Posts

Telstra Paluma Mobile Tower Launch Celebration

     Paluma Mobile Tower – Launch Celebration

Telstra (Regional Australia, North Qld) and the Paluma & District Community Association (PDCA) invites all Paluma residents to attend a Morning Tea to celebrate the launch of the new Paluma Mobile Telephone Tower.

When: Saturday 1st December 2018, 10.30 AM

Where: Rainforest Inn, Paluma

Morning Tea will be provided courtesy of Telstra.

The PDCA encourages the attendance of Paluma residents, so please pass the word about this upcoming event!

Courtship in the Canopy Continues………

Update on Riflebird Courtship at Paluma

In a previous post (5 November 2018) I reported on the frenetic courtship activity of the Victoria’s Riflebird at Paluma during the height of the breeding season for these birds. I noted that many of the juvenile male birds were practising their skills at displaying for females.

A juvenile male bird displaying

While the young males continue to compete for the attention of females,  the adult male birds are also displaying with all the finesse that maturity brings. I captured the elaborate courtship display of one adult male bird who managed to win over his female companion. The courtship ritual and display lasted for almost 10 minutes and was a sight to behold.

  1. The adult male arrives and sits on his perch, scanning the forest canopy and calling in a loud raucous voice.

2. A female bird arrives and sits in a nearby tree. He is instantly alert and almost appears to take a bow in her direction.

3. He leaves his perch and flies into the nearby canopy to join her, sitting next to her on a branch. He puffs-up his whole body, raises his wings and the performance begins.

4. He displays frantically over and over with raised flapping wings until he has her full attention. She was looking quite disinterested for a time as the photographs show!.

5. Finally he has her full attention and they copulate. No photographs included here, privacy please!

6. He then flies back to his original perch and turns to display again, raising his wings in the direction of the female who is still sitting in the canopy.

What an amazing and remarkable bird and a truly memorable 10 minutes of my life!   Right place at the right time.  Or, just another day in the paradise called Paluma.

Article & Photographs by Michele Bird (no pun intended). 

Paluma Garden Competition – The Results Are In !!

Paluma Garden Competition 2018

On a sunny Friday 19th October, the judging of the 2018 Bunnings Paluma Garden Competition took place. Lynn Hyland accompanied the judges around the acreage blocks, whilst Jamie Oliver  escorted the judges around the village gardens. Natalie Pace and her mother Denise, both past judges for the Townsville Garden Competition were our 2018 judges. Natalie held an Open Garden in September at her Rollingstone property and attracted 350 visitors. There really are many keen gardeners in Townsville. She is encouraging us to consider having an Open Garden event in Paluma next year.  Well Paluma gardeners what do you think about this?

The Garden Competition winners were announced at our PDCA Social on Saturday 3rd November. They are:-

1. Best Business Garden Winner is Gumburu

    

2. Best Acreage Garden  Winner is Don Battersby

     

3. Best Residential Village Garden Winner is Nick and Glenda Van Rynswoud. The Alison Evans Memorial Trophy was also awarded to Nick and Glenda Van Rynswoud.

    

    

4. Highly Commended Residential Village Garden Winner is Peter and Dorothy Klump

    

5. An Individual Plant, Garden Bed, Herb Garden or Vegetable Patch, Outdoor Space, etc Winner is Michele Bird

Paluma is blessed with a cooler climate than the coast and hence we are able to successfully grow many plants that aren’t seen in Townsville gardens. During the judging, some of the plants that were in full bloom were the spirea, hippeastrums, New Guinea impatiens, daylilies and orchids to name just a few. Do check out ‘What’s Flowering In Paluma’ on the website to keep abreast of the latest showpieces in Paluma gardens.

Article by Lynn Hyland with Photos by Michele Bird & Colwyn Campbell

What’s Flowering In Paluma – Tibouchina ‘Chameleon’

Paluma’s ‘Purple Haze’ – Tibouchina ‘Chameleon’

This website features numerous photographs of the many varieties of flowering Tibouchina’s which thrive in the cool mountain climate at Paluma. Most gardens have at least one of these beautiful plants which burst into bloom a couple of times a year, usually in the warmer months.

The ‘Chameleon’ variety is at its flowering best at present and there is a spectacular specimen catching everyone’s eye at No. 16 Mount Spec Road.  The large shrub is a blaze of colour with hundreds of flowers and many buds still to open, ensuring a long flowering period of  two weeks or more. Many locals and visitors have stopped to admire and photograph this flowering gem over the past week. You just can’t miss it, as it can be seen from a considerable distance along Mount Spec Road.

Tibouchina ‘Chameleon’ is so-named because the flowers change colour as they mature. The flowers open as pure white and then ‘ripen’ to varying shades of purple, mauve and pink. The effect is that the plant will have a mix of flower shades at the one time- an amazing ‘Purple Haze’.

Other flowering Tibouchina’s are located at No. 40 and No. 52 Mount Spec Road. Take a walk through the misty village of Paluma and check out the ‘Purple Haze’. When Jimi Hendrix penned his famous song, he was surely inspired by a Tibouchina Chameleon!

Text & Photos by Michele Bird

Remembrance Day at Paluma

Remembrance Day at Paluma

On Sunday 11 November at 11 am a small group of Paluma residents and visitors congregated at the Community Hall to acknowledge Armistice Day and the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War 1.

The commemoration included an audio rendition of The Last Post and a minute of silence, followed by a short anecdote from Les Hyland.

Many thanks to Len Cook for raising the flag on the day and to Lynda Radbone for her technical assistance. Len also provided the morning tea!

 

 

 

Vale David Georgee

VALE DAVID GEORGEE

It is with sadness that we report the death of David Georgee, who passed away on 8th November 2018.

David’s connection with Paluma spanned more than seven decades. He described some of his fond memories of our little village in the clouds in his book, ‘Townsville As It Was’. As a young boy, he used to come to Paluma with his family for holidays, staying at the Main Roads Tents. These were tents surrounded by stone walls, left over after the Main Roads Commission had completed construction of the Range Road. The tents were then used for holiday accommodation. The rock walls were later used to become the Mist Haven holiday units.

In later years David purchased the property at 16 Smith Crescent. In his book he describes how the waterfall in Benham’s Creek opposite their house, was used as the shower for the children. The girls’ showers were at 4 pm while the boys’ turn was 5 pm. Because the water was warmer earlier in the afternoon, the girls could enjoy their shower.

David’s talent as a piano player had him perform at many weddings, dances and social functions, including our own Paluma Music Festivals. Don Battersby remembers David providing the musical entertainment at one of his birthday parties a few years ago; probably the last time David performed in Paluma.

Our sincere condolences go to David’s family on his passing.

 By Wilfred Karnoll

 

 

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!