History & heritage

The father of three started a local tourism bus operation, called Ten Ant Tours, which conveyed visitors to various mine sites and attractions throughout the region. Some of the mines on the tour including Burntshirt Mine, Nobles Nob, Golden 40, Black Cat and in the later years the Dot 6 Mine night time tour.

Shire of Ashburton are thrilled that the Neil and Judy Baker Shell Museum opens this week in Onslow ... “Council has supported and worked hard to be able to showcase the impressive shell collection from residents Neil and Judy Baker so that it can be enjoyed by tourists and the community for decades to come”, said Councillor White. “Accumulated for over 60 years, most of the shells have been collected from the waters and islands surrounding Onslow, with others coming from Europe as collector items.

The State of Queensland’s 162nd birthday is coming up and to celebrate Scenic Rim Regional Council will host events in Beaudesert, Boonah and Tamborine Mountain for the whole family to enjoy.

Rockhampton Regional Council is excited to host the national touring exhibition Submerged – Stories of Australia’s Shipwrecks at the Northside Library from 24 May - 4 June and from 7 June - 30 June at Rockhampton Regional Library on the south side ... “68 shipwreck stories were nominated by 46 maritime museums and heritage institutions from around Australia with 14 of the most compelling stories selected to feature in the exhibition,” Communities and Heritage Councillor Drew Wickerson said.

Visitors and locals were thrilled with the offerings at the Border Flywheelers Club and Heritage Museum 24th Vintage Engine and Machinery Rally. “You could spend weeks in there,” was a repeated comment from visitors. The shear volume and variety of local history that has been amassed is a credit to everyone involved.

Emma Pritchard. Earlier this year, the Clarence River Historical Society was contacted by the curator of a Newcastle museum, citing a topic which may be of interest to them. An old brass bell had appeared in a Hunter Valley op shop, and it was suspected it had a strong link to Grafton, and the Clarence River. The evidence was boldly engraved across the front of the brass bell. It read, SS Induna, 1891, Aberdeen.

Whyalla turned out in droves on Sunday to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the HMAS Whyalla’s launch. Whyalla City Council organised a free open day at the Whyalla Maritime Museum, packed full of family activities and plenty of the history of the city’s most famous landmark. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) heavily supported the occasion, taking part in a number of activities, including a ceremonial flag raising performed by the TS Whyalla Navy Cadets.

The racing industry came together in Adelaide on Friday, 14 May 2021 to witness the induction of some of the great names in racing into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

Get up close and personal with RAAF Hawk jets and PC21 training craft when Geraldton Airport throws open the tarmac to the public to celebrate 100 years of the Royal Australian Air Force.

As Stage Two of the Chinatown Revitalisation Project progresses, the Broome community will start to see the installation of several public artworks to enliven the streets of our town. The Shire of Broome has worked closely with community representatives and local Broome artists to integrate over a dozen artworks into the historic Chinatown precinct, inspired by the rich heritage and culture of Broome.

Kirstin Nicholson. A sketch of the Koondrook township has been gifted to the Barham Koondrook Historical Society (BKHS). The sketch, a pen line drawing by renowned Australian artist, Kenneth Jack, was presented to the society by Ken Guskich on Wednesday, May 5 ... The artist, Kenneth Jack, was born in 1924 and spent his life painting, drawing and exhibiting across Australia and around the world.

It was their day. There were tears, statements from the heart and jubilation at the Federal Court hearing that determined native title on 52 parcels of land in the Richmond Valley. His Honour Justice Steven Rares presided over a makeshift courtroom in a marquee on Stan Payne Oval at Evans Head on Friday.

Tie the Knot, Darby McCarthy, Les Bridge and Bob Charley are among the list of 10 thoroughbred racing greats to be elevated to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame (ARHOF) in Adelaide next month. The ARHOF spreads across four categories – horses, trainers, jockeys and associates – and induction is regarded as racing’s ultimate achievement, with the ceremony an opportunity to formally honour those who have left indelible marks on the sport.

Here we are each taking time to pause, to reflect, to remember, to hold on to something ... what is that something?

A derelict building filled with pigeons, broken windows and damp, rotting timber isn’t usually the definition of Art Deco beauty. When that building is scored for an astonishing $1 though and revived, its transformation is just one of many putting Leeton on the map as the Art Deco capital of regional Australia.

Our First Nations heritage met our digital world head-on today (April 29), with the launch of a brand new virtual reality experience and app, which will transport users to a day before European settlement at Bankfoot House. The unique immersive and interactive experiences were launched today at the Bankfoot House Heritage Precinct, during Sunshine Coast Council’s 2021 Heritage Symposium.

The biennial Cornish Festival will be held 17th to 23rd May and will welcome thousands of visitors to Australia’s Little Cornwall to celebrate our unique heritage and culture ... There is something for everyone including heritage, entertainment, Cornish food, Maypole and Furry Dancing, Classic Cavalcade of Cars and Motor Cycles, Art Prize, a street party, concerts, ceremonies, window displays, markets and parades.

A stunning projection on the waters of the Murrumbidgee River was the backdrop for an historic meeting of the Wiradjuri and Barkandji nations with Narrandera residents to return native fingerlings to the southern Murray Darling basin ... The culturally significant event was filmed by the National Museum of Australia. It was pre-empted by the historic fish kill in the Menindee on Barkindji Country in December 2018 and January 2019, with an estimated one million dead fish in the Barka/Darling River.

"Could we have come to the end of wars? Could we be the first civilisation to not have enemies? To not have something, someone else wants?"

Kendall Jennings. When the birthday ballot forcefully selected healthy 20-year-old men for compulsory two years’ military service and a further three years on a reserve list under the National Service Act of 1964 for the Vietnam conflict, it set forth a mateship that has not altered in 50 years. On Saturday, April 25, former Two Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) met on the towns located on the banks of the mighty Murray River, Barham and Koondrook, to pay homage at the Anzac Day services.

Emma Pritchard. More than 100 people gathered at the Ramornie cenotaph on April 24 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Kapyong, which raged for three days during the Korean War, 1950 – 1953 ... A special plaque designed by the late Major Bob Hayes as a tribute to those who served during the Korean War was consecrated by the Reverend Canon Camellia Flanagan as members of the Hayes family stood close by.

In 1865, a boy named Henry – later known as Harry –was born in Tabulam. That boy grew up to be General Sir Harry Chauvel and he was the first Australian to attain the rank of lieutenant general and later general and the first to lead a corps – as commander of the Desert Mounted Corps. At Beersheba in October 1917, his Light Horse troops used speed, surprise and bayonets to capture the town and its vital water supply in history’s last great cavalry charge.