Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
For Scoutfest 2025 More than 300 scouts and their families from across Queensland converged on Rowallan Park, Mackay for ScoutFest 2025, a bi-annual celebration of scouting that blended adventure, learning, and community spirit. Chairperson and organiser Katrina Hoare said the event had grown remarkably over its 11-year history. “ScoutFest started as Scout Care, which was kids with disabilities, and then we went back into ScoutFest the following year and opened it to the public one day,”
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Friday 5th September ** Crochet & Conversation 9am Drop in for a relaxed morning of crocheting, coffee and conversation with friendly Northern Beaches locals at the Beachfront Bar & Restaurant on Bucasia Esplanade. Everyone is welcome—whether you're a seasoned crocheter, a beginner, or just love a good chat over coffee. Bring your own tools or borrow from the communal box. It’s all about connection, creativity, and community. Beachfront Bar & Restaurant on Bucasia Esplanade Friday Guided W
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Review By Miki Ponting-Boyd When Victor Scott directs a play at Kucom, you just know it's going to be an extraordinary piece of theatre. You know you’ll be strapped into an emotional rollercoaster and be swept up with epic intensity - and yet, despite knowing this, every time I see one of Victor's shows, I’m caught off guard by how much the emotion hits. “The Father”, by Florian Zeller is, in itself, a literary masterpiece. It's won a ton of International awards (and was nominated for a T
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Last Tuesday, Mackay State High School marked the expansion of the Inclusion Series Day, following the event’s successful launch in 2024 at North Rockhampton State High School, which included all neighbouring special schools. In 2025, the program extended to other Central Queensland areas, such asLongreach, Mt Isa, Emerald, Mackay, and Gladstone, and involved local inclusion staff and PE teachers for professional development in inclusive education.
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Decluttering doesn’t have to mean hauling boxes or dedicating your weekend to chaos control. With a few clever five-minute fixes, you can free up space and breathe easier in your home. Start with the kitchen drawers. Toss duplicate utensils or that extra stash of takeaway cutlery. Suddenly, there’s room for what you actually use. In the wardrobe, grab five hangers and remove anything you haven’t worn in a year – instant breathing room and no hard decisions required. For the bathroom, streamlin
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Last weekend, the Mackay Rowing Club hosted the second annual Head of the Pioneer 10-kilometre regatta at Pleystowe, bringing together crews from across the region for a challenging day on the water. Despite strong winds that tested every competitor, the event was a celebration of skill, determination, and community spirit. Crews from Townsville, Ruway, Ju, and Helro joined Mackay’s own rowers for the rolling-start race, which began at the river’s weir, included a turnaround, and finished acros
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Junior And Senior Softball Wrap-Up Young Joey Ball and Rookieball players are buzzing with excitement as they prepare for their grand finals on Saturday, 6th September. It promises to be a fun-filled day, with trophy presentations to follow after the games at 11.30am. Under 14 Dragons Get the Power proved too strong for Dragons Tyre Power, running away with an 11–1 victory. Levi Counsell impressed with three at-bats, crossing home plate each time. Teammates Sienna Kitto and Chloe Mackenzie sho
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The Annual Mackay Road Runners Shields Stampede 5km and 12km has been a mainstay on the local running calendar for more than 30 years. The historic event, generously hosted by club life members Wendy and Merv Shields from their Mount Pleasant residence, has long challenged competitors with its undulating, twisting course through Beaconsfield and Andergrove before the descent back to the Karl Langer Crescent finish line. Wendy and Merv have played an integral role in the longevity of the Mackay
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The Mackay Cutters faced challenging encounters over the weekend, with both the women's and men's teams experiencing defeats. At BB Print Stadium in Mackay, the BMD Premiership women's team narrowly lost to the Western Clydesdales, 16–18. Despite tries from M. Powell (28'), J. Kimber (55'), and C. Tanner (61'), and two successful conversions by Emily Bella, the Cutters couldn't secure the win. The Clydesdales responded with tries from K. Jackson (14'), K. Taylor (24'), and M. Prentice (47'), al
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Mackay Meteorettes standout Unique Thompson has claimed the 2025 NBL1 North Women’s Most Valuable Player award after another dominant season. She also took home the titles of NBL1 North scoring champion and earned a spot on the All-Star First Team. Her meteoric impact was undeniable. Thompson’s stat line was among the league’s most impressive. She led the conference in scoring with 23.2 points per game and grabbed a league-best 15.3 rebounds per game—a commanding double-double average. Her numb
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MACKAY TABLE TENNIS FIXTURE RESULTS - 26th August 2025 Tuesday Evening Fixture Division 1 – Fish (Mick Ruhl, Steven Whiting, Jacob Whelan) defeated Ants (Barry Patterson, Vince Boeske, Robbie Richards) 9-2. Great doubles match between Mick / Steven won over Barry / Vince 11-9 in 5th Set. Bears (Goncalo Serra, Josh Brown, Lee Brake) defeated Birds (Trent Day, Emma Widdup, Anne Sheridan) 8-3 with Emma having a massive 5 Set match with Lee and she won 13-11. Division 2 – Tigers (Allan Edwards,
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On Monday 18 August and Wednesday 20 August the Marian ladies held their annual Master 4's. This started with 15 teams - 60 ladies - on Monday with the top 4 teams going into Wednesday. There were many very close games during the first day with lots of laughter and good sportsmanship shown. The eventual winners were Airlie Beach from North Mackay in a great game of bowls. Contributed by Lyn Jackson
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BMA River 2 Reef Ride Festival Supports Lifesaving Local Organisations This weekend, the Mackay community will once again come together in a powerful show of unity at this year’s BMA River 2 Reef Ride Festival, with every pedal stroke helping to support two vital local organisations – BMA CQ Rescue and Disabled Sport & Rec Mackay. Kate Sommerville, General Manager of BHP Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) Hay Point Coal Terminal, highlighted BMA’s long-standing commitment to the Mackay community. “Ev
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With Mackay Contract Bridge Club Twenty-two Mackay players competed in the Yeppoon Congress last Weekend. Frances and Alan Brown won the A Grade Pairs, with Annie Lynch and Sandra Morris winning the B Grade Pairs. Alan and Frances Brown joined by Janet Hansen and Diane Morgan also took out the A Grade Team event. B Grade Teams event was won by team Harris, Jan Harris, Helen Van Den Broek, Martin Pearce and Hilary Gunthorp. All players played extremely well in the Red point events. Weekly Result
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I’ve always said Mackay punches well above its weight when it comes to things to do, and last weekend really proved the point. The RIN Awards kicked things off on Friday night, hosted by none other than Ed Kavalee. It also happened to be my husband’s birthday, so I figured, why not blend work with celebration? We’re big Ed fans from Have You Been Paying Attention?, so that was my cheeky sales pitch for working on his big day. From there it was straight into Rhythm and the Reef on Saturday
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A local mum has shared heartfelt appreciation for the emergency department (ED) team, highlighting the compassion and professionalism of staff during a recent visit. “We were there Monday afternoon, sent via GP (tried to avoid) and they were so busy but the triage nurses were amazing, calm and thorough,” she said. The mum, who attended with her three children, described the challenges of the waiting area. “It took me an hour to even get through triage, but I could see how thorough the c
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Election day for the Mackay Regional Council by-election is this Saturday 30 August but unlike recent council elections in Mackay, there is no in-person voting at polling booths on Saturday. “All Mackay voters have been sent ballot materials in the post,” Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen said. “Please follow the instruction on your postal ballot envelope and on the ballot paper carefully to ensure your vote counts. This includes signing the declaration envelope and making sure the envel
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Mackay residents are being urged to roll up their sleeves and help save lives, with Lifeblood and Mayor Greg Williamson highlighting the importance of blood and plasma donations. Lifeblood spokeswoman Gwendolyne Camaret said the impact of a single donation could be profound. “One donation can save up to three lives. Our recipients include cancer patients, people undergoing surgery, car accident victims and more,” she said. Camaret said while Mackay’s donor centre had been kept busy, the
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With The Mackay View Club VIEW (Voice, Interests, and Education of Women) is dedicated to friendship, fun, and making a difference. Members enjoy regular social gatherings, engaging guest speakers, and the opportunity to support The Smith Family’s mission of helping Australian children experiencing disadvantage. Recently, Mackay VIEW Club members attended the Farmers’ Market, where they met with locals and shared information about the club’s activities. The club meets on the third Wednes
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Mackay Hospital and Health Board Chair Helen Darch announced today that Chief Executive Susan Gannon has resigned from her position with Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS). Ms Darch paid tribute to Ms Gannon for her hard work and dedication in leading the health service. “Susan has steered Mackay HHS through a significant period of recovery and renewal over the past two and a half years and we have been grateful to have someone with her depth of experience in the role,” Ms Darch sa
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OPINION PIECE More than three years in government, and Labor still doesn’t have any real plans to positively grow the economy. Last week, a hand-picked group of government, union, business and industry figures gathered for a three-day economic forum to supposedly chart a course for Australia's economic future. It was billed as a big deal, a national conversation. But even before it began, the chaos was showing. When Treasurer Jim Chalmers launched the forum, he declared “everything was on
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One year after thirty purpose-designed Habitat Reef Modules were installed off Mackay, new underwater footage is revealing encouraging signs of success. Monitoring has recorded at least 22 fish species now using the modules – a remarkable increase from just three species recorded before deployment. These include key recreational, commercial and indigenous fishery species such as red emperor, large-mouth nannygai, gold-spot cod and grassy sweetlip, along with small-bodied reef fish like w
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In 2022 a statue of “Joe” the international canecutter was unveiled in Albert Lloyd Park at Marian. Joe commemorates those of any nationality or ethnic group who worked to promote the sugar industry in and around Marian. The sugar industry actually began in Marian over 140 years ago in 1883, when a company was formed with British and industrialist money to establish a sugar mill in the Mackay district. Messrs Smith, McEachran and McKenzie were the key figures in raising the necessary fund
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Trainees Take The Next Step A graduation ceremony at Mackay Base Hospital for seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students has marked the next big step in turning their healthcare career dreams into reality. The teens have completed an 18-month traineeship across various departments at the hospital as part of the Budyubari Bidyiri Kebi Stapal – or Big Dream, Small Steps – Program. In a ceremony at the hospital on Friday, 22 August, the students celebrated with their families and
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The Mackay Disability Expo opens its doors today, with over 70 exhibitors on display at the Mackay Showgrounds Big Shed. Running from 9am to noon, the free event will showcase a wide range of services and supports for people with disability, their families, and carers. Exhibitors will include both local providers and visiting specialists, with displays covering prosthetics, physiotherapy, mobility aids, accessible housing, all-abilities sports, and inclusive fitness options. Mayor Greg W
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