NORTHSIDE COMMUNITIES GO ALL OUT TO CELEBRATE QLD’S 150TH

From themed gardens and a sonic art performance to festivals, Northside communities have pulled out all stops to celebrate next year’s Queensland’s 150^th Anniversary, Premier Anna Bligh said today.

“There is outstanding interest around Queensland for the remaining $2.4 million for the third and final round of the $4 million Q150 Community Funding Program,” she said.

The program, initiated by the Government, helps communities stage their own 2009 celebrations.

“Once again creative events and activities dominate the line-up.

“Eleven community applications from the Northside have successfully applied for $106,134 in the third and final round of Q150 Community Funding.

“They include the infusion of Q150 celebrations into the Zillmere Multicultural Festival in 2009, a series of choral and instrumental works based on the history by Sandgate and Flight a new spoken word sonic art performance by David “Ghostboy” Stavanger and Pascale Burton.”

“It’s great to see communities so excited about celebrating our 150^th anniversary of separation from New South Wales.

“We’ve come a long way since 1859 and we have plenty to celebrate.

“Today’s Proclamation Day and 21 sleeps until we start our biggest birthday year yet.

“We’ve added more than 300 successful community commemorative projects to the Q150 groundswell of activity that’s building up for next year.

“Queenslanders now have almost 500 Queensland Government-funded community activities they can enjoy or participate in around the State.

“This is on top of the major touring events like the Q150 steam train, Q150 shed and Q150 Film Festival.

“Queensland turns 150 only once and we’re doing everything we can to make sure celebrations touch as many Queenslanders as possible.

“From Weipa and the Torres Strait Islands in the North to Bedourie in the Far West and the Gold Coast in the South, there’s a Q150 activity for everyone.

“2009 is our year! Get ready to enjoy the events, the commemorations and the many creative ways you’ve come up with to mark this milestone in your own communities.”

Northside Q150 Community Funding projects in Round 3:

Aspley Special School Parents and Citizens Association, $10,000. A sensory garden with landscaping and artwork created by students with the help of staff and artists. The garden will focus on Q150 related local history and include a learning or community space. It will include Indigenous bush tucker, herb and butterfly gardens as well as a Zen garden. It will also feature murals, stained glass mosaics, stepping stones, textured pathways, a water feature and a range of external sound features. Sensory gardens are a powerful means of addressing the specific curriculum outcomes for students with e.g. intellectual impairment or other disabilities.

Brighton State School Parents and Citizens Association, Brighton, $10,000. The Q150 Celebration Walkway through a sensory and bush tucker garden planted with Queensland natives and plants of the Brighton Wetlands. The walkway and garden will feature children’s art and sculpture in the form of bollards and clay tiles depicting Indigenous themes and a time-line of Bramble Bay’s history over the past 150 years.

Chermside and District Senior Citizens Centre. $10,000. Commissioned artwork for the exterior of the Burnie Brae Centre to commemorate Queensland’s 150^th Celebrations and the Centre’s 25^th anniversary. The artwork will also reflect the building’s original purpose as the Burnie Brae homestead established in 1873 by Andrew Hamilton, a master craftsman and coachbuilder.

David “Ghostboy” Stavanger and Pascale Burton, Nundah, $10,000. Flight , a new spoken word/performance/sonic art piece by performance poets inspired by Queensland aviation history, particularly Charles Ulm’s log entries written in the cockpit of the Southern Cross documenting the epic first crossing of the Pacific Ocean arriving in Brisbane on 8 June 1928. Performances would be held in South East Queensland.

Geebung Special School Parents and Citizens Association, $10,000. A Q150 multi-sensory wall comprising individual panels designed and made by students with severe disabilities. They will be assisted by students from other schools. The panels will depict the life of the Geebung Special School and local community – past, present and future. Q150 celebrations coincide with the school’s 30^th anniversary.

Kedron State School Parents and Citizens Association, $9634. The Kedron Living Histories element of the Kedron Living History Festival. Kedron’s Living Histories will document community history through for example, students collecting oral histories from elderly residents and local migrant groups. The research will culminate in art displays, computer displays, written stories or music.

Joshua Jeays (1812-1881) Book Project, Sandgate, $10,000. The Life and Times of Joshua Jeays: an early Brisbane builder., a book which looks at the early Brisbane as experienced by builder Joshua Jeays. After starting his working life as a carpenter in England, he went on to become a builder, contractor, architect, businessman, author, quarry owner, alderman and mayor of Brisbane. The book will be researched and written by Beryl Roberts.

Northgate State School Parents and Citizens’ Association, Nundah, $6500. A community festival that is a combined celebration for Queensland’s 150^th anniversary and the Northgate State School’s 50^th anniversary as well as a commemorative booklet and anniversary dinner.

Sacred Heart Sandgate Parents and Friends Association, $10,000. Students will decorate 10cmx10cm wall tiles depicting what is good about Queensland and the Sandgate area. The tiles will make up a 4 square mosaic that will be permanently displayed on the walls of a new undercover recreational area of the school.

Sandgate State School Parents and Citizens Association, Sandgate, $10,000.

A series of choral and instrumental works based on the history of the Sandgate area. Students will conduct the research in conjunction with the Sandgate Historical Society. The development of the choral and instrumental works will involve students from Sandgate, Shorncliffe, Norris Road, Bracken Ridge, Nashville and Brighton State Schools, Sandgate District High State School and Bracken Ridge State High School, Sacred Heart and St Kiernan’s Catholic Schools and members of community groups.

Zillmere Multicultural Festival Association Inc, $10,000. The infusion of Q150 celebrations into the Zillmere Multicultural Festival in 2009 when the event will engage with cultural groups, performers, artists, community organisations and residents, schools and local agencies. The Friends of the Festival concept of the festival means that workshops in training and in event management are part of this project. The official program of the Festival will reflect stories of individual cultural performance groups and artists.

Q150 program of events is available online at www.q150.qld.gov.au. More events are uploaded weekly. Printed programs will be available in local newspapers week commencing 25 January 2008 with a second printed program planned mid-year.

Media inquiries: 3224 4500

Sue Stephenson, President, Aspley Special School Parents and Citizens Association, 0431 156 908, fax 3263 7802, class1@eq.edu.au

Mardi McNeil, Treasurer, Brighton State School Parents and Citizens Association, 0438 690 879, mardimc@tpg.com.au

Jennifer Vernez, Executive Assistant, Chermside and District Senior Citizens Centre, 3624 2106, vernez.j@burniebrae.org.au

David Stavanger, Performance Poet/Artist, 3266 6994 ghostbay@aapt.nt.au

Peter Blatch, Principal, Geebung Special School Parents and Citizens Association, 3632 1777, pblat1@eq.edu.au

Trevanna Lang, Kedron State School Parents and Citizens Association, 0400 433 529 lang@mixedpeppers.com

Charlie Jeays, Co-ordinator, 3269 1015 charlie@jeayshardware.com.au

Nicole Kennedy, President, Northgate State School Parents and Citizens’ Association, 3370 2333 admin@northgatss.eq.edu.au

Ros Hines, President, Sacred Heart Sandgate Parents and Friends Association, 3269 6575 mail@roshinesdesigns.com.au

Regina Walsh, Sandgate State School Parents and Citizens Association, 3269 2799 reginawalsh@powerup.com.au

Sarat Maharaj, President, Zillmere Multicultural Festival Association Inc, 0407 111 709, zmfest@bigpond.net.au