PREMIER UNVEILS QUEENSLAND’S 150 ICONS

‘King’ Wally Lewis, The Great Barrier Reef, World Expo ’88 and the Royal Flying Doctor Service are among the people, places and events that Queenslanders have voted as their Q150 Icons.

Premier Anna Bligh today released the official list of 150 icons, across 10 categories, as voted by Queenslanders.

The Premier was joined by official Icons Wally Lewis, Susie O’Neill, Dick Johnson, Hugh Lunn and representatives from Surf Lifesaving Queensland. Suncorp Stadium provided a fitting backdrop for the announcement – voted an iconic structure and engineering feat.

“In our Q150 year, Queenslanders are celebrating the people, places and stories that have made our State the great place it is today,” Ms Bligh said.

“And the official Q150 Icons illustrate what a diverse and colourful history it is, from Charles Kingsford Smith to Allan Border, from Australia Zoo to the XXXX Brewery, from the Daintree Rainforest to Carnarvon Gorge.

“From the internationally renown Steve Irwin to the controversial Sir Joh Bjelke- Petersen – Queensland means something different, but something special to all of us,” she said.

Proud Queenslander Rupert McCall penned a dedicated poem incorporating all 150 icons.

Ms Bligh said almost 30,000 votes were received to compile the official list, from a short-list of 300.

“The list of Q150 Icons will be added to the official Q150 Archive at the State Library and 15,000 lucky Queenslanders will also have the opportunity to win a commemorative Q150 Icons Post Card Pack.

“Entry forms will be in local papers tomorrow and I urge Queenslanders to get in quickly because stocks are limited.”

Visit www.q150.qld.gov.au for a full list of the top 150 icons.

Media: 3224 4500

TOP 150 ICONS
CATEGORY	PLACE	ICON
CATEGORY 1: State-shapers Queenslanders or Queensland organisations that have influenced or made a significant contribution to Queensland.	1	Yungaba Immigration Centre
	2	Steve Irwin
	3	Surf Lifesavers
	4	Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
	5	Leslie Thiess
	6	Founders of QANTAS
	7	Clem Jones
	8	Eddie Mabo
	9	State Emergency Service
	10	John Flynn
	11	Charles Kingsford Smith
	12	James Cook
	13	Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland
	14	Isolated Children's Parents Association
	15	Wayne Bennett
CATEGORY 2: Influential artists Those musicians, authors, actors, painters, designers, or pieces of art from Queensland that have left a lasting impression on the people of our State.	1	Bee Gees
	2	Powderfinger
	3	Geoffrey Rush
	4	Keith Urban
	5	Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker)
	6	Steele Rudd
	7	Judith Wright
	8	Billy Thorpe
	9	Hugh Lunn
	10	Savage Garden
	11	Gladys Moncrieff
	12	Graeme Connors
	13	William McInnes
	14	David Malouf
	15	Charles Chauvel
CATEGORY 3: Sports legends Those Queensland greats that have made a significant contribution to sport in our State.	1	Wally Lewis
	2	Cathy Freeman
	3	Pat Rafter
	4	Rod Laver
	5	Allan Border
	6	Greg Norman
	7	Susie O'Neill
	8	Dick Johnson
	9	Allan (Alfie) Langer
	10	Gunsynd
	11	Mal Meninga
	12	Grant Hackett
	13	Matthew Hayden
	14	Kieren Perkins
	15	Mick Doohan
CATEGORY 4: Locations The towns, parks, recreation attractions in Queensland that put our State on the map.	1	Australia Zoo (Sunshine Coast Hinterland)
	2	Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame (Longreach)
	3	Surfers Paradise
	4	Bundaberg Rum Distillery
	5	Big Pineapple (Nambour)
	6	South Bank Parklands (Brisbane)
	7	Noosa
	8	Breakfast Creek Hotel (Brisbane)
	9	Yatala Pie Shop
	10	Barcaldine Tree of Knowledge
	11	Paronella Park (North Queensland)
	12	Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (Brisbane)
	13	Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (Gold Coast)
	14	Great Dividing Range
	15	Darling Downs
CATEGORY 5: Natural attractions Those iconic locations in Queensland that are naturally formed.	1	Great Barrier Reef
	2	Fraser Island
	3	Glasshouse Mountains
	4	Whitsundays
	5	Daintree Rainforest
	6	Outback Queensland
	7	Carnarvon Gorge
	8	Stradbroke Island
	9	Lamington National Park
	10	Bunya Mountains
	11	Moreton Bay
	12	Barron Falls
	13	Springbrook National Park
	14	Magnetic Island
	15	Undara Lava Tubes
CATEGORY 6: Structures and engineering feats Those built structures in Queensland.	1	Story Bridge (Brisbane)
	2	Kuranda Scenic Railway (Cairns)
	3	XXXX Brewery (Brisbane)
	4	Brisbane City Hall
	5	Skyrail Rainforest Cable (Cairns)
	6	Gateway Bridge (Brisbane)
	7	Suncorp Stadium (Lang Park)
	8	Q1 (Gold Coast)
	9	The Gabba (Brisbane)
	10	The University of Queensland Great Court
	11	St John's Cathedral (Brisbane)
	12	Old Museum (Brisbane)
	13	QANTAS Hangars (Longreach and Cloncurry)
	14	Hornibrook Highway Bridge (Redcliffe)
	15	Burdekin Falls Dam
CATEGORY 7: Defining moments Those memorable moments from our State’s past, moments that highlight our triumphs and our hardships.	1	World Expo '88
	2	1974 Queensland floods
	3	QANTAS takes to the air
	4	1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games
	5	Mabo High Court of Australia decision
	6	Fitzgerald Inquiry (1987-89)
	7	Queensland proclaimed as a new colony
	8	Gold discovered in Queensland
	9	World Heritage listing of the Wet Tropics
	10	Queensland wins its first Sheffield Shield (1995)
	11	Cloudland and the Bellevue Hotel demolished
	12	Queensland the first with free education
	13	Australia's first Aboriginal Parliamentarians
	14	All chained up for women's rights (1965 at Regatta Hotel)
	15	Railway comes to Queensland (1865)
CATEGORY 8: Innovations and inventions Inventions or innovative concepts that Queenslanders have pioneered.	1	Royal Flying Doctor Service
	2	Cervical cancer vaccination (Professor Ian Frazer)
	3	Polio treatment
	4	Blue Care (formerly Blue Nurses)
	5	School of the Air
	6	Billabong
	7	Lamington
	8	Kids Alive - Do the Five
	9	Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment
	10	Weis Fruit Bar
	11	Immune system research wins Nobel Prize
	12	Southern Cross windmills
	13	Tilt train
	14	Dingo fence
	15	wotif.com.au
CATEGORY 9: Events and festivals Those iconic Queensland events that bring Queenslanders together to celebrate.	1	EkkA (Brisbane)
	2	State of Origin
	3	Birdsville Races
	4	Riverfire (Riverfestival)
	5	Woodford Folk Festival
	6	Carnival of Flowers (Toowoomba)
	7	Country Music Muster (Gympie)
	8	Indy (Gold Coast)
	9	Apple and Grape Harvest Festival (Stanthorpe)
	10	B&S Balls
	11	Beef Australia (Rockhampton)
	12	Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race
	13	Mount Isa Rodeo
	14	Panyiri Greek Festival (Brisbane)
	15	Noosa Triathalon
CATEGORY 10: Typically Queensland What is Queensland all about? Those things, behaviours or traditions that define Queensland and its people.	1	Backyard BBQs
	2	Queenslander house
	3	XXXX Beer
	4	Bundy Rum (and bear)
	5	Sunshine
	6	Bowen mango
	7	Summer afternoon storms
	8	"Waltzing Matilda"
	9	Macadamia nut
	10	Maroon
	11	Jacaranda tree
	12	Cane fields
	13	Cane toad
	14	Thongs
	15	Mud crab

Q150 icons by Rupert McCall

Queensland born Queensland bred

Many thoughts flow through my head

The time has come to beat the drum

This colony deserves some cred!

A story told on fields of gold

Where Glasshouse Mountain views unfold

With sun and surf and Gabba turf

And Allan Border blazing bold!

Across the field – our maiden Shield

Matt the Bat – his windmills wield

With wide verandah – Cairns Kuranda

Jacaranda then revealed

A tribe of thongs in Billabongs

With Billy Thorpe and Bee Gees songs

Now Malouf’s book says James can Cook

With Dickie Johnson’s true blue tongs!

The backyard crew in barbeque!

There’s Judith Wright and Oodgeroo

Gold Coast Indy – Dad of Bindie

Crikey it’s Australia Zoo!

Great White Sharks, National Parks

Savage Gardens, Birdsville larks

Perkins’ pool, Wayne Bennett’s rule

With Cathy Freeman – on ya marks!

Ah here we go and hail Sir Joh

And ride the Isa Rodeo!

Where cane toads croak for Woodford folk

Declare an end to polio

Yes vaccination, Frazer’s station

Railway tracks free education

City Halls and Burdekin Falls

And Yungaba for immigration

Islands, bridges, tracks and ridges

Straddie, Fraser, back deck fridges

XXXX brewin – Mickey Doohan

Parliament could hear the didges!

Currumbin’s wild and Southbank’s nice

Lives are saved in Paradise

The Daintree lush with Geoffrey Rush

Whitsundays adds Magnetic spice

Allan Langer, Rocky banger!

Tree of Knowledge, airplane hangar

Powderfinger, Mal Meninga

Feastin’ on a mud crab sanger!

Rocket Rod, he gets the nod

Wally Lewis – demigod!

Knew every blade of Lang Park Stade

And Blue Care fought against the odds

Johnny Flynn – the great Gunsynd!

Was sailing on a Gladstone wind

Old Clem Jones – he bled maroon

Matilda winked and Mabo grinned

Regatta chains for female claims

82 - The Commonwealth Games

Our Qantas Roo got up and flew!

The Longreach Stockman’s Hall Of Fame

The Belle Hotel and Cloudland fell

Will McInnes, Charles Chauvel

With flower clusters, Gympie Musters

Hugh Lunn - Q1 - Paw Paw Gel

And Yatala Pies and Noosa Tris

And gold was Madam Butterfly’s

And Mango Weis and Leslie Thiess

And Kingsford Smith – he ruled the skies!

Now kids alive to do the five

A place where big pineapples thrive

The outback honours Graeme Connors

Lava tubes and lammie drives!

Hey spend a day on Moreton Bay!

SES – ICPA

Tilted trains through fields of cane

Wotif.com.au ay!

Ekka Mecca St John’s spire

Tone Fitzgerald – let’s enquire

Doctors flying, Dingoes trying

Old museum and Riverfire

The Bundy Bear – we’re almost there!

B&S - School of the Air

On Rafter’s racquet – Big Grant Hackett!

Gateway to the Great Court square

Skyrail leaf – the Barrier Reef

Brekky Creek does beer and beef

Expo crowns the Darling Downs

I’m Glad there’s room for Miss Moncrieff!

With floods and spuds and stormy scuds

Dad and Dave was Mister Rudd’s

Stanthorpe grapes, Panyiri crepes

And Urban tunes – there ain’t no duds!

Carnarvon Gorges Bunya grange

Macadamic nuts exchange

Royal Ag signs, Koala Pines

Where none divides except the Range!

No every feather stands together

Thick and thin – through any weather

Cross the Story bridged by glory

Fastened by a friendly tether

Strengthened by a spirit crown

A pride that never lets you down

With that, I say hip hip hooray

Happy birthday Queensland town!