Journey deep into the beating heart of Australia’s most Awarded rum distillery. Learn the dark (and lighter) arts of rum making and take your tastebuds on a rum inspired adventure with the world’s first Blend Your Own Rum Experience. Pour rich rum reserves straight from the barrels and craft your very own unique rum concoction with a little help from our expert guides, who know their way around rum like no one else. Who knows, you may be the next Bundy Rum Master Blender in the making!
Not only will you take home two personalised bottles of your own handcrafted, tongue tested rum, we’ll even keep your secret recipe on file in case you want to reorder down the track - we reckon you will!
ON THE COVER: three generations of the Gerry family; Janelle, Rachel and baby Sienna on their farm at Macadamias Australia.
Our Crush Magazine models are not paid professionals, just local people who love the Bundaberg Region.
READ MORE ABOUT THE GERRY FAMILY ON PAGE 46.
BELOW: Janelle and Andrew Gerry (center) with Luke Gerry and Elise Pearson (right), Rachel and Drew McAullay (left) and their baby Sienna will be carrying on the Steinhardt family legacy at Macadamias Australia. Photography by Paul Beutel.
14 30
IN & OUT
Create your personal sanctuary
27
CULTURAL TIES
Turning indigenous history into a community asset
DESTINATION: BUNDABERG
Meet the immigrants proudly calling Bundaberg home
PHOTO ESSAY
Sabrina Lauriston documents the Italian experience
38 51
AT HOME WITH
Master pasta maker Emilia Troioni welcomes us into her home kitchen
40
33 53
MEMORY LANE
Learn about the unsung heroes who founded our food bowl
ARTS
Home away from home at Walker St Arts Precinct
THE BIG ISSUE
Feeling safe with a roof over your head is a basic human right
LIPS & LOCKS
How genetics plays a role in your beauty routine
Some people have lived in the same town their entire lives and are focussed on the great Australian dream of home ownership, with a ‘clothesline out the back and veranda out the front’. Others choose to travel the world with no fixed address and believe home is where the heart is. They subscribe to the theory that ‘wherever I lay my hat; that’s my home’.
Regardless of our lived experiences, cultural backgrounds, personal preferences or financial means, one thing we can all agree on is that feeling safe and secure with a roof over your head is a basic human right. We all deserve a haven. A port in a storm. A sanctuary. A place, family or community of people we can turn to when times are tough.
Email: hello@crushcomms.com.au
Telephone: 0447 669 431
It’s why Crush wrote to local political leaders and asked them what they, their governments and parties are doing to address cost of living pressures and the current housing crisis. Homelessness is quickly becoming the single biggest, and most shameful domestic issue of our times.
Faces and peoples featured in this Autumn Issue of Crush Magazine have experienced homelessness, fled war and persecution, or immigrated to Australia for love or career. What nearly all of them have found in the Bundaberg Region is a better quality of life. An ease. And what they’ve given back to our community in return is immeasurable.
Read about the multi-generational farming families who helped put Bundaberg on firm footing; making
WEBSITE
Studio: Palace Arcade, 10/133 Bourbong St, Bundaberg
Postal Address: PO Box 2426, Bundaberg Qld 4670
www.crushmagazine.com.au crushbridal.com.au www.crushcommunications.com.au
it a Region that some locals liken to their favourite pair of sandals. Like Bundaberg, sandals might look simple at first glance, but upon closer inspection they’re made from quality leather with sturdy stitching. It may take a little while, but once they’re perfectly moulded to your feet, you’ll never want to wear another pair of shoes again. Whether you’re immersed in the local culture and have established family roots and friendships here, are new to the area or you are just visiting, there are so many reasons to fall in love with the Bundaberg Region.
If there’s one thing we want you to take away from this Sanctuary Issue of Crush Magazine, it’s that the Bundaberg Region has a diverse social fabric that ought to be celebrated more often.
Between these pages, we have shared little known stories of our past in the hope that current and future generations may be inspired to work hard and accept their neighbours’ differences. Whether their dream is home ownership or the ability to travel the world, it’s important our youth understand that you only get out of life what you put into it.
Take care of yourselves and each other.
LARINE STATHAM-BLAIR AND NIKKI SORBELLOSpecial thanks: Paul Beutel, Rowena Preddy, Tara Jacobsen, Partriece Lyons, Wayne and Diane Hurring, Leanne Toy, Tomas O’Malley, Ross Peddlesden, Michael Dart.
SOCIAL
#crushmagau #bundycrush #crushcomms #crushbridal #crushbridalinsider
Not so long ago, our region was considered just a small town, broken up by suburbs with an abundance of land supply, yet great potential for future development. Recently regional areas have had incredible growth over previous years, forcing local councils to continue developing the town plan to accommodate our expanding population.
The Bundaberg Region is no longer a little bush town; it has emerged as many different hubs and communities, offering a variety of living options for those who choose to live here. With the new Kepnock Shopping Precinct underway, the Region will now have a major grocer at each side of the city, preparing for new growth to follow.
The improvement to many parks, addition of dog-friendly facilities and upgrades to the city aquatics centre, are starting to give the Region some positive segregation between suburbs and communities.
Residential development has played a large part in approved projects over the past few years. We have seen a shift in the size of lots, as well as an increase in the density of living, particularly those developments in the inner-city hubs. In terms of buying, there has been a huge demand for dual occupancy arrangements, ie self-contained granny flats. Combining multiple generations has become a very popular way to live, reducing cost of living and simply enjoying time with loved ones.
in local real estate, Ryan is the cofounder and principal at Weekes Property Co – a realtor agency designed to be different.
No matter whether you are nesting or have recently become an empty nester, Saskia in East Bundaberg has all the makings you need to create your perfect sanctuary.
Everyone’s idea of home styling is different. But most of us tend to fit into one or two categories or methods.
Some people see their home as functional rather than fabulous and give little thought to how it looks. Others like to stay up to date with the latest trends – they declutter and rearrange their entire home every few years, changing the look of their interior by replacing ornaments,
artwork and soft furnishings. Like blue-loving bowerbirds, some of us live in a foraged home of upcycled and preloved treasures. And then there are the maverick souls whose homes are eccentric and eclectic, where every sentimental piece has a story.
Saskia Home Gifts You is the local boutique for anyone who loves their home. The ladies at Saskia can help you create a space you want to come home to and one that your offspring look forward to returning to.
Whether it’s unique furniture, homewares, beautiful books, baby gifts, art, suave clothing, jewellery or
accessories; everything at Saskia is of the finest quality. Not a soulless flatpack or mass-produced piece in sight. Think home décor and garments from Holiday Trading Co in Robe, South Australia or La Pintade ceramic guinea fowl, handmade in the south of France.
Saskia does not disappoint.
Shop it!
SASKIA – HOME GIFTS YOU
Millaquin Markets
Shope 4/133 Bargara Road, East Bundaberg 07 4151 1873
Saskia.net.au
Building a new house is often a challenging exercise for many people; How big should it be? What style? What budget? For someone whose job it is to design buildings for other people, the task of creating a new home for themselves is simultaneously less and more daunting.
While the designer has the advantage of years of experience and is across design theories and trends, they also have a lifetime of ideas they want to implement, all of which can not make the cut.
In 2019, my wife Amanda and I decided to build a new house. We had subdivided a corner block in an older area of Bundaberg. As with all projects, constraints can be positives as they help to focus the design.
Early on we established that we didn’t want a large house. I’m a strong believer that smaller, smarter homes are the way forward to ensure a sustainable future. In reality, a small footprint was inevitable – a sewer line running through the property meant we had a total of 10m by 12m available to build on. We settled on a barn-style structure, with living
By Tomas O’Malley
taken to maximise natural ventilation and passive solar, and so far the house has out-performed expectations from a climatic comfort standpoint, being consistently warm in Winter and rarely uncomfortable in Summer.
Even the colour scheme was employed to introduce rigor in the design. The simple white and pink palette required that I work around available products – there was only one pink laminate to choose from, so that determined the paint colour, floor epoxy and even the tile grout in order to maintain consistency throughout. We had to move in without floor coverings upstairs, as our non-standard pink Marmoleum from Europe was delayed, but this was a small price to pay for something that is a unique statement and makes us happy.
Part of this personal mark on the house is that there is no air conditioning. Nor are there insect screens. We accepted that we might be sharing our home with a few bugs, and that it might be slightly warmer or cooler than optimal at times. Careful consideration was
The colour scheme did however lead to one of the few disagreements Amanda and I had over the whole design and construct process – and not because of the colours themselves. We decided that the house should be named in reference to its distinctive hue, however my original suggestion got vetoed. Thus what I’d been calling ‘Iced-VoVo’ is now ‘Coconut Ice’.
Architect Tomas O’Malley designs buildings that reflect Central Queensland’s climate and lifestyle.at The Property Styling Co. Sticking with our coastal cool theme, all our items are sourced from Australian and local suppliers – so you know they are quality.
By Jade McKenzie
store, Endless Weekend, late
furniture, art and homewares
Whether you are staging your house for potential buyers or revamping your own abode, making sure people feel at
They say a man’s home is his castle, but a woman’s space should be her sanctuary - a place she can escape the daily grind and unwind.
endlessweekend.co
thepropertystylingco.com
0439 605 482
KYRIMAI Dining Table
No gimmicks or showmanship –Powell Property Co is all about getting things done.
After 20 years in real estate working for franchise agencies, in 2022 owner Nathan Powell decided to go out on his own. “I no longer need to go to a city-based head office for approval, and any commission stays right here in Bundaberg,” he said, with a spring in his step.
Free from the shackles of heavy corporate oversight, Nathan established
a sharp monochrome brand that matches his no-fuss approach to selling real estate. “My signs are very plain; without my face plastered all over them. Our approach is all about the individual properties and people I’m working for. When you are helping someone sell their most valuable asset, it shouldn’t be about the agent,” Nathan said.
Nathan and his young family have lived in Bundaberg for the past ten years. In that time, he has watched on patiently as Burnett Heads slowly evolved from a
sleepy little fishing village to a happening hub. Identifying a clear gap in the real estate market, he made the deliberate choice to strategically position himself at Burnett Heads. “We moved back to town in 2013 and since then Council has beautified the streetscape and invested in infrastructure, the luxury Gateway Marina Apartment development has commenced, the RV Village has been built and Burnett Heads is home to major music events,” Nathan said. “It’s the main access point for the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Over the coming decade, Burnett Heads will bring significant economic and lifestyle benefits to our Region and I want to be part of that.”
There is one development that Nathan is particularly proud to be representing, and that’s Oasis Estate. It’s a turn-key lifestyle estate, where buyers have six designs to choose from. The lot sizes range from 600 to 800 square meters. The quality homes vary in size from small dual occupancies to four bedroom, two bathroom houses with large attached garage or carport for a boat or caravan.
Situated just two blocks back from the Esplanade along Rickerts Road, Oasis Estate is being built in four stages to create 140 lots in total. Almost all of the house and land packages available in stage one have been snapped up. “It’s the sort of place that suits people who like adventuring – small young families, professional couples, grey nomads –who want something low maintenance with high clearance storage, so they can be off travelling or boating,” Nathan said.
“The sensitive, thoughtful development that is happening here is enhancing the local aesthetic and building on the relaxed beach culture that Burnett Heads is renowned for.”
It’s that time of year when your last break seems like a distant memory and the hustle and bustle of life has completely taken over. Resolutions and thoughts of slowing things down or making more time for self-care have been lost in the everyday.
Whether you need a little rest and relaxation, or you are finding it hard to move forward following a difficult time, Lisa Blainey at Sacred Sounds can help.
Lisa is a holistic therapist trained in meditation and aromatherapy, and is best known for her free crystal singing bowl meditations along the Region’s coastline. Her work across multiple modalities has allowed her to create her signature The 4 Gates treatment, an opportunity to rebalance and retune. It is one of Sacred Sounds ‘Life Milestones’ treatments for when you are managing trauma, overwhelm and emotional stress. The other treatment, likened to a ‘vision quest’ is Egyptian Emotional Clearing Technique (EECT).
“I offer these therapies out of recognition that we feel and hold stress, tension and trauma within our body,” Lisa said.
“Sometimes you need more than a massage. When you are ready, these treatments support you to process, release, renew and revitalise.”
The 4 Gates treatment combines Tibetan vitaflex, massage, aromatherapy and singing bowls, while EECT is based on an ancient Egyptian ritual for ‘cleansing of the spirit’.
“This is a beautiful, intuitive technique performed in silence and reverence. It is a sacred anointing sequence with essential oils, intertwined with subtle body and energy work,” Lisa said.
Lisa has also brought together like-minded providers to create a full-day beach retreat, being offered in June and October. Sacred Sounds also take private bookings for corporate retreats and meditations, bridal and women’s celebration events.
There is no denying that certain sounds are calming, like the ocean or a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. What is it about sound that soothes us?
When sound is harnessed at certain frequencies, like through a tuning fork, the benefits can be many. Amanda Mackay is a second-generation healer who works with and teaches the practice of Tuning Fork Therapy.
“Tuning Forks are used in the energy field around the body, the area known as the biofield. The vibration from the tuning fork connects with the dissonant emotions in the field and like warm water over a sugar cube, it reduces the static, bringing balance to the biofield and the body. This can help with reducing anxiety, stress and over thinking,” Amanda said.
“The vibration of the fork placed on the body not only relaxes the body, it calms
the central nervous system and assists healing on a cellular level, making it a unique offering.
“Tuning Fork Therapy can easily be integrated into other practices such as yoga, massage, kinesiology, facials, reiki and meditation.”
So passionate about teaching others the benefits of Tuning Fork Therapy, Amanda will spend four days in Bundaberg in May to teach others the practice.
The practitioner training is fully accredited with the International Institute for Complementary Therapists and includes a practitioner kit.
For details on Practitioner Training, May 25 – 28, visit biofieldbeing. com.au/tuning-fork-practitioner/
Finding quality education and care for your children when you are new to town is always a challenge. In between moving house and starting new jobs, inspecting early learning centres and schools is time consuming and can be overwhelming. Then there are the added complexities if you are shiftworking parents.
That’s exactly why Acorn Child Care Centre in Bundaberg West was created in 2005 – to meet the needs of medicos, emergency service workers, educators, business owners and professionals who work long hours. Locally owned and operated by a medical family, and open from 6.30am to 6.30pm, demand for their services grew quickly. They soon started welcoming babies, before opening a second centre in Bundaberg East.
Now they are preparing to open the doors to a purpose-built facility on Bargara Road, providing vacation care and before-and-after school care for school age children.
Manager Jessie Munzenberger said Acorn School-Age Care Centre would cater for up to 60 children at any one time, as well as continuing to offer ten places at Bundaberg West. “Across our two childcare centres, we previously provided vacation care to 30 children but we were always heavily booked,”
she said. “We’ve seen an influx of new families from interstate who have relocated for work and want to know their children are well cared for and are enjoying themselves – that they’ve found a little haven away from home.”
As well as having access to the adjoining Child Care Centre’s nature playground, children will have their own dedicated playground with sporting equipment and two rooms to rotate through various activities. They will also embark on excursions outside the Centre. “With input from the kids, our educators design the activity program based on the cohort at the time. We offer everything from science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, as well as cooking,” Jessie said. “All meals are provided, with many of the ingredients on our vegetarian menu sourced from our own kitchen garden.”
Jessie, who has worked in the childcare industry for 18 years, said the Centre also had space to facilitate in-house training and professional development for employees.
St Luke’s Anglican School is arguably the Bundaberg Region’s most multicultural school. Guided by the values of faith, performance and honour, St Luke’s attracts families from around the world; like the Abids who immigrated to Bundaberg four-years-ago for work.
St Luke’s current cohort of students come from 27 different countries, predominantly Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, England and Vietnam. Their teaching staff hail from around the globe too; from the likes of
Nepal to Papua New Guinea and Ireland. Collectively, educators and fellow students teach children, ages two to 18, to think globally and value people of other cultures and backgrounds, so they feel a civic duty to contribute and care about protecting human rights. Annual world-wide events like Harmony Week, which was initiated by the United Nations for the elimination of racial discrimination, are integrated into activities across the Early Learning Centre, Primary, Middle and Senior Schools.
As well marking events like NAIDOC Week and studying Japanese from their first year at school, all St Luke’s students are encouraged to participate in a range of international charitable causes. For example, as part of Operation Christmas Child, students fill shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items and schools supplies for Samaritan’s Purse to distribute to vulnerable and disadvantaged children around the world.
It was the School’s values and warm atmosphere that convinced doctors Amina Nazad and Umar Saeed to send their sons, Zain and Hamza Abid to St Luke’s. Both radiologists, Amina and Umar moved to Bundaberg from Canada when Umar got an opportunity to work for Bundaberg Radiology. Originally from Pakistan, the Abid family had been living in Canada since 2013. Amina said the School’s teachings were evident in her sons and their friends. “Kindness, compassion and a bit of discipline – we’ve had great experiences with everyone we’ve met from the school,” she said. “The St Luke’s community played a great role in helping us settle into Bundaberg.”
Hamza graduated from St Luke’s last year as DUX with an ATAR score of 99.70 and has been accepted to study medicine at James Cook University (JCU). “Living in Bundaberg was my first time living outside a capital city and I’ve really enjoyed it, connecting with nature. I’m looking forward to that in Townsville too – JCU is a nice path to go down if you want to contribute to rural health and live in a regional area,” he said. Hamza’s younger brother, Zain is a keen artist, enjoys playing tennis player and is hoping to study architecture after high school.
Schools are purposefully and thoughtfully designed. They are more than just a home for learning. They support development and growth. For some they are a home away from home. Schools can be a haven.
Part of providing a safe space for children to be educated is allowing them to reach their full potential, stretch their thinking and see how far they can go. Recognising that gifted students need support to extend beyond what is expected, Bundaberg Christian College created the Gateway Academy, a gifted and talented program for Prep to Year 12 students, led by Gateway Coordinator Amanda Kelk.
“The Gateway Program allows students to come together for diverse learning extension opportunities by providing a sanctuary for them to explore their true potential. It exposes them to a much broader range of interest areas and
opportunities for global collaboration and challenge,” Amanda said.
“One student has described it as ‘a theme park for my brain, it’s where my mind can play and be excited and unsure at the same time’.”
While traditional gifted and talented programs can focus on intelligence and often neglect other areas such as creative and emotional intelligence, the Bundaberg Christian College program is unique. It offers a more personalised approach, centred around growing a love of learning, rather than a one-sizefits-all approach that simply extends specific subject areas.
“Our program reflects the understanding that great problem solvers, innovators and leaders are capable of diverse thinking that stems from domains of giftedness outside of academic intelligence,” Amanda said.
“Students engage in a weekly program designed for each participating student. Each term they explore a new topic, new technologies, new ways of thinking and alternative ways of sharing their discoveries. Each student’s experience within the academy is unique to them.”
In 2022 Gateway students were able to hear from professors, professional scientists and keynote speakers from Cambridge and Oxford universities as a part of the program. They also competed on state, national, and global stages, with the Year 5 and 6 students placing second in the National Virtual debating competition, and a Year 9 team taking first place in the Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Award, with their idea for an app to help with mental health.
Genes and DNA – they are the design instructions for our bodies. Genes determine our base physiological characteristics, passed down through generations: ‘Yeah, my mum had grey hair young too’, someone said. We’ve all said or heard similar phrases.
Our eyes are no different. There are many hereditary eye conditions that unfortunately can be detrimental to our vision. Like other genetic traits, they can skip generations and may or may not show up in our siblings or children.
Some common eye conditions
macular degeneration and some types of cataracts.
There are also various other lesscommon inheritable eye conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa and fuch’s endothelial dystrophy. Therefore it’s important to talk to your family if you can about any history of eye conditions and then have your eyes tested. Major advances have been made in genetic testing and research in the past several years. So, can we treat every vision-threatening inherited condition? No, unfortunately not. But the more
ANDREW CHRISTIANSENto the next decade of advancements. Talk to your optometrist or medical practitioner about genetic testing. There are a couple of genetic clinics in Brisbane that offer testing, counselling, and management services.
On a lighter note, not all genetic eye traits are bad. You may have luckily inherited sharp vision or pretty-coloured eyes or even attractive long eyelashes! Whatever your eyes look like, get them
To continue growing and thriving, businesses need to reflect on achievements, both big and small. The Bundaberg & District Chamber of Commerce and Bundaberg Tourism Business Excellence Awards is the perfect showcase.
The 2022 gala event at Brothers Sports Club was sponsored by Bank of Queensland Bundaberg, with a diverse range of businesses collecting awards across 20 categories.
Each year, Crush Magazine sponsors the Crush Community Spirit Award,
recognising businesses who help to build ‘Brand Bundaberg’, give back to the community, help other business owners or boost community morale. The 2022 Crush Community Spirit Award winner, Realway Property Consultants, invest a significant amount of money and time supporting sporting clubs, sponsoring teams, and volunteering at events.
This multi-generational family business use their public profile and platforms to ‘show off their town’ and regularly ‘roll up their sleeves for team Bundy’. Their
team is actively involved in Rotary, and they collaborate with other businesses to raise funds for men’s mental health. Although their business income comes from property sellers and landlords, they’re not afraid to call in a favour from one of their generous business contacts to help tenants too.
www.bundabergchamber.com.au
Congratulations
NEW BUSINESS
Green Solutions Wide Bay
MICRO / HOME BASED BUSINESS
Connections Play Therapy & Consultancy
MEDICAL AND ALLIED HEALTH
Hinkler Podiatry
PERSONAL SERVICES
The Place Hairdressing Bundaberg
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
EKM Services
COMMUNITY ORGANISATION
Community Access Care
TRADE, INDUSTRIAL & MANUFACTURING
Arcon Metals Recycling
RETAIL BUSINESS
Bundaberg Health Foods
AGRIBUSINESS
Macadamias Australia
CRUSH COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD
RealWay Property Consultants
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
The Place Hairdressing
TOURISM ACCOMMODATION BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Lady Musgrave Experience
TOURISM VISITOR ATTRACTION
Lady Musgrave Experience
TOURISM CULINARY & HOSPITALITY
Macadamias Australia
CHILDERS BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Childers Physio & Allied Health
CHILDERS NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Café Deldora
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Ingrid Barham, Bundaberg Today
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Lady Musgrave Experience and Macadamias Australia
As data breaches hit news headlines with more frequency and online scams increase in sophistication, keeping up-to-date with recommendations and safety precautions online has never been more important.
It’s why nbn local has community ambassadors like Wide Bay and surround’s Karen Shipp (pictured), who focus on improving digital literacy, and increasing community awareness and understanding of services over the nbn (national broadband network).
Kylie Lindsay, Head of nbn local QLD said with an ever-evolving and growing digital world, it was important to have skills to communicate online with family and friends, operate smart devices, access information, and store data safely and securely.
“Through partnerships with local government, organisations and community groups we can gain an understanding of the community, what their needs are and tailor sessions and presentations to meet the needs of participants and adapt the delivery to suit the audience,” Kylie said.
Karen is available at no cost to deliver a range of digital literacy sessions, events and programs. These include drop-in sessions where people can come and chat about their connectivity and concerns or structured programs, focused on upskilling people in digital literacy. The presentations cover a range of topics like getting online, e-safety and scams awareness, smart devices, navigating government websites and apps, how to get the most out of your internet experience and emergency preparedness.
Liberty Villas resident Robyn PatonPires has enjoyed a number of sessions with Karen and said getting the most up-to-date information provided peace of mind.
“I retired in 2014 and had always used computers, but it has changed so much since then. In our first session with Karen I learned a lot that I wasn’t aware of, so I didn’t want to miss this one,” Robyn said.
Karen is a part of the nbn local team, supported by Community Engagement Manager Scott Rowe and Business Lead Deborah Mead.
Book a session, presentation or discuss a program for your organisation or community group: NBN LOCAL COMMUNITY
AMBASSADOR KAREN SHIPP 0437 189 953
karenshipp@nbnco.com.au
Liberty Villas residents Val and Pip chat to NBN Local community ambassador Karen Shipp.There are about 5000 Aboriginal people in the Bundaberg Region today whose ancestors were the first people to inhabit the lands between Bundaberg and Port Curtis. For tens of thousands of years different tribes moved freely between these regions, sharing country. The tribes had close song lines and traded tools and food.
When you consider Bundaberg’s dark history, it’s remarkable we have any Aboriginal people left in our community today to share their beautiful culture and valuable knowledge. People were walked off country and taken to missions. They were massacred. Whole language groups were wiped out. Disease outbreaks also devastated the Aboriginal population.
These atrocities separated Aboriginal people from their country and culture, and caused great harm to the Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, Taribelang Bunda and Bailai tribes. In 2011 the Native Title process brought them back together again; sharing land peacefully just as their ancestors once did.
Sadly, Aboriginal people continue to die much younger than non-indigenous people. In 2021, only 7.4 per cent of Aboriginal Bundaberg residents were over the age of 65, compared to 27.1 per cent of non-indigenous Bundaberg residents. Locally, 29.6 per cent of Aboriginal families have just one parent compared to 10.2 per cent in non-indigenous families, impacting the household income.
That’s what local organisations like Port Curtis Coral Coast Aboriginal Peoples Charitable Trust (PCCC) are working to change. In partnership with local Aboriginal elders and the business community, they’re creating opportunities for indigenous people to be strong, proud and empowered through cultural knowledge, quality education and economic participation.
Read more on pages 28 & 29.
Native title by definition is recognition by Australian common law that indigenous Australians have rights and interests to their lands that derive from their traditional laws and customs. Since the Native Title Act was introduced in 1993, native title has been granted across about 30 per cent of the Australian continent, and yet many nonindigenous Australians misunderstand what that means and what is involved. Some go so far as to be envious of what they falsely believe Aboriginal people receive through native title; forgetting what was taken away.
The burden of proof for a native title application is onerous. Traditional owners and elders must provide evidence that the land has been handed down from generation to generation since before colonisation, among other things. Once a claim has been accepted, native title holders have
the right to fight against or negotiate terms of development on the land, but that does not give them exclusive land rights. If the rights of pastoralists, mining companies, the federal government, or private owners come into conflict with native title rights, they supersede or override the native title rights.
The legislation requires native title holders to establish a corporation to oversee their native title, negotiate land use agreements, as well as manage and administer their funds. Some progressive corporations, like Port Curtis Coral Coast Aboriginal Peoples Charitable Trust (PCCC), take on additional responsibilities in the hopes of improving their mobs’ quality of life through education, training and employment, cultural projects and economic development.
In 1995, four tribes lodged overlapping native title claims across the Bundaberg
Region, spanning from Gladstone to the Auburn Range near Monto and the Burrum River – covering 19,500 square kilometres (SqKM) of land and 26,600 SqKM of sea. It would be 17 years before the Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, Taribelang Bunda and Bailai peoples would formally meet. Some four years later, in 2016 they joined forces and successfully established one united corporation – the PCCC. In 2017 native title consent determination was achieved.
The PCCC board is comprised of representatives from all four tribes. Their mission is to care for country and sustain the natural environment, preserve their ancient culture, advocate for sovereignty, human rights and self-determination, and improve social outcomes for current and future generations.
Their funding is derived predominantly from a land use agreement, as well as
one-off government grants that are obtained for specific projects through competitive tender processes. The PCCC prudently invests the majority of their income, using the dividends to self-fund their ongoing operations and social programs. As their investment portfolio continues to grow, they directly help about 1200 traditional owners each year.
In 2021, about 900 children were assisted through the PCCC’s Back to School program, which helps families cover the costs of school fees, uniforms, resources and stationary. Cultural and sporting scholarships are available to young people who have political, social, cultural or sporting aspirations and have been selected to participate at a state or national level. The PCCC also provides financial support for local Aboriginal people to achieve tertiary qualifications.
In partnership with the Centre for Rural and Regional Indigenous Health, the PCCC runs a Tucka Time program that teaches cooking skills, healthy eating, physical activity and emotional support. They helped almost 50 families buy whitegoods, such as fridges and freezers.
But it isn’t just about supporting their young people. In 2021, 88 local elders on the age pension received an assistance payment. It’s something the PCCC do at Christmas each year to acknowledge their elders and their contribution to the community. They also helped fund more than 20 Aboriginal funerals in 2021.
The PCCC has an employment and training arm, where they partner with businesses and organisations that are committed to maximising participation of local Aboriginal people in their workforce. In January last year, PCCC helped place eight people in traineeships. The PCCC supports about 50 people into roles each year across the Bundaberg and Gladstone regions. They also hold an annual career and pathways showcase called Dorrie Day.
Each of the PCCC’s programs is having a positive impact on the lives of Aboriginal people; addressing the social determinants that will hopefully one day help close the life expectancy gap of our local traditional owners – gainful employment, healthy lifestyle and education.
The PCCC wishes to acknowledge their elders; past, present and emerging, as well as neighbouring tribes – Wakka Wakka, Kabi Kabi, Butchulla and Durrambal.
Learn more about PCCC and their work at www.pccctrust.com.au
The largest Aboriginal rock engraving site on the east coast of Queensland sat undisturbed on a northern bank in the humble Burnett River, near Pine Creek, for tens of thousands of years. That is, until 1971 when the 3348 square metre petroglyph was cut into 92 stone blocks, each weighing up to five tonnes, and dispersed throughout Queensland.
While some were displayed at the University of Queensland, Griffith University and Queensland Museum, others sat in the gardens of businesses, organisations and private homes in Cherbourg, Maryborough, Bundaberg and Rockhampton. The state government of the day argued the rocks needed to be removed for their own protection. They planned to build an irrigation barrage downstream that would cause irreparable damage to the important archaeological site.
The earliest European documentation of the site dates back to the 1880s. They attempted to interpret the engravings as taking animal and human forms, outlines of feet and hands, as well as myths and symbols significant to local Aboriginal people. Elders today reference the markings as relating to men’s and women’s business that can’t be shared freely. A photograph donated to the Queensland Museum in 1915 shows the site imbedded in sand, ‘clearly contrasting with surrounding miles of impenetrable scrub’ (read more about Bundaberg’s scrubland on page 40).
Together, first nations peoples from the Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, Taribelang Bunda and Bailai tribes and the PCCC have been working with the Queensland Museum to locate as many of the blocks as possible and repatriate them to country. Currently in the custodianship of local traditional owners in Bundaberg, the PCCC and Museum will soon start consulting local Aboriginal people and the Bundaberg community more broadly to determine where and how these culturally significant carvings should be displayed.
Background research and images thanks to the PCCC and the journal article, Obligations to Objects.
What would Australia be without pizza, spaghetti, fried rice, sushi, butter chicken, croissants, kievs or kebabs?
An Australia without international cuisine is unimaginable.
But that’s not all immigration has given our lucky country. Immigrants bring sorely-needed skills and expertise to our health services. They fill labour shortages in important sectors like agriculture. They offer a fresh perspective, making our communities more diverse and compassionate.
Between 2016 and 2021, 37,921 people relocated to the Bundaberg Region including 2199 from overseas. Some 13 per cent of our total local population was born overseas. More than five per cent speak a language other than English at home.
Crush Magazine wrote to a handful of
immigrants and asked them why they chose Bundaberg and what they love about living here.
“I was born in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and moved to Australia with my family in 1991 when I was 13-years-old. My Dad was offered a job at Burnett Sawmill. I love how Bundaberg people always help each other out when needed. The beaches in Bundaberg are just breathtaking - by far the best in my opinion. Bundaberg’s tropical climate suited me too as it is almost similar to PNG. I married Corey and joined his wonderful Tanner family, who are of Australian South Sea Islander heritage. The connection in the Tanner family reminded me of my family back home. We have three children and we love rugby league. What I miss most about PNG is our
unique traditional Garamut-led Manus dance. It’s such a happy celebration that brings people together. I have been an early childhood educator in Bundaberg for more than 25 years. I love what I do and hope I have made a difference to all the children that have crossed my path.”
“I am from Mexico. To be honest, I never thought I would visit Australia, let alone live here. I met my Australian husband, Marcus, playing tennis in Texas in the United States. In September 2012 we moved to Australia and lived in Launceston, Tasmania to grow berries on his family’s farm, Hillwood Berries. In January last year we moved to Bundaberg to expand our operations because we can grow berries yearround here. I love the simplicity of life
in Bundaberg. It’s amazing to see so many farms – we didn’t hear about that diversity back in Tasmania. We have also met some great people.”
Helen, a Korean school teacher, met her husband, Moon, right here in Bundaberg. He was a customer at the Korean restaurant she started with the help of her mum in 2013. “She gave me all her recipes,” Helen said. Helen sold her Bourbong Street restaurant and together she and Moon bought Nodaji Sushi on Targo Street, where Moon had been working as the head chef for five years. Before coming to Australia, Moon was a commercial scuba diver with a masters degree in marine biology in Korea. Today, the couple own another three Japanese Korean restaurants in Bargara (Moon Japanese), Spring Hill and West End in Brisbane, and have a six-year-old daughter, Yujoo Lee. “I first came to Australia in 2002 on a working holiday. I missed it so much when I left so I came back. Bundaberg is just so comfortable, slow and easy,” Helen said.
“Being raised in Ethiopia, our mothers come together and make a feast while some recite the poetry of their home and wear traditional colourful clothes. What I miss the most is definitely the food, but importantly my culture has shaped me into the man I am today where I extend towards the broader community rather than limiting myself to immediate family. I completed my chiropractic studies in New Zealand and in 2014 I accepted a job in a Perth clinic to be closer to my siblings who I had not seen in five years. My wife and I arrived in Bundaberg in 2016 and in 2022 we had our first son. Bundaberg is my very own slice of paradise; the fine balance between city life and small town. I fell in love with the kindhearted people of Bundaberg. As a chiropractor working in Bundaberg and Gin Gin, I have the opportunity to get to know my patients and understand their specific needs. It’s truly rewarding to be able to help people in my community feel their best.”
Originally from Tournai, one of the oldest cities in Belgium, Marleen is the friendly face behind the counter at Indulge Café. One Belgian tradition she wanted Crush readers to be aware of is shrimp fishing on horseback. “And of course, as a good and respectable Belgium girl, I miss the beer culture where brewing skills and techniques are passed on from generation to generation,” Marleen said. “I arrived in Brisbane in 2016 to learn English just as I was finishing my master’s degree in law. A friend invited me to a birthday party in Bundaberg.” And that’s where she met her now husband, Indulge Café owner Mitchell White. Late last year the couple had their first child, Esmée. “Bundaberg is home to me now. I could not speak highly enough of the town, and that’s why my sister moved here too,” Marleen said. “I want to thank the people of Bundaberg - I progressed so quickly in my English because of this community. Bundaberg is the best place in the world to raise our precious daughter and live my best life.”
As banking and personal finance becomes more automated and selfserve, it’s refreshing to see a bank taking a step in the other direction – staff behind tellers and at the ready to help.
It’s all part of the owner-operated model of Bank of Queensland (BOQ), with Trudy Azzopardi leading the Bundaberg branch.
“At BOQ Bundaberg my team and I are passionate about delivering a service that you don’t experience elsewhere, and it starts at the front – with a fully staffed branch and frontline customer service officers to help with your enquiries,” Trudy said.
“This carries through to experienced customer relationship specialists, lending specialists and myself – all ready to find a solution that suits you.”
Trudy said it was the personalised service that set BOQ Bundaberg apart from other banks.
“Our business thrives on our customer experience. Our success comes from our customers’ success. We share in that together,” Trudy said.
As an Owner-Manager, Trudy is able to operate the bank as a small business, focused on establishing long standing and deep relationships with customers, to help them achieve their personal and financial goals.
“It’s about standing by the communities we operate in, by keeping a branch open, with face-to-face service and an increasing staff footprint. I have a team that want to be part of your business and community growth, who want to work alongside you as a trusted advisor,” she said.
“This business model is about locals helping locals, so as an owner-manager I can operate my branch and contribute to the community in ways I’m passionate about.”
This includes supporting local businesses and community groups such as the Bundaberg Chamber of Commerce, Brothers Bulldogs, Wide Bay Kids, Hitz Helping Hands and Angels Community Group. BOQ Bundaberg was also instrumental in the fundraising efforts for a Bundaberg Sleepbus (more page 55), donating $10,000 to the cause.
Devastated by the Second World War, an estimated 288,000 Italians immigrated to Australia between 1945 and 1970 in search of work and a new life. Their contribution to Australia has been significant, helping to shape our culture, history, economy and taste buds. Today, almost 153,000
Queenslanders identify as being of Italian ancestry and about 18,000 speak Italian at home.
Sabrina Lauriston immigrated from Italy to Bundaberg in 2007, where she started a family and became a photographer. “Migration was a
positive experience for me; it was an opportunity to create a totally new life,” Sabrina said. “In time, I realised I missed my roots and culture. It was a hidden feeling, like something was missing but I didn’t know what. Then I found it in other immigrants of my origin.”
Sabrina met some local Italians, aged
in their 80s and 90s, and wanted to learn more about her elders. “I was comparing my experience to theirs,” she said. “In their homes I found a sense of belonging; being welcomed into their kitchen, the heart of the home for Italians where the kids do their homework while laundry is folded. It was like visiting grandparents when I was a child, hearing old stories about war, starvation, poverty, love and death; describing those times as tempi duri
– the hard days.” As she was offered coffee with biscotti or dolce, Sabrina’s eyes darted between familiar objects. “All those little details and habits in their homes were part of my memories.”
In an attempt to reconnect with her cultural heritage and honour those who had come before her, between 2017 and 2019 Sabrina set about capturing the homes and lives of Italian immigrants in Bundaberg, Fremantle and Melbourne. With the assistance
of curator Trudie Leigo, in April last year Sabrina opened her photographic exhibition, Australia: the Italian experience, at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery. “In every single shot I can see my sense of belonging and a nostalgia for a land and culture that made me who I am today,” Sabrina said.
Sabrina and Trudie’s photographic collection perfectly depicts the fragility, sentimentality, and mettle of a peoples whose lives have spanned
some of the most significant events of the 20th Century. They are a humble generation who carry deep scars of loss, grief and homesickness. They courageously sailed away from family and friends to start a new life, unsure when or if they might ever see them again. “Not one of the people I photographed regretted life in Australia, but with their old age they are getting closer to their far away memories,” Sabrina said.
What is it that makes fresh pasta taste so good? Is it the pasta itself – just a combination of water, flour, and egg yolk? Or is it the sauce, the wine or the company that goes along with it?
Made famous the world over by Italians, there is something special in the simplicity of fresh pasta, taking on the ‘no muss, no fuss’ attributes of Italian nonnas.
You might expect the woman who has made and sold her handmade pasta in Bundaberg for the past 30 years to be animated or sentimental about her pasta, but Emilia Troioni is simply straightforward – she makes it because people want to eat it.
“It’s not because I make money, it’s because it gives me something to do. I’ve got to get up and get dressed, because somebody is coming; I need to make the pasta,” Emilia said.
Creating a decades-long business out of homemade pasta was never her intention. On a weekend away to visit her daughter at the Sunshine Coast, she and her daughter made some pasta to sell at the markets. It was such a hit, Emilia continued making it when she returned home to Bundaberg.
And while everyone who has purchased a packet raves about Emilia’s Pasta, its creator says there is no secret to the business’s longevity or success.
“It’s nothing special. It’s just flour, eggs, a drop of water and some salt. That’s it,” she said. “Cook three minutes. No more.”
Undoubtably Emilia is being modest about her success and the allure of her pasta. After all, she still eats pasta every week, normally on Sunday nights for family dinner.
Her favourite way to eat it? Simple is best – with a Napoli sauce on top.
Many well-known local families continue to farm the land once occupied by their ancestors. Their name is their brand and a hallmark of quality; sometimes given to local places and streets. Their ancestry is incredibly diverse – from Germany to Italy, China and the South Sea Islands. They’ve experimented with everything from cotton, mushrooms and asparagus to coffee and aloe vera, and followed market trends as they’ve come and gone. Always at the fore, they invented world-first horticulture machinery and today they manufacture and value-add to create innovative products. In this special Memory Lane feature, Crush Magazine looks at some of the people and products that have helped the Bundaberg Region prosper.
They say Australia rode to prosperity on the sheep’s back. But that’s not true for the Bundaberg Region. Early pioneers declared that the land here was too densely covered in scrub and volcanic rock to raise sheep. While European settlements emerged to the north and south, the Bundaberg area remained ‘hardly touched by white man’s foot’.
The true faceless figure at the centre of Bundaberg’s early development is best described as a struggling agriculturalist; a ‘poverty stricken farmer living on pumpkin and pork’. Australian author Steele Pen wrote that “the qualities of mateship and self-sufficiency, which are part of the Australian’s view of himself, had a role to play in the isolated scrublands” of Bundaberg. In her University of
Queensland thesis, Janette Gay Nolan agreed with the author’s sentiments. In 1977 she described a civic pride and awareness of local identity that is still present today, some 46 years later. “Local chauvinism, born of the search for security and identity in the 1870s, seems to remain a feature of Bundaberg’s ethos … determined to succeed in adversity,” she wrote.
Timber and cattle made settlement possible in the Bundaberg Region in the mid 1800s. But it was horticulture that brought prosperity. According to Neville Rackemann, in his book The Growing Harvest, the very first person to actually grow fruit and vegetables here was a European woman, with the help of her daughter. Sadly, in a sign
of the times, the history books refer to her only as Mrs Watson, the wife of settler Thomas Watson. Encouraged to migrate north under the colonial government’s land regulations, Thomas Watson may have been the first to cultivate Bundaberg land for sugar and coffee, but it was his wife who established the first fruit and vegetable garden alongside the Burnett River.
In those very early days, the Watson family were neighbours to just 12 other European settlers, spread across Baffle, Tantitha, Bingera and Kolan. They built a wharf to facilitate trade and receive supplies. Mrs Watson’s garden was essential for survival when ships failed to arrive. Pioneering farmers also began to experiment with maize on Woongarra plains. It was an important
crop for much of the 19th Century. Today, it has all but died out.
Some of the first market gardens were the work of Chinese immigrants. From the late 1860s a block of land in North Bundaberg, bounded by Hinkler Avenue, Fairymead, Paterson and Waterview Roads was cultivated as a market garden, as well as the river flats near Perry Street. Names such as Mah Wah, Ah Bue, Que Hee and Kwong Fat were well known around town as they hawked their fruit and vegetables around the streets. By the 1880s the Anti-Chinese League had been formed to try to rid Bundaberg of the ‘Yellow Men’ but in 1887 they made a tactical mistake in organising a competition between European and Chinese vegetables. The Chinese won.
The Chinese were also the earliest growers of bananas in the district. The banana industry has gone through its ups and downs, but a small number of farms remain.
Much is known and written about Bundaberg’s sugar history, its founding German families, the enslavement and mistreatment of South Sea Islanders before 1894, as well as the industry’s subsequent industrialisation and expansion to rum. There is far less documented about Bundaberg’s fruit and vegetable history.
Our fruit and vegetable growers of every generation to date are largely unsung heroes. Bundaberg is widely acclaimed for being the home of the first mechanical sugarcane harvester and yet, at the same time, very few people would be aware that many pieces of horticulture machinery were invented and patented right here. By necessity, after the Second World War and the arrival of Italian immigrants, market gardeners and hobby orchardists became commercialscale farmers. The back-breaking work of men and horses was replaced by machines. It was the Bonel Brothers of Bundaberg who invented the threein-one; a machine that simultaneously shaped beds while applying fertiliser and nematicide. The first mechanical vine trainer was developed at 2 P-H Farm at Winfield in 1986, to train melon vines to grow on plastic, thus avoiding ground rot. Gordon Fleming made his own lifting gear to bulk handle pineapples. Bill Stockwell designed his own mechanical tomato planter from an old sugarcane planter and also created an automatic rotary brush to wash his tomatoes. In 1985 Brian Sheehan and Ron Simpson became the first farmers in the Region to use computerised irrigation and fertilisation. Today, the Region’s farmers continue to be among the first to embrace new technology; using drones to monitor water channels and livestock, and dust their crops with insecticide and fertiliser.
Outside Chave Enterprises in 1986.
Cyril Lerch and his wife Sylvia grew flowers commercially at North Gooburrum for many years.
Olsen’s Corner in its original Targo Street location, before it moved to the corner of Walker and Barolin Streets in 1935.
Drive down Goodwood Road and take a close look at the farms you pass, dotted with unusual sheds with gable roofs and high vents. They’re a relic of an industry which has come and, thankfully, gone – tobacco. Tobacco growing began in Bundaberg in the 1930s and at its peak involved about 80 growers. It was one of only a couple of growing areas in Australia. By the 1970s the industry was fading away, as awareness grew of the harm caused by tobacco. And as for the sheds? They were used to dry the tobacco ready for market.
Two crops that helped put the Bundaberg Region on the map are tomatoes and pineapples. Both are still grown here but not on the same prolific scale they once were.
Bill Stockwell is regarded as the father of Bundaberg’s tomato industry. During the Second World War, Bill moved to Elliott Heads from north Queensland. He started in cane and dabbled in cotton, before putting half his property under tomatoes. According to Neville
Rackemann, Bill joked that he was ‘wellprepared’ to grow tomatoes after reading back copies of several horticulture journals. Bill was planting and harvesting by hand initially, but the venture was a success. Before long, agricultural officer Dick Tarrant was advising other farmers to take up the crop. Frank Samuels, the Moffatt brothers and Allan Cockerill were early adopters.
Over the years, as tomato technology improved and more growers entered the industry, Bundaberg became an important supplier to the Brisbane market, rivalling Bowen further north. Production was especially high in bad periods for the cane industry such as the late 1960s and early ‘70s. Big producers, such as the Presslers and Simpsons (pictured), took the industry to a new level. By 1985 Bundaberg was exporting a staggering 5.5 million cartons of tomatoes a year.
The earliest growers of pineapples in the district were the Wust family at South Kolan in the 1880s, followed by the Lucke family in the Gooburrum area. Later, Stan Svensson grew sweet juicy pineapples on land in the suburb which today carries his family name and is now
covered by houses; Svensson Heights. But the big growth in the industry was thanks to Italian immigrant Guido Sergiaccomi who purchased 125 acres at Gooburrum in the early 1940s with the aim of supplying the crop commercially. With his brother, Mario (Morrie), and his son, Ernie, he grew enough to supply the Golden Circle factory at Northgate in Brisbane. A third Sergiaccomi brother, Delio, got in on the action. Leo Sbrizzi and Bert Baker also supplied Golden Circle. A revival of the sugar industry in the 1950s and ‘60s put paid to the pinapple industry, but it remains a sweet part of the Region’s history and Golden Circle products continue to be a favourite staple in many Australian pantries.
Growers are only one part of this story. There are plenty of other quiet achievers that support the industry’s success.
Before the mid 1960s only a few watermelons were grown each year for locals to enjoy over the Christmas holidays. That was, until wholesaler Chave Enterprises was established, buying fruit to sell into the Brisbane
Market and beyond. Manager Allan Limpus, who died age 91 in December 2022, and Field Officer Nev Beeston worked to expand the industry by bringing in varieties that would grow well in our climate. By using fruit from North Queensland and Bundaberg, Chave was able to supply watermelons from August into January – an entirely new concept. By 1968 production had doubled and whole trains full of watermelon were heading south to Brisbane. Up until then, southern markets had been almost unable to obtain even a piece of tropical exotica. Chave Enterprises still exists today, but goes by the name Beemart, acting as both a wholesaler and retailer. This era brought a new wave of confidence in the local horticulture sector. Growers expanded into manufacturing, value adding to the crops they grew to make new exciting foods, beverages and products. Growers like David and Anne Moller opened retail businesses. As the owner of Bundaberg’s first agritourism attraction, Avocado Grove at Alloway, and The Flower Box Florist on Bourbong Street, David told a Chamber of Commerce
meeting in the mid 1960s that the Region would one day become the ‘salad bowl’ of Australia. Many members were not convinced. Flower Box today is owned and operated by David and Anne’s daughter-in-law, Karen. Avocado Grove no longer exists, but other exciting agritourism attractions, like Tinaberries at Elliott Heads, have popped up in their place.
There is a symbiotic relationship between growers and countless other sectors, like transport companies, agronomists, suppliers of irrigation equipment, restaurants, cafes and greengrocers. Bundaberg’s oldest corner store, Olsen’s Corner FoodWorks has an excellent reputation for directly supporting local farmers. Fantastic grower-owned greengrocers, like One Little Farm, have also started to emerge.
Sadly, not all retailers have a reputation for treating growers fairly. The supermarket giants have always tightly controlled pricing and conditions, cementing growers as price takers, rather than makers. It’s, in part, why in 1948 Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (BFVG) was founded to give the Region’s growers a collective say in the management of their industry, auction practices and the ability to export interstate. The organisation has achieved a lot for the sector, but their work is never done. It wasn’t until 1984 that a woman, Rosemary Anderson, was elected as an executive member of the BFVG board. Some 75 years since it started, BFVG is still going strong and represents its members on important issues like water security from Paradise Dam. It may be entirely coincidental, but today the organisation’s CEO is Bree Watson - a strong woman bearing the same surname as the Region’s first fruit and vegetable grower.
What would Mrs Watson say if she could see the Bundaberg Region now?
Background research and images thanks to BFVG, sourced predominantly from The Growing Harvest (pictured P40).
You might know of a few local streets, places and businesses that bear the name Rehbein. But have you ever stopped to ask why it’s everywhere?
“It’s a name as common as Smith in Bundaberg,” Anthony Rehbein joked.
“A lot of us don’t know each other, but we’re told three Rehbein brothers came here from Germany in the late 1800s.”
There are gun shop owners, painters, bankers, veterinary nurses, carpenters, and teachers who bear the surname Rehbein. In Anthony’s case, he comes from a long line of sugarcane farmers who toiled the red dirt around the Hummock and Childers. From a young age Anthony worked long hours on the family farm with his grandfather,
dad, uncle and brother. Together, they supplied fruit and vegetables to the likes of Edgell. “We were taught to believe there was more to life than just farming,” he said. “Dad was entrepreneurial, always evolving with market conditions and trends, trying new things. At one point we even had a caravan park.”
Anthony and his wife Kate, who studied tourism at university, were growing turmeric, melons, ginger and handcrafting a condiment range called BundaGinga when they teamed up with chefs Amanda and Larry Hinds to start Winterfeast Farmers Market. “We wanted to be closer to the consumer. Multinational supermarket giants would try to tell us the product didn’t meet the necessary standards so we would reduce
our price and yet, at the very same time, some of the top chefs in the state were serving our potatoes and proudly listing Hummock Farms on their menu for everyone to see,” Anthony said.
Kate said the 2am starts for market set-up and pack-down were brutal and the profit margin was dismal. Disease halted their ginger production and so they went in search of a new challenge.
“Ultimately what we wanted was a café that sold the best local produce to showcase Bundaberg – a top notch farmers market that’s open more than one day a week,” Kate said.
The pair bought Lavish Flowers in East Bundaberg, made some significant changes and rebranded it as One Little Farm. “There aren’t many places where you can sit and enjoy a coffee while you watch a florist at work,” Kate said.
The Rehbein family has sold most of their farmland now, but they continue to grow micro herbs and edible flowers. “We’re concentrating on working with the fantastic farmers who supply fresh produce to our little agritourism business. No doubt we’ll continue to have ideas and take on exciting new ventures, but at heart I’ll always be a farmer,” Anthony said.
Visit their shop and it’s plain to see - it’s Anthony and Kate’s understanding, experience and love of the horticulture sector that makes One Little Farm so special.
White-bellied sea eagle nests are built of the strongest materials to weather storms and evade predators. Unlike other bird species, these majestic raptors return to the same nest to raise their offspring. They gradually renovate the nest, making it larger and sturdier each time they lay their eggs. Much like these regal Australian birds, the Gerry family started with a strong foundation built by Ron and Marion Steinhardt. With mettle and loyalty, Janelle and Andrew Gerry, Janelle’s brothers and their families have turned the family farm and business into one of Bundaberg’s crowning jewels.
Janelle said some of her fondest memories were on the family farm, swimming in Yellow Water Holes and sitting by a campfire with her parents, Ron and Marion, and brothers, Trevor and Kevin Steinhardt (pictured inset). “Growing up, our Goodwood Road
property was a sanctuary, filled with happiness. Making billy tea and damper is something we continue to enjoy today with our adult children, Rachel and Luke, and their partners, Drew and Elise (Ellie),” Janelle said.
Today, the Steinhardt farm remains Janelle and Andrew’s family home, but is also the site of Farmfresh Fine Foods, Macadamias Australia and The Orchard Table Café. “Nothing makes me happier than seeing children running through our orchard, cracking nuts and people enjoying family time together at the Visitor Experience and Café that we opened in October 2021,” Janelle said. “Our late parents would have loved this place, where we share our food and family history through interactive screens and tours.”
In 1958 Ron and Marion bought an unimproved parcel of land, which they
cleared by hand to grow peanuts, sugarcane and a variety of vegetables.
In 1980, under the name Steinhardt Family Farms, the family moved into large scale production of tomatoes and zucchinis and began supplying major supermarket chains. In 1998 they built Farmfresh Fine Foods, a food processing facility. In 2004, they planted macadamias and established several new orchards, before building a Visitor Experience and state-ofthe-art macadamia cracking and processing facility to service growers across the Region.
Janelle said her parents instilled an ‘explorer spirit’ in she and her two brothers. “They taught us to challenge the status quo, find a better way, encourage freedom of thinking and to try new things,” she said.
It’s that spirit of growth that won them
a swag of awards last year, including Bundaberg and District Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year and the Hinkler Innovation Award.
It’s fair to say many locals have been keenly watching on as the SteinhardtGerry family reinforce their nest; curious as to what they might add or do next. The answer will surprise many. Mid last year the family decided to invite thirdparty investors to submit proposals, with the family open to all scenarios.
In late January this year, they sold their macadamia cracking and processing facility, as well as the majority of their farms. Kevin has retained some macadamia farming property and Trevor will continue to own their Happy Nut products, which are enormously popular in overseas markets.
The Gerry family intend to invest in the business units they have retained, to accelerate their growth. The Gerry family - of Janelle, Andrew, Rachel and Luke – now own 100 per cent of the Macadamias Australia brand and the macadamia value-adding business, the Visitor Experience and Café, and Farmfresh Fine Foods. Retaining the home farm orchard was also deeply important to Janelle and Andrew. “We are thankful of what we have achieved together as a family to date and are excited about the next chapter,” Janelle said.
Sourcing local vegetables and turning them into roasted and par-fried frozen vegetables, purees and mashes for retailers, fast food chains, airlines and retirement homes, the Farmfresh Fine Foods plant is about to undergo volume expansion to meet growing demand for their product. “We will also be expanding the current Macadamias Australia retail range into more overseas markets and creating innovative new products,” Janelle said. “We hope to do more of the things we love, like hosting charity events such as the Farm Flavours Picnic.”
Janelle said her mum was a great entertainer. “She loved experimenting with local produce and used it in all her cooking. They were always welcoming people into their home, just as we love welcoming people into the Visitor Centre. I fondly remember a time when she hosted one of our Japanese buyers for lunch and served her homemade tomato chutney with the meal. The buyer loved the chutney so much that
we ended up making it commercially at Farmfresh Fine Foods and it retailed in a high-end department store in Japan under the label ‘Mother Marion’s Chutney’. We now serve her chutney at The Orchard Table.”
Janelle is passionate about continuing her family legacy, and is determineed to positively impact the lives she touches. “When we feel the presence of others moving alongside us, there is little we cannot accomplish. We are so thrilled that Rachel and Luke have joined the business with us, building on their contribution to date.” The Gerry siblings both had successful careers before joining the family business – Luke was a professional tennis player and Rachel worked in strategic finance.
2023 is shaping up to be the Gerry family’s year. In January, Rachel and her husband Drew McAullay welcomed a new addition to the family. Baby Sienna is Janelle and Andrew’s first grandchild. Luke proposed to his girlfriend Elise Pearson.
“It is going to be a big year with Luke and Ellie’s wedding in November, but just as birds fly in perfect harmony in a V-formation, we move more swiftly when we move together,” Janelle said.
Food is evocative. Certain flavours, tastes or dishes remind us of sitting around the family dinner table, gathering around a barbecue or crouching around a campfire. What we eat is often integral to the experience we have.
HSG at the Gardens chef and owner Dion Taylor has set about capturing the special role food plays in celebrations by creating unique food experiences for private functions and special ticketed events. With a diverse four-acre property, from lush green gardens to the bush billabong, rustic barn or courtyard under lights, HSG’s menus are as individual as each of the spaces.
Grazing and cocktails, beer and pizza, roast and barbecue, indoor or outdoor all feature across 11
themed experience menus, with the ability to include add-ons or create a custom menu. The unique setting in Branyan lends itself to outdoor cooking, over open grills or Yagoona barbecues, with guests able to watch their food being cooked.
It’s a concept that makes celebrations easy. Hens and bucks’ nights. High teas. Birthday celebrations. Work functions, Christmas parties, weddings and more. Pick your spot, pick your menu and then just show up, with everything else taken care of. Most menus are suitable for any groups of 20 or more.
Don’t have a group but want to join in? Keep an eye on HSG at the Gardens’ Facebook page for regular dining experiences, events and cooking classes.
So a left-handed ‘roo and a right handed moose walk into a bar...
It sounds like a joke, but it turns out they fall in love, get married, and open a fusion restaurant in Apple Tree Creek, just 5km north of Childers. It’s not as strange as it seems for Aussie Alana and Canadian Mike Vandenbrink to end up there – it’s actually just around the corner from Alana’s childhood home.
Mollydookers is a fitting name. Slang for left-handers like Alana, as well as a nod to Molly’s; one of the bars the pair worked at during the eight years Alana lived in Canada. When they moved to Australia, the couple designed Mollydookers to be everything they missed from the True White North.
“Mollydookers balances country charm with city standards and presents a menu you can’t find anywhere else in Australia,” Alana said.
“It’s about friendly table service and good, honest food, with Canadian beer, whisky, cocktails, wings, Rubens and poutine with real curd.”
The café is cosy with nods to Canada throughout, like ice hockey on the televisions and a shot ski behind the bar. There’s Canadian number plates and pictures on the walls of travels afar, locals long gone and quirky sayings to amuse.
If you want the truly authentic Canadian experience, make sure to ask Mike a question. Any question will do, but make sure you have enough time for his long, long, Canadian answer.
We all know Australia has an ageing population. Dual occupancy, where multiple generations live under the same roof, is becoming more common in Australia for a range of social, cultural and financial reasons. This has created an interesting, almost ‘retro’ legal development.
Consider the position of a senior or elderly woman with two adult children, living independently. She may be physically frail and needs assistance with daily living activities or perhaps she is lonely and wants to plan for the future. She has reached a care crossroads. Depending on her stage of life, she will start considering downsizing, a retirement village, aged care facility, community care or moving in with her family for ongoing care.
It is often the case that parents will sell their family home and the proceeds
are used to accommodate them at one of their children’s homes. Other children may get anxious about this decision, as it could result in part of their ‘inheritance’ being reduced while increasing the value of an asset of another sibling. That’s where Written Family Agreements come in.
Written Family Agreements involve the use of sale proceeds of the parents’ home to build an extension or granny flat for the parent to live in. The monies would become a debt owing by the child to the estate of the parent on their death or transfer to an aged care facility. However, this debt would be reduced over time (for example, by the comparable community care rate) in recognition of the care provided by the child. The ongoing care services to be fulfilled by the child should be comprehensively detailed in the agreement.
These types of arrangements may impact on the pension entitlements of the parents and have tax implications for the child. This should be addressed and resolved prior to entry into a Family Agreement.
The main advantage of a Written Family Agreement is that it is a transparent financial outline for the whole family. Other family members would be less fearful, so it may reduce conflict within the family. It is also a legal, enforceable guarantee of personalised, responsive and quality care in a family environment, giving peace of mind to a parent at a time in their life, when they would certainly crave it.
Chris Parker is a partner at Charlton’s Lawyers, Bundaberg’s longest serving law firm.
In an unassuming spot on Walker Street, across from the TAFE, you will find the Walker Street Arts Precinct. It’s a hidden arts gem and a hub for creative collaboration. For many it is a refuge. A retreat. A haven. The very definition of sanctuary for the artists who toil there. Anchored by The Hazzard Gallery and the Bundaberg Art Society, the precinct also incorporates the Bundaberg Woodworkers Guild and Bundaberg Pottery Group Association.
Founded in 1939, the Bundaberg Art Society (BAS) has served as a bedrock for the many successful artists to emerge from the Region in its 84 years, including original members and celebrated artists Charles and Sheena Hazzard.
BAS President Marilyn Batty, a gifted contemporary painter, ceramics and bronze artist, said it was artistic locals and members of BAS that created what is now the Council owned and operated Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery (BRAG). They also established the original Bundaberg Arts Festival (a precursor to the current Bundaberg Art Prize) which at one point had almost 1000 entries
across 29 sections. All this, of course, has created a strong foundation for hundreds of amazing local artists that have left their mark across the Region, Australia and intentionally.
“Art is very important in our area. We have a wide range of art groups and many clubs providing a wealth of knowledge in the form of classes and workshops to the wider community. This provides many a chance to grow their art form, meet like-minded people and provides many with a way of expressing themselves and being part of the community,” Marilyn said.
Media routinely on display at Hazzard Gallery include ceramics, oils, pastels, watercolours, acrylics, photos and linoprints – of local landscapes, the ‘ghostly gums’, seascapes, local landmarks, local identities and flora and fauna. BAS workshops, including life drawing, are held each month. Watercolour classes are held on Mondays and design workshops on Fridays.
Situated alongside BAS, members of Bundaberg Pottery Group (BPG) have been throwing, pinching and coiling pieces of clay for more than 50 years.
The group was founded in 1969 and interest from the community has always been strong.
BPG President John Boulton said the group had grown so much recently that organisers were busy keeping up with the demand, and the gallery was booming.
“Education in pottery is growing and there is a lot of interest,” he said.
The group has members with a great depth of talent, who create pottery pieces ranging from ornaments and homewares to artistic sculptures.
John said BPG’s classes taught pottery skills, from pinch pots at the start, to creating slab work and learning how to finish pottery off with glazing and firing, which is much more accessible now. “The secret is to have a go, enjoy what you do and have a passion for it,” he said.
BPG’s ‘Renewal’ first exhibition for 2023 will open to coincide with Easter. Inspired by new beginnings, it’s sure to be worth a visit.
At the same hub, the Bundaberg Woodworkers Guild (BWG) started in 1989 and has about 75 members. Their vast array of equipment is used to make new creations, as well as manufacture and restore furniture. Turning, scroll sawing and pyrography techniques are well advanced.
So, if you are interested in the arts but have not yet taken the plunge, the Bundaberg arts precinct on Walker Street is a welcoming and supportive way to start your arts immersion.
Michael Dart is an actor, director and member of Bundaberg’s Playhouse Theatre.
WALKER STREET ART PRECINCT
Bundaberg Art Society and Hazzard Gallery
(open 9-12 Tues, Thurs, Sat)
Bundaberg Pottery Group Association
(open 9-12 Thurs, Sat and Tues afternoon)
Bundaberg Woodworkers Guild
(open 8:30-12 Tues, Wed, Sat)
Ellie Herd at the Bundaberg Arts SocietyIf a man’s home is his castle, then a woman’s home is her sanctuary. A place for peace, self care and comfort.
In our busy lives, creating a haven within our home doesn’t come easy, but with a little help from the likes of Nature’s Emporium you will be a few steps closer.
For owners Chris and Tina Dimes, the store itself is a carefully curated collection of anything that brings peace and tranquillity; from jewellery and crystals, candles and soaps, clothing, beautiful homewares and pots, plants and wooden furnishings. Everything you need for aromatherapy, meditation and mindfulness can be found here. Men and women are both catered for.
“We like to keep everything as close to nature as possible, with a large range of sustainable, eco-friendly products throughout the store,” Tina said.
A sense of calm washes over you as soon as you step through the doors. Tina said Nature’s Emporium was her home away from home, and by design it provided visitors and staff with a small sanctuary in the busy CBD.
“Natures’ is not just a shop to buy things, it is an immersive experience. We invite people to come in and wander and leave feeling that little bit more relaxed and calm,” Tina said.
Perhaps it is the giant amethyst geode that sits pride of place in the centre of the store, inviting people to take a moment to stand and stare. “It is an all-rounder. Amethyst is for calming, concentration, peace, and serenity. It cleanses the space,” Tina said.
Whether you are shopping for yourself or buying a gift, it’s rare to leave empty handed. It’s unlikely you’ll visit Nature’s Emporium without wanting to take a small piece of the magic home with you. It’s the perfect place to wander and browse, in search of that perfect something to spark joy.
How different would your life be without a comfortable night sleep?
If you had to keep an eye open throughout the night, or risk losing what little belongings you had? Fighting the elements each night. How would you function at work or interact with others? How would you care for your children? Would it affect your decision making and mood?
Homelessness in Australia is what theorists call a ‘wicked problem’. Every contributing factor is a symptom of another, making it near impossible to solve. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.
Until recently, most Australians gave the issue little thought because they believed simplistically that homelessness was something that only impacted people fleeing domestic violence situations or those with substance abuse problems. Some even ignorantly believed it was an issue confined to so-called ‘vagrant fringe dwellers’ who chose homelessness as a ‘lifestyle’.
But during the past three years, in the wake of COVID-19, a perfect storm has developed to pull the rug out from under middle-income households. Homelessness does not discriminate. Australia is being forced to sit up and take heed, as hundreds of ordinary families find themselves homeless through no fault of their own. In the four years to 2021/22, there was a 29 per cent spike in homelessness in regional Queensland. In 2021, according to Census data, there were 408 homeless people living in Bundaberg.
The cause? It’s a chicken and egg cycle where all the factors are intertwined, and if you fix one problem you risk making another worse.
Financial stress. There are almost 68,000 households in the federal electorate of Hinkler, where 46.7 per cent of renters and 14.6 per cent of mortgagees are in financial stress. Landlords are increasing rents due to rising interest rates and other costs, which are largely caused by inflation. Women over 55 are the fastest growing cohort of homeless
Australians, due in large part to having limited income and minimal superannuation after separation.
Lack of social housing. Hinkler, which spans from Hervey Bay to Bundaberg, has the greatest need for social housing in the country – requiring an additional 4900 homes. This means there are more low-income families living in private rental properties, rather than government housing, thereby reducing availability of general rental stock.
Population growth. In 2021, Queensland recorded its highest net interstate migration since 1994. Some of those 57,000 new Queenslanders, as well as many existing residents from the southeast corner, have made the move to Bundaberg. Bundaberg’s population is forecast to grow from 98,000 to 120,000 by 2041. An influx of cashed-up buyers to the Region, has pushed up house prices. Long-term locals seeking to capitalise on strong market conditions are selling their investment properties. As a result, many tenants are being evicted by the new owners who want to live in the house or convert it to a short-term tenancy.
FOR A DETAILED OVERVIEW OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT GO TO
rather than accommodating long term tenants. Brisbane City Council plans to impose higher rates on these properties, while the New South Wales State Government has capped the number of days a property can be listed short term. Despite being criticised for being a so-called stick approach, in holiday destinations like Byron Bay it’s already led to many properties returning to long term tenancies.
Supply shortages. There is a shortage of tradesmen, and there are lengthy delays in receiving materials and building supplies from overseas. Some building companies are booked up to two years in advance. While new Bundaberg residents wait extended periods for their new homes to be built, many are taking up accommodation that would normally be occupied by tourists and renters, resulting in the lowest vacancy rate our Region has ever seen.
Development constraints. The Property Council of Australia (PCA) said council planning processes that bring land to market were ‘unacceptably slow’ in Queensland, taking more than a decade in many cases. In 2022 they
increased development costs, making it a less attractive investment prospect.
The PCA has warned that the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane will only make matters worse across the state and ‘the time is now to forestall what could be the biggest housing crisis in the State’s history’. They and many other organisations have advised governments against any policy or taxation moves, fees or red tape that would disincentivise investment by mum and dad landlords or professional property developers.
Crush Magazine wrote to local politicians and asked them what they are doing to address homelessness in the Bundaberg Region. Their responses varied greatly. While each level of Government has a role to play, the vast majority of housing related responsibilities falls to the State Government. The Labor Government’s capital expenditure on social housing decreased from $414.2 million in 2017/18 to $314.6 million last financial year.
Without providing any level of detail, State Member for Bundaberg Tom
Bundaberg. He said his office had been on the frontline, helping house people with ‘much success’. “The responsibility to drive better outcomes for those facing hardship in the immediacy falls to the local members. While other elected officials ran after the media, I visited those faces of vulnerability and despair (at Lions Park near the airport),” he said. “All levels of government need to support the private sector as it recovers from the economic pressures of a global pandemic.”
State Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett, a former builder and Rotarian, has spent the past eight years calling on the Palaszczuk Government to build more social housing, reduce red tape and taxes on development, release land and partner with the private sector. “In mid-February there were 810 people in the Bundaberg and Burnett electorates on the waitlist for social housing and 93 per cent were very high need,” he said. “The wait is up to two years – you can’t place people in houses if they don’t exist.” He said the State Government had announced a social housing fund two years ago, but no construction announcements had followed, and so
the same fund was re-announced in February this year.
Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt pointed to the $326.6 million the State Government had received in 2020-21 from the then Federal Coalition Government under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement. “How that funding is utilised is determined by the Queensland State Labor Government, and it should be disclosed how much of this funding has been spent in this Region,” he told Crush Magazine.
Bundaberg Region Mayor Jack Dempsey said Council was one small part of the larger picture, and highlighted the work they do in the background which extends beyond the typical responsibilities of local government. He said land availability, forward planning, catalytic infrastructure and development incentives put the Bundaberg Region ahead of other local government areas, resulting in local economic growth of 5.37 per cent between 2020 and 2021, compared to 2.31 per cent across Queensland. As at December 2022, Council had approved 2700 lots ready for development, but construction has been hampered by material shortages and trade workloads. Council owns and operates two community housing facilities. Their neighbourhood centres support people through the housing application process and Council actively contributes to statewide and regional advocacy campaigns. “A collaborative approach is the only way to ensure meaningful impact,” Jack said.
Caring locals are taking matters into their own hands, forming various action groups and charities across the Region. Thanks to one committed group of residents, businesses and Council, who believe that a good night sleep can make a world of difference, Bundaberg will soon have its very own Sleepbus.
Sleepbus founder Simon Rowe developed the bus from a Japanese pod hotel concept. Each bus has up to 20 secure, climate controlled, sleep pods with a lockable door and toilet. Everyone is looked after with overnight volunteer caretakers and CCTV surveillance, as well as under bus storage for belongings and pets.
Co-Ordinator Jade Law is part of the local working group that helped fundraise the necessary $100,000. After a few fundraising events, Bank of Queensland Bundaberg and RJZ Homes came on board as major sponsors, each donating $10,000. It was an anonymous donation of $50,000 late last year that secured the Sleepbus for Bundaberg. It is expected to be in operation by Winter 2023.
“The current situation has put such high demand on support services that were already stretched here. We have no women’s shelter. We have one domestic violence shelter. The men’s shelter only has 20 beds,” Jade said. “The Sleepbus is not something that will replace proper services or address the problem in the long-term, but it offers people somewhere safe to sleep right now. If you are experiencing a crisis, you need a good sleep. People who have utilised these buses are able to think clearer and make those high-functioning decisions of what their next steps are.”
The working group is seeking volunteers to fill roles such as drivers and housekeeping. Fundraising efforts will continue to cover any ongoing costs and potentially a second bus.
The sleep bus isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s a start. Only one thing’s certain – homelessness is a complex, wicked problem that all three levels of government, leaders, the private sector and community groups need to work together on if we are to have any hope of fixing what is quickly becoming the single biggest, and most shameful issue of our times.
It was March 29, 1993. At 6am thousands of people across Bundaberg sat by their radio as We Built This City by Starship, started playing from the city’s first FM Radio Station – Hitz 939.
Bundaberg Broadcasters General Manager Corey Pitt was then a 21-year-old living at Avoca.
“We were all so excited to hear the first FM station and it truly felt like Bundaberg had come of age. From that moment on, we pumped up the radio on our way to Krystal’s Nightclub, when we swam at the beach, or just cruised the streets with friends. It was truly a wonderful time,” Corey said.
The station is celebrating its 30th birthday, and its legacy of entertaining and informing tens-of-thousands of people across the Region.
“The station has been by our community’s side through the tough times, like the 2011 and 2013 floods.
And it has also been there to celebrate so many wonderful memories of those lucky enough to call Bundy home,” Corey said.
Tracey Sergiacomi has been at the Hitz microphone for the past 12 years.
“We are privileged as announcers to be invited into people homes, workplaces and cars each day. We become like part of your family,” Trace said.
“One thing I am very proud of, is that when people want to know something that is happening in our Region, they come straight to us. Whether it’s a lost dog, road closures due to a weather event or they just want to know what events are happening this weekend.”
Mikey Lundberg (pictured top centre) was the first Hitz939 announcer.
“I was on the air at 4BU from 1985 to 1992, so it was the thrill of my career when management announced I would be part of the new Hitz 939 line up in
1993,” Mikey said.
“I stayed until 1998 and am very proud of my work there. After I left, I worked for Sydney Radio, Radio TAB in Brisbane and retail radio, with a listening audience of six million Australians every week. But my favourite sentimental career highlight was the time I spent at Hitz 939.”
Despite a changing media landscape, Corey said the Hitz 939 audience continued to grow in record numbers.
“I am truly proud to be part of such an amazing radio team, and help carry the baton to the next group of locals who will further the incredible Hitz 939 journey,” he said.
The automotive industry is such a wonderful career, and I wanted to share my journey in finding my home in the Region and the career that emerged when I least expected it.
My love of cars and the seeds of my love of the motor industry originated with my grandfather. As a boy, he and I would play a game by guessing which make and model vehicle was driving in front of us. By the time I was 12 years old I could rattle off just about every car on the market.
My journey to Bundaberg started when I was 19, I left my family home in New Jersey in the United States and moved to Los Angeles (LA). I worked in retail fashion which took me all over LA,
Recently we have seen a wave of increased cyber hacks, with criminals impersonating legitimate users to obtain or lodge Australian Tax Office (ATO) information fraudulently. In light of this, the ATO is rolling out a new linking process to further strengthen the security of their online services; moving away from the current process of written authorisation. The ATO has cited increasingly sophisticated, unauthorised attempts to access taxpayer data and commit refund fraud as the driver behind the change.
Taxation and BAS (business activity statement) agents and payroll service providers are unfortunately not immune to fraud and identity theft. To counter the
mostly stuck in traffic where I’d fill my time playing my childhood game. Moving from New Jersey, then to LA, then to Bundaberg is not your regular path. Landing on Australian shores just as the pandemic took effect shrank my job prospects. This was until I saw an opportunity to join Bundaberg Motor Group in sales and figured why not take the chance. I was brought on board to learn the ropes as a sales cadet and three years later, I’m managing Kia, Subaru and Honda. It has been an amazing time.
Working at Bundaberg Motor Group has changed my life. I’ve found a second family at work and, through finding the right car for my clients, I get to make new friends every day. I love hearing their stories of growing up here
I still play my grandfather’s spot-the-car game, but instead of looking to recognise the cars, I look for the BMG-branded plate surrounds. I love to see if I was the one who sold it.
Jarred Keating is the Honda, Kia and Subaru Sales Manager at Bundaberg Motor Group, which featuring nine brands and a large range of quality used cars.
increased risk, the ATO is strengthening their front-end controls to:
• Ensure only authorised agents or payroll service providers can link to your accounts and access your tax/ super details;
• Help protect clients and agents;
• Give agents more confidence in the identity of their new client/s; and
• Bring their processes into line with best practice and community expectations.
This will complement enhanced security measures such as client verification practices and Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM).
Taxpayers will need to nominate an agent via ATO Online Services should they engage a new tax, BAS or payroll service provider, or are providing extra authorisation to their existing arrangement, such as adding activity statements or a new entity in their group. Your agent will be able to provide you with a step-by-step guide on the linking process.
It’s important to note that existing client links are not affected, and no action is required if the existing arrangements don’t change.
The process is still in rollout phase. A successful pilot has been run in mid2022, and from December 2022, the process was expanding, starting with large, public business downwards.
Whilst it will be some time until Bundaberg businesses may be affected, it will be important to work towards the linking requirement. If your business hasn’t already set up online services for business, please speak with the ATO or your accountant about getting started.
Karen Peall is Executive Manager of Lyons Judge Bundaberg and has more than 20 years’ experience in accounts and taxation.
You have your mum’s coloured eyes and your dad’s hair. But I bet you didn’t realise just how much your family genetics plays a part in your skin - how it responds to treatments, skincare, food, and even the sun!
Understanding your genetic history can help you maintain happy, healthy skin. For example, if anyone in your family had red hair - your parents, grandparents, even aunties or uncles – you are still likely to carry the MC1R gene, which means you are five times more likely to get melanoma. It also means your skin has a shorter burn time in the sun. Meaning even if you do turn brown, your skin is burning at a much quicker rate, causing more damage. Having the MC1R gene also means your skin struggles to retain good quality oil. When we talk about skin, we
always want to have a healthy amount of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) within our body, as this helps to protect our skin and give it natural lubrication. Redheads naturally struggle to maintain EFA’s within their body and skin cells, so they will always need to have some sort of fish oil tablets as well as using a good quality oil in their at-home routine.
If your ancestry is Asian, Hispanic or Aboriginal you are at a much higher risk of getting scarring and post-inflammatory pigmentation. This is important to know, as some treatments use heat to produce change and this leaves these skin types at a really high risk of creating post inflammatory pigmentation or worse, hypopigmentation (pigment is removed altogether, leaving white patches). These skin types are also much more likely to
By Abby Blanke SERENITY SKIN SPAscar, including keloid scarring. plus side, they hold EFAs well within the skin, so are less likely to be dry or have skin issues like rosacea and dermatitis.
Understanding your family heritage can really help keep your skin healthy and identify what treatments and skincare will suit you, and what could potentially cause you more damage than good.
If you are unsure, I would always recommend getting advice from a skin therapist.
BUNDABERG:
Shop 43, 16 Maryborough Street
HERVEY BAY:
Shop 105, 6 Central Avenue
www.serenityskinspa.com.au
Throw out the traditional rule book, because 2023 is all about embracing hairstyles you love. Women are going short and sharp, while men are favouring long and loud.
From the football field to school classrooms, the quintessential Australian mullet haircut of the 1980s has made a grand comeback in recent years. Further to this is the still-trending top perm with tapered haircut. Extra curls, body, height and texture have made a huge come back among men.
Thankfully, the curly mullet’s popularity is declining this year to make way for a slightly more sophisticated Aussie favourite. The buzz cut is our next trend prediction for men. This used to be what your parents would ask for when they took you to the barbershop once a month, but it’s making a comeback as a very trendy look.
For women the blunt classic bob is extremely classic and still on trend - a sharp shape that is striking. This is less about the layers and more about straight lines and angles; the epitome of a power haircut.
For colours it’s all glazed solids. Block colours with major shine factor will be big, especially for blondes and brunettes. I’m really loving solid, glossy colour that we’re calling ‘double glazed’. The solid finish gives it richness and depth. We’re loving brunette tones in iced chocolate and double chocolate. This is also happening in blondes. No more balayage - it’s all bright and creamy glossy blondes.
Don’t forget to use a very moisturising shampoo and
By Kiralee Honor THE PLACE HAIRDRESSINGconditioner. A great hair look starts with keeping it healthy and in great shape. That’s also why regular trips to your hairdresser are so important – to keep your hair and mind fresh.
I’m a firm believer in taking time out of your busy day to enjoy some pampering, which is why The Place Hairdressing is all about ‘the experience’ from the moment you arrive. Relax with our luxurious head and pressure point hand massage. Unwind with one of our complementary beverages, including an assortment of boutique T2 teas, real plunger coffee, chilled spring water, soda water, beer, wine and a selection of cocktails – all while you enjoy a piece of homemade slice.
We make it easy to book an appointment around your busy lifestyle with extended opening hours Monday to Thursday 9am to 9pm, and Friday trading 9am to 4pm.
A sanctuary is about finding a space for yourself and 2023 is all about self-care, love and taking time to appreciate yourself! Life gets so busy, so take time to enjoy the smaller moments in life – one gorgeous (potentially rule-breaking) haircut at a time.
76 Bourbong Street, Bundaberg 07 4152 1800 www.theplacehairdressing.com
Totem animals are significant to all Aboriginal people with important morals and teachings shared through Dreaming. One sacred totem that is recognised throughout the Bundaberg region, is the Milbi, also known as the bum-breathing whitethroated snapping freshwater turtle. Several indigenous language groups use the word Milbi to describe turtles in a more general sense. It’s why Bundaberg Regional Council’s ten-day community celebration of all things turtle was named the Milbi Festival.
Known affectionately as Turtle Town, Bundaberg is home to the largest turtle rookery in the southern hemisphere, where several species of sea turtles return to nest each year. The annual cultural festival, which will kick off on October 27 this year, honours our love of turtles, the Region’s rich indigenous history, as well as our commitment to protect the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
Welcoming locals and visitors alike, the Milbi Festival was designed to bring people together from all walks of life to celebrate rebirth, ritual and regeneration. It’s an ethos that is reflected
throughout the Festival’s intrinsic branding and design, curated by local Goreng Goreng and Taribelang Bunda artist, Rachael Sarra. Next time you’re at the Mon Repos Turtle Centre for a nightly ranger-guided encounter in turtle season or enjoying one of their year-round interactive experiences, take the opportunity to indulge in a treat at the Milbi Café.
Operated by the Gidarjil Development Corporation, the Milbi Café celebrates local ingredients across their menu. They provide training and employment opportunities for Aboriginal youth, and also showcase the Region’s indigenous culture through art and souvenirs that celebrate the milbi.
Behind the scenes, their attentive staff share the Region’s first nations culture, working alongside Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers to implement history and culture into the Mon Repos Turtle Centre experience.
Sit back and relax with a cuppa and cake, admire the rich architectural design and soak up all there is to know about turtles.
WORDS BY KATHERINE REID, CEO OF BUNDABERG TOURISM
More visitors than ever before are seeking experiences that are real and authentic, that share the story of people and place. Importantly, they want to learn first-hand from the oldest continuous living culture on earth.
Leading the way in sharing these stories with travellers from across the globe is our thriving tourism industry. In the five years to December 2019, participation in indigenous tourism experiences grew 6.4 per cent; in some cases that’s 6 per cent more than participation in other tourism sectors. Annual visitor expenditure on indigenous experiences accounted for more than $500 million. About 400,000 travellers immersed in Aboriginal culture.
In the past ten years, tourism bodies like Bundaberg Tourism, industry, government departments, indigenous organisations and Aboriginal elders have been working together to support and foster the development of sustainable first nations experiences.
Recognising the thousands of generations of continuous culture that has shaped this country and the people on it, Bundaberg Tourism is proud to currently be working alongside two local cultural tourism experiences to empower them.
We are helping them grow and become market ready, so that Australian and international visitors can take part in authentic, local indigenous experiences that share culture respectfully.
Looking ahead, the Brisbane Olympics in 2032 brings an exciting opportunity for Queensland’s first nations tourism experiences to be at
the forefront, leading and championing these authentic cultural offerings. Committed to sustainability and protection of our natural environment, the Bundaberg Region has a significant role to play and a lot to offer.
In January, the Bundaberg Region became the second destination in Queensland and fifth in Australia to announce Eco Destination Certification through Ecotourism Australia. It’s a significant achievement, brought about through extensive effort and collaboration between Bundaberg Tourism, the PCCC, local eco-certified tourism operators and Bundaberg Regional Council.
Our local tourism industry has long believed that experiencing internationally significant but fragile natural assets is the greatest way to educate people about the need for conservation. The Bundaberg Region continues to shine as one of Australia’s most exciting emerging tourism destinations. The knowledge that their holidays are underpinned by respectful, sustainable and, in some cases, regenerative business practices will only strengthen our desirability as a destination.
Late last year Queensland Tourism Industry Council and the Queensland First Nations Tourism Council released a best-practice guide for working with first nations tourism in Queensland. Available for all, the guide is the first of its kind in Queensland and aligns with the interests and aspirations of the mainstream tourism industry.
The sharing of stories, connection to country and culture through tourism is a step towards reconciliation and sustainability. Acknowledgement and education through truth telling brings communities together.
Yee Gee, or hello in Taribelang language - this was one of the many traditional language learnings I took away from my time on the Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Tour run by Taribelang Bunda Cultural Tours. This immersive, thoughtful and intimate tour shares the rich history and culture of the Taribelang people who have lived on country for more than 60,000 years, while visiting sites of significance, truth telling and story sharing of what has been, what is now and what is to come.
After the Welcome to Country, which is spoken in both English and Traditional Language, the tour sets off under the Burnett River (Booral Booral) bridge and weaves through the centre of town, educating participants on many of the traditional place names in Bundaberg before emerging at Baldwin Swamp. Your guide will explain the swamp was a place of rest and natural water source for elders past and provided essential shelter, food and medicine items (like melaleuca leaves) for treating ailments.
The darker side of historical aspects of farming and cane industry is also explored with the practice of blackbirding and taking slaves from South Sea Islander communities to remove large volcanic rocks and stones from what is now abundant farmland. Many of the so-called kanaka walls can be seen lining farmland.
Now you will find yourself atop one of the only hills in Bundaberg - The Hummock. Here your guide will talk in depth about how boomerangs are made. On our tour day we got to enjoy delicious damper with lilly pilly jam and bush tomato relish.
Your guide will share interesting information about traditional roles within the culture, how messages were passed through country historically, the roles of family and kinship, the totem animals and their traditional language names.
As you amble out of the bus at Kirby’s Wall and look across to Paddy’s Island a gentle river breeze will blow. What will also meet you is a sombre mood, as the painful past of Paddy’s Island across the river is shared openly and honestly. It’s a moving part of the tour and a vital acknowledgement of past atrocities. This is the beauty of this tour - nothing is glossed over or made right - it’s an honest truth telling and sharing space to engage and inform.
The tour provides locals and visitors an opportunity to look at the Region through a different lens.
Taribelang Bunda Cultural Tours also work closely with the local community, sharing their stories with schools and collaborating with groups such as WYLD Projects Indigenous Corporation and Lady Musgrave Experience to educate and connect on country.
Turtle and Taribelang Bunda tours (Tuesdays and Saturdays) can be booked at www.bundabergregion.org
#visitbundaberg #thisisqueensland #southerngreatbarrierreef
Cheeky, mischievous, and loveable, Blinky Bill is quintessentially Australian. For almost 100 years, tales of this native marsupial have delighted audiences the world over and forever forged the koala’s place in our hearts.
Despite being an Aussie icon, in 2022 the conservation status of koalas was downgraded from vulnerable to endangered. Widespread habitat clearing required for urban sprawl across South East Queensland is thought to have contributed to 80 per cent of koala habitats being destroyed. Other threats include disease, bushfires, cars and unrestrained dogs.
Misty Neilson, an ecologist with the Burnett Catchment Care Association, is leading a citizen scientist project, funded by the Queensland Department
“Despite the importance of koalas, very little information exists to understand wild populations and their habits in the Burnett Region. Knowing how many koalas remain, where and in what condition, is imperative if state and national recovery efforts are to be successful,” Misty said.
The project simply asks people to record any koala sightings across the Bundaberg and Burnett regions.
“The data gathered by citizen scientists will inform the protection and enhancement of crucial koala habitats, population diversity and recovery efforts,” Misty said.
“With more accurate population
data, local government, communities and individual land managers can more effectively plan and manage habitat corridors, connectivity and re-vegetation efforts, that significantly contribute to the protection and recovery of this and other species facing similar challenges.”
Misty said in the past two years 144 incidental sightings had been submitted to the program, representing 55 per cent of all koala sightings recorded in the Burnett Region since 2000.
A Saving the Greater Glider project, funded by WIRES National Grant Program, is also underway. It is a grassroots community education and habitat protection and restoration project to help the recovery of this endangered species, the largest gliding marsupial in the world. Greater glider populations have decreased by 80 per cent over the past 20 years due to their specialist requirements for large hollowbearing trees and relatively specialised dietary requirements.
Email sightings with date, location and photo (if available to misty@ betterburnett.com, or submit via the Burnett Catchment Care Association facebook or Instagram page. For more information visit Betterburnett. com/burnett-koala-program/
Photos supplied by Tracey Litfin, Ben Crowther Fred and Rosemary Pratt.Love. Beauty. Refinement. There is no doubting the orchid has a special mystique. Praised for its beauty and cursed by those who try and grow them without doing their research first.
It’s no wonder there are member groups dedicated to this fragile flower, like the Bundaberg Orchid Society. Established in 1973, this group is still going strong, celebrating their Golden Jubilee Orchid Show this May.
Over the past 50 years, the event has grown into one of the best orchid shows in the Country, attracting thousands of people each year from across the country. Entrants vie for prize money, displaying their most beautiful blooms. There is a sales area for
those wishing to add to or start their orchid collection, as well as specialist vendors on hand for supplies.
It is without a doubt the best place to start if you have an interest in growing orchids. The society also has a locally-produced guide to growing orchids available for a few dollars that features everything you could ever need to know.
Proceeds from the show go to charities such as the Cancer Council, Careflight and Angels Community Group.
BUNDABERG CIVIC CENTRE
Friday, May 12, and Saturday, May 13, 8am – 4pm. Sunday, May 14, 8am – 12pm
In late April triathletes from around Australia will visit Bargara to compete in the inaugural Auswide Bank Spirit Triathlon.
Handpicked by Triathlon Queensland, the Bargara event is one of only 12 State Series competitions being held in 2022-23 that enables competitors to accumulate points to take out coveted state-wide awards.
Bargara Triathlon Club President Colin Stollery said the Auswide Bank Spirit Triathlon would be a whole of community event.
“Non-members can enter and there are plenty of prizes on offer thanks to our generous sponsors,” Colin said.
“There is also a ‘give it a try’ category which is a 400 m swim, 10 km bike and 2.5 km run. We welcome spectators, and will also hold other small community events and activities.
“Attracting a State Series competition
is a coup for our Club, and will deliver wider economic benefits for local businesses, accommodation providers and the broader Bundaberg community.”
Showcasing the spectacular Bundaberg Region coastline, the event includes a 750m swim at Kelly’s Beach, a 20km bike ride around Durdins Road, Hughes Road and Causeway Drive, and a 5km run from Archies Beach to the Basin.
The Club will also host the Club Bargara Lighthouse Run Festival from Christens Park to the lighthouse at Burnett Heads, also with shorter distances, on June 4.
