As a consequence of the closure of the upper Range Road to non-local traffic, the PDCA has decided that that Easter Sunday Markets will not be held this year. We regret having to make this decision and hope that the road will soon be fully open to all traffic.
Author: admin
Ecologica Exhibition
On Friday evening 5th April Lynn & Les Hyland visited the TYTO Gallery in Ingham for the opening of their new exhibition “Ecologica”, comprising works by three artists : Heather Byrne [Pastel] ; Linda Bates [Clay] and, from Paluma, Sarah Swan [Glass]. Sarah has had a table at the Paluma Markets and her lead-light work is really spectacular. She had a great many pieces on display, in particular, her “Seahorses” took this writer’s fancy.
Sarah owns 18 Mt Spec Rd, and, following the death of Roy Mackay, has also purchased 77 Mt Spec Rd. which she intends to transform into a gallery displaying her work. This she tells us, is a work already in progress.
The “Ecologica” exhibition is open until May 5th 2019 and if you can, do make an effort to see it – time very well spent. TYTO Gallery is open from 10.00 hrs to 16.00 hrs.
PDCA – Notice of Annual General Meeting
Members (and prospective members) are advised that the Annual General Meeting of the Paluma & District Community Association Inc. will be held on:
Saturday April 20th, 2019 at 5pm in the Community Hall
Nominations are open for all Executive Committee positions. Nominations should be forwarded to the Secretary to arrive no later than Wednesday 10th April 2019. Please use the nomination forms, which can be downloaded here.
Positions are:
- President,
- 1 or 2 Vice-Presidents
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- General Committee members (numbers flexible)
Members are reminded that Annual Subscriptions are now due and should be paid prior to the commencement of the AGM. Membership is available in two classes, these being Ordinary & Family. All classes attract the same subscription fee of $40.00 Please use the subscription form here to submit your dues. New members are more than welcome and should use the same form.
Please note that you must be a PDCA member to nominate someone to the Committee or vote for any Committee member.
The AGM will be followed immediately by a normal General Meeting with with the new Committee.
AGM AGENDA
- Opening – circulation of attendance sheet
- Apologies
- Minutes of previous AGM March 31, 2018
- President’s Report
- Treasurer’s report
- Election of Officers for 2019-2020
- Election of Auditor for 2019-2020
- Close of Annual General Meeting
Normal General Meeting Agenda
Normal General Meeting Agenda
- Open General Meeting
- Proposed Events/Fund-raising for the coming year
- Any other business
- Close of General Meeting
A celebration of Roy Mackay’s life.
Roy Mackay’s family can now confirm plans for the celebration of Roy’s long, full and incredibly rich life. This event will be held at the Paluma Village Hall from 2pm on Sunday 21st April, after the Easter market.
A barbecue and refreshments will be provided and further beverages will be available from the bar.
After the current period of grief and mourning that many of us are going through, this will be an opportunity to celebrate his life with love, happiness and respect.
We look forward to seeing all of you who knew Roy, who would like to join us and are able to do so.
Anyone who would like to say a few words about Roy will be able to after family members have done so. To assist with planning it would help (but isn’t essential) if those wishing to speak could let David Mackay know by email: kdavidmackay@gmail.com
Thank you.
Vale Roy Mackay – a message from the Mackay family
Roy David Mackay passed away peacefully in his sleep at Regis, Kirwan, on 12 February 2019.
Roy’s wishes were that there be no service at his cremation.
So that family and friends (from Paluma and elsewhere) can pay tribute to the incredible life that was his, an event celebrating his life is being planned for Paluma. Once arrangements have been finalised another notice will be posted on Paluma.org with the details.
The family would like to thank the Paluma community for their support of Roy, particularly in his twilight years, and to the family since his passing.
Kind regards,
David Mackay
Paluma in the Rain
You will all have seen on the television broadcasts, the widespread flooding around the Townsville – Ingham areas that unprecedented rainfall has caused. Our thoughts and sympathy go to those people in Bluewater and other areas where homes and property have been destroyed or damaged.
How has Paluma fared so far during this extreme weather event?
Paluma residents are used to receiving heavy rains during the Monsoon season but the rainfall over the past few weeks has been exceptionally heavy and unremitting with very heavy falls over the last five days of January. The total for the month was 1208 mm. Many long-term residents say that while heavy rainfall over a period of a few days is not unusual, the duration of this wet weather event is. Nothing like it has been seen for at least 30 years.
Since Wednesday morning the Range Road has been closed due to fallen trees and land slips. TMR are working at restoring the road but are hampered by the continuing wild weather. Predictions are that we will experience at least another week of wet weather, so it possible that Paluma could remain isolated for several more days. Maybe it is time to launch the Ark from Noah’s Ark Creek.
Along the Range Road (when it was still possible to travel to see the sights), the waterfalls were spectacular, the seething water plunging through clefts and grottoes and cascading out and over the road. Twin Falls gushed out like a huge fountain forcing cars through a natural car-wash. Sheets of water hung to rock faces, reflecting light like vast mirrors while rivulets of water coursed across the road. The road surface was littered with leaves and small broken branches. Every so often a very bedraggled brush turkey would make a suicidal dash across the road.
In the village, channels of water rush alongside and over the road, lawns are water-logged, trees have fallen, others hang their limbs low weighed down with the burden of water in their foliage and inconveniently, water has seeped into the lower levels of several houses having forced its way through cracks in brickwork. Birds are ravenous and flock in great numbers to wherever they can find a feed tray; Lorikeets and the smaller honey-eaters happy to share the same dining-room.
It will be time soon, if some have not already done so, to light fires to dry out the houses and our sodden shoes and raincoats.
Text and Photos by Colwyn Campbell
Written on 1st February
Paluma Range Road Closed
A landslide and fallen trees near the top of the Range Road has closed the Paluma Range Road to all traffic. Transport and Main Roads will be working to clear the obstruction today (January 31).
LATEST UPDATE: TMR worked on the road on Thursday but were not able to finish the job. They will continue work on Friday morning, so the road will remain closed for at least part of Friday.
For further updates on the status of the road, visit the TMR website at https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/
Paluma Pioneers
The history section of Paluma.org has been given a significant update with the addition of a new subsection (Paluma Pioneers) highlighting the many people who have lived and worked in Paluma in the past, and whose names have been memorialised the streets, creeks, waterfalls, mountains and other geographic features.
Linda Venn, author of “Paluma, the first fifty years” has agreed to write brief biographies of these historical characters, starting with the Benham Family. Members of the Benham family are commemorated in many of our local place names, for example, Benham’s Creek, Mount Benham, Ethel Creek and Ethel Creek Falls, Benham Falls, Benham’s Track (now a road on some maps), Benham’s Lookout (now closed), Cloudy Creek and Cloudy Clearing. Other place names associated with the Benhams are Prospectors Creek (now Hermit Creek) and Hermitville. There may be others, but these will suffice to recognise the long association of this family with the Mount Spec area. You can read more about this fascinating and prolific family here.
Rainforest Tree of the Month, November 2018 – Sloanea australis
Easy to overlook amongst the many trees in the rainforest, the Sloanea australis nevertheless draws attention when its fragrant, creamy white flowers bloom in September and October.
Worldwide, there are about 120 species of Sloanea –named for British scientist and collector Hans Sloan, who lived 1660 to 1753. Four species are endemic to Australia with three of these growing in tropical rainforests in Queensland. Sloanea australis is distributed between the Windsor Tableland and Paluma. Several of these trees may be seen on Mount Spec Road near the Sensory Trail at Paluma Environmental Education Centre where they grow among the stand of forest trees bordering the school property.
The tree grows to 30 meters and may be buttressed. Bark is grey/brown, very lightly textured. The obovate, simple leaves are a glossy green with wavy margins and clearly defined veins. Flowers are dainty with 4 to 6 creamy white slightly fleshy petals, about 6 to 12 mm long. They grow, usually in a short raceme from the leaf axils. They are modest little flowers and easily lost amid all the dense green foliage.
The fruit is more easily detected, its red-coated seeds immediately attracting attention. Ripening around February/March, the fruit is a brown or orange, very bristly, three-valved capsule which splits to reveal three shiny black seeds, encased in a red aril, (or fleshy growth). Already tiny fruit can be seen; not yet much bigger than match-heads, their spiky skins are un-mistakable. The seeds are eaten by many bird species.
Sloanea australis is known by several common names: Maidens Blush, Blush Alder and Blush Carbeen. These names are derived from the colour of the tree’s heartwood which is a blushing pink.
Without flowers or fruit to guide you, it may be difficult to locate one of these trees but have a go! At least, in Spring or Summer, when you come across the flowers or fruit, you may remember to which tree they belong.
Text and photos by Colwyn Campbell
Paluma Dam Good Trail Run
On Sunday Oct 29th, the population of Paluma swelled by more than 300, as competitors and spectators participated in this year’s trail run organised by Outer Limits Adventure.
There were 3 separate course covering distances of 6, 10 and 20 km and traversing terrain that many of use would struggle to walk up! Wilfred Karnoll helped out by handing out lollies at the bottom of Blue Gum creek to provide a quick energy boost before runners started the last grueling climb up to the village.
Temperatures were high and there was little cloud cover, but all competitors completed the race and were provided with sustenance and refreshments at the finish.
Congratulations to all participants and to the winners of the various categories.
While the trail run no longer circles the Paluma Dam, the event was still Damn Good!
