last weekend for the October Monthly Medal at Ayr Golf Club, with 19 juniors turning out for a great morning of competition and practice ahead of this weekend’s major event — the Karrie Webb Junior Masters. In the three-hole division, Frank McKeough claimed the Monthly Medal, while Patrick Richards took out the gross winner title. The six-hole competition saw Pia Mauro crowned Monthly Medal winner, with Tyler Smith recording an impressive gros
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