Style magazine Toowoomba - October 2022

CornuFé and Albertine Range Cookers. The first step into the world of La Cornue. Available now from Harvey Norman, Toowoomba.

www.lacornue.com.au

Cook up a gourmet storm

Bring your culinary dreams to life with the help of the stunning and stylish La Cornue CornuFé 110 and Albertine 90 gourmet stoves, available now at Harvey Norman Toowoomba.

Enter the wonderful world of cuisine with the CornuFé 110 and Albertine 90. La Cornue’s newest gourmet stoves are the babies of the esteemed La Cornue and will be the pride and pleasure of your kitchen and palate.

Toowoomba’s Harvey Norman Electrical is the only showroom in Queensland to range this incredible brand - cementing Harvey Norman as the market leader in the latest kitchen and cooking technology.

Harvey Norman Toowoomba is delighted to offer the prestigious French brand La Cornue, which delivers the ultimate artisanal stove for uncompromised culinary performance. Its newest addition, the CornuFé Albertine, is named in tribute to the founder of La Cornue, Albert Dupuy, and his wife Alexandrine. Dupuy established La Cornue in 1908, developing and launching the world’s first convection oven. More than a century later, La Cornue continues to celebrate its French culinary history and to bring the art de vivre to gourmets and gastronomes around the world. Its impressive state-ofthe-art, bespoke stoves are the cherished masterpiece of the kitchen, and where home chefs have mastered their cooking techniques.

At 90cm wide, CornuFé Albertine 90 combines the classic elegance, signature design and excellent cooking performance of the classic CornuFé 110 in a smaller, more affordable model. It features one large multi-function convection oven; seven unique cooking modes; five powerful brass gas burners; and one large storage drawer.

The 110-litre-capacity electric oven of the CornuFé Albertine 90 is large enough to roast very large dishes or to cook multiple dishes at once for sharing and entertaining. A unique energy-saving feature of the CornuFé Albertine 90 for smaller

dishes or everyday cooking is the removable oven divider. Placed vertically in the centre of the oven, it allows one half of the oven to be heated, saving energy.

The Albertine’s bigger brother, the CornuFé 110, features two independent 73-litre electric ovens, the left-hand oven being multifunction, while the right-hand is fanforced. Both models feature

exceptionally powerful and adaptable five-burner gas cooktops; one large central burner, one simmer burner and three standard burners.

These are highly adaptable cookers suitable for any type of cuisine, from high energy wok cooking through to low temperature, gentle slow cooking that the staff at Harvey Norman Toowoomba are delighted to run through with you.

Proprietor Cara Sherman said the team was delighted to have La Cornue in store.

“We are honoured to have this prestigious brand in our showroom, and the staff are excited to show our customers how amazing the products are.”

The artisanal nature of La Cornue is expressed in the beauty and craftsmanship of every detail of the design. As the majestic centrepiece of the kitchen, the CornuFé Albertine 90 exhibits timeless style, and the colour and accent trim can be customised to complement kitchen design and personal state.

Both models are available in seven standard, classic colours – brushed stainless steel, dark navy blue, matt black, paris blue, pure white, shiny black and antique white (by special order) – and three trim accent choices of polished brass, satin chrome or polished chrome. Bespoke cookers are also available by special order, which the team at Harvey Norman Toowoomba will be glad to assist you with.

La Cornue is the epitome of gourmet luxury. From the CornuFé 110 and CornuFé Albertine 90

through to the grand Château Supreme, La Cornue’s stoves are the prized showpiece of kitchens around the world, bringing culinary dreams to life. The team at Harvey Norman Electrical is excited to share the craftsmanship of these ovens with you in person.

But La Cornue isn’t even the best part of the shopping experience at the Toowoomba store: it’s the fantastic staff, who are genuinely friendly, helpful, and make you feel right at home in the store, assisting you in finding the perfect product no matter your budget.

Come into the store today at 910932 Ruthven St to view the range or call to make an appointment on (07) 4636 7300.

Welcome to the October edition of Style magazine!

This edition is jam-packed with fashion, beauty, wellness, interiors and more, as well as a special feature on the region’s long-term employees and businesses.

Journalist Megan also sat down with breast cancer survivor Lynette Bryant to hear all about her journey. Lynette will be speaking at the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation’s Pink High Tea on October 8, so make sure you check to see if there’s tickets left for this important fundraising event.

We also feature the lovely Lucy’s wedding to now-husband Thomas - just look at that gorgeous gown! Discover their love story on page 12-13.

In Style magazine news, our gorgeous editor Josie Adams has moved on to new projects. From all the extended team here at Style, we wish her all the best and express heartfelt thanks for making this magazine what it is today.

Enjoy!

The team at Style xx

Lynette Bryant (photographed with granddaughter Poppy) is speaking at the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation’s Pink High Tea to raise awareness of breast cancer.

Discover Lucy and Thomas’s July wedding at the gorgeous Gabbinbar Homestead

JOURNALISTS Megan Masters, Alexandra Feiam, Savaira Ratukula, Alice Williams, Alyssa Welke, Jessica Kramer SUB EDITOR Cam Ward DESIGN Paul Hunter, Justine Costello ADVERTISING MANAGER Erika Brayshaw

STYLE MAGAZINE TOOWOOMBA CONTACT DETAILS mytoow.ads@news.com.au Level 1/5 Keefe Street, Toowoomba City PO BOX 40, Toowoomba QLD 4350

Breast cancer survivor Lynette Bryant talks to Style ahead of

THE IDEAS MAN

Chris Black is using his global expertise and a successful foundation to encourage investment in local innovations, writes Megan Masters

Chris Black is no stranger to throwing himself behind a good cause and is even set to climb to Mt Everest base camp on a charity walk in his pursuit of helping others.

His latest cause, however, is a lot closer to home.

As someone who left Toowoomba in his own thirst for business success, he knows exactly what happens when great ideas can’t get local funding and that is something he wants to change.

Mr Black is vice president of Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce, a business student at UniSQ, a Downlands Old Boy and a successful entrepreneur in his own right.

After taking his skills to the international market and selling his business to an American Fortune 500 company in 2019, he returned to his hometown to see if he could make a difference in a place close to his heart.

With the recent closure of the Toowoomba Startup group, he saw a significant gap in the local area that could have clever local people with amazing ideas looking to major cities and the international market for investment.

While the two organisations have vastly different aims and structures, he was concerned that without something to fill the void for entrepreneurial collaboration and creativity, more exciting opportunities would be headed out of town rather than benefiting our own community.

Mr Black founded a Darling Downs chapter of a charity known as Angel Loop in the hopes of

seeing more of these brilliant ideas gain the resources they need to grow and thrive right here in the Garden City.

Angel Loop Foundation is a Queensland charitable institution that links investors with entrepreneurs, the aim being to turn innovative ideas into commercial successes.

It’s about mutually beneficial outcomes – the investors get strong investment returns, while the entrepreneurs get capital to research and develop their concepts, employ staff and ultimately fast track the growth of their business.

Mr Black said traditionally start-ups would look elsewhere for funding because potential investors hoping to become “angel investors” must have either $2.5m in net assets or $250,000 in income over two years to qualify, or alternatively complete a short university course to become a sophisticated investor.

That effectively knocks out many potential investors looking to invest smaller amounts of money into start-ups with big potential. Angel Loop aims to bring those potential investors back into play.

Much like the hit show Shark Tank, entrepreneurs with ideas they want to bring to fruition pitch their plans to a panel of potential investors who might choose to exchange as little as $5000 for ownership equity in the business.

“That gets the concept and the business off the ground so they can prove their concept, commercialise it and then they may need more money to scale up and expand,” Mr Black said.

“It takes patience and there is a lot of risk. It’s right at the start of a business life cycle and the failure rate is 60-70 per cent, which is quite high,

but the ones that do quite well can have 30 to 50 times return.

“You typically would not invest in just one; it’s about building up a diversified portfolio of 20 companies, and you hope that a handful will do well.”

He said despite the high risk of failure it was definitely investment, not gambling, and that diversifying the types of businesses you invest in was part of the calculation.

Another big factor in calculating the risk was in the human element.

He said investors like himself were just as interested in helping young businesspeople get their start and fostering a sense of strength in the local community as they were in seeing big returns from a relatively small investment.

“We want to keep it here,” Mr Black said.

“We want an Apple, a Facebook, Canva or Atlassian; someone in the garage working on something that helps promote Toowoomba.

“We don’t know whether, if we had this ecosystem before, we would have things here already, but certainly business founders have come out of Toowoomba that are in Brisbane and other places.

“Would they have stayed here if this ecosystem was here in the past? We don’t know, but without investment we know they would have had to go elsewhere.”

One local entrepreneur hoping to throw his hat into the ring is Jinhee Yi, founder of local delivery service, Happy Too.

Mr Yi founded the company in early 2018 and when the pandemic hit in 2020, demand for the service surged.

Profits were reinvested across the company to improve its systems and now Mr Yi is hoping to raise funds to take the idea to other areas such as South Brisbane, while keeping headquarters in Toowoomba.

His idea for providing delivery services for food predated the arrival of large competitors like Uber Eats and Menulog, but he believed the differences between Happy Too and these large competitors really set the idea apart.

The first big difference is that Happy Too is not limited simply to food.

“The first reason I started the business is that in the early stages we didn’t have a delivery service in the town,” he said.

“The second reason is that friends of mine needed me to pick up baby items and deliver them, so we started building a local delivery solution.

“For instance, some of our customers needed us to go to the pet food shop, pick up pet food and deliver it.

“We try to connect local customers with local businesses.”

He said Happy Too did not work with the huge franchises and was squarely aimed at providing a service to local businesses that struggled to compete in a market where they were charged a 35 per cent fee for a large company to provide a similar service.

Mr Black believes the city is a fertile ground for innovations that could change society, and even the world, particularly with institutions like the University of Southern Queensland and TAFE Queensland churning out forward-thinking and highly skilled young people.

“With our unique position as premium global food producers and our world-class research institutions, why can’t we be the agricultural technology hub of the world – the Australian Silicon Valley?”

Angel Loop Toowoomba is set to meet monthly and is keen to hear from local investors and entrepreneurs alike.

Formoreinformationortoregistertoattend visitqld.angelloop.au/darling-downs.

We want an Apple, a Facebook, Canva or Atlassian; someone in the garage working on something that helps promote Toowoomba

CHRIS BLACK

ChrisBlack(farleft)founded theDarlingDownschapter ofAngelLoopFoundationto encourageinvestmentin localinnovations,while JinheeYi(above)ishopingto scaleuphissuccessfullocal deliverybusinesswiththe helpofanangelinvestor.

Time to show her the money

For centuries, finance and economics have been dominated by men. But the time for change is now, writes Josephine Sargent

Jamie Lee Fraser is finally working in a job she is passionate about. Her role working with financial planners gives her career and salary growth opportunities, plus job satisfaction in knowing she is genuinely helping her clients.

It makes a huge change from previous roles in a bookkeeping firm, where she had stagnated after working her way up over 18 years.

“I’d started at the bottom and worked my way up, but I got to a point where I couldn’t go any further and I was just treading water; I wasn’t being challenged and I was bored,” Miss Fraser said.

“I thought the natural progression would be to become an accountant, so I went to uni at 35.”

During her Bachelor of Commerce (now the Bachelor of Business) she enrolled in a financial planning course and the fire was lit.

“I’ve always loved working with numbers but with financial planning you can really help people achieve their goals and financial security,” she said.

Nearing the end of her studies, Ms Fraser landed a job at a small firm, run by a woman.

“Seeing her in action gives me confidence. If I was walking into a male-dominated office I might feel different,” Miss Fraser said.

“I see her kicking goals and building a business and raising a family and it makes me feel really optimistic about my own career.”

Miss Fraser said that her workplace aimed to have good work/life balance, something that was not afforded to all women starting a career in finance or economics.

CHANGINGTHECOURSEOFWOMEN’S CAREERS

“Like law, finance and economics is very ‘clubby’,” said Professor Sue Harris Rimmer of Griffith University, “and that’s left women out. But Covid has been good for something – it’s shown that presenteeism doesn’t equate to productivity.”

Prof Harris Rimmer has been dismayed by the way Australian women are under-represented in this area.

“We’ve actually gone backwards,” she said.

“In the ’80s, Australia was leading the way –now we are at the very bottom of the latest international study into the gender pay gap.”

Prof Harris Rimmer said women would be left even further behind once the Fourth Industrial Revolution hit.

Once they have landed an entry-level job, female economists are not making it to the most senior roles at the same rate as their male colleagues.

“Women are equal when they graduate – but from there, we see women really drop off,” Prof Harris Rimmer said.

“You can’t be what you can’t see, so there needs to be more diversity in the workplace. Then there will be a shift in culture and more room for things like flexibility of work hours, childcare offerings and more opportunity to work from home.”

GIRLSNEEDTOSEETHESEJOBSARE FORTHEM

Despite the increased effort to attract high school girls into STEM subjects and careers, there still isn’t enough of a spotlight being shone on careers in finance and economics.

“If you asked a school student to draw an economist they would probably draw a man,” said Prof Harris Rimmer.

And this lack of encouragement flows through to poor enrolments in university courses. She explained too many female high school students still felt as though a career in finances wasn’t for them.

Prof Harris Rimmer was heartened by the launch of the Women in Economics Network earlier this year, whose early analysis showed that

the share of females enrolled in economics courses fell from 43 per cent in 2001 to 39 per cent in 2015.

Australia has never had a female Treasurer or Treasury Secretary, and while Gail Kelly was the chief executive of St George and Westpac, there has never been a female chief economist at a Big Four bank. And at the prestigious Group of 8 Universities, fewer than 10 per cent of economics professors are women.

HOPEFORTHEFUTURE

One thing that Prof Harris Rimmer hopes will really kickstart opportunities for women in finance and economics is the review into the Workplace Gender Equality Act (WGEA), published in March*.

“It really needs to be given some teeth,” she said. The Act is designed to foster gender equality in the workplace by making some employers report a range of areas, such as the gender split in their organisation and how much each employee is paid.

At the moment, only private sector employers that have more than 100 staff are covered by the Act and are required to report to the WGEA. But the WGEA wants that to include private sector employers with 50 or more staff and public sector employers at all levels of government with 20 or more staff.

LOOKINGFORWARD

But while there is a long way to go, more women are thriving in economics, and encouraging others to join them.

Ms Fraser said one of the factors women might find when searching for a job in economics was finding the right culture fit.

“I’ve always worked for small companies and that has helped having a work/life balance,” she said. “Once you get into those bigger conglomerates, that balance tends to trickle away.”

Next year, Ms Fraser will start full-time as a financial planner.

“I’m really excited about the future,” she said.

“The rise in my earning capacity will make a really big difference to me, not just now, but when I retire.

“I know the balance isn’t there yet, but it is improving.”

*pmc.gov.au/resource-centre/office-women/ wgea-review-report

I’ve always loved working with numbers but with financial planning you can really help people achieve their goals and financial security

Lucy

Thomas Thomas&

Whatwasthedateofyourwedding?

Our wedding was on July 8, 2022.

Wherewasitheld?Whydidyouchoose thatspace?

It was held at Gabbinbar Homestead in Toowoomba. We wanted a venue that could accommodate us from the start of the day to the very end of the night, with the entire bridal party able to get ready onsite, ceremony and reception all in the one place, and all our photos on the grounds. We didn’t want to miss a moment of the party or spend any time travelling.

We also wanted to ensure our venue had incredible food and beverages and plenty of space for a dance floor! Gabbinbar came highly recommended and ticked all of these boxes and more.

Howmanyguestsdidyouhave?

96

Howdidyoumeetyourhusband?

We matched on the dating app Tinder back in March 2018. However, I was notoriously slack at checking messages and missed Tom’s initial conversation. He didn’t want to let an opportunity slip by, so he found me on Instagram and tried messaging me there.

The only small catch is that Tom was still living in Japan (for his professional volleyball contract) so we had to wait a few weeks before our first date. A few weeks later we had our first date – brunch at Pearl Cafe in Woolloongabba and there was an instant spark!

Howandwheredidhepropose?

Well, we could thank Covid a little for the proposal! With Tom’s career being based in Japan for the last four years, our relationship was long distance with lots of trips back and forth. While a long distance relationship can be tough, we used it as an opportunity to make our bond stronger.

Then the Covid pandemic hit, and like many couples and families we were unable to see each other for nine months due to the international border regulations and closures. Being apart definitely made the heart grow fonder and it also

made Tom realise how much I meant to him and that this was a forever type of love.. so Tom proposed a few weeks after being home, on a trip that we took to Hamilton Island.

Despite us both having a few too many cocktails the night before, he made sure I got out of bed when the alarm went off as it was our last full day on the island and he wanted to watch the sunrise at Passage Peak. Tom found the perfect spot, and it was a very quick YES from me!

There was a group of girls at a hens party starting their celebrations with the sunrise, who saw what was happening and took a few photos of us! They took the most beautiful photo of us sitting watching the sunrise just after he proposed. I commissioned an amazing artist to paint this photo and I gifted Tom this painting on our wedding day.

Whenorganisingyourwedding,what weresomeofthemostpersonaland importantaspectstogetrightontheday?

For us, the most important aspect was choosing a venue that could look after everything so that we could really enjoy the time with our family and friends. Gabbinbar’s event team went above and beyond to ensure our day was perfect.

The other important aspect was including our family and loved ones as much as possible. My Aunty Georgie helped in designing our wedding invites. Our beautiful bombonieras were handmade chocolate made by my Aunty Robyn.

My wedding earrings and the bridesmaid earrings were designed and made by close family friends Pam and Annabel from Lolita’s Pearls.

We also wanted to include our family in our ceremony, with my mum reading a beautiful passage that was read on my parents’ wedding day. My godmother Annie and Tom’s sister Meagan were our witnesses and we had Tom’s two nieces (Evie and Phoebe) come up to the altar to give us our wedding bands.

Whatweresomeofyourfavouritepartsof theday?

Lucy: It is hard to choose one; having my dad walk me down the aisle and seeing Tom’s face will be something I will never forget. And our vows. We had written our own vows so hearing each other’s was so emotional and special.

But my dad singing during his father of the bride speech was definitely a highlight! He changed the lyrics to Sweet Caroline to Lucy Eloise and it was incredible and very out of character for him!

Thomas: To narrow it down to the “one” moment, I would have to say when I first saw Lucy at the top of the aisle will forever be in my mind. How beautiful she looked and that feeling of genuine happiness I had in that moment is something I hadn’t experienced before.

Wheredidyougetyourdressand bridesmaids’dressesfrom?

My dream dress was designed by Ella Moda. I was very fortunate the day my mum and I went to Ella Moda for the first time and tried on this Dahlia Dress - Ella Moda had only just released this particular dress, and told me I was the first bride to try it on. So it was meant to be.

My bridesmaids wore stunning black silk Zimmermann gowns that suited all three of them.

Didyouhaveadistinctweddingtheme? Howdoesthisrelatetobothofyour personalitiesandfamilyhistory?

We wanted to really capture the natural beauty of Gabbinbar Homestead, so we opted for effortless elegance with a touch of modern romance.

THEDETAILS

Venue:Gabbinbar Homestead

Marriagecelebrant:Ange Anderson-MarriedbyAnge

Photography:Figtree Pictures

Videography:Phoebe Galloway

Bride’sdress:EllaModa

Suits:TonyBarlow

Bridesmaids’dresses: Zimmermann Shoes:Harlo Accessories/jewellery: Lolita’sPearls

Hair:EvalynParsons

Makeup:MirrorMirror Makeupartistry

Florals:KateDawesFlower

Design Cake:CakeHouseby KatrinaAllan

Musicandentertainment: NickTrovasBand

Stationery/invitations: PaperEmpire

fashion Ooh, la la!

Dressing like a French woman comes down to a few key steps, writes Alexandra Feiam

The French are known for many things: incredible food, beautiful art and culture and, most of all, their fashion. Effortless and chic – think Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin or the modern stylings of Camille Rowe and Sabina Socol. While it would seem as if they have a stylist choosing their pieces every day, in reality, they follow a few key steps to achieve their style. Now you can do it too!

KEEPITNEUTRAL

The secret ingredient to developing a French wardrobe is maintaining a neutral colour palette. You only need four or five shades in your wardrobe to make a chic outfit: black, white, grey, navy blue and tan (or brown).

Using these colours, you can try something new every day without looking the same or feeling under-

dressed. To mix it up, throw in patterns like polka dots, stripes or plaid for a fun twist.

THEFITISKEY

Have you ever noticed how French women always look so effortlessly elegant? A lot of it is the fit of their clothes. You won’t find a well-dressed woman in a pair of ill-fitting jeans or a skirt that is too tight. When buying pieces for your wardrobe, try them on first or get them tailored to fit your hips and waist properly.

LESSISMORE

Well-dressed women in Europe typically will buy pieces less frequently and invest in high-quality garments that will last the test of time. The same goes for jewellery –stick to elegant items that you can wear with anything, like gold hoops

or a chain necklace.

And ditch the sneakers – French women famously avoid wearing athleisure outside and will instead

opt for a pair of ballet flats, slides or dress shoes. There’s nothing quite like a pair of well-fitting jeans, a crisp white shirt and ballet flats.

health

Bring Kalm into your life at Kalm Springs

At Kalm Springs Toowoomba, your tranquil dreams will come true. An indulgent sanctuary, the store provides premium floatation and sensory deprevation therapy, as well as infrared saunas and light therapy treatments.

Upon entry, customers are greeted with a tranquil reception and waiting area, decked out in soothing earth tones.

You are invited to unwind on the soft seating before your session, where you will enjoy the warm and spacious private float and infrared rooms.

Float therapy provides a welcome break from sensory overload as you weightlessly drift in 30cm of clean, body-temperature magnesium-filled water, which allows your mind to drift into the half awake, half dreaming ‘Kalm’ state that promotes healing and rejuvenation.

Emerge relaxed and reenergised, feeling lighter, brighter and sharper.

The infrared saunas heat your body from within, which helps sore and tired muscles, tissues and cells - with the added benefit of being drier than the air in a traditional sauna.

Meanwhile, the LED light therapy supports the repair and rejuvenation of your skin with safe, non-invasive, quick and painless wavelengths of

light that penetrate deep into the skin.

If you’re looking for a place to spend some quality time with your girlfriends or bridal party, Kalm Springs also has exclusive use packages which include private use of all facilities, a selection of locallysourced delicacies, and champagne.

For those looking to use Kalm

Springs’ facilities regularly, there is also a membership package available, which includes unlimited use of the infrared saunas and LED light therapy as well as one single float session each week, for only $79/week. Make a booking online at www.kalmsprings.com.au or pop in and visit at Shop 3, 6 Union St.

There is no fashion week on earth with more to prove than the five September days that drop on New York like a sartorial explosive. Where else can semi-regular people see Anna Wintour air-kissing Kanye West? If you’re stylish you hit the streets, if you’re not you leave town. Paris may be the most famous of the weeks, but New York is for the people.

Few of the runway looks translate to anything you’ll see trotting down Ruthven St, but here are the top trends of NYFW22 that regular humans can actually wear – without the insane price tag.

SHEERLUCK

Diaphanous, floaty, see-through looks aren’t particularly groundbreaking for spring and summer, but their dominance of the collections this year is a much more laid-back approach. Loose-fitting frocks over swimmers or slips, oversized shirts and slinky kimonostyle coats in soft, high quality gauze are the 2022 edit.

SUPERSIZEDFRINGE

This year sees your cute little fringed jacket and raises it; floor skimming tendrils, arm length mock-sleeves, even jewellery is getting the supersized fringe treatment. This is not so much a build on the flapper look that comes back to haunt fashion weeks every few years, but more the ’70s high-glam, disco queen version.

THERETURNOF TARTAN

Time to dust off your old school skirts and family tartans because the fashion world’s gingham obsession of the past few years has given way to the more sophisticated tartan. From the classic ’90s mini-kilt and blazer combos, to shift dresses and fitted suits, tartan is back in a big way.

CUTOUTSARE HERETOSTAY

AWHILE

If there was one phrase most people hoped not

to hear again this year, it would have to be “belly button windows”, but here we are. The cutout look is staying strong for another year. Who does it suit? Next to no one. When will it end? Please let it be soon. The best route here is something structured as light fabrics tend to gape. And be thoughtful with what you pair it as the extra

expanse of skin can make the whole thing look busy if you overaccessorise.

TANGERINEDREAM

While the biggest colour in the coming year is set to be a highlighter green, in the interest of choices that suit regular humans we’ll celebrate the second colour of the moment: tangerine. We’re seeing it paired with forest green, and the colour lends itself particularly well to soft linens and dreamy silks.

Tyranny of cut-outs is over

Have we reached peak cut-out? The cut-out became the calling card of a new fashion era

This season, designers make the case for something sleeker and simpler.

If you can take yourself back to the days before the pandemic, you might remember that dresses were once fashioned whole, with fabric that ran with shocking continuity from neckline to hem.

It was a time, which, when looking back, feels like a perpetual summer, hazy and unbroken, when not all clothing came with a limitation of liability: covered, but for double brackets at the waist. Covered, but for a gaping diamond at the sternum.

Then came the pandemic, and afterwards, the dizzying contradictions of the clothing we opted for as the world juddered back to life. Yes, we were still wearing track pants and house slippers, but we were dreaming of brighter things ahead: a future that only a wardrobe of mesh bandeaux, cut-out micro minis and teetering pink platforms would be suitable for.

Maybe it was natural that we seized on anything with any iota of sex appeal. We were so desperate to unleash that other part of ourselves, the part that felt the frisson of the outside world, that flirted and danced until dawn and propped itself up on a bar to summon yet another martini over a sticky surface.

And so, cut-outs were the calling card for a new, body-conscious era: fashion’s way of waving a relieved goodbye to the past, and ushering in the future.

But now, in the latter half of 2022, this construction of sexiness has begun to feel flimsy.

When skin-baring first came on the scene, it was striking and bold, evocative and sexy. But, as often happens in the world of fashion, the same elements that started out daring became expected.

As cut-out-riddled pieces filtered from runways into every mid-range and fast fashion retailers’ collections, pieces slashed to the waist or cut down the sternum were suddenly ubiquitous, and it became harder to find a dress without one than with. And what is allure when it is expected? When the flash of skin on

show is exactly that which you expect to see?

Is it sexy any more, or is it just bareness? Just a by-product of a design element used and reused so much that it has lost its punch?

Designers have come up with creative solutions to the problem. At Loewe, Jonathan Anderson reimagined the cut-out with a kitsch essence; a trend that followed into Australian Fashion Week with Karla Spetic’s dolphin-panelled dresses and thigh-baring skirts.

Nensi Dojaka, Supriya Lele and Roksanda Nixie could all run masterclasses on hiding and revealing skin with intent and precision, and Australians Esse and Aaizel confirmed that the lower back has come into its own as a bold new zone for revelation.

Because sexiness, of course, is not just about the amount of skin on display. It’s more often about finding unusual ways to show and hide, to home in on the mysterious, to reveal a sliver of shoulder that you never before imagined could make your heart skip a beat.

Doesn’t real sexiness – that underlying, raw appeal – glimmer beneath the surface, sensed as well as seen?

New York Fashion Week is grappling with the same question this season. There was plenty of skin on show in the spring/summer 2023 collections, but there were also hints of all kinds of sexiness.

At Victor Glemaud, a line of serious, slinky cocktail dresses walked the runway: draped, covered, and still undeniably sexy. It wasn’t so much in

what they revealed, but in the sensual fold of skin on the shoulder, of the asymmetry of a sleeve over a collarbone, of things left unsaid. At Eckhaus Latta, too, ruffles and metallics were called on for a grownup kind of sex appeal.

Even at Maryam Nassir Zadeh, where skin has always been a preoccupation, Nassir Zadeh showed that you can have bareness without it being tired, courtesy of playfulness and surprise: an unexpected scalloped trim there, a flirty pinafore here.

We may have gorged ourselves on the cut-out for now, and the pendulum is sure to swing another way again soon: all that really matters is the element of surprise. Skin, or no skin — a touch of the unexpected is always sexy.

Shocking impactShocking impact of poor sleepof poor sleep

Consistently poor sleep is so bad for your health, it is “like being drunk” and can impact your productivity, an expert has warned.

Researchers say staying awake for 19 hours means your brain function is equivalent to having a blood-alcohol level of 0.5 per cent.

After two weeks of sleeping for just six hours per night, your performance becomes the same as someone who has been awake for 24 hours.

Sleep Health Foundation chief executive Moira Junge said serious sleep deprivation was basically equivalent to being drunk.

“People wouldn’t drink and drive, or they know there’s consequences for that over and above just getting a fine,” she said.

“They think, ‘Oh, well, I wouldn’t want to do that. I know I’m impaired’.

“It’s sort of a wake up call, pardon the pun, for recognising that poor sleep is not only dangerous to yourself, but it’s dangerous to others, and to start thinking about being more cautious about that.

“Sometimes you know you’re sleepy and you might think ‘I might push on’, but then probably even more frightening is when you don’t know … and the people who have lived to tell the tale of falling asleep at the wheel often say they had no clue it was about to come to them.”

Dr Junge said unfortunately people were often complacent about their sleep.

“Most people don’t really think about sleep until they can’t get adequate amounts of it,” she said.

“They think, ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’.

“But longer-term sleep deprivation will have a really marked, increased risk of chronic health disease, obesity, type two diabetes, some cancers, hypertension, mental health conditions and the like, and, of course, acutely increased risk of accidents because you’re not alert and you’re drowsy.”

Dr Junge said people should start prioritising their sleep as much as they did their nutrition and physical fitness.

“Those things have had much more public health awareness campaigns and funding, but sleep hasn’t had the same level of awareness raising yet, apart from road safety,” she said.

“It’s actually hard sometimes because you don’t want to let go of the day … you want more ‘me’ time … but sleep is so important.

“But we don’t want to increase anxiety about sleep because once you get anxious about sleep, and you try too hard to sleep, ironically, is when you’re not going to get much at all.

“It actually gets worse, which is a cruel irony.”

CAFFEINE

Caffeine is a drug that acts as a mental and physical stimulant. It can be found in tea, coffee, chocolate and cola drinks.

While caffeine takes about 30-70 minutes to reach peak levels in your body, its effects can last from three to seven hours, and your body needs about 24 hours to completely eliminate it.

Dr Junge said caffeine could make it harder for you to go to sleep, make you sleep more lightly and wake up more often during the night, and could make you have to get up to go to the toilet during the night.

“There’s a really big range of individual differences with how things are going to affect you,” she said.

“We all know people who can have a short black after dinner and sleep.

“The key point is that caffeine is a known stimulant and commonly available. If people are having copious amounts of caffeine, it is often masking something.

“Over time, you develop tolerance and so you have to have an increased amount to have the same effect.

“To someone having sleeping difficulties, it’s one of the first things to cut down on and see the benefits.”

If you are having trouble sleeping, you should try to limit your amount of caffeine to no more than 200mg per day.

ALCOHOL

Although alcohol will make you feel sleepy, it is actually linked to more frequent awakenings, night sweats, nightmares and headaches.

Dr Junge said it was best to avoid

alcohol for at least four hours before bedtime.

“Alcohol is not a good bed partner,” she said. “It’s a really important warning if you are using alcohol as a sleeping aid … your sleep quality is really bad.”

CIGARETTES

Dr Junge said cigarettes should be avoided altogether, but certainly for at least a few hours before going to bed.

“Be very aware that nicotine is a known stimulant, alongside caffeine and other drugs,” she said.

“People who smoke for partly their relaxation think it’s like a mental health aid for them. They swear that it calms them down.

“But the physiology is it’s very clear that the nicotine increases their heart rate, increases their respiratory rate, increases stress hormones and they’re definitely more wired and alert. If you’re going to smoke, don’t smoke three or four hours before bed.”

FINALWORD

Dr Jange recommends people put some planning and discipline around their sleep. “Better sleep is not going to happen immediately,” she said.

Dr Jange likened it to an overweight person taking time to run 5km and losing weight.

“I want people to realise that turning your sleep around and working on it is the same, it’s a process,” she said.

TENTIPSFOR AGOOD NIGHT’SSLEEP

1Trytogotobedaboutthe sametimeeverynightand getupaboutthesametime everymorning.

2Mostadultsneedabout seventoeighthoursof sleepeverynight,but manypoorsleepersspend muchmorethaneight hoursinbedandthis makesfragmentedsleepa habit,soyoushouldlimit yourtimeinbedtonomore than8½ hours.

3Donotsleepwithyour TVonanddonotstayin bedifyouarewideawake.

4Winddownandrelax beforegoingtobedbut avoidusingyourcomputer orotherelectronicscreens withinonehourofbedtime.

5Youshouldhaveaquiet, darkbedroomwith comfortablebedding andgoodtemperature control.

6Avoidalcohol,caffeine andcigarettesatleastfour hoursbeforebedtime.

7Avoiddaytimenaps.Ifit isabsolutelynecessary, limityournaptoabout 20minutes.

8Donotlieawake watchingthetime.

9Avoidsleepingpills, exceptinexceptional circumstances.

10Ifyouarestillhaving troublesleeping,have persistentproblemswith mood,haveexcessive daytimesleepiness, restlessnessinbed,or severesnoring,youshould seeadoctor.

Mum shares survival story

Alot has changed in the 20 years since Lynette Bryant was diagnosed with breast cancer, but one thing that will never change is how much a diagnosis can alter your life.

Mrs Bryant is set to offer hope, inspiration, solidarity and a solemn warning as guest speaker at Toowoomba Hospital Foundation’s upcoming Pink High Tea fundraising events.

When Mrs Bryant was 40, she was growing accustomed to changes in her body and hormone levels, particularly as a mother of four, so it was almost an afterthought to ask her doctor about some tenderness in one breast when she went in for her regular pap smear.

Neither she, nor her doctor, could feel any particularly concerning irregularities, but as a precaution she was sent for medical imaging.

“She went through what they could do if they found anything, but I never thought once that it could be anything serious,” she said.

They found some concerning areas and sent her to St Andrew’s for a core biopsy, where a needle is inserted into the area of concern to draw out tissue samples for testing.

“They told me they would have the results that afternoon and at the time I lived in Dalby, so I was thinking they would just call me.

“I still didn’t twig, but I did go back in with my husband and they told me I had a massive calcification and it was cancerous.

“Your heart literally hits the floor.

“I looked up at my mammogram and three quarters of the breast tissue had calcification and I remember sitting there thinking, ‘I’m going to die’.”

That fear returned in waves as she underwent chemotherapy and mastectomy of one breast, with another scare seven years later when some pre-cancerous tissue was found in her other breast.

She had her second mastectomy that year in addition to four other surgeries, but with massive amounts of support, love and homecooked meals from family and friends she came out the other end with her sense of optimism intact.

Mrs Bryant will share her inspirational story of struggle and survival with others at the Pink High Tea on October 8.

Tobookaticketorfindoutmore visittoowoombahospital foundation.org.au/events

LynetteBryantissettosharetheinspirationalstoryofherbreastcancerjourneyatToowoombaHospitalFoundation’sPinkHighTea,andbelow, LynettewithherchildrenNatalie,Jason,SarahandMatthewandwithhergrandchildrenBilly,Poppy,Finn,Darcy,WinnieandHenley.

health

Honouring their service

St Andrew’s Toowoomba celebrates decadeslong service of staff

In September, following a twoyear hiatus, the St Andrew’s Toowoomba Hospital (SATH) executive team hosted a very special morning tea and awards ceremony to recognise some of its longest serving, most dedicated employees.

More than 140 of the hospital’s team members reached significant employment milestones in 2021 and 2022, marking either 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 or 40 years of service at SATH.

Those who could attend were presented with a special certificate and badge in recognition of their years of service, and also enjoyed a morning tea, complemented with a scrumptious cake, all prepared by the

St Andrew’s catering team.

Congratulations to all recipients and thank you for your continued support and service to St Andrew’s St Andrew’s Toowoomba Hospital is an award-winning, modern facility which has a respectful, united

learning environment with a focus on patient care.

If you are interested in learning more about current employment opportunities or a career at St Andrew’s Toowoomba Hospital, visit sath.org.au/about-us/careers.

Plush friends to the rescue

Using deep touch pressure therapy, cuddly toys and soft blankets might be the answer to coping with your anxiety and stress, writes Savaira Ratukula

Remember that favourite teddy bear or blanket you refused to part with as a child?

Well, like a safety blanket that keeps you warm or a hug that makes you feel loved, that teddy or blankie made you feel safe and secure. As you grew older, you probably distanced yourself from those things because they seemed childish and you no longer needed them.

The thing is they could help you as an adult to cope with stress and anxiety, the only difference is their weight.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, one in six Australians are affected by anxiety disorders, and it’s estimated that more than half of Australians (59 per cent) experienced at least one personal stressor in the past 12 months. Life is full of stressful situations, and learning how to cope with the pressure and finding the right coping mechanism is something worth seeking help on.

A less documented treatment involves using weighted toys and blankets. Known as deep touch pressure (DTP), this form of therapy applies firm and gentle pressure to the body to help relax the nervous system.

It causes the release of serotonin and dopamine (happy hormones), which put the patient into a more relaxed state, and reduces cortisol levels (stress hormone).

For years, doctors and therapists have been using weighted teddy bears to help patients deal with grief and loss, while weighted blankets have been used as a DTP intervention tool for sensory modulation (regulating level of attention and concentration).

Both items apply a soothing compression that mimics the feeling of being hugged or held, which comforts and calms the user.

While more research is needed in the area, there is little research to suggest a positive correlation between weighted items and a sense of calm. A small study conducted on a group of adults using weighted blankets found that 63 per cent of patients reported lower anxiety and 78 per cent found it had a calming effect.

But before jumping under the covers or digging out your old teddy, speak with your local GP or occupational therapist to find out whether these weighted items are the best option for you.

Factors that could help you reduce risk of breast cancer

Written with assistance from Dr Nasrin Davarpanah, general and breast surgeon

Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia in 2022. It is estimated that 20,640 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

With breast cancer being one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in women and increasing rates of breast cancer diagnoses worldwide, all women should consider themselves at some risk for developing breast cancer in their lifetime.

Of those diagnosed with breast cancer, only about 5-10 per cent carry a gene associated with an increased breast cancer risk. Less than one-third of those diagnosed have a family history of breast cancer.

Therefore, it is important to realise that many factors are involved in developing breast cancer.

MODIFIABLERISKFACTORS (THINGSYOUCANCHANGE)

● Weight and body mass index (BMI)

● Physical activity

● Alcohol use

● Tobacco use (smoking cigarettes)

● Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use

● Night shift work

● Environmental exposures to toxins

All women should make an effort to be physically active, limit alcohol intake, and not smoke cigarettes. Modest weight loss (510 per cent) in overweight women leads to a significant risk reduction for breast cancer.

Recent studies suggest a link between

smoking and an increased risk of breast cancer.

Post-menopausal women should make an effort to minimise use of combined oestrogen/progesterone (HRT).

For those women with an increased risk for developing breast cancer due to a personal history of certain non-cancerous breast changes and/or a family history of breast or related cancers, additional measures may be taken to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

Medications may be taken to reduce the risk of developing hormone-sensitive breast cancers in high-risk women. This should be discussed with your GP and/or specialist.

In highest risk patients, surgery may also be used to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Removal of breast tissue (called a prophylactic mastectomy, or preventive

mastectomy) is associated with a significant decrease in the risk of developing all types of breast cancer.

This removal may be done as a total mastectomy (removal of the breast tissue/skin/nipple areola complex), a skin sparing mastectomy (removal of the breast tissue/nipple areola complex), or a nipple sparing mastectomy (removal of breast tissue sparing the skin and nipple areola complex). Prophylactic mastectomies are often combined with breast reconstruction if desired by the patient.

In addition, in highest risk patients, removal of both ovaries in a pre-menopausal woman may reduce the future risk of

developing breast cancer in addition to reducing the risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Knowing there are specific ways to reduce your risk of breast cancer gives you a chance to take a proactive role in your health, especially your breast health.

SIGNSANDSYMPTOMSOFBREAST CANCER

● A new lump or lumpiness

● Change in size of shape of the breast

● Change to the nipple, such as crusting, ulcers, redness or inversion

● Nipple discharge (bloodstained or clear)

● Change in skin of the breast, such as redness or dimpling

● An unusual pain that doesn’t go away

If any of these symptoms are experienced, it is important you contact your GP. They will run a number of tests, including taking a personal history and breast examination, running imaging tests, and a biopsy to remove cells or tissue for examination.

Waiting for test results can be a stressful time for women and their families. It’s important women feel comfortable asking as many questions as they need and voicing their concerns to a health professional.

It is important women lead a healthy lifestyle and are aware of the modifiable risk factors for breast cancer. In saying this, even those who are doing all the right things must be proactive with checking their breasts for signs and symptoms. Moreinformationaboutdiagnosis, treatment,supportandmorecanbefound ontheAustralianGovernmentCancer AustraliaandCancerCouncilQueensland websites.

DrNasrinDavarpanahconsultingwithapatient.

Ros just keeps on giving

This month allows us to focus on our long term team members and give a shout out to our “wisewife”, midwife Ros Beard.

As one of the founding directors of My Midwives and the continuous presence in the Toowoomba team over the past 12 years, there are not many mums who have come through our doors who haven’t sat (or laid) on Ros’s red couch.

One of the My Midwives family of mums said that every time she has heard her baby’s heartbeat for the first time it has been lying on Ros’s couch across many years, and four pregnancies.

When thinking about what to say in this article I was reminded of my own third pregnancy with Ros by my side, and I think it is just that gentle and kind “everything will be OK” feeling that you get from Ros in these pivotal

moments that makes her such and important part of our team.

Women say that she makes them feel grounded and safe, and that the wisdom of seeing so many babies born over the years makes women feel that she is a combination of mother, grandmother, midwife and angel all rolled into one.

Ros’s role in the My Midwives team is now less clinician, more mentor and teacher. She has taken on the role

of clinical manager for the past few months as she continues to guide the growth of the more junior members of the team.

However, she still continues to make sure she is there for “this little one’s birth” – probably too many times more than her years really will allow – so we try hard to keep her rested and well to be able to give her gift to so many more people to come.

We love you Ros.

By Liz wilkes, managing director

Meeting the needs of women and their families across the Darling Downs!

OneofthefoundingdirectorsofMyMidwives, RosBeard,withsomeofthebabiesandmothers shehashelpedoverthepast12years.

The truth about hair loss

There are many myths and fairytales about hair loss. Here, we answer some pressing questions about what’s going on with your hair and what treatments may be worth trying

Whether it’s on dating apps, corporate headshots or your upcoming high school reunion, there are so many situations when we Aussies feel the pressure to have a full and luscious head of hair.

But the cruel reality is most of us experience hair thinning as we get older. In fact, male-pattern hair loss, typically seen as a receding hairline or balding at the crown, is the most common form of hair loss, affecting about half of men by age 50. When your hair keeps thinning, it will eventually lead to baldness.

So far, a drug capable of reversing it in its tracks is yet to be discovered. But you don’t have to take drastic action like hair plug surgery – there are ways to preserve what you have. Let’s sort the fact from fiction when fighting hair loss.

FACT:SOMESHAMPOOSAND SCALPTONICSCANHELPREDUCE HAIRLOSS

Some specialty shampoos and topical treatments work by helping to improve blood flow to follicles, but you need to choose them wisely. For example, the research team at Dr Wolff has formulated the Alpecin Caffeine Liquid Forte with caffeine to help improve hair growth and reduce hair loss in adults.

Caffeine is considered the best-researched herbal ingredient to combat hair loss. The idea is that regular application transports caffeine along the hair shaft into the hair, stimulating the hair follicles and encouraging hair growth. Recent studies have proven its effect among randomised controlled trials, indicating caffeine’s effectiveness in promoting hair growth. Unfortunately, drinking a few extra cups of coffee won’t cause this effect.

FICTION:HAIRLOSSCOMESFROM THEMOTHER’SSIDE

You’ve probably heard this myth: if your mother’s father is bald, you’re likely to lose your hair. Genetics is partly responsible for hair loss – one study found that 79 per cent of male pattern baldness is heritable. While male pattern baldness is strongly associated with the X chromosome (the mother’s side), the truth is that the genes for hair loss are passed down from both sides of the family.

In fact, research found that more than 80 per cent of people experiencing noticeable balding had a father who also lost their hair. Bottom line: don’t blame your mum.

FACT:THEPANDEMICCOULDHAVE IMPACTEDYOURHAIRTHINNING

There are some studies proving the connection between stress and hair loss. A recent publication about hair loss in Covid patients, for example, showed that the stress impact of the pandemic might increase hair loss. Outside the impact of the pandemic, periods of chronic or traumatic stress like

dramatic weight loss, illnesses, or the death of a loved one can cause hair to fall out.

FICTION:WEARINGAHATCAUSES

HAIRLOSS

While bald men seem to enjoy wearing hats, there is no scientific proof of hats causing hair loss. If you wore a hat that was extremely tight it might cause traction alopecia (hair loss due to trauma to the hair shaft and follicle), but it would not cause male-pattern baldness.

FICTION:DIETHASNOIMPACTON HAIR

A poor diet can also contribute to hair loss. For example, iron deficiency has been linked to hair loss. Another study focusing on alopecia found that the Mediterranean diet that contains anti-inflammatory nutrients could promote hair health and growth in male and female pattern baldness cases. Stick to a diet rich in oils, protein, and nutrients to nourish your body and scalp.

FINALWORDS…

The truth beneath the myths is simple: hair loss is a product of nature and nurture. In addition to genetics, hair thinning can be caused by changes in hormones, stress, nutrition, metabolism, and environmental factors. While you can’t control your age, you can preserve the hair you have with sensible, healthy choices along the way. Stick to the facts and prioritise the small healthy habits we know make life a little better – consistent rest, frequent exercise, healthy eating, staying hydrated, and avoiding smoking, drugs and alcohol. Simple.

by Alexandra Feiam

The latest skincare trend is all about The Ordinary’s Argireline Solution 10, often dubbed “Botox in a Bottle”. If you’re not up for a series of needles, this serum could be a dream come true. But does it actually work? We asked celebrity facialist and skincare expert Ingrid Seaburn, for all the information.

WHATISTHEBOTOXINA BOTTLE?

The official name for this skincare product is Argireline Solution 10, a water-based serum from The Ordinary that has taken the internet by storm. “Argireline is an ingredient that is essentially an amino acid chain of peptides, and some studies have shown results similar to Botox that have relaxed some deeper lines,” shares Seaburn.

HOWOFTENSHOULDYOU USEIT?

Apply one or two drops to your problem areas (such as your eyes and forehead) twice a day after cleansing your skin. The serum should be used before you apply any heavy creams or oils. You may not notice any changes straight away, so it’s best to be patient. “Avoid other acids, including vitamin C and AHAs, while using due to a possibility of contradiction in results,” explains Seaburn. We also suggest you add SPF into your daily skincare routine to prevent any sun damage!

DOESITACTUALLYWORK?

The effectiveness of this serum is

IngridSeaburnatwork.

polarising. While many users claim it is a miracle solution that has drastically reduced the signs of ageing, Seaburn isn’t as convinced.

“This is a peptide, and the effect may be confusing due to what peptides really do offer the skin, which is strengthening and firming,” she says.

“Keep in mind this particular amino acid has the ability to mimic the effect of Botox to some extent according to some studies, so the jury is out!”

THEFINALVERDICT

While Botox may seem like a daunting idea to many, Argireline Solution 10 is a good alternative to the needle. “I would have to say it is not a replacement for Botox, however, for those who do not choose Botox, they may be happy with the psychological and minor physical option of this product,” Seaburn shares. Remember, no skincare serum or moisturiser is a “miracle-worker”, so we can’t promise you’ll look 20 years younger.

However, this serum may help you feel more refreshed and give your skin a bit of extra plump in areas that need it most.

Celebrating our

This month Style magazine features the long-standing businesses and their teams in our region

long-term employees

business

than just accountants

While that’s a tongue in cheek way to say their expertise goes beyond tax returns and bean counting, what does it really mean?

Business advisory is a growing service in the accounting community as accountants increasingly prove themselves to be the preferred advisers for small businesses.

Carrick Aland will be celebrating their 70th anniversary next year. They have just been recognised as national award winners for the fourth year in a row by the Australian Accounting Awards — this time as Business Advisory Firm of the Year.

It meant proving the firm’s mettle against formidable finalists from across Australia.

Director Greg Burton said that during a period of serious regrouping after the pandemic, 2021 saw major enhancements to the firm’s CAConnect services.

“We were acknowledged for our rethinking on bookkeeping,

agribusiness advice and succession planning services,” he said.

Working with farm and business owners over the past 70 years has identified some clear patterns on what separates those who succeed from those who struggle.

“Offering unique expertise is not enough. Having an experienced and

confident workforce with runs on the board, meaning accountants who can look at a business or farm from multiple angles and devise solutions that enhance performance or increase value so the owners can walk away from a successful handover or exit,” Mr Burton said.

“There needs to be a genuine

benefit business owners get from our advice. This is usually learned by observing our clients and crafting solutions meaningful to them.”

Operating predominantly in regional settings, structured succession planning is now one of the firm’s key deliverables for multigenerational farming families. Taking technology into the region’s farms and businesses has also become so ingrained it’s taking Carrick Aland from strength to strength.

“Farmers can become disheartened if their agricultural operations are not hitting goals. By using our expertise to help them re-forecast and adjust accordingly, we can help provide a renewed sense of composure,” Mr Burton said. “Our skills are channelled into making a positive difference for our clients. Without that, what’s the value of any advice?”

Carrick Aland was named Boutique Firm of the Year in 2021, Multiservice Firm of the Year in 2020 and SMSF Firm of the Year in 2019.

Sankey Fraser Eyecare has been operating for more than 100 years. We currently have 28 employees, with 10 employees having worked with us for more than 10 years.

Owner optometrists Cameron McMaster (33 years employment) and Georgie Zerk (nine years) place an emphasis on providing a work space that is a fun, functional and caring. Cameron and Georgie support their staff personally, ensuring the team in three locations can then give 100 per cent to serving patients with their best experience and care.

Staff are genuinely appreciated for their many skills and willingness to help out in times of need.

Our staff are highly skilled and enthusiastic, with opportunities to

increase their knowledge through external study – for example, with the Australian College of Optical Dispensing. Seven of our reception staff have either finished or are enrolled in this course.

These courses mean our staff have the education and qualifications to help our patients choose the very best lenses and frames for their requirements.

As optical dispensers, our staff have a guaranteed future of employment within our industry.

Our lead dispenser, Kylie, has more than two decades’ worth of experience. Her role includes buying all the stock for our practices. She has the ability to confidently choose the right frame for every person.

Our longest serving employee,

Keith, is an optical mechanic who started as an apprentice 48 years ago, in February 1974.

When he started his role with us, many optometrists had access to local workshops for making and fitting lenses. Now most of these workshops have closed.

However we retain our workshop to provide a faster service for our customers.

As optical mechanics, Keith and Paul – who has 33 years’ experience –have seen their job evolve to include much more digital technology with the advances in modern lenses.

Our staff believe that they are part of a big, fun and friendly family. Comeandexperienceitforyourself atSankeyFraserEyecare,455 RuthvenSt,ToowoombaCity.

Firm celebrates 75 years

Toowoomba firm

McConachie Stedman is just two months away from celebrating 75 years in business and, with the theme of longevity in this month’s issue, want to share a small piece of their journey so far.

In 1948, local accountant John McConachie founded a small accounting firm in downtown Toowoomba. Deciding to grow the business, he partnered with fellow accountant Bruce Stedman in 1966, and the firm McConachie Stedman was established.

The vision that John and Bruce shared for caring for clients and growing their business is continued by the directors who have followed. Today the firm is run by a team of eight directors who employ more than 100 staff.

The firm continues to grow and develop, expanding to new locations and introducing new specialties to its client offering. The firm is proud to

say it has a number of longstanding clients, some of which have been using their services for 60 years.

Director Ben Horner credits this to the holistic approach to clients’ needs.

“We offer services and insights that empower businesses and individuals to reach their goals. We do this through understanding our clients at each stage of their life,” he said.

Adoption of technology throughout the years has also been

crucial in ensuring that the firm could continue to provide an efficient and quality service with a personal approach. But delivering these services would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of the McConachie Stedman team.

“We have had numerous employees reach significant milestones, including one employee who retired in 2015 having reached an incredible

50 years of service. The loyalty and dedication the team members have for the firm is a testament to the strong foundation and positive culture inspired by the founding partners and both past and present directors,” practice manager Karen Gramenz said.

While McConachie Stedman is likely best known for its contribution in assisting clients with their financial needs, over the years the firm has been actively involved in giving back to the wider community. An example of this is their work with YellowBridge Queensland, contributing financially towards the annual Yellow Bucket Appeal that aims to fill 300 yellow buckets each year with special Christmas food and gifting these to local people

Directors and staff of McConachie Stedman look towards continuing to provide quality services to clients, supporting their valued staff and contributing to the community in the many years to come.

LocalToowoombafirm McConachieStedman's directorgroup,and above, foundersJohnMcConachie andBruceStedman.

Meet the team at Hogans

Whendidthebusinessbegin?

Jack and Madeline Hogan originally established Hogans Family Jewellers in the NSW towns of Leeton and Griffith in 1945.

WhydidtheHogansdecidetoenter thejewelleryindustry?

Following a work stint in David Jones’ jewellery department, Madeline Hogan developed a true passion for the jewellery industry. It was not long after that Madeline and her husband, Jack, launched Hogans Family Jewellers.

Howmanyemployeesdoyouhave?

In 1945, Hogans Family Jewellers opened their doors, operating with just three employees. Now, Hogans proudly employs 10 qualified jewellers, two diamond setters, three jewellery apprentices, seven highly passionate sales consultants, and now our own in-house marketing executive and family member.

WhatmadetheHogansoriginally choosetheGardenCityastheir businesslocation?

After discovering Toowoomba on a

holiday, original store owners Jack and Madeline fell in love with the region’s beauty and community. This month, after almost 50 years in the current location on Margaret St, Hogans will relocate to a new showroom and workshop.

MEETTONI

Howlonghaveyoubeenworkingfor Hogans?

In total, I’ve been working for Hogans for 16 years. During my first stint working with Hogans Family Jewellers, I worked as a retail manager for six years. After a short career break, I returned and have since been with the company for 10 consecutive years.

Whatisyourfavouritepartofyour job?

I love working for a family-owned business where my retail expertise is appreciated and highly regarded. No two days are the same, and I am constantly challenging and developing my skill set.

Whatdoesyourroleentail?

As the retail manager of Hogans, my role

covers a vast spectrum. Whether it’s liaising with our jewellery suppliers, discussing design techniques with jewellers, or recruiting and managing staff rosters, I thoroughly enjoy working in a business where my creativity can shine, and where I am able to be involved in many of our clients’ special moments.

Whywouldyourecommendothers workinyourindustry?

I love the passion that’s involved in a family-owned business that prides itself on old-fashioned service and where quality is second to none. Many of our staff members are long tenured, which is a true reflection of the culture we foster. Being able to challenge my skill set while reaping the rewards for my efforts is what I truly value in a business, and for this reason I have always recommended a career with Hogans.

MEETTIM

Howlonghaveyoubeenworkingfor Hogans?

I’ve been working as a master jeweller in the Hogans’ workshop for 16 years now.

Whatisyourfavouritepartofyour job?

Being a creative type, this industry is very suited to me. What I love most, though, is being able to find solutions for our customers’ designs that appear to be unattainable, ensuring the pieces are both practical and durable.

Whatdoesyourroleentail?

Having worked in the industry for more than 40 years, my role at Hogans encompasses not just working with clients to make their dream pieces come to life but also imparting my knowledge onto our apprentice jewellers.

Wouldyourecommendothersworkin thisindustry?

Absolutely. There’s a lot more to the jewellery industry than one usually imagines. From design to mechanical and even the gemmological aspects, there’s a lot of factors that come into play, especially when it comes to custom-made pieces.

Air fryer okonomiyaki

Makes 12. Prep time 10mins. Cook time 24mins

It’s super easy to make okonomiyaki, Japanese savory pancakes, with the help of your air fryer and some egg rings. These are also mini versions, perfect as canapes or snacks. Drizzle with tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise and just wait for that flavour explosion in your mouth.

Ingredients

● 150g (1 cup) plain flour

● 4 eggs

● 2 tbsp soy sauce

● 60ml (¼ cup) dashi stock or vegetable stock

● 3 cups shredded wombok (Chinese cabbage) or green cabbage

● 1 carrot, peeled, coarsely grated

● Canola oil spray

● Tonkatsu sauce, to serve

● Kewpie mayonnaise, to serve

● Pickled ginger, to serve

● Sliced green shallot, to serve

● Toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Method

1 Whisk flour, eggs, soy sauce and dashi stock in a large bowl. Add the cabbage and carrot and mix to combine. Season.

2 Place 4 egg rings in an air-fryer basket. Spray with oil. Fill each ring with approximately 80ml (⅓ cup) cabbage mixture and air fry at 180C for 8 minutes.

Transfer to a plate. Keep warm. Repeat with remaining cabbage mixture, spraying the air fryer with oil each time.

3 Drizzle pancakes with tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise. Use a skewer to create a pattern. Top with pickled ginger, sliced spring onions and sesame seeds as desired.

Air fryer coconut curried cauliflower

This

4

Ingredients

● 3 tsp Keen’s Traditional Curry Powder, plus ¼ tsp extra

● 1 tbsp garlic powder

● 2 tsp cooking salt

● 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour

● 270ml can coconut cream

● 60ml (¼ cup) sparkling mineral water

● 1 egg

● ½ large cauliflower, cut into florets

● 200g tub Greek-style yoghurt

● 2 tbsp mango chutney

● Fresh coriander leaves, to serve

Method

1 Whisk curry powder, garlic powder, salt and flour in a medium bowl. Whisk coconut cream,

mineral water and egg in a separate medium bowl. 2 Working in batches, dip cauliflower florets in egg mixture, then coat in flour mixture, then re-coat in egg mixture and flour mixture, shaking off excess. Place in an air fryer, in a single layer.

3 Spray cauliflower florets with oil. Cook, in batches, at 200C for 15 minutes, turning halfway through or until golden and tender.

4 Meanwhile, combine the yoghurt , chutney and the extra curry powder in a small serving bowl. Season.

5 Place cauliflower and yoghurt mixture on a serving plate. Sprinkle with coriander and serve.

Air fryer wontons

You will love this new finger food idea that also works as a snack. Each crunchy parcel contains a mixture of pork and prawn mince. Dip them into our easy-to-make honey sesame sauce and watch them become your new favourite air fryer recipe.

Ingredients

● 250g pork mince

● 150g prawn meat, diced

● ½ tbsp finely grated fresh ginger

● 2 garlic cloves, crushed

● 1 tbsp finely chopped green shallots

● 1 tbsp light soy sauce

● 2 tsp caster sugar

● 1 tsp salt

● 1 egg, lightly beaten

● 30 gow gee wrappers

Honeysesamedippingsauce

● 2 tbsp light soy sauce

● 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

● 1 tsp sesame oil

● 1 tbsp honey

● 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1 To make the dipping sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

2 Combine the pork, prawn, ginger, shallot, garlic, soy, sugar and salt in a bowl. Place 1 tsp mixture in the centre of a wonton wrapper. Brush edge with egg and fold over wrapper to seal. Pinch edge together to make a wonton shape. Repeat with the remaining mixture and wrappers.

3 Place half the wontons in an air fryer basket and spray with oil. Air fry at 180C for 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining wontons.

4 Serve hot with little bowls of dipping sauce on the side.

Slow cooker kung pao chicken noodles

Serves 4. Prep time 15mins. Cook time 3hrs

Ingredients

● 600g chicken thigh fillets, quartered

● 2 x 145g packets Lee Kum Kee Ready Sauce for

Kung Pao Chicken

● 1 small fresh red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

● 2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways, thinly sliced

● 1 red capsicum, deseeded, thinly sliced

● 1 yellow capsicum, deseeded, thinly sliced

● 125g snow peas, trimmed, halved diagonally

● 500g packet chow mein noodles

● 3 green shallots, cut into 4cm pieces

Method

1 Place chicken, sauce, chilli and 160ml (⅔ cup) water in the base of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

2 Add carrot and capsicum to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, adding snow peas to the cooker in the last 15 minutes of cooking.

3 Meanwhile, cook noodles following packet directions. Drain.

4 Add noodles and shallots to the slow cooker and toss until coated. Serve.

Makes 30. Prep time 30mins. Cook time 20mins

Sticky pork san choy bau

Make summer weeknights fast and fabulous with this simple Chinese-style mince recipe. It’s easy, full of flavour and on the table in 25 minutes.

Serves 4. Prep time 10mins. Cook time 15mins

Ingredients

● 60g dried rice vermicelli noodles

● 1 tbsp peanut oil

● 4cm-piece fresh ginger, finely grated

● 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

● 500g pork mince

● 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

● 2 tbsp oyster sauce

● 1 tbsp light soy sauce

● 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, plus extra sprigs to serve

● 1 iceberg lettuce, leaves separated, washed, dried

● ½ red onion, thinly sliced

● 1 long fresh red chilli, deseeded, sliced

Warm Vietnamese chicken salad

Ready in just 25 minutes, this healthy salad with a Vietnamese twist makes the perfect easy weeknight dinner.

Serves 4. Prep time 15mins. Cook time 10mins

Ingredients

● 1 ½ tbsp salt-reduced gluten-free soy sauce

● 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

● 1 tsp brown sugar

● 250g pkt fresh sweet potato noodles

● 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

● 500g Lilydale Free Range Chicken Mince

● 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

● 1 long fresh red chilli, finely chopped

● 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander root

● 200g snow peas, sliced

● 1 red onion, thinly sliced

● 250g cherry tomatoes, halved

● 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

● 100g mixed salad leaves

Method

1 Combine the soy sauce, lime juice and sugar in a small bowl. Microwave the sweet potato noodles following packet directions.

2 Heat oil in a large wok over high heat. Stirfry chicken, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until browned. Add ginger, chilli and coriander root. Stir-fry for a further 1-2 minutes or until aromatic. Remove from heat.

3 Add snow peas, onion, tomato, coriander leaves, sweet potato noodles and soy sauce mixture. Gently toss to combine.

4 Divide salad leaves among serving plates. Top with the warm chicken mixture.

Method

1 Place noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Set aside for 10 minutes to soften. Drain. Use scissors to cut into pieces.

2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add mince and cook, breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon for 6 minutes or until golden. Pour rice wine around inner edge of wok. Add oyster sauce and soy. Season with pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the liquid has absorbed. Stir through chopped coriander.

3 Arrange lettuce on a serving platter. Top with noodles and mince. Sprinkle with onion, chilli and coriander sprigs.

Smart device dangerSmart device danger

Our homes are getting smarter, but

Ratukula

The world is becoming more tech-savvy, with technological solutions and updates constantly being developed to improve our quality of life and living.

Opting for a smart home that allows you to work where you live is a very practical and reasonable investment that sees people opening their homes to artificial intelligence (AI) devices and household robots.

From smart fridges, robot vacuums, smart home control systems and virtual assistant technology (just to name a few), our lives have been made easier. They are also designed to communicate with each other through a centralised hub.

While it might make turning off the lights throughout the entire house easier, these devices and systems can also be used to monitor, harass, isolate and harm.

There are countless stories of people falling victim to ransomware (malware designed to encrypt files and demand ransom), smart fridges and robot vacuums being used to hack into a home’s entire network, device cameras spying on users, and microphones and virtual assistant devices recording and storing private conversations.

Privacy, security and safety can be compromised unless you get smart with your

devices. Here are five ways you can help secure your family and home.

● Usestrongencryptionandauthentication methodstoprotectyourdata. For a couple in the US, their Google smart-home devices were hacked with the attacker messing with their thermostat, playing loud music and speaking to them through a camera. Compromised passwords was Google’s

response to the incident, saying that using a “twofactor verification eliminates this type of security risk”.

● It’seasytoputitoff,butupdatingyourdevices willensurethatanyvulnerabilitiesdiscovered willhavebeenfixed. Just like your phone or tablet, smart fridges and robot vacuums need to be updated as they, too, can be hacked and compromise your network. If you forget, set yourself a reminder to check every three months for an update.

● Regularlychangingyourpasswordsisan obviousbuteffectivestep. By using strong passwords that are a mix of letters, numbers and symbols, your password will be difficult to guess.

● Don’tleaveyourhomenetworkpublic. Instead disable them when you’re not using your smart home devices. This can also be fortified with your home network being password-protected.

● Lastly,doyourhomework. Be careful and research the devices you’re adding to your home network. Make sure the device has regular software updates and world-class security.

by Alexandra Feiam

Finding a great property to settle into is the dream, but if you’re renting it can sometimes feel like just a fantasy. How do you renovate your space without violating laws and regulations?

We’ve asked property expert and founder of Imperiale, Kiani Mills, to share her bestkept secrets to maximising your space on a budget and within legal guidelines.

SMALLCHANGESGOALONGWAY

Sometimes it’s the minor changes that have the biggest impact. Start by swapping out the kitchen and bathroom taps and drawer handles. These are budget-friendly moves that can completely refresh a room. Be sure to keep the previous ones in storage so you can swap them back when you leave!

PLANTS,PLANTS,PLANTS

To keep your home looking fresh and full of life, the easiest solution is to add plants. Perfect for those who want to add colour to their home but can’t paint the walls, greenery will enhance the space without much effort.

Large foliage such as a monstera, fiddle leaf fig and philodendron can improve your mood and air quality – not to mention, they look beautiful!

PEELANDSTICKFORAFRESHFEEL

There has been a resurgence of peel and stick enhancements that are rental-friendly. Lino has have been replaced with removable splashback tiles and vinyl flooring. You can look online for a huge selection of subway, Moroccan or Portuguese tiles, and they’re not too expensive, either. Be sure to set a few days aside to get these upgrades done, as they’re time-consuming and require a lot of patience.

“If you live in an apartment, you may need to seek consent from the body corporate if the trades and works will ‘disrupt’ the other owners, or if additional access is required,” Kiani explains.

DOYOURRESEARCH

According to Kiani, it’s best to steer clear of changing the floor plan, moving walls or creating “additional” space, as it can be illegal.

“Same with pergolas and decks – these need approval, so extensive research needs to

be done before undertaking the task,” she says. “Call your council first or jump on the RSEA and RTA websites to do some initial homework. Your local council will be more

specific to the requirements in your locality.”

A final point to remember: cosmetic is safe, structural is costly. The important thing to consider is if the changes are reversible.

If you’re a tenant, I can hear you groaning: “No … not another inspection. We just had one.”

It might seem that way occasionally –especially as time flies with our busy lifestyles – but rest assured our agency only conducts routine inspections once every three months.

And yes, they can seem an inconvenience and feel intrusive. I get that – and my property managers get that – but it’s a “necessary evil” that benefits you as the tenant more than you think.

It helps the agency observe how the property is being maintained and also gauges what type of renter you are – by that I mean if you’re keeping the place tidy and presented well then it actually helps you establish a good reputation and a strong rental history that will lead to new leases in the future.

It also helps the owner plan for capital replacements.

If that old airconditioning unit is a little “clunky”, it may not be on the fritz just yet but it could be on the way out.

A routine inspection allows the tenant to have that issue officially recorded and gives the owner time to plan for its repair or replacement.

It’s invaluable feedback that can directly help you.

It’s important to understand that, as property managers, we’re not there to police how you live your life. Quite the opposite.

We want to respect your privacy at all times (and keep disruptions to you or your family to an absolute minimum). We just need to ensure the property is kept to a standard that you, the owner and our firm acknowledged on the day you moved in.

It makes no sense to sit back and let the

property deteriorate, because it only makes things more difficult for you when you finally vacate.

You’ll be required to return the property to its entry condition and that can be a huge amount of work for you, or a very costly bill getting the work done professionally.

Accordingly, routine inspections help all three parties.

I’ve said it many times before: being a property manager is a highwire balancing act – keeping the tenant happy but at the same time protecting a landlord’s property on their behalf.

We also want to safeguard our reputation as a business.

If we do a half-baked job, disregarding various issues and “letting things slide”, we will suffer because we are ignoring the very protocols and procedures that make us an industry leader.

I often hear how lax some agencies can be, so let me apologise for not apologising. Here at The Real Estate People we won’t be turning a blind eye when it comes to routine inspections.

It’s not how we do things.

Get ahead of the trend curve

The 2023 forecast is broken up in three palettes: Connect, Balance and Revive. “We are seeing more muted tones, however we still need brighter colours to give us that positive vibe moving forward,” Andrea says.

“The easiest way to incorporate any of these Dulux Colour Forecast 2023 colours is to find the colours that work with your space and that you naturally connect to.”

Andrea’s advice on …

Feeling overwhelmed with interior colour choices? You are far from alone. Many of us intend to include colour in the home, only to play it safe and end up with accessories in basic hues that are neither in-favour personally or even on-trend.

Making a house a home takes more than filling it with homewares and furniture, and creating a haven that is enjoyable to spend time in is actually harder than most people realise. Unlike fast-fashion, interiors are not cheap throwaway items and in the interest of sustainability buy once, buy well is a far better way to shop.

So what does that mean in regards to following interior colour trends? Unless you truly love a particular colour, your main furniture pieces may be in a neutral colour, with an accent chair, pillow or throw making a fashionable statement in the colour du-jour.

Dulux colour planning and communications manager Andrea LucenaOrr says so many people renovating and decorating homes over the past two years has prompted subtle shifts of colour and design. “We can definitely see the palettes remaining predominantly warm and the continuation of a natural colour palette. The Dulux Colour Forecast evolves year on year. We can see subtle shifts from certain colours and a few new added colours that reflect key influences such as fashion,” she says.

SMALLSPACES

“There’s so many ways to use these colours in smaller volumes, whether it’s one wall behind the bedhead, a study nook, a niche in a wall or the back of a shelving unit. Even your front door is a great place to start experimenting with forecast colours.”

STAYINGNEUTRAL

“Neutrals are mainly warm and welcoming and coming home naturally fits what you would want in this description. Neutrals are also easy and flexible to scheme with and most consumers see many of these natural colours day to day in their environment, so instantly they would feel a sense of familiarity and connection.”

EXTERIORCHOICES

“The Dulux Colour Forecast has been curated for interiors. However, with the Connect palette there are many natural colours here that would work just as well in exteriors. The Revive palette may lend itself to a modern or modernist style of home however in small volumes I would suggest any home.

“The Connect palette would work with many styles of homes, including traditional and contemporary and Hamptons-style interiors. The Balance palette also is quite flexible and would work in many styles of homes such as traditional, modernist, contemporary and modern.”

Fashion may be a key influencer, but interior forecasts for 2023 are less about catwalk and more about creating calming spaces

SOLAR SENSE

Earlier this year we started discussing your options for improving the sustainability outcomes of your home design and construction. If you’ve been following these Style magazine articles, you will understand that with Smart Design we can achieve a very energy efficient home

To make your home even less dependant on external energy suppliers — and therefore cheaper to run — here’s a brief description of just one of the renewable energy sources readily available.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems generate electricity from sunlight and — no surprise — Australia is an ideal location.

In fact, one-in-four householders throughout Australia now have solar panels on their roof, the highest uptake of household solar in the world (Clean Energy Regulator, 2020).

By installing solar panels, you can reduce both your ongoing energy bills and your greenhouse gas emissions.

Before you install a solar (PV) system there many things to consider. Here are just four to start:

1. It is important to get the right sized system for your household. Don’t go too big or too small. Most households install a 3-5kW system (depending on a household’s particular circumstances, such as electricity consumption or rebates available).

2. The position and angle of the solar panels will affect their efficiency — how much electricity they’ll actually produce.

3. Financial considerations for buying a solar PV system include the upfront cost, any rebates and incentives, money saved on energy bills, and money earned through Feed In Tariffs (if available). This depends on your individual circumstances.

4. The payback period for solar PV systems is generally between four and eight years for most Australian homes.

A Solar PV system has two main components: the solar panels and the inverter. Every solar panel has solar ‘cells’ containing silicon, which converts sunlight to direct DC electricity through the photovoltaic effect. This DC electricity produced by the solar panels is converted into AC electricity by the inverter, for use in your home.

There are a few other key things to consider as well before purchasing a solar PV system, to ensure you are getting value, and selecting the system right for your needs. Make sure the system comes from a recognised manufacturer and has a good warranty coverage. The system should be listed by the Clean Energy Council as an approved module and is installed by an accredited installer with proven experience. There are lots of big promotions out there... if the deal seems too good to be true, then it

probably is — see the Scamwatch website for advice on avoiding solar scammers.

The size of a solar PV system is measured in kilowatts (kW). The amount of energy generated over time is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). Most homes will be suited to a 3-5kW system (1kW of solar panels produces around 4kWh of electricity per day, and a typical home uses 15-20kWh per day).

However, an energy efficient home — which is what we are constantly pushing — will use much less energy at under 10kWh per day. This is where your cost savings really begin to add up.

If you have followed our suggestions over the last few months in the design of your new home, you will only require a smaller, cost-efficient solar PV system to offset all the energy you require.

If you would like to know more details about this subject, please arrange a time to visit me at my Design Centre at 20 Stradbroke Street, Toowoomba.

On our website www.geoffgibsonhomes.com.au — in the news section — you can find previous Style articles for your reference.

— Geoff Gibson

This Spring, Jacqui Walker Catches Up With...

I was so pleased to sponsor the Garden Competition and to meet you both! Your list of awards in incredible. So how did it all begin?

We built our house here in 1966. Ours was a colourful garden back then, the buses would pass by. In 1991, the then-Grand Champions talked us in to entering. We were awarded 2nd place the frst time we entered the competition in 1991. We’ve been entrants for the past 32 years - winning the Grand Champion Award 3 times, and the 1st Prize for Front Garden 18 times.

What excites you about creating an award-winning garden? Is it challenging?

It’s a challenge to make the garden more colourful and it delights us to show the beauty of our garden to all visitors. We feel a pride representing our city and we hope the Carnival Of Flowers will continue for years to come.

So what’s next for you, Bob & Val?

We’re both 79 and hope to keep entering our garden. We do it all by ourselves. We love gardening, it keeps us young and active. We love seeing all the little seedlings grow in to a magnifcent array of colour.

Swimming Superstar Update:

In May 2022, I was delighted to help Sienna Deurloo – a Commonwealth Games Finalist - go to the 2022 Commonwealth Games trials held in Adelaide. In amazing news, Sienna just came 3rd in the Australian Short Course Championships becoming one of the youngest to achieve this open Australian title. She won the 1500m, 800m and 400m State swimming titles and is now the Queensland Champion for all 3 events. That’s amazing Sienna! The entire Community & I can’t wait to see you crush your Personal Best!

We Go Now To 423 Alderley Street

Harristown - Very likely the most signifcant home on Alderley St, Chan De Silva with Jacqui Walker presents this remarkable property - where there’s no comparison nearby. Framed by 2-Street access and set on 3 lots selling altogether across more than half-an-acre, this hidden gem feels like it’s been lifted from the pages of a dreamy storybook. Originally built here in 1904 and set on 400 Acres as a single-storey farm house, today this Beauty’s been spectacularly restored in a majestic celebration of the property’s fascinating history. Capturing a parkside position to Butt Street, key highlights of this home set on a 2,486 Sq Mtr Allotment include majestic raked ceilings and exposed rafters ... a private, upstairs, sprawling master suite adorned by a Juliette balcony ... and a dream deck. All that’s just the beginning! Discover 12 more features and benefts at inspection by appointment.

. Interest Above Offcial Valuation of $1.8m | Inspect with Chan De Silva: 0438 900 376 or Jacqui

BOOK REVIEWS

GATHERINGSTORMS

ByKerryMcGinnis

Reviewed by Alyssa Welke

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Gulf country’s monsoon season, this is a dramatic story of betrayal and forgiveness from best-selling author and Australia’s authentic voice of the land.

Penny Carter’s quiet life in Southbend, running a nursery with her ex father-in-law, is turned upside down when Lisa, the young daughter of her late husband, is unexpectedly deposited on her doorstep. The unwelcome house guest stirs up more than just memories of Penny’s husband’s betrayal, when a cyclone leads to the discovery of a skeleton buried next to the town cemetery.

As the mystery around the unsettling discovery grows, Penny, supported by her enigmatic neighbour Flint, begins to question everything she thought she knew about her own childhood and her mother’s death. Family secrets long thought buried come bubbling to the surface, as other shocking revelations see Penny and Lisa in an ultimate race for survival.

As a long-time fan of Australian dramas, Gathering Storms was a perfect addition to my collection. Kerry McGinnis creates a complex and thrilling story that is sure to capture your attention. The characters are relatable and enticing, with complex motivations.

GatheringStormsispublishedby MichaelJoseph,animprintofPenguin Australia.Genre:Fiction.RRP$32.99

THEWHISPERING

ByVeronicaLando

Reviewed by Jessica Kramer

Deliciously tense without being putthe-book-in-the-freezer scary, The Whispering is an astounding debut novel. Set in Far North Queensland on the fringes of the Daintree, Lando’s prose is so descriptive that the reader is transported to the rainforest – I’d almost say you can smell it!

As someone who loves rainforests and greenery, this captured me immediately;

and the book did not let go until the final page was turned.

An ex-Granite Creek resident, Callum never intended on returning to his hometown after the horrific accident that took his leg – and most memories of the incident – about 30 years ago. But when a local goes missing in the rainforest in a case eerily similar to disappearances over the decades, Callum finds himself drawn back into the town and its secrets.

This is one of those stories that is challenging to properly describe without giving too much away. The plot twists and turns and gets into your head – much like the unsettling whispers the rainforest makes – and while several of the reveals are standard thriller fiction twists, there are still enough original turns to take the reader by surprise.

TheWhisperingispublishedby HarperCollins.Genre:Fiction/Crime thriller.RRP$32.99

WITHLOVEFROMWISH&CO

ByMinnieDarke

Reviewed by Jessica Kramer

It’s not every day you come across a novel that is set up around a gift store, and it’s this that sets With Love from Wish & Co aside from your typical heartwarming story about love.

Marnie is the owner of the titular store, which offers a bespoke gift-buying service to her wealthy clients – such as Brian Charlesworth, her best customer. It sounds like a fabulous idea … until one little mix-up causes a domino effect rippling through Marnie’s and Brian’s lives.

Marnie is wrapping an anniversary gift for Brian’s wife and a birthday present for his mistress, but she’s distracted in her work by the prospect of bidding for a historic shop front once owned by her grandfather – which has been her dream location for Wish & Co for years.

Unfortunately, this small yet uncharacteristic mistake means that Brian is soon fighting to save his marriage and Marnie is struggling to keep her dreams alive. Then another complication is added into the mix when she falls in love with

Brian’s son! With Love from Wish & Co is the perfect charming and delightful read to keep you company on a balmy spring afternoon.

WithLovefromWish&Coispublished byMichaelJoseph,animprintof PenguinAustralia.Genre:Fiction.RRP $32.99

ALITTLESPARK

ByBarryJonsberg

Reviewed by Jessica Kramer

Who would have thought a story aimed at primary schoolers would cause an adult to come to tears?

That being said, with Barry Jonsberg’s excellent previous works like My Life as an Alphabet (adapted into Aussie film H is for Happiness) and Catch Me if I Fall, are we really surprised? It would seem Jonsberg has a talent for writing children’s fiction that can also be thought-provoking and enjoyed by adults.

Cate spends a weekend every fortnight with her father, after he and her mother divorced when she was six. She doesn’t tell her mother or stepfather Sam about what they get up to on these weekends, but not because it might cause tension between her parents; rather, because Cate and her father create make-believe worlds and scenarios, which light Cate’s creative spark as she writes stories.

But then something goes wrong on one of Cate and her dad’s adventures, Sam announces he’s been offered a job in London and so they’re moving to England, and before Cate knows it, she’s having to choose between parents.

It’s a timely and poignant story that is as relevant to the target audience of kids as it is to the adults who have experienced divorce first- or second-hand, and is a truly heartwarming tale.

ALittleSparkispublishedbyAllen& UnwinChildren.Genre:MiddleGrade.

RRP$16.99

ENOLAHOLMESANDTHE ELEGANTESCAPADE

ByNancySpringer Reviewed by Jessica Kramer

When Netflix brought Enola Holmes to the screen in 2020, the book series found a new audience of readers and prompted the release of two new books after an 11year hiatus. This eighth instalment sees Enola independent and living in London, working as a “scientific perditorian”.

As feisty as ever, Enola rescues Lady Cecily Alastair from her controlling parents, only to have her brother Sherlock turn up at her secret office after being employed by Cecily’s mother to find her missing daughter. The catch is, Lady Cecily has taken to the streets of London on her own as a means of escape, and she has dual personalities that are sure to get her in hot water.

As the rest of the series, this book is a fun read and a fresh take on the Holmes legend. It’s not essential to read the first seven books beforehand, but will probably give extra perspective into the characters if the reader were to do so.

EnolaHolmesandtheElegant EscapadeispublishedbyAllen& UnwinChildren.Genre:MiddleGrade.

RRP$16.99

DEMON’SLAND

BySarahFerguson

Reviewed by Jessica Kramer

A poignant coming-of-age story by the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, Demon’s Land is the first instalment in the Southport series. It may be only little over 120 pages in length for the ebook version, but the novel packs a punch all the same, dealing with topics like self-harm, eating disorders, neglect, alcoholism, and more.

Despite the serious and, at times, confronting issues, the overall story is beautiful and thought-provoking.

Some of the dialogue from the main three characters about finding “your truth” can be clunky at times, but all the characters are likeable and fleshed out, which makes this easily forgivable. It will be interesting to see where the series leads next.

Demon’sLandispublishedbySerenity Press.Genre:Teens/YoungAdult.

RRP$12.95

Emily continues her northern adventures

Arriving in Far North Queensland we were welcomed with a lot of rain. We attended a very wet Dawn Service on Anzac Day in Townsville and laid low for a few days until the sun came out.

In this time our car was back and forth between mechanics and auto electricians trying to work out the cause of us losing 4WD. This process really tested our patience and bank account. Eventually a good friend of Glen’s worked out the issue and the car was finally back up and running just in time for us to continue our adventure north.

There are many beautiful places to visit around Townsville. We caught a short ferry across to Magnetic Island, went swimming at big and little Crystal Creek Falls and went sliding down the natural forming water slide not far from big Crystal Creek.

Our next stop was Cairns. As we are travelling full time and living off savings we are very conscious of what we spend our money on and campsites can be an easy way to save money.

As the cheapest campsite was 45 minutes from the city we figured we would stay for one night and catch a ferry across to Fitzroy Island to snorkel.

The Great Barrier Reef is right off the shore of Fitzroy Island, so we spent the whole day swimming around admiring all the wonderful coloured fish and reef.

Once we left Cairns we were hit with more bad weather and the rain stayed for the next few days so we spent most of our time in the car travelling north trying to get above the rain.

Despite the rain, we still loved driving through the heritage-listed Daintree rainforest.

We arrived in Cooktown which is where we stayed for the next couple of weeks, relaxing, venturing to waterfalls and different beaches and fishing off the bank and from our boat.

DESTINATIONS

educationHelping students find path

For more than a decade, Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office (TCSO) has been supporting school-based traineeships as part of its program to recruit and retain staff.

During National Skills Week, and with teacher shortages in the spotlight, it is exciting that year 12 student Cassie Lawson is following her dreams of becoming a teacher.

Cassie is finishing her final year at Mary MacKillop Catholic College and also undertaking a school-based traineeship employed by TCSO based at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School in Toowoomba, working with year 3 students as a school officer.

Cassie knows from this experience that teaching is exactly where she wants to be.

“One of the things I love about working at the school is assisting children learn a new concept and helping them overcome any comprehension issues by working through the concept together,” Cassie said.

“Celebrating these learning wins is very important, and I love helping to build the selfconfidence of the students.”

Undertaking her Certificate III in Education Support as part of her senior secondary study has been invaluable in developing Cassie’s future career pathway.

“I now know that teaching is the career for me, and I have applied to study a Bachelor of

Secondary Education so I can inspire the students of the future,” she said.

Cassie has been able to balance the work commitments, school study and training obligations that come with undertaking a school-based traineeship with careful planning and scheduling, and with support of those around her.

“The teachers at both Mary MacKillop and Our Lady of Lourdes have been very supportive – helping me to keep up with everything and catch up if required,” |Cassie said.

“I also receive support from Toowoomba Catholic Schools: school-based apprenticeships (SBA) program team as they check in on me, guide me and keep me tracking along.”

SBA program manager Karen Coulston said they currently averaged around 350 students from their schools every year undertaking a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship across a wide range of industries throughout the Darling Downs and South West region.

”This mentoring of our young people as

they work towards their career goals with a realistic exposure to work is invaluable and assists in building workforces through ‘on the job’ learning and skills,” she said.

The feedback from Cassie’s supervisor at Our Lady of Lourdes, Janice Moore, shows what an asset Cassie is at the school and how valued she is as a staff member.

Ms Moore has been working with Cassie over the past two years and said she was “very confident and supportive of the students in her role as a school officer at Our Lady of Lourdes”.

“She shows initiative when working in the classroom environment, noticing those who need quiet encouragement, as well doing things without being told,” Ms Moore said.

“We have been extremely impressed with her maturity, her willingness to be part of a team and the thoughtful questions she has asked, to gain as much understanding as possible, about the teaching profession.

“It has been a pleasure to be part of Cassie’s school-based traineeship and we wish her well in her future endeavours.”

Cassie is keen to encourage other students to undertake a school-based traineeship and would recommend getting involved.

“I cannot recommend this program enough – I tell everyone about the amazing opportunities undertaking your SBA provides,” Cassie said.

CassieLawson withstudent KamillyAlves deSouza (above)atOur LadyofLourdes Schooland(left) withsomeofthe school’syear3 students.

Tips to help you choose the right high school

Starting high school can be daunting, but having a little extra support, knowing the right questions to ask and doing a little research can alleviate some of these stresses.

1.STARTTHECONVERSATION

Chat with your child about moving to high school. Any change can be daunting for children, as well as parents, so keep the conversation open. Chat about any worries or concerns your child might have about moving schools.

2.MAKEALIST

As a family, make a list of your values and priorities in a new school. Write down the pros and cons and see how these compare with the opportunities the school offers.

3.TAKEATOUR

Take a tour of the school and see if it is the right fit for you and your child. Meet with the teachers or school principal to get a more in-depth understanding of the school and its values.

See if there is an open day or an opportunity for your child to spend time at the school for a day or even a few hours.

4.ASKQUESTIONS

Enquire about daily routines, sporting and extra-curricular opportunities and class sizes. Does the school offer the subjects, sporting and arts opportunities your child is interested in?

Ask about the career pathway opportunities available and how your child can make the most of these.

5.CHECKYOURBUDGET

Ask about the fees and payment options, what the fees include and uniform costs. Check if there are any scholarship opportunities coming up and how you can apply.

6.LOOKFORSOCIALPROOF

Explore the school website and their Facebook and Instagram pages to see what daily life and student interactions looks like.

Chat with friends and family about their knowledge and experience of the school.

Tolearnmoreaboutmovinginto highschoolatMaryMacKillop CatholicCollege,registerforour MovingOnUpDay,atransitionand orientationeventforstudents commencingyear7in2023.

Thunderous welcome of

Anew far northeast Australian dance company, Ginar, will be captivating audiences and bringing authentic Torres Strait island music and culture to audiences in October.

While the past two years have seen people yearning for international excitement, right here on home soil a resounding rhythm has been growing. Bursting with the raw, tribal, full-bodied drums and melodies of Australia’s far northeast, Ginar not only brings mesmerising entertainment to audiences, but also an immersive introduction to our other Australian indigenous culture –that of the islands of the Torres Strait.

Ginar, a Torres Strait Islander word meaning dance, weaves together live dance, music, and documentary vignettes to present a vibrant tapestry of cultural and historical styling of this tropical region.

Ginar founder and director Bala Mosa said that the show paid homage to the land and sea from the top of

Australia to the border of Papua New Guinea.

“It has been a true community effort to bring this show to life,” he said.

“To authentically capture the music, history, and cultural style of my home country, I had to not only draw on my own experiences, but also the experiences of many tribal groups.

“In fact, this dance company is probably one of the most multitalented you’ll find anywhere. Just like in community, our dancers are also the musicians, singers, and crafters of costumes and drums.

“This authenticity, this window into what community is really like, is what Ginar offers audiences. It’s the difference between seeing a handfed croc jump at the zoo and seeing one in its natural state.”

The Ginar show is a refreshing tropical breeze through the Australian entertainment scene. From its first moments, the “warup”

CatchGinaronits premiereAustraliantour beforeittakestheworld bystorm!

GinarAustraliawillbe touringthroughout OctoberinAdelaide (SouthAustralia),Narre Warren(Victoria), Toowoomba (Queensland),Frankston (Victoria),andAlbury (NSW).Formore informationonGinar Australiaandtobook tickets,gotoginar.co

Torres Strait

drum immediately transports you to the Torres Strait Islands. Central to much of the music, its sound reflects the “bumer”, the thunder quintessential to summer storms.

Mosa is eager to share cultural elements unique to the Torres Strait, such as the warup drum, with mainland Australian audiences.

“There are hundreds of different indigenous languages, with broad or subtle cultural differences, throughout Australia,” he said.

“Mainland indigenous dances don’t really use drums, but we use the bass drum bellow frequently. There are many songs in the show that perfectly demonstrate the layering of the beats from the drums, the percussion from the lumut, the melody from our choirs, and the crackle and swish from our dancers in costume.

“Each of our costumes is handmade by the Ginar troupe, using materials local to our Torres Strait communities.

“There are few items that we don’t make in-house, and are instead made

by specialist artisans in community. One example is the ‘Dhari’, or traditional headdress, worn by the male dancers, which needs particular feathers and two types of cane”

The songs and dances in Ginar reflect daily life in the Torres Strait Islands, ranging from everyday stories about the men going fishing and diving, to wedding dances and mourning dances. The troupe includes different families with their own distinctive style and series of dances, each one sharing their stories with the audience. This is reflective of showcases in community, giving audiences an experience they would not otherwise have access to.

“Our goal is to bring Torres Strait musical heritage to the world,” said Mosa.

“With Ginar, we are stepping boldly into the spotlight, and we are so proud of every element of culture in the show.

“We can’t wait to share these with audiences as our family welcomes yours.”

The coolest show in town

Direct from its sell-out tour across the US, Fairytales on Ice is giving towns across the nation the chance to witness world renowned ice skaters and circus acrobats perform a show in a way you’ve never seen before!

With its combination of award-winning talent, magical musical moments, and showstopping special effect, this ice-skating spectacular will entertain audiences in 23 towns and cities across Australia, from Cairns down to Port Lincoln.

With shows sold out across the country, show promoter Ceili Moore is certain that audiences will not be disappointed.

“The show’s combination of grand theatrics and exceptional talent really do make for an unforgettable experience. It’s like a Broadway show on ice,” she said.

Audiences are already expressing excitement that the show will be bringing some of the world’s best figure skaters to remote and regional towns. With a cast made up of renowned and internationally recognised skaters and performers from both Australia and the US, the incredibly talented cast of Fairytales on Ice is sure to leave audiences of all ages in awe and amazement.

Queenslander Jordan Dodds is a 28-year-old figure skater from Gold Coast, Australia. Jordan is

a two-time Australian bronze medallist, junior national champion, three-time junior pairs champion and was a reserve for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Patrick Adderley is a popular Wellington circus artist, stage performer and four-time Australian figure skating champion. Ranked among the top 10 combat jugglers worldwide, Patrick has been touring the world as a competitive skater and renowned circus performer for 15 years.

Fairytales on Ice has already sold out at more than half of its Australian venues, and tickets continue to sell fast at the remaining shows. Forinformationandforticketsinyourtown, visitfairytalesonice.com.au

events

october

QUEENBOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Friday, October 7, at 8pm

WHERE: Empire Theatre

WHAT: Queen is among the greatest rock bands of the 20th century and Freddie Mercury is hailed by many as the most charismatic and flamboyant performer in contemporary rock. Now, fresh of the heels of the successful Bohemian Rhapsody movie, comes an all new Queen tribute show from well-known Australian Freddie Mercury impersonator Thomas Crane. Thomas with his hot band Bohemian Rhapsody brings back to life the visual excitement, sound and stage energy as witnessed at a Queen concert.

COST: Empire Cardholder $69.90; Adult $79.90; Concession $74.90; Child U15yrs $59.90; Groups 6+ $69.90. A transaction fee of $5 applies a transaction for phone/internet bookings.

CLIFTONCOUNTRYWEEK CELEBRATIONS

Friday, October 14 to Saturday, October 22 from 6pm Friday, October 14

WHERE: Various Locations – Clifton WHAT: Clifton Country Week is held each year in October for locals and visitors to have some fun and to promote a great small town. This year’s events will be held from Friday, October 14, until Saturday, October 22, with the main weekend being October 14-16. The week starts with the bush dance on Friday

night; Saturday has street markets, food trucks, children’s entertainment – including a treasure hunt, an art show presented by the Back Road Artists Organisation, car show n shine, iris and rose show and a tourist train coming from Warwick. There will also be a return trip to Greenmount offered. On Sunday, October 16, the Clifton Garage Sale Trail takes place, and the week culminates in the Clifton Jockey Club Race Day on Saturday, October 22.

CALLIGRAPHYBASICS WORKSHOP:LEARNTHE BASICSOFGOTHIC CALLIGRAPHYWITH ARTISTRAMLISALEHKON

Saturday, October 15 from 9am to 4pm

WHERE: Venue: Cobb+Co Museum, 27 Lindsay St, Toowoomba

WHAT: All workshops have a maximum number of participants to ensure you receive all the assistance and direction you require. Perfect your Gothic penmanship under the expert instruction of experienced calligraphy artist Ramli Salehkon in this one-day calligraphy workshop. Fall in love with the romance of medieval hang as you practise the unique style of the classic Gothic Blackletter Script known as the Textura Quadrata. Create your favourite letters, slogans and quotes with swashes and flourishes on plain or coloured A4 or A3 size papers suitable for display. Pilot Parallel pens with 3.8mm nibs, papers, markers and ink

cartridges will be provided for you to take home, as well as a folder with materials and instructions with your name written in blackletter by Ramli. Participants will be guided on the correct way of writing blackletter, including the correct finger, wrist and arm movements to get the unique blackletter “picket fences” straight and the beautiful curves perfected. Book your spot at qtix.com.au/whats-on/2022/calligraphy-1day-basic-workshop/. For details contact Cobb+Co Museum 4659 4900.

COST: $200 (inc GST) includes expert instruction, all materials, and meals. Age: 16 years and over

THURSDAYEVENING CERAMICSCLASS

Thursday, October 20 from 7-9pm

WHERE: Darling Downs Potters Club, 145 West St, Toowoomba

WHAT: Join the Thursday Evening Ceramic Club to relax and learn the skills of ceramic hand building. The term comprises six classes over a seven-week period to allow for glazing and firing of your works. Learn a new skill, make some gifts or something special for yourself! The tutors have decades of experience and they create welcoming, supportive and friendly small class environments. The Darling Downs Potters Club is a not-for-profit group, working to share the fun of clay ceramics and pottery with the community of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs region.

what’s happening in and around the city this month

arts

toowoomba

DEEPIMPRESSIONS: EUROPEANLANDSCAPES FROMTHECOLLECTIONS

Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, November 10-27

Australian Impressionist landscapes by Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and Frederick McCubbin.

Displayed with paintings that emerged from a mix of British, Dutch and other European landscape traditions. Selected from the gallery’s three permanent collections.

The Gallery at 531 Ruthven St is open Wednesday to Sunday 10.30am-3.30pm.

PERCEPTIONSOF PARADISE JEANNECOTTER,LIISAGOSPER, WILLIAMSONROSEMARY

Rosalie Gallery, Until October 16

Perceptions of Paradise depicts the concept of “heaven on earth” inspired by the hills and hollows, waterways, and flora and fauna of

South East Queensland.

The group exhibition showcases artist impressions in a variety of mediums and includes works by Jeanne Cotter, Liisa Gosper and Rosemary Williamson.

Rosalie Gallery at 89 Mocatta St, Goombungee is open from 10.30am to 3.30pm Wednesday to Sunday.

WANTACUPPA? JENNIFERWRIGHT (SUMMERS)

Crows Nest Gallery, Until October 16

Want a cuppa? is an invitation by local artist

Jennifer Wright (Summers) to make the connections we have missed during isolation.

Artworks in this exhibition are made from tea bags and other reminders of warm conversations. They invite us to share our experiences and reconnect in an exhibition space that encourages (Covid-safe) personal interaction.

Crows Nest Gallery, at the corner of the New England Highway and William St is open from 10.30am to 3.30pm Wednesday to Sunday. It is closed on Monday, Tuesday and public holidays.

Entryisfreeatthethreegalleries.

ABOVE:ArthurStreeton’sKosciuskon.d.(1933), oiloncanvas, fromtheLionelLindsay GalleryandLibraryCollection.

TOPRIGHT: JenniferWright(Summers’) Withoutyou…thereisnous2022, acrylic paint,lace,teabagsandnylonglovesoncanvas.

RIGHT:JeanneCotter’sPinkblossomsblooming2022, softpastel,LiisaGosper’s Summer pastures2022inpastel andRosemaryWilliamson’sEveningontheshore 2022,encaustic.

LIBRA

Sep23–Oct22

Librans have a fantastic sense of humour. If looking to find a soulmate this month, look no further than the nearest comedy venue. It could be someone in the crowd having the time of their lives or dancing on tables. It takes one to know one, they are simply the attraction seekers of the zodiac always ready to put on a show. Loving life is the one factor that keeps them level headed. This month is the best time to get back in balance if you have been working too hard and take time to slow down. Your stress levels will appreciate it, maybe take in a comedy show.

SCORPIO

Oct23–Nov21

New doors open for you this month, big moves in your career goals but you will feel better for it. As they say, when one door shuts another opens – which in this case is very true. It is all about timing this month to ensure that you have crossed all your T’s as in travel, which may have seemed out of the question a few months ago. Now the planets are aligning to give you permission to spread your wings and fly. Watch your duty free spending or you could get slammed with excess baggage. You deserve to have a break after all, so spend up big and enjoy.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov22–Dec21

Sagittarians are spending an undue amount of time wondering what the future holds for them. It is amazing what can happen when the right doors open up for you. Spare no expenses; if you want to get the good dollars then you need to look like you own it. It is all in the attitude, walk like you own everything. Families will also need your support this month so ensure that you leave time for them; it cannot be all work and no play.

CAPRICORN

Dec22–Jan20

Do you feel a little like a chicken with its head cut off? Well no wonder, it is time that you took a good look at what motivates you and amp it up a little. Take no prisoners, it is time that you let people know how you feel. While it is good to be so work driven, you do need to relax a little. Perhaps take up meditation or yoga. It is amazing what it can do for your body and mind. If this is not for you then perhaps join a gym, get motivated then go get them.

AQUARIUS

Jan21–Feb18th

Do you have a spring in your step? Of course there is, everything you touch turns to gold. You are looking amazing, the gym work and hard training is proof. Positive mindset and determination have gotten you so far, next comes the part where you set up a direction of where you would like your life to take you next and go for it. Perhaps a trip up Mt Everest is beckoning, or a white water rafting experience – we all know what an adrenaline junkie you are. What are you waiting for?

PISCES

Feb19–Mar19

Never rock a Pisces’ world, they are quite happy with their lot in life. If you remove the shell that they live in it can be devastating to some, but not all Pisces are sheltered. Some do like to travel out in the world but it will be only with someone they trust.

Everything has an order. The old saying “A place for everything and everything in its place” is the mantra they live by. It can be good for the soul to be so organised but you just might need to give yourself a push to get out in the real world.

ARIES

Mar20–Apr18

Time to remove the woolly exterior. It is spring, where lambs leap around the paddock and feel energised. You just cannot help being so spry and agile. It is in your nature to celebrate; give yourself a new makeover, flashy new wardrobe and perhaps some new wheels. It is all up to how you approach this abundant time. If you are looking for love then expect the man of your dreams to come riding across the fields on a white horse to sweep you off your feet.

TAURUS

Apr19–May20

Warning, bull on the rampage!! Yes it is known that bulls can lose their mind in spring, let’s say they get spring fever. Now is a great time of year to stock up on vitamins and get outdoors, breathe the clean air, take to the mountains and spend a day or two getting your mojo back. It could be time to have important conversations with your significant other as they might need to stop guessing what is on your mind and actually ask the right question.

GEMINI

May21–Jun20

Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble. There is so much witchy magic around you this month that it positively affects everyone in sight. What are you cooking up in that kitchen of

yours? Could it be a delicious angel food cafe or a darkly decadent devil’s food cake?

If you want to add some spice to your life then get in there and cook up a storm. Thinking big will make big dreams happen; it just takes the twitch of your nose to put life in perspective.

CANCER

Jun21–Jul21

Wandering around unsure of what to do? Does this sound like you? Cancerians like to do things the hard way, the harder the better. Why take the easy path to rewards when it is so much better stumbling around looking at so many alternatives it is no wonder Crabs zigzag through the ocean. Climbing out of one shell to find the perfect fit can be awfully frustrating for people who love you. Try to take a step back and see what you really wish to do. It could be staring you in the face, just hidden by the hard exterior you wear.

LEO

Jul22–Aug22

Leo can take it to heart way too often leaving themselves vulnerable in the process. You are a shining star to everyone around you so come out fighting if you must and roar. Take charge and don’t back down from anyone you are the king of the jungle, so act like one. Sharpen those claws and smooth down those whiskers, don’t be taken for granted any more. Work-wise it is a busy month that will have your head spinning, so no room for fun this month, pussycat ,stop chasing your tail and get to it.

VIRGO

Aug23–Sep23

Earth mother, what wondrous journey awaits in October? Family and friends will surround you with so much love, being such a positive role model in life is not always easy. Life may throw a few curve balls in but it is nothing you cannot handle. Put work on hold for a couple of days and get back to nature, make a garden, plant a tree, learn to surf. It will help you remain positive, plus the bounty of harvest from a vegie garden is food for the soul.

events event

Toowoomba business disability awards

The Business DisABILITY Awards recognises businesses and individuals across Toowoomba and the Darling Downs who support, educate and employ people with a disability. This year’s awards were held at Wellcamp Airport on Thursday, September 15, with special guest speaker Tom Nash.

BDA guest speaker Tom Nash.

The BDA organising committee of Jodie Collins, Greg Luck, Kim Stokes, David Wallis, Lyndel Bunter, Gail Yates and Paul Wilson.

Lizzie Adams from Jayden Adams Memorial Foundation and the winner of the Indigenous Champion Award.

Jazmyn Wilson, Jye Rollins and Olivia Templeman.

David Janetzki MP, Emily Whitby, Kim Stokes, Fraser Wiedman (winner of the Elissa Flanagan Scholarship), Rob Whitby, Grace Whitby, Trevor Watts MP and Michael Whitby.

Joshua Bamford from McDonald’s Toowoomba, winner of the Outstanding Employer Award, with Adriana Lembo from Toowwomba Toyota.

Kim Stokes, the disability awards event MC.

TRC Mayor Paul Antonio, Mark Burke, Pranita (Sharon Boyce’s carer) and Sharon Boyce, wionner of the Judy Antonio Memorial Award.

Tim McCallum, with interpreter Sagenta Cummings, entertains the crowd.

events event

Women of Strength luncheon

Funds raised at this Toowoomba Hospital Foundation event on Friday, August 19, went towards creating a more private space for premature, vulnerable and at-risk babies and their parents. Hundreds descended on Rumours International for the Women of Strength luncheon, one of the signature events on the foundation’s calendar. Australian horse trainer and businesswoman Gai Waterhouse was the event’s main guest, joining the audience of more than 700 people for a special question and answer session.

Pictures:KevinFarmer

Kym Maker, Gen Ruhle and Lisa Ciurleo.

Emily Close, Rebecca Wilke and Candice McNamara.

Jane Barham, guest of honour Gai Waterhouse and Toowoomba Hospital Foundation CEO Alison Kennedy.

The Fitton Horselnsure Bloodstock policy covers all risks of mortality and theft, including transit and optional cover for life-saving surgeries.

Kylie Thompson and Sarah Broadbent.

Sarah Springate and Grace Hilder.Fiona Ferguson and Annabelle Kibble.

Mikaela Henry, Stephen Henry, Kate Ruijter, Nicole Carlile and Tori Sergent.

Sonia Wood, Melissa Keogh-Lancaster, Janelle Prior, Wendy Roche, Rachael Milford, Claire Campbell, Kirsten Tydings and Charmaine Searle.

Vicki Lorrimer, Jess Barnes, Christina Callaghan, Emma Rackley, Liz Wagner, Alison Kennedy, Catherine Kirkwood and Lilli Peak.

It’s more than a ride, and we are more than a business.

It’s more than a ride, and we are more than a business.