It all started 36 years ago for Brian Little, when the previous Proserpine Fire Captain approached him at his Ford dealership and asked if he wanted to join and become an auxiliary firefighter. At the time, the Proserpine Fire Station was stationed in the heart of Proserpine, on Main Street, with Brian’s dealership right next door, meaning in the case of an emergency, Brian could just jump away from his desk at a moment’s notice and help save lives.
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It was another wonderful weekend in Proserpine, with the Proserpine Community Markets being another big hit. “It was brilliant,” Market Coordinator Tarnia Patton said. “The Wildlife Encounter was a big draw card for kids, and it was great to see families out and about in the community.
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For over 15 years, the Zonta Club of the Whitsundays has been constructing Clean Birthing Kits, to send throughout Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and the Caribbean, to give hospitals and mothers clean and sterile equipment to safely deliver their children.
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An accomplishment and an evening of enjoyment, the students of Whitsunday Christian College should be proud of the professional production they hosted last weekend. The calibre of the performances, the professionalism of the students, and the awe of the audience culminated into a specular night. As the nerves shifted away, and the excitement of being on stage, underneath the big lights, with loved ones in the audience grew, this was a performance of greatness. There was Jade Shepherd-Smith as Do
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The eight winners of the national Passport To Airlie competition have now been announced following the final heat which took place in Mackay over the weekend.Gravy Train (Darwin), The Robert Cini Band (Cairns), The Wild Sky (Mackay), Staremaster (Sunshine Coast), Funk Knuckle (Brisbane), Venus Fly Trap (Byron Bay), Avalanche (Newcastle) and Ally Row (Melbourne) managed to beat 300 other musical acts from around the country to claim their spot.
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Born from the love of Aussie classics, the Reckless Tribute embodies the warmth of summer, the eclectic feeling of a cool beer after a hard day’s work, and the taste of sweat on your lips. No one knows this feeling better than Reckless front man Marco Sinni, who created the tribute band more than five years.
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The annual T8T Fest is back in Bowen for 2023, and with some of the best up-and-coming names in local rock, this is not a music festival to miss. Raising funds for Australian Melanoma Research Foundation, T8T Fest is in memoriam of Nicholas Tait, an avid musician who loved festivals, and sadly passed away from melanoma 16 weeks after diagnosis.
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The most recent Tiny Homes Project fundraiser event, Get Lei’d Hawaiian Party held at Cape Gloucester, saw over 120 people attend, streaming off the buses donated by Whitsunday Transit. Major Sponsors D & C Mechanical and Electrical.“It was a fantastic event,” said Fiona Donnellan, Fundraising Coordinator for Tiny Homes Project. “The entire event was a huge success, which was incredible.”
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Local skateboard star Freddie Hazelton has been selected for the YouFor2032 program, a youth feeder program for alite athletes aspiring to compete in the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics.A Year 8 St Catherine’s Catholic College student, Freddie is a busy young man, having travelled Australia competing in skateboarding competitions, testing his skills and techniques against a wide variety of other skaters.
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he North Queensland Zone Mission Beach Regatta was conducted at South Mission Beach on the weekend of 16th and 17th of September. The conditions were challenging with a persistent strong wind and choppy seas. The Outrigger Whitsunday team performed extremely well.
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On Wednesday, the Cannons hosted the first Distance Club Night for the season. Swimmers had the opportunity to swim longer distances than normal. The coaches were pleased to see senior swimmers taking up the challenge of swimming 400m IM or 400m, 800m or 1500m Freestyle. Jacob Bell swam 1500m Freestyle in a time of 18.15.97.
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An exciting opportunity for the local sporting community, Base 51 played host to the Australian Kangaroos earlier this week ahead of their clash with Samoa in Townsville this weekend.Joining them for Monday’s high intensity workout were a group of Under 17 Whitsunday Brahmans.
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To round out the year, many fitness facilities (including mine - F45 Airlie Beach) run 6, 8 or 12 Week Challenges. With so many to choose from, how do you decide which one is right?
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A Glioma Warrior's Story By Sinead Porter Nineteen-year-old Ashlee Knight was diagnosed with an optic nerve glioma and intercranial hypotension on 27th July, 2020 that unknowingly would alter the course of her life. While playing lawn bowls at Mackay City Bowls Club, Ashlee started complaining that she couldn’t see the kitty up at the other end of the green. Her mother Anna booked her an optometrist appointment, which was just the beginning of her three-and-a-half year battle ahead. From
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FROCKS AND FILLIES ON SHOW AT TURF CLUB’S DERBY DAY
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Group Leader of the State Emergency Service Mackay Regional Unit, JoAnn Clout, has stepped down from her role after ten years of dedicated service. JoAnn stepped out of the role originally in 2018, however since then she has filled in on an interim basis when other members have come and gone from the position. She has been a pillar of strength for members of the SES and continues to stay active in the organisation. Today, JoAnn spends her time keeping busy with the new recruit program, keen o
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A primary-school aged entrepreneur has taken to his front yard to sell cups of lemonade to his local community, while raising money for various charities. Local Bucasia resident, Cooper, sells his own batch of homemade lemonade to local residents, alongside his little sister, Lexi. Over the weekend, Cooper was out selling from 10:30am until 1:30pm, a hard day’s work for a young man. In past events, Cooper has raised money for both his own pocket money, as well as the Kmart Wishing Tree Appea
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Change is the heartbeat of life, and as we embrace it, we often find remarkable stories waiting to be uncovered. This week, I have the pleasure of introducing you to a fresh face in our editorial team, Sinead Porter, whose journey from the red dust of the desert plains in Western Australia to the coal dust of our vibrant Mackay region brings a unique perspective and a treasure trove of stories. Sinead has experienced an interesting tapestry of heritage. She was born in Ireland and moved to the
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The process of repurposing involves using a product to serve another purpose. For example, soft plastic bags can be repurposed into sleeping mats. Mary Worby is one such woman in Mackay that started making sleeping mats from plastic bags three years ago. Her journey began four years ago after seeing on Facebook school children in America making sleeping mats for the homeless out of bread bags. Mary googled a pattern and started using the grey plastic shopping bags. When recycled plastic bag
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A Mackay man’s after-work visit to the local bowls club has become an unforgettable moment after picking up a $54,000 win in a recent Keno draw. The Queensland resident held a Keno Classic 6 Spot winning entry in draw 659, drawn Saturday 30 September 2023, and took home $54,000. “I feel great!” he exclaimed when an official from Keno called to confirm the life-enhancing win. “What an amazing way to finish off a long workday. “I just knocked off, went to the bowls club for a feed, and the
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The rare New Guinea Tongue Orchid, taking host in the Ken Burgess Orchid House, is getting ready to flower, with botanic lovers waiting patiently. This Orchid is the Orchid’s House’s most infamous plant, and is a member of the Bulbophyllum fletcherianum, but is better known as ‘Stinky’, due to the eye-watering stench that accompanies its flower. The flowers of the orchid resemble rotting flesh both in look and smell, but serve the important role of attracting flies, who believe they are laying
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A 73-year-old Kuttabul man has died following a tragic road accident in Mia Mia Forest, on Sunday October 2. Police reported that at about 6am, the man was travelling north on Pinnacle Station Road, towing a caravan, when he stopped his vehicle to clear an obstruction on the road, at Captain’s Crossing. His vehicle has then rolled forward, hitting the man, and causing his death. Police said he was alone at the time and was later discovered by a passer-by at about 7.30am.
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Mackay Hospital Foundation Giving Day 2023 “We shouldn’t be disadvantaged because of where we live so let’s make our hospitals the best they can be, providing the absolute best possible care for our family and friends.” Mark your calendars for a heartwarming occasion on Thursday, October 12th, as the Mackay Hospital Foundation gears up for its third annual Giving Day. This cherished event stands tall as one of the organisation's grandest fundraising endeavours, with the dedicated team at t
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A new pet owner said she feels like she’s ”struck gold” after adopting a senior dog from council’s Animal Management Centre. Megan Gray said the kelpie-cross, August, was the perfect fit for her home. “I feel like I’ve struck gold — he is such a well-behaved, intelligent, beautiful boy!” Ms Gray said. “A big thank you to the wonderful team at council’s Animal Management Centre for making the adoption possible,” she said. “Now he is in a safe loving home.” Leslie Sleeman also adopted a senior Jac
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This year marks National Police Remembrance Day’s 35-year anniversary since its commencement in 1989, pausing to honour 150 officers whose lives have been lost in the line of duty. National Police Remembrance Day (NPRD), observed every year on September 29, is a sombre reminder of the bravery and commitment of our police officers, who protect and serve the people of Queensland. In the past 12 months, two Queensland Police Service officers, constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, tragically
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