History & heritage

Queensland Dinosaur Week 2026 (4-10 May) will shine a spotlight on Hughenden and the Flinders Shire, celebrating the region’s extraordinary dinosaur heritage and its proud place in Australia’s palaeontological history. As the home of Queensland’s fossil emblem, the Muttaburrasaurus, Hughenden holds a special connection to one of Australia’s most iconic dinosaurs.

A great ANZAC show today! We caught up with Tracy Jones from the Dowerin Footy Club for a full debrief after Buddy Franklin pulled on the boots for the Tigers! Plus your rural news (fuel and fertiliser update) with Fiona L Fox from ARR.News...

Remembering people on Anzac Day who gave their lives defending their country is a noble custom in Australia. But the situation in the Middle East urges us to broaden our take on armed conflict ... Because the USA is providing arms that Israel is using to attack Iran, Iran is attacking American military bases in countries that host them. We are one of them: Pine Gap, 19km from Alice Springs...

The Braidwood & District Heavy Horse Show 2026 is back into town, and this year it’s bringing more horsepower than ever. The Alma Cup with a cash prize of $1000 courtesy of the Community Bank Braidwood is sure to be hotly contested.

Trevor Neale. The time was 2pm on the 25 April 1919 - Lieut. Robert Brown (Ret. AIF) marshalled the gathered groups at 53 Warwick Street, (now Historical Museum) for the Anzac Day march to the Fallen Soldiers Memorial via Forde, Drayton, Herbert and Warwick Streets. Main service was at 3pm ... This was the start of a 106 year association of the Salvation Army with Anzac Day in Allora.

On 9 January 1916, the nine-month campaign known as the Gallipoli Campaign ended with the evacuation of the last ANZAC troops from Gallipoli. It was only four months later that the Maldon Progress Association met to ‘improve the surroundings of the town ... The first goal achieved was the renaming of Garfields Hill to ANZAC Hill. This became one of the first ANZAC memorials in Australia.

He should have been home in Tocumwal in NSW playing football or cricket with his mates but 14 years old James Charles Martin found himself in the deadly trenches of Gallipoli in 1915. What and why was a fourteen year old country boy doing in a man's war?

Last weekend, members of the Nhill RSL Sub-Branch, Nhill Lions Club and the Lowan Lodge spent a busy afternoon erecting a great many of the Australian flags at the gravestones of military persons who had served in conflicts across the world. Mrs Jenny Blackwood is to be congratulated on her rigorous research as well as those who have made suitable the boring of holes for the Australian flags.

Naracoorte's iconic Kincraig Hotel has officially come back to life, reopening its doors on April 14 after 18 months of extensive restoration by new owners, the Dean Group. The multimillion-dollar, five-star redevelopment delivers a fresh, family-focused venue for the town, featuring 24 modern accommodation rooms, corporate meeting spaces, an open bar, and a dining area complete with a children's play space.

Ned Thomas. The biennial Yorke Peninsula Saltwater Classic returned to Stansbury and Port Vincent across the weekend, April 17 to 19, delivering a high-energy celebration of boating in all its forms — sail, steam, electric and human-powered. Classic cars and coastal culture also helped lure the crowds who rolled in from across South Australia and interstate.

Tony Rowlands. A large part of a documentary honouring this mission by Australian Z Force commandos was recently reenacted and filmed in an area of remnant big scrub rain forest at Numulgi. The documentary release will be on Foxtel documnetary channel ... on Anzac Day...

Getting ready for ANZAC Day with Pete Ramsey New Zealand Veterans Association drops in for a chat. Plus your country news with Fiona L Fox, farming weather, epic lawn bowls sledges with Doug Kelly and James Blundell plays It's Almost ANZAC Day ...

The Walwa Recreation Reserve echoed to the sound of hoof beats on Monday when teams competed in the Maygar Memorial Trophy which showcases the expertise that mounted troops used in the Boer War and World Wars I and II.

The story of how the iconic HMAS Whyalla returned home in 1984 has been brought to life through the memories of crew member George Cook, who played a key role in the historic voyage. George served as a deckhand under Captain A. Ekblom, joining a crew of experienced shipyard and tugboat workers selected to sail the vessel from Melbourne back to Whyalla after its purchase by Whyalla City Council.

It was a truly international affair at the Maclean Highland gathering with competitors travelling from as far as Scotland, Canada, and New Zealand for the 121st event. Rain showers on both Friday and Saturday added a touch of Scottish ambience, said Lower Clarence Scottish Association Secretary Alister Smith, as people travelled from as far as Melbourne to enjoy the annual spectacle.

The recent Snow Gum Summit in Jindabyne has drawn attention to the health of this notable tree of the Australian alps. The causes or primary cause of widespread snow gum decline, with a particular focus on fire regimes, climate change and insects, and the appropriate response to this problem, are the subject of a considered exchange of differing views here between two experts from different generations but not entirely different schools or schools of thought.

An entirely different High Country experience will soon be available for locals and visitors alike to learn more about our region through the writings of one Australia's most famous poets. The Banjo Paterson High Country Trail will connect the landscapes that inspired the poet's iconic verse in the Victorian High Country such as The Man from Snowy River.

The White Cliffs Power Station is the first commercially operated solar thermal power station in NSW and one of the earliest of its kind in the world ... It is a popular tourist attraction and "tourism is an important economic driver for our small communities." The Heritage Council of NSW is thinking about putting the power station on the State Heritage register.

Burton Automotive Hunter Valley Steamfest 2026 is fast approaching, with a packed program set to bring Maitland to life on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April. Alongside the headline ARTC Rail Program, there’s plenty happening across the city for all-ages.

Daniel Puentes. Melbourne street artist Heesco has once again brought his unmistakable creative energy to Donald, unveiling not one but two striking new murals that are already breathing fresh life into the town's landscape. With his remarkable eye for detail and storytelling through art, Heesco continues to transform everyday spaces into vibrant landmarks worth celebrating.

The Scottish town in Australia will come alive this weekend when the Lower Clarence Scottish Association presents the 121st Maclean Highland Gathering. On April 3 and 4, the sights and sounds of pipe bands and solo piping featuring some of Australia’s and the world’s best, will be complimented by the beauty and grace of highland dancing and the spectacular athleticism of the highland games.

Urea hit the equivalent of $2,800 a tonne in today’s dollars back in 1974. That’s not a typo—and it’s not ancient history either. To understand how that happens, you need to start with geography. Roughly a third of global fertiliser trade by sea—not production, trade—passes through the Strait of Hormuz.