Moreton BorderNews
WELL-KNOWN Rosewood resident and former Ipswich councillor, David Pahlke, has sent us a letter:
“Just under 30 years ago the very first edition of the fabulous Moreton Border News was issued,” he writes.
It was a monthly news read, in those days, and in black and white and on non-glossy paper.
WEATHER
Hot air balloon carries gold
By BYRON PESZKO
AS Floating Images Hot Air Balloon Flights celebrates nearly 25 years of flying in the Ipswich region, it has once again been recognised as one of Queensland’s leading tourism experiences, taking out the prestigious Best of Queensland Experience - Gold award for 2026.
Presented by Tourism and Events Queensland, the award recognises tourism operators that consistently deliver exceptional visitor experiences.
Floating Images achieved a perfect score of 100 for the seventh consecutive year - a remarkable achievement that reflects the company’s unwavering commitment to excellence, customer service, and unforgettable aerial adventures above Greater Brisbane.
The company said we are honoured to be included among travellers’ favourites this year,
“This recognition is especially meaningful because it comes directly from the guests who have flown with us and shared their experiences.”
“This milestone inspires us to keep reaching new heights.”
In December 2024, Ipswich Tribune Today joined the team, alongside Chief Pilot Graeme Day for the once in a lifetime experience.
“After ballooning overseas for six years, I came back to Australia in 1996, and for the first few years I was offering my pilot services to the two Gold Coast companies,” Graeme said.
“We
2001 in the Ipswich, Scenic Rim and Somerset region and have flown thousands of passengers each year for the past 25 years.
An approved CASA chief pilot with over 3300 hours flight time, Graeme has flown approximately 25 balloons over three decades of aviation expertise across France, Canada, Switzerland, New Zealand and Australia.
Graeme personally leads every flight, while guests experience peaceful sunrise views across South East Queensland and the scenic Greater Brisbane region.
He says it’s a job that is different every day of the week.
“I’m not sitting in an office. Every day is different with new challenges with flying, running a tourism business, meeting people of all walks of life,” he said.
Floating Images is one of 189 Queensland Tourism Operators to receive Gold for Best of Queensland Experience and Ipswich’s only tourism operator for the seventh year in a row.
The team at Floating Images says the recent awards and milestones would not be possible without the support of our passengers, partners, staff and the broader community.
“Thank you to everyone who has flown with us, supported us, and recommended us over the years,” the team said.
“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together and look forward to welcoming many more guests onboard for unforgettable experiences in the skies above Queensland.”
I’VE never met someone as passionate about his weekly newspaper than Rosewood’s David Pahlke.
‘G’day, darling, I’ve got news for you and the fabulous Moreton Border News’, he says.
Now that its format has been adjusted, it is fitting to have ‘Mr Moreton Border News’ between its pages once again.
If you’ve never seen faith move in mysterious ways, you haven’t driven past St Brigid’s Catholic Church.
The church buildings are being relocated, a tedious task that will take it safely to more stable ground.
A deadly strain of bird flu has arrived in Australia and the poultry industry is bracing for impact.
I have a sense of de ja vu with this yarn because it feels eerily familiar and similar to the Covid years.
There were emotional scenes at Norths Tigers Ipswich Rugby League Club on Saturday when Brad Zampech, the brother of Tigers fullback Jesse who tragically lost his life last week, made a return to his former club in memory of his beloved brother.
There’s more inside - Lara Hart
Floating Images Hot Air Balloon Flights has taken out the Queensland Experience - Gold award for 2026.
Chief Pilot Graeme Day is celebrating 34 years of Commercial balloon flight.
Floating Images Hot Air Balloon Flights celebrates nearly 25 years of flying in the Ipswich region. (Supplied: 563685)
Dave’s letter: 1300 editions of ‘News’
JUST under 30 years ago the very first edition of the fabulous Moreton Border News was issued on Friday March 31st 1997.
It was a monthly news read, in those days, and in black and white and on non-glossy paper.
The very first edition was 24 pages and contained stories on Water upgrades to Peak Crossing and Harrisville; Purga wine production; Letters to the Editor from myself and Mayor John Nugent ; Story on Rosevale Hotel; Tree planting at Oakleigh Colliery at Rosewood; Story on the Rosewood CWA, amongst other stories.
The amalgamation of Ipswich and Moreton Councils had occurred only two years earlier and the Fabulous ( as I always called it) Moreton Border News (MBN) covered many rural areas now in Scenic Rim.
I soon discovered it was the best way of getting my then councillor news and messages out to my vast rural communities.
The MBN went colour in February 2008 and glossy colour in July 2014.
My locals used to call it the “Pahlke News” as I was often in it in a story at least two or three times each edition.
I was the local councillor from 1991 to 2018 and had eight elections.
Time moves on and Facebook and all the new types of media attention started affecting the advertising regimes in the MBN.
I know it was becoming increasingly more challenging for them as advertising was crucial to their survival.
Looking back over 30 years names like Wen-
format will surprise many.
memories.
Going forward Cameron Thompson and Lara Hart are at the steering wheel and the new
To survive, and I sincerely hope it does survive, advertising still remains crucial.
I have all 1300 copies of the fabulous MBN and I keep them with much pride.
else out there has every copy or even collects them, I often wonder?
Latest bird flu strain lands in Australia posing threat to poultry
By LARA HART
QUEENSLAND’S poultry industry is on alert after detection of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in Australia.
The virus was confirmed in migratory seabirds in Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales.
While at this stage there has been no confirmed cases in commercial poultry, Harrisville producers like Rob Joyce are on high alert.
The Joyce family own Heritage Poultry and
have farmed poultry since 1945.
“A fair bit of work was done about what could happen if [H5N1] got here, so there are already some plans in place,” Mr Joyce said.
“In Western Australia and South Australia, they’ve even gone down the track where they’ve applied to have free range birds temporarily allowed to be locked up but still be called free range.
“I’m sure they’ll look at that if it does get to Queensland, but for now it is a safety tip.
“We have started to lock up [our poultry]
because we do free range and pasture range birds.
“We still have them on pasture, and they’re now moved onto fresh ground regularly as we make adaptions.”
One of the ways the strain can reach farmed poultry is through contact with wild birds.
“The last thing you want is to have all your birds outside where wild birds can fly in,” he explained.
“Usually it is the water bowls that attract them, they land among the flock to drink.”
Black swans and other water fowl are among species more likely to carry and pass on the deadly strain of bird flu. (Lyle Radford: 563631)
dy Creighton, David Wheatley, Kaye Martin, Elizabeth Turner who were associated with it brings back
Who
Signed: David Pahlke beloved reader and always a close friend to the FABULOUS MORETON BORDER NEWS
David Pahlke’s collection of Moreton Border News issues. (563630)
Mega subdivision plan at Mt Marrow
By WENDY CREIGHTON
AN application - the first step towards a 755 lot housing estate on the border of Thagoona and Mount Marrow - was presented to Ipswich City planners, last week.
Town planning agents for developers, Francis, Suzanne, Timothy, Georgie and Patrick O’Shea, have applied for a slew of preliminary approvals over five properties on the eastern and western side of the Thagoona Haigslea Road.
All fall within the future urban zone although a portion of one of the properties is located in the Rural B (pastoral) zone.
The main address of the 62.8ha development is listed as 131 Thagoona Haigslea Road, Mount Marrow, however the various blocks of land are also addressed as 134, 136-186 Thagoona Haigslea Road, 24-26 Pindari Drive, Thagoona and 183 Thagoona Haigslea Road, Mount Marrow.
The developers are requesting that the impact assessible application be considered under the old planning scheme, which is allowable, if council agrees, within 12 months of the new planning scheme being adopted.
The first preliminary approval sought is to vary the old scheme requirements to accommodate the future development of the land for housing, to agree that the master plan and lot layout accompanying the application is ‘ac-
cepted development subject to requirements’ on allotments of 300sqm and over, and to facilitate future stages as being code assessible rather than impact assessible.
The second preliminary approval the developers hope to gain is for the break-up of the total area into master lots to assist in the future staging and execution of the development.
According to the application documents, the five properties are … “essentially a work-
ing cattle grazing property that has been historically cleared of vegetation for farming practices”.
The properties are currently accessible by numerous existing informal crossovers and driveways from Thagoona Haigslea Road, Pindari Drive and Stirling Road in the west.
No part of the site was subject to flooding however stormwater was considered an influence in drainage channels from upstream
catchments in the north and west.
“As shown on the proposed Master Plan, the primary drainage channels and overland flow paths are to be protected by the proposal and are to be kept free from residential development and uses.”
Council mapping indicated there was no significant vegetation on site.
The proposal will be advertised for 30 days during the council review process.
Walloon developer adds twelve, aiming to boost yield of lots
By WENDY CREIGHTON
A Walloon housing estate approved in February this year, is now back with the council planners as the developer wants to boost the number of allotments.
Developer, 150 Walloon Pty Ltd, lodged the ‘change application’ late in June for the subdivision on the 3.2ha block at 150-154 Taylors Road.
The existing Ipswich City Council approval allows for the subdivision of the property into 47 allotments, internal roads and an open space reserve.
But the developer wants to increase the number of allotments to 59 and to re-align the internal roads to service the proposed new lot layout.
Under the new proposal, the two stage development would accommodate 41 allotments ranging in size from 300 to 449sqm, seven allotments smaller than 300sqm and 11 allotments greater than 450sqm.
In arguing the case for the changes, town planning agents for the developer stated that the increased in the number of allotments would not have an impact on the surrounding area and future orderly development.
“The form of the development remains for residential detached housing, and no dramatic changes to the built form are proposed,” they said.
If approved, council infrastructure charges were expected to increase from around $1.07 million to about $1.09 million.
MONDAY - PUB CLASSICS $20 – 200g Rump, Chicken Schnitty or Grilled Barra, all served with chips and salad (Dinner only)
TUESDAY - TWO FOR ONE – Purchase two mains off our selected menu and receive the lesser value meal for free (Dinner only)
WEDNESDAY - PARMY PARTY $20 – Your choice of 6 different Parmy’s served with chips and salad. (Dinner only)
THURSDAY – BLACK ANGUS $20 – 250g Black Angus rump served with chips, salad and sauce. (Dinner only)
FRIDAY/SATURDAY/SUNDAY – ALL DAY DINING
LUNCHES FROM $15 MONDAY-FRIDAY LUNCHES FROM MONDAY-FRIDAY
ICC, Tulmur Place
New homes going up in Walloon. (Lyle Radford: 544845)
Cops school holiday road safety blitz
QUEENSLAND Police Service have begun a winter school holiday campaign against speed-
and impaired driving in what they call Operation Yankee Cold Snap.
Until 17 July, officers will be actively patrolling, intercepting and enforcing road rules to target dangerous behaviours.
Emergency Response and Coordination Command Assistant Commissioner Rhys Wildman urged motorists to slow down, drive to the conditions and make safe choices.
“Every decision you make behind the wheel matters,” Assistant Commissioner Wildman said.
“One moment of impatience, one decision to speed, or one choice to drive impaired can change lives forever.
“If you choose to speed, you are not only increasing your risk of being involved in a crash, but also the likelihood that someone will be seriously injured or killed.”
QPS says during its recent Operation Interpose, police conducted more than 364,000 roadside breath tests, with about 2500 people returning positive results.
More than 43,000 traffic infringement notices were also issued for dangerous driving behaviours across the state.
Assistant Commissioner Wildman said driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs significantly impairs judgement, reaction times and coordination, placing all road users at risk.
“You may think you feel fine to drive, but alcohol and drugs can continue to affect you long after consumption, including the next morning,” he said.
“If you’ve been drinking or using drugs, don’t take the risk.
“Plan a safe alternative, organise a designated driver, catch public transport or arrange a safe ride home.”
He said road policing operations are ultimately about saving lives and preventing tragedy, but enforcement alone cannot reduce the road toll.
“Our officers see firsthand the devastating impact road crashes have on families, friends and communities,” he said.
“Too often, these crashes are preventable and caused by poor decisions on our roads.
Assistant Commissioner Wildman said small actions like checking your speed, never driving impaired, wearing a seatbelt and taking regular breaks can make the difference between life and death.
“Arriving later to your destination is always better than not arriving at all.
The QPS remains committed to reducing road trauma and ensuring Queenslanders can enjoy a safe winter school holiday period.
With more Queenslanders and visitors expected to travel during the school holiday period, police are reminding motorists that road safety starts with every decision made behind the wheel.
Assistant Commissioner Wildman said these winter school holidays, think about the people waiting for you to come home.
“Road safety starts with you,” he said.
Operation Yankee Cold Snap remains in operation until 17 July. (QPS: 521552) Expect police anywhere, anytime.
$50M plan for Ipswich truck museum
By BYRON PESZKO
A $50 million investment to establish a Heavy Haulage Heritage Museum showcasing trucks on a national and global scale is set to transform the Ipswich region in late-2027, with a decision on the development currently before the Ipswich City Council.
The museum, expected to house between 40 to 60 trucks, would feature a mezzanine gallery, theatre room, restoration workshop, gift shop and educational display.
Heavy Haulage Assets owner Jon Kelly says the identified Redbank site would cover twoacres.
“We’re looking at doing one acre under the roof of display trucks and plan to have between 40 to 60 trucks on display from all around the world,” Mr Kelly said.
He said the original site preference was to sit alongside Queensland Museum Rail Workshops in North Ipswich.
“We couldn’t get an outcome there, so this site in Redbank has been identified,” he said.
“We’ve gone ahead with that, we’ve done a new design. It suits us.”
An eager Mr Kelly said he was all but waiting on Council to sign on the dotted line.
“Council has come back with a price they wanted on the land, and I’ve gone back and issued a formal offer to the exact dollar they want. I’ve made the terms very clear cut,” he said.
“We’re asking for zero funding here, it’s purely private. We’ve got the funds there to do it, and I’ve got my building company ready to begin construction.
All going well, Mr Kelly hoped completion of the museum would be open for Christmas 2027.
“It’s a 12-month build so I’d like to start building in November, December this year, ideally.”
Mr Kelly, who has grown up living and breathing trucks, says having the heavy truck display gives those that haven’t had a lot of exposure to transport to come and check them out.
“People can understand the history and their significance of trucks not only in the history of building this country, but creating the infrastructure both here in Australia and around the world.
“We’ve got some great interviews from the people who used to drive these trucks.
“The museum is not only showcasing the trucks, but the story of the people behind them as well.”
Mr Kelly said the museum would feature an interactive sort of refurb workshop at the site.
“We’ll move from our Wacol site to be per-
manently at this new museum site, and there is a block opposite to this site which will be home to our truck sales as well.
He said the Heavy Haulage Heritage Museum would only mean positive things for all concerned.
“I’ve grown up with trucks and they are my genuine passion. For me, it’s like Disneyland for truckers, right?
“Having this museum here gives us a massive scope to have a lot more community engagement.
Mr Kelly said the museum would not only be phenomenal for the community, but for Ipswich City Council, Queensland and amazing for the country.
Ipswich blows its own trombone record - if
IPSWICH is calling across SEQ for 400 trombonists of all ages and abilities to help make history with a bold attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest trombone ensemble.
The attempt will take place this Sunday 12 July, at Tulmur Place in the Ipswich Nicholas Street Precinct.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the event was an exciting addition to this year’s SPARK Festival.
“Ipswich is home to a vibrant creative and cultural scene, and I can think of no better place to bring the brass together in a bid for world record glory,” Mayor Harding said.
She said the current Guinness World Record for the largest trombone ensemble stands at 368 musicians, set in Washington DC in 2012.
“We are going big and bold by inviting 400 members of the community to pick up a trombone and join us for this historic event, right here in the city heart.”
He said we’re looking at doing a lot of stuff that no one’s really done before.
“We want to host open house events, food truck events, mini truck shows, those sorts of things.
“We want to showcase not only trucking in Australia, but trucking from all around the world,” Mr Kelly said.
only you will
The event is being organised by Ipswich City Big Band Music Director Matt Chambers, who said it was about bringing people together through the joy of music.
“We welcome people of all ages and abilities to be part of the world record attempt, which will see us play the iconic piece 76 Trombones,” Mr Chambers said.
To register, visit surveymonkey.com/r/BPF WCRC?msockid=3e6fdd39f11b698937d2c8ef f0f668e8
help
Ipswich needs 400 Trombone players to crack the world record next Sunday. (562295)
Heavy Haulage Heritage Museum is all but set to call Redbank home in 2027.
Heavy Haulage Assets owner Jon Kelly
The museum, expected to house between 40 to 60 trucks, would feature a mezzanine gallery, theatre room, restoration workshop, gift shop and educational display.
St Brigids performs relocation miracle
THERE’S been movement on the land beneath St Brigid’s Catholic Church at 26 Matthew Street.
The community watched on as the church’s presbytery building was transported to a new site within the church grounds
The task at hand was a mammoth effort with the building cut in half prior to its removal.
The two ‘modules’ were transported north where the building was rejoined.
The small garage building standing beside the presbytery was moved to 26 Matthew Street.
The move signals the first major on-site work to relocate the Queensland Heritage Listed, St Brigid’s Catholic Church, which is one of the largest timber Catholic church buildings in the Southern Hemisphere.
Heritage and Ipswich City Council planning approvals were granted to the Brisbane Catholic Archdiocese in late 2023 to move the church 20 metres to the east on what will soon be the former site of the presbytery.
Approval was also granted to move the Parish Hall from its current site next door to the Rosewood Police Station in Railway Street to where the church now stands.
And on March 9, this year, council approved building work permits for the relocation and restoration of the church and the relocation of the parish hall.
The catalyst for the juxtaposition of buildings in the church grounds was the closure of the church in July 2020, on structural engineering advice due to soil movement and the lean on one side of the building reaching as much as 200mm. At the time, the building had been braced internally for 10 years.
The reason for the closure was explained in the application to council in 2022: “The overarching problem is the reactive soils of the
church site
has caused settlement and movement of the stumps over time, probably for many years.”
which
St Brigid’s Catholic Church on 3 July, raised off the stumps and ready to move. (563637)
Priests’ residence being moved. (563637)
The crew who moved the priests’ residence further up the paddock (Lyle Radford: 563637)
Trees next to the church hall had to be removed. (563637)
Trees next to the church hall had to be removed. (563637)
Farmers form a voice for agritourism
AS the agritourism industry continues to grow, farmers have united behind a new voice looking to respond to the boom.
Though it’s not new, agritourism is now recognised as an important emerging tourism sector in Australia. For farmers in agri-
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tourism, having a voice and a seat at the table to ensure the industry can grow sustainably whilst protecting the primacy of agriculture is vital.
The collective voice of farmers across the country who choose to diversify their farm business with agritourism will now be represented by the Australian Agritourism Network - formed as a farmer-led peak body for Australian agritourism operators.
The AAN has been established to facilitate a strong communication network. The organisation will provide representation, support and advocacy for farmers in agritourism to encourage its responsible growth, whilst protecting and strengthening the agricultural interests of farmer members to incorporate agritourism alongside existing agricultural businesses.
President, Tim Parsons said research showed the demand for agritourism was well documented and understood whilst supply side information was lacking.
“There is a knowledge gap where farmers are over-regulated, over-advised and underrepresented,” he said.
“The time is right to launch a farmer, operator led, national association as a critical outcome to the strategic goal of forming a national agritourism body. The current fragmentation of policy, state priorities and competition for support and extension dictates that the best way forward is to form a network for farmers by farmers.“
AAN Vice president and Scenic Rim dairy farmer Kay Tommerup agreed.
“We believe that a united voice at a national level, led by farmers and supported by tourism, will encourage the sustainable growth of our industry and indeed protect the agricultural authenticity that is the essence of agri-
tourism,” she said.
“In my role as President of Agritourism Queensland, the Qld peak body, I have seen first-hand the tremendous benefits that flow from farmer-led advocacy and engagement with government and industry stakeholders. Having this network now extend to a national level demonstrates the growth of agritourism across Australia and provides a much-needed united voice.”
Australian Agritourism Network looks forward to working with government, and stakeholders across the tourism and agricultural sectors, advocating for support and legislative change that encourages meaningful outcomes for the agritourism sector, helping to build and nurture thriving farm businesses and vibrant rural communities.
To ensure the organisation is representative of the wide-ranging agritourism sector, the committee consists of farmer representatives from across the country, all bringing knowledge and experience from a broad range of agricultural and agritourism businesses.
Mr Parsons said he believed this was a tremendous step forward for the agritourism industry.
“A farmer-led support network with grassroots advocacy for farmers in agritourism, with a direct channel to industry stakeholders has long been the missing piece to the puzzle. The formation of Australian Agritourism Network will encourage the growth of authentic agritourism experiences whilst providing a peer support network that is vitally important for farmers in our industry.”
Kay Tommerup with her herd at Tommerups dairy farm. (Supplied)
1 QUEEN STREET WALLOON
PHONE 5464 5163
MONDAY - PUB CLASSICS $20 – 200g Rump, Chicken Schnitty or Grilled Barra, all served with chips and salad (Dinner only)
TUESDAY - TWO FOR ONE – Purchase two mains off our selected menu and receive the lesser value meal for free. (Dinner only)
WEDNESDAY - PARMY PARTY $20 – Your choice of 6 different Parmy’s served with chips and salad. (Dinner only)
THURSDAY – BLACK ANGUS $20 – 250g Black Angus rump served with chips, salad and sauce. (Dinner only)
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Friday Nights Sunday Sesh from 8pm-late from 12 noon-4pm Phone 5464
Squadron Leader Emily Hartley. (Defence: 561073)
Keeping the RAAF C-17A fleet flying
By CAPT. HELENA GJONE
ELEVEN years ago, Squadron Leader Emily Hartley, now based at RAAF Base Amberley, took a leap of faith, leaving her corporate career to join the RAAF in search of more challenging and meaningful work.
At the time, she was inspired by news stories of Australian military aircraft delivering humanitarian aid around the world, yet she never imagined she would one day receive a Conspicuous Service Cross in the King’s Birthday military honours list for her outstanding achievement in helping keep those aircraft operational.
The recognition stems from a three-year posting to the US between 2022 and 2025, where she represented Australia as part of the Heavy Air Lift Systems Program Office detachment within the United States Air Force’s C17A Program Office at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.
During her US posting as the platform’s logistics and sustainment manager, she played a key role in ensuring the ongoing capability development of the RAAF’s fleet of eight C-17A Globemaster III.
The C-17A provides Australia with strategic airlift capability, enabling the rapid deployment of troops, supplies, combat vehicles, heavy equipment and helicopters all over the world.
The posting came at a critical time. Australia acquired its first C-17A in 2006, and as the fleet matured, maintenance requirements also became more complex.
At the same time, demand was growing for new capabilities to support a wider range of Defence operations.
“The C-17A is so ubiquitous across the ADF. It underpins so many of our missions,” Squadron Leader Hartley said.
“That strategic airlift capability is essential not just to RAAF, but to the sustainment of the entire ADF.
“We also regularly operate alongside our international partners, so with only eight aircraft in the fleet, maximising their availability is absolutely paramount.”
Squadron Leader Hartley focused on one of the key challenges facing the RAAF’s C-17A fleet: balancing the need to install new capabilities with the need to keep aircraft available for operations.
Many capability upgrades could only be installed by Boeing at its facility in Texas, requiring Australian aircraft to be flown to the US and temporarily removed from operational service.
This process was both costly and time-consuming.
Working closely with Boeing and the USAF, Squadron Leader Hartley sought opportunities to streamline maintenance and upgrade schedules, reducing the amount of time Australian aircraft spent overseas and away from operational tasking.
“Like most aircraft, the C-17A goes through a regular maintenance cycle,” Squadron Leader Hartley said.
“We conduct routine maintenance in Australia every six months, but every six years the aircraft must travel to the US for a major overhaul.
“So we looked closely at what future capa-
bilities were coming online and tried to fit as much work as possible into those six-yearly visits.”
One of the team’s most significant achievements was using those scheduled maintenance periods to prepare aircraft for upgrades that were still under development.
“A big win for us was taking the opportunity to install hardware for capabilities that were still in development,” she said.
“That meant when the software became available in the future, we could complete the installation in Australia rather than sending the aircraft back to the US.”
Another key aspect of Squadron Leader Hartley’s work focused on engine preservation. Working alongside RAAF engineers, she helped drive initiatives with Boeing to address corrosion risks across spare engines.
“So when we brought in new engines, we knew they were safe, we knew we’d get the maximum flying hours out of them, and we were also reducing the burden on our maintenance crews to complete technical work.”
Squadron Leader Hartley also focused on the broader question of logistics preparedness.
Australia’s C-17A fleet operates within a global shared Virtual Fleet spares pool utilised by nine international operators – including Canada, the UK, NATO, Qatar, the UAE, India and Kuwait – allowing countries to draw on common resources when required.
Following the 2024 Defence Strategic Review, she worked with US Air Mobility Command and other partners to examine how that system would function in a crisis or conflict
environment, and how Australia could ensure it remained adequately prepared.
“The goal was to make sure Australia was not only participating in that system, but that we were properly prepared for how it would operate under pressure,” she said.
Her advocacy helped drive the development of more formalised policies for international logistics support in contingency scenarios, as well as new multinational planning exercises designed to strengthen cooperation between C-17A operators.
Squadron Leader Hartley said she was humbled by the recognition of the Conspicuous Service Cross, though she stressed the award reflected the work of a broader team rather than any individual effort.
“We worked with a very big team. To me, it’s a sign of how well the team worked,” Squadron Leader Hartley said.
She said one of the key lessons from her posting was the extent of influence Australian personnel can have in international roles, even at relatively junior ranks.
“I think the fact that our allies and partners genuinely want to hear our insights, and seeing the direct influence that my team and I were able to have on USAF policy and the future of the platform internationally, was really amazing,” she said.
For those considering an overseas posting, she encouraged them to embrace the opportunity.
“Be aware you can have a strong influence on international capabilities,” Squadron Leader Hartley said.
Thousands flock to the Laidley Show
By MORGANNE KOPITTKE
THE laughter of children, the buzz of carnival rides and the proud display of local talent filled the Laidley Showgrounds on Saturday, as more than 2000 families turned out for the successful return of a much-loved local show.
From the moment the gates opened at 9am, crowds poured through the free-entry event, enjoying everything from thrilling rides and pavilion displays to livestock and entertainment.
Laidley Show Society President Craig Wass said the 136th Laidley Show was a roaring success and exceeded expectations.
“The showgrounds were full of highlights this year,” he said.
“The rides were well supported and the pavilion was picking up a good crowd.”
This year’s show rides included Avalanche, dodgems, a giant slide, a pirate ship and teacups.
There were also pony rides for the kids.
The pavilion was once again a major attraction, showcasing the talents of local exhibitors through displays of needlework and crafts, school work, lego and miniature painting, wood craft, horticulture, cooking, preserves, floral art, photography and fine arts.
Mr Wass said he had to build another cabinet for the cookery and preserves for this year’s show because they ran out of space during last year’s show.
Beyond the pavilion there was no shortage of activities, with visitors also enjoying miniature goats, 4 Legs & Wheels, the fire brigade, historical village, showbags, Old MacDonalds Farm and market stalls.
Families were also able to see a dairy goats milking display, horse archery, a trackless train, slot car racing, bale seek, ute show judging and a rock and roll demonstration.
The main ring kept crowds entertained with the dog high jump, ute barrel races, lawn mower racing and horse events before the evening concluded with a fireworks display.
Mr Wass also confirmed the return of the cattle section for the 2027 Laidley Show after someone approached him last week interested in taking on the role of chief stewart.
“So cattle will be back at the Laidley Show in 2027,” he said.
Poultry section, Florence the giant turkey paraded about. (Lyle Radford: 563633)
Horse Archery Queensland Lockyer Valley, Steph Batterham demonstrates. (563633)
Side show alley and show bag’s as popular as ever. (563633)
Louise Cooper with the Champion of the show. MC John Norris announces the winner. (563633)
The essential ute competition. (Lyle Radford: 563633)
Edward Thomas age 7 with”CC”. Miniture horse event (563633)
A surprise visitor in the back row at the poultry pavilion - a large carpet python in the rafters all day. (563633)
Josie Kahler on Maggie competing in the Shetland under saddle. (563633)
Lockyer Woodcraffters, Stephen Barakin demonstrates his wood turning skills. (563633)
If my disk is floppy, I’ll try the dial-up
By LARA HART
EVERY generation thinks they’ve finally arrived in the future.
That glorious, chest-puffing epiphany, ‘Well, that’s it, science has done all it can do now’, moment.
Our parents looked at a computer the size of a suburban house, complete with enough flashing lights and whirring fans to launch a moon mission and declared it a miracle.
Never mind that it had less computing power than today’s electric toothbrush, it was a breakthrough!
The future had arrived, and apparently it required its own postcode.
There was always a few computers in the house when I was growing up.
Three of them, all IBMs with green screens that used MS. Dos to work and a floppy disk.
My friends thought our house was pretty cool because we had Leisure Suit Larry and first person shooter games.
The fax machine is a piece of equipment that needs a moment for itself.
You feed a piece of paper into one end of a machine in Sydney and a few minutes later, a machine in London coughs out what appears to be... the same piece of paper.
Black magic? No science, but take a fax ma-
chine back to the 1930s and you’d be a magician.
Any later and you’d be burned at the stake.
When it used thermal paper no one questioned why the paper still looked like it had survived a small kitchen fire.
Then there is the microwave, imagine explaining this to someone in the 1940s.
“We’ve invented a cupboard that shoots invisible waves at frozen meat until it’s edible.”
They’d have burned you as a witch.
I recall my first experience of the microwave, I was 13 and we were visiting my father’s youngest brother Gerald.
Gerald had a microwave and a corner store attached to one end of his house.
He told my brother and I to fetch a frozen pie each from its freezers and to put them into the microwave.
We were told how long to cook it for, ‘just two minutes’ he said, but I didn’t believe him.
I closed the door and pressed the five minute countdown.
That day was also the first time I was made to eat a pie that had turned into a black, charred lump, hard enough to break a window if thrown.
What about calculators?
An entire generation carried around tiny electronic devices capable of solving equations in seconds, only to be told by maths teachers, “You won’t always have a calculator in your pocket.”
History has not been kind to that prediction.
Now fast forward to the 1990s when CDs replaced cassette tapes ... then DVDs arrived.
The DVD was treated like we’d reached the absolute summit of civilisation.
“You mean ... I don’t have to be kind and rewind?”
Then came the glorious age of internet piracy.
Why drive to the video store when you could spend sixteen hours downloading The Matrix from LimeWire?
Granted, there was only about a 40 percent chance you’d actually downloaded The Matrix, but we persisted and patiently waited hours for a single movie to fully download.
Because it was the future.
Eventually streaming arrived and there were no more downloads and no more Blockbuster.
Our parents who once marvelled at fax machines, now casually ask voice assistants to play Frank Sinatra while video-calling relatives on the other side of the world using devices thinner than a magazine.
Technology that would have caused mass panic in 1985 is now mostly used to watch people review air fryers.
And that’s the funny thing about humans. Every generation genuinely believes they’ve reached the technological finish line.
Today’s cutting-edge smartphone becomes tomorrow’s drawer full of tangled charging cables.
Artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, robots that vacuum the house, glasses that translate languages in real time—all things that would have been rejected as ridiculous science fiction only a few decades ago—are rapidly becoming ordinary.
Which raises an interesting question, if this is our fax machine moment...what will people laugh about in 2046?
After seven years, mystery lotto winner has days left to claim
THE deadline for a mystery Queensland player to claim a seven year old $774,000 win from Saturday Gold Lotto in 2019 is fast approaching, with lottery officials urging all players to check their old lottery tickets.
The division one winning entry in Saturday Gold Lotto draw 3961, drawn on 6 July 2019, worth $774,826.59, was purchased at Gatton Plaza Newsagency.
The mystery player may have no idea they’ve been holding onto a life-enhancing ticket for almost seven years. Despite repeated calls, no one has come forward, and now there are less than five days before the prize is forfeited. Since the ticket was not registered to The Lott Members Club, The Lott has no way to contact the winner directly and instead must wait for them to check their ticket and come forward before the prize claim deadline on 6 July 2026.
In Queensland, lottery prizes must be collected within seven years after the draw date. Once seven years has passed, the unclaimed prize cannot be paid.
The Lott spokesperson Anna Hobdell said she was urging every Queensland player to check their old tickets before time ran out.
The winning numbers in Saturday Gold Lotto draw 3961 on 6 July 2019 were 30, 23, 15, 44, 18 and 41, while the supplementary numbers were 1 and 5.
The deadline for a mystery winner to claim a $774,000 win in Saturday Gold Lotto is fast approaching, with lottery officials urging all players to check their old lottery tickets. (Gold Lotto)
Stunning technology in 1990.
Country home zoned as ‘future urban’
A four bedroom, two bathroom brick home located on more than half-a-hectare of land at Walloon sold last month for $1.205 million.
The Haigslea Amberley Road residence is on 5,747sqm of land zoned ‘future urban’.
The home has several living zones, a practical family-friendly layout and a large outdoor entertaining area.
Flooring ranges from polished hardwood to tiled and carpeted.
There’s also air conditioning and view from the front windows and deck out over the landscaped and manicured gardens.
Outside there is a 11.5m x 11.5m shed, additional garage and carport accommodation, in addition to lots of open space.
The neighbouring property is also on the market offering the opportunity to secure a large parcel of land in the Western Growth Corridor.
Laidley Dog Show eyes bigger future
By MORGANNE KOPITTKE
THE 2026 Laidley Dog Show has once again drawn a strong field of breeders and exhibitors from across Australia, with more than 300 dogs entered into this year’s competition.
Held at the Laidley Showgrounds on Friday, 3 July, ahead of the official opening of the Laidley Show on Saturday morning, the event attracted and showcased quality entries across all seven groups.
The seven groups were Toys, Terriers, Gundogs, Hounds, Working Dogs, Utility Dogs and Non-sporting Dogs.
As well as the groups, there were the general specials overseen by judge Anthea Adamopoulos, which saw female French Bulldog Aust Ch Beunyque She is Lourdes (call name Jean) take out Best in Show and Open in Show.
Laidley Show Society President Craig Wass said the Dog Show was a success.
“There are already plans to make it bigger and better next year,” he said. “The show was very well supported by the breeders.”
Plans are underway next year to introduce a Home Dog category, which will give local dog owners the chance to step into the show ring with their own family dog and experience firsthand what dog showing is about.
There are also plans to expand the event with demonstrations of popular dog sport, including agility and scent work.
Results from the General Specials
• Specials Judge: Miss Anthea Adamopoulos (QLD) (Total Entry : 301)
• Best in Show & Open in Show: French Bulldog, Aust Ch Beunyque She Is Lourdes (Denise Smith)
• Minor in Show: Kerry Blue Terrier, Legeartis Fire And Ash At Olizure (Imp NZ) (B & P Oliphant)
• Puppy in Show: Cocker Spaniel, Tarrendayle Shes Like The Wind (Toni Dennis)
• Junior in Show: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Aust Ch Brades Joyride (AI) (Vanessa P)
• Intermediate in Show: Hungarian Vizsla; CIB-J CIE Aust Sup Ch Graebrook Game Set N Match SPRD.A (Graebrook Kennels)
• State Bred in Show: Swedish Vallhund. Aust Gr Ch Icanhaz Galactic Halo (Alexandra Proudfoot)
• Best Neuter in Show & Open Neuter in Show: Portuguese Water Dog, Aust Ch Uptrend The Final Cut (L A Walsh)
• Runner Up Neuter in Show: Welsh Springer Spaniel, Aust Ch Ricochez Heulyn Carwyn (AI) (Mrs B Cornish)
Tiannah Grant with dog Ali from Gatton. A winner dog. (Lyle Radford: 563633)
Leah Holmes with her dog Swayze from Ipswich. (563633)
Therese Milen with tiny dachshund Whisper from Johnstown. (563633)
Laidley juniors raise $2,500 for mental health
By MORGANNE KOPITTKE
THE Laidley Lions Junior Rugby League Club has raised $2,500 for Australia’s national youth mental health foundation, headspace, after a successful one-night push-up challenge brought together local sporting clubs, players, volunteers, businesses, and community members in support of mental health awareness.
The event saw participants from the Laidley Lions Junior Rugby League Club complete 4,040 push-ups, well above the target challenge of 3,307 push-ups over 24 days set by mental health and fitness event The Push-Up Challenge.
This figure represents the 3,307 lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2024.
Organised by the Laidley Recreation Committee and held at the Laidley Recreation Grounds, 76 people took part in the challenge on Monday night (29 June).
While the Laidley Lions Juniors competed in the challenge, Laidley Touch ran the drinks canteen and the Laidley Rugby League Old Boys handled the BBQ.
SPORTS QUIZ
1. NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was recently traded to which team?
2. In diving and parkour, what is a gainer?
The idea for the event came to Old Boys President and Laidley Recreation Reserve Association Vice-President Dan Flanagan after he read about the Push for Better Foundation’s annual challenge in a magazine.
Mr Flanagan contacted foundation organisers who granted permission for Laidley to complete the challenge in a single night.
The Push-Up Challenge raises money for The Push for Better Foundation, Lifeline and headspace, with Mr Flanagan choosing headspace as it’s targeted at 12 to 15 year-olds.
Mr Flanagan said it was a great night.
“We had myself on the microphone and Associate President Pat Byrnes controlling the counting of each of the group exercises,” he said.
“A big thank you goes to all involved and others who could not be there, but donated as well. It shows that Laidley is alive and well and our community is one of the best around.”
The participant with the most push-ups was the coach of the Under-13 team in the Laidley Lions Junior Rugby League Club.
3. Which cricketer announced his retirement while England was taking part in the recent third Test versus New Zealand?
10. Dan McKellar last coached which Australiabased Super Rugby Paci c team?
4. The Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens played against each other in the 2026 Grand Final of which competition?
11. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Messi broke a record by scoring a hat trick – how many goals is this?
Which famous sisters are competing in women’s doubles at Wimbledon, their rst tournament together since the 2022
12. What colour are all the soccer cleats at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
South Korean golfer Hae-ran Ryu recently won which tournament?
Which former Illawarra Hawk was recently traded from the Charlotte Hornets to the Minnesota Timberwolves?
Which country's men's national soccer team is known as Los Cafeteros?
And what does Los Cafeteros mean in
13. Which Belgium and Manchester City winger temporarily left the World Cup camp for the birth of his rst child?
14. Which NBA team was the inaugural winner of the in-season NBA Cup tournament?
15. Who did Mirra Andreeva beat in the 2026 French Open nal?
16. Australia advanced to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after nishing second in which group?
17. Which sport features the least amount of balls: billiards, pool or snooker?
18. The FA Cup nal has been played at which stadium every year since 2007?
19. Which team selected Canadian Gavin McKenna rst overall at the 2026 NHL draft?
20. Which football confederation does Australia compete in for World Cup quali cation?
21. The Illyria Armadillos are a ctional soccer team from which movie?
22. In handball, how many players are on the court at once?
23. And in which year was handball rst played at the Olympics?
24. Lucy Cronin has joined the leadership group of which AFLW team for the 2026 season?
25. What is the nickname of Australia’s quadball team?
26. True or false: one of the six ‘colour’ balls in snooker is pink?
27. ‘Next Stars’ is a player development program in which league?
28. Who is the current WWE Women’s Champion?
29. Which AIHL team plays their home games out of the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium?
30. The Pittsburgh Pirates play which sport?
Mirra Andreeva
Reserves: Lowood Stags v Bombers
By Shane Gillett – Bombers’ Reserves Coach
AFTER a couple of weeks off the Bombers reserve grade side was ready to play - lining up against the Lowood Stags.
The Bombers Reggies started well with an early try to go 6-0 up.
The game went back and forth for the first 20 minutes with 2 tries each.
With 15 to go the Bombers started to get some good ball and scored an additional three tries to go to the half time break 26-10.
A first half hat trick to Luke and a double to Darren.
The Bombers knew that they would be for a fight for the second half with Lowood not giving up.
Some early handling errors gave too much ball to Lowood who scored the first two tries in the second half.
The Bombers finally got the ball and scored a good try in the corner to Cody.
Bombers handling errors hampered the second half and spent most of the second half defending their line.
To the Bombers’ credit, they didn’t let Lowood in again and the game finished up 32-24.
It was a tale of two halves for the Bombers but a great win by the boys.
The player’s player was Luke.
The Fassifern Bombers reserves take on the Lowood Stags (Lyle Radford: 563711)
Fassifern Bombers VS Lowood Stags (563711)
Action from the Fassifern Bombers VS Lowood Stags Reserve game at Harrisville (563711)
More Rugby League action from the Bombers home ground at Harrisville (563711)Fassifern Bombers on a charge against the Lowood Stags reserve grade (563711)
Zampech honoured by inspired Tigers
By CLANCY NUGENT
THERE were emotional scenes at Norths Tigers Ipswich Rugby League Club on Saturday when Brad Zampech, the brother of Tigers fullback Jesse who tragically lost his life last week, made a return to his former club in memory of his beloved brother.
After being placed in intensive care after an incident on July 20, Jesse Zampech sadly passed away but his incredible legacy was on full display as his beloved Tigers community came together to celebrate his life.
Brad currently plays in Gatton but returned to his former club for the match and took the field in the number one jersey, a number that Jesse made his own at the Tigers.
In the final moments of the A Grade match, Norths went over to not only cement an incredible win, but also give Brad a shot at goal in one final act of the match to honour his late brother.
Brad slotted the goal to cap off a performance that will go down as one of the bravest in Ipswich Rugby League history.
Norths also won their Reserve Grade game capping off two inspired performances that did their passed teammate proud.
Their opposition the Redbank Plains Bears were also incredibly classy and supportive, presenting Jesse’s grieving family with gifts that included a Bears fullback jersey.
The massive crowd that honoured the minute’s silence and watched on as Norths pulled off one of their most important victories of all time were a shining example of a footy community coming together to support their own.
Norths president Paul Cairns said that despite a number of people in their club community still struggling with the tragic circumstances, he was extremely proud of how the club honoured Jesse.
“It was great that the whole club community came together and it was a fitting tribute for such a great person that was loved by the whole club,” Cairns said.
“That’s pretty much the root of our whole club, that we have been and always are a group of friends and mates.
“Especially with his brother Brad playing, all the family on board, it was also just great to see Jesse’s kids there as well, seeing the emotion of the whole event... It was just amazing,” he said.
Cairns also praised the players that took the field and honoured Jesse with an amazing performance, admitting a number of them are still struggling emotionally and leaning on one another through a challenging period.
“All the boys that did play, some are better than others... They’re probably helping each other out more than anything, and everyone’s looking after each other,” Cairns said.
While the community is still dealing with the passing of Jesse Zampech, the weekend’s tribute was a fitting memorial for a man that left a lasting impact on so many.
Jesse Zampech (centre) was a proud Norths man. (Lyle Radford: 563664)
The minutes silence for Jesse Zampech. (563664)
It was an emotional minutes silence in honour of Jesse Zampech. (563664)
Tavita Pomale ran the length of the field to score a try for an inspired Tigers side. (563664)