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Koumala State School (SS) has celebrated a century of shaping generations of student’s education and the local community this year. To commemorate this special occasion, the Koumala SS Parents & Citizens Association (P & C) held a centenary event last month, where past students, teachers, staff, and the local community were invited to reminisce and celebrate. The celebration included activities such as planting a centenary tree, laying a new time capsule, live entertainment, student performance
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To celebrate Mental Health Week and to promote positive mindfulness, students at Sarina State High School spent their lunch break building terrariums to take home and care for. An excellent initiative to encourage self-care and support Mental Health Week awareness.
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Sarina Bowls club hosted a two-day Springtime Carnival event in sunshine and rain over the long weekend. With 24 teams participating and some coming from as far as Townsville and Gladstone, there was certainly some great bowls played. It was a very close finish with the top 6 teams all finishing on 12 points and only a 10 ends difference between the winners and 6th place. Laughter and a bit of background music and great competition always keeps a team in good spirits. Contributed by Rita Hughe
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A mobile health unit with specialised medical equipment is coming to Mackay and Proserpine next month, offering free lung checks to former and retired Queensland mine and quarry workers. The mobile health unit, known as HEART5, features state-of-the-art medical equipment to provide the required screening examinations. That includes a lung function test and chest X-ray, and follow-up tests needed to investigate possible abnormalities, such as high-resolution CT scans, if required. HEART5 is oper
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By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay The harvest season brings with it certain risks, not just for farming and harvest crews, but also at times for the community. In recent weeks, and across the state, we have seen a variety of accidents, on farms, on roads and on the cane rail network. It is always saddening to see people hurt in the course of their work, or in the course of just getting about their daily business. October is Safe Work month, so it is timely to think about the highly va
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On World Mental Health Day, Beyond Blue is sharing mental health coaching tips to help people navigate everyday life stresses. NewAccess Mental Health Coach Gemma Danahay supports people using a low intensity CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) coaching program, developed by Beyond Blue. “More and more people are coming to me due to financial stress, as cost of living pressures escalate. The other main issues are relationship problems, work stresses, and grief and loss and sudden life changes,” Ms
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OPINION PIECE Someone pointed out to me the other day that young people would not know what a “carbon copy” is because they would never have come across a carbon copy of anything. The move to the digital age has made carbon copies redundant, however, in an excellent twist of irony and a delightful merging of old with new, we still use the term CC when copying people in on emails. Those same young people probably would not know that CC is an abbreviation of carbon copy. By way of a short histor
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OPINION PIECE Everyone has a right to be seen and heard, don’t they? It was a privilege to attend the concert celebrating 15 years of the Choir of Unheard Voices on Sunday, October 1, 2023. The choir is a singing space where they sing with heart and laugh with joy. It is a safe and welcoming space for anyone who wishes to be there. Wonderfully led by Margaret Ross and Carol Willis, the choir began as a project to change people’s lives through singing and is still changing lives 15 years on. The
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OPINION PIECE There’s a heap of things to love about this weekend and I reckon you are going to have a few smiling faces at your place guaranteed. If you love fast cars, and the smell of smoke, head out to Palmyra because you’ll be happy to know there will be drag action happening. Head towards Walkerston, and if you get close to Finch Hatton you’ve gone too far. But hey if you’re up around The Gorge, you might as well keep driving and head up to Eungella. The temperature is just perfect, the
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THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE Andrew Bovell's controversial play, Things I Know To Be True, is coming to Mackay for a limited season, from Thursday 19th October. Directed by Victor Scott (When the Rain Stops Falling, Ruthless - the Musical), Things I Know To Be True explores the complexities of the Price family - a typical suburban family on the surface, but with some interesting secrets. Described by the Globe & Mail as "quietly devastating", the play combines issues such as gender confusion, sexua
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Friday 13 October Trophy Eyes – Regional Australian Tour 7:30pm Renowned Australian post-punk rock band, Trophy Eyes, are embarking on a mighty Australian regional tour this October. The tour serves as a continuation of the festivities surrounding their latest Top 10 ARIA album, Suicide and Sunshine. Don’t miss out on seeing Trophy Eyes’ unreservedly candid and emotionally charged storytelling, joined by special guests Dear Seattle. | Get your tickets at oztix.com.au The Seabreeze Hotel The F
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Mackay mega-band, The Wild Sky, have secured the final spot in the Passport To Airlie competition and will now join eight other finalists from all over the country in opening the mainstage at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music next month. Over 200 people came to watch the five finalists that had been selected out of 30 local acts to perform at the Passport To Airlie Mackay Finals on Sunday afternoon at the Metropolitan Hotel. National Coordinator of the Passport To Airlie Competition, Cherrie
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With over 3000 attendees at the Mackay Seniors Expo 2023, this year's event was full of vital information for our beloved elder community. The expo featured an array of exhibitors, including those in health and wellness, entertainment, emergency services, food vendors, and more. Eventgoers had the opportunity to grab some goodies from various agencies and small businesses, as well as enjoy a social outing with friends and family. Relive the Seniors Expo 2023 through these delightful social snaps
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From indoor sports arenas in the Mackay region to exotic South America – that is the fascinating journey that lies ahead for Sarina’s Futsal soccer ace Ella Walz. Scoring goals has become second nature to the St Patrick’s College student who has gained selection in the Under 19s All Stars Australian team for a tour of Chile next May. Ella was named one of the country’s top eleven junior players after standout performances for Northern Queensland at this year’s National Schools Futsal Champions
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DBCT Poole Cup Round 1 Wrap-Up Reigning premiers Mackay Magpies launched their 2023-24 Poole Cup campaign on a winning note in the Mackay Cricket Association first grade competition last weekend. Skipper Ben Zurvas and Andrew Borg steered the Magpies (5-152) to a first up victory over Walkerston with classy knocks at Harrup Park’s Roy Trevaskis Oval. All-rounder Borg top scored with 45 off 34 balls and Zurvas (43) off thirty balls in a productive opening stand with number five Blake Ryan sco
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Record entries and action-packed fixtures were a highlight of Mackay Rangers’ 40th anniversary 8-a-side soccer carnival staged at Eric Homan Park. The established Rangers club continued a proud tradition with the event this year - delivering its usual combination of festivity, high level competition, dazzling skills and great entertainment for both players and spectators. With a final tally off 22 men’s teams and thirteen women’s sides, this year’s tournament proved the biggest yet since the C
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Cricket Australia presents the Marsh Sheffield Shield and One Day Cup – fun for the whole family! The Great Barrier Reef Arena will be the battleground for an intense Marsh Sheffield Shield clash between the Queensland Bulls and Victoria men's teams. From 14th to 17th October, witness top-notch cricketing talent and strategic battles unfold on the field, featuring the much-anticipated duel between Australian Test teammates, Usman Khawaja, and Scott Boland. Building on the momentum of the Sheff
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On Saturday 7 October, the Pioneer Swim Club had a fantastic time participating in the MS Swimathon held at the Memorial Pool, hosted by Millie and the team at DMR Leisure. Pioneer swimmers and their parents swam in a continuous relay for 8 hours from 8am to 4pm. The event is held to raise crucial funds and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis. The team had a great time raising funds on the lead up to the event and swam a grand total of 650 laps over the 8-hour period – that is a whopping 32.5 kil
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Magpies Football Club Mini Roos 2023 Not all teams could fit in this feature, apologies to the teams who were missed. Photo credit: Magpies Football Club
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On October 7th, the greens at North Mackay Bowls Club witnessed an exhilarating showdown during the mixed fours competition final. Eight skilled players rolled their bowls in a fiercely contested match. The final score of 18-17 eventually declared Isla Commeli, Chrissy Hall, Dave McKendry, and Ray Walker as the triumphant champions. The runner-up team, consisting of Brenda Trannore, Ivy Giddings, Wayne Trannore, and Doug Giddings, displayed remarkable skill and sportsmanship throughout the match
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The First National Mackay Congress 2023 was held over the previous long weekend in Mackay. Pairs and Teams travelled from Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Townsville, Bowen, Gold Coast, Toowoomba andAirlie Beach. It was great to see so many familiar faces from all over the state. Mackay members joined together and worked tirelessly to make this event a success. Local Team Morris won Section B. The team consisted of Ted Cullinan, Annie Lynch, (Noel Bugeia - President), Sandra Morris and Noel Saunders. Local
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The annual Dr Williams Lawn Bowls Tournament took place last weekend at the North Mackay and City Bowls Club, bringing together enthusiastic teams from across the region. Here's a rundown of the results: Mackay Club won their game on Saturday Afternoon against Wests but were beaten on Sunday Morning by North Mackay in the Semi-Final. North Mackay went on to play Northern Beaches in the Final with the latter being successful. Congratulations to all three Mackay Club teams for their commendable ef
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Hundreds of football fans flooded into the newly opened Whitsunday Sportspark Club House on Sunday to watch the Australian Rugby League Team’s training session.And, while the Kangaroos showed their skills, so too did a young Whitsunday resident who proved his knowledge of football stats surpassed even some of the team’s own players.
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Hi Everyone,Unless you’ve been living under a rock this week you are probably aware that the Australian Rugby League Team has been in the region, training ahead of their big match against Samoa in Townsville tomorrow.Hundreds of people came along to their training session at Whitsunday Sportspark on Sunday and crowds also gathered at the Grand View Hotel in Bowen yesterday for a Meet and Greet.Despite having never watched an entire game of footy in my life, I have to confess that I couldn’t help
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An appreciative parent took to ‘Whitsundays Noticeboard’ over the weekend to write an anonymous post about a local fitness group who they credit with transforming their child’s life.And, despite being an anonymous post, a flood of support has been received since.
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