Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Whilst the majority of runners participating in the annual and very popular Hamilton Island Hilly Half Marathon, perfect running conditions greeted the local social Mackay event, although, it didn’t take runners long to raise a sweat, despite the cooler temperatures. The Mackay Road Runners held a very social 5km, 10km Bluewater Quay event where the course took runners out towards the Mackay Harbour for the 10km and 5km runners turning around at the BP Moss Marine Service Station.
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Last Saturday, we welcomed 32 teams of lady bowlers from all over our district and beyond as far as Ayre and Bowen. Ladies President Lidia McCarthy welcomed everyone to the club for this inaugural event. After a very scrumptious morning tea, the ladies hit the rinks for the first of 3 X 16 end games. Lunch was a gastronomic event thanks to the Goosies Sport and Recreation Club, manager Ian Morris and his wonderful staff, returning to the rinks for the next two games and finishing around 4.30.
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Last weekend saw the running of Prestige Fours at Mackay Bowling Club played over two days of the Long Weekend. All teams played on Saturday with the four top teams playing off on Sunday to see who will be in final. All other teams were divided into Divisions 2 and 3. The final saw Bruce Bridges team of Doug Wotton, Grant Edmonds, Les Rodgers take on Wayne Hanley team of Cooper Whitestyles, Clint Vassie, Jason McMillan with Wayne Hanley team coming out winners for the carnival.
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Sunday afternoon the Ladies A Grade Final was played between two of the best bowlers in the district. The lead fluctuated many times between Ladda Purdie and Betty Nicole.
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Wednesday Social: Jan Randall, Robyn Stitt and Steve Roome defeated Eddy Neylon, Gavin Charles and Jeff Tierney.
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No bowls were played on Wednesday to allow time for some maintenance works on the greens to be most effective. Thank you to those who gave up their time to assist with this work on the Tuesday, it seems to have already been taking effect on that problem weed.
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Tuesday’s results: Winners for the afternoon: Gwenda Lydom, Sue Shearing, Mark Drummond defeated Stumpy Adams, Roger Mundy, Lyn Danvers. Robyn Stitt, Isobel Wheeler, Laurie Land defeated Nadine Merle, Elphinstone, Greg Colquhoun. Deb Retchless and Geoff Danvers defeated Irene Laird and Pat Tracey. The jackpot didn’t go off.
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A relatively quiet round of darts this weekend with only four matches on the cards. We begin with a bit of a surprising result, but an impressive one nonetheless, between Kameron Reason and Joe Wilson.With Joe 2nd from top and Kam 3rd from bottom,
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Wednesday’s competition was a single stableford event sponsored by Bowen Golf Club. Ladies’ winner was Margaret Tilbrook 39 points, runner up on a countback Elona Lynch 36 points. Men's winner Kaleb Brunker 43 points, runner up Toss Eisemann 38 points.
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A total of 68 players teed up for the Annual Anzac Day Stableford, Jim Cochrane and Jon Miller teamed up to be winners on the day. Matt Camm and Patrick Camm claimed 2nd place.
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Even with several players still away, Whitsunday Golf Club fielded 20 players on Sunday for a single Stableford competition.
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Our weekly Friday stableford 9-hole comp was won by Jay Angel with 21 points, second place on 19 points was Andrew Gomez and third place went to Kendal Nash on 18 c/b. Great effort by all.
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With six matches played at Whitsunday Sports Park there was plenty of Action.
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The wild weather last week has been and gone, but for the Whitsunday Sailing Club sailors, it was a very reduced fleet who ventured on the water on Wednesday afternoon for the club’s twilight race.
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The Cannonvale Cannons Swimming Club would like to commend Holly Perrin, Jacob Dewis, Jacob Bell and Jy Parkinson for being selected for the Northern Region Schools 13 – 19 years Water Polo teams.
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Anzac Day 2023 Cloudy, windy and rainy weather did little to prevent early morning Anzac Day events earlier this week, as thousands recognised that the conditions paled in comparison to what our diggers endured. Services, marches and meaningful celebrations were held around the Mackay region from dawn to dusk; an opportunity for those who’ve served to reflect and a reminder to us all of their great sacrifice. Veterans, family members, schools and organisations marched, some with badges proudly d
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In May last year, 92-year-old Mackay resident Claire McDonald called for an ambulance. At the time, Claire lived alone and wasn’t able to catch her breath that night. “I had a heart attack, but I didn’t know I was having a heart attack,” Claire recalled. Claire was brought to Mackay Base Hospital by paramedics before being transferred to the Cardiac Care Unit. “The ambulance men were very nice to me and settled me down though I don’t remember a lot.”
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On the next page, you’ll read some profound words from the President of the RSL Mackay Sub Branch, Ken Higgins OAM. He said this to me while chatting quite frankly about his experience of being conscripted into the Australian Army during the Vietnam conflict at the innocent age of 20. The conversation genuinely changed the way I view war, veterans and commemorative occasions like Anzac Day.
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As the sun rose across the cane fields, a time of day symbolic of one of Australia and New Zealand’s most infamous military involvements, thousands gathered at dawn services across the region. Anzac Day is a day to reflect on all veterans, all conflicts and all impacts made by war. With a full timetable of services around Mackay and surrounds, people took every opportunity they could to commemorate the day.
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Mackay could soon be the new location of a thriving biofutures industry thanks to government plans to create a new hub for producing sustainable plant-based resources in the region. With growing global demand for cleaner fuels, this industry is booming as it assists the aviation, maritime and heavy vehicle sectors to decarbonise and transition to more sustainable fuel sources.
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Mackay track cyclist Hamish Wright proved once again that he is a force to be reckoned with at the Australian Masters Track Cycling Championships, held at the Anna Meares Velodrome earlier this month. In the M4 category, Hamish emerged victorious in both the sprint and the keirin events, successfully defending the two national championship titles he had won in 2022. He also claimed a bronze medal in the scratch race, rounding off an impressive performance.
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The region’s Youth Members had their first taste “of our state's democratic process” last week at the annual forum of the YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament in Brisbane. Newly minted Youth Member for Mackay Lilly Uhr attended the three-day event, taking part in the representation of issues of young people in their electorate while learning about government processes in a mock parliament context.
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Tuesday, April 18 2023, will forever be marked in history for Pioneer Dolphin, Jade Bounden. She described her travels to the Gold Coast for the Australian Swimming Championships for the 50 metre freestyle event as an incredible experience, rubbing shoulders with Olympic Royalty like Shayna Jack, Meg Harris and Emma McKeon to name but a few.
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FOR families looking for their child’s secondary education, St Patrick’s College Mackay is rich in opportunities. Established in 1929, St Patrick’s has a long history of offering excellence in schooling. The College will hold an informative Open Night next Tuesday May 2 at their Mercy Campus in Penn Street Mackay from 4pm to 7pm for interested students and their families.
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ACCORDING to Yvette Jeffs, nothing picks you up when you are down like doing a good deed for those in need. In Yvette’s case, “those in need” are injured and orphaned wildlife – wallabies, kangaroos, pademelons, possums, birds and other down-on-their-luck natives. Yvette, a senior carer with the Australian Wildlife Rescue Service, will be bringing some of those rescued animals to the 2023 Mackay Volunteer Expo at the Big Shed in the Mackay Showgrounds.
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