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4000 COPIES DISTRIBUTED WEEKLY IN THE SOUTHERN DOWNS REGIONAL COUNCIL AREA + DAILY JOURNAL & STANTHORPE RECORD

CountryJournal Week commencing 14th December 2021

Hanson drawcard

Seasoned poiltical observers described the crowd who came to listen to Pauline Hanson and a raft of other speakers at the anti-mandate rally in Warwick, estimated at over 1,000, to be the largest in living memory. The focus of the rally was the upcoming vaccine ‘mandates’ which will see certain facilities forced to exclude unvaccinated citizens in order to comply with public health laws. Page 3...

Mark waits in the wings

Ian’s long innings

After more than 40 years in the one job, Ian Jackson is retiring after working as an Electorate Officer for three state members of Parliament. Ian speaks this week to Gerard Walsh, and notes that he was, surprisingly perhaps, the first male to fill the role as an Electorate Officer for a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Ian was born in Stanthorpe and his first job was with an accountant in the town. He then worked as a cost clerk for the then Stanthorpe Shire Council before (07) 46 619 835 deciding to take aE warwick@rfsteelbuildings.com.au break from office work.

With the Ashes underway, one of the backstops for the Australian team is Warwick paceman Mark Steketee, who played a starring role for Australia A against the England Lions earlier this month at the Ian Healy Oval, compliing his best innings yet in Australian colours. More inside. Servicing Warwick, Stanthorpe and Beyond Made from Bluescope Australian Steel FULL SERVICE - SLAB, ERECTION & COUNCIL

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Millmerran mishap

Country briefs

Paramedics attended the scene of a vehicle in floodwaters off Millmerran Cecil Plains Road at 12.42am on December 10. An uninjured male patient from the vehicle was located a short time later at a private address and did not require transport to hospital.

Nets damaged? Storm and flood events in recent months have caused significant damage across various regions of the eastern and southern states of Australia. In the Southern Downs, where no disaster has been declared in the region but an individual property or business has been damaged by a storm or natural disaster, producers can apply for Individual Disaster Stricken Property Declarations. As outlined announced in October by Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities, Mark Furner, this declaration gives producers access to freight subsidies of up to $5,000, as well as Disaster Assistance loans of up to $250,000 at a concession-

Journey of Creativity Joe Wilkinson

2 December 16 January

New Beginnings Stanthorpe Pottery Club

al interest rate to help fix damaged infrastructure such as fences, sheds and hail netting. Learn more at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website.

Stink bugs in QLD Queensland has an univited guest.

morated stink bug. Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said this detection was evidence of the benefit of the government’s increased resourcing for frontline defence, as part of the government’s $400 million 2021-22 Budget commitment to biosecurity. “Brown marmorated stink bugs are voracious feeders, prolific breeders, and not easily controlled with pesticides,” Minister Littleproud said.

The Brown marmorated stink bug, one of Australia’s most potentially hazardous hitchhiker pests, was recently discovered by biosecurity detector dogs conducting routine surveillance on an imported truck at the Port of Brisbane.

“If they got a foothold here, heavy losses to our pome, stone fruit and vegetable industries could occur given that losses of up to 90 per cent for pome and stone fruit industries as well as heavy losses to vegetable crops have been reported internationally.

The dogs detected the single live bug in the wheel arch of a used dump truck, discharged on to the Brisbane wharf from an overseas cargo vessel. Remote diagnostics was used to immediately confirm it was an exotic brown mar-

“I understand detector dog Velvet made the initial alert. Her find was then confirmed by two other dogs. Biosecurity officers took immediate steps to contain the situation.

Many Fish Maria De Vries, Tully De Vries, Amanda Watts, Reena Slockee

Summers exhibition

The Rate of Change Senior school art students

COUNTRYJOURNAL

Mandate worries, Hanson, draws big crowd to WIRAC A crowd estimated at over 1,000--and described by seasoned political observers as the largest single political gathering on the Southern Downs for many years--gathered at the Warwick recreation centre on Tuesday last week to hear over 20 speakers--headlined by Senator Pauline Hanson-take to the stage to voice concerns. The focus of the rally was the upcoming vaccine ‘mandates’ which will see certain facilities forced to exclude unvaccinated citizens in order to comply with public health laws. One of the organisers and opening speaker Pam Burley set the tone for the evening calling for the declaration of a “pro choice region” by the council, a possibility that is likely to be discussed at the Southern Downs Regional Council this week--but such a declaration is unlikely to significantly change the situation for local business owners who still will be bound by state and federal law. Senator Hanson declared the battle the “biggest fight of our lives” decrying the fact that people were “being told what to do with our bodies.” She used the occasion to reinforce her intention to stand again at next year’s federal election, telling an enthusiastic crowd “you don’t want to put up with this rubbish.” The event opened at 6 and ended at 10.30, with a signficant number stating for the full marathon of speakers. As the evening progressed, however, began airing what they acknowledged were “conspiracy theories” as the crowd began to thin, and there was at least one open call for ‘civil disobedience.’ The event also saw several attacks on deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, and other National party luminaries (including former Queensland opposition leader Lawrence Springborg) who speakers claimed had not had the courtesy to offer an apology for their absence. As it turns out, James Lister was in hospital with his wife in labour, and David Littleproud (who indicated to a representative he wouldn’t attend) was in Canberra.

Shipping pain continues

WARWICK CREDIT UNION

Australia’s reliance on global imports is set to leave us vulnerable in the wake of further supply chain delays, with industry experts predicting more pain is yet to come, as shipping hold-ups are expected to continue well into 2022. Australia’s continental separation will place importers at further disadvantage With international travel back on the cards, passengers will be taking up the weight of air freight cargo, once held by goods whilst international borders were closed. Pilots are in short supply, with retraining still underway, as Australia’s reopening plan accelerates beyond initially anticipated. With air freight in high demand due to a bottle-neck of shipping delays, rates are expected to skyrocket, as cargo space becomes less available. If the turnaround time for quarantine clearance continues to rise, industries in need of goods requiring quarantine clearance, such as food, plant materials, and wooden articles, could face additional waiting periods and subsequent cost escalations. Consumer demand will further increase as countries begin to emerge from lockdown. Limited vessel accessibility will cause producers to keep stock on-hand. This will implicate warehousing space, as some manufacturers may need to limit stock production.

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Report the bugs Grain growers and agronomists in the Southern Downs are being encouraged to report swarms of Rutherglen bugs and submit samples of the insect to better inform future pest management strategies. The bug is the most damaging sunflower pest in Queensland. CSIRO, the University of Queensland and New South Wales Department of Primary Industries are partnering in a Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investment which is looking to better understand Rutherglen bug population dynamics. CSIRO Senior Research Scientist Hazel Parry says very little is known about the landscape ecology of Rutherglen bug besides that it can be found on a wide variety of plant hosts, including many weed species. The GRDC is investing in research to help fill the information gaps. “Growers and agronomists have the

option to provide up to two kinds of information to aid in this research,” she says. “They can register Rutherglen bug sightings online as part of our current ‘citizen science’ data collection initiative and they

can also register to receive a sampling kit to help us collect Rutherglen bugs for DNA analysis. “Reporting sightings will deliver valuable information which will help the project team to determine the conditions that might be associated with Rutherglen bug flights. “The actual samples will give us an insight on where the Rutherglen bugs are coming from within the landscape and how related the populations are, particularly in terms of whether they are traveling long distances or if they are local populations.” To register a Rutherglen bug sighting, or to sign up for a DNA kit, go to https://research.csiro.au/agroecology/ rgb-project/

The Small Newspaper Company Published, Printed, Designed, Owned, Administered....here Not London. Not New York.

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Pay dirt for good soil Southern Downs growers planning to invest in soil improvement may be up for some Federal funding. The final round of the Australian Government’s Smart Farms Small Grants program has now been finalised, with $13.8 million funding 32 grants and over 200 individual activities to improve soil health and soil management. Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia, David Littleproud said the grants will help farmers and land managers change the way they look at their soil and improve how they manage it. “Good soil management leads to increased agricultural productivity and profits” Minister Littleproud said. “This funding round focuses on soil extension activities, which give farmers and land managers practical tools and information they need, including increasing uptake of soil testing and better soil data, which will allow them to make evi-

dence-based decisions for future growing seasons. The successful grants include activities such as engaging soil extension officers; conducting soil management workshops, seminars, roadshows, or field days; creating communications products, webinars or online materials; and/or establishing trials, demonstrations and monitoring sites. “Soil extension activities will improve and increase soil sampling and testing. They will help farmers get the most out of the National Soils Monitoring and Incentives Pilot Program which will be a win for the farmer and a win for soil science,” Minister Littleproud said. “Australia can lead the world in measuring soil carbon accurately and effectively and use carbon in the soil to enhance our reputation for the most sustainably produced food and fibre in the world. “This is part of the $214.9 million National Soil Strategy, Australia’s first national policy on soil which sets out how

we will manage our soil for the next 20 years and will support Aussie farmers and the sector in reaching its Ag2030 goal to grow agriculture to $100 billion by 2030.” Under this round, multiple activities could be applied for in the one application. Grants are for between $100,000 to $250,000 per set of activities and will be delivered over two years. Applicants could apply for a maximum of $2 million per application if undertaking multiple activities. The Smart Farms program is a key agriculture portfolio initiative under phase two of the $1.1 billion National Landcare Program. More than $54 million will be available under National Soil Monitoring and Incentives Pilot Program to encourage farmers and land managers to undertake more comprehensive soil testing in exchange for sharing their data with the program. This program will open in the first quarter of next year.

Low milk supplies

Global dairy markets are approaching the lowest milk production levels since 2014, Rabobank says in its just-released Q4 Global Dairy Quarterly report. The agribusiness banking specialist says weather-related issues have decimated peak milk production in New Zealand and Australia, while supply growth has also been stymied in the US and Europe by squeezed profit margins for producers.

The Ultimate Fertiliser Spreader for the Australian Market

This has resulted in a year-on-year global milk production deficit that is too deep to be offset by favourable milk production gains seen in South America, it says. The report says – after nine consecutive quarterly increases – combined global milk supply growth in the major dairy-exporting regions halted in quarter three this year and will dip into negative territory in quarter four.

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

A pill for invasives

Invasive weeds may have met their match in a new, innovative herbicide delivery system. The method uses herbicide-filled capsules drilled into the stems of invasive woody weeds and studies show it is safer, cleaner, and just as effective as herbicide sprays, which can negatively impact workers and surrounding land and vegetation. PhD candidate Amelia Limbongan from The University of Queensland’s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences has found the method to be highly effective against a wide variety of weed species which pose a major threat to farming and grazing systems. “Woody weeds such as Mimosa bush stifle pasture growth, impede mustering and cause physical and financial damage to animals and property,” Ms Limbongan said.

“This method of weed control is practical, portable and far more convenient than other methods and we’ve already seen several professional operators and councils adopting the approach.” This portability and convenience along with its proven efficacy and safety means the encapsulated herbicide may be used in a variety of settings and locations worldwide. “This method uses 30 per cent less herbicide to kill weeds, and is just as effective as more labour-intensive approaches, which will save valuable time and money for farmers and foresters,” MEMBER FOR SOUTHERN DOWNS Ms Limbongan said. “It could also lead to better management of weeds in agricultural and environmental systems across the globe, while also protecting workers by practically eliminating their exposure to harmful herbicides.” She is excited about the potential worldwide market for this technology since nearly every country has a forestry industry and battles invasive weeds. Professor Victor Galea explained that the process uses a mechanical applicator called the InJecta that e: southern.downs@parliament.qld.gov.au quickly drills a hole in the stem of the woody weed, implants a dissolvable capsule containing the dry her• 9 Victoria St, Stanthorpe (Mon-Fri) bicide, and seals the capsule into • 56 King St, Warwick (Mon-Tue) the stem with a wooden plug. This process eliminates the need to spray

James Lister MP

Ph: (07) 4524 7700 ________________

_________________________

over large areas of land. “The herbicide is then dissolved by plant sap and kills the weed from the inside and, due to the small amount of herbicide used in each capsule, causes no leakage,” Prof. Galea said. “Another reason why this delivery system is so useful is that it protects non-target plants, which are often damaged through accidental contact when using traditional methods such as spraying.” Researchers continue to trial the capsule method on several different weed species. They also have a number of similar products in line for distribution which will help farmers, foresters and environmental managers eliminate invasive weeds. “One of the products tested in this research paper, Di-Bak G (glyphosate), is already being sold in Australia along with the applicator equipment and can be purchased through agricultural supplies outlets across the country,” Prof. Galea said. “Three more products are being prepared for registration and we plan to expand this range over time.” For more information, contact Ms. Limbongan at a.limbongan@uq.net.au

COUNTRYJOURNAL

$200k for local ag biz expansion Southern Downs and Granite Belt agriculture businesses which have ideas for expanding capacity and employment are eligible for up to $200,000 in grant funding. The deadline for expressions of interest is 20 December. The Queensland Government has extended the deadline for expressions of interest in its job-creating Rural Economic Development Grants program so flood-affected primary producers don't miss out. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said expressions of interest for the $3.3m fourth round of the popular RED Grants would now be due by Monday, 20 December, 2021. "These grants are designed to support producers and businesses with significant projects that will create jobs in rural and regional Queensland, and we don't want great projects to miss out because of difficulties with flooding," Mr Furner said. "These grants help existing agricultural businesses to value-add and expand their capacity and create more jobs in rural communities. Rural Economic Development Grants pro-

vide co-contributions up to $200,000 for food and agricultural businesses to support projects that create jobs related to value added primary production and provide significant economic benefits to rural and regional communities. The first three rounds of the RED Grant program invested $10m in Queensland agricultural businesses and supported more than 1,800 regional jobs. Applications for expressions of interest need to be submitted to the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority by 11.59pm Monday 20 December 2021. In early February, QRIDA will advise outcomes and successful EOI submissions will be invited to submit a full application. Successful recipients will be announced in 2022. The Queensland Rural

and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) administer the RED Grants program on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF). For more information see qrida.qld.gov. au/current-programs/redgrants or Freecall 1800 623 946.

Rose City Premium Meats are still taking orders for Christmas Hams, BBQ Chickens and Salads Order Now! WE WILL ONLY BE CLOSING ON THE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Peter, Paul and the whole team wish their many customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

SHOP 39 - Rose City Shopping World PH: (07) 4661 4616

COUNTRYJOURNAL

Around the halls: heaps of history in Emu Vale The Emu Vale Memorial Hall has always been a focus for the community. Few halls would have as good a pictorial history as Emu Vale. The pictorial history is from photos supplied by Bill and Dave Washbourne. There are photos of logs at the Emu Vale Sawmill which were cut for the new hall. One photo is of a log carted by Roly Hoffman’s truck which was driven by Harry Downie. The foundation stone for the hall was laid by Bill Washbourne, Ron Euhus, Wilfred Walsh and Jack Washbourne and the hall opened by Sir Raymond Haish on May 28, 1954. “They buried something old, new, borrowed and blue underneath it”, were the words on one photo. There were photos of the floor being put into position, the timber frame going up and the roof going on. The first hall at Emu Vale was sold and

became the Hibernian Hall in Warwick. The pictorial history of the district had a photo of threshing at Emu Vale 1936-1949. An early photo of the area shows 16 reasonable size buildings in the village area which were probably residences as well as a number of sheds. The area was settled from 1877 and was 75 square miles (190 square kilometres) and according to Wikipedia was named after a pastoral run in the area. In the 2016 Census, the population of Emu Vale was 185. There are photos of the building of the bridge across Emu Creek and a photo at approximately 10.30am on May 6, 1996, when floodwaters lapped the bridge of the day for the first time. More photos and a poem point out the rail motor history. It was known as The Rattler and transported students from the area to Warwick State High School. Another photo shows a rail derailment at

the Emu Vale Crossing around 1930. One photo shows the original Presbyterian Church which was built in 1874 and is today a private residence. The first Catholic Church was opened in the 1800s and a new church Holy Redeemer was built in the 1900s and closed in 1973. There are photos of the Emu Vale State School in 1996 and 2000. The school was opened on February 1, 1876, and closed on December 31, 2003. Rocky Mountain Provisional School up the creek from Emu Vale was open in 1919-1920. A photo of the Commercial Hotel at Emu Vale shows a veranda and two storeys. The hotel burnt down at 4am on December 11, 1959, with one keen photographer catching the flames. Emu Vale was on the Killarney Railway line and the contract for the construction of the Warwick to Emu Vale 15 miles (23km) section was signed by the Queensland Railway Department with line builder John Garget in 1881.

WARWICK INDOOR RECREATION AND AQUATIC CENTRE 29 Palmerin Street, Warwick - Phone 4661 7955

COUNTRYJOURNAL

Christmas -

Very, very wet Christmas sees Carols in Park cancelled A wonderful time of the year The rain is beautiful.....but enough now... The 2021 Warwick Carols in the Park, one of the more popular public events of the Christmas calendar, was a victim of the wet. bThe event was to take place in Queens Park on Sunday, however Council officers havign inspected the grounds determined santa’s sleigh would

almost certainly have got bogged in the heavily saturated park grounds. With no other suitable option available in Warwick that could cater for an outdoor event of this size and with additional rains forecasted for the weekend, the event has been cancelled.

Stanthorpe’s event went ahead at Weerona Park as planned. Council thanks Cleanaway and Zooma Signs who have generously come on board as major sponsors of the Warwick carols.

David & Amanda Smith

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Best wishes for the Festive Season from Glen and Rae The shop will close for all Public Holidays

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Downs Guns & Ammo Chris and Peter wish their many customers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The shop will be closed from midday on Christmas Eve - reopening on Tuesday 4th January

Heaps of Christmas Gift Ideas to choose from!

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Kiwis over kale this Xmas Once the king and queen of the summer salad, it seems that New Zealand’s obsession with kale is over. The once popular salad leaf is no longer the nation’s favorite green. LeaderBrand, the country’s largest producer of salad leaves, believes that consumers are now looking for more palatable alternatives to kale. According to LeaderBrand’s Head of Farming, Gordon McPhail, there are plenty of salad leaves and green produce that provide health benefits that are comparable with kale and taste good. What’s in this Christmas in Kiwi-land? Well apparently the land of the long white cloud can’t get enough of broccoli, with the once benknighted vege now making it into the top ten grocery items.

Coorey’s Clothing Pre-Christmas Sale

BEAUTIFUL RANGE OF LADIES’ CHRISTMAS WEAR • Ladies’ Short Sleeve & 3/4 Sleeve Blouses in all Cotton & Florals. Sizes 8-24 • Ladies’ 3/4 Fashion Slacks - Plain colours, easy care. Sizes 8-24 • Ladies’ Plain & Floral Easy Care Skirts. Sizes 10-24 • Ladies’ All Cotton Sleeveless Dresses. Sizes M-XXL ___ $35 • Ladies’ Full Range of Sleepwear in Cotton & Poly Cotton. Pyjamas, Sleeveless Nighties & Short Sleeve Nighties, and Brunch Coats. Sizes 10-26 • Men’s Levi Jeans - Includes Regular Fit & Stretch Denim • Men’s Short Sleeve Drill Work Shirts____________ $29.95 Long Sleeve ________________________ $34.95

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Christmas Break

Closures and Information Council Administration Offices in Allora, Stanthorpe and Warwick Close: 3pm Friday 24 December 2021 Re-open: 8.30am Tuesday 4 January 2022

Kerbside waste collection services Kerbside domestic waste collections will continue as normal, including Christmas Day and public holidays.

Council Libraries in Allora, Stanthorpe and Warwick Close: 3pm Friday 24 December 2021 Re-open: 10am Tuesday 4 January 2022

Council Waste Facilities Close: 25 December 2021 Re-open: Sunday 26 December 2021

For emergencies during this time, contact 1300 MY SDRC (1300 697 372) and follow the prompts.

Council wishes our Southern Downs community a safe and happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

A great place to live, w k, play and stay.

Southern Downs online

Come and see& Merry Christmas Happy New Year in our Stanthorpe Showroom Call to(07) all our4681 clients 3317

To all our clients a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

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Closed Dec 25th-28th & Jan 1 2022

CLARKS BEARING CENTRE

orClosing visit 108 Dec Folkestone Stanthorpe 24th St, - 12 noon

Re-opening Tuesday Jan 4th, 2022

GOLDSTONE JEWELLERS Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to All

Wishing all our clients a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Closed Dec 25th Re-opening Jan 4th 2022

Closing 12 noon Dec 24th Re-opening 8.30am Jan 10th

GraciousGiving Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Closed Christmas Day Open Boxing Day 9.30am-12.30pm Closed New Year’s Day

STANTHORPE

Merry Christmas & Prosperous New Year

To all our clients a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Closed Dec 25th-28th Open Dec 29th-31st 8am-5pm Open Jan 2nd, 2022 8.30am-11.30am Closed Jan 1st & 3rd

Pete’s TYRES &WHEELS Merry Christmas & Prosperous New Year to all our clients

Closed Dec 25th-28th Open 29th-31st 8am-2pm Closed Jan 1st-3rd Re-opening Jan 4th

Closing Dec 23rd Re-opening Jan 3rd 2022

Merry Christmas

Closing Dec 23rd from 3pm Re-opening Jan 10th 2022 from 9am

COUNTRYJOURNAL

After more than 40 years in the one job, Ian Jackson is retiring after working as an Electorate Officer for three state members of Parliament. In fact, he was the first male to fill the role as an Electorate Officer for a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Many other males are now filling Electorate Officer roles across Australia. Ian was born in Stanthorpe and his first job was with an accountant in the town. He then worked as a cost clerk for the then Stanthorpe Shire Council before deciding to take a break from office work. After four years working on Granite Belt farms, he decided to search for another job. Member for Carnarvon, Peter McKechnie, was at the time looking for an Electorate Officer and interviewed Ian on a Friday night and he started work in the office in Victoria St, Stanthorpe, on the following Monday. Ian was also the Electorate Officer for the Member for Carnarvon/Southern Downs, Lawrence Springborg from 1989 to 2017 and since then has been Electorate Officer for the current Member for Southern Downs, James Lister. Ian had his first taste of government soon after he started in 1981 when Mr McKechnie was appointed Minister for Tourism, National Parks, Sport and The Arts. “It was a steep learning curve at the start but I survived,” he said. “Lawrence Springborg was appointed Minister for Natural Resources in 1998. Later I occasionally undertook travel in the electorate to represent him at times when he was Opposition Leader,” Ian said. “Lawrence and I became very good friends and we still see each other from time to time,” he said. “James has become accustomed to balancing political life and raising a young family. He and wife Belinda have two sons and a daughter Amelia who was born last week.” Ian met his wife Sue through mutual friends and they have three children, sons Lachlan and Morgan, who work in Toowoomba, and daughter Elspeth who is a teacher. Gerard Walsh: What has been the toughest period in your four decades in the role? Ian Jackson: The past 18 months dealing with COVID-19. I thought some people had a genuine personal need to cross the border, however they weren’t able to do so. The recent drought has also made life difficult for many constituents on the land. GW: Did you get involved in the party political process? IJ: I never became involved in the political side of the job. We kept politics out of everything we did at the office. Everyone was treated equally regardless of political persuasion. GW: What about other career choices?

FACE TO FACE with gerard walsh IJ: At one stage, I thought of running my own farm myself but I dismissed the idea as being too financially difficult. GW: Tell me about some of the people you spoke to down the years? IJ: I had a few phone calls from (disgraced millionaire) Christopher Skase. He was involved in tourism and I believe he wanted Peter McKechnie to look favourably in his direction. I am sure he did not succeed in that regard. GW: How tough was it when Lawrence Springborg was Opposition Leader? IJ: I always thought it was tough on Lawrence when the party dumped him as leader and then got him back to pick them (party) up again after an election loss. Lawrence was always very positive about winning elections and carrying out his role as Opposition Leader. He has been a highly respected Member of Parliament. GW: You were Electorate Officer for two lots of shire amalgamations, which was the toughest? IJ: The toughest was the amalgamation of Warwick and Stanthorpe. The two (former shires) had different communities, different focuses and different interests. It was a pity that amalgamation was forced upon Warwick and Stanthorpe by the government of the day. GW: What about talk of de-amalgamation? IJ: Talk of de-amalgamation is well and truly buried. It has happened and we have to get on with life. It is now working the best it can work, even though there were a lot of teething problems. GW: How many offices have you worked in? IJ: I started at a small office at one end of Victoria Street and in 1982 moved to a bigger office in Victoria St just up the road. GW: What is the main issue at present? IJ: We need a much better water supply for Stanthorpe. That could be the proposed Emu Swamp Dam or doing something different at Storm King Dam or building a water pipeline. The Southern Downs Regional Council doesn’t want to go through the process of trucking water from Warwick to Stanthorpe again. GW: What about the Eight Mile intersection? IJ: Lawrence and James had quite a bit to do with pushing for improvements at the Eight Mile. Reducing the speed limit has helped, as we haven’t had quite so many horrific accidents. The Carnarvon Bridge in Stanthorpe is

Ian Jackson

Ian Jackson has served the community for more than four decades. coming to the end of its lifespan. Queensland Transport have indicated that it is serviceable at present. However the bridge will one day reach its use by date. GW: How was your relationships with local government? IJ: We have always had a good relationship with the various councils in the electorate. GW: What were the odds of staying in the one job for four decades? IJ: I was lucky each new Member of Parliament asked me to stay on in the position. The job has provided a lifestyle for me in Stanthorpe which allowed Sue and I to raise our three children. GW: Any plans to move from the area? IJ: I have no intention of moving away. GW: Do you rush out and see the snow when it falls in the middle of the night? IJ: I prefer the warmth of the fireplace at home. GW: Did you ever think of standing for parliament yourself? IJ: I thought about it for one brief moment when Peter McKechnie retired and promptly dismissed it. GW: What are your interests away from work? IJ: Sue and I were keen on gardening and I look forward to continuing this activity. I am continued next page....

COUNTRYJOURNAL

continued from previous page.... also a keen photographer, mainly landscapes and nature photography. I look forward to undertaking some more travel in the future. I have competed in floral art and photography and had a couple of successes at the Stanthorpe Show. I also judged the photography section at the Stanthorpe Show for a number of years. For some years I judged the floral art and photography competitions for the Stanthorpe QCWA. I hope to take up bushwalking again and catching up on reading some of the many books in my library. GW: Are you involved as a volunteer? IJ: I am President of the Stanthorpe Garden Club and help organise The Stanthorpe Gardenfest and Trade Fair on the second weekend in October each year. I am also on the committee of the Diggers Garden Club. It is my intention to undertake some volunteering work during my retirement. GW: What about sport? IJ: I do the parkrun most weeks or the parkwalk for me. The cold weather doesn’t stop me but I don’t like walking through knee deep water which was the situation for a couple of weeks recently. GW: Did you think of retiring earlier. IJ: I was going to retire when Lawrence retired from politics as the Member for Southern Downs in 2017. My wife Sue and I were planning to travel to southern New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. However that did not occur due to her terminal illness. When James Lister was elected Member for Southern Downs he asked me would I stay on as his Electorate Officer. I have enjoyed my time in the position and wish both James and Lawrence all the best for the future in their current respective roles. I am looking forward to a new phase of my life.

The Long Paddock with Gerard Walsh

Cattle time

It is time to test the cattle market again at Sale Corner in Warwick. We beat the magical $2500 for cows and calves earlier this year and hope to set a new cents per kilogram record for our property “Coolesha” on Tuesday. I hear people talking about the price of cattle being too dear to buy. My view is you just have to go with the market and hopefully cash in on a buoyant market in the next year or so. I picked up a Warwick cattle sale draw last week and noticed there are six agents. I believe there were eight or nine agents at one stage, including two from Killarney, George Brunton and Graysons.

Loyalty

Loyalty was something I was taught by my parents and I tend to stick with the same agent. Twice down the years, I gave an occasional mob of cattle to a second agent but found it more difficult to have two agents and neither felt you were their customer. The first agent in my time was Tom Leonard and Sons and then Don McGinness when he took over the agency after the untimely death of Tom Leonard. continued page 16...

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

continued from page 14... After Don retired, Dennis Bourke and McDougalls have been my main agent. I talk to all the agents at the cattle sale but ask Dennis plenty of questions about the market and get him to have a look at our cattle from time to time. I usually go along with what he suggests as advice is one of the reasons we have an agent.

Vale Tony

Talking loyalty, I have no hesitation in saying my mother was always loyal to her pharmacist. When Tony Hagley moved 200m down the road in the pharmacy game, Mum made the change as well. Last week, I went to Tony’s funeral where we paid tribute to a chemist who would always do the little extras. There was a large contingent of past workmates from the Warwick Friendly Society and Duggans at his funeral mass. Tony and wife Ann moved to a farm east of Warwick when he took on a job at the WFS and he was happy to be a farmer, even if only in a small way. Few people have made more of a contribution to the Warwick community than Tony. His homemade hand cream was the best I used but now I use a product called Tough Hands. I don’t particularly like gloves, even if working barb wire, so use a fair bit of hand cream for the cuts and scratches.

Brisbane where both Test and A-sides were training together before the First Test. I doubt if Mark (pictured) would tell you but it would be interesting to know if we got the wicket of Steve Smith in the nets. In the game at Ian Healy Oval, Mark had 1-0 off one over on

Thursday after dismissing English batsman Tom Abell for five. English was 3-13 at stumps on day one of the match. Looks like if the Test team has an injury, Mark could debut in the current Ashes series after being in the touring squad for South Africa in the past year. Due to COVID-19, the tour didn’t go ahead but the selectors showed they had confidence in Mark.

Mark success

Great to see Warwick paceman Mark Steketee top scoring for Australia A in the cricket game against the England Lions last Wednesday at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane. He compiled the best innings of his career , but not his highest score, at the same time as the First Ashes Test. Mark scored 39 in the Australia A score of 213 and was one run more than top-order batsman Matthew Renshaw. The Australian team also included Mitch Marsh, Mitch Swepson, Usman Khawaja and Josh Inglis so was without a doubt a genuine second Test side. Mark has been training in

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Chocolate waltzes and ‘ugly man’ competitions For many years, country dances were de rigueur for any Christmas Party held in the communities of the Southern Downs. In 1925, the Goomburra Hall hosted a party featuring the “charming sight” of a tree festooned with lit candles and overhanging fruit. Perhaps to remove any fire hazard from burning candles, the tree underwent a “denuding” before the dancing commenced. Later that night a chocolate waltzing competition was held and won by Mr. F. Siebenhausen. The mind boggles to grasp how a solitary person could win a waltzing competition, but Siebenhausen duly received a chocolate reward for his dancing prowess. Yangan Oddfellows’ Hall held a children’s storybook ball in 1933 to raise money for the annual Christmas Tree. Children dressed up like characters such as Goosy Gander, Wee Willie Winkie, and the Queen of Hearts and danced to music supplied by the Yangan Orchestra. The Karara Hall was decorated with streamers, fancy parasols, and greenery for a Christmas dance in 1935. Santa handed out gifts, ice creams, and sweets to the children and was hailed by one and all as a jolly good fellow.

The years of the World Wars saw local communities continuing with their dances, but turning them into fundraisers to help

needed. They were also requested to cease making kneecaps and bedcaps which, apparently, were in abundance. In Tannymorel that Christmas, a dance was held to raise money for the Prisoners of War Fund. Thanks to donations, door takings, and local children selling vegetables from the school garden, they were able to send twenty pounds to the POW Fund. In 1953, the Freestone CWA invited folks to join them for a Christmas Party and Dance that would feature both oldtime and modern dancing accompanied by Vickersen’s Accordion Dance Band and followed by a Dainty Supper. Inglewood may take the prize for the most unique Christmas dance in 1944 when they held it in conjunction with an Ugly Man Australian children at a fancy dress Christmas Competition to raise funds for “patriotic purposes”. While the Goondiwindi Orchestra played with the war effort. for the dance, a total of 127,638 votes were In 1942, Leyburn held a chocolate waltz to tallied until a bell was rung at 11:17 p.m. and raise funds to send Christmas parcels to a Dr Lloyd was declared the winner with local boys who had enlisted. 36,971 votes. In July 1943, the women of the Australian He was carried on the shoulders of crowd Comfort Fund in Mt Colliery were already at members up to the stage where he was work on Christmas hampers in July, fevercrowned with an old lady’s hat with a feathishly knitting for the soldiers overseas. They er to match and had a mask placed over his received a letter from headquarters letting face. The evening ended with a rousing renthem know they would soon receive a shipdition of “He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” and 61 ment of wool and knitting cotton to compounds donated to the war effort. mence making washers which were urgently

COUNTRYJOURNAL

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CROSSWORD 3

726 6

7 8 9

10 11

14 19 20

24 25

E-QUATIONS 7

16 Who wrote “Around the Boree Log”, John ... (6) 18 What is a point of time distinguished by a particular event or state of affairs (5) 19 Name an Australian research station established in Antarctica in 1969 (5) 21 Which term designates the main story of a play, etc (4) 22 What was the given name of the first person to walk on the moon, ... Armstrong (4)

Ash Ate Cars Era

027

15 21

7 SUDOKU

R R T T T Y

CROSSWORD

A N C K S E O E V I E W L E A L I S E I S D N O B L E R B I R I N S E I T E R I C L N

L N N N P R

B J B N O L U L U R D R A D L O C K R E E A R I C E D I G S G L E C T A S P A L U T H S E S O E T E R R Y

BIYWORD

C D E E E E

SOLUTIONS

DOWN 1 Flag movement 2 Anger 3 Microwave 4 Physics calculation

027

150x-027

QUICK THINK Solve the crossword. Each answer has four letters. ACROSS 1 Gift tag word 5 Volcanic flow 6 A long time 7 Writes

027

A A A A B B

ACROSS: 1 From, P 5 Lava, 6 Ages, 7 Pens. B E T DOWN: 1 Flap, 2 Rage, © B A R R A 3 Oven, 4 Mass. L A R C E N Y A G E N T E N D T

D:15, E:21, G:3, H:25, N:7, S:5, X:18

Term Text Tie

The use of the Jolly Roger hit its peak in the early 1700s. Pirates would hoist the black flag, demanding an immediate surrender to avoid bloodshed. The targeted ship would hoist a white flag to agree. If the pirates flew a red flag, it meant no quarter given and a fight to the death.

CLUES: Animal noise (3) Fashion (5) Finish (3) Freight carrier (5) Insect (3) N. Australian fish (coll) (5) Proportion in hundredths (7) Representative (5) Theft (7) Wager (3)

027

Pat Sheer Tea Ten

Build it yourself using the clues and each of the twenty-four letters once only to form ten words: five across and five down. A key word (bold clue) builds on the letter set in the grid.

S H S A M T

BIYWORD

are shown in the right-hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.

SUDOKU

P O E R X S

CURIO

E-QUATIONS

037 Some values are in the right hand cells. Create remaining values using Letters A to Zclues have ainnumber value. Some centre cells.

SxG X+G E÷N N+X E÷G H÷S D+G

A N E E H R

Heel Let Onto Pack

Letters have a number value

D E G H N S X

C T T E L A

Find the following words in the grid. They may be read in any direction, even diagonally. Some letters are used more than once.

6 What are the main longitudinal structural members of ships’ hulls (5) 9 What colloquially, would we call a member of the St George Illawarra NRL team (6) 10 Which term describes the list appearing at the beginning or end of a film, showing the names of those involved in its production (7) 12 Name the large sea ducks that yield eiderdown (6) 14 What’s another name for a woodlouse (6)

K O E E I C

027

R H O M D E R A V G O N E P Y O C S H

T R N P A T

QUICK THINK

MINI WORD FIND

E-QUATIONS D:15, E:21, G:3, H:25, N:7, S:5, X:18

S H S A M T

ACROSS 4 Who created the comic strip, Ginger Meggs, James ... (6) 7 Name the capital of Hawaii (8) 8 What is a more readily known term for a critique (6) 9 What is a state of affairs in which progress is impossible (8) 11 To grasp or understand clearly, is to do what (7) 13 What is an insatiable greed for riches (7) 15 To be of low character, aims, etc, is to be what (7) 17 Which term describes the state of being disregarded (7) 20 What are used to relieve the pain of headache, neuralgia, etc (8) 23 Name an alternative expression for adolescents (6) 24 Which term describes that which is meant for a select few (8) 25 Name a fortified and blended wine of southern Spain (6) DOWN 1 Name the site of Vatican City (4) 2 Who became the world’s highest-scoring Test batsman in 1993, Allan ... (6) 3 Name a style of self-defence, derived from jujitsu (4) 4 Who, with William Wills, led the expedition that first crossed Australia south to north, Robert O’Hara ... (5) 5 What are fictitious prose narratives of considerable length (6)

MINI WORD FIND T K C A P R O T N O N E T E E P E E E R A I L H X T C A R S

COUNTRYJOURNAL

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Christmas begins to impact on wool BY: BRUCE MCLEISH ELDERS In a week where just about every other world market was bouncing all over the shop, the wool market showed relative calm and composure to close barely up a smidge in local currency, and down a smidge in USD terms. The familiar pattern of superfine merino wools performing strongly, medium merino pretty well, and crossbred wools only so-so was back again. By the end of the two-day sale just under 40,000 bales had been sold and everyone could focus on tallying up orders, and selling a bit more, and then preparing orders for the final two weeks. Most people in the trade anticipate a relatively calm market in the coming two weeks as well in the lead up to the recess. Topmaking mills will continue to purchase as normal given the shipping issues that seem to mean it takes up to a month or even six weeks before the bales actually leave Australian shores these days. Traders will certainly be happy to see the market finish on a firm note, but unless the current prompt date for sale week 24 is extended, buyers would see wool payments fall due on Christmas Eve, with pretty much zero chance of physically moving that stock until the first week of January. So, growers selling in week 24 may see a 2-week storage and financing cost deducted off their prices – unless they collectively ask their broker to change the prompt date to New Year’s Eve, which might be a good idea to prevent a negative blip in the market. Those hard-working buyers in South Africa have already knocked off as they begin their Christmas recess from now, but they must drag themselves back off the beach by the 12th of January when sales resume. Not having Cape sales for the next 2 weeks will ensure even more focus on any sustainable certified wools which pop up in Australian catalogues. The current premiums of around 20% for these wools are attracting growers all over the world to the certification process, which is a good thing, but the buying and processing trade are beginning to wonder if the current premiums are sustainable. The Black Friday selling period was very good for retailers in most markets, but it seems the equity traders got caught up in the frenzy as well and stock markets, particularly in the US tanked last Friday. It was triggered by the emergence of Obi-

Woollen curtains, upholstery fabrics and automotive interiors are all product innovations being dangled in front of the world’s designers to entice them to use more medium and coarser micron wool. With the home office taking a much more prestigious ranking, fitting it out in the most comfortable fibre known to man, makes a lot of sense from an environmental and wellness perspective. As the Europeans look like spending a lot more of their Christmas holidays locked up at home, a lot of the marketing focus should obviously be directed over there, to keep them comfortable whilst they ponder a higher vaccination rate, and life without Angela. The Chinese domestic market, 50% of which now occurs online, has had a reasonable couple of months, but certainly not a mega sales volume like in previous years when the Chinese economy was still firing on all cylinders. The current situation leads to a more cautious approach, and less stock ordering with glee abandon from the retail chains. Probably a good thing overall, as in previous years piles of left-over goods were dumped at discounted prices, leaving everyone in the pipeline a little disconcerted.

Wan Kenobi or something similar. Traders in equities and currencies always trying to be ahead of the pack highlighted just how jumpy the world is, and the fragile the recovery from Covid actually is. The volatility didn’t affect the wool market, but just about every other commodity took a hit, recovered, then dropped again as ‘experts’ postulated on something scientists are still trying to work out – which is the efficacy of current vaccines against the new variant, and just how much of a threat it really is. So, whilst we leave the scientists to do their work, and report to the world when they can, others have been getting on with the job of promoting wool and creating new ideas to increase the consumption of wool across the globe. A quick look through the latest Wool Lab from the Woolmark Company shows not only the multitude of new developments in athleisure wear, pyjamas, and home office attire for the upcoming season, but also interesting F A S T U T P R new products like a woollen yoga mat, N I E D N S M H and some hand O I R E P L A I knitting yarn made with organic crossD I V S E V R H bred wool, which D N C H T D K O now has the ability I M P R O V E H to be dyed with much more ecologiA P P O I N T E cally friendly dyeT L K C P L S R stuffs. Products such as these, tickA M E F A U C H ing all the boxes for S M B E C A L C the eco-warriors and environmentalT R H O W N C A ly conscious conE U R O P E C C sumer keeps wool front and centre for Helen Keller the designer, who Wordfind: creates the prodHidden Phrase: “Life is either a ucts which ultidaring adventure or nothing.” mately get ordered Spot the 5 Differences: by the retailer to appear on the shelf.

Pencilhead solutions V N Y I Y C D E A I C R

K O E S B O E T N U A E

E M B T I L M U G M O D

Y E B O T C F R E S H I

S P E R T A I N S U O T

F O L Y E A I A R G N O

O E L E R T N A N A E W

U A D D I N G Y O R Y S

1. Missing level on pump stand 2. Handle changed angle 3. Drip lower 4. Handle missing from bucket 5. Shine missing from pump