There is no doubt that Paluma has been a hive of frenetic activity over the past month with the rescheduling of the Paluma Push and the Paluma Dam Good Trail Run into October and early November. With the weather warming up, there has been a lot of sweating in the village of late. Len Cook also fired up the anagama kiln in late October, so things got pretty hot and heavy over on Lennox Crescent. Well, now it’s time to put out the fire, wash the lycra and put the jock-strap back in the drawer.
With the advent of Covid-19 restrictions in March 2020 the only PDCA Paluma Social Event this year has been the St. Patrick’s day celebrations. But, that is about to change……..!
This coming Saturday the 7th November, the PDCA will host its second social event for the year – It’s Monsters and Mayhem on the Mountain!
You are all invited to join your friends and neighbours for a post-Covid catchup and at the same time you can support our PDCA. Come as you are (some of you are already monsters!?!?), or come dressed as your favourite monster, ghoul, witch, demon or wizard. There will be a free drink for the best/worst costume.
As always, please bring a plate of food to share – savoury or sweet. Barman Les (Lurch) will have the bar open to serve you beverages at great prices.
The Monsters will congregate at 6.30 PM at the Community Hall.
Len Cook’s famous Anagama wood kiln was fired up this Monday after a two year break, and those in the village would not have missed the smoke and fire belching from the chimney over the last four days.
As of writing, the kiln has been going for over ninety hours hours and is due to be shut down and sealed up on Friday evening. This year Len was supported by a visiting potter from down south, Tania Edwards, with occasional neighbourly assistance from Jamie.
The Anagama firing is always a visual spectacle, with a roaring firebox that consumes tonnes of wood, and side stoke holes that occasional belch fire, and a chimney that sends smoke and flame skyward for 100 hours straight. Len is reportedly pleased with the firing this year, having reached temperatures in the front and back of the kiln that should be sufficient to produce some spectacular pots. However the outcome won’t be known in until next Saturday when the kiln will have cooled sufficently to be unsealed and inspected. I’m sure the results will be pretty impressive.
Len and Tania having a break after more than 90 hours “feeding the beast”
In the mean time, here is a selection of pictures from the firing.
Sam Stedman and the team from Outer Limits are calling for Volunteers from the Paluma Community to assist with the organisation of this year’s Paluma Dam Good Trail Run. This event will take place on Sunday 1 November 2020.
If you can assist and you are keen to be a volunteer, please contact Sam on mobile: 0421 484 211 or send an email to info@outerlimitsadventure.com.au
Paluma’s own Jill Meads joined the hordes of mountain bike riders last Sunday (11/10/20) to undertake the annual Paluma Push from Paluma Village to Hidden Valley.
Jill was joined by good friends Ruth and Cheryl and they tackled the 42 km recreational track. It was Jill’s third time in participating in the Push, with her last race about six years ago.
Jill was happy to report that all three riders finished their race in good spirits and in good health. They plan to do it all again next year in 2021 when the Paluma Push will celebrate its 20th year. Jill would encourage everyone to get out there and give it a go. It’s a lot of fun and the surrounding country is something to see.
Well done Jill, Cheryl and Ruth. Paluma is proud of you!!!!
Jill and friends Ruth and Cheryl at Checkpoint 3 during the Paluma Push.Time to relax and enjoy a cold drink at the Volunteers BBQ after the Paluma Push.
Last Saturday (3/10) at the Rainforest Inn we took the opportunity at the usual morning tea session to celebrate the upcoming birthday of Jennie Robinson. Jennie’s family and a number of her Paluma friends and neighbours joined her for coffee/tea and carrot cake. The cake was decorated with two of her favourite things – flowers and bees! Thanks to Lynda for her innovative cake decorating and to Michele for catching all those bees!
Happy Birthday Jennie for the 7th October. May you enjoy your birthday and the year ahead.
Jennie, Jack and Neil at the Rainforest Inn.Jennie’s birthday cake.
The PDCA would like to welcome to the Paluma community Bobby and Glen Parker who are the new residents at 1976 Mt Spec Road. This property was formerly owned by the Brennan’s and it is one of the 5-acre blocks to the west of the village. Bobby and Glen’s property is situated next-door to Graham and Julie’s place. Graham – who is recovering from a broken pelvis (now locally known as ‘Evel Knievel’) – brought the new neighbours along to the usual ‘C and G’ session (‘Coffee and Gossip’) at the Rainforest Inn last Saturday (26/09/20). Here, they met some of us locals for the first time – hopefully that will not scare them away…….!!.
We extend a warm welcome to Bobby and Glen to our village community and particularly to the 5-acre blocks area. We’re sure that by now they will have realised they have purchased a piece of Paluma paradise.
Bobby (left) and Glen (right) meeting their neighbour Lynn Hyland (centre) at the Rainforest Inn.
Photo by Les Hyland. Text by Les Hyland and Michele Bird
Addendum: (Jamie)
While we have focused on Bobbi and Glen since we go to meet them at morning tea last week, we also extend a warm welcome to other recent additions to the Village: Ian and Julia Anderson (14 Mt Spec Rd); Peter Carlin and Karen Knight (3 Lennox Cr); and Dean Stephenson and Judy Foote (54 Mt Spec Rd).
Leslie Hyland was the guest of honour last Saturday at a morning tea held at the Rainforest Inn at Paluma. Leslie was presented with a Certificate from Townsville City Council in acknowledgement of his short listing for the Senior of the Year Award 2020.
Councillor Margie Ryder and the State Member for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto attended the event to present Leslie with his Certificate. Margie Ryder provided an account of Les’ vast achievements and contributions to the village of Paluma over the past 30 years. Many of Les’ Paluma friends and neighbours joined Margie and Nick in paying recognition to Les. Margie Ryder provided a delicious cake, expertly decorated (by herself!) in honour of the occasion.
Congratulations Les, this recognition is well deserved and we look forward to your next 20 years of dedicated service to our community!!!
Nick Dametto and Margie Ryder presenting Les Hyland with his certificate.Margie Ryder and Les Hyland.Les Hyland doing the honours in cutting his celebration cake.Look at that cake. Nice decorating Margie!Lynn and Les Hyland – their contribution to Paluma is the very definition of community spirit, dedication and generosity.
On Friday 21 August, TCC announced the winners of the 2020 Senior of the Year Award. Unfortunately Paluma’s own Leslie Hyland did not win the award this year, but he was included in a short list of nominees.
The deserving winners are: Dr. Ernie Hoolihan (male) and Mrs. Patricia Carr (female). We extend our sincere congratulations to the 2020 winners.
And of course, Leslie Hyland will always be considered as a winner in the village of Paluma!
Lynn Hyland celebrated her birthday this past week and the occasion was marked with a birthday cake at morning tea on Saturday at the Rainforest Inn. Jennie baked an amazing layered rainbow cake and it was decorated by Lynda with colourful blooms from her garden, including pansies, violas and snapdragons. The cake not only looked spectacular, but it was delicious too.
When Townsville City Council (TCC) called for nominations for their annual Senior of the Year Award 2020 some us got to thinking about the many worthy potential nominees at Paluma who would aptly qualify for this award. In the end there was a collaborative effort (and a conspiracy of sorts) amongst three of us to nominate Leslie Hyland.
It was initially Colwyn’s suggestion that we nominate Les for his long-term volunteer work and his ongoing contribution to our village community. Michele then set about to do some research. Lynn was our main co-conspirator and she compiled a comprehensive dossier on Les’ various roles at Paluma over the past 30 years. Drawing on this information, Michele wrote a nomination and it was submitted to TCC last Friday. It was all rather ‘secret-squirrel’ (from Les that is) until Saturday morning when we told him of the nomination. He was quite surprised, but thankfully, well pleased.
TCC will announce the winners of the Senior of the Year Award (male and female) on 21 August 2020. We wish Les all the best and we hope he wins. Even if he doesn’t, he will always be a winner at Paluma.
Special thanks go to Lynn Hyland for her great assistance in preparing information for the nomination for Les. Of course, Lynn could very easily be nominated in her own right for this award and we acknowledge that she is an essential part of this dynamic duo of community volunteering. However, the main impetus for nominating Les at this time was motivated by the fact that he will be 90 years young in June 2021 and we felt that the time was nigh for this nomination and acknowledgement.
The nomination for Les Hyland is reproduced below, along with some photographs submitted with the nomination, showing Les Hyland in action in his various roles in the village.
Les Hyland is 89 years young and this year and indeed for more than 30 years he has been an active and enthusiastic community volunteer in the village of Paluma. Around here we view Les Hyland as our esteemed Elder. He works tirelessly for our community with the vigour of someone half his age. He is ever reliable, selfless and a stalwart of this community. His achievements are many. It is for his long-standing and dedicated service to our village community that we nominate Les Hyland for the Townsville City Council Senior of the Year Award for 2020.
Les was born in Dublin, Ireland and emigrated to Australian in 1974. He and wife Lynn became residents at Paluma in 1986 when they purchased their acreage block on the western outskirts of the village.
Soon after his arrival, Les joined the Paluma Rural Fire Brigade in 1986. His service with the RFB is current to this day. He also joined the Mt Spec SES as an inaugural member in 1989. Again, his service to the SES is current in 2020 and his resolve and determination to fulfil these roles has never wavered. Over some 33 years, Les has worked hard to protect and serve our village – be it fire, flood or other emergency. In a crisis he is the first to step up, providing logistical and other support when and wherever required.
Les has and continues to fulfil so many roles in this community and the list is endless. He is well known and much admired for his willingness to volunteer for just about anything!
Currently, he works with other community volunteers to run the Paluma History Display at the Community Hall. His wealth of knowledge about Paluma and the surrounding district has impressed many a tourist and traveller. He delights in sharing yarns about our village and he works hard to promote Paluma and the greater Townsville region. He has undertaken this role for over 7 years.
For some 18 years Les has undertaken the role of social coordinator and barman for just about every Paluma Social Event, including the annual Bush Dance. Perhaps his greatest work is in running the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Paluma. His Irish jokes and quiz night are renowned throughout the village. At every social and function, Les is the first to arrive, setting up the Community Hall and facilities so that others can relax and enjoy themselves. He’s always the last to leave whatever the time of night, washing the dishes or taking out the rubbish in the wee small hours – with that ever-present good humour and a twinkle in his eye. Just last week Les could be spotted at the Community Hall on Saturday afternoon ‘deep cleaning’ the Hall (down to the very door knobs) so that it could be utilised by the community.
Les Hyland is the king of the sausage sizzle. Not a Paluma Community Market or event goes by without Les coordinating his band of volunteer workers at the BBQ. He works with complete determination and resolve to raise much needed funds for our community association. Indeed, Les’ tireless volunteer work in his many roles contributes a substantial proportion of the annual income for the association.
Les’ voluntary service extends to many other roles, both formal and informal. He undertook the role of Secretary on the Executive Committee of the Paluma & District Community Association (PDCA) for 5 years. He also acted as Secretary for the Community Hall Building Committee for a number of years. He was the Editor of our local newsletter ‘Turkey Talk’ for a remarkable 16 years, producing an impressive 82 issues! As technology evolved, so did Les. When the newsletter moved to digital format in more recent years, Les adapted, bought a computer and taught himself how to use it!
His voluntary service also includes the annual Paluma Push Mountain Bike Event. For 16 years Les has manned Check Point 1 as Radio Operator. He is ready to serve again at the event this year, scheduled to October 2020. He served as a committee member and volunteer for the Rainforest Festival for 6 years and he has been a volunteer worker for the Northern Beaches Festival (Art Exhibition at Paluma) for 8 years. Les’ service also extends beyond Paluma and he is a Life Member of Lions International – Cleveland Bay Club, contributing 45 years of dedicated service.
On the 14 of June 2021 Les Hyland will be 90 years of age. We don’t think that will slow him down at all, but in his 90th year of life we would like nothing more than to acknowledge and thank him for his long-term service to the community of Paluma with the TCC Senior of the Year Award 2020. It would be our chance to give something back to this giant of our community and a true national treasure.
Les Hyland….the best dressed volunteer at Paluma.Les at Check Point 1 during the annual Paluma Push.Les and co-volunteers Lynn & Don at the Paluma Market sausage sizzle.
