For Bec Harding and Valda Moore, there’s nothing more enjoyable than telling people they’re the owners of classic cars.
“We get asked all the time: ‘Is this your husband’s car?'” Ms Moore said.
“We love it as I always strike back saying: ‘No mate, it’s mine. Why would it be my husband’s?'”
Both are proud owners of classic Chevies which they show as part of the Queensland Chevrolet Club.
Bec Harding loves telling people the story behind the car.(ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe)
For Ms Harding, her 1983 C10 Silverado came with a slice of Hollywood.
“My Chevy was imported from Virginia by the producers of Aquaman and it was used in the film before being put on display at Movie World,” she said.
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“It was then road registered in Queensland and sold at auction with other props after the movie was shot.
“A lady at the Gold Coast bought it and had it for a year then I bought it off her.”
The car came equipped with re-upholstered seat covers proudly sporting tridents as a nod to the film, which Ms Harding said was a conversation starter.
The car’s interior just screams Aquaman.(ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe)
“When I tell them it was in Aquaman, they say: ‘Oh my God, did Jason Momoa sit in it? Can I touch it?'”
But what she loved most about the car was its authenticity.
“It has its original 350 Chevy engine and paint job, and I’ve just had a few bits and pieces done to it like the sound system, but I really love the original factor and like to keep it stock-standard.”
Aquaman on the dash is a reminder of the car’s Hollywood ties.(ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe)
Why the Chevrolet?
Both women said the “cool factor” was a big part of being a Chevy owner.
“They’re cool classic cars and many are rare here in Australia,” Ms Harding said.
“Mine is a long bed and you just don’t see as many of them as most are short beds.”
The 1983 Chevrolet has appeared in films and was once housed at Movie World.(ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe)
The car’s length does have its challenges when it comes to everyday use.
“It’s like driving a battleship and sometimes it’s got a turning ratio of one too,” Ms Harding said.
“It has a left-hand drive so you have to think about where you’re going as you can’t do drive-throughs — they don’t fit.
“You can’t get tickets in ticket windows and you can’t really go to shopping centers as they’re too big, but it’s worth it.”
‘She’s special to me’
Ms Moore’s prized possession is her 1964 Impala wagon which originally had a life as a hearse.
“The Impala has the right-hand drive and most Chevies have left-hand drive coming from the States so she’s unique,” she said.
“I’m her second owner as she was first bought by a funeral home in Caloundra and used as a hear.
“She has seats at the back, but we don’t use them so the kids can put a mattress in the back and take it to the drive-in.”
Valda Moore with her classic Chevy which was once a hearse.(ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe)
Ms Moore said she was often asked about how she parked such a car.
“She’s a big girl and they make the parks for smaller cars now, so she can be hard to park but you get used to it.
“I’m always told how cool it is; she’s very special to me this girl.”
The classic Chevy has right-hand drive which is rare as most are left-hand drive.(ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe)
With dozens of members in their club, Ms Moore said she enjoyed being able to talk to people about her pride and joy and the other cars the club showed.
“It’s wonderful to be able to share our love for cars, and being ladies of the group, we get to show everyone that anyone can drive a classic car.”
Watching five-year-old Arlo Brigg bouncing around her central Queensland home, it’s hard to believe this little girl survived a stroke.
Four months ago, the bright, energetic child was playing with her sister one Saturday morning when her mum, Ange, noticed something wasn’t right.
“[Her sister] Banks did something to make her giggle, and that’s when I noticed a really slight drop in her face,” Ms Brigg said.
“I initially said to [my husband] Clay: ‘Do you think she’s having a stroke?'”
Trusting her instincts, she called an ambulance and the emergency doctor at Rockhampton Hospital told the family it was likely to be Bell’s palsy.
Ms Brigg says doctors in Rockhampton told them Arlo had Bell’s palsy.(Supplied: Ange Brigg)
Bell’s palsy is a sudden weakness or paralysis in one side of the face and is caused by inflammation or damage to nerves, according to the federal Health Direct website.
Ms Brigg, worried then-four-year-old Arlo had been misdiagnosed, pushed for scans but said that staff told her it was “very rare for children to experience a stroke.”
“[Arlo] went to say something to me and I couldn’t recognize her speech,” Ms Brigg said.
“I again said: ‘Is she having a stroke?’ And they said, ‘No, it can’t be a stroke, but we’re going to do the CT scan just to be sure’.”
Arlo’s parents said they were told the CT scan, taken about 1pm Saturday, found “no unusual signs of any sort of brain activity” and “came back as looking normal.”
The Royal Flying Doctor Service flew Arlo from Rockhampton to Brisbane. (Supplied: Ange Brigg)
But the following morning at the hospital, when Mr Brigg went to dress Arlo, he found his little girl paralyzed down the right side of her body.
“The doctors came in at 8 o’clock, examined her and went back [to the CT scan from Saturday] and they saw something,” he said.
Arlo was diagnosed with an ischaemic stroke, meaning it was caused by a blood clot.
Ange and Clay Brigg say the care Arlo received in Brisbane was outstanding.(Supplied: Ange Brigg)
She spent 38 days at the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane regaining her strength and learning how to walk and talk again.
“Arlo [did] intensive-style therapy daily — one hour of speech, one hour of occupational therapy and one hour of physiotherapy a day,” Ms Brigg said.
“Some days were harder than others. The level of care that we got in Brisbane from the rehab team, the nurses, the neuro team, was just outstanding.”
Arlo lost all strength in the right side of her body.(Supplied: Ange Brigg)
Stroke happens in children
Lisa Murphy, acting chief executive of the Stroke Foundation, said about 600 Australian children had a stroke every year.
“Stroke can happen in children; it’s not just a thing that happens in older Australians,” Dr Murphy said.
Facial droop, one-sided paralysis, seizures, headaches, nausea and slurred speech are some of the most common symptoms.
Like Arlo, these symptoms can come and go before the person noticeably deteriorates.
“Stroke is always an emergency, so always call triple-0, don’t go to your GP, don’t go to bed and sleep it off, call an ambulance,” Dr Murphy said.
Arlo spent 38 days at the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.(Supplied: Ange Brigg)
amazing rehabilitation
Four months on, Arlo’s rehabilitation has moved ahead in “leaps and bounds.”
“When I first met her, she couldn’t stand on [her right] leg and balance,” physiotherapist Johanna Scully said.
“Now, she’s able to stand on that leg, balance and do an activity with the other foot. So yeah, lots of big gains.”
Arlo attends therapy at All Sorts Developmental, which provides pediatric services in Rockhampton, Yeppoon and Mackay.
“It’s always tricky for those families, especially when they’ve got a kid that’s tracking quite well and then this massive medical incident occurs,” Ms Scully said.
“It is a long-term journey for her and things will change over time.”
Johanna Scully is one of Arlo’s physiotherapists in central Queensland.(ABC Capricorn: Erin Semmler)
But Ms Scully said children in rural and regional areas often missed out on the level of support readily available in cities.
The Children’s Hospital supports the provider via telehealth and sends equipment.
“It is really important [regional communities] have access to that; we just have to be creative in how we go about things,” Ms Scully said.
“These families have lives here, they can’t just pick up and move to Brisbane.”
Arlo’s progress in rehabilitation has astounded everyone.(ABC Capricorn: Erin Semmler)
Bounding towards a full recovery
The Briggs said Arlo’s stroke was “the biggest scare” and brought new highs and lows.
“As a family, we have to work as a team more than ever… we always keep the mindset too that Arlo was able to walk out of the hospital,” Ms Brigg said.
“Life could have been a lot worse for us and a lot different.”
Ange and Clay say Arlo’s strength and resilience has amazed them.(ABC Capricorn: Erin Semmler)
They said watching Arlo improve had helped everyone cope.
“Seeing her now running and jumping, moving her arm and picking things up with her fingers on that right-hand side is really great,” Ms Brigg said.
“Her speech and comprehension is fantastic.”
Arlo has transitioned back to kindy and is excited to start prep next year.
“We’re pretty confident that Arlo’s going to make a full recovery,” Ms Brigg said.
Now 5, Arlo has returned to kindy a couple of days a week.(Supplied: Ange Brigg)
A message to parents
The Briggs warned other parents to know the signs of stroke.
“Go with your gut, you know your kids better than anyone else, and stroke does happen in children, unfortunately,” Ms Brigg said.
“But also, children being so young and resilient, you can see how determined they are to get back to their normal self.”
Arlo’s little sister Banks has helped her stay positive through her recovery.(ABC Capricorn: Erin Semmler)
Thushan Malawana, Rockhampton Hospital emergency department clinical director, said she could not comment on an individual’s treatment due to patient privacy.
“I can assure community members that Rockhampton emergency department staff are trained and resourced to diagnose and treat strokes,” she said.
“Strokes in children are extremely rare and diagnosing conditions in small children can be very challenging.
“In cases such as this, our team liaises closely with pediatric neurological specialists at the Queensland Children’s Hospital to assist with highly specialized guidance.”
Stroke survivors and their families can find support via the Stroke Line on 1800 787 653, via Our Family Stroke Journey or Little Stroke Warriors.
For regional motorists in South Australia, options are few and far between when it comes to the rapid charging of electric vehicles (EVs).
Key points:
Initial SA EV charging network will have gaps no longer than 200kms
100 of 140 sites have been assessed so far by the RAA
Construction aims to be completed by the end of 2023
For some people, like Katherine Tuft from Roxby Downs, the EV infrastructure turned what would be a seven-hour drive to Adelaide into 10 hours.
“It’s quite doable but it’s not the most efficient way to get around as far out as we are, but that’s nothing to do with the car and all to do with the inadequacy of the charging network,” she said.
EVs can be charged from just about any power outlet, but Ms Tuft said it wasn’t about the number of charge points but the speed capability of the chargers.
“We’ll get to Port Augusta on about 30 per cent battery after having left at 100 per cent,” she said.
“There’s nowhere fast to charge, which is why we’ll sit on them for an hour or so and get another 10 or 15 per cent and that’s enough to get us to Clare, where there is a fast charger.
“We can then zip up to 80 per cent within half an hour and get to Adelaide.”
Janie Butterworth has had a rapid charging station outside her Port Lincoln business for five years.
As a destination point on the tip of the Eyre Peninsula, she has observed another issue of a patchy regional charging network.
“Hardly anybody uses it, people probably don’t come out this far if they’ve got an electric vehicle because it’s logistically impossible,” Ms Butterworth said.
“If you’re going to drive it somewhere that’s too far from your house, you’re going to get stuck charging it somewhere for a long time.”
Regional network update
To address range anxiety and charge time delays, in February a $12.4 million state government grant was awarded to the Royal Automobile Association (RAA) to construct a 140-site fast and rapid charging network across South Australia.
Project director Andrew Howard said 100 of those sites had been assessed for charging capabilities.
“The final list of site hosts will be available towards the end of this year and we’ll be well and truly into the construction phase early next year when all the details will be complete,” Mr Howard said.
“We’ll have a maximum distance between sites of 200 kilometers. In many cases, it’ll be far less and that will be well within range of a full charge for most EVs.”
Mr Howard said the network would serve as a basis for further charging points to be installed to close gaps between destinations.
“The network is really about solving range anxiety for South Australians,” he said.
“We know that up to 80 per cent of people are considering EVs as their next vehicle purchase.”
“This is about breaking that catch 22 scenario where people won’t buy EVs until there’s a network and there won’t be a network until there’s enough EVs.
“This network and the regional focus is all about creating that initial coverage and, of course, EV charging will grow as the fleet does.”
Regional councils plugging in
Copper Coast Council chief executive Russell Peate said charging sites at Wallaroo and Kadina could be linked to the network after RAA assessment.
“They will do a physical inspection with us shortly,” Mr Peate said.
“After that, it’ll be about agreeing about the actual site, the logistics, and having a host agreement in place.
“Once that’s done, I suspect it’ll only be two months before it’s installed.”
Until the first charging sites come online, prospective EV owners like Janie Butterworth will not be considering electric road trips.
“Personally, I would like an electric car but, living where I live, I would have it plugged in and charging at my house and just drive it around town,” she said.
The mother who pulled her unconscious son from a car and cradled him on a busy north-west Melbourne roadside has been reunited with the good Samaritan couple who rushed to help her.
Key points:
Madeleine Crawford’s child had a seizure on the way to hospital on August 3
Thi and Cindy Le assisted in getting him there but the group did not exchange details
They were all reunited after Ms Crawford put the call out through ABC Radio Melbourne
Madeleine Crawford, and 20-month-old Stirling, met Thi and Cindy Le of North Sunshine at an emotional weekend reunion.
It was the first time they had come together since Ms Crawford put out a call to find them so she could finally say thank you.
Suffering a fever, chesty cough and struggling to breathe, Stirling was being driven by Ms Crawford to the Royal Children’s Hospital emergency department on August 3 when he started having a seizure in the back seat.
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Melbourne mum searches for ‘good Samaritans’ who came to her aid when her son had a seizure
A clean bill of health
Desperate for help, Ms Crawford pulled over on the corner of Churchill Avenue and Ballarat Road in Maidstone, grabbed Stirling from the back seat, and stepped onto the median strip.
Ms Le and her husband had been driving only a few vehicles behind and did not hesitate after spotting Ms Crawford gesturing wildly at passing traffic.
“I immediately knew something was wrong,” she said.
“I didn’t know what else to do so I told Madeleine I’d hold baby Stirling while she drives to the closest hospital.
“Thankfully my husband was a quick thinker and drove in front with hazard lights on to escort us to the hospital safely.”
They made it to Footscray Hospital where Ms Crawford ran inside and Stirling was immediately triaged by the nurses.
Reunited via radio
There was no time to exchange details.
Ms Le said when the pair arrived home, she could not stop thinking about what had happened.
“As a mother myself, I knew how distressing it would’ve been to have experienced that,” she said.
“But I would never have thought Madeleine would try to find us. I just did what I could at the time to help.”
Both families were reunited on Sunday after Ms Crawford put out the call to find them via ABC Radio Melbourne.
“It was incredible to be able to express our gratitude in person,” Ms Crawford said.
“It was a very special afternoon — lots of hugs and smiles.”
Ms Crawford wanted to thank the couple who came to her aid.(Supplied: Madeleine Crawford)
A clean bill of health
Stirling was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus but has since been issued a clean bill of health.
Ms Crawford said it was his seizure that had caught her off guard and urged other parents to learn how to respond to a similar situation.
In a twist, the Le family revealed their own granddaughter, Aria, had been through a similar experience only months ago.
Their daughter, Anita, had phoned them for help after her sick toddler started having a seizure.
According to the Victorian government, about one in every 20 children between six months and six years old will experience a febrile seizure while suffering a high fever. While alarming, it is not epilepsy and it does not cause brain damage.
“It is absolutely terrifying if it happens to your child,” Ms Crawford said.
“I would recommend parents read the guidance so they can be as prepared as they can if or when it happens.”
What comes to mind when you think of blindness? Is it a person donning dark sunglasses, possibly with a cane, or a guide dog?
There are certainly people with vision loss who fit this bill, but for many others, their experience of blindness is not quite so black and white.
Karan Nagrani is legally blind, but if you passed him in the street it’s likely you wouldn’t know.
Karan Nagrani wants people to know blindness affects people in many different ways.(Supplied: Karan Nagrani)
Diagnosed at the age of 11 with a degenerative genetic condition called retinitis pigmentosa, the now 36-year-old only has a fraction of his vision remaining.
“It starts off as night blindness and loss of side vision, and then the central [vision] starts to get affected,” Mr Nagrani said.
“When people look ahead, they see 180 degrees… I see less than three degrees, and at night, it’s completely black.”
From his home in the southern coastal city of Albany, Western Australia, Mr Nagrani has made it his mission to educate people on what he calls the “spectrum of blindness”.
“I think people have this misconception that if you’re blind, your eyes don’t look normal,” he said.
“I can still make eye contact because I can still see a little bit, so people get a little confused.”
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When meeting new people, Mr Nagrani said he often felt he had to “convince” them of his disability.
“I feel a sense of fear until I’ve convinced them that I have a disability because I don’t want to be called a fraud.
“That is the fear that people are going to say, ‘His eyes look normal, he’s making eye contact, I think he’s faking it’.”
Knowing there would come a day when he would lose his sight, he didn’t let his diagnosis determine him from pursuing his dream career.
“Growing up, I knew I was going to go blind, but I didn’t want to pick a career based on that … I wanted to live my life and do something that I enjoy,” he said.
“Being creative, I got into graphic design and filmmaking, and I did that for 14 years.
“I’m proud to say I had a really successful career in marketing that I had to give up because I can’t use laptops or computers anymore.”
He’s still got it
With the knowledge and skills gained from his career, Mr Nagrani is putting them to use by creating infographics and videos for social media using his smartphone.
“Growing up, I never saw any content that prepared me for what it is that I will or won’t see,” he said.
“Now, I’m using my graphic design skills while I still can create resources that other people are using.”
His Instagram account showcases a sense of humor that hasn’t happened totally by chance.
“Social media is all about entertainment… you can present serious information, within reason, in a fun manner.
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“Going by the responses that I get, it’s actually the entertaining, informative posts that are most engaging because people actually stop and read and comment.”
But not everyone on the internet has his positive energy.
“There’s always that one person who has something nasty to say,” he said.
“I remember putting up a post once where I showed people what it’s like to wake up with retinitis pigmentosa… one of the shots was on the balcony, showing the beautiful Albany landscape.
“Someone commented, ‘What a waste of such a beautiful view on someone like you’.
“I get those comments, but I actually think that’s a reflection on them, and I brush it off.”
Social stigma an obstacle
Blind people experience an extra layer of difficulty navigating day-to-day life because of social stigma, according to eye expert Professor William Morgan.
Often patients put in a lot of effort to appear “normal.”
“Many people will think they’re just normal people and get irritated and annoyed if they bump into them, for example, or take longer to sit down on a bus because they’re having to feel their way around the seat,” Professor Morgan , from the University of Western Australia and managing director of the Lions Eye Institute in Perth, said.
“I do get those comments from patients actually; that they put an enormous amount of effort into nullifying the disability as much as possible.”
Professor William Morgan says more general awareness about blindness is needed.(Supplied: Lions Eye Institute)
Professor Morgan said services had improved dramatically for vision-impaired people in recent years, but there was still a way to go in regard to awareness.
“These people are putting a huge effort into mixing in society, and so increasing the tolerance [would help, as well as] an awareness of the different sorts of vision that you lose with these broad categories of diseases.”
For Mr Nagrani, sharing his personal experience online is about fostering acceptance for all forms of blindness.
“It makes me so happy to see people from across the globe message me, asking me if they can share my posts to raise awareness,” he said.
“I feel like even though I’ve had to give up my marketing career, I’m actually finding this more fruitful, in the sense that I feel like I’m really making a difference now.”
Karan Nagrani wants to challenge the stereotype of what a blind person “should look like.”(Supplied: Karan Nagrani)
Backstage among the glitz and glamor of Brisbane Fashion Week 2022 (BFW22), Ben Wright will be a long way from the dusty, red streets of his rural Queensland hometown.
It was there, in the corner of a quaint, little Mount Isa news agency he first pried open the pages of a Vogue magazine and instantly fell in love.
“I think I was the only 14-year-old boy in Mount Isa buying Vogue,” he laughed.
Ben Wright always wanted to be a hairdresser. Now he’s the director of hair for Brisbane Fashion Week 2022.(Supplied: @benwright_rixonhair)
“I loved looking at the amazing hairstyles in those pages and dreamt of one day creating looks like that and being a part of that industry.”
Since then, the 24-year-old has shot to success, working at an award-winning salon in Brisbane and behind the scenes at fashion shows and shoots across the country – including Melbourne Fashion Week and Australian Fashion Week.
As he readies himself for his new role as hair director for BFW22, Mr Wright remembers the moment he realized this was the world for him.
“It was my Nan that got me into hairdressing,” he said.
“I was always with her on school holidays and she was always one of those nannas dressed to the nines. I would go with her when she was in the salon getting a perm, a cut, a color or even just a blow-dry.
“I could never take my eyes off what the hairdresser was doing – I was enthralled.”
‘Passion was contagious’
From an early age, he cheekily started schooling his mum about the clothes she bought him.
“As a kid I always loved fashion and I always cared about what I was wearing and all of that.
“I’m pretty sure Mum stopped buying me clothes for Christmas when I was like nine or 10 because I just would refuse to wear whatever she bought me.”
As soon as he could, Mr Wright walked into his favorite salon – the Capricorn Hair Studio in Mount Isa – and demanded a job.
At age 14, Mr Wright started working at a local salon.(Supplied: @benwright_rixonhair)
Owner Michelle Donald still remembers that day.
“He said, ‘I want to be a hairdresser, that’s all I want to be and this is where I want to work, I’m happy to work for free if you’ll take me on’,” she said.
“I said, ‘You don’t have to work for free’ and that was it.
“He started work that Saturday. He was perfect and we bonded immediately. His enthusiasm and passion were contagious.”
From salon to behind-the-scenes
Whether he’s on set or in the shop, Mr Wright’s greatest motivation comes from the people he gets to work with.
Some of Mr Wright’s work. (Supplied: @benwright_rixonhair)
“When you’re in the salon, you get that sense of gratification from the small act of making someone feel and look beautiful, changing how people feel about themselves,” he said.
“Seeing people so happy when they leave the salon that feeling stays with you.
“Backstage and on set, you get that sense of adrenaline and excitement. It’s fast-paced, you’re working with so many different creatives in such a pumped-up atmosphere.
“That’s a feeling that I’ve loved since I started dancing competitively in Mount Isa and that’s stayed with me to this day and a big part of why I love what I do.”
As his career skyrockets into its next phase, the 24-year-olds encouraged others to join the industry.
Mr Wright says he was “enthralled” as a child watching the hairdresser do his grandmother’s hair.(Supplied: @benwright_rixonhair)
“If you’re feeling a little lost or intrigued about what the industry might be like, if you’ve got a passion for hair, you’ve got a natural creative flair, if you love people and high-energy environments, and what’s happening in the world right now, this is an industry for you,” he said.
“Walk into a local salon and ask questions, get your hands dirty, even if you just do a day of work experience — try it out. Not only is it the best job, it’s the best world to be a part of.”
Michelle Donald (left), owner of Capricorn Hair Studio.(Supplied: Capricorn Hair Studio)
For his first-ever employer, his achievements come as no shock.
“Reading and hearing about Ben’s success never surprises me,” Ms Donald said.
“He was destined for greatness and it makes me super proud to know that, as a boy from the bush with a big dream, he let nothing hold him back.”
Mr Wright’s hair creations will feature on the runway at the BFW22 from August 22-26.
Drive through any regional town in Queensland and you’ll be sure to find a Country Women’s Association hall.
They have been a home away from home for thousands of women across the farming state to meet for a cuppa and a chat while living in some of the most remote areas of the country, often on isolated stations or farms.
Now, 100 years on, members of the Country Women’s Association (CWA) across Queensland are celebrating the colossal impact of rural Australia’s largest advocacy group.
Women from the QCWA unpack cakes entered a cookery competition in 1962. (Supplied: State Library of Queensland)
Working to attract young women
The QCWA is celebrating 100 years since it was formed in 1922. (Supplied: QCWA)
Traditionally renowned for their culinary prowess, the scones and cakes made by Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA) members have saved lives — raising millions of dollars for those struck by natural disasters and drought, women and children’s health, rural education, mental health, and disease.
Their long-established connections to communities and passion for coming together have seen armies of volunteers rally at the drop of a hat to effect change.
The QCWA state conferences remain a significant event for members of the organisation.(Supplied: Facebook)
As events launch across the state to mark the group’s centenary this August 11, QCWA state president Sheila Campbell says the organization has come a long way from “just scones.”
She says while cooking and craft remain a big part of the QCWA, the organization is working to attract younger women to the association.
“We’ve seen new branches start up in city areas that we didn’t have before, so it has evolved,” Ms Campbell said.
“The misconception is that we are just scones. We are not just scones, we advocate, we make things happen.”
Sheila Campbell says the QCWA has come a long way. (ABC Features: Peter Gunders)
More recently, the work of the QCWA has involved making birthing kits for women in Papua New Guinea to create more hygienic labor environments.
The group also sends classroom supplies to schools in the South Pacific.
QCWA’s Morella branch, north of Longreach, was formed in 1944 with 29 members.(Supplied: Gayle East)
Since 1990, the QCWA has provided payments for Queensland women and families suffering from natural disasters or other crises.
In some of the more remote QCWA branches, members are using the centenary to reflect on the impact they have made in their communities during difficult times and the difference they have made in the lives of each other.
The Cloncurry branch of the QCWA is one of the most remote branches in the state. (ABC North-West Queensland: Alexandra Treloar)
Cloncurry teacher and mother Tania Laffey didn’t know much about the QCWA when she joined.
Now it is an important part of her life.
“I really enjoy the atmosphere and the friendliness and casual side of it,” Ms Laffey said.
“As a mother, sometimes I needed to be somewhere other than at home.
“Especially in the wet season when you’ve been inside for days and you just want to get out to somewhere that is still clean, safe and dry… but it’s the friendships that keep me coming back.”
Tania Laffey enjoys taking her 5-year-old son Gideon to local QCWA meetings. (ABC North-West Queensland: Alexandra Treloar)
Throughout the years, the Country Women’s Association has remained a constant, working to stay relevant to the modern times, as well as honoring the century-old traditions of the institution.
“I’m not sure the CWA has changed much over the time, its a different era… but we still do the same things we did 100 years ago,” QCWA state president Sheila Campbell said.
“Admittedly we are in cars these days not horses, but it still appeals to rural women.”
Can you imagine wearing the same suit your dad wore for his 21st birthday to your formal school?
Key points:
Students at a regional Victorian schools have put on a Recycled Dance after missing their year 10 formal due to COVID-19
The students invented a thrifty theme to tackle fast fashion
Young people are making the most of being together after two years of remote learning
In regional Victoria, some students have borrowed, swapped and op-shopped to make a statement about fast fashion and climate change.
After missing out on many school-age rites of passage through the pandemic, one school put on a dance with a difference.
Year 11 Emmanuel College students trawled through op shops, their parents’ and grandparents’ wardrobes, and swapped outfits for their first-ever Recycled Dance.
The thrifty theme invented by the students was also about tackling fast fashion, a growing threat to the environment.
Students trawled through op shops and their parents’ wardrobes, and swapped outfits.(Supplied)
One of the students behind the project, Paige Armistead, wore a green dress sourced from her mum’s wardrobe.
“After missing out on many events such as the year 10 formal due to COVID it was great to get back together as a year level and have some fun,” she said.
“We wanted to do a formal in a way that’s going to sustain our environment.
“From there we came up with the recycled theme. A lot of people buy stuff online, wear it once and don’t wear it again. We wanted to reduce waste and keep it sustainable.”
Kids embraced the frills of the ’60s and the fur coats of the ’70s, and one student had on the brown suit his dad wore to his 21st birthday.
George Stevens wore his dad’s 21st brthday suit to his school formal.(Supplied: George Stevens)
With the increasing costs of living impacting on families’ bottom lines, students also wanted to make the event more affordable.
“We had kids come in their parents’ suits and their mums’ dresses, it was really cool,” Paige said.
Young people have missed out on many coming-of-age events in the past two years of the pandemic, such as school formals, sporting carnivals, debutante balls and musicals.
Young people have missed out on many coming-of-age events during the pandemic.(Supplied)
But these students aren’t dwelling on what they’ve lost and are making the most of the time together they’ve yearned for.
“It was so good coming together after everything we’ve gone through, we’ve been so separated,” Paige said.
She said they hoped to continue the theme at their formal year 12.
Have you ever driven past special road crossings for wildlife and wondered if they actually work?
Key points:
A new study by Southern Cross University provides evidence that road underpasses are used by wildlife to safely cross
It’s the first long-term study of underpasses in Australia and focussed on two locations in northern NSW
It found some mammals were using underpasses more than once a week
There’s new evidence to suggest they are effective, based on the first long-term study of road underpasses in Australia.
The research from Southern Cross University (SCU) was published in the journal Ecology and Evolution and based on a two-year study of underpasses located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales.
During that time wildlife cameras detected close to 5,000 medium-to-large mammals and goannas using highway underpasses at Port Macquarie and Grafton.
The researchers studied 12 underpasses in those two areas– five under the Oxley Highway at Port Macquarie and seven under the Pacific Highway south of Grafton – comparing camera trap detections of animals at underpasses with those at nearby forest sites.
A koala is captured on camera using a highway underpass on the Mid North Coast.(Supplied: Southern Cross University)
The lead researcher, SCU Associate Professor Ross Goldingay, said the results were encouraging.
“More than 4,800 detections were made; that number was quite astounding,” he said.
“These crossing rates suggest animals used the underpasses to forage on both side of the freeways.”
Associate Professor Goldingay said certain species, including eastern gray kangaroos, swamp wallabies, red-necked wallabies, red-necked pademelons, and lace monitors crossed some underpasses more than once per week.
A dedicated wildlife underpass at Port Macquarie where there have been regular animal sightings.(Supplied: Southern Cross University)
“We actually got quite a bit of traffic of animals passing through those underpasses, particularly in Port Macquarie … it’s a wetter forest type there so it seems there’s a greater abundance of animals,” he said.
“We were getting eastern gray kangaroos and swamp wallabies moving through two to four times per week and other species, including the red-necked pademelon was going through once every two weeks, so quite frequently.
“At Grafton we’ve got a very high use of a couple of underpasses by echidnas and another small wallaby called the rufous bettong, which is actually a NSW-listed threatened species.”
‘Prey-trap’ concerns dismissed
The study also dispelled concerns that underpasses could become a “prey-trap” used by introduced feral pests and that animals could become caught in the relatively confined area.
The rufous bettong is a small, nocturnal marsupial species that has been seen using the underpasses.(Supplied: Mt Rothwell)
“We looked at that in detail as there have been a couple of other short-term studies where they have had frequent occurrences of foxes in a few underpasses, and in one case in Western Australia that coincided in a decline in the bandicoots using that particular underpass,” Professor Goldingay.
“Because we had more underpasses and a longer period for this study, we were able to look at this in more detail than anyone has before.”
Professor Goldingay said predators which were detected at the underpasses included the introduced red fox, feral cat, and dingo.
“What we found was feral cats were very rare at both sites. We did have dingoes at both sites, but they weren’t very frequent in the underpasses,” he said.
“The red fox is the main concern, particularly in Port Macquarie. Of the five underpasses there, there were three that were used relatively frequently.
“However, the fox activity coincided less than expected with the activity of the mammals most at risk and it seemed potential prey were possibly avoiding using the underpasses when foxes were about.”
Caution still needed
A combined wildlife and drainage underpass at Grafton.(Supplied: Southern Cross University)
Despite the positive study results, Professor Goldingay said any expansion of road networks in Australia still needed to be done with caution.
“Australia’s wildlife species are increasingly threatened with extinction by habitat clearing and fragmentation,” he said.
“One leading cause of this is the expansion of our road network, particularly the upgrade and duplication of major highways.
“Underpasses are a useful generic tool to enable wildlife to move across landscapes with roads. But not all ground-dwelling species of wildlife will find underpasses to their liking but so far, many do.”
When the family of a Commonwealth Games debutant realized they couldn’t make it to Birmingham, they brought Birmingham to them.
Mackay’s Claire Colwill only joined the Hockeyroos this year after years of representing Mackay and Queensland.
Through every major tournament, her 92-year-old granny has been there cheering from the sidelines.
But the long travel and the lingering threat of COVID meant Jill Loughnan stayed home on the Sunshine Coast, where her family has set up their own Games Village to cheer on Australia.
“Through Claire’s hockey career, my mum and I have been able to travel with her as she’s played for Queensland and that’s been a really special time for us,” Colwill’s mother, Sara, said.
Claire Colwill with her granny Jill Loughnan and mother Sara at her Hockeyroos debut.(Supplied: Sara Colwill)
“We were lucky to be there to see her debut for Australia in New Zealand.
“One of the things [Granny] has always enjoyed about coming on hockey trips is the company and being part of it.”
Sara said the family had been watching the Games live and the replays from the comfort of her mum’s living room.
“I’m sure there’ll be lots of cups of tea and Devonshire teas and all things British to create the Birmingham theme.”
‘I’ve got two goals in life’
Claire Colwill represented Mackay, Capricornia and Queensland as a junior.(Supplied: Sara Colwill)
From a young age, Claire knew she wanted to be an Australian hockey player.
“When she was about nine, we were on the grass fields learning to hit and she came up to me and said very clearly, ‘Mum, I’ve two goals in life — I’m going to be a Hockeyroo and I’m going to run against Usain Bolt’,” Sara said.
She said her 20-year-old daughter had always been very focused; the second-year university student is balancing international sport with her studies de ella.
“She’s had to do one of her exams online from the Netherlands while she was away just before the World Cup started.
“She’s just set up a really good timetable and mapped it all out… so she knows exactly what she’s got to do.”
Claire Colwill (centre front) claimed her first World Cup medal in May when the Hockeyroos took bronze.(Twitter: HockeyRoos)
Speaking to the ABC when she was first named in the Hockeyroos squad, Colwill said it was a dream come true.
“It’s something you dream of as a kid, and every training session, it builds towards this moment,” she said.
“Starting back in school hockey in Mackay… it all adds up to where I am today.”
Proud family of supporters
Colwill’s brother Tim has traveled from Ipswich to Birmingham.(Supplied: Sara Colwill)
While most of Colwill’s family will be at the proxy Games village on the Sunshine Coast, her older brother, Tim, is in Birmingham cheering from the sidelines.
Sara said her two children were close growing up and continued to have a strong bond.
“They might not say that, but they are,” she laughed.
“He’s actually got a T-shirt made up with a photo of Claire in her hockey uniform on the front, and on the back it’s got ‘Colwill #1 supporter’.
“Number one is also actually Claire’s playing number.”
While Birmingham was the first major tournament Sara and her mum would not be watching Claire from the sidelines for, she said she doubted that it would make her daughter nervous.
“She’s always been really independent and the group is so supportive. It’s just one big family.
“I think she’s just loving every minute of it and just wouldn’t want to be anywhere else… she just seems to be thriving.”
Colwill and the Hockeyroos will play for gold tonight after defeating India in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals.
Until the Games Jill Loughnan has been on the sidelines to watch her granddaughter.(Supplied: Sara Colwill)
