Monday, 31 May, 2021
SeniorsToday.com.au
What’s on and where
Legends of the track
PAGES 26-27
PAGES 29 & 32
Still the life of the party PAGE 6
When the rubber hits the road
All in a knight’s work Preparation is under way for the much-loved Abbey Medieval Festival in July. The event, the major fundraiser for the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology, will be held from July 2-4 this year with an extra day being added to aid with social distancing
PAGES 15-17
for the popular event. Abbey Museum Director and Festival Director Edith Cuffe said the major event was crucial to the museum’s survival as was the role of the volunteers who worked at both the event and Festival. Turn to page 4 for more
League’s leaders When you think of volunteer groups getting together to help others, you probably think of Rotary, Lions and Probus but there is a new kid on the block making it’s presence felt particularly in times of Covid and beyond. The Men Of League Foundation is an organisation founded almost 20 years ago by a group of former footballers to help their mates who were struggling. However since then the group has grown and become much more encom-
passing, now helping as many people as possible in the rugby league community from ball boys and junior players to the canteen workers, groundskeepers, referees and administrators. National Wellbeing Lead for the group Roxanne Moates said the group aimed to help anyone in the Rugby League community who was doing it tough. “We care for the men, women and children of the Rugby League Commu-
nity,” Roxanne explained. “We started in 2002 with Ron Coote, Jim Hall and Max Brown and they looked around their community and saw some of their fellow players struggling so they started with a bit of we will helped the guys that we played with. It’s had a number of different ideas over the years. “But we’ve come to the masthead of the men, women and children of the rugby league community - as long as
you’ve made a contribution to rugby league. That can be as a junior player, as a volunteer, you could be the canteen lady, the guy that marks the field up, an administrator, an ex-NRL player, a referee or an official, anyone that comes under that banner if they find themselves in a hard situation, whether it be socially, emotionally, financially, with a disability or illness. We do what we can to support you.” More on page 3
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HEALTH & WELLNESS ...... pages 7-9
Welcome to Today!
RECIPES ............................page 10 OUT & ABOUT .. pages 11-19, 22-23 HISTORY ................pages 21, 30-31 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ....page 26 WHAT’S ON ........................page 27 GARDENING .......................page 28 SPORT ...............................page 32
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Welcome to our very first edition of Seniors Today Brisbane a new quarterly newspaper aimed at connecting the 50plus population with relevant local and national news. We hope we offer a chance to read about places to go and things to see (now that we are starting to able to do that again) as well as catching up with people across the City with interesting stories to tell. It has been an informative and fun couple of months for advertising representative Louisa Kneller and myself talking to people from all walks of life, getting their life stories. The great thing about writing for, and interviewing, seniors is that everyone has a story to tell
whether it be about the past, present or future. Both of us are very experienced at what we do, but I know I have still learned a lot putting this together – it has been a lovely roller coaster ride learning laughing at Jonathon Biggins, learning just what I should plant for our climate from Jerry Coleby-Williams and finding out about all the fascinating jobs for volunteers at the Abbey Museum and Festival. We hope we have provided you with interesting information that can help you in your everyday life to meet new people, do new things, keep you informed or just make you laugh or cry. Seniors Today Brisbane is distribut-
ing 20,000 copies across Brisbane and is available free in over 160 targeted locations four times a year and engages with an audience of over 32,000 every quarter. Thank you for reading, we hope you find it useful and informative. No rest for us though – we have already started work on the winter edition. Contact Louise for advertising or myself if you have a story to tell. Tania Phillips Senior Journalist Tania.Phillips@starnewsgroup.com.au Louisa Kneller Advertising Sales Executive D (07) 5292 5302 M 0413 380 545 E louisa.kneller@starnewsgroup.com.au 36 Mary Street, Noosaville, QLD, 4566
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EDITORIAL Tania Phillips Journalist E: tania.phillips@StarNewsGroup.com.au
ADVERTISING Phill Le Petit Advertising Manager E: phill.lepetit@StarNewsGroup.com.au M: 0439 377 525 Louisa Kneller
Tech talk: Volunteers help seniors learn For almost 20 year’s Brisbane Seniors Online (BSOL) has been providing the seniors of Brisbane with a way to learn about computers and digital devices. Not bad for a not-for-profit volunteer organisation. BSLO Publicity Officer Dick Bennett said the group allowed those over 50 and living in the Greater Brisbane area to have one-on-one help with computers, tablets and smartphones with lessons able to be undertaken on a variety of subjects depending on the learners needs. He said the group, which will celebrate 20 years later this year, didn’t provide computer training for commercial purposes or provide technical support, computer repairs, or maintenance. “I think we formalized in 2001,” he said.
Kevin Brown and Margareta looking at bill paying online. “Centrelink and the Brisbane City Council got together and said we need something like this.” He said there were currently more than 600 members as they recover from the Covid lockdown which had stopped tutors being allowed to go into private homes due to distancing.
The BSOL traditionally conducted lessons can in the learner’s home, local library, their offices in the Gabba Towers, or other mutual locations. Learners are matched with a suitable Mentor who volunteers their time to help in the learning process. He said they were also currently using other means to run their training allowing remote training as well programs that encouraged social distancing but still allowing the trainer and tutor to be in the same room. As well as their tutoring BSOL also offers some special interest groups that meet on a monthly basis and specialise in areas of the digital world. Groups include Apple, Linux, and Digital Photography. To find out more about joining BSOL for lessons or to become a tutor head to bsol.asn.au
E: louisa.kneller@StarNewsGroup.com.au
Irene finds a family in the days of yore
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By Tania Phillips
Advertising Sales Executive
DEADLINES 2021 September Edition Advertising Bookings: COB Wednesday 28th July Artwork: Noon Thursday 5th August Distributed: Monday 23rd August
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COB Wednesday 9th February Artwork: Noon Thursday 17th February Distributed: Monday 7th March Published by Star News Group Pty Ltd ACN 005 848 108. Publisher Paul Thomas. All material is copyright to Star News Group Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected as soon as possible. Distribution numbers, areas and coverage are estimates only. For our terms and conditions please visit SeniorsToday.com.au/terms-and-conditions/ 2 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
A trip to the Abbey Medieval Festival many years ago had Irene Gerken hooked. “I’ve been volunteering at the museum for a few years now,” Irene explained. “I took last year off because my husband was very ill and he died in February, I came back to volunteer just a couple of weeks ago. So I am back here and I love doing it.” She said after years of volunteering it was like belonging to a family – a family that she first became acquainted with more than a decade ago. “I’ve always had an interest in the medieval and ancient civilisations and I found the Abbey, it must have been 1015 years ago when I came to the festival which I enjoyed very much,” Irene explained. “I came to the next three and then I ran out of people to come with me and we lived on the Gold Coast so I didn’t want to come up by myself. So that put an end to it for a while and then we moved up here and when I realised the Abbey was just down the road, I thought what a wonderful opportunity so I took it and I’ve been enjoying it ever since.”
Irene at the front desk of the Abbey Museum of Art & Archaeology. Irene is now a jack of all trades at the Abbey Museum as well as being part of the volunteer workforce that puts on the Abbey Festival – taking on a number of different roles. “I’m on the desk during the week – on the Wednesday’s when I’m here and one Saturday a month which means I can invite people into the museum to have a look around and tell them a bit about that,” she explained. “Then I can take them to the church
and talk to them about the stain glass windows that are in there. “During the festival over the past couple of years I was working with the Jousting arena. One year I helped out just doing what they wanted me to do – guiding the crowds and on the entry and making sure the people had seats and all that kind of things. Then the next year I co-ordinated it and I got other people to do that,” she laughed, it is a sought after position. “This year I’m going to be selling in the museum shop so that will be mean I will be meeting a lot of people by doing that. Of course you dress up in medieval costumes and you feel a part of the day. It is fun – it’s hard work – you’re on your feet a lot but its really interesting I love it. “I’ve become part of a very large family – everybody looks after everybody else. If there’s a problem you just have to speak up and there’s somebody to help solve it. That’s really good too.” She said she really missed while she was off looking after her husband and it was really good to be able to come back and join in again and be a part of a family. Read more on page 4
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Queensland community services group Be has welcomed the multibillion dollar investment in aged care and the expansion of home care packages for older Australians announced in the Federal Budget. Be (formerly ComLink) has operated for 30 years providing home care packages, home support and transport services and the companies Chief Executive Liam Mayo has welcomed the $17.7 billion aged-care package announced in the Federal budget earlier this month. Mr Mayor said Be is a leading contributor across Queensland helping older people maintain their quality of life and wellbeing and looks forward to helping implement the new initiatives. “The budget announcement is very welcome investment for older Australians and something Be will play an active role implementing in the communities we serve across Queensland,” Liam said. “The way we care for our ageing population is a measure of our strength as a society. “Be supports clients to live healthy and independent lives in their own homes, for longer. “We achieve this through our emphasis on building relationships with our clients, giving them a voice in the things that are important to them.” He said the Budget included 80,0000 new home care packages, 33,000 training places for personal carers and a new indigenous workforce, Increased access for respite services for carers and a strengthened regulatory regime to monitor and enforce standards of care “Be is well placed to respond to these initiatives and deliver more for our clients,” Mr Mayo added. “Our dedicated team of staff and volunteers has a fine track record. As a team we will look strategically at this announcement to grow our services across Queensland. “With an ageing population, I welcome the focus on training and education in the aged care sector and the increase in the available workforce that will flow from that investment in skills. “Be has a strong focus on sector development. We are playing a role to ensure that the age care sector attracts, develops and retains highly skilled professions to walk alongside our clients. “Because of these – Be, and service providers like Be, are important to the tapestry that makes up the Australian community – both now and into the future. “We welcome the Government’s overarching commitment to ‘restore trust and allow Australians to age with dignity and respect’.
League community looks after its own By Tania Phillips When you think of volunteer groups getting together to help others, you probably think of Rotary, Lions and Probus but there is a new kid on the block making it’s presence felt particularly in times of Covid and beyond. The Men Of League Foundation is an organization founded almost 20 years ago by a group of former footballers to help their mates who were struggling. However since then the group has grown and become much more encompassing, now helping as many people as possible in the rugby league community from ball boys and junior players to the canteen workers, groundskeepers, referees and administrators. National Wellbeing Lead for the group Roxanne Moates said the group aimed to help anyone in the Rugby League community who was doing it tough. “We care for the men, women and children of the Rugby League Community,” Roxanne explained. “We started in 2002 with Ron Coote, Jim Hall and Max Brown and they looked around their community and saw some of their fellow players struggling so they started with a bit of we will helped the guys that we played with. It’s had a number of different ideas over the years. “But we’ve come to the masthead of the men, women and children of the rugby league community – as long as you’ve made a contribution to rugby league. That can be as a junior player, as a volunteer, you could be the canteen lady, the guy that marks the field up, an administrator, an ex NRL player, a referee or an official, anyone that comes under that banner if they find them selves in a hard situation, whether it be socially, emotionally, financially, with a disability or illness. We do what we can to support you.” She said they tried to support in all sorts of ways. “I would say 70-80 percent of our work is what I would call social and emotional – we have about a hundred
Enjoying a Men Of League event on the Sunshine Coast are Peter Kane, Roxanne Moates and Billy Moore. well-being volunteers throughout Australia,” Roxanne said. “Someone might ring up and say hey you know John Smith has been put into a nursing home he could really use a visit he played footy in the Riverina for 20 years. So one of our volunteers will go and visit, take a bit of merchandise, a hat or a shirt. “They talk about the good old days, maybe have a coffee and they’ll do that regularly – it’s not just a one-off once they make create that relationship they will check in on them quite regularly. “We have people in country areas that might become have well, they might have cancer, need to travel into a city centre for treatment. We can help with some food and fuel vouchers, maybe if they need to stay maybe some accommodation. Once again while they’re away from home and everyone else they know volunteers will provide a friendly face and will visit them.” She said the group and their work was a natural offshoot of the community/family feeling that a sport can create. “I think when you have a connection with something like rugby league, you have a bond, you have mutual ground to start from,” Roxanne said. “We can help financially, during Covid we had a number of families where
their income situation changed, perhaps both parents lost work or they went to a one income family. Once again providing they were involved in the rugby league community we were able to provide financial support. That could be an immediate action grant of $500 and that covers, food, fuel, if they have some bills that need to be paid. We can look at a full grant which could be everything from medical equipment, modification to a house if someone needs to be in a wheelchair, living costs – we can assist with bills and those sorts of things. “So it’s pretty creative if people come to us and let us know how we can help them and if we can we will.” How do you become a volunteer? “If you have a love and passion for Rugby League and you have some time to put towards it we are open to people putting up their hands to volunteer,” she said. “We do a bit of an induction process – we talk a little about our purpose and our goals, what we expect from our volunteers given that they are representing our organization. I also make sure they get some support as well because sometimes we deal with people who are doing it really tough, maybe might have some mental health issues, depression and anxiety. “If you’re a volunteer, you might have the best intentions in the world but sometimes there’s a bit of fear about – how do I have a conversation with people that are in that situation. I’m a psychologist – I’m not employed in that role but it definitely helps in terms of being able to manage and support people. You can have vicarious trauma.” As well as volunteering there are a lot of fundraising functions with former players at all levels holding every thing from Golf days to sportsman’s lunches. “All the money raised goes back into our wellbeing program which means we have the money to provide support to those doing it tough,” she said. To become involved in the organization go to the their website Menofleague.com.
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Abbey Fest back in action By Tania Phillips Preparation is under way for the muchloved Abbey Medieval Festival in July. The event, the major fundraiser for the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology, will be held from July 2-4 this year with an extra day being added to aid with social distancing for the popular event. Abbey Museum Director and Festival Director Edith Cuffe said the major event was crucial to the museum’s survival as was the role of the volunteers who worked at both the event and Festival. “It’s extremely nice to have it back, it was a very difficult year and the festival raises funds for the Abbey museum, without it, it puts the museum in a very difficult situation,”” Edith said. “There will be some changes because we have to apply the social distancing guidelines so we’ve had to rearrange how the site was set out particularly to allow for queuing in the food areas, changing some of our venues around and we’ve also put on a Friday event which is more family orientated. It is
specifically to spread the numbers out over three days rather than two so it just makes it easier for people and we won’t have those big crushing crowds that we’re used to.” This will be the 31st running of the festival which brings all the colour and pageantry of the Medieval World including jousting, page training, encampments, a village green, falconry, dancing, music and presentations of arts and crafts to Caboolture just north of Brisbane. “We celebrated 30 years in 2019 and we had 30,000 visitors and participants,” Edith, who has been involved in the event for the past 25 years. “So it was a fabulous high in 2019 and we had big plans for 2020 but it all fell over. “The event is hugely important to the museum – it started as a fundraiser and it is still is one of the biggest sources of income that the museum has in a year. It helps the museum to do the other things that it does like run education programs, we hold other events but we also have this remarkable collection
of international fine arts and antiquities that need to be looked after and maintained and so all of that is done, there needs to be research done and the funds that are raised at the festival allow us to do projects to preserve the objects, put on new exhibitions and displays and associated activities. It helps employ our staff who run programs with children. “It’s kind of rather vital to us.” She said it is also an event that introduces the museum to the community. “Funnily enough a lot of people have heard of the festival and not necessarily the museum,” Edith laughed. “Even those who come to the festival, because it’s a little bit away from the museum, they don’t necessarily connect that there is a museum here. But it’s something that we are trying to bring more to people’s awareness. We have a great collection of medieval artifacts on display as well, so there are lots of wonderful things for people to see and learn because the museum is about teaching people and inspiring
them through history so we can make our life a bit better.” She said the museum had taken on a new importance at the moment while people could not travel overseas. “One of our visitors kindly said visiting the Abbey Museum kindly was like visiting a miniature version of the British museum which was a great comparison,” she chuckled. “It is one of the great museums in the world and we’re compared to as a miniature one of those but it’s because we have a collection that covers multiple cultures from around the world. Our displays cover from pre-history in Europe right through to the middle ages and the Victorian era but we have collections from Egypt and Mesopotamia – the ancient and classical worlds from the Asian countries like India, China, Burma and Japan. It covers a huge breadth of history.” Head to the Abbey Medieval Festival website – Edith said there would be no walk-ups on the day and tickets must be booked this year.
Festive atmosphere each day: Volunteering at the Abbey By Tania Phillips It’s not every place that you volunteer where you can dress up and be transported back to another era. However that’s just what happens to volunteers at the Abbey Medieval Festival and the Festival is just one of the many places you can volunteer at the Caboolture-based museum. According to Abbey Museum Director and Festival Director Edith Cuffe volunteers are the lifeblood of organization which started with a solely volunteer work force. “To start off with, when the museum started – and the festival – it was all volunteers,” she said. “The museum is what it is today because of the volunteers that we’ve had 4 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
in the past who have put their love and passion for helping and teaching and educating, preserving history and presenting history in interesting ways. Even today, even though we have now grown to where we have a very small core paid staff at the festival we still have more than 200 volunteers and the museum on a weekly basis, we have about 50 volunteers. “They do wonderful wonderful things and they have enabled the museum to be seen as something different and do push above it’s weight. That’s a common term we get is your little museum pushes above it’s weight in what we present to the world and to our visitors and the programs that we run. “Without volunteers that would not be possible.”
So how do you get involved as a volunteer? “There’s lots of different ways, we have an on-line application for both our museum on a regular basis and also for the festival,” Edith explained. “They just have to go to our website, we’ve got a website for the festival and one for the museum, and apply and then we ask people what they are interested in. It could be anything from helping to present education programs to students, being on our reception desk, helping out with administration to doing arts and craft work like making props and things that are used in our education and school holiday programs. “Cooking, catering, sewing – we have a little team of sewing ladies
who make costumes for our festival. We now have a brand called Abbey Made and these are products made by our sewing ladies that we sell on our online shop. “Last year because we were looking for other avenues for funding we did a series of medieval teddy-bears and they made the costumes for these teddy bears and they sold like hotcakes. “It may seem little things but they all support the museum and give us resources coming back in that enable us to do the work that we do. We have woodworkers, we have people who keep our grounds looking beautiful – doing the gardens. There is a wide range of things and then of course the festival has twenty different job roles within the event that people can do.”
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Bessie Conomos (OAM) celebrates her 100th birthday.
OAM celebrates a very active century She volunteered for Meals on Wheels and also at the St Nicholas aged care home in Highgate Hill and the Greek Orthodox Church at Mt Gravatt. Bessie loved cooking and her talents in the kitchen helped drive her fundraising for numerous charities. At the age of 87, she was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of her service to the Greek community in Brisbane, including through organisations which provide assistance to the elderly. The award also recognised Bessie’s contributions to the community of Carinda, particularly as an avid member of the local Country Women’s Association and Bush Nursing Association. “Mum always hoped she inspired young people to become involved in their communities. She loved to cook and was an avid knitter,” Regina said. Bessie, who moved to Carinity Wishart Gardens in 2016, was inducted into Carinity 100 Club for centenarians. “She is blessed with having family visit regularly, which always brings her joy,” Regina said. Relatives from as far away as Sydney, including some of Bessie’s four children, nine grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren, gathered for a birthday party at Carinity Wishart Gardens on the Sunday before her birthday. Interestingly, the last three inductees into the Carinity 100 Club from Carinity Wishart Gardens – Bessie Comonos (2021), Norman Abbey (2020) and Beryl Carter (2018) – celebrate their birthdays within two days of each other.
Bessie aged 16.
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Bessie Conomos (OAM) is one of Queensland’s newest centenarian after turning 100 at the Carinity Wishart Gardens aged care community last month. Born Vasilike Gianniotis on the small island of Kythira in Greece on 20 April 20, 1921, she was the first and only girl in a family of six siblings. Migrating with her parents to Australia at the age of seven ‘Bessie’, as she became known, spent most of her younger life living in rural New South Wales. While she was living in Tullibigeal west of Parkes, Bessie met and later married Theo Megaloconomos their daughter Regina Hadgis explained. “Mum was smitten straight away,” Regina said. “Her mum though thought he was too old; it happened a lot in those days. However, my mum won. “Both my mother’s and my father’s families came from the same island in Greece, but from different villages so the families were known to each other.” The couple had four children and settled in the small town of Carinda, a two-hour drive east of Bourke, where Theo operated a garage, movie cinema and ice works business and served as a councillor. “They ended up having a very happy and fulfilling life in Carinda with the various associations they were involved with,” Regina says. Bessie was actively involved in the community and also in other regional towns such as Walgett and Dubbo, before the Conomos family moved to Mansfield in Brisbane in 1984.
A leading financial advisor has welcomed the changes to the Pension Loans Scheme as part of this year’s Federal Budget. Paul Rogan, founder of Pension Boost a private commercial venture aimed at helping Australian’s navigate their retirement years, said major enhancements to the scheme will come into being from July 1 next year. Mr Rogan said the reforms included a no negative equity guarantee applying to PLS loans. “This has been one of the major advocacy reforms Pension Boost has been pushing and so we are very delighted to see that this important protection for seniors will be introduced to level the playing field for all reverse mortgage solutions,” he said. Mr Rogan said a lump-sum option is also being introduced with singles being able to access up to $12,385 and couples up to $18,670 via up to two advances in any 12 month period – which represents 50 percent of the annual rate of the full Age pension. He said more seniors will be able to access downsizing contributions to super. “From July 1 2022, seniors choosing to downsize who are at least 60 years of age will be able to contribute up to $300,000 each from their home sale into their super,” Mr Rogan said. “The change is that previously you had to be 65. You continue to need to have owned your property for at least 10 years.” “This measure seeks to assist seniors to fund their retirement and to release housing stock for larger families. This measure is only expected to benefit self-funded retirees not eligible for the age pension or possibly those with modest homes on the full age pension “Beware of downsizing as it can lead to increased financial assets which could impact your age pension eligibility. Pension Boost recommends you seek advice before downsizing. An alternative to downsizing which doesn’t impact your age pension eligibility is accessing the government’s Pension Loans Scheme (PLS) to release the equity in your home to assist with funding your lifestyle.”
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Joan still life of the party Joan Davey has worn many hats during her amazing life: professional musician, racehorse owner, socialite, mother and wife, charity fundraiser, and family matriarch. Now the Brookfield woman has achieved a milestone as the latest inductee into the 100 club for centenarians, after celebrating her 100th birthday on March 24. A resident of the Carinity Brookfield Green aged care community in Brisbane, she was born was born Enid Joan Davey in Macclesfield, South Australia in 1921. Joan’s love of music led to a professional career as an accomplished pianist from an early age. As a teenager during World War II, she fell in love and married her childhood sweetheart, Robert. They had two children and set about establishing a happy family home in Adelaide. The couple had a successful electrical business and enjoyed the sport of horse racing, owning and racing trotters. After Robert and Joan divorced, Joan re-married in the early 1960s. Her second husband Norman’s work saw the couple travel extensively abroad, living in countries such as Philippines and Singapore. Always the socialite, Joan quickly established herself within various charities in Manila and became a champion for underprivileged children. She set her sights on creating a steady source of vital nutrition for children in need throughout the Philippines, with great success. After Joan and Norman returned to Sydney in the early-1970s, Joan began volunteering at Royal South Sydney Hospital and soon filled a vacant position as chief fundraising officer, raising money for a new rehabilitation centre. Leaning on her social skills, Joan was a favourite of many high-profile notable Australians who supported her fundraising efforts for the hospital. Joan enjoyed this role immensely and created a number of prestigious events that supported the building of one of Australia’s leading rehabilitation centres. Following Norman’s sudden passing, Joan moved to Queensland to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren, living with them on a thoroughbred stud on the Gold Coast for several years before relocating to Brisbane. At the age of 80, Joan met a charming
Cake anyone? Joan celebrates a century of life. Scottish man called Daniel with whom she spent 14 years before his passing. For four years the couple lived happily together at Carinity Brookfield
Green, where Joan continues to reside. Joan is a much-loved mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother to over 18 descen-
dants. She is the second Brookfield Green resident to celebrate her 100th birthday this year, after Winifred Tazey joined the Carinity 100 Club in January.
City travel bonus: Explore Brisbane off-peak for free Seniors are being offered a chance to explore Brisbane with free off-peak travel on Council buses, ferries and CityCats. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the initiative would allow Brisbane seniors to see the city, visit their favourite destinations and catch up with friends and family for free at times when public transport was not as busy. “We’re giving seniors an alternative 6 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
way of getting around Brisbane,” Cr Schrinner said. “The free transport offer on our modern fleet of buses, ferries and CityCats will allow them to enjoy the great lifestyle, shopping and events that Brisbane offers. “More than 1.7 million free trips have been taken this year to date, but with off-peak seniors travel patronage at about 76 per cent of levels in 2019-
20, we want to see more people jumping on board. “We know there is hesitancy to get back on public transport due to the coronavirus pandemic and that’s why we’ve made sure our buses, CityCats and ferries are safer than ever with extensive cleaning and safety measures.” Free off-peak travel is available to residents who have a TransLink Seniors go card or Seniors Card +go and
those eligible will still need to ensure they touch their go card while getting on or off public transport. The free travel applies to Brisbane City Council buses, CityCats and ferries from 8.30am-3.30pm and 7pm6am Monday to Friday and on Council buses all weekend. For more information, visit brisbane.qld.gov.au or call Council on (07) 3403 8888.
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Enjoying a little line dancing at city hall.
Meeting and making it fun By Tania Phillips The 50 Plus Centre Brisbane, situated in the Brisbane City Hall, is back operating again after taking a break for Covid in 2020. According to the Centre president Janice Cochrane is a great place for the over 50s to go, meet people and take part in all sorts of activities with likeminded people. There is no joining fee though you do pay for any classes that you attend. “We have been in the City Hall for a long time – we are our own entity but we lease the area off the city council,” Janice. “It’s a centre for 50 plus but probably the average age is more 80 and we have 33 different activities on during the week, Monday to Friday. That could be anything from Bridge to Yoga, from Mahjong to Zumba. So there are very active things and not so active things like Bridge. “It’s open to everybody, it’s a free membership and just if people are interested they just come in and try out an activity and if they like it they might do another one. “It’s a very friendly little centre.” She said the Centre, which has been running for more than 50 years but not always in the City Hall though they have been get a lot of interest from older people. “We get a lot of people coming through,” Janice said. “But because we were closed because of Covid for eight last year, when we started again we more or less made everybody fill out a new membership
form and we’re now up to 500 members just since last November. “A lot of people haven’t come back, some people are still a bit frightened about getting public transport into the city and they haven’t come back. But five hundred-six hundred then we’re more than happy, it’s plenty. We are limited in some of the rooms that we have because of the distancing. One room we can only have 14 people in it if they’re playing Mahjong or Bridge. In a normal situation you could probably fit 30 in there. “We are a bit limited at the moment but I don’t think anything is going to really change so we just run with what we’ve got.” So how do people find out what the centre has happening? “The City Council have it on their website, activities for seniors and people just google activities for seniors we would just pop up. All of the activities are there, there is a contact for each activity and they ring the teacher concerned and start the ball rolling there. “They just come in and join on the day. They pay for the classes but membership of the centre is free.” She said people seem to love the centre and it provides and important outing for members particularly as they get older. “We had one lady, she had her 100th birthday there two years ago, sadly she passed away last year but we threw her a big party and had a lovely cake,” Janice said. “There are quite a few in their 90s that still come and do line-dancing, it’s quite amazing.”
As the weather begins to cool down, Queensland’s everlasting blue skies beckon us outside to enjoy the last of the warm days. But even as we leave another summer behind us, it is essential that we don’t become complacent with looking after our skin health. In 2020, melanoma made up 11 per cent of all newly diagnosed cancers in Australia – sustaining our title as the skin cancer capital of the world. Five Australians die every day from this disease, which sometimes appears like a tiny mole barely visible to the naked eye. That’s why regular, professional skin cancer checks are so important, paired with Total Body Photography for the earliest skin cancer detection (especially for high-risk patients), as recommended by experts. “Skin cancer can grow very fast, come in various shapes and colours, and sometimes show no symptoms until the advanced stage,” says Dr Alvin Prakash from National Skin Cancer Centres in Coorparoo and Redcliffe. “The earlier we detect it, the higher the chances of successful treatment. That’s where the latest photography technology helps.” Using advanced imaging technology, Total Body Photography allows the Skin Cancer Doctor to monitor patients’ skin for the tiniest changes over time and detect skin cancer at its earliest stage when chances of successful treatment are best. The patient’s entire skin surface is photographed in a short appoint-
ment prior to their skin cancer check, and these images are compared at follow-up appointments to identify changes which might indicate skin cancer. The innovative software creates a map of your skin and highlights at-risk lesions to be investigated further. Every mole is checked headto-toe with a dermatoscope by a qualified Skin Cancer Doctor which is required for a comprehensive skin assessment. Total Body Photography is recommended for all patients at high risk of skin cancer, including those with a family or personal history of the disease, people with multiple moles, and people with a record of UV exposure through repeated sunburns, tanning beds, or working outdoors. Fair-skinned individuals are also at higher risk, although skin cancer can affect anyone, regardless of skin colour. Early skin cancer detection and treatment is vital in south-east Queensland, where melanoma diagnoses reach up to 50 per cent above the national average. “Using the newest technology in combination with our expertise, we can now spot the tiniest changes and identify early skin cancer risk. This means we can minimise complex, invasive and expensive treatments, and ultimately save more lives,” says Dr Prakash. To learn more, please contact Coorparoo Skin Cancer Centre (phone 3324 0466) or Redcliffe Skin Cancer Centre (phone 3284 3030) or visit skincancercentres.com.au.
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WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 7
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
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Heart check on ‘to-do’ list By Tania Phillips Now you have time to your self it’s time to have a heart check according to Heart Foundation Queensland Heart Health manager Doctor Anna Lewis. Brisbane-based Doctor Lewis said retirement is the perfect time to finally take some time to really consider your health - though in an ideal world the Heart Foundation recommends starting a little earlier. “What we say is when people get to the age of 45 - it’s not exact - but when they get to 45 we recommend that people go and see their doctor to have a heart health check and that’s because as we get older risk of heart disease increases,” Dr Lewis explained. “However, we do recommend that people are aware of their risk of heart condition at any age but particularly as people get older we recommend people see their doctor for a heart health check. “When I say 45 that is for non-indigenous people for our First Nation people we recommend that when people reach the age of thirty for a heart health check.” She said there were a number of things that the Doctor will check for as part of the heart health check. “Some of the things the Doctor will ask them about or they will measure, is whether they have high blood pressure, whether they have high cholesterol or diabetes - they’re some of the medical conditions that can increase risk of heart disease,” she said. “They’ll also ask them about their lifestyle - so they’ll want to know whether they’re doing any physical activity, what their diet is like, whether they’re smoking, how much alcohol they’re taking in regularly and they’ll also consider whether they may have a mental health condition. “So it’s all of those lifestyle factors that can increase people’s risk of heart disease but like I said people’s risk of heart disease increases so they’ll also consider their age.” She said gender also plays a part in heart risk. “Unfortunately our male counterparts are more likely to get heart disease and they’ll also consider people’s ethnicity - people’s ethnic background,” Dr Lewis said. Putting all of these factors together the GP will access whether someone is at risk of heart disease as well as measuring if they already have heart condition. “It is really important that people go and have the heart health check and talk to their doctor but there are a number of things we can do,” she said. “We can’t change our age, gender or ethnicity clearly and there are those clinical conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes - we may not be able to change if we have them. “But there is a number of things can do. We recommend that people are physically active and that they do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. So that’s going for a good brisk walk. People can do vigorous activity and they only have to do 75 minutes a week. We recommend that 8 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
Exercise plays an important part in heart health.
Doctor Anna Lewis. people eat a good balanced diet. “On our website we have heart healthy eating principals where we recommend what people do - usually that’s eating more wholegrains, more fruit and vegetables, low fat and healthy proteins, limiting their salt intake and drinking water - essentially eating a good balanced diet. On our website rather than telling people what they should be eating we try and help people so we’ve got a large number of recipes to help people put our healthy eating principals in to practice. They don’t have to think about what they’re eating they can just pick our recipes and by eating that food they’ll be eating a good balanced diet. “We recommend that people limit
alcohol intake, we now say in Australia that its no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four in any one day. We recommend that people try to stop smoking if they are smokers - or don’t take it up.” But it’s not just physical health that contributes to a healthy heart according to Doctor Lewis. “We do suggest that people talk to their health professionals - their doctor, about their mental health,” she explained. “We know that good mental health can also reduce risk of heart disease. “The other risk factor that is important for people to control is their bodyweight - and obviously through having
a healthy diet and increasing physical activity people can help to manage their body weight but that’s another risk factor for heart disease. “Now that you’re not working all the time take some time to listen to your body. “If people have some time - some retirees are very busy I realise that - it’s good - good to be busy, it’s good for your mental health to have social connection but if it’s a time in your life to think about your health and wellbeing it’s important to think about these risk factors. In fact, by doing those things people will reduce their risks, not only of heart disease but of a number of other things and generally make themselves feel better. The good news is that by working on the risk factors for heart disease, people will generally feel better in their general frame of mind both physically and mentally anyway.” Doctor Lewis also stressed the importance of talking to the Doctor before taking any new strenuous exercise regimes. “It is important to think about what they want to do and then if there is any concerns, talk to their doctor about what exercise or behaviors might be important for them to do and if they need any support in that for example if they do have high blood pressure to talk to their doctor first before they take on any sort of extreme exercise.” One of the most important things that the Heart Foundation stresses is knowing the warning signs of a heart attack. “If anyone is concerned we recommend that they call triple 0 straight away, but the main warning signs of a heart attack are going to be if people are experiencing chest pains, pressure or heaviness in their chest, pain down their arm, there can be some other symptoms like jaw pains or neck pain, nausea or dizziness that some women experience they don’t always have the typical symptoms,” she said.
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Fun on the open roads For those living in a retirement village or who are part of a social club looking to go on some great group adventures, there is TransitCare. TransitCare is one of Queensland’s leading community transport providers, assisting seniors, the socially isolated and younger people with disabilities to get to their appointments and social activities. In Queensland, they currently travel throughout Brisbane South, Logan, Redlands, Ipswich, Beaudesert, the Scenic Rim, Cairns, Townsville, Ingham, Charters Towers and surrounding areas. In Brisbane, the brand new 40 seater coach has now joined the 60 strong TransitCare fleet and is available to take seniors from the wider Logan and South Brisbane community on some fabulous outings in 2021 and beyond. TransitCare can customise day trips at an all-inclusive set price to locations that they have previously travelled to and enjoyed, or the customers are welcome to plan their own adventure to meet their budget and chosen destination. For those who reside in an indepen-
dent living facility or belong to a community social group, TransitCare urge them to give them a call or let their Lifestyle Manager or Social Club Coordinator know. The group is happy to send a TransitCare representative out to the customer’s facility or club to talk to residents or members about how they might organise some great group adventures! Please call the Contact Centre on 1300 153 636 for further information or to organise a talk.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Staying strong as you age No matter your age, movement and the ability to move safely and confidently is vital for quality of life – that is the philosophy behind Balance Brisbane Seniors. An arm of Balance Brisbane Gymnastics the family-owned business at Yeronga is the brainchild of an osteopath who is passionate about people being as fit as they can for as long as they can. Seeing a lot of older people who have had falls and senior Australian’s who are not getting as much out of life as they should do because they aren’t strong enough and well enough balanced to do the things they want, she decided it would be important to add seniors to the gymnastics programs. And as Balance Brisbane believe that play is the best way to enjoy staying fit and building muscle and improving balance for the younger students, they carry this right through to the seniors. So this is not just straight serious gymnastics, it more about having fun, working on balance and upper body strength and most importantly working at the person’s own level with classes tailored to suit the group. At Balance Brisbane swinging from a rope isn’t just for the under 10s and bouncing on a springboard is a fabulous way to develop not only balance
but also strength in feet and calves. They believe growing older shouldn’t involve having less fun. Balance beams, bars, ropes and bouncy floors all help with improving grip strength, stepping up and down with confidence in the knees. In fact, one group of over 55s have enjoyed it so much and have become so confident that they are setting their sights on competing at the Masters Games in Perth in October. They have been putting in extra work after the normal session working particularly on the beams. Balance Brisbane is usually not about competition but with the group of women keen to take part in the games, the family that own the gym have been excited to help and flying over to watch. However, while the Masters Games are exciting challenge for some, for the majority of those taking part is just about feeling stronger and safer and they always work within the comfort zone of the participant and set up a variety of circuits that allow them to progress at a pace they feel comfortable with. The two classes are held on Mondays 9-10am and Thursdays 8.30 9.30am at a cost of $10 - paid each lesson. Find Balance Brisbane at 6/133 Hyde Road, Yeronga or phone 0421 398 827.
DO YOU NEED HELP GETTING OUT AND ABOUT? TransitCare is one of Queensland’s largest and most experienced community transport providers, assisting seniors, the socially isolated, those who are transport disadvantaged and people with disabilities to travel to their appointments and social activities. We are respectful of the diversity and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Our service is pre-booked and door-to-door, with friendly, caring drivers who will collect you from home and take you to: • hospital and medical appointments, the pharmacy, allied health appointments • general shopping and groceries, the bank and post office • the gym, swimming and the library • the hairdresser, beautician and personal grooming • veterinary appointments • social and recreational outings • visiting family and friends.
We take you anywhere you need to go! What areas do we service? We travel throughout Brisbane South, Logan, Redlands, Ipswich, Beaudesert and the Scenic Rim, Townsville, Cairns, Ingham, Charters Towers and surrounding areas.
How much will it cost? TransitCare is a not-for-profit organisation funded by the Commonwealth and State governments. We charge a small co-payment, depending on the distance travelled.
COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE WITH TRANSITCARE!
INFORMATION AND BOOKINGS For information regarding travel days and times in your area, phone our Contact Centre on 1300 153 636. Visit: www.transitcare.com.au or Email: intake@transitcare.com.au 12494307-SN23-21
WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 9
RECIPES
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Winter warmers from MLA The weather is getting colder every day now and thoughts are turning to more hearty meals. But even if you have more time on your hands these days you don’t want to spent hours cooking. Here are some lamb meals from Meat and Livestock Australia that are easy to prepare but hearty and warming.
ONE POT LAMB STEW Serves: 6 Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 2 hours
· 2 tbsp brown sugar · 2 cups (500ml) coconut water (or beef stock) · Zest and juice of 2 limes, +extra wedges, to
Ingredients 1.2kg boneless piece lamb shoulder, fat trimmed, diced into 5cm pieces 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp ground coriander 1 tbsp cinnamon 2 garlic cloves, crushed
· · · ·
· · · · ·
Method 1. In a large snap lock bag or glass container combine cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic and sugar. Add lamb, season and rub well to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes to marinate. 2. Spray a large casserole dish or heavy based saucepan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Cook lamb, in batches, for 3-4 minutes or until browned all over. Set cooked lamb aside on a plate while completing browning process. Return cooked lamb to dish, add coconut water (or stock) and lime juice. Set over high heat, stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 1 hour. Remove lid,
serve 1 large eggplant, diced into 4cm pieces 2 carrots, peeled, diced into 3cm pieces 175g green beans, cut into thirds 100g baby spinach Steamed jasmine rice, coriander sprigs, natural yoghurt, flaked almonds, toasted, to serve
and simmer, uncovered, for a further 35-40 minutes. Add eggplant and carrot for last 25 minutes and add green beans for last 5 minutes of cooking time. Remove from heat and stir through spinach. Season. 3. Serve lamb with jasmine rice, coriander, yoghurt and lime wedges. Sprinkle with lime zest and almonds. Tips 1. Diced lamb neck, leg or rump would also work well in this recipe. 2. To save time, ask your butcher to dice the shoulder for you into 5cm pieces. 3. Swap spices for a Cajun, Moroccan, Middle Eastern or Tuscan spice mix.
LAMB SHANK PILAF Serves: 4 Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 3 hours Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 4 lamb shanks (approx. 400g each), fat trimmed 2 tbsp mild curry powder 1L salt-reduced beef stock 400g can diced tomatoes 1 red onion, thinly sliced 200g basmati rice 350g butternut pumpkin, peeled, diced into 3cm cubes Method 1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°fan-forced). In a large snap lock bag place half the oil, lamb shanks and curry powder. Season and rub to coat. 2. Heat a large ovenproof casserole dish over medium-high heat and cook shanks, in 2 batches, if necessary, for 8-10 minutes or until browned all over. Add stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Place in the oven for 2-2 ¼ hours or until tender and falling off the bone. Remove shanks from sauce and set aside in a large bowl covered with foil to keep warm. Reserve sauce. 3. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add remaining oil and onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden. Add rice and stir well. Add pumpkin and 4 cups (1 litre) of reserved sauce, stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, 10 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
Serves: 6 Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 80 mins Ingredients 600g lean diced lamb ¼ cup plain flour ¼ cup olive oil 1 brown onion, diced into 1cm pieces 2 carrots, peeled, diced into 1cm pieces 2 stalks celery, diced into 1cm pieces
· · · · · ·
Method 1. Place lamb and flour in a large snap-lock bag. Season, seal and shake well to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavybased saucepan over medium heat. Cook lamb, in batches, for 4-5 minutes or until browned, adding extra oil as needed. Set aside on a plate. 2. Add remaining oil to pan and cook onion, carrot and celery, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion has softened. 3. Return lamb, any juices and potato to pan then add stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves. Bring
· 400g · · · · · ·
desiree potatoes, peeled, diced into 3cm pieces 2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced beef stock ¼ cup tomato paste 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 sprigs thyme 2 bay leaves 250g silverbeet, trimmed, shredded 1 cup frozen peas Parsley leaves, mixed leaf salad, crusty baguette, to serve
to the boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 1hr 15 minutes or until lamb is tender, adding a little extra stock or water, if needed. Stir through silverbeet and peas. Replace lid and set aside for 5 minutes. Season. Remove bay leaves and thyme stalks. 4. Sprinkle lamb stew with parsley and serve with salad leaves and crusty baguette. Tips 1. Add turnips, swedes, green beans or your choice of shredded leafy greens to the stew to mix the vegetables up.
LEMONGRASS BRAISED LAMB SHANKS Jerry Mai shares this delicious lamb shank recipe, infused with Asian flavours. Something the whole family will love.
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 Mins Cooking Time: 35 Mins
· ·
· · · · · ·
IRISH LAMB STEW
·1 ·
small bunch English spinach, trimmed, chopped 1/3 cup dried apricots, finely chopped Toasted pine nuts, chopped, mint sprigs, baby leaf salad, sliced cucumber, lemon wedges, to serve
cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the broth has been absorbed and the rice is tender. You may need to add a little more sauce or stock to the rice throughout the cooking process. Remove from heat and add spinach and apricots. Season, stir well and replace lid for 2 minutes. Place shanks on top of with pilaf and spoon over any remaining sauce. 4. Sprinkle with pine nuts and mint. Serve with baby leaf salad, cucumber and lemon wedges. Tips 1. Either serve the shanks whole on the bone or you can shred the meat off the bone and stir the meat through the pilaf. 2. For a quick version of the pilaf use lamb leg or rump steaks instead of the shanks. 3. You can buy pre-diced pumpkin from most supermarkets or greengrocers to save time.
Ingredients 4 lamb shanks 1 stalk lemongrass, crushed and cut into 5cm lengths 1/2 teaspoon 5 spice powder 6 star anise 1 small quill of cinnamon 3cm knob of ginger, grated 2 tablespoon caster sugar 3 tablespoon fish sauce 2 tablespoon tomato paste Flour, for dusting the shanks
· · · · · · · · · ·
Method 1. Place all the marinade ingredients into medium bowl and mix well. Dust the shanks with a little flour. Heat a medium pan with veg oil, brown the shanks for a couple minutes on each side. Add the shanks and coat with marinade. Leave to marinate for 3 hours or best overnight 2. Place the shanks and marinade in the pressure cooker top with stock, make sure the shanks are covered and clamp the lid. Bring to full pressure, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 25 mins. Turn off the heat and vent immediately 3. Add the carrots, onion and potatoes and clamp the lid. Bring to full pressure, turn the
· 2 carrots, peeled and diced · 2 potatoes, peeled and diced · 3 brown onions, peeled sliced into wedges · 1.5L-2L vegetable stock, ought to cover the · · · ·
shanks 1 bunch coriander, washed and cut into 2cm lengths 1 small red onion, peeled sliced thinly 1 bunch Thai basil, leaves picked 2 large red chillies, sliced angle
heat down to medium and cook for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and vent immediately 4. The shanks should be tender and falling off the bone. Taste the stock add salt if necessary 5. Serve the shanks and veg on some steamed rice and garnish with garnish mix Tips 1. Diced lamb shoulder or lamb leg would also work in place of shanks - a cut that’s good for slow cooking. 2. The potatoes can be swapped for sweet potato for a healthier option. 3. Shanks can also be cooked in a pot simmering on the stove top for 2 to 3 hours.
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TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
Wonder across the border By Tania Phillips Nestled between the glitz of the Gold Coast and the glamour of Byron Bay is the Tweed Shire - set in the lush green valley of an ancient Caldera, this hidden gem is a place of long wide beaches, ancient rain forest and beautiful little villages. Taking the trip down the M1 (now that we can again), the moment you come out of the Tugun tunnel and cross the border you know you’ve come to somewhere just that little different. Still within a short drive of all the attractions of it’s better-known neighbours, Tweed is, if not the undiscovered country, at least a respite from the more touristy regions around it. Whether it be taking long sunset or sunrise walks at Dreamtime Beach in Wommin Bay from Kingscliff to Fingal or taking a leisurely drive out to the Art Deco beauty of Murwillumbah - nestled not far from Wollumbin (Mt Warning) or out to the quaint villages that surround it Tweed has something for everyone. Sticking to the Coast a bike track allows you to explore the villages from Fingal down through Kingscliff and Bogangar to Pottsville, it’s a leisurely trip past beautiful beaches, cafe’s, shops, a tiny but perfectly formed family-run cinema that looks more like a beautiful speak easy than a multiplex, take in the award-winning icecream of Tango Ge-
Enjoy beautiful food and drink and surroundings at Husk Distillary at North Tumbulgum. lato and there is even a place where you can indulge in creating pottery while you sip coffee. Then there are also places where you can just stop and enjoy the whales jumping (at the right time of year) or you could book a tour with Water Sports Gurus to explore the Cudgen creek or head up to Tropical Fruit World for a farm tour or a meal (enjoying a stop at Earth Brewery or Farm Co on the way) With plenty of options for overnight stays from Beachside caravan parks in the middle of towns crammed with award-winning restaurants to clamping facilities at Bogangar and Hastings Point, a myriad of Air BNBs, well-appointed resorts including Mantra and Peppers at Salt south of Kingscliff and
everything in between, the Tweed Coast in particular offers a great place to base yourself for a weekend away. From there you can explore outside the valley but you will find there are is a lot to do in the Tweed Valley. Take a trip down to the riverside village of Tumbulgum where you can enjoy the delicious food of The House of Gabriel or the ambience of the historic hotel, a picnic by the river or head out to the nearby Husk Gin Distillery or book a cruise on the Tweed River. Down river, past the Condong Sugar Mill is Murwillumbah with plenty of riverside dining and the beautiful Tweed River Regional Art Gallery - home to the Margaret Ollie Collection and with a stunning view of the Tweed River.
Check out a movie at the newly renovated historic Regent Cinema or live music at the equally beautiful Citadel. Or drive out to picturesque Tyalgum and enjoy a high tea at Flutterbies or drop into the beautiful historic old Tyalgum Store for a snack and some supplies. If you come back to Murwillumbah through Chillingham (or stay out in some of the Rainforest accommodation out that way) you’ll pass Bucks Farm where you can pick up the Tweed’s own native finger limes. With amazing producers and businesses and natural beauty the Tweed is the perfect place for a mini-break just a few hours from home. Five Things You Must Do On The Tweed according to people who live there! 1. Check out the Tweed Regional Art Gallery on the banks of the beautiful Tweed River at Murwillumbah. 2. Enjoy a Tweed River Cruise. 3. Take a Tour at Tropical Fruit World in the Tweed Coast Hinterland at Duranbah 4. Lunch and champagne at The Oyster Shed, Birds Bay Drive, Tweed Heads West 5. Picnic at the Fingal Lighthouse or Norries Headland at Hastings Point (with food from Hastings Point Store or if you want something a little more up-market contact the award-winning Blue Ginger Picnics).
E M O C L WE TO OUR N O I T I D E FIRSRSTTODAY SENIO BRISBANE
Seniors Today Brisbane is your free local newspaper filled with valuable information relevant to your lifestyle. Printed four times per year, this is your go-to publication designed especially for the 50+ population. We love feedback! Tell us what you think: newsdesk@seniorstoday.com.au Look out for the Spring issue available from August 23rd, 2021. Pick up a copy from your local Seniors Today distribution outlet 12493469-HC23-21
WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 11
TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
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Travel well the easy way With cruises curtailed, international flights off the agenda and tour packages postponed, there’s only one way to travel - and coach tours are on a roll. Fortunately, according to Paul Brockhurst of CT Travel, it’s no longer about bumping along on a bus. He said passengers could now sit back, stretch out and relax in comfort and safety on a modern luxury coach with big windows that open up to the panorama of the passing parade. “We recently had a guest who said he hadn’t realised what he was missing,” Paul said. “He said that while his wife had been admiring the countryside, as the driver, he had spent most of the trip with his eyes glued to the road. He was delighted to be able to relax and enjoy the ride.” And with the current travel restrictions in place, it’s a great way to get out and see the country without stress or having to worry about where to spend the night. Everything is organised as part of the value-packed coach tour itinerary - accommodation, meals, attractions, admissions and, best of all, local connections who can introduce travellers to their part of the world. Paul, who has been in the coach tour industry for 25 years, said coach tours had come into their own for travellers who wanted to explore without the hassle of organising details, finding the
best that locations had to offer, doing the hard slog of driving and then chasing up local tours. “This is a way to really enjoy the adventure as well as the trip,” Paul said. “It is surprising how many people are surprised that an Outback trip, for example, isn’t just miles of the road disappearing into the horizon. Once they have the chance to sit back and actually
look at the landscape, they are well rewarded. “This isn’t just drive and look but being part of an adventure.” Coach travellers also have a chance for a chat and to meet fellow travellers who generally share the same ideals of wanting to get out and about the easy way. It’s a much more companionable way to travel.
But one of the highlights is having an immediate connection with locals and getting the lowdown from those who know. “We always use local guides where we can as these are the people who really know their area and can introduce visitors to the sometimes less well-known features of a destination,” Paul said. “They usually have a good yarn to tell and give guests a local experience where they can really feel part of the adventure and not be someone just passing through and ticking a box on the map.” Whether it’s a short escape to the Gold Coast hinterland, or a longer journey into the Outback, North Queensland, or even Lightning Ridge it’s an opportunity to see it all the easy way. “We value friendship, community and personal, quality experiences,” Paul said. “Our Australian coach tours offer extraordinary experiences from warm sandy beaches and blue skies to scorched red earth and beautiful outback landscapes. All guests have to do is relax and enjoy.” A complete list of tours and itineraries is available on the CT Travel website Bespoke tours can also be planned for groups, clubs and organisations who want to set off adventuring together. Visit www.cttravel.com.au or phone 07 539 11 648
Experience THE BEST THIS COUNTRY has to Offer CT TRAVEL
May 31 - June 6, 2021 (7 Day Tour)
August 10 – 17, 2021 (8 Day Tour)
Carnarvon Gorge & Wallaroo
Tropical North Queensland
Coolum Tours & Travel
Share/Double $2500.00pp / Single $3130.00
Share/Double $3400.00pp / Single $4010.00
June 16 - June 19, 2021 (4 Day Escape)
August 18– 24, 2021 (7 Day Tour)
O’Reillys Retreat & Lions Road
Central West Queensland
Share/Double $1295.00pp / Single $1485.00
Share/Double $3022.00pp / Single $3400.00
July 5 - 15, 2021 (11 Day Tour)
August 26 – September 1, 2021 (7 Day Tour)
South West Queensland Adventure
Carnarvon Gorge & Wallaroo
Share/Double $3975.00pp / Single $4665.00
Share/Double $2500.00pp / Single $3130.00
July 21 - 27, 2021 (7 Day Tour)
September 6-9, 2021 (4 Day Escape)
Lightning Ridge
Fraser Island Whale Watch Tour
ü All Dinners & Breakfasts
Share/Double $2220.00pp / Single $2495.00
Share/Double $1530.00pp / Single $1771.00
ü Most Lunches
July 29 – August 9, 2021 (12 Day Tour)
September 17-20, 2021 (3 Day Escape)
Queensland Outback to Coast
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers
ü Home Pickup & Return*
Share/Double $5129.00pp / Single $5984.00
Share/Double $995.00pp / Single $1095.00
Senior Coach Tours including: ü 5 Star Coach Travel ü All Accommodation
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ü Tours and Entry Fees
12 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
Bookings PHONE (07) 5391 1648 M 0409 278 971 E tours@cttravel.com.au For more detailed itinerary information on any of these tours, please visit our website:
www.cttravel.com.au
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Places to stop and browse. 235324
MALENY WALKABOUT
The colours of Maleny. 235324
Ambling around Maleny By Erle Levey Fresh air and rolling hills, waterfalls and creeks, quiet areas to sit and reflect ... Maleny is all this and more. A blend of whimsy and nostalgia with innovation and culture. At the southern end of the Blackall Range, it is a country town that has retained its identity in the face of the urban spread of Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. With a vibrant art scene, bookshops to browse in, food, music and access to some wonderful bush walks, it is a place where you can feel grounded again, sit and reflect on life away from the hustle of a city. A day on the Range is like stepping into happiness and nostalgia. Where the streets and roads and lanes are beautiful enough to have a walk down - you needn’t be in a forest to have a beautiful hike. The best food, the best op shops, antique stores, and such friendly people. One of my daughter’s favourite stores is Maple & Sage in the Main Street of Maleny. Beautiful cakes and interesting goods; fantastic candles and the sweetest service. A drive through the Range is like going back to a time when people had their doors unlocked and trusted their neighbours, and teenagers wore cargo pants instead of mini skirts. When going for a drive was an activity, not a means to an end. Being in this area makes you feel alive again; a place to visit just to feel ‘like myself’ once more; to tap into my younger me. You can have a picnic on the side of any road and feel like you’re in an Enid Blyton book. The properties are gorgeous no matter how new or old or big or small. And a walk pretty much anywhere along Obi Obi Road at Mapleton is a cure for any bad mood; and a little secret, best done towards sunset and with a loop of Mapleton Falls at the end of the day.
The perfect spot for a picnic. 235324
Stop and browse. 235324
Maple St, Maleny. 235324 Then there is Kondalilla Falls at Flaxton to explore, especially during the dry time of winter, and Gardners Falls at Maleny is a good place to cool down on a hot day. The area around Maleny was originally populated by the Nalbo and the Dallambara - two aboriginal tribes of the Gubbi Gubbi language group - and was known for its feasts when the giant bunya tree was in fruit. The first European to document Maleny was the explorer Ludwig Leich-
hardt who describes the area in his travel diary in 1844. The Tesch brothers established a timber mill at Witta in 1917 The first European settlement followed in the wake of the Gympie gold rush of 1867. A day in the Range is the best activity for a day out with a friend; stopping at Maleny Food Co for the finest cheeses, and an ice cream. Rummaging among the bits and pieces at an antique or
vintage treasures store. Enjoying a hot bowl of pumpkin soup for lunch with a couple of slices of sourdough bread. Maleny offers the rust colours of autumn leaves, the stark bare branches of winter, then the jacaranda and silky oak blossoms of spring. The two huge hand-crafted timber doors opening to the Maleny Community Centre serve as a hint at the past and an indication of what’s in the future. Continue page 14 WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 13
MALENY WALKABOUT SENIORSTODAY.COM.AU
At home on the Blackall Range. 235324
The Glasshouse Mountains from Maleny. 235324
A change of pace. 235324
The hand-carved timber doors at the Maleny Community Centre. 235324
The Glasshouse Mountains from Mountain View Road. 235324
Backboard menu at Maleny. 235324
Jacarandas in November at Maleny. 235324
Boardwalks through rainforest areas. 235324
Delicacies on Maple Street. 235324
A bend in the road at Maleny. 235324
Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Discvery Centre. 235324
From page 13 The community has been owned and run by the community of Maleny for more than 100 years and works collaboratively with many other community organisations to provide social and cultural amenity in the region. The hand-carved 4m by 4m local red cedar “wootha” entry doors are an example of the effort that goes into making Maleny such a liveable community. From farming and timber backgrounds to the present-day co-operative store and alternate lifestyle, Maleny offers old-fashioned values together with modern attitudes and visions. Maleny Folk Festival was born in the back room of the local hotel but the event quickly outgrew its original venue of the Maleny Showgrounds and became Woodford Folk Festival .. one of the biggest and best known in the country.
Instead of falling into the trend in the ‘80s of becoming a dormitory town for the rapidly expanding coastal areas Maleny retained its identity ... the character represents so many Australian country towns but the cultural activity sets its diary. There’s a hospital and medical services, high school and golf course. The old butter factory is now a solar energy hub. The library is another community focus. Just out of town is Maleny Dairies, an award-winning, family owned and operated business, that has been bottling milk for two decades. There are tours of the dairy six days a week. For spectacular views of the Glasshouse Mountains, the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve is essential. It’s ideal for a picnic but also to find out more about the ecology of the area
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and the history. The much-awarded discovery centre responds directly to the magnificent views to the Glasshouse Mountains to the south and an old growth remnant rainforest to the north. The wonderful design and construction of the centre helps tell the story of the land and the indigenous people who have links going back thousands and thousands of years. And you can immerse yourself on a weaving journey through the rainforest boardwalk. Mary Cairncross is a wonderful legacy, brought about by Mabel Thynne who was born in 1874, the third child and eldest daughter of Andrew Joseph Thynne and his wife Mary Williamina Cairncross. The land had been divided into three farms for their son Ted; son Andrew;
and for Mabel and her sister Kate together. Throughout the 1930s there were attempts to have their area of scrub preserved for posterity. The value for wildlife and for tourism was increasingly obvious. Mabel asked the Council if the entire Landsborough Shire could be made a bird sanctuary, but was refused. Finally a solution was reached. Mabel handed over the scrub and the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve became a reality in October 1941, held In trust by the Landsborough Shire Council, now the Sunshine Coast Regional Council. It is because of the Thynne family that the reserve is here today. If you love walking and hiking and nature most of all, or simply ambling along lanes and pathways, the Range offers that in spades.
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TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
Crackling fires and beauty By Tania Phillips History, natural wonders and the novelty of four seasons, Tenterfield in Northern NSW is a beautiful holiday spot, the gateway to the New England region of NSW and just an easy and scenic drive away. While it has plenty to offer in all seasons -particularly in the golden leafed splendor of autumn, winter is something special in Tenterfield. It’s a town that has done it tough in recent years thanks to fires, drought and border closures but it is a town that has managed to maintain a warm welcoming country feel – even (or especially) in the cooler months. Coming into winter you can find a warm, crackling woodfire in most of the historic towns cafe’s, restaurants and pubs and with a plethora of motels and hotels through the centre of the township as well camping grounds and boutique accommodation which includes beautiful old buildings renovated for to provide the perfect weekend getaway (including Commercial Boutique hotel an art deco building and the luxury accommodation of the beautifully restored old Council Chambers) there is something for everyone and every budget. But the best thing about Tenterfield, though it feels like another world, it really is not that far away – only three and a half hours from the centre of
Tenterfield Saddler. Brisbane. Even that journey is part of the holiday if you take the scenic Mt Lindsay Highway stretching from Brisbane out through Beaudesert down to Rathowdowney and across the border past Woodenbong to where the Tenterfield shire starts.
The Mt Lindsay road is an attraction in itself, a beautiful scenic route with places to stay and things to see along the way. Take time to check out the old Cobb and Co coach on display at Liston – fully enclosed with information boards.
And of course as well as lots of quaint little villages dotted along the road, the Mt Lindsay road is the gateway to three of the region’s main national parks Bald Rock, Boonoo Boonoo and Basket Swamp. Basket Swamp and Boonoo Boonoo falls are currently at their best, both are full of water and are expected to remain that way for a chunk of the year thanks heavy summer rains. And while Bald Rock may not be achievable for the less fit of us, a walk at Boonoo Boonoo falls maybe an easy option with a 600m bitumen walk with handrails from the carpark to a beautiful viewing platform with stunning views over the gorge. Take a drive down the Mt Makenzie tourist drive – tourist drive number nine, taking in Kildare Road and Mt McKenzie Road. The lookout from Mt McKenzie allows tourists to get a birdseye view of Tenterfield before they reach the town. Tenterfield is the gatepost to the beautiful New England High Country choosing to come in from the gorgeous wineries of Stanthorpe – you can start your trip with a stop off at Border town Jennings -have a bite at the local pub and put one foot in Qld and NSW before making your way down to Tenterfield or drive out to some of the many little regional villages to find hidden gems like 2 Wild Souls Meadery at Torrington. Continued on page 16
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WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 15
From page 15 One of the other big key drawcards of a visit to Tenterfield is the history and heritage. Who hasn’t heard the classic Peter Allen song Tenterfield Saddler – the story of Allen’s grandfather. His old shop, where he was saddler for 52 years, sits on High Street – filled with memoriabilia including plenty to see for the Peter Allen fan. This little slice of history is open every day except for Monday. Also for the history buff, you could take a wander down to the Tenterfield Railway Museum, staffed by friendly volunteers, it is open every day except Monday and Tuesday. The Centenary Cottage museum in an old workers cottage in Logan Street, is also worth a visit during your stay in the town. But the absolute must-see is the Sir Henry Parkes School of Arts Museum which incidentally also houses the local cinema offering discounting movies every Tuesday while on Friday evenings they have partnered with Our Place Wine and Expresso Bar across the road offering a discount and a discounted movie ticket if you book for dinner. The museum itself is a fascinating look into Australia’s past and it’s journey to Nationhood. Henry Parkes is known as the Founding Father of Federation – giving his famous Tenterfield Oration in the town in 1889 to kick-start the push for Federation. The museum is centred on the banquet room and table where he gave that famous speech. If you like your history to be living, head to Wood Street to see the Old Cork Tree which locals believe is the largest cork tree in Australia. Planted in 1861 it has never had it’s cork harvest so it has been sitting their growing for a long time – a beautiful specimen of nature it’s a tourist favourite. Not bad for a tree which came to the town in a jam jar from England and has been growing in Wood Street ever since flourishing in the New England Climate. But that’s the lovely thing about Tenterfield, it’s a very different landscape to what we are used to close to the coast – beautiful granite country taking you back to the time of bushrangers like Captain Thunderbolt, who had a lair near the town which is accessible off the Mt Lindsay Road and well signposted. Tenterfield offers something for everyone – a chance to reconnect with nature, slow down your pace and immerse in history, country living and just sit by a crackling fire with a good book and your favourite tipple.
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And then sometimes - if you’re lucky - it snows in Tenterfield.
Welcome to Tenterfield.
Bluff Rock.
The Bungalow B&B & Ivy Leaf Chapel
Come and stay in the old-world charm of this 1915 historic property in Tenterfield.
The B&B has 1.5 acres of beautifully landscaped, tranquil gardens with fragrant lavenders and sculptured hedges. Relax in front of the warmth of the fireplace in winter. Your hostess, Kim, will ensure your stay is perfect. 141 Miles Street Tenterfield, New South Wales, 2372 428 669 121 | ivyleafchapel@gmail.com
A uniquely relaxing getaway 16 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
Pictures: MADELEINE JONES
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TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
12495428-JW21-21
Offers luxury accommodation overlooking Mt McKenzie for singles, couples and groups; only a few kilometres from the centre of Tenterfield. Enjoy the serenity of Tenterfield’s newest Premier Guesthouse with a group of friends and enjoy a 20% discount for your next group holiday away!
Code: Seniors Today *Minimum stay 2 nights
For more Information please visit www.carpediemguesthouse.com.au or call 0492 871 747
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TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
DON’T MISS...............................
Boonoo Boonoo falls - looking good after the summer rains.
Boonoo Boonoo Falls The view from the Boonoo Boonoo Falls Lookout is like a scene straight out of Jurassic Park – find the falls About a 40 minute drive north of Tenterfield off the Mount Lindesay Highway, you’ll find Boonoo Boonoo (pronounced Bunna Bunnoo) National Park, accessible via Boonoo Boonoo Falls Road. Once off the main highway, the road is dirt but it’s well graded. Drive until you reach the carpark at the end of the road, with a toilet, picnic tables, and two gas BBQs in an undercover area. Bald Rock National Park A trip to Tenterfield isn’t quite complete without a visit to Bald Rock National Park. For those up for a vertically inclined challenge, the Bald Rock Summit Walk heads up the rockface of the largest granite monolith in the southern hemisphere – guaranteed to get the heart pumping.The park is easily accessible via Mt Lindesay Road, about 30km north of Tenterfield. Upon arrival, there is a carpark area, picnic tables and toilets – all close by to the start of the walking tracks. Bushfire tore through Bald Rock National Park in 2019 and destroyed most of the vegetation, but it’s a particularly beautiful time to visit the park during its regeneration. It also means parts of the park and granite outcrops are now more visible. Bald Rock rises dramatically from the horizon at almost 1300 metres above sea level. Tenterfield Saddlery Immortalized by Peter Allen in honour of his grand father George the Saddlery’s history began in 1858, when one of the original graziers in the region, Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson, purchased the land that the saddlery sits
on for 32 pounds 10 shillings. Sir Stuart was the owner of Tenterfield Station, after which the town was eventually named, and went on to become the first Premier of New South Wales. In 1870, it was sold to Charles Pavel, the first saddler, for 34 pounds. He then sold it to the Australian Joint Stock Bank in 1874. The old building was perfect for use as a bank as the granite walls were over 20 inches thick. From 1895-1897 the building was a private home, before being sold to the town’s second saddler, Dan Egan. George Woolnough, Allen’s grandfather, became the next saddler to trade from the building in 1908. Following George’s retirement in 1860, a further two saddlers followed, Ted Daly and Trevor Gibson. The National Trust of Australia classified the Tenterfield Saddlery in 1972. Apart from maintenance, the saddlery is in its original condition and houses memorabilia and leather goods. The Sir Henry Parkes School of Arts Another must-see the School of Arts offers a fresh and exciting approach to Australian history, culture and environment, with a focus on Federation. Stories of Australia’s history are told through exciting and innovative displays and the museum features the Banquet Hall, where Sir Henry Parkes delivered his famous Federation speech in 1889. A display of memorabilia from Parkes’ personal life, including a compelling portrait by Julian Ashton, ivory carvings and journals are situated in the Parkes Gallery. The School of Arts is owned by the National Trust, and in 1957 was the first building in NSW to be gifted to the trust by an act of parliament.
Thunderbolt’s Hideout, Tenterfield.
Looking down over the town of Tenterfield.
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SAVE
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Mt Mackenzie.
Picture: CAT FOOD TACO
29,30 & 31 OCTOBER 2021
1 HUGE WEEKEND! meet the artists • workshops • demonstrations • street art 12495446-JW20-21
This has been assisted by ‘Grants to the Community’ funding from the Southern Downs Regional Council
AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET CREATIVE & HAVE A GO!
gbart.org.au gb.art.trail@gmail.com WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 17
TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
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Heritage Estate Winery By Jess Baker Cottonvale’s Heritage Estate Wines has received the prestigious James Halliday RED-5-Star winery rating for 2021, placing it in the top eight per cent of wineries in Australia. Five red stars represent the highest possible rating of any winery in the country, and indicate that Heritage Estate consistently produces wines of exemplary quality and typicity. The small winery has been well respected in Queensland’s Granite Belt area since its establishment in 1990, and has received numerous awards for its elegant yet powerfully flavoured wines – most notably, it has achieved 5-Star ratings from James Halliday for five years. Co-owner of Heritage Estate Therese Fenwick said the winery’s run of success is no stroke of luck, but the result of years of hard work and refinement. “Our brilliant winemaker John Handy has been here since boyhood, and winemaker for 16 years… he’s extremely passionate, dedicated and so clever,” Therese said. “Our goal as owners of Heritage Estate is to maintain the high-quality wines produced here.” After all, it was “just that Heritage Shiraz” that convinced them to uproot their lives in the Sunshine Coast and relocate to the Granite Belt in the first place.
The Estate’s award-winning wines are produced using grapes from two vineyards, located at Cottonvale and Ballandean. Heritage uses grapes from their highaltitude Cottonvale vineyard to produce beautiful, distinctive white wines like Chardonnay, Fiano, Pinot Gris, Marsanne and Savagnin and grapes from their Ballandean vineyard, which includes 60-year-old “Old Vine Shiraz”, to produce smooth, deep reds. “We’re the highest altitude Halliday RED-5-Star winery in Australia,” Therese said. “The high altitude creates the cool climate which produces fruit driven, elegant and balanced wines.” Since purchasing the winery two years ago, Therese and Robert Fenwick have worked tirelessly to deliver experiences that leave lasting impressions for their valued customers. Robert and Therese host gourmet ‘Nips and Nosh’ lunches at the venue every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, where guests can enjoy an exquisite five-course menu prepared by international chef Sharah-Bree paired with five 5-Star Heritage Estate wines. Monthly ‘5-Senses’ degustation dinners – with tastes of wines, smells of exclusive ‘Nez du Vin’ aromas, sights of silent movies, sounds of a live string ensemble, and a touch of class – are also
Heritage Estate is renowned for its award-winning wines and unique dining experiences. Picture: HERITAGE ESTATE WINES immensely popular at Heritage Estate. The 70-year-old apple store venue exudes charm and elegance with a yesteryear atmosphere of antique furniture, moody lighting and a warm open
fire, making it an ideal destination for special occasions. Heritage Estate Wines: call 07 4685 2197 or visit www.heritageestate.wine/ events/
Tantalise your Tastebuds!
Celebrate chef prepared, fine food and powerful, flavourful 5 star wines, by the roaring fires. From Amuse-bouche (bite-sized hors d’œuvres), through seafood and game courses, to decadent desserts, you’ll find a dinner your family and friends will love. Cover includes champagne on arrival, 7 courses and matching wines.
Ph:4685 2197
HERITAGE ESTATE WINERY
$170PP 19th June/24th July/28th August 18th September @ 6:00pm - 10:00pm CLASSICAL QUARTET www.heritageestatewine/event/5-sensesdegustation-dinner-heritage-estate-winery-may/
747 Granite Belt Drive, Cottonvale 12495437-JW20-21
18 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
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EKKA 2021
A lifetime love of shows show in Qld. We had a hiatus last year, we’re back on track (and I spent half of last night getting all the sponsorship proposals out). “I do a lot of the administrative side of that. One thing led to another and I came on to the management committee of the Gatton Show Society which I’m still a member of. Through that I was asked to judge a junior rural ambassador competition – I was the guest speaker at that.” He said someone saw him talk he was asked to do an administrative operational review of Queensland Ag shows and again one thing led to another and suddenly he had his dream job. “That was the funniest interview that I didn’t have because when I handed in my report they said “do you want a job?” “I was blissfully enjoying semi-retirement as it was and the rest as they say is history. I’ve been there just over two years now.” He said his professional training as a CPA has certainly helped. “I did my degree part-time because I worked in a family business that we closed in 2015. “But I always believed the accounting experience I was getting in a small family business wasn’t enough so I looked to get experience outside. I became the venue accountant at the 82 Commonwealth Games held in Brisbane. That then led to me being the treasurer of the Qld Badminton association for 17 years which lead to me being the delegate from Badminton to the Qld Olympic Council, the Qld Commonwealth Games Association.” From there he became involved with the Qld Olympic council for 20 years ending as secretary general for a number of years but his focus in the past year in particularly has been on making sure Qld shows – which he believes are important parts of both the Qld economy as a whole and the economy and life of each town they are held in.
By Tania Phillips Trevor Beckingham believes he has his dream job – a job he thinks he was probably, if not born to do, then one he has definitely spent a lifetime preparing for. He’s the General Manager of the Queensland Chamber of Agricultural Societies – a job that calls on all of his previous experience with shows, as an accountant and with the Queensland Olympic Committee and the sport of Badminton. He has devoted his life to service to the Brisbane and Queensland communities – something he earned an Order of Australia Medal for back in 2013 for service “to the community of Queensland through contributions to accountancy and business associations, to representative sport and to agriculture”. But for the man, who’s family gifted him a trip to go to shows in the UK for a milestone birthday, Agricultural shows are (other than his family) his big love. And while it is his dream job being GM of the Queensland Chamber has been challenging of late – travelling all over the State and helping to create Covid safe plans so his beloved shows can return. But though he says it’s all come at a time when he expected to be slowing down and looking to retire, you know he wouldn’t swap it for the world. “It’s all been there almost on the peripheral,” he said of his love of Agricultural Societies and shows of all shapes and sizes. “My grandfather was an avid jersey breeder back in the day and he had a Jersey stud out at Aspley and he used to exhibit at Royal Queensland Show. “The birthday gift he gave to all his grand children is that on their 10th birthday they got to sleep a night at EKKA. “In my case the rest, as they say, is history because I was then hooked,” he laughed. “When he stopped exhibiting which
It’s Ekka time again - a favourite time of year for showman Trevor Beckingham. wasn’t long after my tenth birthday there was a guy who used work for him that helped out at shows and he said I’m working for somebody now who’s really looking for a young fellow to help us out. “So I started 50 years ago - full-time assisting people show their cattle and have spent – well I worked out – one physical year of my life has spent living on the Exhibition grounds. Although I live in Brisbane I used to move into the showgrounds and live there to look after the cattle and that mean’s one things led to another which means I got tied up with the jersey cattle Society. There was then a breakaway group called the Queensland Jersey Breeders I was the secretary Treasurer for that for about 10 years. “But in the meantime my exhibiting experience came under the eye of a couple of councillors at the RNA who said we’re looking for an assistant Dairy
Superintendent to eventually go on to become the Dairy Superintendent so I spent seven years in the daily superintendent’s office at the Royal Qld Show. “That kind of all ended when I busted some drug cheats in a big raid back in 2004. Made world news – udder cheats busted.” From there chatting to exhibitors at the EKKA on show nights – he and a group of others realized that the EKKAs days with dairy cows were numbered. “We decided to do something about it – not in opposition to Ekka but something to give the exhibitors another alternative so we looked around and came up with Gatton as being a likely candidate,” Trevor explained. “We gave ourselves a ten-year target to become the largest dairy show in Queensland and achieved it after seven – 2019 was our 10th year and by that stage we had been the largest dairy
Ekka 2021 at a glance Ekka at a glance Visit the Spotlight Arts & Cookery precinct in the upper Royal International Convention Centre, showcasing everything from cakes to quilts and knitting. You might also pick up some tips and tricks at the demonstration stage Get some gardening inspiration by checking out the horticultural displays and veggie gardens in the Flower and Garden precinct in the lower Royal International Convention Centre Enjoy the community bands on Gourmet Plaza performing music styles from jazz to rock See the work of local designers in the iconic Natural Fibres Fashion Parades presented by Channel Seven Take a look at the competitions in the Main Arena from beef cattle to horses See the clever canines being judged
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in the Black Hawk Canine Pavilion – they’re always a highlight! Watch in awe at the strength of the axemen and women in the Woodchop and Sawing Competition at the Woodchop Arena Take your seat in the Main Arena in the early evening for the vintage speedcars and EkkaNITES night show including a spectacular fireworks display The show will open on Saturday (August 7) and close on the following Sunday (August 15) running for nine days instead of 10. It will maintain two full weekends and the Ekka public holiday and will save the RNA significant operational costs, ensuring a cost-effective approach in their comeback year Some of the major competitions will be featured in new locations. The Old Museum will be rested in 2021 with the flower and garden precinct relocated to the Agricultural Hall,
while the Quilts competition will become part of the new Spotlight Arts & Cookery precinct located upstairs in the Royal International Conven-
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tion Centre for the first time Our canine competition will move to Expo Place, near the popular RACQ Animal Nursery WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 19
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HISTORY
Infamous bushranger Captain Thunderbolt was known to frequent the areas in and around the Granite Belt, as historian ROBERT MacMAURICE explains.
Thunderbolt strikes fear Captain Thunderbolt died in 1870. Thunderbolt was known to have performed a number of robberies around Warwick and the area now known as Stanthorpe and further south, before he was surprised and shot on the 25 May 1870 by Constable Alexander Walker near Uralla in New South Wales. Captain Thunderbolt was the alias for Frederick Ward, who was born in Windsor, New South Wales, in 1835. He started his working life as a drover and horse breaker at Tocal Station on the Paterson River. It wasn’t long before his life of crime began and he was jailed in 1856 for stealing seventy-five horses. He was sentenced to 10 years hard labour on Cockatoo Island, but given a conditional release in 1860. Frederick Ward soon returned to a life of crime and was jailed again in 1861. He escaped in 1863 and from that time until his death he lived on the run and committed robberies, with the adopted name of Captain Thunderbolt. From 1865 onwards after a “shoot out” with police near Gunnedah he concentrated on robbing the mail coaches in the New England area. A number of Thunderbolt’s activities are identifiable with the Stanthorpe area, though he was more usually further south. These are some of the incidents that occurred around this area. During March 1868, a group of Wirth’s German musicians were robbed by Thunderbolt and a boy, about 20 kilometres on the New South Wales side of Maryland Station. The four musicians were returning home after playing at the Tenterfield races. The two at first passed the musicians, but then wheeled around and presented a loaded revolver and called upon the musicians to dismount. Their pockets were rifled and 16 pounds taken. When the bandmaster complained that, that money represented the takings of several days playing, Thunderbolt is said to have replied that he didn’t care. He further stated that if it was his own brother he would take the money. Thunderbolt then apparently took the names and addresses of the musicians and promised to return the money to them if he found better takings along the road. Subsequent versions of this story have it that Thunderbolt asked the band to play The Blue Danube Waltz” along with a few other favourites of his. After some time of playing Thunderbolt is then said to have complimented the band and then given them their money back. This and other variations make it difficult to know what the truth is, but the first version above was reported within days of the robbery and is probably more reliable. Mr Hart is described as the ration carrier from Maryland Station. He was robbed close to home in March 1868 also. Mr Hart had been to the Tenterfield races with his horse Minstrel and was carrying 155 pounds, which was the
A Captain Thunderbolt statue was erected in Uralla in 1988 as a Bicentennial project.
The infamous Captain Thunderbolt. proceeds from his gains at the races. Thunderbolt also decided to take Mr Hart’s horse and when he complained to Thunderbolt of being just a poor man who had come into a bit of luck at the races Thunderbolt gave him five pounds back. Again there are variations in the telling of this incident in later reports. In one his name is reported as Pell and in another his name is Fell. Significantly, Thunderbolt is not recorded as returning the money to the musicians even though he had found his larger pickings. About March 1867 Thunderbolt is said to have visited Canning Downs presenting his card as a well-heeled squatter. He was received by Mr Wildash and put up for the night. Thunderbolt handed his saddle horse, saddle and valise to his “groom” with instructions that they were to be ready at 8 o’clock in the morning to continue his journey to New England. In the morning however Mr Wildash’s visitor was already travelling along with a number of thoroughbreds from Canning Downs Station. Mr Wildash, however, did recover the
horse that Thunderbolt had left in his apparent haste. This horse was mated with Pioneer (imp.) and the resulting filly was named, Kerosene. Kerosene was purchased as a yearling, by Mr Harry Mitchell of Sandy Creek, Warwick, and raced once without distinction, on the 26 June 1867. Kerosene was later mated with Tamerlane and she produced a bay filly, which Mitchell named, Empress. Empress had a very impressive track record during the 1880s and also went on to produce a line of successful gallopers. The Mitchell family are one of the most successful families on the Queensland turf. All the result of an unusual visitor! There are other brief records of alleged sightings or meetings with Captain Thunderbolt. One manager of a bank, a Mr Stanley Spark, claims that he was riding near Tenterfield with several thousand pounds in notes in his saddle bag. He was accosted by Thunderbolt, who did not rob him, but simply rode along with him to have a chat. On another occasion Thunderbolt held up a group of clergymen, but re-
frained from stealing from them, when he realised they were clergymen. Others have reported being visited at their houses, or camps by Thunderbolt, and he simply sought their company and a meal. One of these was Mrs Ellen Brosnan, who lived at Maryland. Another was Mr W. Urben at Acacia Creek near Killarney. On this latter occasion Thunderbolt asked Mr Urben what he would do if he ever met Thunderbolt. Mr Urben replied that he would get his shot gun off the wall and shoot the rotter! When Thunderbolt announced that he was in fact that man, Mr Urben got up and shook his hand. Having spent a most pleasant evening with him, he described Thunderbolt as one of the finest fellows he had ever met! Even in the years following Thunderbolt’s death there continued to be reports about his latest robbery, or that he had been committed to trial. There certainly were other aspirants to Thunderbolt’s “fame,” but all appear to have had very short careers. WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 21
TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
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The Boardwalk at Little Cove
The glorious delights of By Erle Levey Warm water, warm air and the sound of cicadas in the trees. Tropical was overdone. On our first visit to Noosa in the ‘70s we surfed until late in the afternoon. Until the sun sank like a fiery red ball behind the mast and spars of the yacht moored 100 metres or so away in the shelter of Laguna Bay. The first thing we notice this time, at the start of our coastal walk from Noosa Head to Caloundra Head, was how the sand has built up inside First Point, creating a clean surf break ... even at Little Cove and at the national park. The beaches have seen so much change over the years, from deep erosion caused by cyclonic storms to the sand pumping and replenishment programs. They play such an important part of Australian life ... whether feeling the sand between your toes or the sun on your skin, the exhilarating freshness of salt water and the physical well-being from swimming. 22 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
The view from Noosa Head looking south towards Sunshine Beach and Coolum Beach. The beach is where everyone can go. It reflects our egalitarian nature. And the beachfront carpark allows anyone and everyone, especially those with a disability, to sit and enjoy the beach. From here you can take the 200 steps to Upper Hastings Street or choose the boardwalk that hugs the coastline
past First Point. Keep a look out for koalas, as you can sometimes see them during the day asleep in the fork of a eucalypt tree. The beauty of Noosa unfolds before us, and it is protected from the southerly change that has been around for a couple of days. Little Cove is one of those places you
fall in love with at first glance. A gentle sea breeze, the luminescent blue-green colour of the water, the filtered glimpses of the ocean and Noosa’s North Shore through the trees. Not wide, open views. Subtle. A beautiful blend of light and shade. Heading towards the national park entrance, there’s a group of young people taking a selfie from the last point before the gate. I tell them that was the spot one of the great surfing photos was taken, in the 1960s - by John Witzig and it was of Bob McTavish beside an FX Holden with a perfect line-up of waves in the background. On the corner opposite, where Coco’s restaurant once stood, is now a new residential development. And you can grab a coffee at the information centre inside the park itself. The Noosa Wave. Wasn’t that the name of the take-away shop just outside the national park gates ... the one we used to get a hamburger and a milk shake from in the 1970s?
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TRAVEL
Noosa Heads Main Beach looking towards First Point.
Ti-Tree Bay.
The seclusion of Little Cove.
Noosa National Park Take the time to sit here beneath gum trees and the pandanus palms. Rest and reflect on those who have been here long before as well as the times we have enjoyed in what would have to be one of the most interesting places you could imagine. Respect the environment... the plants, the birds, the animals. Respect the dreamtime spirits. I remember television and radio presenter Hamish McDonald speaking at an Australian Institute of Architects evening. He reminded us that the welcome to country dates back thousands of years. It shows respect, not to enter someone’s home until invited. It’s also a chance to build relationships, share knowledge. After all, our land is our heritage. As a journalist, McDonald said, we look for pictures. No matter where, among the first things we notice is the buildings. The homes, the churches. We see inside those places.
They give shape to the place, identity to the people. They give shape to the place, identity to the people. Our buildings tell the story of our place. This is a place of optimism. Exciting, bold and adventurous. We need to acknowledge the diversity of the people who call this place home. They provide so much inspiration for what makes this country. And this pathway through Noosa National Park is one of the best you could wish for. It leads past so many coves and beaches, rock pools and cliffs. Through all shades of green as the trees at times form canopies and at other times it weaves among open native grassland. The first few kilometres are wheelchair friendly but not after that. There are toilets and some drinking water at the start and at Ti-Tree Bay but beyond that you need to carry your own water. Ti-Tree was such an exotic surfing
spot for young surfers in the ‘60s. Away from Main Beach, First Point, Johnsons and National. The Boiling Pot, Dolphin Point, Fairy Pools and Granite Bay are some of the landmarks. Then you come to Noosa Head itself and Hells Gate was where you could come face to face with the extreme elements ... the glorious days and those filled with cyclonic conditions. The headland is bold, exposed, rugged. The ocean is deep blue. There is the stunted growth of trees and grasses. And in the background, the bushland bird song. Writing in Surfing World in 1967, surfer Dr Robert Spence captured what it must have been like to experience the full force of nature. “Australia Day weekend in 1967, Cyclone Dinah swung down the coast from Townsville. “By January 29 it was 60-80km off Noosa Head. “Giant waves exploding against the cliffs at Noosa Head and Hells Gate. “The twisted wash off Hells Gate
steered the mountain of water into the air. “There was time for us to yell a warning to one another then throw ourselves against the trunks of trees as the lip of the wave exploded in the cyclone twenty feet over our heads.’’ From here, you drop down to the curve of beach at Alexandria Bay, but the conditions here can sometimes be dangerous for swimming. This is the 4.5km mark. Then the path continues up over a headland and on to North Sunshine Beach. Stone steps lead down to the sand. Look up the steep sand dunes to some exceptional houses. Sunshine Beach village is a further 1.3km. It has been an 8km walk in one hour 40 minutes of moving time ... but add half hour for a cup of tea and sandwich. Longer if you have a swim. It’s a journey well worth taking. I had forgotten how good it can be. Visit Adventure Sunshine Coast for detailed information on various sections of the Coastal Pathway. WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 23
TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
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A taste of paradise Located only metres from the pristine Noosa River on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast, Noosa Lakes Resort provides a relaxing resort environment with a number of great room options and three of Noosa’s largest lagoon swimming pools. Noosa Lakes Resort is one of the few places that can boast such an amazing location, being surrounded by water and within easy walking distance to the best Noosa has to offer. Situated on seven landscaped acres by the shores of Lake Doonella, the resort is just 150 metres across the road from the Noosa Marina and only minutes away from the bustling hub of Noosaville and world renowned Hastings Street, Main Beach and Noosa National Park. Find Noosa Lakes Resort at 3 Hilton Tce Tewantin Noosa, call on 5447 1400. Offer excludes peak seasons and is subject to availability.
Passionate about pasta Located in Noosaville, Pasta Pronto has been established since 1997 and remains a favourite among locals and visitors alike. They offer dine-in and takeaway and are passionate about creating authentic Italian dishes. Pasta Pronto pride themselves on using only the finest ingredients in their delicious pasta dishes, gourmet pizzas, salads and desserts. Vegan and gluten free options are also available on the menu. The restaurant also serves fine Italian coffee and have a wide selection of drinks to accompany the meal. Visitors can BYO wine for a small corkage fee of $5 per person. Recognised for excellence with numerous awards and inducted into the coveted Hall of Fame, the restaurant has a long-standing reputation for excellence and quality of service. They are open Monday to Saturday for dinner. Come in and try their delicious pizzas and pastas or order online from their takeaway menu. They look forward to cooking for you! Visit at 251 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville, or call 07 5448 0522.
Fantastic food & absolute waterfront! RECOMMENDED BY NOOSA LOCALS. Maisie’s Seafood & Steakhouse is open from 11:30am to 2:30pm for Lunch, from 5:30pm to late for Dinner and open till late for Takeaway. Last booking for Lunch is 2:00pm and for Dinner it is 8:30pm. maisies.com.au 5449 7497
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Woodfired Pizza | Delicious Pasta Italian Fine Coffee Fresh, Authentic Italian Pasta Made Daily, Using Only The Finest Quality Ingredients. Dine in or Takeaway Open Mon-Sat 5.30pm - late
Contact the Resort directly to book this exclusive offer. 3 Hilton Tce Tewantin Noosa 5447 1400 www.noosalakesresort.com.au reservations@noosalakesresort.com.au
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Offer includes a late check out of 11am and a bottle of bubbles on arrival. Guests at Noosa Lakes Resort also exclusively receive 10% off selected restaurants and retailers at the Noosa Marina.
since 1993 251 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville pastaprontonoosa.com.au 12494561-AV23-21
24 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
07 5448 0522
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TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE
A right to be grumpy By Tania Phillips Baby Boomer women get a bad rap according to author Amanda Hampson. And Amanda would know because the bestselling author of The Olive Sisters, Sixty Summers, The Yellow Villa, The French Perfumer and the forthcoming Lovebirds not only writes about them - most importantly she is one. “I’m 66 I was born in 1954 I was a teen of the ‘60s and I continue to write for my age group,” the New Zealand born novelist said. “When I wrote my first novel The Olive Sisters I wrote from the point of view of a 51 year old because there are many details that you can express about your age group that you cannot know unless you are living it. Unless you have lived out a life experience. “Women who are baby boomers, we get a lot of bad press. “We’re either little old ladies or Karen’s or whatever but we have gone through the most massive change, changes in women’s aspirations, going from being engaged and being married even changes to learning to write. When I learned to write at school it was with a pen and inkwell and here we are - I’m very keen on technology, I’m always doing new things - downloading apps etc. “We’ve gone through two waves of feminism, by my age we’ve gone
Amanda Hampson through marriage and death and children, careers and all sorts or things. “But we are treated as if we have always been old. “It really annoys me. “It’s as if we have nothing to offer and if you’re too push you - your bossy.” She said women her age didn’t grow up dancing the foxtrot they were teens
in the ‘60s listening to Janice Joplin and Led Zeplin. “So I’m very keen represent in fiction women of my generation,” Amanda said. “When I wrote Love Birds one of the driving things behind my character Elizabeth is that when we first meet her she seems a little bit grumpy and disconnected from people around her.
“She’s just lost her best friend, her oldest friend who had been her friend since she was a child, has died. “Then as we go on we go back and we meet her when she’s 10, when she’s 15, in her twenties and we actually see how she became the woman she is now. So at that same time she has all these struggles, her family is a little bit fractured and you can see she’s kind of got on the wrong side of people. “She has a daughter-in-law who is estranged for reasons that become apparent and hasn’t seen her grandson, who is 15 for a year. He gets in trouble and she decides to take him on a road trip to find her husband Ray who was the love of her life and she hasn’t seen for thirty years. He had gone bush 30 years ago and as the story unfolds we are kind of taken into scenes of their lives to find out it all happens. “I wanted to show people why we get so grumpy when we’re older, it’s because we’ve been through a lot of crap.” Amanda Hampson grew up in rural New Zealand. She spent her early twenties travelling, finally settling in Australia in 1979 where she now lives in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Writing professionally for more than 25 years, she is the author of two non-fiction books, numerous articles and novels. Amanda’s seventh novel, Lovebirds (Viking, $32.99) is on sale 4 May. Visit penguin.com.au for more information.
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Getting back to nature Habitat Noosa Ecocamp, awarded “Australia’s Best New Tourism Business” offers a chance to get back to nature just 25 minutes north of Noosa. Nestled amongst 65 acres of bushland in the Great Sandy National park, with an abundance of wildlife and stunning views of Lake Cootharaba on it’s doorstep. The Ecocamp offers and array of accommodation options to suit all budgets. From campsites (powered and non powered) to the newly appointed Luxury Glamping tents with all the comforts of home. The Coothara Bar and Bistro en-
compasses the freshest local produce for lunch and dinner daily, or try an artisanal beer from the onsite Micro Brewery. Habitat Noosa is the gateway into one of Australia’s most pristine waterways. The Noosa Everglades is one of only two Everglades on the Planet and an Eco Safari’s Everglades Tour is not to be missed. Swim in tea tree infused waters, canoe through the mirrored waterways, witness 40% of Australia’s birdlife or simply relax in this unique natural environment. Find them at 204 Lake Flat Rd Booreen Pt 5485 3165.
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on Accommodation (Glamping or Camping) when using SENIORS15 and $99 Eco Everglades Day Tour when using SENIORSTR promo code Call and quote or book online 5485 3165 | www.habitatnoosa.com.au 204 Lake Flat Road, Booreen Point 12494884-JW23-21
WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 25
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
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Talented Quartet share their theatre experience
Blooming at Sunnybank On most Thursday mornings you will find the members of Sunnybank Theatre Group’s Shining Lights Senior Theatre Workshop enjoying taking on a multitude of roles. Led by Nerida Day, an experienced drama teacher, performer, and director, the group’s numbers have increased in recent times with the recently installed lift opening the doors of the theatre to everyone. The only pre-requisites for participating are a love of theatre and being 50-plus years young! Nerida said research showed that participating in drama activities has a positive effect on mental health, and it is a great way to meet people and have fun. “We work at your level and explore the elements of drama through games, readings, play building and performing,” said Nerida. “Recently we have been working on
direction, with different people taking turns to direct short scenes and also working towards our next public performance - Sunflowers.” Inspiration for the title came from Virginia Woolf’s declaration “I don’t believe in ageing. I believe in forever altering one’s aspect to the sun.” Sunflowers is a collection of short plays most of which deal in some way with aspects of aging. The delightful mix includes a 1920s costume piece, a farce in a French restaurant, a poignant glimpse at raging against fate, a self-deprecating view of forgetfulness and a dark comedy. The plays were chosen because they offer audience members a fun, thought-provoking experience no matter what their age. Sunflowers runs from July 30 – August 14 with evening and matinee performances. For more information on the group or to book tickets visit http:// www.stg.org.au
Written by Ronald Harwood and Directed by Maria Plumb, the Villanova Players present Quartet at the Ron Hurley Theatre in late June and early July. The setting is a home for retired opera singers. Each year on Giuseppe Verdi’s birthday, the residents put on a celebratory concert. Three former singers, famous for their performance of the quartet from Verdi’s “Rigoletto”, are already living there, quite contentedly, and when the fourth reluctantly joins them at the residence, tension arises, and the memories of the glory days are not all nostalgic and rosy. Humorous and thought-provoking in turn, the four stars will find their way into hearts and minds and have the audience shouting “Bravo! Brava!” and “Encore!” as they go on
their journey to stage one last grand performance. The quartet are Rod Thompson (Kangaroo Point), Mary Woodall (Morningside), Jill Cross (Stafford) and Barry Haworth (Geebung). They bring many years of theatrical experience to their roles, and all agree this is one of the most challenging but rewarding plays they have encountered. Rod says, “It shows how working together can achieve great things”. Performance Dates: 26 June, 3, 9, 10 July at 7:30pm 27 June, 3, 4, 10, 11 July at 2:00pm At Ron Hurley Theatre 28 Tallowwood St (cnr. Griffith Place) – off Clearview Terrace, Morningside SEVEN HILLS Bookings: TryBooking www\villanovaplayers.com PH: 0417 754 607
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The cast of Quartet.
Acid wit: The Gospel According to Paul - and Jonathon By Tania Phillips Paul Keating is returning Brisbane to tell us all about his life and to impart his own brand of wit and wisdom. Well, it’s not really the former PM himself but actor and satirist Jonathon Biggins has been playing him long enough it pretty much could be. He is bringing his very popular show – The Gospel According to Paul back to QPAC from June 30 to July 3. “Last time we were in the small theatre at QPAC, this time we’re in the big theatre – well not the biggest but bigger – The Playhouse - it sold out completely last time so we’re coming back,” Biggins said. “We were supposed to come back last year but Covid knocked that on the head and we just take it day-by-day and hope we will be there.” Biggins performance as the acerbic, expensive suit-wearing boy from Sydney who only went to school until he was 14 but went on to become one of the country’s most polarizing and re26 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
spected Prime Ministers has obviously struck a chord with Brisbane audiences. “It’s struck a chord with everyone, I just played Adelaide and that sold out towards the end once people got the word of it,” he said. “I think in the current absence of any true leadership someone like Keating, whether you liked him or loathed him, you respect what he stood for and what he was able to do – ie he said what he was going to do and did it. He led from the front and he made reforms that weren’t necessarily vote catchers or popular – things like the Native Title act and Compulsory superannuation. Every person reading your newspaper should go down on their knees and thank Paul Keating for compulsory superannuation. Imagine what it would be like if we didn’t have that and everyone was living on the government pension now? “So people have a lot to be grateful to Mr Keating for – particularly older people even though they probably didn’t vote for him at the time.”
Biggins himself probably has a lot to be thankful to Mr Keating as well given the success of the show which is a humorous autobiographical run the Keating’s life and was born out of Biggens performances ín the popular satirical review – the Wharf Review. “It’s been very lucrative yes – thank goodness,” he laughed. “It’s a bit like someone from a boyband going out to pursue a solo career taking him out of the Wharf Review and putting him in a full length show because he’s a subject that’s worthy of a full-length show. “Someone who left school at 17, never went to university and had that extraordinary career and still continues to influence so much and have such a staggeringly wide-range of knowledge about so many things. And to be interested in so many different things and to wear his emotions on is sleeve and to be funny and acerbic, he’s kind of just all of these contradictions and paradoxes in the one person.
“Because he was funny its good to write jokes in his style and put downs and descriptions of political enemies and all that sort of stuff. You can have an enormous amount of fun with it so it’s a very entertaining night in that regard.” Biggins said People come along thinking, they were just going to get a stand-up comedian doing Paul Keating jokes but it is more than that. “You don’t – it’s a theatrical biography and that’s what I was aiming to do because they’re very rare – you hardly ever see them and it’s got a bit of song and dance in it because he could throw the switch to vaudeville and a bit of insight, a bit of pathos, touches briefly on his private life but he steers away from it because he’s very private. But you only just ping it a bit and its there.” It’s obviously Biggin’s enjoys playing Keating – and apparently so does the real Keating who has now seen it several times and has sent his friends along as well according to the comedian.
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A GENEROUS LIFE A Generous Life’ at GOMA – Gallery 1.1 The Fairfax Gallery, GOMA Foyer, examines the legacy and influence of much-loved Australian artist, Margaret Olley (1923– 2011) who spent a formative part of her career in Brisbane. A charismatic character, she exerted a lasting impact on many artists as a mentor and friend and was also a muse for artists including William Dobell and Jeffrey Smart. The exhibition will profile a life that was immersed in art – her own and those she supported. Discover more about Margaret Olley with their extensive range of related events, listed below, including talks and tours, to pop-up performances, hands-on workshops and up-late events. There’s also daily guided tours of the exhibition at 11am.
Picture: Margaret Olley (1923 - 2011) Wildflowers and pears c.1973. Oil on board 65 x 76cm. Purchased through the bequest of Phoebe McNamara and the Tweed Regional Gallery Donations Fund, 2019. Tweed Regional Gallery collection. Copyright - Margaret Olley Art Trust. While there is a permanent display in the Tweed GOMA will hold a large exhibition of the talented artist’s work.
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WHALE WATCHING CLOSE TO HOME Brisbane Whale Watching believe there is quite clearly is no better place to observe the mighty humpback than Brisbane’s Moreton Bay, recognised as one of the world’s best whale watching areas and only 30 minutes north of Brisbane. Brisbane Whale-watching has been successfully operating tours from Redcliffe more than 23 years. Tours operate June through to November weather permitting. For more information https://brisbanewhalewatching.com.au/.
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NOODLE MARKETS SOUTH BANK The Noodle Markets are back this year
as part of Good Food Month at Southbank. The Night Noodle Markets will run from July 24 through to August 4. These are a market for the senses. Lantern-lit by the markets they offer a chance to sample street food from around southern Asia, from around southern Asia, from Taiwan to Japan, the Philippines to Vietnam.
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GETTING MEDIEVAL AT ABBEY In July each year the Abbey Museum welcomes thousands of visitors to their Medieval Festival to experience life in the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East, from 600 to 1600AD. The Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology, together with reenactors, jousters, performers, food vendors and merchants, deliver one of Australia’s premier living history events. The Festival in 2021 will include a Medieval Family Fun Day on Friday 2 July
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especially for families and kids. Then on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 July will be the Tournament Weekend. There are several opportunities to get involved in this unique event, from volunteering to becoming a sponsor. https://abbeymedievalfestival. com/2021-about/
THE STRAWBERRY FARM Found at 912 Chambers Flat Road, Chambers Flat The Strawberry Farm is open from June to November. Where visitors can see third generation farmers in action! Either pick their own strawberries in the beautiful fields or purchase freshly picked farm strawberries, jams and goodies in the farm shop! Open seven days.
·THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL
Jonathan Biggins returns to Brisbane as
WHAT’S ON
Paul Keating in the smash hit comedy about a critical time in Australian history and the man that shaped it. One of Australia’s favourite performers, Jonathan Biggins is Paul Keating – visionary, reformer and rabble-rouser – in a comedy that has taken the nation by storm, The Gospel According to Paul. Sold out in early 2019 before Biggins had even hit QPAC’s Cremorne stage, this is a funny, insightful and occasionally poignant portrait of Paul Keating, the man that – as he tells it – single-handedly shaped contemporary Australia. It is heading to the Playhouse 1-3 July for more information head to https:// www.qpac.com.au/event/according_ to_paul_21/
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CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL RETURNS The GREAT AUSTRALASIAN BEER SPECTACULAR (GABS) BRISBANE is back at the Brisbane Convention Centre. Globally recognised as One of the Best Beer Festivals in the World, it’s Disneyland for beer lovers who can taste more than 100 new and unique Craft Beers & Ciders brewed and released for the very first time at GABS. It is a chance for beer lovers to meet and share stories with a cracking line up of some of Australia and New Zealand’s best brewers. Discover street food, entertainment, silent disco, beer education, fun games and so much more. Craft Beer booming in Queensland and GABS BRSIBANE #2 is on its way Saturday 12 June Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
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Garden Expo makes return For those bitten by the gardening bug during the 2020 lockdown, the return of Queensland’s premier gardening event – The Queensland Garden Expo – might just be the helping hand they are looking for. The event, ironically cancelled last year due to Covid, is on track to welcome thousands of visitors from far and wide to a three-day celebration of all things gardening in July this year at the Nambour Showgrounds, Coronation Avenue, Nambour. Expo Event Manager Marion Beazley said while it was disappointing that the 2020 Expo had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, the resulting increase in people gardening provided an exciting opportunity for this year’s event to attract new visitors. “The Nursery Industry Survey cap-
tured the growth in people wanting to invest time in creating their own backyard oasis, particularly as more people are working from home and many are restricted in their ability to travel for holidays,” Ms Beazley said. “We’re confident the Queensland Garden Expo will provide ample opportunity to nurture this newfound love for gardening with 350 exhibitors — including 55 nurseries — and around 45 guest speakers presenting an actionpacked program. “This year we have included a number of ‘Back to Basics’ talks each day to encourage visitors who are new to gardening, in addition to the wide range of gardening topics that have become firm favourites with our more experienced gardeners. “Attendees can learn, explore and
SUNFLOWERS Sunflowers is this year’s production by STG’s Shining Lights Seniors Theatre Workshop. Following a fairly bleak 2020, we wanted the show to be lots of fun. It is a collection of short plays most of which deal in some way with aspects of aging. There is a delightful mix of plays, including a 1920s costume piece, a farce set in a French restaurant, a gently humorous look at the way children sometimes fail to really see their parents, a poignant glimpse at raging against fate, a self-deprecating view of forgetfulness, and a dark comedy. The plays were chosen not just because they give our talented performers great scripts to work with, but more importantly because they offer audience members a fun, thought-provoking experience no matter what their age, and older audience members will be able to connect with the characters. Come and share in the joy of growing older with verve!
SUNNYBANK THEATRE GROUP presents
SUNFLOWERS
July 30 to August 14
Friday 30 Jul : 7:30pm Saturdays 2pm & 7:30pm Directed by Nerida Day Sunday 8 Aug : 2pm Wednesday 4 Aug : 2pm Tickets are available now by phone on 3345 3964 or from our website - www.stg.org.au Quote Seniors Today for special pricing 12494128-AV23-21
get inspired; and can then find everything they need at the Expo, including a choice of more than 60,000 plants ready for sale each day of the event.” The 36th annual Queensland Garden Expo will take place from 9-11 July at the Nambour Showgrounds and nurseries are now preparing stock to ensure there are plenty of plant favourites, new lines to launch and unique and rare plants to offer attendees. The Expo offers more than seven hectares of inspiration including guest speakers on all sorts of gardening topics and there is plenty to do for grandkids, including a range of interactive sessions such as kids craft, seed planting and of course our popular free kids playground.” The Queensland Garden Expo speaker program is the biggest in Australia
and will welcome back crowd-favourites such as ABC’s Gardening Australia gurus Sophie Thomson, Costa Georgiadis and Jerry Coleby-Williams as well as event favourites Adam Woodhams, Dr Kevin Redd and Phil Dudman. Tickets are $20 for adults, while children under 15 are free. For more information, visit www.qldgardenexpo.com. au. Fast facts — Queensland Garden Expo 2021 Three-day event 60,000 plants on sale each day More than 7 hectares of gardening inspiration 350-plus exhibitors and displays, including 55 nurseries 120+ free lectures and demonstrations 11 speaker stages
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QUARTET BY RONALD HARWOOD DIRECTED BY MARIA PLUMB
“In perfect harmony……” At Ron Hurley Theatre Performance Dates: 26 June, 3, 9, 10 July at 7:30pm 27 June, 3, 4, 10, 11 July at 2:00pm 28 Tallowwood St (cnr. Griffith Place) – off Clearview Terrace, Morningside | SEVEN HILLS Bookings: TryBooking www.villanovaplayers.com | PH: 0417 754 607 12494284-SN23-21
WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 27
GARDENING
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Vegies for your conditions By Tania Phillips Don’t be impulsive and plant to suit your climate zone and not what’s available in the shops -that’s the advice from Gardening Australia’s Jerry Coleby to Brisbane Gardeners this winter. In fact while our Southern counterparts are planting root vegetables, Jerry advises us in the north that this is the perfect time to be planting our tomatoes (and cherry ones at that). And if anyone is going to know about winter gardening it’s going to be Jerry – it was one of his specialities when he was working in London and after moving to Brisbane in 2003 has been carefully acclimatizing and learning just what works and when for our climate. “It’s an interesting topic – and not one that normally comes up, I have to admit because a lot of people that live in the subtropics just take in their stride because winter isn’t as significant event here as it would be in a higher latitude,” the Wynnum Manly-based horticulturalist said. “Of course I’m a London-born gardener and for me winter was five months of particularly bleak weather and the days were a lot shorter and so making something out of a garden during those bleak periods was a bit of an art form. And that art-form reached it’s peak during the Victorian era and I was very lucky to have experienced winter gardening in dedicated winter gardens
both heated indoor ones and outside. And I had quite a reputation back in the UK. “When you come over here you have to explain to people, in terms that they understand, what winter gardening involves and so the easiest way for me to do that for a Qld audience would be to say during winter, which is only about 10 weeks long, I’m able to grow the summer crops that I used to grow in England far better than I could ever do in an English Summer. Even the worst Brisbane winter is better than the average London summer.” He said that explanation suddenly gives people perspective and an entry into looking at cool climate crops from a slightly different angles. “One of the best ways to take it to the next level is to talk about growing tomatoes,” Jerry explained. “Here in coastal Brisbane winter is the best time to grow them and yet everybody insists that they plant them in spring because they’re misinformed generally by the horticultural media. Which is again, generally, based in South Eastern Australia particularly in the Melbourne area where they do have a longer colder winter and they can only grow tomatoes successfully by sowing them in spring. “So we are flooded with half right information from the South from a different climate zone to ours and that’s
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carried into Queensland because there are so many people that migrate from Tasmania and particularly from Victoria up to the sub tropics to escape winters and they bring that knowledge that tomatoes are a spring thing here. It really starts to unravel as soon as they use this southern information in a northern zone.” So we should be putting our tomatoes in now? “Well I sowed mine in March as I normally do I potted them up this morning they’re in 100mm pots and when they fill those pots with roots I will be putting them outside,” he said when we chatted in early May. “So March is when you start sowing them but because we have such a benign winter and such a everlasting spring summer you can sow them once a fortnight from the beginning of March – so the first week of March, the middle of March, the end of March – three sowing. You can do another in the middle of April, the end of April and the middle of May and end of May. That way you will have tomatoes from July right the way through until October. “Tomatoes only need a maximum of 23 degrees, that is their optimum temperature for growth flowering and fruiting. And we often hit that here in Brisbane in winter.” He said as long as they get six hours of winter sunshine and it hovers between 21 and 23 degrees than tomatoes just don’t stop growing. They also flower quicker here than they do further south thanks to the incredibly benign conditions that occur from the Northern Rivers all the way up to Townsville. “I wouldn’t dream of putting a tomato in after the middle of winter,” Jerry emphasized. “That’s the last time I’d be sowing snow peas and garden peas and things like swede, turnip and radish which love the cool weather and grow really quickly in the middle of winter, midwinter is
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Jerry Coleby-Williams.
the cut off point for a lot of the crops I used to grow in the middle of summer.” Jerry advises to make sure you use your smart phone when you head to the nursery to buy your seedlings. “Öne of the simplest pieces of advice I give people is not to be an impulse buyer, I know it is difficult to resist something that looks gorgeous and is beautifully priced and you think it’s the right time to do it,” he said. “We’re geared to take opportunities like that and buy things which look like good value for money. But just stop right there because most of us have a smart phone and with a smart phone you can enter the name of the plant and do a websearch and you might be able to find relevant information for your climate zone that will say don’t plant it now – go by that information. Gardening Australia has that sort of information on gardening by climate zone – it’s on their website.” So does Jerry have a favourite tomato that grow particularly well in our climate? “Oh yes, yes I do – one is called Green Zebra, that was one that my grand-dad introduced me to in the UK and I’ve grown it and shown it on TV and it is one of a group of tomatoes that I really recommend to people,” he said. “The first thing is -it’s a cherry tomatoes and cherry tomatoes just naturally do better in our warm climate than our taller growing tomatoes which are grown in glass houses as truss tomatoes. They are the big showy tomatoes, you’ll get those in bags in supermarkets. The big fruited tomatoes generally seem to get attacked by caterpillars. They only need to have a little bit of a nibble on the fruit and the whole fruit will be ruined – they don’t show the same interest in cherry tomatoes. “Simply by choosing a cherry tomato, you’ve narrowed the odds and increased your chances of success.”
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SPORT
Competition Time The best way to experience the excitement and beauty of the Historic Leyburn Sprints is being there! With more than 200 cars of all types and vintages competing one-at-a-time against the clock on a 1.0 kilometre closed-street course around the township the noise and smell encapsulates the excitement. We have 4 x 1 Day double passes to give away to lucky readers so they can get up and personal to the action. To enter simply go to: warwickstanthorpetoday.com.au/competitions and click on Historic Leyburn Sprints The event will be staged for the 25th time in the little Darling Downs township on 21-22 August.
What’s on at Leyburn The Historic Leyburn Sprints feature more than 200 cars of all types and vintages competing one-ata-time against the clock on a 1.0 kilometre closed-street course around the township. With a social base around the 1863-licensed Royal Hotel, the community-run Sprints are renowned for a grassroots country atmosphere in which spectators and competitors mingle freely. Off-track highlights include appearances by the Leyburn Legends drivers, a Shannons Show ‘n’ Shine competition, Vintage Caravan display and competition, market stalls, a charity auction, pub band, on-site camping and country-style food. Competition starts at 8am each day. Adult entry costs $20 a day and children under 14 are admitted free. Leyburn is 220 kms southwest of Brisbane and approximately halfway between Warwick and Toowoomba. Visit www.historicleyburnsprints.com.au for more information.
Leyburn Sprints are back.
Legends on track for Leyburn Sprints Some of the most popular personalities of Australia’s motor-racing past will be honoured at the Leyburn Legends Weekend during 25th anniversary celebrations for the Historic Leyburn Sprints in August. The Sprints will return to the rural township on the Queensland Southern Darling Downs on 21-22 August after the 2020 event was cancelled because of Covid-19. It will be the 25th event since the Sprints were launched to commemorate the 1949 Australian Grand Prix at Leyburn. The Legends were a big attraction in their first appearance in Leyburn in 2019 and Sprints President Tricia Chant said the organisers were keen to invite them back. “In 2019 we welcomed great drivers including Dick Johnson, Colin Bond, Fred Gibson, Bruce Garland, Kevin Bartlett, John French and Bob Holden and they were enormously popular
with our spectators, who remembered their achievements in the sixties, seventies and eighties,” Mrs Chant said. “We’re going to offer another opportunity for fans to meet their heroes again this year. Some of the drivers have already confirmed their return and as well we hope to have some new names, which this time will also include some of the top mechanics of the era who put the winning cars on track. “All these special guests at the Leyburn Legends Weekend will add another level of attraction for fans at the 2021 Sprints and we’re hoping there’s a company out there that would like to put its name as sponsor to this highlight.” The Sprints time-trials, voted Queensland’s Motor Sport Event of the Year, are run on a 1.0 kilometre course around the closed streets of Leyburn, a town of 480 residents 60 kilometres north-west of Warwick. Along with a 200-plus entry of historic and classic racing cars, the event will
feature the always-popular Shannons Show ‘n’ Shine, a Vintage Caravan Show and country markets. Tourism and Events Queensland’s Queensland Destination Events Program and Southern Downs Regional Council provide financial assistance to help promote the Sprints and attract visitors to the Southern Downs region. Proceeds from the Sprints benefit a wide variety of community organisations and projects. The Queensland Government’s Queensland Destination Events Program and the Southern Downs Regional Council provide financial assistance to help promote the Sprints and attract visitors to the Southern Downs region. The Leyburn Historic Sprints were named 2017 Queensland Motor Sport Event of the Year. Applications for camp site bookings are expected to open shortly on the event website, www.historicleyburnsprints.com.au.
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HISTORY
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Echoes of past pandemic The Covid-19 pandemic, social isolation, quarantine and border closures came to a shock to many Australians. However, these drastic measures are not without precedent. In 1919 an eerily similar scenario played out as Queensland authorities battled to repel the Spanish Influenza, as this article written by DR ANASTASIA DUKOVA of the Queensland Police Museum demonstrates. In the last months of 1918, Australia was preparing for an outbreak of a novel influenza. The Commonwealth Government became aware of the new virus in July that year. Locally, it was known as ‘Pneumonic Influenza’ but internationally, it was called the ‘Spanish Influenza’. Spain was mistakenly identified as the origin of the outbreak when the Spanish king fell ill, and reports of his sickness emerged. In reality, pockets of disease were registered at the London Hospital and Aldershot barracks from 1915 onward. The disease first reached epidemic proportions in garrisons throughout the US in 1918. It then travelled with the American troops to France and eventually across Europe. In November 1918, the federal conference in Melbourne regulated Australia’s response to the looming health-threat. Ships that arrived with an infected person aboard were massinoculated and quarantined. The first case on shore was registered in January 1919, in Melbourne. Soon after, the virus spread to Sydney. Anticipating an outbreak, the Australian states gradually closed borders. While trying to curtail the spread, the Commonwealth Government ordered compulsory inoculations of its staff. Some refused to comply. In February 1919, Queensland applied to the Commonwealth Government for a restraining order to prevent returning troops from landing at a mainland quarantine station. Nevertheless, on 4 February, 260 soldiers landed and were quarantined at Lytton. Four soldiers broke quarantine that very night. The disease was extraordinarily virulent, with a mortality rate of 2.5% among the infected. There were reports of people seeming healthy in the morning and dead by evening. It was more common for the illness to last 10 days followed by weeks of prolonged recovery. A range of sources all described the early signs of infection as ‘a chill or shivering, followed by headache and back pain. Eventually, an acute muscle pain would overcome the sufferer, accompanied by some combination of vomiting, diarrhoea, watering eyes, a running or bleeding nose, a sore throat and a dry cough.’ Cyanosis, a bluish tinge to the skin, was a tell-tale sign of this infection. The flu, or grippe, infected roughly 2 million Australians in a population of about 5 million. Despite a range of preventative actions, widespread infection and quarantine measures led to significant food and medical supplies shortages. Brisbane saw its water supply installation interrupted (every link in the work chain broke down because of the virus). Telephone exchange was disrupted, telegraph, postal services, banks and gas supply. 30 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
The Quarantine Camp set up at Wallangarra, 1919. Annual reports presented by Police Commissioner Urquhart to the Parliament indicated Queensland police resources were stretched. Although the department nearly caught up with the personnel shortages following the war, there were still not enough officers ‘to meet requirements and carry a full 8-hour day’. Borders closed From late January to May 1919, the Queensland and New South Wales border was closed to help stop or at least slow, the spread of the Influenza virus into the state. The Health Acts 1900 to 1917, authorised the Queensland Commissioner of Public Health to issue regulations for state intervention of a person’s civil rights such as mandatory examination, detention and isolation of anyone likely to have been infected or who had been in contact with anyone sick. In1919, regulations issued by John Moore, the Commissioner of Public Health, empowered Police Officers to use reasonable force required to prevent any breach, or to apprehend any person, who had committed or was suspected of committing a breach of the public health laws. On 28 January 1919, Queensland Police Commissioner Urquhart issued instructions to stop all persons from crossing into Queensland from New South Wales. Inspectors at Toowoomba and the Depot were directed to provide necessary help to all border stations by means of extra men and horses. Soon after, an additional officer was sent to the border towns of Coolangatta and Wallangarra. Eventually, 11 more officers from the Depot were sent to Coolangatta, equipped with 2 Bell tents, 22 brown blankets and 11 x bush rugs, waterproof sheet, pillows and slips and bed covers, for their accommodation and use. Initially Coolangatta, Wallangarra and Goondiwindi were the only towns with dedicated border crossing points under Pneumonic Influenza Regulations. Though Wallangarra camp was located entirely within the territory of New South Wales, it was run by the
Queensland government and health officials. The government’s decision to rigidly adhere to only three entry points resulted in a significant number of applications for exemptions from the public. In the face of such pressure, the government soon relented and established a medical screening process allowing bona fide Queenslanders to return to the state via Wompah, Hungerford, Wooroorooka, Adelaide Gate and Mungindi. Border patrols were also operating out of Killarney, Stanthorpe, Texas and Hebel among other locations. During one of these patrols, Constable George Ruming (Reg No 1217) was seriously injured on duty. Constable Ruming was ‘patrolling the borders to enforce the quarantine regulations in the vicinity of Hungerford, when his horse fell and he was badly hurt, being knocked unconscious.’ He resigned from duty in October. Between March and June 1919, 16 men were charged with breaching Pneumonic Influenza Regulations with fines ranging from £2 to £20.Most men charged were locals with the addition of two sailors from British Columbia, Canada. An outbreak among the police stationed in Petrie Terrace and Roma Street barracks in Brisbane followed in mid-May 1919. In Petrie Terrace 25 out of 44 policemen had to be hospitalised and 20 out of 117 men got sick in Roma Street. The total strength of ordinary constables in Brisbane stood at 269. This means a third of that number, or approximately 90 constables, would have been available for the round-theclock 8-hour-shift to police a population of 190,000. A loss of nearly 50 men to infection would have been an extraordinary strain on the department. First deaths Constable Michael Joseph Flynn (Reg No 988; 2231), who was stationed at Petrie Terrace depot when he got sick, was the first police officer to die from Influenza. He died few days after hospitalisation at the Isolation Hospital set up in the Exhibition Grounds. Constable
Picture: QUEENSLAND POLICE MUSEUM Flynn’s family was also hospitalised, a week earlier. Michael’s wife, Mary Beatrice, succumbed to the disease soon after being admitted, on 12 May. One of their two children was reported to be in critical condition. Mary Agnes was 4-years-old at the time and Michael was 6. They both survived the infection. On 1 June, Constable Hubert James Kelly, who was assigned to Mungindi Border Patrol from 2 February 1919, returned to Roma. Constable Kelly was severely asthmatic and a regular tippler which seemed to help him cope with his asthma. Kelly returned unwell and given his respiratory issues his condition deteriorated quickly. He was placed on sick leave on 6 June, but his health worsened again and rapidly. Kelly died four days later at the hospital, on 10 June 1919. The official cause of death was Influenza and heart failure. Kelly’s death devastated his family, wife Mary Bridget nee Maguire and two sons aged 5 and 6 years old, personally and financially. Kelly’s wife received a lump sum payment of £191/12/6 but as there was no widows’ pension fund to support families of the deceased officers, the family was soon in financial distress. In November 1921, Mary Kelly applied to be a female searcher at the Brisbane Watchhouse as she was advised there was a vacancy, however, she was misinformed. On 11 June Acting Sergeant Hennessy and Constable Muir of Toowoomba Police Station were taken to the hospital suffering from influenza. They both recovered. The total death toll for the force was two officers, Constables Flynn and Kelly. The same week, on 14 June 1919, Dr Clark inoculated the Cairns police contingent, most likely with little effect, as agreed-upon standards for vaccines were still lacking. However, if nothing else, these vaccination attempts helped ‘to deconstruct existing biomedical knowledge’ which undoubtedly aided epidemiological advances that benefit us today.
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A letter informing of Constable Kelly’s death.
Sam and Limerick Johnson. Tracker Corporal Sam Johnson was another Queensland Police Force casualty of the outbreak. Johnson was stationed in Longreach when he contracted the virus and died on 22 June 1919. Born about 1877 in Charleville in western Queensland, Sam was a member of the Bidjara people. He was a highly respected horseman and tracker with a quiet and sincere disposition, well built, and fit. He gained renown in 1902 following his role in the Kenniff brothers’ case and murders of Constables Doyle and Dahlke. The trial of the Kenniffs included significant and damning evidence by Sam Johnson. Being the sole survivor of the police party that arrived at Lethbridges Pocket, Sam was subjected to intense cross examination attempting to discredit his testimony. Johnson was survived by his wife, Limerick, who moved to the Rockhampton area later in 1919, where she died in 1921 and was interred at the Rockhampton Cemetery. Border patrol All officers on border patrol had to keep an individual diary, while Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors were required to report to the Commissioner on a weekly basis. These notes revealed that Constable Gray stationed at Adelaide Gate, Charleville Police District was provided with three camels by Lucas Hughes, the manager of the Nockatunga Station. The camels were said to be the only means available to Gray for border patrolling through the Western Desert Country. He had to employ an Aboriginal man from the station to help handle the animals. One camel later died, and the owner was compensated £20 for the death. Elsewhere in
HISTORY
A Queensland Government Gazette update on the influenza outbreak.
The Roma Police Station.
The police camp at Hungerford during the influenza epidemic, February 1919. the Charleville district, border patrol officers had the use of three Howard brand bicycles. In recognition of the arduous duties performed by the patrol policemen, every day for duration of the border closures, each officer’s pay was supplemented by 7/- per day. The men were at the higher risk of infection due to likely exposure to infected persons. In late March 1919, Mungindi seems to have become a hot spot for Border Breakers, including women and children. In early May, the virus finally
crossed into Queensland and soon after the government re-opened the borders, as the authorities were no longer able to justify the lock down despite the appeals to keep the borders shut. As a result, all border patrol officers were recalled back to their usual stations. Penalties for breaching Pneumonic Influenza Regulations ranged from fines of two to 20 pounds to short term imprisonment. In one case, from 12 February 1919, a man travelled to Blackall from the southern border over 600 kilometres, before he was located. He was subsequently isolated for 7 days
and then prosecuted for breaching the regulations. The offender admitted to crossing the border at Mungindi, walking to Dirranbandi, then back to Thallon via Warwick, Toowoomba and Brisbane before being arrested at Blackall. In 1997, the 1918 pneumonic influenza was identified as the H1N1 Influenza A of swine and human subgroup. It is now part of a routine vaccination program. Sections of this article were researched and written by Dr Anastasia Dukova, QPM, in collaboration with Dr Patrick Hodgson, James Cook University. WINTER: JUNE 2021 SENIORS TODAY 31
Sport
Legends of the track at sprints PAGE 29
John French in action. Picture: COURTESY AUTOPICS
French connection for race By Chris Nixon THE sport of historic and classic motor-racing is supposed to be about the cars, but the reality is more than a few of their drivers would fit that description too. At 90 and still a vigorous and sparkling personality, John French rightly would bridle at being called historic, but classic would be fair and there’s no argument he’s the revered elder of Queensland motor-racers. He has a special connection to the Historic Leyburn Sprints, which will be staged for the 25th time in the little Darling Downs township on 21-22 August. As one of Queensland’s most decorated drivers, known to everyone just as “Frenchy”, French has earned Leyburn Legend status at his popular annual (non-driving) appearances at the Sprints. While famous for winning the 1981 Bathurst 1000 alongside best pal Dick Johnson in a Ford Falcon, he’s also the only person these days among up to 15,000 Leyburn attendees who can claim to have been at the event the Sprints commemorate, the 1949 Australian Grand Prix. It’s difficult to imagine that Australia’s premier motor race, the grand prix that is now a $100 million-plus Formula 1 extravaganza in Melboune, had its postwar origins on a remote, dusty, windswept airforce field halfway between Toowoomba and Warwick. Then 16, John French rode there 32 SENIORS TODAY WINTER: JUNE 2021
Neville Bertwistle. on a motorbike and no doubt acquired the enthusiasm for racing that followed him through life. Before motorsport, he was a competitive cyclist, but when the fourwheel bug bit his career took off. Readers who attended the Lowood track around 1960 would remember John in his two-tone green Holden FJ, defending Queensland pride against southern rivals like the Geoghegan brothers. Two other cars then catapulted French to prominence. First came the striking Centaur Waggott GT coupe, which was built for him under a house in Aspley, Brisbane, and won him the 1962 Australian GT Championship at the Lakeside
John French. track. Remarkably, this unique Holden-powered coupe with unusual gullwing doors survives in original condition with a Warwick-based owner and competes ever year at the Historic Leyburn Sprints. French was a salesman at Peter Uscinski Motors in Cavendish Road, Coorparoo, when the tiny firecracker Mini Cooper S arrived to turn the racing world in its ear. He was a leading exponent in national competition for several years, before moving on to other models including Alfa Romeo, Ford Falcon GTHO and Holden Commodore. He became an official factory driver for British Leyland, Ford, Alfa Romeo, Nissan and Mitsubishi and co-drove
Picture: AUTOPICS
with Norm Beechey, Johnson, Allan Moffat, Colin Bond, Fred Gibson and many other high-profile competitors. He gained a reputation with fans for not only his impeccable and rapid driving, but also for his happy, grounded personality. John French is among the invitees for the Leyburn Legends, who will make special appearances across the Sprints weekend. The roll-call of fellow Legends will be familiar – none other than Johnson, Bond and Gibson. French finished racing in 1986 after never quite earning the star status of some contemporaries. But he’s an active Queensland icon and that’s good enough for him. More on the Leyburn event, page 29