Last Christmas Baden Day created a Grinch costume, dressed up and visited sick children in hospital.

This budding young actor, playwright, dancer, singer and gymnast has a passion for costume design – in fact, he has his own brand “Baden Day Theatrics and Design”.

Over the last six years he has made more than 50 costumes.

Baden is the MECC’s Jack Sturgeon Bursary recipient for 2024. He was awarded the bursary at a special morning tea last week, Wednesday, December 13.

Mayor Greg Williamson said Baden was a tremendous example of a young person who was immersed in the performing arts.

“Baden has been a member of Mackay Musical Comedy Players since he was 11 and he has actually written an original work, Rise of Hook, which received two awards at the North Queensland Townsville Festival of One-Act Plays,” Mayor Williamson said.

Also presented with a bursary, for $3000, at the morning tea was the winner of the 2024 Artspace Mackay Foundation Bursary, Georgia Farlow.

“Georgia is an emerging cinematographer, director and production designer who is determined to bring a fresh approach to storytelling to the screen,” Mayor Williamson said.

“She is currently studying her second year of a Bachelor of Film and Screen Media Production at Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art, Brisbane,” he said.

“Despite still studying, Georgia has almost a dozen production credits in her portfolio and has won seven art awards including the Woollam Mackay Art on Show Award for emerging artists for the last two years.”

Judges for the Artspace Foundation Bursary also awarded a $1000 Highly Commended prize to Emma Reginato.

Emma is completing her first year of a Bachelor of Visual Arts at Griffith University and aspires to be a secondary art teacher and has moved to Brisbane to pursue studies towards this career.

She is exploring textiles and painting in her emerging arts practice and will use the 2024 bursary prize to purchase art materials for future masterpieces.

The Artspace Mackay Foundation Bursary is a $3000 bursary for tertiary students currently studying visual or creative arts.

Artspace director Tracey Heathwood said this bursary was geared towards visual arts students looking to take their tertiary study to the next level.

The MECC’s $1000 bursary, which is named in honour of the co-founder of the Mackay Musical Comedy Players and life-long supporter of the arts, Jack Sturgeon, is for school graduates applying to study performing arts.

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From left, Venue and Events Operations Manager (MECC and Events) Jemma Carey, Jack Sturgeon Bursary recipient Baden Day, Mayor Greg Williamson, Artspace Mackay Foundation Bursary recipient Georgia Farlow, Artspace Mackay Foundation Bursary Highly Commended Emma Reginato, Leonie Wood (judge) and Artspace Mackay Director Tracey Heathwood

Sarina Beach's Carols by Candlelight

Sarina Beach was the spot to be last weekend as the Sarina Beach Surf Lifesaving Club threw a ripper of a party with its 10th Annual 'Carols by Candlelight' on December 16th.

Picture this: Christmas tunes, beach vibes, and folks rocking wooly Santa hats while wiggling their toes in the sand – pure Aussie summer festivity!

Jay and Dave from Triple M were on fire, hosting the night and keeping the crowd hyped. The performers lit up the stage, belting out everything from classic carols to modern hits. And where else but in Sarina can you croon along to carols with the ocean as your backdrop?

Food vans dished out treats, drinks flowed, and glowy stuff added a touch of sparkle. But hold on, it wasn’t just the carols; this bash had a Mega Christmas Raffle, Christmas Ham Wheels, and guess who dropped by? Yep, Santa himself made a grand entrance, spreading cheer and ho-ho-hos.

Under the starry sky, the community soaked up every bit of this coastal Christmas bash. It was all about the magic of the season, bringing everyone together for a night of laughter and festive feels. The 10th 'Carols by Candlelight' at Sarina Beach was the ultimate Aussie celebration, where the beach met the holiday spirit in perfect harmony.

Photo credit: Photos by Nell

A growing family, an investment purchase or a seachange - whatever the reason is, buying a new home is a big step in anyone's life. While the process can feel overwhelming, Community Bank Sarina Bendigo Bank can help you every step of the way. Knowing how to prepare for a home loan makes the process simple and straightforward.

The Community Bank Sarina team have shared their home loan tips so that you can avoid any unexpected roadblocks.

1. Know your spending habits: If you’re seriously thinking about home ownership, it’s important to take a step back and look at your current spending habits. This doesn’t mean you need to dramatically change the way you spend your money. But it might mean you need to exercise some caution with your purchases. You need to demonstrate that you’ll be able to meet your mortgage repayments and proving you can responsibly manage your money will certainly help.

2. Know your credit: Applying for a home loan will always trigger the bank’s lender to assess your credit file. In a way, your credit file is like a resumé and if it isn’t in the best shape, it can be improved. By consistently meeting your future obligations, such as paying bills on time, you’re likely to raise your credit score. It’s important to check your credit file regularly to make sure you’re not receiving any unfair or incorrect results.

3. Know what you can borrow: It’s also crucial to know what your potential “borrowing power” is. Borrowing power is a combination of your income, credit history, and your monthly living expenses like bills, groceries, clothes, subscriptions, healthcare etc. Remember to include all your regular payments, including direct debits that you might otherwise not give much thought to, such as streaming subscriptions, gym memberships, and insurance.

Pre-qualifying is a process that you can use to figure out how much you can borrow before you apply for a home loan. Pre-qualifying will give you a good idea on where you stand and will help you to narrow down which type of properties and suburbs might suit you best.

There’s a lot that goes into getting a home loan. While it can be incredibly rewarding, it can take time – that’s why it’s important to have support from a bank you can trust. For more helpful advice on home loans, follow Community Bank Sarina on Facebook at facebook.com/communitybanksarina.

By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay

With Christmas just a few days away, it seems timely to make a few Christmas wishes for the region’s sugar industry as we head into 2024.

● May four mills run sweetly: it’s been another crush run into overtime. Hopefully, our mills get some serious work done on the mills across the shut-down period- both in terms of capital works and maintenance. And investing in their reliability so that we can run an efficient industry with a whole-of-value-chain reward.

● May we finish the 2024 crushing well before Christmas, giving a great start for the 2025 crop.

● May our sugar terminals - those critical industry assets that keep exports flowing to market - stay in the transparent operating arrangement that the sugar industry designed. If it ain’t broke, it doesn’t need fixing. We would like to see the dispute over STL’s planned insourcing settled, giving the industry a break from upheaval and moving on as a united industry.

● Biofutures: Some great progress has been made towards seeing this established in our region, and it’s to be hoped that this continues. There need to be some nuts-and-bolts discussions on how this will work out for all parties in the supply chain. We look forward to the strong possibility that we will see a shovel in the soil for the region’s first precision fermenter production line, and the real birth of a fledgling new industry for the region that is aligned to cane growing as a renewable source of feedstock. An industry that will bring new kinds of jobs, education and training that align with and upskill on traditional trades and technical services.

● May sugar prices stay high: People get pretty excited about the high sugar price. It’s great, but only if you actually get that price and get all your cane milled into sugar. It’s been an almost unprecedented run on these high prices, and the market experts are expecting it to hold- which means there are some good profits to be made in the self-managed harvest pool by taking the spot price, and forward pricing the 2024 crop. A vibrant cane-growing sector has great economic flow-on for local businesses.

● As an organisation, CANEGROWERS Mackay plans to remain a strong part of this region. We represent around 750 farming families and enterprises, and that’s important. But it’s important that the wider community is part of our heart. We look forward to another year of BEING committed to a part of the fabric of the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac community and culture, supporting our local people, events and causes, contributing to the regional economy.

And, most important of all, may the people of Mackay region, and particularly our farming, harvesting, milling families and support services who make the sugar industry tick, have a peaceful and safe Christmas, and may we all enjoy a prosperous 2024.

After breaking the $1 million mark for donations earlier this year, the Mayor’s Charity Ball committee has announced the beneficiaries for the 2024 event.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the aim of the event was to fund two charities for two years to enable significant funds to be raised for each charity and to make a real difference in our community.

“Proceeds will be split 50-50 between Australian Street Aid Project and new beneficiary Grapevine Group,” Mayor Williamson said.

“Ronald McDonald House Charities Mackay drops out this year after completing their two-year tenure, but it’s exciting to see the positive impact of the new family room at the Mackay Base Hospital,” he said.

“Australian Street Aid Project is continuing on for their second year, which is timely, as homelessness support continues to be in high demand for the Mackay region.”

Australian Street Aid Project (ASAP) was established in 2018 by Mackay nurse Kayleigh Brewster.

She said she was thrilled to be able to continue as a charity for the 2024 event.

“We feel humbled to have the opportunity to be part of the Mayor’s Charity Ball again this year,” Ms Brewster said.

“With such an increase in homelessness in our region and a high demand for our many services, the funds donated will go a long way to continue to help local people who are doing it tough,” she said.

“As a local charity which does not receive state or federal government funding, events such as the Mayor’s Charity Ball make it possible for us to continue offering our homelessness services to vulnerable people in our region.

“This funding will enable us to continue offering support such as meals, healthcare, case management and a safe ‘place to be’ for people who are experiencing primary homelessness.”

Grapevine Group training coordinator Edie Weiss said the group was buzzing with excitement after hearing they were selected as a charity for the Ball.

“Next year will also be a special milestone for Grapevine Group as 2024 marks our 20th anniversary,” Ms Weiss said.

“We are very grateful to be selected as a beneficiary and be given not just a fundraising opportunity but also an opportunity to build awareness of the importance of suicide prevention within our community,” she said.

“This donation will allow us to continue to provide life-saving training to our local region and expand our network of trainers.

“To date, Grapevine has trained 6600 people, but many more need to be suicide aware, so attempts can be prevented and those struggling can find the vital support they need.

“The theme of our first fundraiser was ‘Have a ball and make a difference’ and that’s what we would like to encourage Mackay to do for the 2024 Mayor’s Charity Ball.”

Platinum partners for the 2024 Mayor’s Charity Ball include long-term sponsor DGH Engineering, Fergus Builders and Daly Bay.

Gold sponsors include Allure Laser and Skin Studio, Southern Cross Industrial Group, Champ Group, Key Solutions Group and BMA.

Long-term silver sponsor Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure has also come on board again for the 2024 event, as well as new sponsor CQ Soil Testing.

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Left to right - Brendan Hughes (Mayor’s Charity Ball committee member), Edie Weiss (Grapevine Group Training Coordinator), Kayleigh Brewster (Australian Street Aid Project Director), Tracey Dean (Mayor’s Charity Ball committee member), Janine Jacobson (Mayor’s Charity Ball committee member) and Mayor Greg Williamson

Embracing your true self, unapologetically, is a revolutionary act of self-love. It means stripping away the layers of societal expectations and daring to stand boldly in your authenticity, without fear of judgement.

Our human innate desire to connect and belong has been vital to our survival, as being part of a tribe meant safety, security, and access to resources. Even in current times, our fear of rejection can make us feel as if we’ll wither away without acceptance, so we often mould ourselves into a version we think is more agreeable to others.

When you bond yourself to others’ expectations, you lose your true self. By not relenting to those (sometimes perceived) expectations, you can embark on a journey of you; to honour your authentic self and share everything that has to offer to the world.

But first you need to:

Stop apologising

Apologising for your unique personality traits, like being talkative, sensitive, or assertive, implies there is something wrong with you; it keeps you small and is often driven by fear of rejection. Apologies should be reserved for when you genuinely hurt someone, not for being yourself. Instead, own your feelings, thoughts, and actions.

When you’re unapologetic, you invite others to do the same.

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” – Bernard M. Baruch

Prioritise yourself

Make daily decisions for yourself, not to fulfill others’ expectations (Read the 5 Top Regrets of the Dying). Though this can be challenging, particularly if you have people-pleasing qualities, true authenticity comes from putting yourself first. Explore your strengths, values, acknowledge your emotions, and dream your goals. As you get to know more of the things that shape your unique nature, cultivate an environment where you can thrive.

Set healthy boundaries

Protect your time and energy, your most valuable assets. Don’t compromise who you are to please others and don’t be afraid to say no to what doesn’t light you up. Setting boundaries makes space for the people and things in your life that you value most.

Manage the fear of being judged

The fear of being seen, rejected, or judged can keep us from showing up as our authentic selves. Consider what the core of your fear is and then if there is any substance to it.

For example, “I don’t want to share my love for fantasy football with others because they might think I’m weird.”

In reality, sharing your passion and joys opens the door to building friendships with people who share a common interest.

By letting yourself be seen, unapologetically, you can have more of a positive impact on those around you and enjoy the benefit of a more fulfilling, authentic life.

Queensland’s next generation of Year 12 graduates - the class of 2023 - reaped the rewards of their efforts last week, fittingly using technology to check their Senior secondary education results.

Ninety-four per cent of all Queensland Year 12 graduates achieved a QCE (Queensland Certificate of Education) or a QCIA (Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement) in 2023.

Of these, 27,778 students also received an ATAR, with 34 achieving the highest possible band result of 99.95 - having studied a combination of Specialist Mathematics, Physics, Literature and Biology.

The schooling system in Queensland is designed to prepare all students, from a wide variety of backgrounds, for various future education and career goals, not only through university, but through TAFE and other training organisations and through paid work – as well as combinations of all of these.

Queensland’s participation in vocational education and training qualifications, compared across all of Australia, remains particularly strong, with 36,897 Queensland school graduates achieving a Certificate I, II, III, IV or Diploma during 2023, while still at school.

Education Minister Grace Grace said, “In our fourth year under the new QCE system, I’d like to congratulate all teachers, principals, families, and carers who have supported all of our amazing Year 12 students during the 2023 school year, right across Queensland.

“Congratulations on some outstanding results and I remind all students of the wide range of possibilities and pathways to still achieve your dream, no matter what result you achieved.”

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) Chief Executive Officer Ms Jacqueline Wilton said the results confirm that young Queenslanders are graduating from school with the skills and qualifications to pursue opportunities in further education, training, and the workplace.

“Subject results tell us that schools are supporting students to perform at an exceptionally high academic level with 1429 achieving straight A grades,” Ms Wilton said.

“And 510 graduates from 150 schools achieved a perfect score of 100 out of 100 in at least one General subject or General (Extension) subject.

Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) Chief Executive Officer Dr John Griffiths added, "Senior year is filled with many experiences and emotions and is different for each student - but hold on to the memories you've made and celebrate what you have accomplished.

“It's important to remember that your ATAR result doesn't define you; view it as a milestone, opening the door to a world of opportunity in tertiary study and beyond. Your journey has just begun and there are many pathways to achieve your goals and grow your future.”

Fast facts

• 53,181 students graduated (received a Senior Education Profile)

• 48,948 students (92%) achieved a Queensland Certificate of Education

• 1,193 students (2%) received Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement

• 27,778 students received an ATAR

• 34 students received an ATAR of 99.95

• 1,429 students from 222 schools will receive a Certificate of Academic Commendation for ‘A’ grades in at least six General subjects

• 510 students from 150 schools achieved a perfect score of 100 out of 100 in at least one General subject or General (Extension) subject

• 36,897 students achieved a VET Certificate I, II, III, IV or Diploma qualification

• 1,316 students studied a university subject while still at school

Meet Brad Nicholls, Council’s Shute Harbour Marine Terminal Operations and Compliance Officer who has worked in the marine industry all his life.

Brad has been with Council for almost 3 years and started his career operating speed boat rides and parasailing on south Stradbroke Island on the Gold Coast before working as a marine engineer on a whale watching vessel, also on the Gold Coast.

He then spent a period managing the island resort and vessel logistics from South Stradbroke Island before being headhunted for a roll with Cruise Whitsundays’ maintenance department servicing and maintaining their large fleet of vessels and has filled multiple roles over the years.

Brad’s key role at Shute Harbour Marine Terminal is ensuring the successful and safe operation of the facility and ensuring our standards and operations are second to none.

“It is exciting to be part of a team that is delivering a world class facility that all Whitsunday residents can be proud of.

“Council are currently working with GRUMPA to try and establish a cruise ship anchorage just outside of the entrance to Shute Harbour.

“This will revolutionise cruise ship visits in the beautiful Whitsundays by shortening the journey to and from the cruise ships by nearly half of the time they are currently spending on the tenders.

“This will make our region even more appealing for cruise ships to visit and will ultimately increase the number of tourists we receive in the region,” Brad said.

On his days off Brad enjoys taking his family camping and fishing around our beautiful region. They have a hobby farm at home with chooks, sheep, cows and 1 crazy goat.

Whitsunday Regional Council Customer Service Offices will be closed for the upcoming festive period from the 23nd December 2023 - 1 January 2024.

Other Council facilities such as libraries, swimming pools and water parks, waste facilities and the Proserpine Entertainment Centre will also be closed at certain periods over the holidays.

During these closure periods, Council has an After-Hours Emergency team who are available 24/7 by calling 1300 WRC QLD (1300 972 753).

For more information on what's open and when, head to our website www.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au or check the public notice section of the paper.

As another busy Christmas and New Year period begins, we are once again thankful for the year that has been. To our major funders, Tourism and Events Queensland and Whitsunday Regional Council, thank you for your support this year. To all of our members, thank you for joining with us in 2023. .  To our Volunteer Cruise Ship ambassadors, thank you for showing up to a record number of ships this year. Our community, thank you for making The Whitsundays the incredible destination it is. And finally to our visitors, thank you for choosing The Whitsundays in 2023, we are looking forward to seeing more of you.

From our Board and Management we wish you a very safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

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The Tourism Whitsundays team, in the festive mood. Photo credit: Jake Greenfield

A record number of people have visited the Bowen Visitor Information Centre in 2023 – smashing the previous year by more than 25%.The Visitor Information Centre next to the iconic Big Mango and the Information Booth next to the Little Mango at Bowen’s Front Beach are both operated by the team of staff and volunteers from Bowen Tourism and Business.For the first time in history, the team has welcomed more than 50,000 visitors this year.Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business, Leanne Abernethy said the busiest months had been June and July when the team had welcomed more than 15,800 visitors in those two months alone.“Traditionally, the winter months are the busiest, but this year has been busier than ever with the number increasing every month of the year compared to 2022.“By the end of November, we had already welcomed more than 52,000 people – so the average will end up being well above 1000 people every week of the year.“This is great news for Bowen as the more people who visit the centre, the more who make the trip off the highway and into Bowen,” she said.“It is also great news for the greater Whitsunday region as we are a booking agency so many people travelling from the north stop to see us, enjoy a delicious mango sorbet, and get a selfie at the iconic Big Mango.“While here, they are able to book their reef trips and other tours based from Airlie Beach.”Chair of Bowen Tourism and Business, Jenn Honnery said the significant increase in visitors to the Information Centre and Booth was a direct result of the effort by the team to promote Bowen to a national audience.“Behind the scenes our team of staff and volunteers work incredibly hard to ensure Bowen is on the radar for potential visitors. Once our visitors arrive they are greeted with a warm smile and expert knowledge of all there is to experience in Bowen and the wider region. “This dedication to our destination translates directly to increased visitor spend in Bowen and a boost for all local businesses.“I’d like to congratulate the team on this impressive achievement.”

QUICK FACTS*More than 52,000 visitors in 2023 up until the end of November.*Busiest month of 2023 was June – 6934 welcomed at Big Mango and 1124 welcomed at information booth at Bowen’s Front Beach.*Highlight of the year was the Big Mango’s 21st birthday in May*Bowen’s Big Mango was built in 2002 and is 10 metres high*More than 1.5 million people have had a selfie at the Big Mango in the past 21 years.

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Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business, Leanne Abernethy with the Sortino family from Melbourne and Visitor Information Centre volunteer, Steve Fisher last week. Photo supplied

Intelligent and confident does not begin to describe the four students of Bowen State High School’s F1 team Ignition.

Being one of the world’s most competitive STEM Challengers, F1 in Schools asks students to directly engage with all aspects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in order to create the fastest miniature F1 car.

Practicing real-life engineering and manufacturing skills, including design, analysis, testing, creating and then racing, Bowen State High School’s ‘Team Ignition’ flourished in the recent State Finals.

Having recently been selected to progress to the F1 in Schools National Finals in 2024, Keela Ross, Ella Homewood, Madeline Lean, and Matilda Payne have created and constructed their own miniature F1 car.

For these girls, the design and construction of their F1 car was simple, requiring only a few rudimentary designs and test cars, before they settled on the award-winning solution.

“The cars are just made of bolted wood, but they’re accelerated using a CO2 canister in the back,” explained Matilda.

“We’re very proud of our work, because we know we can deliver a great speed,” said Keela.

Tim Close, Bowen State High School Head of Department, explained that the student’s success is a testament to their determination and hard work.

“This is our second year of student’s making it through to state finals, but we’ve never gone through to nationals. We’re just super proud of them, and the effort that they have gone to is remarkable. These students are going to be successful.”

Team Ignition progressed to the National Finals based upon the speed of their car, as well as the calibre of their portfolio, despite a miscommunication on the page limit of the portfolio.

“The regulations say that the portfolio can only have 10 pages, however we modelled ours of a pro-class portfolio which had 20 pages, so only the first 10 pages of ours were marked,” explained Ella.

“That was only our original and draft designs in those pages, not much of our new content, and that cost us a lot of points, but they gave us the wildcard position to move into the Nationals,” she finished.

“They saw potential in us,” Madeline said.

Confident in their design and now reviewing their portfolio carefully, Team Ignition is ready for Nationals in April 2024, which will see them travel to South Australia.

“The judges recognised their hard work,” explained Tim.

“And they saw your potential. The quality of their work and what they are able to produce was industry standard.”

Team Ignition would like to thank their sponsors for their commitment to their work and promoting their F1 in Schools journey.

The school also wanted to give a massive thank you to the following local businesses for supporting the F1 in Schools Journey in 2023.

Their success to the National Level would not have been possible without their support. Sponsors for 2023 were as follows; Diamond Sponsor – Abbot Point Operations; Platinum Sponsors – Whitsunday Regional Council, Hillery Group and NQ Dry Tropics; Gold Sponsors – Whitsunday Civil Pty Ltd, Lowcock Builders Pty Ltd and Snell’s Electrical; Silver Sponsors – RTM Engineering, Kylie’s Family Dental, Flagstaff Hill Café, Bowen Fisherman’s Seafood and Bird’s Fish Bar; Bronze Sponsors – Bowen Automotive, Core Contracting Services Pty Ltd, Yum Yum Dumplings, Lip’s Kitchen, Dynamic Fitness, Dynamic Chiro and Kevla Coffee.

“We’re very excited to get to Nationals and see how we go,” Matilda said.

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Team Ignition is heading to F1 in Schools Nationals

Competing in State Finals, Team Ignition are proud of their work. Photos supplied

One of Bowen’s best attractions is about to receive a facelift, with Whitsunday Regional Council approving the Mullers Lagoon Park Masterplan, at last week's Council Ordinary Meeting.

Mullers Lagoon is 19.5 hectares of Council-run Park land, containing a large lagoon, several picnic areas, small playground, walking paths, unique gardens, diverse bird habitat and bird watching hides.

Council approached the Bowen community for their ideal construction for the upgrades, receiving 60 online submissions and 102 workshop ideas, from March to April 2023.

Consultation resulted in a well-developed and realistic proposal that much of the community is happy with.

The vision includes creating a versatile space for individuals of all ages and abilities, with ample parking, playgrounds, sporting facilities, pathways, seating, BBQ areas, landscaping, shade trees and various activities.

Other upgrades include establishing eco walk trails, made of Deco paths to access habitat areas with signage describing flora and fauna, an events rotunda, off-leash dog play area, and traditional owner and cultural heritage precinct with upgrades to existing sculptures, interpretive and informational signage, and Bush Tucker eco walk.

Mayor Julie Hall said the approval of the Masterplan for Mullers Lagoon is a significant milestone for the Bowen community to upgrade the area located in central Bowen.

“We are excited about the positive impact this staged Masterplan revitalisation will have as the approved plan encompasses various aspects to ensure the lagoon becomes a vibrant and inclusive hub for both residents and visitors.

“Now that the Masterplan has been adopted by Council, we can budget for the stages to upgrade the 19.5 hectares of beautiful parkland smack bang in the middle of Bowen.”

The entire revitalisation of the Lagoon is proposed to occur in stages over 15 years, with the priority on functionality and appeal.

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Mullers Lagoon in Bowen to receive a rejuvenation. Photo supplied

For close to 120 years, Archers Soft Drink has been creating, bottling and distributing their products across the region, and with Proserpine’s 150th birthday, Archers are proud of their stamp on the township.

Steeped in history and lush with connection, Archers continues to be integral to Proserpine and the wider Whitsunday region.

Allan and Michael Horsford are the helm of Archers Soft Drink, and have been since 1977, when their dad took on the business.

So here’s a bit of this massive history.

In 1906, Archers established Archers Soft Drink in Proserpine, creating and distributing a wide variety of glass-bottled soft drinks.

In 1917, Archers Soft Drinks moved to Bowen and set up business. In the late 60’s Archers amalgamated with Unwin Brothers in Bowen and all production moved to Bowen.

In 1977, Allan and Michaels father purchased the business and kept the business going

In 2009, Allan and Michael moved Archers Soft Drink from Bowen to Proserpine.

The move to Proserpine coincided with the brothers deciding to switch focus and focus on producing and distributing spring water across the region.

“80 per cent of our business was in Proserpine and it’s where we started, so it felt like a good move,” Michael explained.

Currently, Archers bottles and distributes over 12,000 litres of water daily, supplying many of the islands, as well as many of the tourism operators.

“We are proud of everything we do and proud of what Proserpine has become. We have a lot of history, both professionally and personally.”

In fact, Allan and Michael’s father was the Proserpine Mayor for six years and with Sir Reginald Ansett was instrumental in getting the Proserpine Airport tarmac bitumen coated.

“We are incredibly proud of Proserpine and we are excited for the 150th anniversary. Proserpine has grown, changed, and prospered.”

For Lui Raiteri, the time spent within the Proserpine sugar industry is enormous and memorable. Spanning over four generations of the Raiteri clan, Lui has called the Up River farm home for 75 years, and now welcomes his son  on to the farm professionally.

During his time in the industry, Lui has held positions on the board of Proserpine mill, BSES  and the Co –Operative Federation of QLD and many other industry boards  giving back to the industry that has given him so much.

And with Proserpine turning 150 in 2023, Lui could not be prouder of the industry that so heavily influences and promotes Proserpine.

The Proserpine Mill was established in 1897, and led to much of Proserpine’s development, encompassing residential, industry, agricultural and infrastructure development.

From 1931 till 2011, the Proserpine Mill was owned by a grower cooperative, which saw many local growers contribute to the growth and prosperity of the mill.

However, in 2011, while Lui was chairman of the  Proserpine Mill Board, the Proserpine Mill was approached by both Wilmar and a Chinese company, who offered to buy out the Mill, and take on ownership.

Taking the offer to the cooperative, the growers of the Mill were initially hesitant, however, after long discussions and much back and forth, the Mill decided to go with the Chinese company’s offer.

“However,” Lui explained, “On the day of settlement, the money wasn’t there. The deal with the Chinese company fell through and the mill went into voluntary administration, as a decision from the growers could not be achieved.

From here, a short fortnight later, the administrator came back to Lui and the Board and gave them one option, to take Wilmar’s offer.

“And the transition was seamless, and each grower received a pay out as well, which was well received, due to previous years not treating us well,” Lui explained.

While this time was hard on Lui and his board, he would do it all over again, as the board at the time were so supportive to him.

“Maybe without all the trauma, but we, as growers, are in a much better spot. As we are now rulers of our own individual destiny.

Over the years, that payout that growers received is one of the most proud moments he remembers as some other areas were not so fortunate.

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Lui Raiteri, a third generation Proserpine cane farmer. Photo Credit: Bronte Hodge