Rockhampton River Festival 2024 a huge success
Rockhampton Regional Council and Advance Rockhampton are celebrating a fantastic weekend with thousands of people attending the 10th Annual Rockhampton River Festival.
Massive new national park forms part of Australia’s biggest monolith: Whitby
The milestone means an 816,000-hectare parcel of land about four times the size of the Australian Capital Territory will be added to the State's conservation estate in WA's north, with joint management to create new opportunities for Mount Augustus (Burringurrah) to support tourism experiences at Australia's largest rock. It also means 3.5 million hectares of the Plan for our Parks' target of five million hectares of new reserves has now been created in WA since 2019.
Coast to cave via ice, quakes and fault
Caves aren’t just a hole in the ground it seems. Of interest is where they are, how they formed and why they exist ... As a cave diver and geologist, Ian is the “eyes” underwater and underground for geologists as he looks at caves and their structure.
Castlemaine Festival emerges from administration
The Board of Castlemaine State Festival announced last week that it will commence planning for a 2026 festival and expects to appoint a new artistic director later this year. In March the board had stated that it was entering voluntary administration and that specialists from Deloitte Financial Advisory had been appointed to "assess the options available to restructure the operations, preserve the legacy of the festival and determine a path forward."
Narrandera’s Destination and Discovery Hub officially opened
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke was on hand to help celebrate the official opening of the Destination and Discovery Hub in Narrandera late last week. Ms Cooke joined with Narrandera Mayor Cr Neville Kschenka and community members for the highly anticipated occasion.
The Empire launches festival program
The Empire’s popular family festival Thrive on Arts will return from September 26-29, celebrating all things nature and the environment. Sponsored by C&K Childcare and Kindergarten, Thrive on Arts is an annual four-day festival celebrating play, imagination, creativity and storytelling, held during the spring school holidays alongside the iconic Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
Racing to rave reviews at conclusion of carnival
The Clarence River Jockey Club (CRJC) have declared the 2024 XXXX July Racing Carnival an overall success ... many took advantage of the clear conditions and headed trackside as more than 460 thoroughbreds competed across 40 races ... "It’s a great time to get dressed up and head out to have some fun," Ms Dennis added.
No denying emphatic cup win
She may have been suspect at the staying distance, but Irish bred mare Deny Knowledge (IRE) proved too strong for the rest of the field in the Westlawn Finance Grafton Cup ... Racing over 2350m for the first time in her 34 start career, the European import was aided by a brilliant ride by Group 1 winning jockey Blake Shinn in his only race during the 2024 XXXX July Racing Carnival.
Sam speaks of festivals and other events
The guest speaker at the Donald History Society July meeting was local Festival Director and recycler extraordinaire, Sam Goldsmith ... Last year 10,000 people were catered for totally, camping, food wise and entertainment wise at the Esoteric Festival.
At St. Arnaud Raillery Hub Gallery: SHAC exhibition opens Saturday
The St Arnaud Raillery Hub Gallery is thrilled to announce the upcoming exhibition, “SHAC – Soldiers Hill Artist Collective,” set to officially open on July 27. This exhibition features a diverse array of artworks from the eclectic Soldiers Hill Artist Collective (SHAC), a community-based group of artists with roots in the historic Soldiers Hill area of Ballarat.
Cobb & Co Centenary gets stamp of approval
Recognising the Centenary of the iconic Cobb & Co, who played a vital role in Australia’s royal mail service, a special commemorative Cobb & Co ‘Carrying mail on Australia’s Last Run’ – First Day cover and Maxicard stamp sets with Surat Postmark will be released by Australia Post on August 13 to celebrate the 100-year milestone and Australia’s last coach run. The new stamps will form part of the centenary celebrations at the Cobb & Co Festival...
Wine, not climb
Sixty five thousand years. The world’s oldest living culture. One of the things that make Australia great. Aboriginal people and the tourism industry are clearly made for each other. Well, no.
Full River Festival program released – plan your weekend now!
The highly anticipated Rockhampton River Festival program is now live! Mark your calendars for next weekend, from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, as Rockhampton gears up to host River Fest X. This year’s festival, themed “Reflection,” celebrates a decade of growth, transformation, and community spirit in the region since its inception in 2014.
Take a trip to Allora
This weekend you can enjoy the attractions and hospitality of Allora. It’s just an easy 15 minute drive north of Warwick and you’ve arrived at the Best little Town on the Downs.
Families hold the nation’s sporting hopes in their hands at Barellan
Families from around the Riverina converged on Barellan sportsground to don a white glove and hold one of the nation’s most iconic sporting trophies, the Lexus Melbourne Cup. The tiny town with no racecourse was the final NSW leg of a global and Australian tour of 39 destinations for the $750,000, 18 carat gold and 3.85kg Lexus Melbourne Cup.
Wallumbilla’s new community precinct breaks ground: Chisholm, Taylor, Kennedy-Clark
Construction works on Wallumbilla’s new community precinct has officially begun with Assistant Minister for Regional Development Anthony Chisholm joining Maranoa Regional Council representatives to turn the first sod on the new $4.85 million facility (in south-west Queensland). The precinct upgrade will feature a new community centre, library, visitor information centre and professional service spaces.
Stories from the museum
Ian Riley. This week, we’re backtracking. In finding out about some of the exhibits in the museum, I’ve discovered that the museum itself has a fascinating history ... The Maldon Vintage Machinery and Museum was started as an offshoot of the Maldon Museum & Archives Association about 20 years ago.
Glam up for the return of Goldfields Gothic Festival
The program for the 2024 Goldfields Gothic Festival has been announced and it promises to be another celebration of all things mysterious and darkly glamorous. Spread across the weekend of Friday 2 August to Sunday 4 August, the festival will feature poetry, parlour games, spectres and stories plus magic and lots of music.
World record-breaking damper team reunite in Charleville after 5 years
The six team members who won the Guinness World Records crown for the Longest Damper - 153.002 metres - are reuniting in Charleville on July 13 for the 5-year anniversary since the epic event ... It’s going to be a small reunion this year, just sitting around the campfire and spinning some yarns, however we have some big plans to put Charleville more on the map": Ranger Nick.
Mallee Melee commemorates D-Day
Charlton Shire Hall was the venue for the annual miniature war gaming weekend known as Mallee Melee where, to commemorate the eightieth anniversary of D-Day, a large group of enthusiastic players recreated the momentous events of June 6, 1944. With gamers from across Victoria and as far away as Canberra, six terrain filled tables were the battlegrounds ...
Narrandera ready for biggest day of the year
The Narrandera Race Club (NRC) are pulling out all the stops this weekend for what is expected to be its biggest Narrandera Cup to date ... Major sponsor is the Narrandera Community Bank which has sponsored the headlining race worth $60,000 and announced they will be onboard as sponsors for the following two years.
Leyburn Sprints celebrating 75 years
In 1949, Leyburn, like every small country town in Australia, was rebuilding after World War II and the opportunity to host the Australian Grand Prix the nation’s most important motor race on a nearby ex-wartime aerodrome provided a highlight for people throughout the Darling Downs region ... The Australian Grand Prix will be remembered with major celebrations at the Historic Leyburn Sprints on 17-18 August 2024.
