FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND COMMUNITIES GO ALL OUT TO CELEBRATE QLD’S 150TH

From a gala concert to a 12km race and a carnival, Far North Queensland 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 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.

“Twenty-two community applications from Far North Queensland have successfully applied for $192,608 in the third and final round of Q150 Community Funding.

“They include the Cairns Music Teacher Network’s gala concert, The Great Pyramid Race and Country Fair Association’s 12 km race up Walsh’s Pyramid at Gordonvale where the first race took place in 1959 Queensland’s centenary, and Stratford and Freshwater Community Association’s Q150 Stratford Carnival.

“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.”

Far North Queensland Q150 Community Funding projects in Round 3:

Babinda District Community Association Inc, $9999. Babinda Oral History project, a web publication, audio-visual presentation and hard copy account of Babinda’s history.

Cairns Hockey Association, Cairns North, $7600. An electronic gallery to display the 80 years of Cairns Hockey history.

Cairns Music Teacher Network, Bentley, $10,000 bringing together school communities with local musical groups, including professionals to celebrate excellence in a major community event such as a gala concert at the Cairns Convention Centre.

Chillagoe Alliance Inc, $10,000. promoting the important role that Chillagoe has played over the years in the field of science by creating a life-size reproduction of "Dave" the Elasmosaur that will be placed at the entrance to the township.

Cooktown Discovery Festival Committee, $6000. Infusion of Q150 celebration into the Discovery Festival renowned for the re-enactment of the landing of Captain Cook and his crew from the damaged bark Endeavour in 1770.

Etheridge Shire Council, Georgetown, $10,000. Children’s tour of Q150 Steam Train and Q150 Shed in Cairns as well as disposable cameras so they can record their trip.

Forsayth State School Parents and Citizens Association, $10,000. A set of 10 illustrative and informative weather-resistant information stations on the history of the region.

The Great Pyramid Race and Country Fair Association Inc, Gordonvale, $10,000. A 12km race up Walsh’s Pyramid at Gordonvale and a secondary 5km cross country race. The first race took place in 1959 to mark Queensland’s Centenary Celebrations. For 2009 organisers are also planning a commemorative magazine and a gala dinner.

Green Ant Inc, Innisfail, $4030. Q150 workshops at the Innisfail Harvest Festival parade, e.g. lantern making workshops for a parade,

Innisfail and District Historical Society Inc, $3982. A DVD that captures 500 historical photographs that commemorate the history of the local region.

Just Us Theatre Ensemble (JUTE), Cairns, $10,000. Touring the production The Shining Path throughout Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory. The Shining Path follows two map-less blokes on a buoyant, somewhat random train journey around Queensland. Sometimes sad, and often hilarious, the play visits the iconic, familiar, as well as the out of the way places that are unique to this great state. With universal themes of friendship, betrayal and redemption, the play celebrates all that is broken, beautiful and bizarre about Queensland towns and the characters that populate them.

Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council, $9960. A two-day celebration to promote the opening of the new multi-purpose sport and recreation centre funded through the Q150 Legacy Infrastructure Program. The new centre provides social, cultural and economic benefits to Kowanyama residents.

Peninsula Art Educator’s Association, Innisfail, $9828. Art in the Heart which brings together the youth of Innisfail, Tully and Johnstone regions with local, artists and the wider community to produce some key public art works that will be installed in each of their local communities.

Quinkan and Regional Cultural Centre Ltd, Laura, $8000. Rock Art on Canvas photographic exhibition.

The Russell Landcare and Catchment Group, Babinda, $8710. Wonga Park Development, a public space to engage and educate the broader community with an awareness and celebration of local diversity.

Spatial Sciences Institute (Queensland Division), Cairns, $10,000. Q150 commemorative permanent survey marks in the Cairns region celebrating surveyors and other spatial information practitioners who were involved in the demarcation of Queensland from the then colony of New South Wales 150 years ago.

Stratford and Freshwater Community Association Inc, Freshwater, $10,000. Recording and preserving local history and photographs by creating a Heritage Trail in Stratford, a brochure and trail signage, that joins up with the Freshwater Heritage Trail, celebrating the heritage of the suburbs of Stratford and Freshwater that were outposts for early Cairns and date back to the 1880s.

Stratford Football Club Plavi Jadran Inc, $10,000. The Q150 Stratford Carnival, a community event where local bands will play tracks created in Queensland, a re-enactment of the reading of the Letters Patent from Queen Victoria, a dinner based on locally caught and grown cuisine. Entertainment line-up includes a comedian who will take the mickey out of Queensland’s much beloved way of life and a soccer personality who will talk about the past and future vision for Queensland football.

Torimba Cultural and Festival Association, Ravenshoe, $8000. Looking Forward – Looking Back, a community festival to raise community awareness of the Q150 Celebrations and the importance of staging an annual community festival. The festival will reflect on the early history and heritage of Queensland, Ravenshoe and the Torimba Festival. There will be music and dance performances by descendants of the local Jiddabul people, a grand parade with a procession of floats, and businesses will be encouraged to decorate their premises with themed displays.

Tablelands Regional Council – Atherton Office, $6500. A book that commemorates the construction and history of the Tinaroo Falls Dam.

Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council, via Cooktown, $10,000. Community event to celebrate the opening of the new Cultural Centre.

Yungaburra State School Parents and Citizens Association, $10,000. A history book and artistic cultural displays celebrating Queensland’s 150^th anniversary and the foundation of the school in 1909.

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

Maureen Baddatz, President, Babinda District Community Association Inc, 4067 2900, b-t-f@bigpond.com

Murray Bain, General Manager, Cairns Hockey Association, 4053 2308, info@cairnshockey.com.au

Fiona Dunn, Teacher, Cairns Music Teacher Network, 0438 070 873, fdunn3@eq.edu.au

Monica Landon, Chillagoe Alliance Inc, 4094 7025, amlandon@bigpond.com.au

Leonie Dowding, Treasurer, Cooktown Discovery Festival Committee, 0427 021 549, ldowding@cywafap.org.au

Graham Gardem, Senior Admin Officer, Etheridge Shire Council, 4062 1233, grahamg@ehteridge.qld.gov.au

Veronica Loudon, Secretary, Forsayth State School Parents and Citizens Association, 4062 5378, vloud3@eq.edu.au

Kerry Thompson, Event Coordinator, The Great Pyramid Race and Country Fair Association, 0438 710 954, kerry@abfabevents.com.au

Katy Garner, Coordinator, Green Ant Inc, 4061 8626 greenant_inc@qld.chariot.net.au

Valerie Robertson, President, Innisfail and District Historical Society Inc, 4061 2731, waimarie@comnorth.com.au

Suellen Maunder, Artistic Director, JUTE, 4050 9444, suellen@jute.com.au

Bill Watson, Grants Manager, Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council, 07 4040 4504, bill.watson@kowanyama.qld.gov.au

Kylie Lambert, President, Peninsula Art Educator’s Association, 4061 4922 klamb21@eq.edu.au

John Farrington, General Manager, Quinkan and Regional Cultural Centre, quinkancc@bigpond.com.

Rebecca Breaden, Vice President, The Russell Landcare and Catchment Group, 07 4067 2971

Jemma Picco, Chairperson, Spatial Sciences Institute (Queensland Division), Cairns, 4039 8200, jemma.picco@nrw.qld.gov.au

Christine Stucley, Treasurer, Stratford & Freshwater Community Assoc, 4048 8600, balvet@austarnet.com.au

Eugene Orwell, Secretary & Grants Officer, Stratford Football Club Plavi Jadran Inc, 0419 688 398, fax 4055 0249, orwell@cairns.net.au

Heather Barney, Treasurer, Torimba Cultural and Festival Association, 07 4097 6407 jba33302@bigpond.net.au

Stacey Maisel, Events Officer, Tablelands Regional Council, 0409 934 469, staceym@trc.qld.gov.au

Garry Raymond, Project Manager, Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council, 4060 8155, art@wujalwujalcouncil.qld.gov.au

Neradeene McKendry, Member, Centenary Organising Committee, Yungaburra State School Parents and Citizens Association, 4091 0869, mckendry@austarnet.com.au