Ingham Daily Press

05/11/2024

Are you interested in learning more about this fabulous project? Or have you already indicated your interest in volunteering? Join us for a meet-and-greet and an information session next Tuesday at 5.30 pm at the Noorla Bowls Club.
You will also be able to sign up for training sessions at this meeting.

17/10/2024

The focus groups' time and date have been set for the 24th of October. The first group will meet at 10 a.m. and the second at 2 p.m. If you require an after-work time, please contact Dr Catherine Dewhurst directly. No appointments are necessary; just come and join us at TYTO Cafe.

15/10/2024

WILD LOCAL SUCCESS – ZAGHINI REFLECTS ON 15 YEAR MILESTONE

While most success stories emerge from quiet, humble beginnings, there’s always been something special about Wild Local, a family business that proudly celebrated 15 years of trading earlier this year.

Owned and operated by Dominic and Rebecca Zaghini, Wild Local has overcome adversity and adapted many times over the years without ever compromising on their commitment to provide fresh, quality, local seafood to residents and visitors in the Hinchinbrook Shire.

From a flood-prone shop on the Bruce Highway to their new central location in “high and dry” Herbert Street, Ingham, Bec Zaghini shared some of the highs, lows and proud mum moments that she has experienced over the last 15 years.

“Our children have grown up in the shop,” said Mrs Zaghini.

“Oscar is learning the coffee machine, he fillets fish like a hero and wants to be a chef when he grows up and Frankie makes the cannoli on Saturday mornings,” she said.

“These kids have lived it and they’re working hard to save up their pocket money - I’m really proud of how our family has stepped up over the last 15 years.”

But the beloved business has experienced its fair share of challenges since opening its doors in April 2009 and made many big changes over the years, the most recent being its move to a new location.

“It was just a dream come true after 15 years of lifting everything up and down with the floods, to now we have a shop where we know we’re high and dry is just an awesome feeling,” said Mrs Zaghini.

“Cyclone Yasi – that was an incredibly difficult time, not only was there numerous floods that Summer but to lose power and have our seafood in domestic freezers, it was super hard,” she said.

“It’s tough in business and it’s getting even harder, but I think we’ve held the course through the good times and the bad.”

Mrs Zaghini also commented that it was “so much harder now to source local seafood” as the result of a combination of factors and she reflected on the challenges faced while COVID-19 mandates were in place.

“We still have a shop full of beautiful seafood, and all Australian and mostly local, but we have definitely lost a lot of our fisherman over the years,” she said.

“That’s due to government legislation and I guess a generational thing, where fishermen have retired and their sons have not kept it up.

“The second big challenge was Covid and that was having to think on our feet and punch a window out of the wall quickly, so people could still come and buy their seafood and fish and chips without coming into the shop.”

But no one can deny that the hard work has paid off after seeing the new premises with its expanded menu and Mrs Zaghini remains proud of the employment opportunities and service they have provided to the local community.

“We’ve managed to employ so many local people over the years as well as being a great local drop-off point for local fishermen,” she said.

“I’m really proud of the connection we’ve allowed between our fishermen and our customers.

“I feel like we’re kind of like family, we’ve got customers from our very first year and we’ve been through their lives just as they’ve been through ours.

“I think especially living in a rural town, we’re all one in a way – we all feel each other’s successes and we all feel each other’s pain and I just appreciate all of our wonderful, loyal customers who have stayed with us.”

More than that, Wild Local has maintained its point of difference in an ever-evolving market, responding to the needs of its consumers and diversifying to offer a truly unique experience.

“It’s a real treat for visitors to taste how great our produce is in North Queensland,” said Mrs Zaghini.

“It’s kind of like a one-stop-shop; If you’re travelling and you want to stop for lunch, have some dessert and have a coffee if you’re driving, then pick up some seafood for dinner,” she said.

“I think there’s probably not many places like it.”

12/10/2024

This focus group is being conducted as part of a research project that aims to enrich the historical record of internment in Queensland during World War II by collecting the memories and knowledge of the family members of those who were interned. The National Archives of Australia (NAA) and the Queensland State Archives hold dossiers of police documents on around 5000 Italians who were interned under the National Security Act (1939), being considered ‘enemy aliens’, but the personal experiences of those internees and their families are not recorded. The official records therefore provide only a partial documentation of Queensland’s internment history. In this project, working with experts at the NAA, we aim to collect spoken accounts from internees’ children and other relatives, for inclusion in the archives alongside the written documents, in order to provide a more balanced history.
We are holding focus group meetings in Stanthorpe, the Redlands, and the North Queensland towns of Innisfail, Tully, Silkwood and Ingham, as the initial phase of the project. Each focus group is in the form of an informal discussion with a small group of local community members. Through these meetings we seek to meet and hear from the children of internees (and other relatives) who hold memories and family stories, in order to gain an initial picture of families’ and their communities’ experiences, and to sound out their willingness to be interviewed individually in the next phase of the project, to collect their accounts and insights in greater depth and detail.
You are invited to participate in a focus group to contribute to this process of producing a more complete history of the internment of Italians and the effects on families and communities.

10/10/2024

RISING STARS TO REPRESENT AUSTRALIA

Four young, local rising stars in the sport of Futsal will be representing Australia at the World Championships next year following their selections at the 2024 National School Futsal Championship held in Brisbane in September.

After putting on a truly spectacular performance throughout the entire three-day tournament, junior athlete Julian Cohen was selected as both a goal keeper and a court player in the U12 Boys team that will compete in Malaysia in 2025 and was recognized as one of the Top 10 players in the tournament for his age when he was named in the “All Stars 10”.

The youngest local player selected, Logan Schifilliti, will be representing Australia in the U11 Boys team as a goal keeper in China after an impressive, yet unexpected display of raw talent considering he had only been playing the sport for 10 weeks at the time.

He will be joined in China by Finn Alleyn and Chanel Chrisp, whose dedication to the sport and intensive training over the past 12 months since last year’s tournament earned them coveted spots as court players on the U13 Boys and U13 Girls teams respectively.

NQ Technical Director for the Australian Futsal Association and Coach Stephanie Luyt said that after training with Julian, Finn and Chanel for the last year and “newbie” Logan for the last 10 weeks during the lead-up to the Tournament, it was “such a big achievement for these kids to be selected.”

“Flat out, just congratulations to these kids, it is not easy to reach their level,” said Ms Luyt.

“I’ve been a player in this sport for a long time and to be seen this early in your career is just, wow,” she said.

Approximately 20 players from Ingham were at the Nationals in September and the district is already being acknowledged as one of the best catchments for talented young athletes in the sport, which Ms Luyt attributed to the commitment and support of local schools, players and their families.

“Our Lady of Lourdes are very big and very supportive of Futsal, they always bring their kids to Townsville to play, and we also had kids from Ingham High School and Ingham State School,” said Ms Luyt.

“The Ingham and Townville regions are the most supportive communities; It’s really good to see and really great for these kids,” she said.

All players are required to travel to Townsville for training and the four who have been selected already make the trip every Sunday, a commitment that Ms Luyt does not take lightly.

“Unfortunately, Futsal is not a government-funded sport so it’s up to the kids and their parents to fundraise in their communities however they can, with Bunnings BBQ’s or GoFundMe pages or raffles, whatever they can do,” said Ms Luyt.

“It is an expensive sport … especially for kids from regional areas, there’s an extra flight they have to take to reach an international airport and all of these extra things, we do understand that it’s a huge ask,” she said.

The upside, she said, was that regional communities demonstrated more support for their young athletes than their metropolitan counterparts and she appealed to the Hinchinbrook community to get behind Julian, Finn, Chanel and Logan.

“If the community can help in anyway, please, please, please do it, even if you can only manage $10 or $2, please support these kids.”

Fundraising efforts have already commenced and locals are encouraged to visit Robert and Colleen at News Extra to purchase a number on the hundred board.

Ingham Daily Press is committed to celebrating and supporting the success stories of our district and will be sharing details regarding any upcoming fundraising activities that are conducted on behalf of “The Futsal Four”.

The team at IDP would like to take this opportunity to say “Congratulations and good luck” to these little legends – we can’t wait for you to represent our region and country with pride.

08/10/2024

Pending event: Italian community family histories - a research project.
Italian Australian community members in North Queensland are invited to participate in a discussion about the effects of internment on their families and communities during World War II. Meetings of 1-2 hours will be held in Ingham as well as Innisfail, Silkwood and Tully. Community members from other towns and regions are also welcome. Refreshments will be provided. We want to hear your family stories. Locations to be held over 22-31 October - specific dates will be announced soon. Dr Catherine Dewhirst (University of Southern Queensland) and Dr Claire Kennedy.

07/10/2024

The Hurley Bus - Palliative Care Committee Project

Theresa and Brian (Woody) Hurley recently bequeathed $203,000 to Palliative Care from their estate. The intent of this generous donation was to ease the workload on the committee, which was very small at that time.

Theresa had been a member of the Palliative Care committee, and he watched as the ladies baked, crocheted, knitted, and sewed items for their stall. They always paid for the materials and willingly gave their time to make and sell these items, knowing that the money raised was always going toward a charity that focused on the care and comfort of palliative patients in Ingham. The money raised by the committee was community money, which was then spent back in the community.

Brian, in discussions with Leslie Lowth, OAM, the inaugural President of Palliative Care Ingham, formed the idea of a bequeath from their estate to support the ongoing work of the Palliative Care committee in Ingham.

Previously, the committee used this fundraising to purchase specialised palliative care beds and equipment and undertake facility upgrades for the Ingham Hospital and local nursing homes. But now, the money Brian and Theresa Hurley have gifted to the committee will be used to purchase a customised bus, aptly named the "Hurley Bus."

But now, the committee does need some assistance from the broader community. We are looking for volunteers to drive the bus. If you have time, a Class C licence, someone to be your assistant and compassion for the palliative and frail elderly, then this could be just right for you. There will be a comprehensive orientation with qualified instructors.

This is a fantastic initiative on behalf of the Palliative Care committee, made possible only through the generosity of Brian and Theresa Hurley.

For enquiries please contact Judy Cardillo on email – [email protected]
Please also follow Ingham Palliative Care Committee Inc. on Facebook for regular updates.

04/10/2024

“I WANT HER TO BE PROUD OF HER DAD” – FATHER TO A HEART ANGEL FUNDRAISES FOR CHILDHOOD HEART DISEASE

The father to a ‘Heart Angel’ who lives “every day as if she was here” is raising money for families impacted by childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD) at the Two Feet & A Heartbeat Walk in Townsville next Saturday, October 13 2024.

Following the heartbreaking loss of his infant daughter, Indi Kate Carr to heart disease in 2022, Townsville resident Joshua Carr committed himself to supporting HeartKids, the only Australian not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting families impacted by CoHD.

The 38-year-old concrete finisher who was born and raised on a pineapple farm in Crystal Creek is passionate about fundraising for the organisation who “were one of two charities that helped when we got to Brisbane, without even asking”.

“All money raised goes to research … during our experience, they tracked all of Indi’s procedures with heartbeads, which use a different bead to represent every blood test, ultrasound, scan or operation she received,” said Mr Carr.

“Indi’s was almost a meter long,” he said.

Born prematurely at only 27 weeks, baby Indi was rushed from Townsville to Brisbane the night she was born but sadly succumbed to heart disease after only 30 days.

Heartbreakingly, after spending weeks by her side, Mr Carr was not with her when she passed.

“She was 1.86 kg and 40cm long when she was born but she wasn’t fragile; She passed every milestone until she died,” said Mr Carr.

“I got a few hours with her in Townsville before the Royal Flying Doctors flew her to Brisbane on her own, then I flew to Brisbane on the next flight I could the next morning and I stayed for three weeks before flying back home on a Saturday morning,” he said.

“I was going to be back in time for the first operation but she died the following Friday.

“I was on the plane back to Brisbane Saturday morning.”

Mr Carr credits his mother, Ingham-born Jennifer Carr (nee Bright) for keeping him together in the hours following her passing so that he could make his flight back to Brisbane, but he still considers his daughter’s funeral to be “the hardest thing I ever did.”

“That little coffin was so heavy even though it was so small,” he said.

“Of course it affected me, it still does, but I just live every day as if she was here and I want her to be proud of her Dad.

“I’d do it all again for another 30 days.”

Mr Carr will be joined by his best friend and her son next Saturday as he steps up to support HeartKids on his third walk since his daughter’s passing.

He is appealing to anyone who is able to donate any amount to please support HeartKids to provide much-needed quality services, support and solutions to more than 80,000 Australian children, teenagers and adults affected by CoHD.

Anyone who would like to support Mr Carr’s target can donate online here: https://www.twofeetheartbeat.org.au/joshua-carr?fbclid=IwY2xjawFraF9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHWxbayhJzuCQKlQf7xcJT645kvvrCBn0e4s8nYWV2sLMV1pgTdF8qOJZAg_aem_E-SWH9mD21rdTLWK9oqU8Q

03/10/2024

TRICK-OR-TREAT TAKES OFF IN INGHAM

Halloween in Ingham will be bigger, better and spookier than ever this year thanks to the efforts of one modest mum trying to create special memories for her children.

Mother of three Caitlin Russo curated a special event for trick-or-treaters in 2019 after realising how difficult it was to celebrate Halloween when many people still consider it to be an American tradition.

“My son wanted so badly to go trick or treating but there wasn’t anything in Ingham so, I figured I would organise something myself,” said Mrs Russo.

“I think the reason why it has grown so quickly is because it’s just a fun afternoon and evening with your children and a great chance to spend some time together and watch kids being kids,” she said.

While the event is a great opportunity to “get the kids out, let them dress up and just have some harmless fun” Mrs Russo said that there was an unexpectedly sweet flow-on affect in the community.

“The elderly residents in the area really enjoy seeing all the kids and their families in costume having fun,” she said.

To prepare for the first event, Mrs Russo delivered flyers and balloons to neighbours along her street, advising them of her plan to take her own children and some close family friends trick-or-treating and asking them to place a balloon on their letterbox if they wanted to participate.

The first event saw approximately six houses take part but over the years, it has grown to include Neame, Warren and Lynn Streets with last year’s event attracting approximately 100 attendees, including Queensland Police Service (QPS) Senior Constable Sean Krumin who enjoyed the “fun and inviting atmosphere.”

“It was great to see the level of effort people had gone to with their costumes, the support from participating houses in making lasting memories for the children with everything from the lollies handed out to the decorations,” said Mr Krumin.

“It was a well-attended, well supported and well managed event that was great to attend,” he said.

Mr Krumin is throwing his support behind Mrs Russo and has stepped outside of the traditional role of police in the community to “support events that bring us all together in a positive way.”

“I support Caitlin in her endeavours as I believe the importance of events like this cannot be overstated in terms of the benefits to the local community,” he said.

“Seeing last year’s event and how it brought Ingham together to create memories and share this experience was amazing.

“There was a sea of kids and adults alike dressed in costumes, smiles on their faces enjoying a fun-filled evening as a community.”

When Mrs Russo contacted him in his QPS capacity to ensure that as the event grew, it would remain safe, compliant and supported by the broader community, Mr Krumin said he was “more than happy” to provide assistance.

“Having attended the event and seeing the potential, I was more than happy to put her in contact with the right people to see to answer all her questions and see the event continue,” he said.

“I contacted the Hinchinbrook Shire Council on her behalf, with a special mention having to go to Cr Donna Marbelli and the CEO for jumping on board with their assistance in advertising and supporting the event.

“The event this year is set to be bigger and better than last year and I look forward to seeing how it continues in years to come.”

This year, Mrs Russo has created the Ingham Halloween 2024 page to keep the community informed and is reminding all participants to bring water along as it can get quite warm walking in the evening at this time of year.

Interested trick-or-treaters are encouraged to LIKE the page, FOLLOW for updates and make enquiries using the MESSAGE button on the page if they would like to be involved.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566934700127

19/04/2024

Only a few more weeks until the Australian Italian Festival! Get your tickets now. Remember under 18 accompanied by an adult enter free! Click on the illustration below to go directly to the ticket sales site.

Running over two days  Saturday 1st June and Sunday 2nd June, the Australian Italian Festival is a significant regional cultural event  held in the Hinchinbrook Shire annually. The Australian Italian Festival is a celebration of Italian culture in Australia and is one of the longest running fest...

07/02/2024

A local group of ten frontline workers are swimming their way to help sick kids this February.

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A local group of ten frontline workers are swimming their way to help sick kids this February. The Swim Sirens, a team of Hinchinbrook nurses, paramediecs and police officers, have banded together …

03/02/2024

1 in 4 Australian children have untreated tooth decay.

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TOOTH decay is the most common of all preventable childhood diseases, affecting children from all backgrounds. 1 in 4 Australian children have untreated tooth decay. A large percentage of children …