High tides and wild weather are a fact of life in the Whitsundays and these natural phenomena often cause marine debris to wash up on our shores.

With Airlie Beach considered the gateway to the Whitsundays and many tourists’ first impression of our region, some locals believe that the ‘beach’ in Airlie Beach could do with a clean-up.

“Why can’t we have a machine that cleans the beach every morning, just like they have in the Gold Coast,” said one local who asked to stay anonymous.

While the Whitsundays is known for its sparkling turquoise ocean and picturesque bays, it is the main-land beaches that often suffer the brunt of tidal surges that deposit debris on the sand.

Director of Infrastructure Services for Whitsunday Regional Council (WRC), Adam Hagy, said that local beaches are cleaned on average six to eight times a year.

“The Parks and Gardens teams conduct beach clearing at Airlie Beach, Boathaven Beach, Shingley Beach and Cannonvale Beach, and the multiple beaches in Bowen on an as-required basis,” he explained.

“Parks and Gardens monitor the condition of all the beaches in our region, especially after storms or the wet season and when the northerly winds blow and bring in the debris of leaf matter and driftwood.”

WRC strategically plan beach clean-ups to be most effective and to coincide with when they are needed most, such as following high and king tides.

“Parks and Gardens wait until the tides are low then conduct the cleaning works,” said Mr Hagy.

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A local family is celebrating this week following a life-changing lotto win that will enable them to buy their first home.

The mum, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said that initially she’d thought they’d won $16,000 and was astounded when she discovered it was so much more.

“I didn’t realise how much it was at first and was jumping around thinking it was $16,000,” she laughed.

“When it dawned on me that it was more than $120,000, I was speechless.

“I called my husband and he was shaking! He didn’t even believe me at first!

“This will change our lives, it’s absolutely amazing.”

The winning woman said that she had been manifesting their win.

“Everything revolves around the number 6 in our lives, it’s our lucky number,” she said.

“I told my family last week that I was going to try Super 66 and to put into the world thoughts about winning so we might be able to buy our first home.

“Lo and behold, it seemed to work and we’re going to be able to find our family home after all!”

The family’s winning numbers in the Super 66 draw were 9, 9, 3, 6, 9 and 8.

The ticket was purchased online.

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A Whitsundays school has restructured classes and lost teachers due to a lack of student enrolments that it believes are connected to families moving away from the area because they can no longer find somewhere to live.

“We have not had the numbers of children enrolled that was anticipated,” said a statement from the school.

“Unfortunately, many of our families have not had anywhere to live and have had to move, one of the sad realities we are finding in the post pandemic world.”

As a result, an agreement was reached with some of the teachers to either relocate entirely or transfer to other schools within the region.

A spokesperson from the Department of Education said that staffing allocations are based on enrolments, and as enrolments fluctuate the state-wide teacher transfer system places teachers where they are most needed while ensuring class sizes remain at the right level.

“The Department undertakes comprehensive workforce planning to ensure there is a sustainable supply of teachers to meet the demands of state schools across Queensland,” said the spokesperson.

“This process does not affect the employment status of teachers under permanent contracts.

“School leaders also have autonomy and access to additional funding to invest in workforce as required.”

It is understood that all staffing changes at the local school were forged on an amicable agreement between the school and the teachers involved.

The Principal said they hoped the restructure did not cause too much disruption to the school community and thanked the multitude of staff who made it possible.

“I want to reiterate that it has only happened due to necessity,” they said.

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Whitsunday Regional Council has taken the first steps towards the construction of a $200,000 Airlie Place of Refuge.

Council’s Director of Infrastructure Services Adam Hagy said that Council is seeking a contribution of 50 per cent of the funding for the project through the Disaster Ready Fund Round 1.

“This funding will allow us to pursue concept designs and feasibility studies,” Mr Hagy said.

“It is envisaged that the end product of this project would be located on Waterson Way, but that is yet to be determined through a feasibility study and further community consultation as the project develops.”

The project will encompass project planning to deliver a place of refuge in Airlie Beach, eventually providing a place for residents in Cannonvale, Jubilee Pocket, Airlie Beach, Mandalay, and Shute Harbour to evacuate to in the event of a severe weather incursion.

During these initial stages, the project will include original project scoping with community consultation through concept and detailed design and cost estimation.

Mr Hagy said the project is two-fold, with a chase for it to serve both the area as an emergency shelter and also as a car parking facility.

"Whilst it is a place of refuge, we're also considering a report in March 2022 that identified by 2036 Council would need an additional 486 car parks in Airlie Beach CBD," Mr Hagy said.

“That is due to population growth and tourism influx.”

Currently, in the event of a major weather event, whether that be fire, flood, or storm– such as Cyclone Debbie in 2017 – residents were only able to utilise a place of refuge in Proserpine and Bowen.

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The initial steps for the construction of an Airlie Beach Place of Refuge have begun as Whitsunday Regional Council seeks funding

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One of our region’s largest private employers is celebrating this week following the announcement that they won the Queensland Telstra Best of Business Award for Indigenous-led, owned and operated businesses succeeding through entrepreneurialism, innovation and inspiring the next generation of all Australians.

Hillery Group triumphed over 20,000 other applicants to bring the State award home to Bowen and Chief Executive Officer, Luke Hillery, said he is thrilled with the outcome.

“It’s pretty amazing,” he said.

“We are not in business to get accolades; we do it because we enjoy it and want to create a future for everyone at Hillery Group – but it is a nice feeling to have won this award.”

“We are extremely passionate and proud to create employment pathways for many young people in our community and we have high regard for the young Indigenous.

“We believe in equal opportunity and that everyone deserves a chance.”

The Hillery Group is a second-generation civil construction and quarry company that employs 120 local staff and is operated by brothers, Luke and Liam Hillery.

The business was founded by their parents who started out with just one truck for hire back in the 1980s.

The group now run five quarries, have multiple sand leases, deliver large civil projects and own over 300 assets which include trucks, excavators, loaders and graders.

In an impassioned speech on the awards night, Luke thanked his parents for their legacy and for wanting to create a better life for their family which is now thriving into another generation of Hillery’s.

He also thanks his parents for the mentorship he and his brother have received which has helped immensely since they took over and expanded the business further.

Special mention was also made to all past and present employees at Hillery Group who are the reason behind Hillery Groups success.

The Hillery family have indigenous ancestry stretching back to the Kalkadoon Tribe and have incredible stories of survival that date back through their father’s line to 1885.

As a result, the Hillery Group has always been proud of, and deeply connected to their indigenous roots.

Winning the Indigenous Excellence Award at State level gives the Hillery brothers automatic entry into the National Telstra Business Awards which are due to be held in Melbourne at the end of the month.

On the first day, they will make a presentation to a board and answer a series of questions.

They will then attend the award ceremony the following night to discover whether they have won.

Either way, Luke said they feel like winners and that the experience has been a great opportunity to reflect on the success of their business and the contribution made by everyone who is part of the broader “Hillery family”.

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Owners of Hillery Group, Luke and Liam Hillery, accepting their Telstra Better Business Award for Indigenous Excellence in Brisbane last week. Photo supplied

The Hillery Family and management team attended the awards in Brisbane last week

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Excited to say Councillors and I kicked off our 2023 Community Catch-ups last week with over 60 people turning up to the Dingo Beach Progress Association.

I am a huge advocate of face-to-face engagement with residents in the Whitsunday region and topics discussed at the first catch-up included land and natural resource management, local projects, disaster preparation resources, town planning, the upcoming budget process and community consultations relevant to the Gloucester community.

The community catch ups provide Councillors the opportunity to better connect with our smaller communities, build relationships, share information, and gather feedback on local issues.

Face to face catch ups allow us to facilitate a two-way flow of information, updating residents on Council projects relevant to them and listen to issues affecting the local community.

Upcoming catch ups are planned for Gumlu/Cape Upstart, Collinsville, Conway, Scottville, Shute Harbour, and Mt Coolon.

To keep up to date with upcoming catchups or if you have any ideas or topics you would like to discuss, checkout our online engagement portal Your Say.

I am aware that the new Shute Harbour boat ramp’s fixed walkway design has caused angst within our local boating community due to changing tidal levels.

The boat ramp is a state-owned government funded asset and they advised that the boat ramp needed to be constructed to withstand another cyclone and a walkway didn’t exist prior to Cyclone Debbie.

Shortly after being elected, I raised community’s concerns about the boat ramp issue in talks with Minister Mark Bailey late last year.

I am grateful that the Minister had given an assurance that he would arrange a meeting onsite with Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) later this month.

Our aim now is to work with DTMR and MSQ to explore possible solutions to make the current boat ramp more user friendly based on community feedback.

Our hard-working road crews are currently completing the last of our re-sealing works program which includes $1.7 million dollars’ worth of works across 26 roads.

Our road network that Council maintains is huge as we look after more than 1780km of roads across the diverse Whitsunday region.

When severe weather events occur, we activate the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements from State and Federal Governments. It works as insurance for our roads to alleviate costs to ratepayers, but the process takes time.

Since October 2021 we’ve had multiple severe weather events impact our roads here in the Whitsundays. We’ve repaired over 80 damaged roads, costing over $23 million of disaster recovery funding.

Council is currently working with the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) to secure funding for the last weather event in January, with an estimated $65 million dollars in claims being applied for.

We are also in constant talks with QRA and the District Disaster Management Group to find a solution for the Ted Cunningham bridge repair and to restore better access for residents.

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The newly rebranded Mana Skin, Body & Soul at the Port of Airlie launched its new and timeless branding last week, introducing an exciting era of blissed-out packages and indulgent experiences as Airlie’s only Day Spa.

For the past five years, Vartamana Yoga & Spa has been operating from the site, but when its new owner, Jess Kent, took the helm late last year she decided it was time for a refresh.

“I wanted something that was still related to the previous name but suited our new concept” she explains.

“Mana came to me for a few reasons – it has many meanings in different cultures relating to healing, inner strength and Prestige”.

“The meaning behind the word just seemed to really resonate with what we are trying to do.”

With the name decided, Jess engaged her sister to design a new logo and the brand was officially launched at a special event last week.

As part of the re-brand, Jess said that Mana Skin Body & Soul is stepping away from yoga so it can focus entirely on Spa Experiences that range from luxury couple’s massages to float tank relaxation and advanced skin treatments. A place where you can rejuvenate your Skin, Body & Soul.

Their new Oxygeneo Treatment is perfect for this climate because there is no downtime afterwards. It offers Radiofrequency Skin Tightening, Oxygenation and Ultrasound Infusion, leaving your skin glowing.

While other Advanced Skin treatments are conducted in a more clinical setting, Mana Skin Body & Soul offers the same advanced options but in the comfort of their relaxing spa surrounds.

“You can come in and get your skin needling but at the same time you can also get a neck and shoulder massage, hot towels on your feet and all the other little things that make it more of an experience,” said Jess.

The OxyGeneo machine is a three-in-one super facial that tightens skin.

“It’s a really amazing machine!” said Jess.

“Technology has come such a long way from where it started – it used to be painful and uncomfortable, now it’s like a warm face massage that stimulates and reorganises your collagen.”

Mana Skin Body & Soul will also focus on its Day Spa experiences for locals celebrating special occasions, holidaymakers visiting our region and everyone in between.

With 15 staff and six large treatment rooms, two of which can be transformed into an indulgent couple’s massage areas, there are plenty of massage styles to choose from.

Many clients like to add a Float Tank to their experience, completing their relaxation ritual with the ultimate indulgence.

With the only Float Tank in Airlie Beach, it is easy to simply book the extra add-on.

“It has so many health benefits,” explains Jess.

“We have people come in with injuries and then others with anxiety and depression – you walk in and float out!”

A Float Tank is an enclosed bath full of room temperature water and Epson salts so you ‘float’ when you get inside.

It works by providing complete sensory deprivation, allowing the individual to drift into a calm state of relaxation.

One hour in a Float Tank has the same effects on your body as eight hours of sleep.

With a broad and thoughtful selection of experiential treatments, Mana Skin Body & Soul is delivering both a progressive and indulgent service to the Whitsundays.

For a full list of their services and to book Airlie’s only Day Spa head to manaspa.com.au.

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Owner of Mana Skin Body & Soul, Jess Kent, with her team. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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Coral Sea Marina hosted Star FM’s Star Car this week thanks to a promotional drive operated in partnership with Tourism Whitsundays to gain exposure for Sunday’s Clean Up Australia Day.

Tayla Hughes from Star FM has been driving the Star Car for almost three years and she says it is always a pleasure to come to the Whitsundays, especially when it is for a good cause.

“It’s great to be here and really important we all support this worthy cause,” she said.

“Especially because we live so close to the Great Barrier Reef, we’ve all got to work together to keep the reef clean and this community event will help us do just that.”

Tayla and her Star Car were crossing live from Coral Sea Marina on Thursday last week.

During the broadcast she was giving away vouchers, merchandise and anyone who called in could put their name on the list to win a $500 voucher.

Broadcasting live from the Whitsundays every few months, where will you see Tayla and the Star Car next?

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Tayla Hughes from Star FM

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Discovering the best parts of the Whitsundays and promoting them to media all over the country is a major part of Cait Fleming's role at Tourism Whitsundays.

This week she hit the road and spent a day in beautiful Bowen where she met with the team from Bowen Tourism and Business.

Manager Leanne Abernethy and her two staff, Kerry and Ellie, were eager to show Cait the wide range of mango-inspired products they have in store.

With plentiful merchandise and an enthusiastic team creating the best of first impressions, the Big Mango Tourism Information Centre is sure to be top of the list for incoming tourists as they get their bearings.

Cait also met with Addy from Rose Bay Resort and the team at Queens Beach Tourist Village who had recently won gold for the Best Large Caravan Park category in the Grey Nomads awards.

Touring the accommodation in person gave Cait a first-hand insight into the tourist experience at each location and the standard of facilities offered.

“It was such a great day!” said Cait.

“I now have a new appreciation for Bowen - the beaches are spectacular and the service was outstanding everywhere I went.

“Bowen is a destination for so many now, from grey nomads right through to young families and it’s easy to see why it’s the perfect relaxed beachside holiday.”

Cait is originally from Airlie Beach but spent a lot of her childhood visiting her grandparents in Bowen.

Her immediate family still live in Airlie Beach making it a very hard place for Cait to leave – not that she would ever want to!

Spending much of her working career in tourism and marketing, Cait has operated her own business, worked with Flight Centre and also Cruise Whitsundays.

She started her current role with Tourism Whitsundays last August and says she loves the depth and breadth of her role promoting every part of the Whitsundays to media and travel agents all over the world.

Cait Fleming, Publicity and Communications Executive at Tourism Whitsundays with Kerry Meier from Bowen Tourism and Business at Flagstaff Hill. Photo supplied

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Just over a year ago, when a Proserpine local opened a pop-up shop during the Christmas period she discovered a community of creatives that had an abundance of stock but nowhere to sell it.

This inspired her to transform her pop-up into a permanent store which now hosts the creative products of almost 40 small retailers, giving them a home in the “shop within a shop”.

Jade Richardson opened Proserpine Crafty Gifts over Christmas 2021, putting her husband’s empty tile shop project to good use by filling the leased space with hand-made colourful gift ideas.

Closing the shop in January, Jade soon realised she missed the community connection and soon decided to re-launch, but this time as Whitsunday Creatives.

“I have five children and I’d spent 11 years at home as a stay-at-home mum,” said Jade.

“It was great being back with the people, connecting with others and having fun!”

For the past 12 months, Jade has been carefully curating the ultimate gift store that is bursting with unique, often handmade treasures.

From homemade candles to leather purses, intricately designed jewellery, unique wooden chopping boards, colourful artworks, skin care products, soaps, local honey and sock savers.

“There are lots of little shops with the shop,” she said.

“We give people who wouldn’t usually be able to sell items through a shop the opportunity to be part of something.”

“They can play around with their product range, have fun with it and sell it easily so they can focus on the joy of making it.”

There are now over 35 local small businesses showcasing their products at Whitsunday Creatives and customers enjoy the diverse range of gift ideas, with the extra bonus of knowing each purchase supports a local.

Whitsunday Creatives was recently recognised for their efforts when they won an award for the Most Outstanding Whitsundays Retailer at the 2022 Whitsundays Tourism Awards.

Jade is now looking forward to expanding her offering by introducing a floristry to the store.

She also hosts a range of school holiday workshops including dream catcher making, flower arranging and jewellery making.

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Jade Richardson, founder of Whitsunday Creatives. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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Four members of the same family were welcomed into The Proserpine Lions Club at the organisation’s dinner meeting at the Grand Central Hotel, Proserpine on March 1.

Proserpine Lions Club representative Horace Lowbridge said this is the first time the Club has inducted an entire family at the same time.

Kim, Misty, Rob, and Eddie Bland were officially “brought into the fold” by members Lisa Atkinson and Club President Joe Little in a small ceremony, and welcomed them with open arms.

The non-for-profit club is a collection of people who are “involved in humanitarian efforts locally, nationally, and internationally” with the Lions International organisation having a more than respectable reputation.

The Club is on a worldwide “Mission to Serve” with the goals of empowering Lions clubs, volunteers, and partners to improve health and well-being, strengthen communities, and support those in need through charitable services and grants that impact lives globally, and encourage peace and international understanding.

Club President Joe Little said he was proud to welcome an entire family in one ceremony, welcoming these “ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”

“Supporting people with a disability, community greening, fundraising for worthwhile cause, that is what being a part of the change and the Proserpine Lions Club is about,” he said.

Lions Club members strive to make a difference in their local community as well as in communities worldwide, volunteering their time to go beyond to address unmet health and education needs worldwide.

For more information on joining the Proserpine Lions Club, contact the local organisation on Facebook.

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The entire Bland family was inducted into the Proserpine Lions earlier this month. Pictured are Lisa Atkinson, Kim Bland, Misty Bland, Rob Bland, Eddie Bland, and Charlie Atkinson

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Over 100 Whitsunday locals participated in Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday, collecting litter from both land and sea to contribute to keeping our local environment cleaner for all to enjoy.

The official Clean Up Day in the Whitsundays was hosted by Coral Sea Marina and organisers were thrilled to see such a big turnout.

“We were thrilled to see an incredible number of volunteers, including so many families and children, who braved the heat and joined us this Clean Up Australia Day to pick up litter,” said Joscelyn O’Keefe, Head of Marketing and Business Development.

“It proved once again that Clean Up Australia Day is a fantastic opportunity for the local community to band together and collectively work towards protecting our beautiful backyard.”

Much of the on-land litter consisted of soft plastics and cigarettes, but other items included food containers, fishing nets and even a swag.

Local charter company Whitsunday Escape led the sea component of Clean Up Day, taking 30 family and friends out to Double Cone Island on two vessels.

They collected an impressive 250kg in one morning and items included toothbrushes, thongs, lighters and bottle tops.

Their message to the community is to be mindful of what goes overboard while sailing as, despite the islands looking clean from the distance, a lot of litter is washed up with the tides.

Tangaroa Blue/Reef Clean will now audit the collected litter and record findings in the Australian Marine Debris database.

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A long-standing Bowen farming family has been awarded 2022 Farmer of the Year in the Weekly Times which is Australia’s biggest rural news publication.

The Jurgens family operate VJK Produce and their efforts in innovation, sustainability and technology were recognised when they took home the award in the Horticulture category.

The family have been farming in Bowen for 100 years, with Jamie Jurgens’ parents starting out with just 20 acres of tomatoes.

VJK Produce is now farming close to 3,000 acres and for the past 12 years, since his parents retired, Jamie has been operating the farm with his wife Melita.

Their two adult children, Jessica and Jacob, are now also working back on the farm having returned with Agricultural Business Degrees.

VJK Produce grows a range of vegetables including green beans, sweet corn, pumpkin and mini capsicums.

This works alongside their organic range of green beans, sweetcorn, melons, tomatoes, pumpkins and mini capsicums.

Jamie Jurgens said he was thrilled to be recognised with the award, but that it is a reflection of the whole workforce of nearly 200 employees.

“It’s nice to be recognised for our whole team’s efforts,” he said.

“These awards aren’t won by an individual; it takes everyone to make it work. It’s really rewarding to have people around who share our passions and make a difference in agriculture, it makes you feel good about going to work.”

When asked what features of the business he believed warranted the award, Jamie said that he thinks it is their ability to innovate and the way they operate as a business.

“We have a sustainable approach to growing and use non-chemical fertiliser,” he said.

“We’ve also built an insectary which breeds insects to eat other insects, we’ve had it for four years now and it is the backbone to our organics.”

Jamie said their other successes include their ability to adapt to technology and also their ongoing partnership with Kal Fresh, a company in the south that also farm 3,000 acres.

By teaming up with the other farm, they can produce vegetables all year round.

“Being able to create the farming system we have, is a huge achievement,” said Jamie.

“To hand it over to the next generation in as good, if not better, condition than how we got it is one of my biggest goals.”

“Food is always going to be put on the table – farming is one of the biggest renewable resources and with every new crop there is a new opportunity and a positive future for agriculture done right.”

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The Jurgens family – Jacob, Jamie, Melita and Jessica – who own and operate VJK Produce. Photo supplied

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Continuing his story …

On his first expedition, Monty Embury visited Hayman Island and decided there and then that he would make this island his headquarters in the future. He acquired the lease from Boyd Lee and set up a permanent base there, hosting two trips a year.

Most of the tourists came by train to Proserpine and launch from Cannon Valley but some came by a coastal steamer which also brought day trippers. The deal was £1 a day with BYO bedding, dishes and cutlery. Naturally, Embury made sure the island was highly organised with a doctor, a post office, a sheep pen and later its own bakery on site and kerosene lighting throughout. Electricity did not reach Proserpine until 1929. In 1932, he advertised Hayman as having tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course, a shark proof swimming pool, a field research station and a port for interstate steamships.

In all, Embury organised eleven expeditions to the Whitsundays, all of which were marketed in NSW. Accounts of the trips appeared in the state newspapers and reunion parties were held. Monty himself published a booklet “The Great Barrier Reef” and numerous articles. In addition, links with the Australian Museum, surveys and specimen displays all publicised the reef as both a scientific and tourist destination.

Embury had plans to expand his operations by obtaining the leases to Hook, Langford, Black and Arkhurst Islands but found the government condition to spend £10,000 in seven years on tourist development too onerous, particularly as the Great Depression was putting restraints on tourism.

He stopped organising his Whitsunday expeditions after 1934 but continued to support his successors, the Hallams, as a publicity and booking agent in Sydney. The Whitsundays was not the only destination for Embury’s organised trips. In total, he coordinated thirty-seven expeditions to serious locations including arranging bird watching trips for the Gould League of Bird Lovers with his brother, Arch. Another interesting expedition he arranged was to Alice Springs for a party of forty people, all of whom travelled in a convoy of eight Model A Fords.

In the mid 1930s, Monty returned to teaching and remained in the profession until his retirement in 1956 with a break during World War Two when he rejoined the army. He had three children with his first wife, Honora and four more with his second wife, Dorothy. Edwin Montague Embury died in 1961.

In the words of eminent local historian, the late Ray Blackwood: “Thus ended the career of a man who in his own way helped to put the Whitsundays on the map while bringing knowledge and enjoyment to many hundreds of participants. His reward obviously was personal satisfaction with a job well done and little, if any, thought or realisation of financial return.”

Story courtesy of Proserpine Historical Museum and “The Whitsunday Islands – An Historical Dictionary” by Ray Blackwood.  Photo sourced from John Oxley Library.

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Mackay Aquatic and Recreation Complex (ARC) will be closed to the public until further notice.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) was called to the site early this morning after staff noticed a chemical leak in the plant room prior to opening the facility.

QFES is currently investigating the site and have advised that the leak has been contained to the plant room.

However, the ARC will be closed for the remainder of the day so the issue can be rectified.

Council is hopeful that the facility can be reopened tomorrow and will keep the public updated on council’s Facebook page and website.

Residents are also advised that they can use their memberships at Pioneer Swim Centre in North Mackay while Mackay ARC is closed.

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