What began as a light-hearted conversation between some long-term entrepreneurial locals during the Christmas of 1983, has since blossomed into one of the Whitsundays’ most successful and long-standing businesses. Originally the milk depot in Proserpine, this humble and fledgling company has constantly diversified and expanded over the years, its name now synonymous within the foodservice industry. In 2024 Whitsunday Foodservice celebrates 40 years in business, an impressive milestone, steeped in history.

Back in 1983, the milk depot in Proserpine was owned by Arnold and Denise Legg, but following discussions, Alan Murray, along with Dick Dray and his brothers Edward, Geoffrey, and Michael, decided to purchase the business. With the brothers coming from a farming background and Alan having already owned milk runs in Brisbane, the team believed they had the skills and experience to make the business work.

Almost half a century later, and they have definitely proved this the case.

Proserpine Milk Distribution Company began with just a handful of staff - Alan Murray, Noleen McDonald, Fay Milne as bookkeeper and Andrea Ruge. Robyn Murray recalls that, back then delivery vehicles were not air-conditioned, let alone refrigerated. She remembers Rob Blanza delivering supplies to the Airlie Beach area in his Ford 100 and Larry Meygel servicing the Proserpine town centre in a Toyota Dyna. Rusty Crane was a Semi Driver who picked milk up from Mackay three days a week and Proserpine Carrying Co, owned by John Bowman, would oversee island deliveries to Shute Harbour.

Meanwhile, Allison Lucas, who was an up-and-coming junior tennis player, cleaned trucks and worked in the convenient store on a Saturday morning, her mum Peggy, filling in when Allison was playing tournament.

At the time, the convenience store was located at the front of the Milk Depot and had cool rooms out the back. And while operations were expanding in Proserpine, Alan noticed the Airlie Beach area was also growing, in fact it was looking to become as big as Proserpine. Wanting to be at the heart of this growth, Alan began hunting for a suitable piece of land where they could build a large warehouse and several cool rooms. In 1989, they moved to their present site where a brand-new facility had been constructed with steel work by Carlo Raiteri, which included a roof that had a hip in it to incorporate a large ice making machine.

Throughout the 1990’s the business continued to expand and diversify, most significantly with computerised systems replacing paper. In addition, Whitsunday Foodservice supplied ice to the entire region, plus TipTop bread and a parcel delivery service called IPEC. At the same time, the business was constantly looking for more avenues to expand foodservice offerings and, when they managed to gain Countrywide Membership, this new buying power allowed product lines to increase dramatically.

From the mid 2000’s Whitsunday Foodservice experienced significant growth. At the time they had a team of approximately 12 employees, operating four trucks, stocking around 2000 lines and servicing Airlie Beach, Cannonvale, Shute Harbour, Dingo Beach, Proserpine, Midge Point, and the Whitsunday Islands. By 2022, they were stocking over 4000 lines and had grown to a team of 60 people, with 11 trucks that enabled them to expand the service to Bowen, Collinsville, and the Mackay region. 

“Throughout this time, we continued to innovate and introduce technology wherever we could,” explained Pat Morrissey, General Manager of Whitsunday Foodservice.

“We went from taking orders off an answering machine at ungodly hours to introducing online ordering platforms. We also continued to broaden our product range by giving our customers access to thousands of specialty and imported products.”

By 2015, Whitsunday Foodservice started planning to build a new facility at their current site, expanding further to enable them to operate at a larger scale more efficiently. For the next five years, however, the business would overcome a series of unexpected challenges that hindered but did not prevent this expansion. As they approached the final planning stages, Tropical Cyclone Debbie hit in 2017 damaging the existing structure. Forging ahead, by late 2018 the team started moving into the new warehouse with completion in January 2019.

Unfortunately, just three months after the move, the world came to a halt when the pandemic came along. Changing the nature of both global and local business significantly, Whitsunday Foodservice experienced some dark times, but due to the resilience and determination of the team, managed to pivot and prevail, allowing them to come out stronger the other side.

“We introduced a Warehouse Management system which took us from paper pick slips to voice picking headsets, we introduced scanners, vehicle monitoring software for safety and efficiency and started working on a paperless invoice process called sign on glass,” shared Pat.

“When the borders finally reopened, the Whitsundays, like the rest of Queensland went berserk - the hospitality industry in the Whitsundays went from a standstill to the busiest period we have even seen.”

Celebrating 40 years in business is a result of incredible innovation, dedication and overcoming challenges head-on. From the early days with Alan at the helm to the modern era with Pat managing the business, each member of the team is highly valued and an integral part of the broader company’s success.

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1: The old depot at 40 Chapman Street in Proserpine. L-R: Noleen McDonald, Alan Murray, Fay Milne, Matt Dray and Richard Dray

2: Robyn Murray outside the old depot

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The Celtic Cup was held on St Patrick’s Day this year which was nice for a change and 15 contestants took part in the competition.

In the round of 16 we saw early exits for Reef Peel, Naomi Mitchell, Jodie Collins, Hawkeye Rick, Jayden Lloyd, Josh Fraser and Guy Graham. 

Kevin Brown had a bye into the quarterfinals where he defeated Kam Reason 5/1. Art McMinn beat Gary Robbie 5/2. Jamie Maher secured a 5/1 win over Steve Lloyd and Joe Wilson managed to just edge out Andy Peel in a close 5/4 encounter. 

Joe Wilson was the first to take his place in this year’s final with a 5/1 win over Jamie Maher, and in the other semi-final Kevin Brown earned his place in the final by defeating Art McMinn by a 5/3 scoreline.

The final of this year’s Celtic Cup was an enjoyable game between Joe Wilson and Kevin Brown. Kevin started the game off well by flying out of the gates to take a 2 nil lead, before Joe took the game by the scruff of the neck winning 3 legs on the bounce. Kevin managed another leg but by then Joe was in total control of the match, winning the Celtic Cup by 6 legs to 3.

Thank you to all the players for taking part. The next one-day cup competition is The Genesis Cup, and that will be held on Sunday April the 7th.

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Contributed with thanks to Jamie Maher.

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Image: Joe Wilson with the Celtic Cup on Sunday at the Airlie bowls club. Photo supplied

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On Wednesday, we played a single stableford for a club trophy.  Men's Winner, Nathan Vine 40 points, Benny Bon was runner up on a countback with 39 points.  Ladies' Winner, Susan McInnes 38 points, Runner up Tracey Cousemacker 37 points. 

Pin Shots to Viv Clark, Trish Sellen, Tracey Cousemacker, Hayden Williams, John Courtney, Isaac Fellows, Jumbo Miller. Peter Theodossio claimed the Suntan Snack Bar voucher. OBP’s for Mark Russell, Hayden Williams, Jo Goldup and Jeremy Chrzanowski. Chocolate gobblers to Elona Lynch x 2 and Julie May.

On Saturday, we played a 4BBB aggregate event for early Easter trophies sponsored by Bowen Mazda. Winners on a countback Grant Poole and Gregg Aplin 71 points, Runners up on a countback Brad Graham and Garry Kukura 71 points, 3rd Place Bonnie Kohlhase and Lisa Raisbeck 71 points.

Pin shots to Grace Nott (OBP), Claire Garrod, Amanda Watego, Lorraine McArthur, Nathan Donaldson, Gregg Aplin, Colin Stewart, Daniel Tomlinson and Carl Van Veen. Frank Broucek won the Car Wash Voucher. Greg Daniel had an OBP. Eagle shots for Gregg Aplin and Daniel Tomlinson. Chocolate gobblers for Lisa Raisbeck and Claire Garrod.  

This weekend’s competition is a split round for the doubles Match Play qualifiers sponsored by Bowen Byte-Wise IT solutions. The men will play on Saturday and ladies on Sunday.

Contributed with thanks to Grace Nott. Photo Supplied

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The third Whitsunday Local Government Candidate Forum was hosted by Bowen Chamber of Commerce on Monday night and held at the Larrikin Hotel in Bowen with an audience of 85 in attendance.

All four Mayoral Candidates, Peter Hood, Richard Evans, Ry Collins and Phil Batty, were present on the evening alongside the Division 6 Councillor Candidates, John Finlay and David Paddon.

Three questions were given from Bowen Chamber of Commerce and then three additional questions taken from the floor.

President of Bowen Chamber of Commerce, Bruce Hedditch, said it was an “informative meeting” and that everyone was happy with how it ran.

“They are all good candidates,” he said.

“They all have an interest in the Whitsundays as a whole and it was good to see people so passionate about our community.

“One critical factor from the Candidates Forum was the public support to save the Bowen Jetty. It was revealed at the meeting that a recent survey conducted by the community resulted in 622 responses with 97.6 per cent opposed to the jetty being removed.

“Additionally, 95.5 per cent of respondents wanted the existing Bowen Jetty repaired and restored.

“The Whitsunday Regional Council in the past have been reluctant to commit to accepting future responsibility with the community and many questions centred on this issue, the Bowen Jetty is a tourist attraction and is no different to parks and gardens, water parks maintained by Council.”

Other questions on the night included broader Harbour Front usage and the industrial development of Bowen.

In addition, the issue was raised that Airlie Beach has seen more private investment along its main entrance way in the past year and people want to know why it is happening in Airlie Beach and not Bowen.

“Bowen needs the same opportunity,” said Mr Hedditch.

Questions from the floor came next and were centred around the income and expenditure of Council, with people worried about the cost of living, rates and charges.

Overall, the Forum was a positive and civilised event which was effectively facilitated by Bruce Hedditch and his team which included, Tony Bale, Allan Bryson, Sharon Williams and Mark Steen.

“We set the rules down from the beginning so there was no criticism,” shared Mr Hedditch.

“One person was asked to leave at the end but everyone else was happy with the meeting.”

Caption: 85 people came along to the Bowen Candidate Forum on Monday night

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Hi Everyone,

As the weather cools down, the local event scene certainly heats up!

This Sunday, I called in at three local events and was reminded once again how vibrant our community is.

Firstly, the International Women’s Day celebrations held by the Zonta Club of the Whitsundays at Coral Sea Resort, then the Whitsunday Chef’s Lunch at Eastwoods and finally the 10-year birthday bash at Anchor Bar.

Also taking place over the weekend was the annual Cut Out Party, Collinsville Sea of Pink and a second International Women’s Day event in Bowen.

To mark this International Women’s Day in the newspaper, we are running a month-long feature where local business women share their story with the community.

If you are keen to share yours, make sure you reach out to our team.

My own journey in business has been an interesting one.

I knew when I was 18 that I wanted to work with magazines and newspapers – I was often planning layouts and feature ideas with my friends (who were not nearly as interested as I was!)

I then took a massive life detour, studying Geography at university and then travelling around the world.

When I settled in Australia, I desperately wanted my own business so two friends and I bought an ailing café and, within a year, had transformed it into one of the busiest in town.

Several years later I moved to Airlie Beach and it was here that my true purpose realigned with my life once more.

I saw an ad in the local newspaper looking for a Sales Rep and decided to apply.

I was overjoyed when they offered me the job.

Excited for my first opportunity to work with print media, I excelled at sales, but desperately wanted to get into writing.

A job opportunity that incorporated sales and writing came up at Core Life Magazine, so I decided to make the move.

For almost nine years now I have been with Core Publishing, working my way up from Sales Manager to Managing Editor.

During this time, we have expanded significantly and now produce one bi-monthly magazine and three weekly newspapers.

I always hoped my life would take me here.

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Rach

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Quote of the Week: “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” (Mark Anthony)

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A local lady’s heart was filled last week by a random act of kindness that came just at the right time and lifted her sprits when she needed it most.

Earlier that week she had received a call from family who reside in Western Australia informing her that a serious car accident could have claimed the life of a family member.

Thankfully, the family member was helped by some wonderful people, but the whole family were left shattered for a few days at the possibility they could have lost him.

Whilst at Bunnings later that week, getting batteries for a smoke detector, the lady’s card was declined.

Fortunately, the wonderful gentleman behind her offered to pay for the purchase, which was gratefully accepted.

Numbers were exchanged and the local lady assured the kind gentleman that she would pay him back.

“I got his details so I could repay him, which he declined, so I have passed it on in the form of a donation to one of my favourite charities,” she shared.

“At a point in my life where I was feeling fragile, his kindness shone a light on how we can look after each other and how a simple kind act can mean so much.”

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Delighted diners eagerly devoured a delicious lunch prepared by former Master Chef contestant, Callum Hann, on Sunday afternoon, at a special Whitsunday Chef’s Lunch hosted by local Asian fusion restaurant, Eastwoods.

The event was orchestrated by Whitsunday Coast Airport as part of an initiative to promote the upcoming direct flights to Adelaide in September.

“Callum has a massive network and is very high profile in Adelaide,” said Director of Commercial Businesses for Whitsunday Regional Council, Craig Turner.

“He came here eight years ago and commented how much our local food offering has improved since then.

“It’s been wonderful to see Callum use his celebrity to promote the region and to work with local produce.”

Mr Turner said that he is excited to see the Whitsundays become increasingly known as a “foodie destination”.

“From May through to October our region produces so much of our domestic produce, and often we do not celebrate it enough – it’s nice to see people get excited and with flights soon coming from Adelaide, we get to enjoy South Australian produce and they get the same in reverse.”

Owners of Eastwoods, Jack and Kirsty Mason, said they were thrilled to host Callum at their restaurant and enjoyed the “seamless collaboration” between them.

“It was incredible!” said Jack.

“Callum and I come from very different backgrounds, but we collaborated on the menu and we are happy with the final product, it all went really well.

Kirsty added they are “grateful for the experience”.

“We look forward to continuing to work with our amazing local produce and creating amazing food to promote our region.”

After the Whitsunday Chef’s Lunch, Callum headed to Flagstaff Hill in Bowen where he cooked with locally caught tiger prawns and created a Bowen Mango Salad.

He also ventured out on Cruise Whitsundays for a day trip to Whitehaven with his family.

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1: Callum Hann (centre) with owner of Eastwoods, Jack Mason (right), and the team of chefs who worked on the day. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

2: Eastwoods owner Kirsty Mason (backrow centre) with her dedicated service team. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

3: Director of Commercial Businesses for Whitsunday Regional Council, Craig Turner welcomes diners to the event. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

4: Callum Hann addresses the crowd. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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Whitsunday Regional Council Local Government Elections will be held this Saturday,16 March.

Polling booths are open from 8am - 6pm on election day.

Please note that by law, it is compulsory for eligible Australian citizens, aged 18 or older, to vote at Queensland elections.

If you don’t vote, you may be fined.

The penalty for failing to vote in an election in Queensland is one penalty unit, valued at $154.80 from 1 July 2023.

Find your closest polling booth location.

GREATER AIRLIE BEACH AREA

PCYC Whitsunday

2849 Shute Harbour Road

Airlie Beach

Whitsunday Christian College

26 Paluma Road

Cannonvale

PROSERPINE

Father Tom Gard Hall, St Catherine’s Catholic College

90 Renwick Road

Proserpine

BOWEN

Queens Beach State School

39 Tracey Street

Queens Beach 4805

COLLINSVILLE

Collinsville Community Centre

11 Conway Street

Collinsville 4804

HAMILTON ISLAND

Hamilton Island Resort

Resort Dr

Hamilton Island

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Eight new Auxiliary Fire Fighters completed four days of intensive Road Crash Rescue Training, conducted by Queensland Fire and Rescue Emergency Services, last week.

The eight new Auxiliary Fire Fighters gathered at Proserpine Fire Station, and travelled from as far afield as Mackay and Moranbah to complete the necessary training.

“This intensive four-day course gives the new Auxiliary Fire Fighters the necessary skills and knowledge to then become very important members of their fire station crews,” explained one of the course Trainers and Proserpine Fire Station Auxiliary Lieutenant, Brian Little.

“And to assist the fire crews in rescuing the public when that all too familiar crash happens in their area.”

Mr Little was joined by two other experienced facilitators, Casey Johnston and Brad Turner, with the training consisting of both theory and practical training, with the trainees performing rescues on multiple crash simulated scenarios, including head on, roll over on roof, and on side plus persons trapped under vehicle.

“All trainees performed to a high standard and their new acquired skills will be a valuable asset to their fire station and community,” Mr Little explained.

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1. The eight new Auxiliary Fire Fighters with the course facilitators

2-3 The new Fire Fighters conducting simulated road crash exercises. Photos supplied

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Two Australian literary powerhouses have been announced to feature in the all-star cast at the Whitsundays Writers Festival which is set to take place in September.

The two highly acclaimed authors are Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion who are renowned and admired writers who have both published acclaimed novels.

Graeme Simsion, celebrated for his bestselling novel The Rosie Project and Professor Anne Buist, eminent psychiatrist and prolific author, will grace the Festival with their presence to discuss their latest collaborative work, The Glass House – a story of mental health from a practitioner’s perspective, as it follows a trainee psychiatrist as she learns on the job.

Anne, Chair of Women's Mental Health at the University of Melbourne, brings her decades of clinical and research expertise to the forefront in The Glass House. With a diverse literary background spanning the Natalie King crime fiction series to psychological thrillers, Anne’s contribution to our Festival is highly anticipated.

Meanwhile, Graeme’s literary prowess shines through with The Rosie Project, a comedic masterpiece that has captured the hearts of millions worldwide and is now set for a Hollywood adaptation starring Henry Cavill.

With over five million copies sold in forty languages, Graeme’s debut novel has dominated the literary scene, spending a remarkable 65 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Karen Jacobsen, President of the Whitsundays Writers Festival, expressed her excitement at having these two literary luminaries join the event.

"To have two celebrated authors joining our stellar line-up is a terrific coup," Jacobsen remarked.

"We promised Australia’s leading writers, and we are blessed with Anne and Graeme’s involvement to reveal insights about their latest release.”

"As we announce our authors, we will soon share news about the Festival’s tickets and how to purchase," Karen noted.

"My advice is to jump on our website and subscribe to receive Festival news so you don’t miss out!’

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Whitsundays, this event promises to be a cultural highlight, featuring an array of distinguished authors including Miles Franklin winner Shankari Chandran, award-winning crime writer Garry Disher, international best-selling author Sally Hepworth, and renowned author and screenwriter Christos Tsiolkas.

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Authors Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion. Photos supplied

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The Whitsunday Regional Council has approved an application for backpackers-style accommodation in Bowen.

The proposed accommodation, previously used by Queensland Rail to house workers, is located on Pantall Stret in Bowen, and will primarily be utilised as short term accommodation for seasonal workers.

The existing dwelling, which will remain unchanged, is a single storey building with seven bedrooms, and one dormitory style room, which will contain four beds, with shared amenities for all.

“This application for a short term accommodation is different than the usual STA applications we see,” explained Councillor Clay Bauman.

“This is built for long term workers.

“My one concern is that of safety and if these are farm workers, there may be buses to get them to and from the sites.”

Director of Development Services, Neil McGaffin explained that the proposed six car spaces are appropriate to accommodate any mini buses.

“This doesn’t raise a concern with Council,” Mr McGaffin explained.

The accommodation will be managed in conjunction with the existing Bowen Backpacker hostel, with the same managers on call 24/7.

Guests are not permitted to reside at the accommodation for longer than three months.

The application was approved unanimously by all present councillors.

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The exterior of the new backpackers on Pantall Street in Bowen. Photo supplied

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One lucky winner has claimed their golden ticket after they purchased a winning lottery ticket in Cannonvale.

The winner claimed their $620,369.07 from the Saturday Gold Lotto draw from last Saturday after purchasing a ticket at News Whitsunday.

It took more than two days for the winner to come forward and there was much speculation on who the lucky ticket holder was.

News Whitsunday Owner Rich Bates said the last division 1 winner in the area wished to stay anonymous due to the size of the town and suspects that this winner, if local, may want to remain the same.

It has been 12 months since the last division 1 winner ticket has been sold from News Whitsunday.

In 2023 the shop sold several tickets that won division two prizes, ranging from $25,000 - $270,000.

Across Australia this week, there were eight division 1 winners, four in Victoria, three in Queensland and one in New South Wales.

The winning numbers in Saturday Gold Lotto draw on March 9, 2024, were 11, 25, 17, 3, 2 and 31 and supplementary numbers were 15 and 24.

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Almost 100 people attended the Sea of Pink fundraiser over the weekend in Collinsville with friends and family all coming together to raise money for breast cancer.

The format of the event was a 5-kilometre fun run and this is the second year the event has taken place with organisers hoping to make it an annual fundraiser for all the community to get involved with.  

This years’ event raised over $13,000, smashing the $10,000 goal they had set in place.

Organiser, Alice Randell, said she is thrilled with the result and is still expecting another $1000 to come in before the end of the week.

The Sea of Pink is a celebration for International Women’s Day while simultaneously raising money for breast cancer.

Due to Covid-19 the fundraiser became virtual and it continues to offer the virtual option for those who cannot attend the event in Brisbane each year.

This is ideal for the Collinsville community who can participate in this worthwhile cause from the comfort of the local region.

The Collinsville event was extremely popular and the 5k run or walk was accessible to all, with children on bicycles and parents running along with prams.

Members of the public are already expressing their excitement for next years’ event.

"There’s nothing quite like it in town, it’s the only one in town so people really look forward to it," said organiser Alice Randell.

“Seeing everyone up and early at 7am on a Sunday morning, really keen and in the spirit, was great to see!” she added.

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HERO – The local community in Collinsville got behind the Sea of Pink fundraiser in Collinsville again this year. Photos supplied

‍2: First to finish was Michael Delahunty

3: The kind volunteers from the Collinsville Country Women’s Association

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Bowen State High School student, Dasani Appoo will be among 95 Year 11 and 12 students from across Australia attending the 29th National Schools Constitutional Convention (NSCC), in mid-March.

Held at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House in Canberra, Dasani will be the second Bowen State High School student to attend the Convention.

Dasani is excited to participate in the Convention and is looking forward to meeting likeminded students from across Australia.

“I became involved with the National Schools Constitutional Convention by Miss Raylene providing the opportunity,” Dasani explained.

“I decided it would be fun and I took part in it with Danzel and Frances.

“I am extremely excited, but also nervous as I've never flown before especially alone.”

The Convention will pose a topic to the students to investigate, critically discuss and debate.

The 2024 topic for the Convention is ‘Section 96 of the Constitution allows the Commonwealth to grant funds to areas that fall outside those prescribed in Section 51. Should Section 96 be amended to decentralise the power of the Commonwealth?’

“The topic is simple,” Dasani explained.

“And I agree with the topic about section 96 of the Australian Constitution being amended to fit the criteria of section 51 and for it to decentralise the power of our Commonwealth.”

Following the students’ debates and discussion, the overall outcome will be incorporated into a Communiqué, that will be sent to the President of the Senate, Senator Sue Lines, for tabling in Parliament and recorded in Hansard.

Outside the Convention, Dasani will also attend an official dinner at the National Press Club, the Prime Minister’s Reception at Parliament House, and have a meeting with the Governor-General, the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) at Government House.

Principal of Bowen State High School, Robert Harris explained that he is proud of Dasani to be attending the Convention.

“I am very proud of the opportunities provided to all students at Bowen State High School to enrich their knowledge and experiences to prepare them for whatever post schooling endeavours they wish to peruse,” he explained.

“Overall, I hope this experience brings forth many more amazing opportunities and makes me and my community known,” Dasani explained.

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Dasani Appoo from Bowen State High School will attend the National Schools Constitutional Convention in March. Photo supplied

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