The Queen’s Birthday weekend is the last Paluma Market for the year. It will be held on Sunday 3rd October from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm.
There will be a selection of stalls and the usual sausage sizzle. So, come up the mountain for the day and enjoy the cool ambience of Paluma. The kids can enjoy the playground while the adults scan the stalls in the hall for a bargain, enjoy a cuppa or a sausage or two.
One of Paluma’s youngest residents has finished off the school year with some impressive awards.
Jack Appleton attends Ingham State High School and is finishing Year 12 in 2021. Recently Jack received two awards:- A Merit for Studies and the Subject Award for Certificate II in Automotive Studies.
Anyone who knows Jack, can attest to the fact that he has a remarkable ability to fix anything on wheels or with an engine! He is well known for gathering up all the unwanted bikes, scooters, motorbikes and even lawn mowers from around the village and Ingham township, to recycle the parts into contraptions that go – usually at full throttle and sometimes with a bit of noise!
His parents (Neil and Jennie) are most proud of his efforts at school this year. Mum Jennie might have to stop complaining now about all the ‘bits’ and ‘parts’ taking up space on the verandahs. I reckon it won’t be long before Paluma has its own mechanic on hand!
Congratulations Jack from all your friends and extended family at Paluma. Well done mate, we are proud of you!
Last Saturday night (11/09) Paluma slipped back a few decades to celebrate the 1970’s. There were flowers everywhere and the dance music reverberated from the Community Hall as a group of about 18 villagers dined, sang, danced and laughed the night away until the wee hours.
The music might have been loud, but it wasn’t as loud as the outfits of some of the attendees. The colours of the rainbow were on show and the Community Hall was a sea of purple, pink, orange, yellow and some seriously psychedelic styles. Some of the really cool people wore their sunglasses all night and others donned flowers in their hair. Speaking of hair, it was everywhere. Danno rocked a ‘Fro’ and Neil and Jennie let their hair down….literally. Very groovy!
The new meeting room at the Hall was re-purposed and transformed into a disco, complete with dance floor, spinning mirror ball and music box. There certainly were some interesting dance moves from the patrons, but none were lacking in enthusiasm. Rumours abounded that Ross NEVER dances, but on the contrary…..just like Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones, once you start him up, he never stops!
Barman Les worked a marathon five hours serving beverages from 6.30 pm to nearly midnight. The Bar did a roaring trade. The last of the dancers left the Hall in the wee hours to boogie their way home along Mount Spec Road.
Special thanks to Lynda, Jan and Peter for decorating the Hall in the Flower Power theme. Lynda went the extra mile for the community and deserves our utmost appreciation. Les and Lynn were steadfast as always in making sure everyone was welcome and had a great time. I reckon Barman Les might have needed a sleep-in on Sunday morning after working so hard!
The quality of the singing and dancing might have been questionable at times (yes Michele!), but the only prerequisite for the night was to have fun and enjoy the community spirit and the company of good friends and neighbours. That was achieved in spades!
Text by Michele Bird. Photos by Peter Cooke, Michele Bird & Jennie Robinson.
Just a point of clarification on my last post (of 1 September) referring to the Paluma rain gauge overflowing with a recording of 25.4 mm. Judging from some of the feedback I received, I think I may have created some confusion?!
The Paluma rain gauge consists of two main receptacles for collecting rainfall. The inner-most receptacle can collect just over 20 mm of rainfall. This container has a detailed ruler for measuring the amount of rain collected. The recent excitement amongst some of us was because this internal receptacle reached capacity for the first time since the new rain gauge became operational in early August 2021.
The inner container sits in a much larger water-tight steel container. This secondary container can collect several hundred millimetres of rainfall. The new rain gauge has the capacity to collect large amounts of rain and it will be able to capture every drop of those wet season deluges that Paluma is so famous for. Indeed, if the large outer steel receptacle ever looks like overflowing, then we will all need to head for the Ark!
I have previously mentioned the great work done by Wilfred to stabilise and protect the rain gauge on the Village Green. Just last week, Barry created a rather ingenious water tight plastic container (from large polypipe) to store the BOM rainfall data sheet. Great innovation and an ongoing collective community effort in recording Paluma’s rainfall record.
And the good news. A total of 1.2 mm of rain was recorded last Saturday and 4.2 mm recorded on Sunday (4 and 5 September 2021).
Wilfred’s paving and fencing work to protect our rain gauge.
Barry’s water tight container for the rainfall recording sheet.
You are invited to attend a public meeting on Saturday the 18th September at 10 am at the Paluma Community Hall. The meeting is being held to discuss the proposal to ‘not raise the fire levy’ for the 2021-2022 Financial Year.
Regards
Ross Hyne, 1st Officer Paluma Rural Fire Brigade
If there are any queries in the lead up to the meeting, please contact:-
Sonya Bryce, Secretary/Treasurer Paluma Rural Fire Brigade
Barry Smith, our dedicated weekday rainfall recorder at Paluma has reported some very exciting news on this the first day of spring.
Today was the first day the new rain gauge at the Village Green overflowed!
Barry reports that the glass beaker in the rain gauge holds 20 mm of rain before it then overflows into the larger stainless steel chamber. So, the rainfall reading for the past 24 hours at Paluma Village is 25.4 mm.
The BOM is predicting higher than average rainfall this spring, so here’s hoping for some more overflows in the coming weeks and months!
Thanks to Barry for his diligence in recording our rainfall and reporting this welcome news for us gardeners.
Whilst on the topic of the Paluma rain gauge, I believe special thanks are due to Wilfred for the new fencing and the very flash paving now installed around the rain gauge. This will ensure the gauge is stable and protected from mowing and maintenance works at the Village Green and other interference.
Great job Wilfred and much appreciated. I must add that the fence height is just perfect – I am glad you took into account that some of us are vertically challenged!
Article by Michele Bird with information provided by Barry Smith
Spring has almost sprung and Saturday Night Fever is coming to the village on 11th September at 6.30 pm at the Community Hall.
Whether you’re a mother or whether you’re a brother, get down and boogie with your friends and neighbours as we go back in time to the 1970’s.
Come as you are, or come in your favourite 70’s themed costume. Grow your moustache, find your flares or flaunt your flower-power. Be a disco diva or a Dylan devotee – everyone is welcome.
The Bar will be open for drinks and please bring a dish to share – hot or cold, sweet or savoury.
The love, peace and joy will flow from the Community Hall with a free drink for the best dressed male and female.
Jamie’s post on 2 August 2021 provided information on the new Paluma rainfall gauge at the Village Green. Most of you have probably seen the new rain gauge by now. You can’t miss it on the lawn near the PEEC side of the Village Green behind the Community Hall.
Since the installation of the new gauge the daily rainfall data has been checked and recorded, mostly by two very dedicated community volunteers. Barry Smith from PEEC has been taking the readings on weekdays and ever reliable Colwyn Campbell has been the rainfall recorder on weekends. The task involves visiting the Village Green every day at the same time to check the gauge and record any rainfall for the past 24 hours on the BOM record sheet.
Last weekend (14 & 15 August) with Colwyn being unwell with severe sciatica, it was my turn to step up and take a turn in checking the gauge. I was looking forward to the task, even more so when it began to rain on Friday evening. How exciting – there would be something in the gauge for my first recording!
Paluma’s gardeners will be pleased to know the rainfall stats for last weekend were 5 mm and 4.2 mm respectively for Saturday and Sunday 14 and 15 August.
Jamie Oliver is still seeking additional volunteers to compile a list of back-up people to assist with the rainfall recording, if and when necessary.
If you would like to volunteer and put your name on the list, please contact Jamie. You might only be called on once in a while to stand-in when other residents are unable to perform the task.
I can attest to the fact that it is a rewarding job in playing a (small) part in contributing to the historical record of Paluma’s rainfall. Not only that, but you can multi-task whilst recording the rainfall and take your best mate for a walk!
It is with much regret that Colwyn Campbell is postponing the Watercolours and Wine Workshop planned for Saturday 21 August.
Colwyn advises that she is currently incapacitated with a severe case of sciatica. She extends her sincere and heartfelt apologies to those who were planning to attend the workshop and to bring friends along.
Colwyn is planning to reschedule the workshop and will advise on a new date for this event when possible.
