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Friday March 05, 2021
Cairns Local News
Norma celebrates 100th birthday
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TANYA MURPHY
A FULL, happy life with plenty of “partying, socialising and enjoying herself,” as well as being a non-smoker, have been the keys to longevity for Trinity Beach local Norma Fahey who turned 100 on Wednesday. Around 50 family and friends, include some who dodged flight cancellations, border closures and cyclones to make it up from Melbourne, helped her mark the day with a party at the Trinity Beach Bar and Grill. Mrs Fahey’s son Vance and daughter-in-law Nikki, well-known for their musical duo the Barbary Coasters, performed live music at the event. Mrs Fahey lived independently in Smithfield until 2018 when she moved in with Vance and Nikki in Trinity Beach. Vance said his mother was still mobile with her walking frame and loved to go to Centacare four days a week to socialise and participate in activities. “She’s had a life full of friends and partying. She has a lot of friends and loves going out and socialising. Nowadays we give her non-alcoholic wine. But she might have a couple today,” said Vance. Born Norma Phyllis Blampied in Melbourne on March 3, 1921, Mrs Fahey was one of three children. They lived in their family
Re-opening – To Kill A Cassowary PETER MCCULLAGH
Norma Fahey winning the sweep on Melbourne Cup day last year. home in Richmond, Victoria which doubled as a shop for her father’s business as a Bootmaker/Repairer. Norma’s first and only job was working in a service station before marrying carpenter/builder William Thomas Fahey (Bill) in 1941 and becoming a fulltime housewife
and mother to their two children, Vance and April. Bill later became an international sales manager for Burwood Timber Mills which saw him bring his family on frequent trips to Japan, America, Malaysia, Alaska, China and Fiji. In 1990, Norma and Bill followed Vance and April and
their families, and moved to Cairns. Bill passed away in 2001. Norma has three grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Centacare also held a party for Mrs Fahey on Thursday morning with a cake and some live music.
IT is very rare in the world of theatre for a play to have a second opening night. To Kill A Cassowary will celebrate its second opening at the same theatre where 12 months ago it opened only to prematurely close due to COVID. Based in the rainforests of Mission Beach, To Kill A Cassowary is a modern day struggle of balance and conservation. The play centres of the world of Amos, played by Steven Tandy. Steven whilst well known for his starring role in the Sullivans has spent the past 50 years trotting the boards in some of Australia’s best known and well-loved plays including many a season with Queensland’s Twelfth Night Theatre. Amos has left his life and family behind, and built an idyllic tropical lifestyle in the rainforests in the north. Amos is one with nature, the fish, trees and
cassowaries, but he isn’t one for his family. Amos wants to keep the rainforest alive, however he fears his estranged daughter is going to come up from south with a plan to capitalise on the paradise and turn it into a tropical resort. She has a vision for the transformation of Amos’s paradise and he fights her every step of the way. The relationship starts in a very unpleasant adversarial manner, as the play progresses they become more as they truly should. The relationship mellows slightly, still with drama and conflict, but ends beautifully. To tell you more would be a spoiler. This play is beautifully crafted by local playwright Laurie Trott and narrates as story that’s only too common here in the north. To Kill A Cassowary opens Friday night at Bulmba-ja and continues until next weekend. More details can be found at www.jute.com.au
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