Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
2025 marks a wonderful milestone in Clare State School’s history, and over the weekend, almost 500 members of the Burdekin community gathered together to celebrate the school’s 75th anniversary. Despite the unfortunate weather conditions, Clare State School Principal, Troy Patti was beyond pleased with the weekend’s events, noting Saturday evening’s Twilight Feast & Timeless Talks was an occasion to remember. “The weekend was very successful, especially considering the rainfall that we had exp
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The 2025 rugby league season is set to officially begin this weekend in the R L T D competition, with Brothers and Centrals' A-grade teams not in action. Centrals will face Bowen in Bowen, but the home side does not have an A-grade team, meaning no game will take place. Brothers are having a bye this round. In other matches, the Western Lions will host Charters Towers on Saturday, while the Roosters will play Norths at Rugby Park, and Souths will face Herbert River in Townsville. Norths will br
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Local Once again, all four Burdekin Panthers games had to be called off because of the wet weather. In fact, all NQ Football fixtures were called off. There is now a three week break for the Premiers and Under 23s until they play Brothers at home on 26 April! The only fixture this week is the Division One Ladies who are down to play Warriors in Townsville this Friday night. Weather permitting. Juniors The Juniors fixtures were once again called off due to the ongoing wet weather. Hope the ki
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Backpage: ** The 2025 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships began at North Kirra on the Gold Coast, with the Nipper and Youth Championships on 29-30 March. Harsh weather led to water event cancellations and a reduced beach program. Ayr Surf Club’s seven youth competitors performed well despite event limitations. Bella Lawry & Briella Wassmuth and Charlotte Lawry & Emilee Wassmuth placed 6th in their R&R finals, with Bella & Briella as the top Queensland team. Other members excelled in beach
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After persistent rain, bowlers finally had their chance to return to the green at Brandon, with competitive action kicking off on Friday night. The A & B Pairs final saw Jayson Farry and Jamie Woods prove too strong for Gary Pearce and Lloyd Shepherd, securing a decisive victory. Saturday 29th March – A Grade Singles Championship events continued on Saturday with a highly anticipated second-round A Grade Singles clash between two powerhouses, Peter Lejarraga and Vince Beitia. The match was fin
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The heavens opened again which made it impossible for playing the last week of Junior Cricket games of the 24/25 season. The breakup and presentations went ahead at the Nutrien Ag Solutions cricket clubhouse though. Players from the youngest Rookies to the Challengers, along with members of the Blue and Gold groups and their families, gathered for the end-of-season celebration last Friday night. A free sausage sizzle was provided for all players and their siblings before the presentation of gift
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The weather gods were not smiling on Home Hill Cricket this week, with the grand final game between Peto Marine and the Rookies, and the playoff for third between Alliance Pharmacy and the Crowned Mongrels being washed out. Despite the rain, presentations and a small celebration of the 2024/25 cricket season were held on Sunday afternoon. Winners from the season were: Minor premiers - Peto Marine Most runs - Lee Watts (210 runs for the season) Batting average - Lee Watts (average 70 runs) Hig
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The Ayr Bowling Club has celebrated another excellent week on the greens despite the rain, with members coming together for a mix of club Championship games and engaging social matches. The atmosphere and enthusiasm around the club remains high, as members are gearing up for Ladies Division 1 Pennants. With Ayr Bowling Club hosting the event from 26th – 29th April, 2025. We encourage members and anyone who has an interest in bowls to come and support our ladies during this prestigious event. Our
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Simon Hood, Wilmar Manager Grower Marketing The growing season rolls on, and the weather gods continue to throw curveballs to sugarcane growers. After a relatively dry period following the February onslaught, the recent rain events may well cause a further downgrade in crop expectations. The southern Wilmar crushing regions would appear to be a beneficiary of rain, however, the Burdekin and Herbert regions are looking for some sunshine to get the crop growing again. With crop estimates releas
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Ayr State School recently held its annual Badge Ceremony, a proud tradition where senior students step into leadership roles and pledge their commitment to guiding their peers and upholding the school’s values. This year, Sage and Ruby were honoured as School Captains, with Sage also taking on the role of Cultural Captain and Ruby representing her peers as the Student Representative. Their dedication and enthusiasm are sure to inspire students throughout the year. The House Captain roles were
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Transitioning to secondary school is a significant milestone, and at Burdekin Catholic High School (BCHS), they are dedicated to making this journey both exciting and seamless for students and parents alike. With a strong sense of community, outstanding academic programs, and a commitment to student success, BCHS ensures that every child is supported as they take their first steps into high school life. To help students feel at home, BCHS invites all Year 5 and 6 students from the Burdekin regi
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Hi Everyone, I’m truly enjoying getting to know the Burdekin community and exploring the region as a whole. Starting fresh in a new area can be a bit daunting, but I’ve been met with such warmth and kindness from everyone here. Though change can feel challenging at times, I’ve found that stepping out of your comfort zone often leads to wonderful, unexpected experiences. So far, I’ve discovered some new favourite lunch and dinner spots, met some incredible people with fascinating stories, and
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Ladies Day Out The Home Hill ladies enjoyed Saturday afternoon bowls. Home Hill Bowls Club is growing and are seeing a fantastic growth and support from the ladies bowlers, with everyone taking the advantage of the sun before the predicted rains come back again. Home Hill Open Easter Fours: The Home Hill Bowls & Sports Club will be sponsoring an attractive fours carnival over the Easter Saturday and Sunday, flyers have gone out already to all bowler club. We are hoping to make this an annual
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An historic increase in funding for state schools will help students catch up, keep up and finish school according to Member for Burdekin, Dale Last MP. Mr Last said the additional $2.8 Billion in funding over 10 years was the biggest injection of funding ever delivered to Queensland state schools and was confirmation of the state government’s goal of delivering a better future for Queensland’s children. “Education is about opening doors for students and the Crisafulli governing is committed t
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The sun was shining as the Ayr Juniors enjoyed a fantastic round of golf two weekends ago. The front nine was played, with 3-, 6-, and 9-hole competitions running. The club expressed its gratitude to Burdekin Christian College for generously sponsoring the morning and to Debra Creed for joining Ayr Juniors to help present the wonderful prizes, which included bags of golf goodies. In the 3-hole competition, Opie McKeough claimed the gross win, closely followed by Pia Mauro, who secured the nett
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With the Oriental fruit fly last detected on mainland Australia along the North Queensland coast in 1995, the risk of another incursion remains a serious threat to the Burdekin's fruit industry. The pest, which thrives in climates similar to our own, could devastate key crops such as bananas and mangoes—staples of both local farms and the broader Australian horticultural sector. With Burdekin and surrounding regions heavily reliant on these industries, another outbreak could have dire economic a
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Flood-affected soybean growers in Queensland growing regions say the best way concerned Aussies can help growers get back on their feet is at the supermarket checkout. For North Queensland soybean grower, Christian Lago, it has been a season of constant weather challenges and lots of uncertainty. “Our soybean season in the Burdekin region has been a challenge from the start”, said Mr Lago. “Before Christmas, we were struggling to get soybeans in the ground thanks to wet weather and a delayed
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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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Within the Burdekin Shire, a familiar string of words has been repeated time and time again in recognition of the region’s unwavering display of mateship which shines through in the way local businesses support the wider community. You may have heard “there’s no business like a Burdekin business” and in times of rain, floods, or sunshine the true strength of those simple words comes to light. From sponsoring the costumes your children wear on stage in their school musicals, to the football they
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Ivica Murry has mastered the art of intertwining the whimsical world of magic and wonder into her everyday life, and now she hopes to help other members of the community do the same. Just last week, Ivica created an online community titled “The Folk Magick Collective” where she plans to share her wealth of knowledge on the niche practice with the wider Burdekin and beyond. “Folk Magick is a practical, tradition-based system of magic passed down through generations within communities, often foc
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At just 10 years old, little Ellie Sutcliffe has made the decision to cut, colour and donate her hair to raise both valuable funds and awareness for those affected by blood cancer as part of the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave! “The reason I was inspired to participate in this wonderful event is because several years ago, my grandfather had a blood cancer, so I want to help raise funds to support the important research done by the Leukaemia Foundation, and to help raise awareness,
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As the pages of our calendars flipped over to show the 4th of April this week, many locals were left feeling a sense of unsettling nostalgia, recalling the havoc that tore through this very township 36 years ago when Cyclone Aivu made landfall. Originally formed on the waters surrounding the Solomon Islands, Cyclone Aivu tracked directly towards the Queensland coastline, intensifying greatly, almost to the strength of 1974’s Cyclone Tracy. At approximately 10am on the morning of the 4th of Apri
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Queensland has recently become the site of a remarkable paleontological discovery: the identification of a new ancient fish species, Palaeospondylus australis. This specimen, unearthed from the 400-million-year-old limestone deposits of the Georgina Basin in western Queensland, is believed to be one of the smallest known vertebrate fossils in Australia. The fossil's exceptional preservation in three dimensions offers unprecedented insights into the creature's skeletal structure. This level of d
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We've had continued wet weather, which has certainly impacted our roads. At present, they are being patched until we receive disaster relief funding. If you come across any large potholes, I encourage you to contact our Customer Service Centre on 4783 9800 or use the Snap Send Solve app to report them. Please take extra care while travelling during this weather, and don’t hesitate to report any other concerns. What a fantastic event the Fast Track Talent Showcase was last weekend. This event fir
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So, how is everyone liking the rain? I have to say that I do like it, but enough is enough now. Despite farmers still needing to plant, I think we as a Shire have gotten off lightly and my heart goes out to those who have suffered tremendous loss and damage as a result of these rain and flood events. Thank you to Council’s Disaster Management Team who go to great lengths to keep us all updated in a timely fashion while under the constraints of the BOM. I attended the NQ Fast Track Talent final s
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