Musgrave Roadhouse’s Adam McDowall says he can’t wait to roll the arm over this weekend and take part in the Super 8s tournament being held at the iconic Cape York homestead. Teams from across the region will gather on three makeshift fields for three days of action. Report – Page 9
By MATT NICHOLLS
OPTIMISTIC businessman James
Palmer has told a Cairns audience that rockets could be launching from a Weipa spaceport by 2026.
This is despite a large number of roadblocks in his way, including a lack of guaranteed finance and the required environmental approvals,
plus a signed lease agreement with Traditional Owners.
Mr Palmer’s Space Centre Australia has identified an uncleared section of land around 45km east of Weipa, around 22km from RAAF Base Scherger.
That land is currently under the jurisdiction of Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council, which is in the
process of transferring the title to Mokwiri Aboriginal Corporation, the Registered Native Title Body Corporation.
Sources told Cape York Weekly that the transfer wouldn’t happen until later this year.
That’s likely to cause problems for Mr Palmer, who told the Cairns audience – there to listen to his
plans for a Far North Queensland space industry – that he plans to develop an Indigenous Land Use Agreement with Mokwiri this year, as well as submit environmental applications.
“It’s going to be hard because he can’t even get proper access to the land because there is no ILUA in place,” the source said.
“Without access, you can’t do a cultural heritage survey and you can’t get the environmental impact assessment done.”
However, Mr Palmer said he was confident he would get the approvals in place to ensure Cape York was at the forefront of the Australian space industry.
Continued – Page 3
COOKTOWN woman Veronica
O’Brien is urging people to reconsider walking their dogs if they are unable to control them, after a savage dog attack left her and her pets traumatised and injured.
Ms O’Brien, covered in giant purple bruises and white bandages, was still visibly upset when she spoke to Cape York Weekly four days after the attack.
Amazingly, she said her two tiny Tenterfield terriers had both escaped with their lives.
Ms O’Brien was walking Lucy and Jasper, both on leads with har-
nesses, on Garden Street at dusk on Saturday, April 15 when she was knocked to the ground and pinned under a large dog as it tried to rip into her pets.
“I looked up and saw two girls and I heard them say ‘oh no’ and I thought ‘that doesn’t sound good’ so I immediately bent down and picked up Jasper and, as I bent to pick up Lucy, one of the dogs knocked me down,” she said.
“I couldn’t move, the dog’s back was over my legs and the front was at Lucy – it wanted her and it wouldn’t give up; I’m screaming my head off, Lucy was screaming and yelping and the two girls
just stood there, doing nothing, not even yelling. I was thinking why aren’t you helping me, get your dogs out of here.”
The horror attack then escalated as Ms O’Brien lay helplessly pinned on the ground and watched the second dog pull away from its owner and come in to attack.
“I thought that’s it, we’re all dead here,” she said.
“At that point I was so lucky, Bill (a friend who lives nearby) heard me screaming and came out and yelled at them.
“They finally realised they needed to do something, I think they must have just frozen from
the shock of it. I saw an arm come over and pull the dog off me and Lucy, then the other girl got the second dog and pulled it back.”
But it wasn’t over so quickly, as the first dog again got away from its owner and went straight for tiny Lucy again.
“I couldn’t see Lucy, but I saw the dog go in and twist and shake it’s head and I thought it had bitten and ripped something off, I thought that’s it,” Ms O’Brien said.
The girls then pulled their dogs off for the second time.
Ms O’Brien said the attack, which lasted about five minutes, could have been prevented if the
owners had been able to control their big dogs.
“They said they had them on leads, but it didn’t matter, they got away from them,” she said.
“I never want to have to go through that again.”
She also said people needed to know that Cook Shire Council’s regular phone number was answered 24/7, and that dog attacks should be reported immediately.
Cook Shire urges residents to contact them immediately for dog attacks, aggressive or menacing dogs and livestock wandering on council-controlled roads.
The number is 4082 0500.
MUCH-NEEDED roadworks on Cape York’s highway will start next week, with crews expected to start after the long weekend.
Two graders were operating on the Peninsula Developmental Road on Sunday, patching up the worst parts of the road north and south of Coen, but the major works will start in May.
The PDR is open but subject
to a five-tonne limit, meaning that trucking companies require a permit to bring essential goods to communities.
The limit could be lifted soon, however.
Access to Lockhart River is still cut off, with a sand bar stopping access across the Pascoe River, according to council CEO David Clarke.
A tourist provided an online report on Sunday night, writing that the Batavia road linking the PDR with the Bamaga Road was in decent condition, with “just a few washouts to look out for”.
He said the Bamaga Road to the Jardine River Ferry was in good condition, with some bad patches to be wary of.
“The road to the Tip was a
bit rough, with a few good wash outs,” he said.
All roadhouses in the Cape are open for business and all of them are expected to have their kitchens open from May 1. Musgrave Roadhouse is now cooking, with a big crowd tipped for this weekend’s cricket carnival.
Read about that on Page 9
From – Page 1
Mr Palmer told Cape York Weekly that he understood the challenges ahead.
“You’re right, there is a lot of work that we have to do,” he said on Friday from the Cairns Regional Council building.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work over the last couple of years to address those matters.
“We are taking our time and making sure that we get it right.
“I fully believe that we can get it right and that it will be successful but it’s about taking the right amount of time and the right approach.
“This is a project that will be here forever so we have to do it right from the beginning and if it means that we’ve got to take more time then simply we will.”
Last week’s gathering was the “first of many” industry forums that Space Centre Australia would be hosting.
“Today is a big deal for us because it’s really important for us
to work with the community and with industry,” he said.
“As a result of our commitment to advancing the Australian and international space industries, we are designed with a strong focus on collaboration.
“Space Centre Australia’s facility will inject an estimated $120 million into the Far Northern economy during the initial
construction phase and an estimated $100 million per annum thereafter.
“Up to 300 permanent jobs will be created once operational and thousands of construction and support jobs throughout its development.”
Mr Palmer also said he was hoping to get funding for the spaceport via the federal gov-
ernment’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility.
The VIPs that gathered in Cairns included heads of the Australian Space Agency, delegates from NASA, the American Chamber of Commerce as well as key business leaders.
Weipa Town Authority chair Michael Rowland attended, along with Western Cape Chamber of Commerce president Jai Christie, while Cook Shire was represented through CEO Brian Joiner, Cr Marilyn Morris and director Lawrence Booth.
Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch told the room that he was sold on the spaceport.
“I started as a sceptic and I’m now an absolute disciple,” he said with gusto.
“There are other launching facilities but this one here being equatorial and the type of work they’re going to be doing is very very different.
“We talk about sovereign capability, this is what we need.”
CAPE York’s leading trucking operator says the state’s proposed freight subsidy should go directly into the hands of small businesses in the region, rather than freight companies.
Simon Tuxworth runs the day to day business of long-time trucking company Tuxworth and Woods, a business started by his father Norm in 1972.
He said the state government’s pledge to spend $64 million to help reduce freight costs in the Cape, Torres Strait and the Gulf could be a game-changer, however he was waiting to see how it would work.
The announcement was made on March 20 and so far very few details have been made about how the subsidy will operate.
In a statement, the govern ment said the $64 million would be spent over five years and that “funding will be directed toward targeted subsidies for multi-modal freight services”.
It also said it would include the appointment of freight coordinators to “manage complex supply chains” and the “development of community infrastructure”, such as cold storage.
Mr Tuxworth said the only way the money could help those living
benefit us more if the money was paid to us and other freight companies, I’d rather see the businesses get the funding,” he said.
“If the government created a register and businesses could show what their freight costs were for the previous year, then perhaps the subsidy could be based on that.
“We need to get as much of that money into the hands of locals and businesses as possible.”
Mr Tuxworth said the rising cost of freight was unavoidable.
about that as a business.
“We need to be able to maintain our services.”
Tuxworth and Woods run trucks into all corners of the Cape and Gulf and Mr Tuxworth said he had seen first-hand the impacts of high freight costs.
“Families are finding it very hard at the supermarket,” he said.
“The cost of living in places like Kowanyama or Doomadgee is a lot higher than it is in Cairns.”
One suggestion he had would be
$25,000 a week for produce for just one community,” Mr Tuxworth said.
“The state government could provide fresh, good food to a whole community – for free – at a cost of less than $50,000 a week.
“The health benefits would no doubt save them money in the long run.”
In the meantime, the state government is working out how to administer the freight subsidy, which won’t kick in until at least July.
THE Endeavour Lions Club is giving local youth a helping hand on their journey to excel in their chosen field, or to help those less fortunate, with a $4000 award open for nominations.
The 2023 Endeavour Lions Award aims to support local youth aged 16 to 21 to excel in an occupation, sport or self-improvement program, or to travel to give voluntary service to others less fortunate in Australia or overseas.
Local teen Sienna Thomason won the award last year and said she would not have been able to achieve what she has so far without the support of the Lions.
“I graduated school last year and wanted to work in the marine conservation and science field,” she said.
“I put the award money towards a scuba diving certificate, as I need to be a rescue diver if I want to do reef surveys and coral reef building, as well as my boat and jetski licence.
“I’m very grateful to the Endeavour Lions Club for giving me the opportunity, as without the money I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
Email endeavourlions@gmail. com for an application form. Applications close on May 31.
WITH a growing demand for care and rising costs, Cooktown’s 40-year-old kindergarten is putting on a huge fundraiser to top up their dwindling budget.
The not-for-profit Cooktown Kindy is raising money through a monster Mother’s Day raffle and a huge family fete, complete with mini sideshow alley.
Director Nardia Whitman said the response from the local community for raffle prizes had been overwhelming.
“Honestly, I’ve just been blown away,” she said.
“Our small town has donated over $4500 in prizes. All funds raised will go directly back into supporting our little people at the kindy.”
Ms Whitman said fundraising efforts had been ramped up, with changes in funding and also increased demand for kindy spaces driving up costs.
“We have been running at a substantial loss as the needs of our children and families have changed, and we have four staff on the floor every day,” she said.
“We were about 30 kids across our two groups, but this year and last year we have been averaging 40 and I’ve had to turn families away.”
Currently at capacity, the kindy offers free or discounted care (depending on a family’s financial and
other circumstances) two days a week for children the year before they enrol in prep.
Ms Whitman said the importance of a kindy program for children had been proven, and she herself had seen the difference.
“It makes a big difference; learning how to play and learn along-
side another child, how to follow a routine and directions, as well as being immersed in numeracy and literacy,” she said.
“I get asked so often to take younger children, or run the twoyear kindy program, but I just don’t have the capacity.”
Ms Whitman said thanks to her
proactive committee, especially president Tori Callaghan-Moloney and Melinda Parker, fundraising efforts were off to a great start.
“I’m really grateful for everyone’s support and my amazing committee,” she said.
Raffle tickets are on sale around town, including at The Lure Shop,
Bowls and RSL clubs, bakery, pharmacy, pool and CDCC. The raffle will be drawn at the Kindy Community Fete, on at the PCYC Events Centre on Saturday May 6 from 9.30am to 12.30pm. Anyone who would like to be involved in the fete or to make a donation can phone 4069 5182.
quiet
THE 2024 local government elections in Queensland will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2024.
On the advice of the Electoral Commission of Queensland, the state government approved to bring forward the date of the local government election.
The election was originally scheduled for March 30, which is Easter Saturday and the first weekend of the school holidays.
If it remained on that date, it would likely see a significant increase in postal and telephone votes, potentially creating delays to declaring election results.
A similar situation happened in 2016, and the date was moved to be the week prior.
REGIONAL airline Rex has blamed a “chronic shortage of airline professionals” and supply chain disruption for a reduction in its regional services nationwide.
TWO local participants in Rio Tinto’s Indigenous Leadership program have spoken about their experiences in the awardwinning initiative.
The nation-wide program focuses on accelerating Indigenous leaders, empowering and elevating their voices across the business.
It also aims to support Indigenous employees to bridge any development gaps and make the transition to leadership roles. Since the program began in 2021, 20 Indigenous emerging leaders across Australia have been selected, four of which were from the Weipa operations.
Yupanguthi man Sebastian Ah-Wang is currently Rio Tinto Weipa’s acting superintendent for Fixed Plant, Rail and Shiploader.
He is a diesel fitter by trade and has spent more than 13 years at Rio Tinto Weipa, 10 of which were spent working as a fitter on the floor at the Rail Operations. Since 2019, Mr Ah-Wang has
been supported to step into leadership positions in the business, working across a range of operational areas and joined the ILP program in 2021.
He said the program inspired him to start his Graduate Certificate in Minerals and Energy Management at the University of Western Australia, as an entry pathway to his Master of Business Administration (MBA).
His advice for local Indigenous employees and students wanting to follow a leadership path at Rio Tinto was: “Don’t think it’s something you can’t achieve. It’s definitely something that anyone can do with the right support.”
Duane Fewquandie is a proud Kalkadoon man and is also a participant in the ILP. He moved to Weipa in 2021
and has a civil engineering, business and mining geomechanics background.
Mr Fewquandie started his career as a Rio Tinto graduate at Kestrel and is now the manager for Mining and Closure.
He said the ILP helped him create valuable networks with Indigenous peers across different sectors.
“The skills and knowledge gained from the program have helped me overcome the challenges of wearing both hats – working for Rio Tinto and working with Indigenous stakeholders,” Mr Fewquandie said.
“It makes me feel proud and more comfortable to walk in two worlds.
His advice to youngsters?
“Work hard on your education, whether that’s at school, in a trade or a university degree,” Mr Fewquandie said.
“An education creates so many opportunities for yourself. It helps to break the cycle and inspires others to do the same.”
From May 1, flights will be reduced on nine routes in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.
The Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council is facing the loss of at least six services a week to Bamaga.
The council’s acting chief executive officer Kate Gallaway said they were working closely with Skytrans to secure additional services to the region.
“Increased services are not expected until late June at the earliest,” she said.
“I would strongly encourage community members to plan ahead and book flights early where possible during this time.”
Rex general manager of network strategy Warwick Lodge said they would reinstate the services once the situation has stabilised.
QANTAS faces a lengthy court battle to acquire charter operator Alliance after the competition watchdog announced its opposition to the $614m deal.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission delivered its decision on Thursday after reviewing the scheme of arrangement for almost a year.
ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said the commission had concluded the transaction was likely to substantially lessen competition in the fly-in, fly-out markets, including at Weipa.
“We consider Alliance to be an important competitor to Qantas, and the removal of Alliance is likely to substantially lessen competition,” she said.
THOUSANDS of caterpillars have decimated every poinciana tree in Cooktown in the space of a day, and taken to people’s houses, yards and verandahs, in what locals are calling “caterpocalypse”.
The unusual explosion of creepy crawlies is suspected to be the poinciana looper moth, Pericyma cruegeri, an Australian native dark brown moth whose caterpillars hatch and feed on poinciana trees.
The caterpillars range in colour from green to brown, but walk with a distinctive looping motion and are hanging from trees and building cocoons in every available yard in Cooktown.
Kuranda-based Minibeast Wildlife manager Alan Henderson said a sudden increase in certain bugs wasn’t unusual.
“We all see the weather changes from year to year, no year is the same, and those
different conditions favour different species, and not others, which has a knock-on effect,” he said.
“For example a wetter wet season could favour a certain plant, which then supports a greater number of caterpillars, or it could be conditions not favouring a predator, which is causing the increase in numbers.
“Like everything in nature, there’s a complex system involved and it’s really hard to predict what will happen, and what has caused something like this,” Mr Henderson said.
“Nature will have this under control, these sorts of events happen all the time and what will usually happen is another creature that feeds on the caterpillars will have a boom and get them under control, and the trees will usually recover perfectly well also and the system will be back in balance.”
THE outfields won’t resemble the MCG, but the Musgrave Cricket Grounds will be ready for action this weekend, roadhouse boss Adam McDowall says.
Teams from Weipa, Cooktown, Cape York and Mareeba will make the pilgrimage to Musgrave for the Super 8s carnival.
“We’ve just laid the concrete for a third pitch out the back so we’ll be able to have three games going at once,” Mr McDowall said.
“It should be a great weekend. These social events are the best thing about the Cape.”
Making an appearance at the iconic roadhouse will be legendary cricketers Jeff Thomson and Doug Walters, who will auction off some memorabilia and share some tales of their playing days.
Thomson, often regarded as the quickest bowler in cricket history, is renowned for his story-telling.
Walters was one of the best batsmen of his era and is famous for his love of the punt.
Mareeba’s Will Rofe, who has done most of the organising for this year’s Super 8s event, said it would be a great weekend.
“To have two greats like Dougy and Thommo at Musgrave will be an unforgettable experience,” he said.
“This is not just about getting together and playing cricket, it’s also about catching up with old
friends and making a few new ones in the process.
“We want to grow this weekend into a tradition and get people coming from all over Far North Queensland.”
Mr Rofe said the support of businesses throughout Mareeba and the Cape had made it all possible.
“We really appreciate them for pitching in when they are under no obligation to do so,” he said.
“No one is getting paid to put
this carnival on – we are doing it because it’s something we love.”
Mr McDowall said Musgrave Roadhouse would be open all weekend, with the kitchen and bar operating.
“Even if you’re not playing it’s going to be a fun weekend and there should be something for the spectators to enjoy,” he said.
There is a free barbecue on Saturday night, with Thomson and Walters appearing and running their memorabilia auction.
North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) will undertake maintenance dredging from early May 2023 at the Port of Weipa.
Dredging will also be completed at Amrun on behalf of Rio Tinto.
The project will take up to seven (7) 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 P 1300 129 255 E communications@nqbp.com.au
More than a li�le town servo, BP Bamaga has got everything you need from fuel and oil to groceries, take-away food and Wi-Fi. Open every day and with a café and mini-mart onsite, BP Bamaga is the easiest and most convenient spot on the Peninsula to help get you where you want to go.
Re-fuel at any �me of the day with our 24-hour outdoor payment terminal that gives you access to unleaded petrol (ULP 91), premium unleaded (PULP 95) and diesel.
A 24-hour ATM is also on site so you can top up on cash at your convenience.
Don’t forget to swipe your BP rewards card to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points when you fill up or make a purchase with us.
Sink your teeth into the Peninsula’s most popular hot foods
BP Bamaga’s café offers a range of hot take-away food from dim sims, chips and hot dogs to specials like hot and spicy chicken and crab claws. We also have the classic crowd pleasers – burgers, fish ‘n’ chips and pizzas. When you’re on the go, make a quick stop to grab a freshly made sandwich along
with your coffee. Our hot foods sell out by the end of each day, so get in early!
Keep up with our regular updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ BPBamaga for the latest on what’s in stock and the next arrival of the very popular Ichiban noodles.
BP Bamaga is open daily from 6.30AM - 8PM, including public holidays.
AN iconic slice of Cooktown’s historical main street is up for sale, with the heritage-listed Ferrari building on the market.
Mareeba real estate agent Andrew Rogato said the property lent itself to a range of uses.
“It’s suited to offices, residential, retail or an entertainment venue,” he said.
“It’s really only limited by the buyer’s imagination.”
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom building is spread over two storeys, with the façade heritagelisted in 1992.
The solid brick structure was built in the 1890s as the banking premises and manager’s residence for the Cooktown branch of the Bank of North Queensland.
The bank was closed in 1908 and remained bank property for some years, being rented as a residence, before being sold in the 1920s to Walter Colley, and has been in the Ferrari family since 1963.
The imposing white building sits on a 1012 square metre block between the Sovereign Resort Hotel and Seagren’s Inn.
The ground floor includes a decorated front terrace with ornamental gates opening onto a large entry room, kitchenette and storerooms and an ornate staircase.
The first floor contains three large bedrooms, one with an en-
suite and private balcony. The kitchen wing is adjacent to a large dining room with views over the Endeavour River and an expansive loungeroom filled with vintage furniture and cathedral ceilings.
There are also two one-bedroom units, both with separate entries.
While Mr Rogato said real estate agents weren’t legally allowed
to provide a ballpark figure of a properties’ worth, he said similar sales listed on their website fetched around $850,000.
“We’ve been getting some strong interest, with two coming in today,” Mr Rogato said.
“To date we’ve had 22 enquiries and it’s only been listed for just over a week.”
As communities come together on April 25 to commemorate Anzac Day, Cape York Weekly takes readers on a trip down memory lane to revisit the wartime years in Cooktown.
FROM its gold mining heyday in the 1880s, with tens of thousands of people and hundreds of businesses filling the town, Cooktown had subsided to a small town of around 800 people when World War I was declared in 1914.
Around 180 local men enlisted from the Cooktown area for the war and 41 never returned home, paying the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country.
One of these soldiers was Private Harold Ambrose Lee, known as Sonny to his family, whose relatives still live in Cooktown.
He enlisted in the Imperial Forces on November 4, 1916, at the age of 23, sailing from Sydney aboard the Wiltshire in February 1917.
Sadly, Sonny suffered a gunshot wound on the frontline in France on August 28, 1918, and passed away three days later.
Despite a population of only several hundred when World War II broke out in 1939, 58 men enlisted from Cooktown and the town itself played a big role in the war ef-
fort. Personnel from more than 25 army units were stationed in town, including the Royal Australian Airforce 7, 12 and 13th Squadron, the Australian Army 51st Battalion and several US Army groups.
The now-popular lookout and tourist photo opportunity that is Grassy Hill was tightly guarded during the war, as Cooktown’s radio capabilities played an important role in the war effort.
At the time, the hill was home to a maritime radio station, the lighthouse which still stands today, and a RAAF radar station that was disguised from enemy planes to look like the lighthouse keeper’s cottage.
The influx of armed forces personnel was a huge change for the town, which at the time had no reliable road access south, no electricity and no telephone lines to the outside world.
The convent – now known as the Cooktown Museum – and school were taken over by the armed services with 300 troops from the US Coastal Artillery alone stationed in town during the conflict.
Accommodation was tight, with troops even taking up residence in an unused railway carriage.
When Australia officially declared war on Japan in December 1941, the war effort in Cooktown kicked up another notch as what had been a conflict in Europe was now suddenly much closer to home.
Cooktown’s convent boarding school, which by that stage had only 13 pupils, closed permanently in 1942, and many residents and businesses left town for fear of a Japanese invasion.
Local Aboriginal people were evacuated and much-loved Ger-
man pastor Georg Schwarz was interned as a suspected enemy sympathiser.
Most were taken to Woorabinda and did not return home until the late 1940s.
Despite the worries of war, lack of accommodation and remoteness, it wasn’t all work and no play for troops stationed in Cooktown, and the few remaining residents and civilian workers.
Even famous American movie star John Wayne made a flying stop in town when the plane carrying him on a tour landed for urgent repairs.
The actor reportedly spent a good part of the day touring the area with US Army Air Corps Lieutenant Young T Sloan.
There were Friday night dances at the Shire Hall, which still stands on Helen Street today, and the arrival of the weekly boat from Cairns carrying beer was an event in itself.
Similar to today, pig hunting, beach combing, swimming and fishing were also popular pastimes, with soldiers lining the Cooktown wharf with their rods during down time.
Cape York Weekly would like to thank the Cooktown Historical Society for its support in researching this article.
It was a typical wet season day 80 years ago, with heavy monsoon clouds and rain squalls rolling over the Mapoon Presbyterian Mission. Suddenly, the village community heard the roar of aircraft engines overhead and their thoughts turned to a possible attack by a Japanese plane! Everyone was conscious of numerous enemy air raids on Horn Island, just 160km to the north. No, this was the welcome sight of a Royal Australian Air Force bomber flying low in search of a landing ground.
CAPE York Peninsula was part of Australia’s front line in 1942-43 when the RAAF flew patrols from the Cape and other Queensland airfields to defend the north from Japanese attack.
Aboriginal people remained at their isolated mission stations on the western Peninsula throughout these dangerous years and directly contributed to the war effort.
Six Mapoon men served in the 23rd Queensland Regiment, Volunteer Defence Corps; four served in the 2nd Australian Water Transport Group, Royal Australian Engineers, five served as un-enlisted crew on the Royal Australian Navy lugger Viking, engaged on rendering mines safe duties; and 14 served in the Civil Constructional Corps constructing and maintaining defence installations at Higginsfield, Horn Island and Iron Range air bases.
Other Mapoon men crewed Presbyterian mission vessels used to resupply several RAAF radar stations along the Gulf coast.
At midday on February 22 1943, a Beaufort Mark VA bomber (A9157) of No. 7 Squadron, RAAF was on a convoy escort patrol over the Arafura Sea and Gulf of Carpentaria when it ran into the wet season weather and was unable to rendezvous with the convoy northeast of the Wessel Island group.
The aircraft – affectionately named Winnie the Pooh and painted in camouflage brown and green on top and light blue underneath –was marked with the 7 Squadron code letters KT and the letter M on the sides of the fuselage.
The nose art painted by Sergeant Bruce Melrose was A.A. Milne’s character Winnie the Pooh carrying a bomb instead of his usual jar of honey.
Its crew, including pilot Sergeant A.R. (Fred) Turner, navigator E. (Ted) Delaney, wireless air gunner H.B. (Bruce) Melrose and wireless air gunner C.J. (Cyril) Hughes, had been called out at 0530 from Horn Island air base to fly the escort task.
7 Squadron was responsible for regular patrols in this area usually flown at an altitude of about 1500 feet and occasionally attacked Japanese submarines and aircraft from the Aru Islands.
On a similar patrol on June 18 1943, Flying Officer Peter Hopton’s crew shot down an enemy
navy reconnaissance floatplane, code named ‘Jake’, the first kill by a Beaufort aircraft.
Bruce Melrose wrote to his parents soon after the forced-landing near Mapoon and vividly recalled the crew’s anxious search for land as the tropical monsoon rains lashed the Beaufort:
We had our storm windows open and couldn’t see the nose of the kite, and so tossed about were we, that we realized that we didn’t have enough juice [fuel] left to get home....We started pumping out wireless messages as fast as was possible and called for Direction Finding bearings from several ground stations in order that they’d know where to send out the rescue boats....all of a sudden Taffy Delaney gave a lusty cheer and pointed to a piece of coastline showing through the storm.... We crossed the coast and almost immediately passed over a group of buildings, which we recognised on our maps as the Marpoon [sic] Mission Station. We then went out to sea again, dropped our bombs
and then came in along the beach and plopped Winnie down onto the sand, in a very neat forced landing.
Turner had skilfully landed the aircraft on the beach about eight miles (12.9km) south of the mission and in the area known as Rumu just near Janie Creek.
He fought to keep the heavy aircraft away from the waves crashing onto the narrow beach when a large wave struck ‘the port wheel’ causing the Beaufort to swerve into the sea.
Bruce Melrose recalled that all the loose equipment in the aircraft and removable guns were stacked on the high sand dunes and the secret IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) gear blown up with its inbuilt detonators.
The bedraggled crew found their way to Mapoon mission where they were assisted by the Aboriginal residents and Presbyterian missionaries, Frank and Ena Cane.
The mission hospitality made a lasting impression on the young RAAF men as Bruce Melrose
wrote that they “gave us dry clothes, a hot bath and a beautiful roast dinner, telling us that they had seen us drop our undercarriage and had guessed we were in trouble”.
Horn Island RAAF Base (28 Operational Base Unit, known as 28 OBU) near the tip of Cape York had been alerted and a search and rescue team including skipper Lance Potter, Ron Cook, navigator Bob Manning, medical officer Wishart, forward hand Ned Kelly, crewman Eric Hicks and wireless operator Jack Woodward on RAAF crash launch 08-11 set off that afternoon to locate the Beaufort aircrew.
They were accompanied by Pilot Officer Eric Kirk of RAAF 12 Repair and Salvage Unit (12 RSU).
12 RSU had been formed at Charters Towers in May 1942 and had established a Salvage Party at Horn Island the following September.
Jack Woodward recalled a rough trip down the Gulf coast pounded by waves from a brisk southerly
wind and Lance Potter wrote in his diary that once the boat was able to run with the sea it would shoot 300 yards on the big waves and schools “of fish are met every little while. Skipjack, bonito and mackerel. Sea snakes 6ft. long and very thick are seen and strange bird life”.
Next morning, the crash launch anchored in Port Musgrave and the Beaufort crew was found in the safe hands of the Mapoon mission.
Pilot Officer Kirk was instructed to retrieve the aircraft if possible, so he sought the assistance of the mission.
Frank Cane suggested that “Winnie” could be towed by the Aboriginal residents and this was enthusiastically supported by the community.
A summary report by 12 RSU’s commanding officer, Squadron Leader T.A. Cummin described the operation:
The aircraft was manhandled out of the water and later towed eight miles to the Mission, with the aid of five horses and some 150 Mission personnel. The two Mission luggers were placed at the disposal of the rescue party, and after dismantling the component parts were despatched to HORN ISLAND in the two luggers. The report concludes - “It cannot be too strongly stressed that without the assistance which was made available on the spot, when the aircraft was in the water, it would have been a complete write-off”.
The rescue was a magnificent community effort when it is understood that a Beaufort bomber weighed up to 21,500 lbs (approximately 9.5 tonnes) and it had to be towed along the beach for over 12 kilometres.
This event was remembered with great fondness by the people of Mapoon such as the late Annie Mamoose who wrote in 1988 how ropes “were tied from the plane to horses and we helped the horses pull the plane”.
“Alfie, Jerry Hudson and Benny Charger handled the horses. It took us 3 to 4 days pulling the plane on the beach at low water. We had 3 cooks to feed all of us, Suzie Madua, Rosie Reid and Victoria Luff.”
Another former Mapoon resident, the late Ralph Woodley, recalled: “We pulled it from there right up half-way the first day, the next day (to) Cullen Point....We get him on the low tide, the beach is all hard....We run a long rope with some horse(s) and we pulled the plane – all boys and girls, men and women”.
Young Lance Potter recorded in his diary how the salvage crew “rigged a pair of shafts to steer with” because the tail wheel was damaged.
Despite the improvised steering, about three kilometres were travelled before the towing team was exhausted. Lance continues the story:
Next day our pulling force increased, we set to the task in earnest. Even a blind man called Frank lent a hand. Frank Cane lent me his whistle and so we gathered 50 women and big girls 40 men and boys, 4 horses pulling only from their saddles. At a blast from the whistle the plane began to move and we found it was good going. I moved up and down the ropes offering encouragement and urging them to sing and so we put the miles behind us.
Lots of small children followed along and all was calm and bright.
We got stuck a couple of times but after a spell moved off again. We stopped for tea and cigarettes, the non-smokers were given sweets. In the course of the haul we had to cross two creeks about 16 yards wide and 9” deep.
We gathered pace and took the creeks in our stride....We were now nearing the point (Cullen Point) and all were happy with enough energy left to sing. A short spell and then the final pull up on to the high sand. The big rope broke, 30 girls and 20 men went down in a heap. I fell on a girl called Bessie. She blushed but laughed.
Now “Winnie’ rested on the flat ground where it can be taken to pieces. We have beaten the soft sand, the rollers, the surges, the quick sand, soakage and the creeks, dodged huge logs and generally done a magnificent job.
The dismantling programme took three weeks, with two shipments on the mission lugger J.G. Ward and the final load on the Morning Star
Life at Mapoon was an attractive adventure to Lance as he recorded activities such as communal singing and the beauty of the natural bush:
By 8 p.m. folk are assembled and seated, about 150 are there. The fire is lit and the buckets put on. We sit on the back balcony and the singing begins.
Hymns are their choice and
GEOFF Wharton was first told the Beaufort story by the late Ralph Woodley in 1988 and Suzie Madua of Mapoon in 1995. Their enthusiasm for the story and subsequent help from exRAAF veterans involved in the incident encouraged the author to research the full account of this remarkable wartime rescue. Thanks are extended to the following people who provided information or assisted in other ways:
People of Mapoon, including: the late Elders Joyce Charger OAM, John Cockatoo, Connie Cooktown, Ina Hudson, Suzie Madua, Margaret Nota, William Parry, Bessie Savo, Tim Savo and Ralph Woodley; former RAAF veterans: Norman Ashworth, Leigh Brownrigg, Keith Furze, Ted Leslie, Bruce Melrose, Lance Potter and his wife Barbara, Hugh Roche (No. 7 Squadron Association), Jack Woodward, P.A. Gibb; Jean Little OAM and Ian Little; Cheryl McNamara, National Archives of Australia, Brisbane; Janet Beck and David Wilson, RAAF Historical Section, Canberra; Dennis Hornsey, former Editor, Wings (RAAF Association); the late Joan Pigram and the late John Sinclair, Queensland Presbyterian Historical Records; Isobel Savo, Don Egan and Kate Head; songwriter Ken McDonald; Letitia Murgha and Rhonda Parry.
many favourites are given in sweet clear voices. The women sing in 2 parts and the men fill in the bass. Among the best is ‘Father we thank thee’ a beautiful number.... Frank and I go riding....Jubilee is to be our guide...After a while it rains, but we kept going in and out of the dense scrub, thick with undergrowth, lawyer vine and pandanus and the various tropical creepers. Wildflowers look up at us at every step.
At last, after weeks of toil and improvisation, the Aboriginal men of Mapoon assisted the RAAF
team to load the Morning Star and it was time for the generous farewells of the Mapoon people: We came to Mapoon in shorts, we leave with 4 bags of coconuts and box of dried coconut. I have 50 fans 50 strings of beads and a complete tortoise shell.
The presents from Mabel. 1 large box and 1 kerosene tin of shells, 2 boomerangs and 7 woomeras, 5 spears, 3 yams and some pumpkins....
I take a long last look at our home of the past month, we are on “Star”, up anchor, sail set and we begin on a short outward tack so as to be able to clear the point.... Mirrors are flashing, they sparkle like diamonds in the bright sunlight.
Post-war recollections suggested that “Winnie” was re-assembled and flew over the mission with the words “Mapoon” painted under its wings, although it is more likely that this was Beaufort A9-140.
The squadron’s unit history sheet A.51 recorded that Beaufort
Bruce Melrose wrote that his crew flew via Mapoon and dropped gifts to the community that day. There is some uncertainty whether or not Beaufort A9-157 was converted to spare parts or if it flew again: an article in Wings magazine published in February 1944 reported “today this Beaufort flies again”, but the official records show that “Winnie” was converted to components, presumably for use as spare parts for other aircraft.
In a letter of appreciation to the Presbyterian Church of Queensland, the Air Officer Commanding North Eastern Area, Air Commodore A.H. (Harry) Cobby DSO, DFC, wrote that the mission’s actions made it possible for the RAAF to salvage “a valuable aircraft which, had it not been for his [the missionary’s] assistance, would have been completely lost”.
The people of Mapoon had not only saved Winnie the Pooh but had shown the young men of the RAAF a generosity of spirit which would remain an example to these veterans all their lives.
Community interest in the story led to other exciting developments in the late 1990s.
Brisbane Indigenous Media radio station 4AAA produced a poster and CD focusing on Mapoon’s history entitled The Moving of Winnie. Bruce Melrose reproduced the artwork to go with the poster.
Encouraged by principal Letitia Murgha, Mapoon Elders visited the Mapoon Campus with Frank Cane’s photographs and told the story to a new generation.
Led by choreographer Rhonda Parry, the children developed a dance routine about the rescue which they performed at the 1999 Croc Eisteddfod at Weipa.
Fill in the blank cells using numbers from 1 to 9. Each number can only appear once in each row, column and 3x3 block.
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.
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION deed deli delight DELIGHTED died diet dieted edge edged edit edited elide elided geld gelded gild gilded glide glided hedge hedged heed held hide
@ Rocky Point OPEN 6AM – 7PM EVERY DAY
POINT MARKET ROSIE’S CHICKEN SPARE PARTS
9AM – 7PM 7 DAYS OPEN 10AM – 3.30PM 7 DAYS
8AM – 4PM MON – FRI
CURRENTLY CLOSED –WE APOLOGISE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE
NOTICE OF RE-SCHEDULED PRE-AUTHORISATION MEETING FOR A NATIVE TITLE DETERMINATION AGREEMENT
Taepadhighi
Cape York Land Council (CYLC) will hold a pre-authorisation meeting on Thursday 11 May 2023 in Weipa to discuss the proposed authorisation process for the Taepadhighi Native Title Group to authorise the proposed s87A native title agreement for a determination of native title over the Taepadhighi claim area (as shown on the map below). Please note that this is a re-scheduled meeting following cancellation of the meeting on Thursday 20 April 2023.
Make a submission from 27 April to 22 MAY 2023
MULTIPLE DWELLING (8 X 1 BED TOWNHOUSES, 13 X 2 BED DUPLEXES AND A 3 BED DETACHED DWELLING)
Where: 308 Poi Poi Street, Bamaga On: Lot 314 on SP273361 and Lease
FF on SP249799
Approval sought: Development Permit for Material Change of Use
(Multiple Dwelling)
Application ref: DA2023_004
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: info@nparc.qld.gov.au
P: 07 4060 4100
W: www.nparc.qld.gov.au
Public notification requirements are in accordance with the Planning Act 2016
Tragically taken from us
30.07.69 - 24.04.03
20 years has now passed - it has gone so fast, Missing you gives us a heartache that never goes away, To hear your voice, to see your grin, To catch up and yarn for a while, Is what we wish for every day, If only we could be together in the same old way. No longer here in our life to share the milestones But in our hearts you are always remembered every day. Miss you so much mate
Tania, Paddy, Glen, Kim, Lachie, Sophie & Connor
Casual Bar & Gaming positions available for honest and reliable persons
30+ hours per week, Clubs Award wages
Must have RSA & RSG
A determination of native title involves a decision of the Federal Court. Important things about a determination of native title include that the Federal Court determines (1) who holds native title, (2) what the native title rights are, (3) the area to which the native title rights apply after any determination is made, and (4) which corporation will represent the members of the determined native title group. Following the pre-authorisation meeting on Thursday 11 May 2023, there will be a meeting to authorise the s87A native title agreement now scheduled for Thursday 1 June 2023, where the Taepadhighi Native Title Group will consider whether to authorise the proposed agreement for a determination of native title. If the Native Title Group decides in the affirmative, the determination will then be sought in the Federal Court in July 2023.
Who is invited to attend the meetings?
The meetings are open to all descendants by birth, or adoption in accordance with traditional law and custom, of one or more of the following apical ancestors:
Experience is preferred, training provided
Must be available for nights and weekends when required
Phone 4214 6500 or email the Club Manager manager@weipabowlsclub.com.au for further information or register your interest
Any person who is a descendant of one or more of the apical ancestors listed above is invited to attend these meetings. Please contact CYLC if you would like to confirm whether you are a descendant of one or more of the apical ancestors listed above and so entitled to attend the meeting.
The meeting will be held as follows:
Date: Thursday 11 May 2023
Venue: Weipa Storm Surge Shelter, Hibberd Drive, Rocky Point Time: 10.00am to 3.00pm
The location and time of the authorisation meeting on 1 June 2023 will be publicly notified and notices will be sent out to all members of the Native Title Group with contact details on the CYLC database. Please contact us on free call number 1800 623 548 or by email jcopelin@cylc.org.au to update your details.
Video-conferencing
Video-conferencing facilities will be made available at the meeting. If you would like CYLC to arrange a video-conference from your location into the meeting, whether you live at the location of the meeting or elsewhere, please contact CYLC on the number above. It is important to provide every opportunity for persons entitled to attend the meeting.
Attendance
For travel assistance or to confirm attendance or for any other questions about this notice, please contact Jayd Copelin before Thursday 4 May 2023 on free call number 1800 623 548 or by email jcopelin@cylc.org.au. Note that there is limited funding available for travel assistance.
Tender No: TKASC2023-006
Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council is inviting tenders from organisations interested in Building Works associated with Essential Services Workshop. Tenderers to email rebecca@bestruct.com.au for the purpose of Tender registration / RFIs and documentation is available to download on the KASC Website https://www.kowanyama. qld.gov.au/council/tenders-and-opportunities
Tenders Close at 12.00pm Friday 12th May
All tender responses can be submitted electronically to tenders@kowanyama.qld.gov.au or hard copies can be submitted to KASC Cairns Office or KASC Kowanyama Office. For more information, please contact tenders@kowanyama.qld.gov.au
Kevin Bell, Chief Executive OfficerAUTHORISATION MEETING FOR A NATIVE TITLE DETERMINATION AGREEMENT AND AN INDIGENOUS LAND USE AGREEMENT
Cape York United # 1 Native Title Claim (QUD673/2014)
Northern Kaanju Native Title Group
Wednesday 10 May 2023, Cairns
Cape York Land Council (CYLC) will hold a meeting on Wednesday 10 May 2023 in Cairns for the Northern Kaanju Native Title Group to consider (1) whether to authorise the proposed agreement under s.87A of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (NTA) for a determination of native title over Lots 3 and 5 on SP187433 (other than a small portion in the east of lot 3 south of Hull Creek that is Southern Kaantju country) (Determination Agreement Area); and (2) whether to authorise a proposed Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) over the same area (ILUA Agreement Area). The Determination Agreement Area and the ILUA Agreement Area are the same, and are shown on the map below. The Federal Court made a determination of native title in favour of the Northern Kaanju Native Title Group for large areas of the land surrounding this area on 5 July 2022.
A. NTA s.87A Agreement Authorisation
A determination of native title involves a decision of the Federal Court. Important things about a determination of native title include that the Federal Court determines (1) who holds native title, (2) what the native title rights are, (3) the area to which the native title rights apply after any determination is made, and (4) which corporation will represent the members of the determined native title group. If the meeting on Wednesday 10 May 2023 authorises the proposed determination of native title set out in the proposed s.87A agreement, a determination in favour of the group will then be sought in the Federal Court. CYLC expects that the proposed determination of native title over the Determination Agreement Area (as shown on the map above) would likely be made by the Court “on the papers” (meaning without a hearing), in November or December 2023. A copy of the proposed s.87A agreement for a determination of native title will be available at the meeting on Wednesday 10 May 2023
At the request of the people who constitute the Applicant in the Cape York United Number 1 Native Title Claim (Applicant), CYLC staff and consultants will be in attendance to be available to explain things such as the meaning and effect of the proposed s.87A agreement at the meeting. Any person attending the meeting will be able to ask questions about the proposed s.87A agreement and state their views about it.
B. Indigenous Land Use Agreement Authorisation
The meeting of the Northern Kaanju Native Title Group will also consider the Applicant, State and Bowyer Archer River Quarries Pty Ltd’s proposal for an ILUA to provide appropriate tenure to the Northern Kaanju Native Title Group for the ILUA Agreement Area, financial compensation for past impacts and future extractions of quarry materials from the ILUA Agreement Area, and other nonfinancial benefits. CYLC staff and consultants will explain (1) the terms of the proposed ILUA, (2) the extent of the ILUA Agreement Area, (3) the proposed tenure over the ILUA Agreement Area, (4) the proposed grantee of the tenure, and (5) the financial and nonfinancial benefits provided to Northern Kaanju People under the proposed ILUA. The proposed ILUA will provide for:
• The doing, and validation, of Future Acts done after the execution of the ILUA by the State but prior to the Registration of the ILUA, to the extent that they were done invalidly under the NTA;
• The validation of the prior grant, amendment, extension, renewal or variation of Sales Permit 000296 and Sales Permit 201609002 between 18 January 1996 and immediately before registration of the ILUA;
Please
• The extension of (a) the Term Lease over the ILUA Agreement Area; and (b) Sales Permit 000296 and Sales Permit 201609002 to 31 August 2046 in favour of Bowyer Archer River Quarries Pty Ltd;
• The reconfiguration of Lot 3 and Lot 5 on SP187433 (after reconfiguration, called the New Lot 3 and New Lot 5);
• The construction and ongoing maintenance of an Access Track by Bowyer Archer River Quarries Pty Ltd for Northern Kaanju People to access the New Lot 3;
• The appointment of the Northern Kaanju RNTBC as Grantee of the Aboriginal Freehold once it is the RNTBC for the whole of the ILUA Agreement Area (as it already is for large areas of the land surrounding Lots 3 and 5 on SP187433);
• The transfer of land (New Lot 3) within the ILUA Agreement Area from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to the Northern Kaanju Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (ICN 9756) as Aboriginal Freehold under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 (Qld);
• Payment of financial compensation by the State of Queensland in full and final satisfaction of any entitlement to compensation for (a) past removals of Quarry Material from the ILUA Agreement Area between 18 January 1996 and 30 September 2021; (b) Declared Removals extracted between 1 October 2021 and the Registration of the ILUA; and (c) administration costs associated with the execution of the ILUA; and
• The Registration of the ILUA under the NTA. If the meeting on Wednesday 10 May 2023 authorises the proposed ILUA, the ILUA will be signed by the Applicant and the State and submitted to the Native Title Registrar for registration under the NTA.
Who is invited to attend the meetings?
The Authorisation meeting is open to all descendants by birth, or adoption in accordance with traditional law and custom, of one or more of the following apical ancestors:
1. Billy and Annie/Alice (parents of George Lefthand Moreton);
2. Charlie Boko;
3. Billy Boyd;
4. Nancy Boyd (spouse of Monkey Boyd);
5. Father of Billy Chungo;
6. Billy George and Jenny (parents of Annie Thompson/Small);
7. Henry (father of Annie Densley and Joe Sullivan);
8. Jack (father of Nellie Creedy aka Nellie Fox and Mary Ann Malandadji aka Mary Ann Johnson);
9. Annie King (aka Long Annie) and her brother Roy Stevens;
10. Paddy King (spouse of Annie King);
11. Tommy Larsen;
12. George Mamoose (aka George Mamus);
13. Old Lady Mapoon (Mapun);
14. Mary Ann (mother of Trixie Prior) and her sister Rosie (Percy/Docherty);
15. Mickie and Nelly (parents of Annie Mullet);
16. George Moreton Snr;
17. Big Johnny (Nguulpam);
18. Annie Night Island;
19. Charlie James (Flathead) Pascoe;
20. Polly Roberson;
21. King Bob Robertson;
22. Jack (aka Johnny Rocky/Rockeby) and Jinnie/Jennie (parents of Old Lady Rosie);
23. Jimmy Saturday and Dolly (parents of Monkey Boyd);
24. Father of Billy Wenlock (Ukunchal); or
25. Ammanbunga (mother of Victoria John).
Any person who is a descendant of one or more of the apical ancestors listed above is invited to attend these meetings. Please contact CYLC if you would like to confirm whether you are a descendant of one or more of the apical ancestors listed above and so entitled to attend the meeting.
The meeting will be held as follows:
Date: Wednesday 10 May 2023
Venue: Rydges Esplanade Resort Cairns
Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm
Video-conferencing Video-conferencing facilities will be made available at the meeting. If you would like CYLC to arrange a video- conference from your location into the meeting, whether you live at the location of the meeting or elsewhere, please contact CYLC on the number above. It is important to provide every opportunity for persons entitled to attend the meeting.
Purpose of the Authorisation Meeting
The purpose of the meeting is to decide whether or not to approve (1) the proposed s.87A agreement for a determination of native title for the Determination Agreement Area; and (2) the proposed ILUA over the ILUA Agreement Area. The agenda of the meeting will be to consider whether the persons present:
• agree and adopt a decision-making process;
• agree to and authorise the proposed s.87A agreement for a determination of native title;
• agree to and authorise the proposed ILUA;
• agree to nominate the existing Northern Kaanju RNTBC (Northern Kaanju Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (ICN 9756)) to be the corporation to represent the native title holders identified in the proposed s.87A agreement for a determination of native title over the Determination Agreement Area; and
• authorise the Principal Legal Officer of CYLC to nominate the proposed corporation in writing to the Federal Court for it to be the prescribed body corporate under NTA s.57(2)(a)&(b) for the proposed determination of native title.
Attendance
If you would like further information about this meeting, please call Michelle Cioffi on 0408 408 017. For travel assistance queries, to confirm your attendance or to arrange a zoom link to this meeting, please contact Jayd Copelin before Wednesday 3 May 2023 at CYLC on (07) 4053 9222 or free call number 1800 623 548 or by email jcopelin@cylc.org.au. Please note that there is limited funding for travel assistance.
We are seeking a qualified Plumber to join our busy Building and Facilities team
The successful candidate will enjoy:
9 day fortnight
5 weeks annual leave
3 weeks personal leave
Work as part of a friendly and supportive team
Salary $78,200 per annum plus allowances
Gungarde Community Centre is seeking applications from suitably qualified people to join our team in the following roles:
FAMILY WELLBEING TEAM LEADER
1 Full Time Position
FAMILY WELLBEING SUPPORT WORKER
1 Casual position (22.8 hours)
FAMILY PARTICIPATION PROGRAM
SUPPORT WORKER
1 Full Time Position
Applications close at noon on Friday, May 5, 2023
For further information or to request a copy of the Position Description please contact 07 4069 5412 or
gwhittaker@gungarde.com.au
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Please be advised that construction works to upgrade sections of Charlotte Street and Webber Esplanade at the Cooktown Wharf are scheduled to commence in the first week of May 2023
The upgrade works include:
demolition and removal of existing infrastructure
construction of storm water and subsoil drainage systems building retaining walls completion of earthworks
installation of road pavement, asphalt surfacing, and safety guardrails
construction of parking areas, footpaths, commercial operations areas, irrigation and landscaping works
Estimated project completion date: 30 June 2024
IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS
During the construction period, heavy construction machinery will be operating in the area Traffic management and control plans will be in place, including diversions and road closures
Access to the construction site area will be restricted If you require access, please contact Council on 4082 0500
Please be aware of workers in the area, follow all signage and instructions and drive to conditions
For more information call 4082 0500 or visit www cook qld gov au
We are seeking a well-organised and experienced individual with a can-do attitude to provide high level assistance with the administration of Council’s property management portfolio. The successful candidate will enjoy:
Commercial Accommodation Operation – Wuungkam Lodge Wuungkam Lodge, May Min Restaurant and associated facilities are being offered by Aurukun Shire Council under a three (3) year lease with an option for a further three (3) years. The 30 guest rooms and 60-seat restaurant are heavily patronised by many visitors to Aurukun, including government, NGOs, mining industry, tourists and contractors.
Aurukun community is located on the north-west coast of Cape York and is surrounded by mineral reserves, pristine river systems and 107km of coastline. It is a paradise for anglers and nature lovers.
Favourable consideration will be given to parties who can demonstrate all or most of the following:
• Knowledge of and respect for cultural sensitivities, with experience and understanding of the challenges of living, working and operating a business in a remote Indigenous community.
• Ability to liaise with stakeholders Traditional Owners in a friendly and courteous manner.
• Appropriate experience in the hospitality industry, preferably including accommodation management and restaurant operations.
• A hands-on approach, with appropriate skills and track record in hospitality, customer service, marketing and promotion, backed with appropriate computer skills.
APPLICATIONS MUST CLOSE WEDNESDAY 10 MAY 2023
• A commitment and strategy for investing in local employment and training as part of the operation.
The lease includes a one-bedroom self-contained unit for managers, and additional staff can be accommodated onsite. There is optionally a small convenience store and other commercial opportunities can be pursued in consultation with the Council. For more information and tender documentation, contact Kleinhardt Pty Ltd’s Cam Charlton on 0418 773 737 or cam@kleinhardt.com.au. Documentation can also downloaded from http://www.vendorpanel.com.
Tenders must be submitted via http://www.vendorpanel.com by 5.00pm on Tuesday, 16 May 2023.
Alan Neilan Acting Chief Executive Officer 21 April 2023
COOKTOWN nurse Dale Tan said the thought of his fellow healthcare workers struggling with mental health pushed him to finish a gruelling 5500km cycling race, despite mammoth physical and mental setbacks.
“I thought what I’m going through is just temporary, there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” Mr Tan said of his 31-day unsupported ride across Australia’s most remote and challenging terrain in the Indian Pacific Wheelrace.
“Some people are going through their darkest days; what I was doing was nothing compared to having to go through that.”
Mr Tan took part in the race, from Perth to Sydney, to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute, aiming to help support his fellow health workers who were struggling with the pressure of their roles, especially post-COVID.
“These selfless people give so much,” he said.
“It’s not an easy job and mental health support, research and education is of paramount importance. Black Dog Institute is quite active in that space and I’d like to contribute just a little bit to that.”
The epic race started with a setback when he arrived in Cairns to discover a bag full of vital equipment was missing.
“It was 8pm at night and my flight was at 9am the next morn-
ing, so I had to jump back in the car, drive all the way back to Cooktown, pick up the bag and got back to Cairns just in time to get to the airport; no sleep the night before the race, talk about jinxing myself!”
The setbacks continued with a crippling bout of gastro that lasted a week almost forcing Mr Tan to pull out of the race altogether.
“I was so weak I couldn’t stand up, I had fevers and full on gastro symptoms,” he said.
“I stayed in Coolgardie for a day and a half to recover, and had gastro symptoms which went on for about a week.
“I was on the verge of pulling out, but somehow managed to gather myself and keep going.”
Mr Tan said it would take about a month to physically and mentally recover from the race.
trouble with my hands, which is something I’ve been working on; that’s what happens when you ride for almost a month.”
Now settling back into regular life at home in Cooktown, Mr Tan said while he will continue riding for fun and in shorter events, he has no intention of tackling the Wheelrace again.
“It’s so difficult, there are months and months of preparation and it’s so physically and mentally challenging,” he said.
“Every day thinking ‘I have to ride 200km today’ and then the next day exactly the same thing.
“Once you get to Adelaide, your confidence grows, but then after already doing 5000km you have to climb the mountains in Victoria and New South Wales, which is just the icing on the cake.”
“Mentally just getting used to normal life and routines again,” he said.
“And physically, I have pain in my hips when I’m walking and
SOUTHERN Cape cluster schools came together in Cooktown last week for the annual Crusader Cup AFL clash, after the event was postponed earlier in the year due to wet weather.
Students from Hope Vale, Bloomfield, Rossville and Cooktown battled it out to see who would take home the cup.
It was Hope Vale’s consistent play and ball skills that saw them come out on top.
AFL Cape York development coordinator Matt Mellahn praised students for their good sportsmanship on the day, as well as exemplary behaviour in and out of school.
“We want to see that, as we will be picking the Crusader Cup team based on continuing good behaviour from all the players,” he said.
Finishing in 14th place with a time of 31 days – one day longer than his previous Wheelrace effort – he said he was happy with the race overall, and the almost $2000 he raised for Black Dog Institute. info@skytrans.com.au
Player’s breakfast available Saturday and Sunday from 6.30am
Player’s lunch available Saturday and Sunday – variety of Rolls / Wraps / Salads
Coffee van on-site early both Saturday and Sunday
FULL Boar Gym stablemates Mariah Bowen and Shauna Gribble will be matched against Cairns-based fighters in their third and second muaythai bouts this Sunday.
The Cooktown pair had been training hard together, coach Vince Parkes said, with Bowen even sporting a black eye from hard sparring.
“Both of their opponents are coming from Destination Fitness, so they will be training hard together just like Shauna and Mariah are,” Parkes said.
“They will be fit and prepared coming from that gym, they have a good group of fighters and trainers there.”
But Parkes said his charges were also looking sharp and ready, and had been putting in the hard yards in preparation for the match ups.
“They are training really hard, they have been running up Grassy Hill, down to the wharf and doing lots of hard pad sessions and sparring,” he said.
The fights are this Sunday, April 30 from 12pm at Nukzu Muaythai in Cairns.
THERE were no sensational scores posted at the Carpentaria Golf Club on Sunday as the field of 35 struggled in the monthly medal sponsored by Jai-Mec.
Peter Linnehan was the overall winner and A-grade medal recipient with a nett 70 and was one of the few players to beat their handicap.
B-grade went to Peter Sceresini with a nett 73, while Jeff Watson took out C-grade with a nett 72. Murray Mountjoy won the nearest to pin on 18.
Meanwhile, last week’s Wednesday Wackers was washed out after heavy rain interrupted the round.
THE first windy round of the year brought Cooktown’s golfers unstuck on Saturday.
Campbell Venables came out on top with a nett 67 to win, beating Steve Butler, who had a nett 68.
Third on a countback went to Brett Hobbs, who had won the previous week.
Nearest to pins went to Brent Hetaraka on 2/11, Venables on 14 and Wal Welsh for 9/18.
A CRACK field of 84 golfers will take to the Carpentaria Golf Club on the weekend for the annual Goodline Weipa Open.
With the course looking its best following a big wet season, organisers are predicting low scores over the two days.
Club president Dave Morgan said the Open weekend was the highlight of the calendar.
“It’s our biggest event of the year are we are forever grateful to Goodline for supporting it,” he said.
“We’ve got some very good visiting golfers from Cairns this year, which will add to the quality of the event.”
Multiple Cairns Open winner Matt Spilsbury is considered the early favourite to win.
He plays off a handicap of +1 and should be capable of going low. His travelling partner Ross Argent is also a low handicapper and should be thereabouts.
Former club manager and Cairns PGA pro Anton Booy will also play in the event.
Of the locals, reigning champ Warren Brewer dusted off the clubs on Sunday and will give himself a chance of making it three in a row.
Matt Slade, Jamie Hutton and Steve Wust are the other local hopes.
The Goodline Weipa Open officially begins on Friday night with welcome drinks and the running of the Calcutta, which is judged on the nett winner of the men’s A-grade.
The women’s field is down on quality this year, but visiting champion Michelle Field is back to defend her crown.
See next week’s paper for all the action.
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