Paluma has an entry in the latest issue of the RACQ Road Ahead magazine in the “My Town” section.
The article was written by Michael Drew and features information on what to do, where to eat and our main attractions. Thanks to Michael Drew for composing this article, which is intended to correct the impression in a previous RACQ article that there is little to do in Paluma. A quick browse of our website should also dispel that notion!
On Friday 12th October, two new arrivals appeared on the lawns adjoining Lennox Crescent and Mount Spec Road. They emerged from a dense cloud mist which enveloped Paluma that day, like visitors from the mists of time. The ambience seemed fitting, as these new arrivals are relics of a bygone era; a timber hauler, which was used to haul timber on Mt Spec and a bitumen mixer used in surfacing the Range Road during the 1950’s. The large, solid steel machines are well preserved and represent the epitome of engineering design and workmanship of their day.
The machines were for many years kept on a property on Spiegelhauer Road until Wilfred Karnoll acquired them and brought them up the Range on a tilt-tray to their new home on Mount Spec Road. Appropriately, they are sited on the lawns of the former Cavilcade Guest House, which was built in the late 1930’s by Bert and Grace Cavill. The house is a historic landmark building in Paluma, and in its heyday in the 1930’s, accommodated tourists who travelled up the newly constructed road.
The former owner of these machines is Mrs Helen Davies whose late husband operated the timber hauler for dragging logs from the forests in the Paluma area. The timber hauler is a Campbell bob-tail, No 122, manufactured by A.B. Campbell Engineering in Gloucester, NSW. It was 
towed behind a small bulldozer. A steel rope from the winch on the dozer ran over the pulley on the bob-tail. By retracting the winch rope the heavy end of the log would be lifted off the ground and dragged out of the scrub to the loading ramps. The logs would then be loaded onto trucks towing timber jinkers for transport to saw mills or the rail siding at Moongobulla.
The bitumen mixer was originally owned by the Main Roads Commission; its serial number is MRC 2776. There is no marking to indicate its age or the foundry in which it was built. The machine was used in the surfacing of the Range road in the 1950’s. 
Until then the road was unsealed. The bitumen mixer carried a drum that had two sets of paddles running through it which mixed the liquid hot tar with sand and gravel to produce bitumen for sealing the road. Unfortunately the engine driving the mixer via two leather belts, is missing. Possibly it was a Southern Cross engine, one of which may eventually be obtained and set in place.
On the left side of the Range road, (going down) near The Saddle, are two steel tanks which were used to liquefy the tar. These may be hard to locate, obscured as they are by long grass.
It is satisfying to have in the village these two solid reminders of Paluma’s past. They complement the photographic history on display in the Community Hall of the industries, the people and the development of this area.
Text and photos by Colwyn Campbell
Pink Ash – Alphitonia petriei
Around the world there are 20 species of this distinctive tree, mostly in tropical Asia, while in Australia there are seven or eight species, found in eastern northern Australia. Alphitonias are known by several popular names which can cause some confusion in identifying a particular species. Pink Almond, White-leaf, White Ash, Soap Tree, Sarsaparilla, Red Ash, Red Almond, Foam-bark and Pink Ash are those names most commonly used.
Alphitonia petriei is a pioneer species which grows rapidly on the edge of the forest or in a gap where sunlight can reach. Trees can grow to a height of 40 meters and sometimes look grotesque with gnarled and twisted limbs and branches which reach out impossible distances laterally from the trunk. At present trees around Paluma are particularly eye-catching as most are densely covered in white flowers, often with a tiered effect and, from a distance, appear like snow-laden Christmas trees.
The flowers which grow in dense panicles at the ends of branchlets and between leaves are white, cream or pale green. They have five petals, only 1.5 mm long which envelop the stamens. Flowering is usually from September through to March. Pollination is by beetles. Butterflies are also attracted to Alphitonia. The fruit is produced from February to July; globular, dark capsules, which ripen to reveal three orange to red seeds surrounded by a powdery flesh. Many birds, including King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas, feast on these while fallen fruit is eaten by cassowaries.
Leaves of the Alphitonia are simple, lanceolate and can be 65 to 180 mm long. The upper surface is glabrous and a dull grey-green in colour while the undersurface is whitish and slightly hairy. In some species of Alphitonia, notably A. excelsa, the leaves when rubbed in water will produce a soapy froth, hence the popular name Soap Tree. This species is more commonly found at a lower altitude than that of Paluma.
The bark on the trunk and limbs of this tree is grey, flaky, almost tessellated and if torn gives off a liniment-like odour. This is a distinctive feature of the tree. The strong liniment smell of broken twigs and leaves is methyl salicylate, produced in the cambial layers of the limbs. 
Some people liken the smell to sarsaparilla, hence another popular name for this tree. Rainforest Aborigines used the Alphitonia petriei medicinally, probably as a liniment.
Alphitonia petriei is one of the many rainforest trees that contain bio-active chemicals which could potentially produce valuable medicinal drugs. In his book ‘Plants of Tropical North Queensland’, John Beasley says that “research at Paluma found that more than half the trees tested showed marked bioactivity.”
There are many of these interesting trees growing in and around Paluma. Particularly good specimens may be seen outside No 62 Mount Spec Road and at the corner of the western entry to Lennox Crescent from Mount Spec Road.
Text and photos by Colwyn Campbell
While Platypus are apparently regularly seen by some residents on the creeks behind Hussey Road, reports of these elusive but iconic Australian animals in the pond above the weir near the village green are pretty rare. Last month (September 14) there was a confirmed sighting in the middle of the weir pond by Eridani Mulder. I went down to the weir twice during the subsequent week (once at dawn and once at dusk) and searched quietly for about 30 minutes without any luck, but I encourage others to do the same and post any further sightings to this message. It would be great if we could determine if we now have a resident Platypus on the weir! It would also provide a strong argument in support of our proposal to the city council for the construction of a nature walk and viewing platform around the weir.
Jamie Oliver
John Plant , the son of Flight Sergeant Bruce plant, died on 14 September 2018 .
John’s father was Paluma’s 1930s son who lies in a war cemetery in Germany, having been killed in 1943 piloting a Lancaster bomber as part of the legendary 460 SQN RAAF. The site of the incident has been generously marked by a local german group who seek out and memorialize such crash sites.
Bruce is remembered on our War Memorial following a recent ceremony conducted by members of the Garbutt RAAF ,where Bruce started his Wartime career as a Mess steward , but quickly rose through the ranks to become a Fighter Pilot at Amberley before training on Lancasters in Canada .Bruce was an outstanding Australian!
John and Bruce never met. A planned meeting on the Ipswich railway station was foiled by the fact that the train carrying Bruce did not stop leaving John’s mother bereft on the platform holding an infant John.
John suffered a tremendous detriment with the death of his father due to the extremely cruel actions of his step father until John broke free at age 13.
John secured a trade in a railway rolling stock construction company at Ipswich and his great intelligence , skills and wonderful personality stood him in good stead with that company all of his working life.
John’s wife Eunice was his great love and mainstay as he coped with the loss of his father in his younger years. Eunice is grief stricken at her loss of John.
John was most appreciative of the RAAF ceremony hosted by PDCA and his son Barry has again asked that the family’s thanks be passed on to Palumarites!
John’s story is typical of the repercussions of War where often the next generation of the person Killed in Action have a great burden to bear which is often unrecognised by more fortunate members of subsequent generations .
Lest We Forget ….the tribulations of the families of our War dead.
Michael Drew
On Saturday (Sept 22) more than 30 Paluma residents, PDCA members, visitors and the Member for Hinchinbrook, Nick Dametto met in the Community Hall to celebrate the completion of the new training/meeting room. In recognition of his long history of contributions to the Community and to the construction of the main hall, the extension was named the John Tubman Room. Head of the local SES, James Jackson, paid tribute to John’s dedicated work on and with the PDCA over more than 2 decades and in the planning of the new hall.
John Tubman was clearly overwhelmed and deeply appreciative of this formal recognition.
The PDCA president, Jamie Oliver also made special mention of the crucial work done by Micheal Drew in securing the majority of the funding for the hall extension and for his tireless oversight of the building contract.
Following the cutting of the ribbon to open the new hall, Nick Dametto unveiled the new “Honour Board” which recognizes the many people who were involved in the construction of the main Hall in 2001, and lists the many people who have served as president of the PDCA over the last 42 years. Nick congratulated all Paluma residents on their work to create such an important community facility.
After further wine and cheese, Jamie Oliver gave a brief presentation on the PDCA vision for the future of Paluma. A copy of this presentation is available for downloading here. There was a lively discussion following the presentation that covered a range of topics, including the need for more attractions (and signage) to encourage people up to the top of the range from the Little Crystal Creek Bridge, the importance of more accommodation and camping facilities in the village, and the need for ongoing vigilance on the issue of power boats on the dam (a matter that has gone into abeyance for the time being).
More photos from the event can be seen below.
It is hard to ignore this attractive, graceful tree which is also known as Native Poplar. Its leaves are simple with a smooth, glossy upper surface and glaucous (pale bloom) underside. The stems exude a milky sap when broken. But the striking feature of this tree is the scattering of brilliant red and orange leaves among the heart-shaped green leaves. Leaves can be quite big, up to 14 cm long and 12 cm at their widest breadth and as they age, rather than a mass seasonal colouration change, a few at a time turn bright red before dropping.
The leaves actually do not turn red. As the leaf ages it ceases photosynthesizing, the green chlorophyll is taken back into the tree as stored energy. Gradually the green pigment is reduced, leaving the brilliant red and orange colouration seen in expended and dropped leaves.
The tiny flowers occur in clusters in leaf axils. They are white or cream, have no petals and are only 1 to 2 mm diameter so are often difficult to detect. Flowering can occur in any month. The fruits which follow are small green to purplish capsules about 8 to 10 mm in size which contain 2 brown seeds enclosed in yellow or orange arils. The fruit is eaten by many bird species, notably Rifle-birds, Bower-birds and Pigeons. Possums eat the leaves.
The Bleeding Heart is also the host tree for the Hercules Moth which is the largest moth in the World.
Bleeding Heart trees grow over a large area of rainforests, swamp forests and sclerophyll forests in North Queensland, NT, WA, Solomon Islands and New Guinea. They are fast growing and can grow to a height of 25 meters when buttresses may form. The tree is a forest pioneer, one of the first to re-establish after a disturbance or devastation such as a cyclone. Its presence provides shelter for other rainforest species to germinate and become established.
As you take a stroll through the village, you will see many of these trees, from seedlings only a few centimeters high to slender trees of 3 or 4 meters. After cyclone Yassi in 2011, a large number of seedlings sprung up in newly open areas around some village gardens. A good example of the tree can be seen along the McClelland’s Lookout path.
Closely related is Native Bleeding Heart, Homolanthus nutans, also known as Native Poplar. This remains usually as a shrub or small tree, growing to about 8 meters. In every other respect, including distribution, it is very similar to the Tropical Bleeding Heart.
For more information, see: Plants of Tropical North Queensland: John Beasley
Text and Photos by Colwyn Campbell
After more than a year of planning and many months of construction, the new Training/Meeting Room at the Community Hall has been completed!
The PDCA, Rural Fire Brigade and SES invites all residents and PDCA members to join us for an official opening ceremony on September 22, 2018 at 5:00pm. After the ceremony, we will be offering wine and cheese and there will be a brief presentation by the PDCA President on our Vision for Paluma. We will be encouraging comments, questions and suggestions following this presentation.
We hope you can join us.
Neil and Jennie at the Rainforest Inn would like to advise all Paluma residents and visitors that the Rainforest Inn will be closed for business from 20th September to 11th October inclusive.
Neil and Jennie apologise for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing you when they re-open the Inn on 12th October.
The annual trail run at Paluma, organized by Outer Limits Adventure Fitness, will be held on October 28 this year.
This is the 6th run in the Outer Limits Trail Run Series 2018.
Race HQ, start and finish for all distances will be at the village green in the Paluma township. There is an array of trails around the village crossing creeks, passing water falls and lookouts. Paluma is cooler then the coastal region and it makes for great trail running in October.
Registration opens 1st January 2018. Click here to register
Go to the website for more details