A reminder that the next Social Event at Paluma will be ‘Pétanque on the Village Green’ this Saturday 15th May, commencing at 4 pm.
Come along to show off your championship skills at Petanque, or come along to learn how to play the game.
Please bring a plate of finger food or nibbles to share on the deck of the Community Hall after the game. The Bar will be open for low cost drinks in support of the PDCA.
Please come along to share in some good sport and friendly, but feisty rivalry as the ‘Village People’ (those that live in the village) take on the ‘Republican Bush Whackers’ (from the western outer blocks). It is sure to be a riveting competition. See you there….!!
The Townsville City Council has recently emptied the recycling bins at Gumburu, which had been full to capacity for some time. Paluma residents can once again use these bins to dispose of recycling material.
Calling all enthusiastic volunteers who love to do a bit of spring cleaning!!
The Paluma Community Hall is in dire need of a ‘spit and polish’ in preparation for all the upcoming social events and bookings over the next few months.
We are calling for keen volunteers to help clean the Community Hall on Sunday 23rd May at 9 AM.
If you can swing a broom or mop, wash a window or wield a duster – WE NEED YOU!
Many hands make light work, so if you can spare an hour or two on Sunday morning the 23rd May, please come and join the cleaning crew. A free cuppa is on offer for all cleaners! See you there!
For those with an interest in Botany, I find these two books by former Paluma resident, my mentor and good friend, Emeritus Professor Betsy Jackes, invaluable. Betsy has offered to have a limited print run done, primarily in support of my friends at Savannah and Wet Tropic Guides, but I thought some Paluma people may also be interested. The cost of each publication should be under $50.00 (Betsy mentioned $35), but we won’t be certain until printing is completed. This price will not include a retail mark-up, so will be very affordable.
Plants of the Tropics
Plants of the Tropics is my go-to for rainforest plants. A somewhat technical book, it covers rainforest plants of the Wet Tropics of the Kuranda and Paluma ranges, along with the dryer areas of the Herberton-Stannary Hills and Hidden Valley, and a section on Bryophytes by specialist Dr Andi Cairns. There is an excellent section with illustrations explaining botanical terms, leading onto identification keys for families. This book has a strong focus on identification using leaf characteristics, using similar features to those we used during the botanical workshop. Both my copies are well-worn, copious notes taken on pages and I find it invaluable as a starting reference for identification.
Plants of Magnetic Island
Plants of Magnetic Island is perhaps an easier book for people to use. Whilst the focus is on Maggie, many of the plants described in this book can be found throughout Northern Australia, including offshore islands. It contains many of the plants found in “dry” (monsoonal, vine thicket) rainforest, and it also includes many introduced species and weeds. This book features two guides to genera, based on flower colour and obvious fruit features, before leading onto a key to groups, based on leaf characteristics. For me, the outstanding feature is the illustrations; most plants are represented with excellent images.
To order, please contact me at swan.sarah@bigpond.com. Taking orders until end of May, to give everyone an opportunity to purchase. Payment will not be required until after the printing is completed, as an exact price will not be known until then.
The Fuzzy Lemon Aspen (Acronychia vestita) is endemic to northeast Queensland occurring in upland wet sclerophyll forests and rainforest margins or disturbed areas from Kuranda to Paluma. It is generally a shrub to small tree but can grow up to 20m. The ovoid deep green leaves are simple with obvious lateral veins running at an angle from the mid-vein and then looping up before reaching the leaf margin.
Flowering occurs from February-March and the fruit develop as globular fruit with a lumpy wrinked surface that turns from green to white or yellow when ripe.
photo (c) kerrycoleman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
This is not a particularly common tree around Paluma but there is a good example on the edge of Potters Park off Lennox Crescent that is currently bearing numerous developing fruit that should turn yellow in the next month or so.
Fuzzy Lemon Aspen at Potters Park on Lennox Crescent
The fruit are eaten by Cassowaries, Wompoo Fruit Doves and the Musky Rat-kangaroo. The leaves are one of several species eaten by the larvae of the Ulysses Butterfly.
Several other species of Acronychia including the Lemon Aspen (Acronychia acidula) are edible and used as a garnish or flavouring in drinks and chutney. A. vestita is noted as being edible in the original Rainforest Fruits book by Cooper & Cooper (1994) but I could not find any other references to edibility.
Text and photos (unless indicated) by Jamie Oliver
A reminder to all Paluma residents that the Rural Fire Brigade (RFB) will be holding a Public Meeting, Lunchtime BBQ and Recruitment Drive at the Community Hall this coming Saturday 1st May at 11 am.
Please come along to support your local RFB and please consider signing up to join the Paluma RFB so that we can retain this vital service in our community.
Without your support this service may be lost from the Paluma Community.
For further information please contact local RFB representative Ross Hyne on mobile: 0427 447 415.
On Friday evening the exhibition of new artwork by our local artist Colwyn Campbell was opened by Sue Tilly and Ross McLennan at the Drill Hall in Townsville.
The event was well attended and dominated by Paluma residents who not only admired the stunning pieces on display but also purchased several of them.
The Buddhist concept of Anicca (impermanence) clearly pervaded the artwork. The detailed depiction of fallen leaves and other organisms associated with decay and recycling of life, combined with the repetitive colourful patterns resulted in images that were (to me at least) both abstract and yet highly realistic.
Congratulations to Colwyn on the success of the exhibition, which will remain open until May 20th.
Our local representative for the Townsville City, Councillor Margie Ryder will be visiting Paluma on Friday April 30th and would like to meet with any residents who are interested in chatting with her about local Paluma issues. Please come along to the Community Hall at 3:30.
Don’t forget to come along for a BBQ lunch and the Annual General Meeting this Saturday. We are keen to seen new residents come along and warmly welcome anyone who might be interested in joining the Commitee.
The Paluma Rural Fire Brigade (RFB) is formed of residents from the Paluma community and it cannot function without members and their involvement. With the recent resignation of several senior members of the brigade we are presented with the challenge of trying to keep the brigade functioning and to maintain its assets within the community. If the brigade is unable to recruit new members, the Rural Fire Service may need to close the Paluma brigade and move the fire truck to another community. If this occurs, the only guaranteed response if there is a fire in the Paluma area will be a Fire and Rescue (red) truck from Townsville, Ingham or the Waterfall Creek RFB – and these services are not always available.
This notice is to advise Paluma residents that we are planning to undertake a recruitment drive with a lunchtime BBQ on Saturday 1st May 2021.
You are invited to attend:
A Public Meeting/Recruitment Drive, Saturday 1st May 2021 at 11 AM.
To be held at the Paluma RFB Station (Community Hall).
Without your support this vital community service may be lost from the Paluma community. Staff from the Rural Fire Service Townsville Area Office will be in attendance to discuss the future of the brigade with the community, including explaining what it means to be a rural fire brigade member.
If you have any questions and to RSVP to attend this meeting, please contact the Rural Fire Service Area Office on (07) 4796 9082.
You can also ring the local contact person and serving Paluma RFB member Ross Hyne on 0427 447 415.
