There are only three more sleeps until excited anglers wet a line and more than $200,000 in prizes are given away to celebrate the platinum anniversary of the Weipa Fishing Classic. Find out how the event is looking on Page 5. Weipa frocks
Material Change of Use
(Short Term Accommodation)
Where: Little Lui Street, Bamaga
On: Lot 264 on SP273361
Approval sought: Development
Permit for Material Change of Use
(Short Term Accommodation)
Application ref: DA2025_016
You may obtain a copy of the application and make a submission to: Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council
PO Box 200, Bamaga, QLD 4876
E: contact@nparc.qld.gov.au
P: (07) 4090 4100
W: www.nparc.qld.gov.au
Public notification requirements are in accordance with the Planning Act 2016
Need a reliable freight service to
Tuxworth & Woods have all your refrigerated, dry & heavy haulage needs covered – from 20 grams to 20 tonnes
WEIPA DEPOT
Iraci Ave, Evans Landing Mob: 0429 003 743
Ph: 4069 7183 Fax: 4069 7472
COOKTOWN DEPOT
Cnr of Endeavour Road and McMillan Streets, Cooktown Ph: 0419 759 892
AN opening ceremony for the first stage of the Cooktown Rail Trail project has been postponed after Cook Shire Council closed off the site due to public safety concerns.
The opening had been scheduled for 30 May, however, on Thursday afternoon, the council announced it had “temporarily closed access to the new boardwalk along the rail trail in the interest of public safety, as the structure has not yet received final building certification”.
This project is a communityled initiative on council-managed land, with funding and delivery made possible by Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation after South Cape York Catchments made a development application in 2024 for the 110-metre boardwalk at the racecourse end of the trail.
It is understood a group of people, including representatives of the project group and community members, still accessed the area to inspect the boardwalk, despite the council closure.
In a social media post on Fri-
day morning, chief executive officer Brian Joiner explained why the action had been taken, and that the council had not been consulted about the planned unveiling.
“The opening date was announced without prior consultation with council, and before a formal inspection had been requested,” the post reads.
“Once we became aware of the proposed opening through social media, council acted
quickly to support the process by arranging for an independent building inspector to assess the structure.
“Unfortunately, a number of non-compliances were identified that need to be resolved before the boardwalk can be safely opened; council is now working with the project’s delivery partner … to rectify these issues and ensure the boardwalk meets all required standards.
“Council remains committed
to supporting the completion of this community-driven project and ensuring it is delivered safely and in line with all required building and environmental approvals, just as we would for any other development on public land.”
It is unclear when the postponed opening ceremony will now be held.
Members of the group behind the project did not respond to requests for comment from Cape York Weekly
Musical ‘movie stars’ hit right note with $5k effort
by CHISA HASEGAWA
THERE are not many chances to see the Pink Ladies from Grease, DC’s Harley Quinn and Pulp Fiction’s Mia Wallace in the same room, but characters from across fi lm universes came together in
the name of Cooktown education on Friday night.
The Cooktown State School P&C Association hosted its second music bingo night on 30 May, with the sold out event raising $5,792 to be put towards resources for the local school.
“We had a great turnout of guests who attended last year, and we welcomed new faces, so it was good to see that we were able to reach even more demographics in our town,” secretary and treasurer Jodi Johnson said.
“The amount of people that came in costume was definitely up, and that also added to the atmosphere on the night.”
Last year’s inaugural music bingo night raised about $6,000, allowing the P&C Association to support Peninsula sport costs, year 6 and 12 graduation costs, and several camp and excursion costs.
Ms Johnson said they would love to replicate the support provided through
last year’s fundraiser, but added it would depend on available funding and the 2026 committee.
“The P&C is currently working with the school to introduce a formal uniform, and there may be a facility improvement in the primary school, which will require community gambling grant funding; generally, a co-contribution by the P&C supports the application success,” she said.
She said music bingo as the P&C’s major fundraising event stretched the committee thin, but hoped it could become a regular event in support of Cooktown State School.
“We … hope to work with a local club in town to host music bingo one night during the week later in the year, which will be less of a workload for our volunteers,” Ms Johnson said.
Law and breaking the cycle of youth crime with early intervention programs like Regional Reset.
To see how safety is being restored where you live, search Making Queensland Safer.
An opening ceremony for a 110-metre section of the Cooktown Rail Trail boardwalk meant to be held on 30 May was cancelled after the area was closed by Cook Shire Council amid public safety concerns.
The Pink Ladies stepped out of Grease in support of the Cooktown State School P&C Association’s music bingo night on 30 May.
Ergon pole maintenance snub fires up Lakeland landholders
by LYNDON KEANE
CONCERNED Lakeland landholders are urging electricity giant Ergon Energy to rethink a plan to scrap maintenance around its power pole network on their properties in the lead-up to Cape York’s annual bushfire season.
In previous years, Ergon Energy has cleared potential fire loads around the base of the poles to minimise the risk of them catching fire and disrupting the electricity supply along the distribution network.
Now, Ergon Energy has turned the tables on landholders and is asking them to undertake the maintenance work, and has commenced installing fireproof mesh on some poles as a debris clearing alternative on the back of what it says was a successful trial in 2024.
“Ergon Energy Network has asked landholders in the Lakeland district to take responsibility for ensuring power poles
on their properties are not at risk during fire season, in particular during controlled burns,” a company spokesperson said.
“While not a requirement, Ergon Energy Network has cleared around poles in fire hot spots in the past to minimise the risk of asset damage and losses.
“Fireproof mesh is being installed on power poles at selected sites across Queensland; while FireMesh significantly reduces the risk of infrastructure being damaged in a fire, it doesn’t negate the need to keep the base of poles clear.”
The electricity supplier is asking landholders to “trim or clear any long grass, foliage, and rubbish within a five-metre radius of the base of a pole, and remain with any planned burns they carry out, to minimise the chances of fire damaging power poles and property”, a request one furious landholder argued created an additional burden on the region’s primary producers and land managers.
The landholder, who spoke to Cape York Weekly on the condition of anonymity, said an Ergon Energy employee had told them the company was prepared to “let them burn” because replacing the infrastructure after a fire was more costeffective than continuing the debris clearing across the local network.
“The local fellas have been clearing around the posts the last few years which is good, but I don’t
know if someone in Brisbane’s telling them it’s too expensive now, and it’s cheaper to let them burn and then put new ones up,” they said angrily.
“That might well be, but it’s also bloody dangerous.
“They don’t have to deal with bushfires down there in Brisbane and how are we (landholders) meant to find the extra time and resources to maintain their assets?
I don’t know what’s happened at the top end of Ergon, but they need to get out here on the ground and see maintaining a social licence in remote spots like the Cape is a lot more important than what a bloody spreadsheet’s telling them.
“Roadside poles are the biggest fire risk, I believe, but it looks like they’ve given up maintaining around them, too.”
Cook, Kowanyama councils score
$4.3m
for infrastructure upgrades
COOK Shire Council and Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council are two of four local governments across northern Queensland to secure funding for vital infrastructure upgrades through the State Government’s Local Government Grants and Subsidies Program (LGGSP).
The funding was announced on 29 May, with Kowanyama
receiving $1,069,121 – 90 per cent of the project cost – for staff housing upgrades in the western Cape York community.
Cook Shire will receive $3.275 million to construct a resilience and learning hub in Cooktown, with the funding commitment representing 70 per cent of the overall $4.685m project cost.
Member for Cook David Kempton described the LGSSP funding as critical to getting the projects across the line.
“This funding is well overdue after years of Labor inaction and one of the many examples of how the Crisafulli LNP government is backing Far North Queensland,” he said.
“These projects are crucial for our communities.”
Local Government Minister Ann Leahy said the projects would reap liveability and economic rewards for the Kowanyama and Cooktown communities.
“Projects like this will not only help improve the liveability of local communities, but also support … jobs in rural and regional council areas,” she said.
Ergon Energy has confirmed it is now asking landholders in the Lakeland area to “take responsibility” for maintaining the electricity giant’s power poles on their properties ahead of the 2025 bushfire season.
HOT PRICE SUPER SAVER FIND
Band hooked on Weipa ahead of Classic platinum performance
by LYNDON KEANE
FOR those about to fish, share in more than $200,000 in prizes or rock this weekend, we salute you.
Western Cape York is only three sleeps away from the lid being lifted on what is shaping up as one of the biggest weekends in the region’s history when the platinum anniversary edition of the Weipa Fishing Classic (WFC) begins on Friday.
The event will mark its 20th birthday from 6-8 June and WFC president Lisa Lui said the com-
mittee was ready to rock and roll – literally, in some cases – for the milestone celebration of all things fishing and community spirit.
“The committee is pumped and can’t wait for the event,” she told Cape York Weekly
“It’s finally here and the excitement is building; while there is still a lot of work to do before we open the gates, we are all looking forward to it.
“I know we say it every year, but this will be our biggest event to date.”
The Top 30 prize draw is always
While she would not give away any of the committee’s secret fishing spots, the WFC president had some sage advice for anyone wetting a line over the three days.
“Just go out and have fun,” she said.
“Don’t make it all about the competition; enjoy the day out, either on the boat or on the shoreline, and if you get a big one, all the better.
“Good luck to all competing.”
He added the band was preparing for a monster night of bangers befitting the milestone event.
“We have been told it’s one of the biggest nights of the year in Weipa, and are looking forward to seeing as many people as possible,” Wedge said.
“Because of the strong setlist and structure of our show, we no doubt believe that every single person in that crowd, no matter their age, will be singing along.”
a must-see part of the Classic and with more than $200,000 of goodies scheduled to be given away, Ms Lui thanked sponsors for going above and beyond to ensure the platinum event would one for the ages.
“The Classic is a family event, and the turnout every year is amazing, and we are not expecting this year to be any different,” she said.
“Our sponsors this year have outdone themselves; we thought last year was a record for the number of sponsors, but this year we have beaten that.”
When the rods are put away on Saturday, things will get loud when High Voltage – the AC/DC Experience headlines the live entertainment and belts out all the old favourites from what may be the quintessential Australian rock band.
Guitarist and band manager Jay Wedge said the band was pumped to be doing one of the remotest performances it had taken to the stage for.
“The whole band is looking forward to the gig,” he said.
“Being a band for over decade now, we have played all over the world, but for sure this is up there with the most remote; we did a gig in Singapore once – that may beat it, but we are lucky enough to do something we all love and get to see many amazing places like Weipa.”
Gates will open at Andoom Oval from 5:30pm on Friday, with weigh-ins commencing on Saturday and Sunday from 4pm.
Who will share in the more than $200,000 in prizes set to be given away at this year’s milestone Weipa Fishing Classic when it kicks off on Friday?
High Voltage – the AC/DC Experience is set to rock western Cape York on the second night of the 20th anniversary Weipa Fishing Classic this weekend. Photo: Simone Gorman-Clark.
‘Great national significance’ for Weipa space base plan
A SYDNEY conference has heard the space centre proposed for western Cape York is a “project of great national significance” as its proponent announced the facility’s name last week.
Space Centre Australia (SCA) used the Australian Space Summit and Exhibition 2025 on 27-28 May to reveal the 300 square kilometre base, which will be built about 40 kilometres from Weipa, will be called the Atakani Space Centre.
Named after the Luthigh word for “lily pad”, the facility is currently in advanced planning and is expected to reach initial operational readiness by 2029, with full-scale commercial launches expected to begin soon after.
Former prime minister and SCA chairman Scott Morrison, who spoke about the ambitious project at the 2025 Western Cape Futures Symposium last month, said he believed it had the potential to put the region on the national and international space map in terms of
strategic importance.
“Space is already a highly contested domain that is shaping the geopolitical environment and future technological advancement,” he said.
“Australia must leverage
its unique geography and network of security relationships … to build a sophisticated space ecosystem that is integrated with our allies and partners, to protect our shared national security interests.
“The Atakani Space Centre in Cape York will deliver the essential space launch infrastructure Australia will need to achieve this goal; this makes the Atakani Space Centre a project of great national significance.”
the importance of the
project.
“The Atakani Space Centre represents a bold step forward for Australia’s
space capabilities,” he said.
“Our vision is to establish a world-class facility that not only advances our technological prowess, but also brings substantial economic growth to the Western Cape region.”
SCA chief executive officer James Palmer echoed his chairman’s sentiment about
Weipa
Former prime minister and Space Centre Australia chairman Scott Morrison has told the Australian Space Summit and Exhibition the company’s Atakani Space Centre, near Weipa, represents a “project of great national significance”.
Forum ‘rare opportunity’ to highlight remote female health
by CHISA HASEGAWA
HEALTH challenges faced by women in remote communities will be brought to the forefront in an inaugural forum in Napranum this week.
The Western CapeHER Women’s Health Forum will be hosted by the University of Queensland (UQ), Queensland Health, and Aboriginal-owned business Embley Contracting on 5-6 June, and is set to empower community members to share health priorities and highlight the challenges of women living on Cape York.
Weipa local and UQ researcher Minnie King said the forum was a rare opportunity to ask women about their experiences with remote health services, adding that while the event was not exclusive to First Nations women, it was vital to understand culture in the context of health.
“The health services we currently have were built around us, but not for us; what we need is to shape the health service for us,” she explained.
“This is the first part of a bigger conversation about remote health and health services.
“This is a profound opportunity, and we may only get this one opportunity, so we will take this rare opportunity to make our voices count.”
The forum comes after Ms King and other researchers UQ collaborated to create a culturally appropriate menstrual and puberty teaching guide, which was launched at Western Cape College in November 2024.
“From there, we did quite a few interviews with women and health organisations in the Western Cape, mostly in Weipa, but a little bit in Napranum and Mapoon,” UQ Associate Professor Nina Lansbury said.
“What we realised is, we
started hearing bigger stories beyond periods to menopause and incontinence and endometriosis, so lots of issues related to fertility.
“There was a real feeling expressed in those interviews that the services available for women in remote communities are
just so different to regional areas, and even more so from urban areas, and they felt their lived experiences were not heard by decision makers.”
There are only a few free tickets left, so visit www.westerncapeher.com and scan the QR code to register.
Transport help for remote Cape communities
EIGHT Cape York and Torres Strait projects aimed at improving key road, air and sea access routes have been flagged as priorities by the Queensland Government.
The government made the announcement on 27 May to coincide with Reconciliation Week, with the identified projects set to bolster connectivity for remote communities in the region, especially during the wet season.
The Aurukun airport will get $954,660 to undertake airstrip pavement investigations and a surfacing upgrade, with the Plain Creek Crossing on the Dunbar-Kowanyama Road set to receive $1.25 million for floodway upgrades, and $1.232m allocated for stage two causeway upgrades on the Portland Roads Road at the Wenlock River.
Pavement and drainage upgrades for the Walkers Hill section of the Bloomfield Road will get $1.2m, with $2.21m earmarked for remedial works on the Dauan Island barge ramp.
In the Northern Peninsula Area, Ferry Road will receive a much-needed $1.5m
sealing upgrade, while the region’s airport has been allocated almost $1.5m for a runway upgrade.
A concrete floodway will be installed on Strathgordon Road (the Pormpuraaw access road) after $361,408 was green lit for the project.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg said the funding played
a vital role to ensure some of the state’s remotest communities stayed open.
“This funding helps keep critical routes open and communities supported,” he said.
“People living in remote communities shouldn’t face isolation because of a lack of reliable transport, and this funding will help empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander councils to deliver improved transport options for their communities.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
Cooktown silica presentation
THE Cooktown community is being urged to have its say on Diatreme Resources’ Northern Silica Project when a consultation session and presentation are held on 5 June.
Community members are free to drop in and have their say from 1-9pm on Thursday, with the formal project presentation scheduled from 7-8pm.
The event will provide local stakeholders with an opportunity to have their say about proposed site developments, opportunities and impacts of the project.
Both the drop-in session and presentation will be held at the Cooktown Shire Hall at 42 Helen Street.
Coalition returns
IN what may be one of the shortest trial separations in history, the Liberal and National parties are living together once again after announcing on 28 May they had reformed a Coalition.
Just eight days after emphatically walking away from the eight-decade union, Nationals leader David Littleproud stood grinning beside Opposition Leader Sussan Ley last Wednesday as she announced the parties had reconciled the majority of their differences.
Former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack will watch the action unfold over the next three years from the backbench after both were dumped from the shadow ministry.
Lockhart dance date set ALL roads will lead to Lockhart River on the King’s Birthday long weekend in October as the community rolls out the welcome mat for the 2025 Paytham Malkari Dance Festival.
The two-day celebration of culture, performance and community will be held on 3-4 October, with hundreds of festivalgoers expected to head to Lockhart River for the annual event.
For the latest information about the festival, go to the Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council Facebook page.
Aurukun’s airport has received more than $950,000 in Queensland Government funding for an airstrip pavement investigation and surfacing upgrade.
Associate Professor Nina Lansbury, Olivia Milsom, Minnie King and Siale King will bring remote women’s health to the forefront in Napranum at the first Western CapeHER forum from 5-6 June.
Maintenance dredging notice
May - June 2025 | Notice for Weipa community
North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) will undertake maintenance dredging from early May 2025 at the Port of Weipa.
Dredging will also be completed at Amrun on behalf of Rio Tinto.
The project will take up to four (4) weeks to complete.
The dredge vessel TSHD Brisbane, as well as support vessels, have restricted manoeuvring capability. Local and visiting boaties are asked to take care and notice of all warning flags and lights.
Maintenance dredging needs to be carried out to ensure that safe, navigable shipping depths are maintained.
Environmental controls and management measures will be implemented throughout the program to minimise the risk of any potential impact on the marine environment.
Your cooperation and understanding is appreciated.
For more information contact
NORTH QUEENSLAND BULK PORTS
The Western Cape Communities Co-Existence Agreement (WCCCA) is an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) over the Rio Tinto mining lease areas of the Western Cape York region of Northern Queensland. The Agreement is between the eleven Traditional Owner Groups, four Shire Councils (Aurukun, Napranum, Mapoon and New Mapoon), Rio Tinto, the Queensland State Government and the Cape York Land Council on behalf of the Native Title Parties.
The Western Cape Communities Coordinating Committee (WCCCC) and its five Sub-Committees transparently monitor, implement and review the objectives of the WCCCA to ensure that all parties’ obligations under the Agreement are met. The WCCT office is the administration arm for all Trusts and the WCCCC. It manages the overall business of the company, including servicing, assisting and supporting the above entities. WCCT is committed to providing high quality services to our Traditional Owners, and we recognize the importance of employing the most suitable candidates. Currently we are seeking applications for the position of:
OFFICE MANAGER
Reporting to the Executive Officer, the Office Manager is responsible for the efficient and effective functioning of the WCCT Office in order to meet organisational objectives. This includes demonstrating appropriate and professional workplace behaviours, performing their responsibilities in a manner which reflects and responds to continuous improvement, managing Administration staff, managing IT and communications systems and other office equipment, and providing support to the Executive Officer. The Office Manager is also responsible for the coordination and planning of all WCCT, WCCCC, Sub-Regional Trusts and Sub-Committees meetings scheduled throughout the year.
We anticipate the applicants will have completed a formal training in Business Administration or a similar field and have experience in a similar role where they have been responsible for the efficient and effective functioning of an office, managing administration staff, document control, managing IT and communications systems as well as compliance with organisation policies and procedures and workplace health and safety regulations. A current C class driver’s license is also required for this role.
Prior experience with MYOB, centralized database, and a sound knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island protocols are highly desired.
Traditional Owners and Aboriginal people are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must have the right to work in Australia.
For further information, including a position description please contact the Executive Officer directly.
All applications should be clearly marked “Private and Confidential” and addressed as follows: Executive Officer PO Box 106
Weipa, QLD, 4874
Phone: (07) 4069 7945
Email: eo@westerncape.com.au
CLOSING DATE – FRIDAY 6th JUNE 2025
Competitors ready to get Unfenced for festival fun
by CHISA HASEGAWA
IT is one of Cape York’s most unique events, but a Cooktown Discovery Festival challenge bringing together the most random of activities is set to bring in a bumper crowd when the lid is lifted on pies and beer on 21 June.
The West Coast Hotel’s Unfenced Asylum Challenge is a spectator highlight of the annual festival – we can’t say the same for some of the competitors who have come off second best against some of the challenge events – in which mixed teams of three take on an obstacle course on
Charlotte Street, including a variety of activities designed to take down any who dare to challenge.
Hotel manager Tony Holmes said the inclusion of hobby horses would make this year’s instalment of the challenge more head scratching and hilarious than ever before.
“To start off, they have to skol a beer, and they have to pick up a rock and carry it, and then we have some pretend fishing rods and they’ve got to catch some fish in a barrel, and we’re going to make them run with hobby horses,” he said.
“They’ve also got to eat a pie, which is the Beef
Destroyer; it really knocks them around, eating the pie, and then they got to skol a beer at the end again.”
Mr Holmes said with the beer skolling and running around, the Beef Destroyer often came back up, but it was all part of the fun.
“The girls, especially, are not good at it; after they eat the pie and run around and skol a beer, they’re the main ones that throw up,” he laughed.
Registrations are still open for the 2025 Unfenced Asylum Challenge, which can be done at the West Coast Hotel with a $30 team registration fee.
The unique Unfenced Asylum Challenge obstacle course is just one of the must-see entertainment events for visitors to watch - or participate in - during the 2025 Cooktown Discovery Festival.
The annual Unfenced Asylum Challenge always draws a big crowd of both challengers and spectators.
Mount Carbine pub set to reopen
IN good news for thirsty travellers returning from Cape York, reflecting on their adventures over a cold beer at Mount Carbine will again be possible from July.
The Mount Carbine HotelMotel has been closed since late 2024, but its owners are set to return and told Cape York Weekly they were in the process of reinstating the venue’s liquor licence and getting ready to welcome patrons.
“The pub will be reopening with its original owners in midJuly,” said Dale Morris, who will manage the watering hole with partner Jane Burns.
“The pub will be running back to normal, including meals, lunch and dinner, motel accommodation and free camping out the side of the pub.”
Mitch Newman had been run-
ning the pub on a 12-month lease but said it had been “unviable” to continue his stint behind the bar.
Mr Morris reassured fans of the pub he and Ms Burns planned to continue its major annual events, including host-
ing riders on the first night of the Cardiac Challenge ride from Cairns to Cooktown.
“We are also looking forward to our yearly events, including the Bronc and Bull Ride around the second weekend in August,
and our major event, the Cardiac Challenge at the end of September,” he said.
“To the groups who travel to the Cape yearly, and all those nomads, we hope to see you all soon.”
CEQ overhauls remote baby food range
REMOTE supermarket operator Community Enterprise Queensland (CEQ) says it has reaffirmed its commitment to the health and wellbeing of children in remote Cape York and Torres Strait communities by overhauling its infant and toddler food offerings.
The update, which will be rolled out in all CEQ stores, follows a comprehensive review led by the organisation’s nutrition and buying teams to ensure babies and young children had better access to healthier food options “from their very first bites”.
Nutrition and health manager Melinda Hammond said the changes reflected CEQ’s ongoing dedication to improving health outcomes in remote Indigenous communities across the far north of the state.
“A healthy start in life begins with good nutrition, and that’s something we take seriously,” she said.
“We know that early childhood nutrition lays the foundation for lifelong health, and our board made it clear that support-
ing babies’ health and development is a top priority.
“These changes to our baby food range are about giving parents better options and cutting through the confusion on the shelves.”
The updated range focuses on nutritious, iron-rich and lowersugar options that support early development, such as meatbased meals, iron-fortified cereals and vegetable-based meals, while reducing the shelf presence of products high in added sugars, such as sweetened custards and fruit-based purees.
CEQ said the review also aligned with advocacy from the Food for Health Alliance, which continues to call for stronger national regulation and greater transparency in the labelling and formulation of infant and toddler foods.
“We’re making it easier for families to make healthier choices, and that includes making sure the most nutritious options are easier to find and more visible on our shelves,” CEQ chief executive officer Michael Dykes said.
NEWS IN BRIEF
AEC yet to call seat
ONE month after the 3 May federal election, the seat of Leichhardt is one of many across the country yet to be declared by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).
When Cape York Weekly went to press on Monday, the AEC’s tally room showed Labor’s Matt Smith holding 56.14 per cent of the two candidate preferred vote, more than 11,500 ahead of Jeremy Neal, who tried to keep the electorate in Liberal National Party hands.
Phillip Musumeci (Greens)and Robert Hicks (One Nation) were the best of the rest, and secured 9.29 per cent and 8.01 per cent of first preference votes respectively.
Sponsorships available
WESTERN Cape York community groups, clubs and organisations can now apply for a financial helping hand following the opening of round two of the 2025 Rio Tinto Sponsorships and Donations Program.
The program provides funding for events, initiatives and activities that enrich the region around Weipa, Napranum, Aurukun, Mapoon and the Northern Peninsula Area.
The current round opened on 1 June and submissions can be made for funding help until 30 September.
To check your eligibility, or request an application form, email RTAWeipaFeedback@riotinto.com.
TIB advisory roles open
TRADITIONAL Inhabitant Boat (TIB) fishers from the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area are urged to contact their local Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) board member to apply for positions on its Protected Zone Joint Authority advisory committees.
A total of 40 positions are available across eight committees.
Taking on community feedback, TSRA changed the selection process and has extended applications to 9 June to allow extra time to apply and more transparency in the appointment process.
For more information, visit www.tsra. gov.au/fisheries.
After being closed since late 2024, the owners of the Mount Carbine Hotel-Motel say they expect to have the watering hole’s doors open again by mid-July.
CEQ store nutritionist Georgia Day checks out the remote supermarket operator’s overhauled baby food range with Rohani Nona and Philicia Reimann.
Fishing club dusts off welcome mat
by CHISA HASEGAWA
FROM worn out to full of life, the Seisia Fishing Club is back to welcoming community members for a cold drink and a feed after closing its doors in 2023.
Returning lifetime members and new members came together for the grand reopening on 28 May, sharing a drink and memories of the club as it entered a new era.
“The club goes all the way back to 2009, and we’ve got some lifetime members here who filled peo-
ple in on the history,” club president Eddie Newman said.
“It was great just to see them smile again and have something back in their community.”
Secretary Pauline Long said as a not-for-profit organisation reliant on voluntary work, the club closed when there were not enough people to keep it running, and over time, the building became worn down.
With a fresh team ready to take on the job, worked commenced earlier this year to enable the club to roll out the welcome mat for the dry season.
FREE COMMUNITY EVENT
“Because it’s community owned and run, it does mean a lot to the local community to have it there, particularly some of the Elders,” she said.
“They came down to our opening night on Wednesday, they helped and volunteered, you know, signing in new people as they came, so it was really lovely.”
Ms Long said although she was new to the organisation, it had been great to hear about the history of the club from some lifetime members who had been around since it first opened.
“Seisia is a lovely community on the coast, so it’s somewhere for people to walk down and have a meal and a couple of drinks and relax,” she said.
“Because there were a lot of events in the past, like fishing competitions, regattas and a whole lot of other things they’d have at the club, it’s a really good community social venue for people.”
She said she believed the reopening was sustainable with the great team and support they gathered this time around, with president and licensee Mr Newman being a “well-
liked and respected” previous mayor and member of the community.
“He’s got a big crew of family and friends that support with the cooking and are always around the club,” Ms Long said.
“There’s a lot of other people in local businesses who want to come along and help out at night, and some of the lifetime members really want to be involved.
“It’s really a community club; it belongs to them, so we’re trying to make it sustainable, and I think this time, we’ve got quite good organisation and a lot of good support.”
The Seisia community came together on Wednesday to celebrate the reopening of the Seisia Fishing Club.
• Random draws throughout the event
• Food stalls & product stalls
• Live music & family fun for everyone
• Major raffle with awesome prizes
• Fireworks Friday & Sunday night
Restored engine to roar for Discovery Festival
OPPORTUNITY ON THE COAST
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by LYNDON KEANE
WHEN a fuel supply problem threw a spanner in the works of restarting a near century-old engine on 28 May, it was a look of determination, not disappointment, on the face of Cooktown resident Allan Walker.
After three years of meticulous restoration, Mr Walker went to start the 1924 Ronaldson Bros and Tippett engine for the first time in decades in front of about 50 family, friends and community members on his property on Wednesday morning, only to have the attempt thwarted by the old machine’s insatiable thirst.
The engine had undergone a loving restoration in honour of Mr Walker’s late brother, Dennis, who himself had an affinity for all things mechanical.
While the engine gave a valiant attempt to kick into life, its movement, spark and the cloud of smoke erupting from the exhaust during the moment of near-firing proved the restoration had been a success, with Mr Walker receiving applause from onlookers.
“It’s got a good spark, but it used up all the fuel in the spray pack,” he said after admitting the engine’s thirst had been the ultimate winner on the day.
“It’s turned out to be pretty hungry; it’s got a 10.5-inch piston in there, so we’re going to have to work out how to get more fuel to it to keep it running.”
Dennis’ wife, Annie Walker, was in Cooktown to help her brother-inlaw start the engine and said she was incredibly proud with what he had achieved during the restoration.
“It’s unbelievable, just unbelievable,” she told Cape York Weekly
“I know he’s put so much work into it; the boys hardly went to school; they’re all self-taught, and those three brothers (Mr Walker, Dennis and Dennis’ twin John) could pretty well build anything.”
When asked what she believed her late husband would have made of the restoration, Ms Walker smiled as she looked at the crowd inspecting the engine.
“He would have been in his element,” she said.
“There’d be plenty of advice being given, I’m sure of that.”
In a nod to the region’s gold mining past, the engine will be started three times during the Cooktown Discovery Festival on 21 June opposite the Sovereign Resort Hotel on Charlotte Street.
$1,500,000
Cooktown’s Allan Walker gets his restored engine to partially fire
attempt to start it for the first time in decades last week.
Under Eights Week Cape York
Cape comes together for community littlies
A ZEST for learning is forged in the first eight years of a child’s life, and Cape York may now have some budding scientists in the pipeline after Under Eights Week was celebrated from 19-23 May.
More than 300 children across the Cape came together in celebration of this year’s theme, Unleashing Scientific Thinking through Play, taking on play-based learning activities to exercise their curious minds.
The Cook Shire region’s schools, organisations and local community teamed up to put on their best Under Eights event yet, which was hosted
by the Cooktown District Community Centre (CDCC) at the local events centre.
“There were lots of volcanoes with the bicarb soda, there were rain clouds, there was making your own icecream, there was puffy paint, we had a science-themed disco, and of course, the facepainting was always a lot of fun,” CDCC program manager for early years Kim Giese said.
“It’s so special to bring the community together to celebrate children and those important first eight years of life.”
Endeavour Christian College boys get together at Cooktown’s Under Eights Day.
Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy Hope Vale joined in on the Under Eights Day fun in Cooktown.
NPA State College students get crafty in celebration of Under Eights Week.
Face painting was a big hit with kids across Cape York communities.
Under Eights Week brought together the children of Cape York in celebration of their curious little minds.
There were plenty of different activities to engage young minds.
Rainbow face painting to celebrate the first eight years of life at Cooktown’s Under Eights Day.
Western Cape College kids enjoy a break from activities with a slice of fairy bread.
St Joseph’s Parish School students unleash their inner scientists in lab coats.
A Rossville State School student gets building with colourful blocks.
Garden of Time gala proves fashion, fundraising success
by LYNDON KEANE
NOTHING was going to stop about 250 revellers from making the most of one of the rare opportunities to frock up in Weipa for the 2025 Wine by the Sea (WBTS) on 31 May.
There were some incredibly nervous socialites – and organisers – on Saturday when the western Cape York township had an unplanned interruption to its power and water supply just hours before guests were due to converge on Kumrumja Park for the Weipa Community Kindergarten’s biggest annual fundraiser.
“It was spectacular weather and such a good night; the outfits people turned up in were amazing,” she said.
“Whilst we’re fundraising for a great and well-needed not-for-profit, the reality is it’s not every day you get to do something like this in Weipa, so people use the opportunity to dress to the nines and see an amazing sunset.
“We haven’t finalised any of the [fundraising] numbers yet; they’ll come through later in the week and, hopefully, we can share that with everyone who attended, so they can see how much of a contribution they made to the kindy.”
Thankfully, a crisis was averted and Weipa Early Childhood Education Association president Claire Sabatino praised the Rio Tinto team for restoring services in time for people to complete their WBTS preparations.
“It was definitely nerve-racking, but it was a fantastic result,” she said.
“The Rio Tinto team really pulled together, and 20 minutes before Wine by the Sea was meant to start, we had power and water fully back on.”
The annual event adopted a theme of Garden of Time this year, which explored nature, time itself and the fleeting nature of fashion.
Funds raised from WBTS will go towards the not-for-profit kindy’s operational costs, as well as the construction of a nature playground for some of Weipa’s smallest residents.
Ms Sabatino said while fundraising was the main purpose of the event, she admitted many viewed it as Weipa’s night of nights when it came to presenting a reason to “dress to the nines”.
Ms Sabatino said the kindy committee was exceptionally grateful for the generosity of revellers, as well as the cohort of local businesses that offered prizes and cash donations.
“You can tell that everyone believes it’s an important cause, and everyone is really willing to get behind it,” she said.
Check out who else was spotted at Wine by the Sea in the gallery on the Cape York Weekly website.
• Lunchtime: Laura Annual Races, gates open 10:00am with first race at 1:00pm
• 5pm: Laura Race Club Cabaret with music and bar open until midnight, which completes weekend events held by the Race Club
• 6pm: Rodeo Arena: Grand Entry, Bushman’s Bronc Ride, Open Bull Ride followed by live band “The Barnyard Band”
• Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner meals available all Saturday from several stalls near Tennis Court/Race Area
SUNDAY 29TH JUNE 2025
• 7am: Rodeo Arena: Full Rodeo Events Program, followed by an Auction & Raffles & Live Band “The Barnyard Band”
Fashions on the Field
CATEGORIES:
Little ones ages 0 – 5 years boy & girl
Little Miss/Mr ages 6 – 12 years
Young Lady/Sir ages 13 – 17 years
Lady of the day age 18 – 39
Golden Lady of the day age 40 & over
Couple ofthe day
Dapper male of the day 18+
There is no theme for the day, just appropriateness for the Laura Races & to have fun!
Big Pups hits road to share love with Cape
by CHISA HASEGAWA
IT is unclear whether Big Pups or the Cape love each other more, but either way, community members across the far north of the state will be treated to some moving tunes when he kicks off his fifth annual tour this week.
Cairns musician Pere Paul, aka Big Pups, will begin his month-long tour in the Northern Peninsula Area at the Bamaga Tavern on 6 June, where he hopes to bring locals and tourists together for a night of music and fun.
For the visitors, Mr Paul said he hoped his performance could be an opportunity to experience the tavern and immerse themselves in the community.
“If they’ve never been to the tavern, they can pop in and listen to some music on Friday night, and enjoy the beautiful food there,” he said.
“Communities, especially remote communities, they’ve really got to stick together and work with each other to welcome visitors into the area.”
Mr Paul is also scheduled to perform at the Seisia Fishing Club, Loyalty Beach Campground and Bramwell Junction Roadhouse, as well as having shows in Lockhart River, Weipa and Pormpuraaw on the bill.
“It’s always great to go and visit all our friends up there and touch base with all of them,” he said.
“This will be our fifth year of doing the tour now, so we’ve been watching some of the young community kids growing up.”
He teased that a debut of a new song inspired by the region may be on the horizon for this year’s tour.
“I kind of put a song together when I was up in Lockhart River, and it’s called The Cape, so hopefully we’ll give that a bit of a belt as we’re going up there,” he said.
“It’s just representing all the people from Cape York and us travelling to these places, because you have to drive these dusty roads and cross rivers to get to these amazing places.”
$285k available to preserve, promote Indigenous languages
THE State Government is offering grants of up to $15,000 to help preserve and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages across Queensland through its Indigenous Languages Grants program.
The program has $285,000 earmarked for a range of eligible initiatives, including art, drama, music and film, yarning circles, audio recordings, workshops, signage, books, posters and brochures.
The state was once home to more than 100 Indigenous languages and dialects, however, today, about 50 are still spoken, but less than 20 as first languages.
Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Partnerships Fiona Simpson said the government was proud to support community projects which strengthen traditional languages.
“Amidst the United Nations’ Decade of Indigenous Languages, preserving, revitalising and promoting Queensland languages has never been more important, especially as we look ahead to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” she said.
“Previous grant recipients include … the Angkamuthi Tribal Aboriginal Corporation in Far North Queensland to conduct biocultural mapping and language recording on Seven Rivers Country.”
“We know learning languages expands our understanding of cultures and history, none more so than our Australian Indigenous languages,” he said.
“These grants help ensure those languages are passed on through generations and are known and shared across communities, enriching our young people’s cultural awareness.”
For more information about the grants, or to submit an application, go to www. qld.gov.au/firstnations/ grants-funding/languages by the 27 June deadline.
Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said the grants could help support language education in schools and communities in places like Cape York.
Cape York-loving musician Big Pups will return for his fifth annual tour this week to share his love and tunes with communities across the region.
Cape norms stump city cousins
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
DO you ever get the feeling you’re just a little bit different to everyone else?
It happens more frequently to some people – especially if you happen to be a near-two metre, tattooed giant – but after some genuinely WTF conversations with my Canberra colleagues and overhearing some wild and wacky comments made by tourists on the road last week, it drummed home just how different those of us who have Cape York as our backyard are to our city cousins.
If you don’t believe me, just consider the following three examples I stumbled upon over the past seven days.
1. How far is far?
You’ve only got to look at some of the distances we drive without batting an eye to work out we don’t see geography quite the same as those who live in places with traffic lights, traffic jams, toll roads and a general feeling of discontent while behind the steering wheel.
When a Canberra colleague mentioned on Wednesday how frustrated they were at the realisation they had to drive 45 minutes to a press conference, I couldn’t suppress an involuntary eye roll and laughter. I casually lobbed
back that I’d driven farther than that for a coffee (a topic we will get to soon) on multiple occasions, and that I could list a dozen Cape York families that make round trips of 700 kilometres or more in a day most dry season weekends so the kids can play sport.
The 820km trek that is Weipa to Cairns? I may as well have just told them I was from another planet.
2. Coffee concerns
An important note to coffee-loving visitors: your Cape caffeine hit will likely be more expensive than it
is at home in inner city Sydney, and there’s a reasonable chance our local baristas won’t have those Ethiopian fair trade beans you discovered in that bougie cafe in San Francisco.
At a roadhouse that shall remain nameless last week, I was unlucky enough to be fuelling up beside some bloke absolutely reeling at having to pay $9 for his cappuccino, because his local – which was at least 3,500km away, based on his South Australian number plates – did the same thing for $2 less.
I’m not an expert, but I reckon
RADIO CONNECTING NORTH QLD
if you’re griping about a couple of bucks when the vehicle you’re driving costs the best part of two hundred grand, you’re probably doing life wrong.
3. Overpacking and over thinking Cape York is undeniably remote, but why is it so many southern visitors pack up their four-wheel drives and caravans like they’ve embraced their inner Burke and Wills and are about to lead a three-year expedition into the vast unknown?
I saw a couple the other day that, I suspect, hold the world record for the number of jerry cans and gas bottles shoved onto one unfortunate roof rack. Kudos to their Tetris ability and aptitude with a ratchet strap, but I stopped counting and started shaking my head at four gas bottles, three or four water containers and about half a dozen diesel receptacles. Dakar Rally crews have packed less before setting out from Paris.
It’s not unusual for me to receive the odd email from tourists before they head north asking questions about what’s happening up in this part of the world, but the one that appeared in my inbox on Saturday night put forward 19 – yes, 19 – queries the sender wanted a “rapid response” to before they left their Gold Coast driveway. I can’t decide whether my favourite question was the one asking what snakes the sender should be cautious of, or the request for a list of spots between Cooktown and Seisia that offer a vegan menu.
Repeat after me: I will not over plan, overpack or overthink my Cape York adventure.
In all seriousness, to those city cousins of ours currently enjoying everything the Cape has to offer, travel safe, have a blast and remember not to groan too much about the cost of your road tripping caffeine fix.
Community Feedback and Complaints
Cape York locals would not blink at covering any of these distances in a return day trip, something editor Lyndon Keane has discovered comes as a shock to most of our city cousins.
Cape York Weekly Puzzles Page
Quick Workout
Fit the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 into the hexagons so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers will be the same. No number is repeated in any hexagon.
Fit the numbers 1-6 once into every hexagon so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers are the same. No number is repeated in any single hexagon.
Participants add yoga mats, social runs to festival arsenal
by LYNDON KEANE
WITH just seven weeks to go until the starter’s pistol fires in the 2025 Weipa Running Festival (WRF), conquering the course on race day has been made just that little bit easier thanks to a range of activities designed to support participants.
From yoga and course familiarisation runs to sports psychology, event organisers have teamed up with local stakeholders to ensure runners are as prepared as they can be in the lead-up to 20 July.
“WRF has you covered from head to toe physically and mentally,” committee president Rose Robins explained.
“Participants can attend free yoga sessions, weekly Sunday social runs to familiarise themselves with different areas of the course, Thursday Rio Tinto Run Club, allied health sessions and a little RFDS mental health sports psychology.”
With registrations for this year’s festival approaching 250, Ms Robins said the range of preevent options being offered added to the traditional preparation of pounding the pavement.
“Running on race day is the easy part,” she said.
“The challenge is often keep-
ing the body together and healthy through the training blocks; the social component of group runs or parkrun can make all the difference to a challenging run, or the fight on hitting the snooze button.
“I’ve never met a runner that does enough stretching, so we are hoping the lure of the Kumrumja sunset can give their bodies some much needed love (at the yoga sessions).”
Ms Robins said she believed Weipa’s strong sporting credentials helped WRF numbers get bigger and bigger every year, and
that the “easily measurable experience” of running made it popular with those with an affinity for numbers.
“Weipa has always had a strong sporting community, and we feel the consistency of parkrun and WRF over the past almost eight or nine years has enabled that real sense of community,” she said.
“Running can be such an easily measurable experience – 1 kilometre can turn into 5km, then 10km before you know it.
“Also, while not a seasonal sport, a shout out to those runners
SOCIAL GOLF!
that continue throughout the summer months that motivate the rest of us.”
Yoga sessions for runners will be held on 15 June, 16 July and 27 July, and are free for all registered WRF participants and volunteers.
Group runs for course familiarisation kick off on 4 June for Global Running Day, and then every Sunday until the end of the month.
Check out the WRF Facebook page for the latest information about the sessions and registering for an event on race day.
THE calendar may have said it was the first day of winter, but it was anything but when humid conditions tested the 16 players vying for Dawnbusters glory in Weipa on Sunday.
Jamie Hutton carded the lowest gross round of the day with 40, with the resulting nett 12 providing a four-shot buffer and the winner’s chocolates as Grant Crossley (45/16) had to settle for second spot.
Brandon Waretini had the big stick dialled in for the men’s long drive prize, with Viv Chan rounding out a good week by claiming the women’s long drive and pin prizes.
Leroy Ahmat played his first game with the Dawnbusters crew and not only picked up the coveted first timer cap, but also the Hoffman’s.
Hutton attributed his victory to just being a better golfer than “No Magic Apples” Mick Cerneka, who shot 42 off the stick, and the calming effect of buggy partner Lilly McKeown.
On 8 June, Dawnbusterians will take to the front nine in the What Fishing Competition Cup from about 6:45am.
There is a diverse range of support on offer – including yoga, course familiarisation sessions and sports psychology –for participants preparing to lace up their shoes to tackle the Weipa Running Festival on 20 July.
by LYNDON KEANE
THERE are challenges in running, and then there is the Goliath of Grassy.
The trek to the top of Cooktown’s Grassy Hill can seem daunting in a car, but eager competitors will tackle the 4-kilometre course for a good cause during this year’s Discovery Festival on 21 June.
The Goliath of Grassy is one of three event distances on offer for the Big Run for Little Athletics this month, which is the major annual fundraiser for the town’s Little Athletics club, the Geckos.
Runners attempting to conquer Grassy Hill will do so in four categories – Juniors (8-13), Youth (14-17), Open (10-59) and Masters (59+) – with a 2km fun run and 1km dash for primary school aged participants also on the schedule.
Cooktown Little Athletics’ Liesl Pensio said the club was excited about the prizes on offer for this year’s event, and added the finish line for all distances would now be right in the middle of the Discovery Festival action.
“We have lots of amazing sponsors that are supporting our event, which means we are able
to offer some incredible prizes,” she said.
“Registrations have been slow so far, but it’s quite common for athletes to leave it to the last minute; we are giving a free shirt to the first 50 registrations for the Goliath of Grassy Hill.
“The start and finish have been moved to align with the Discovery Festival stage; for the first time, the presentations will occur on the main stage.”
Ms Pensio said she expected to see a significant age range at the start line as competitors set off to tackle Grassy Hill.
“Our vision for the event is to see our community being active and healthy,” she said.
“Grassy Hill is an iconic location in Cooktown, and the race up the hill is a challenge for anyone, young and adult.
“We want to see the young ones run up, but the true heroes of our event are the Masters; we have so many older people in Cooktown who walk up the hill, and it’s a celebration of all ages and abilities.”
To register for the Big Run for Little Athletics, visit the Cooktown Little Athletics Facebook page and scan the QR code on the event poster.
Perrin delivers parkrun PB
SIXTY participants made the most of a stunning western Cape York morning when they pitted themselves against the Weipa parkrun circuit on 31 May.
The field for parkrun #421 included four first timers, but it was Lizzie Perrin who delivered a personal best performance to be the first to salute the timekeepers in 22 minutes, 17 seconds.
Weipa parkrun veteran Ross Dawson continued his strong preparation for the 2025 Weipa Running Festival by being the first male across the finish line, nipping at the heels of Perrin in 22:18.
Hayden Verschuure, Sian Edwards,
Lyndsey Fielding, Ali Scott, Samara Peel, Catherine Samuel, Nanthini Kanthan and Brigitta Vakauta were the other parkrunners to record PB times on Saturday.
Leigh Jewell, Donna Jewell, Michael Collins, Camille Freiberg, Tash Tapper, Tamlyn Crozier, Fiona Dyer and Keria Fogarty donned the red volunteers’ vests to ensure the morning ran smoothly.
Weipa parkrun is held every Saturday at 7am at the shelter opposite the hospital roundabout in Nanum, and participants are asked to arrive 10-15 minutes before the starter’s gun is scheduled to sound.
A big field is expected to help raise funds for Cooktown athletes when the Big Run for Little Athletics is held on day two of the Cooktown Discovery Festival this month.
Weipa parkrun rule #1: If in doubt, stretch it out.
Competitors ready to saddle up for Laura campdraft glory
by LYNDON KEANE
CAPE York cowboys and cowgirls wanting to test themselves against man and beast at the 2025 Laura Rodeo and Campdraft can now gear up to do so after nominations for events opened this week.
The must-do western sports showcase, which will attract more than 3,000 people to Laura from 26-29 June, is set to be bigger and better than ever this year, with entries for campdraft events opening today (3 June) and rodeo events from 10 June.
Competitors wanting to nominate for the Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association-affiliated event must do so using their iCompete account.
Rodeo and campdraft manager Karlene Shepherd said the committee was “basically all set” for this year’s showdown in the arena.
“We’re all organised,” she said.
make the annual Laura pilgrimage.
“I think it’s the combination of the races and the rodeo and campdraft; it’s a family weekend,” she told Cape York Weekly
“You’ve got all that, and the horse sports, and three nights of music.”
The trifecta of the rodeo and campdraft, horse sports and races always creates a festival atmosphere in the campground and event venues, and Ms Shepherd urged patrons to think about the enjoyment of other revellers as well.
SPORT IN BRIEF
Res Strong too strong
WEIPA Touch Association round five action produced some strong performances by teams when they took to the paddock on 28 May.
Res Strong toppled Scrambled Legs 154, while Pisswrecks had Weipa Weapons’ number with a 12-1 result.
Can’t Touch This couldn’t find the tryline in the team’s 13-nil loss to Cheers for Beers, with The OGs taking the competition points with a 12-8 win over Lacking Stamina.
Villains defeated Top End Taggers 8-5, and Spartans got the upper hand on Untouchables after a forfeit.
Chan tops big field
Viv Chan secured a one-stroke win when a big field of 23 golfers teed off in Wackers on 28 May.
“We’ve put in more water tanks and taps at the campground, and spread them all out to give [campers] more access to water over the weekend.
“It’s going to be chockers again this year.”
Ms Shepherd said she believed it was the family-friendly environment and wide range of events in the one location that made so many people
Bowie kicks co-ordinator goal
IN one of the biggest goals of her career, an AFL Cape York success story has made history as the organisation’s inaugural female development co-ordinator.
AFL Cape York made the announcement on 30 May that former Badu Island resident Iada Bowie would take on the role in a move it said was “an exciting milestone in the advancement of women and girls in sport”.
Ms Bowie first joined AFL Cape York and the KickStart program as a participant representing Badu Island State School, and later worked as a respected residential boarding supervisor within the Girls House program.
After a year working in the public health sector, Ms Bowie has returned to the AFL paddock to take on the new leadership role,
in which she will take on responsibility for creating opportunities and pathways for women and girls in the sport across Cape York, the Torres Strait and Gulf Savannah region.
“I’m so grateful for the experience and the opportunity,” Ms Bowie said.
“To have gone through the program and now to be able to go back into community – even going home to Badu Island recently to deliver the program – is so special.”
Ms Bowie said it was an honour to be the first female development co-ordinator.
“The next generation are our future,” she said.
“And if we can in any way have a positive impact on our young people’s journey, well, we’re the lucky ones to be a part of that.”
“Come and have a good time, but behave and be sensible,” she said.
Tickets for the weekend can be purchased at www.trybooking.com/ CTKYN.
Chan and Steve Kennett both returned from the back nine with 42 off the stick, with handicaps handing victory to the former with nett 30, while the latter was the week’s bridesmaid with nett 31.
Pin prizes went to Kennett (15th) and Steve Head (18th).
Newcomer Lilly McKeown took home the Bradman’s gong.
Weipa laser tag excitement
THERE will be some epic showdowns at the Weipa Storm Surge Shelter over the JuneJuly school holidays.
Weipa Town Authority has announced laser tag will be offered from 30 June-11 July, with 30 sessions planned over the two weeks.
Private clashes are also on the cards, and could be part of the ultimate birthday bash for those celebrating their special day while school’s out.
Keep an eye on the Weipa Aquatic and Sports Precinct Facebook page for the latest laser tag news.
Iada Bowie (right) has been named AFL Cape York’s inaugural female development co-ordinator.
Thrills and spills are guaranteed in the arena when the 2025 Laura Rodeo and Campdraft is held from 26-29 June.
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