Category: Village news

Your PDCA News Brief – What’s Happening in Your Community

1.  A proposal for refurbishment of signs in and around the village including the village entrance, is being put together.  

2. Security – After the community meeting which followed the PDCA meeting, actions are being taken to officially register our community with Neighbourhood Watch through our local police station.  Our local security issues will be raised at a meeting in August with our local council representative, Margie Ryder.  We encourage everyone to register on our Paluma WhatsApp group set up solely for security purposes.

3.  Events Calendar:  This is regularly updated on the website. Please keep a lookout for any changes and community notices.  A new occasional social event will begin soon.  It is an end of week “Friday Chill” gathering where the bar at the hall will be open from 5 – 7pm to kick back, catch up and generally chill out with your mountain mates.  Do keep an eye on community posts on the website for the inaugural evening.  We have to note here our social event organisers are simply excellent at generating community spirit and we thank them for their extra time and effort for our benefit.

4.  A Community Meeting is being organised with Margie Ryder with an August date to be confirmed:  Issues to be raised and discussed include:  signage; animal control and hygiene; community security; vegetation control and road maintenance.  All will be welcome to attend.

5.  The Hall Bar management has officially been handed over to the capable Lynda Radbone from our iconic Irishman, Les Hyland.  Les’s many years of reliable service  and cheerful management of the Hall bar was noted and we appreciate his generosity of spirit and time in ensuring the takings were profitable.  Thank you Les and we look forward to seeing you enjoying your 92nd birthday celebrations coming up SOON!!!

6.  The Paluma History Display – Lyn and Les Hyland are stepping away from involvement in the History display.  Lyn’s contributions and efforts to ensure an effective, interesting and valuable documentation of Paluma’s heritage is very much appreciated.  Her input and efforts will be very much missed.  Anneshka Brown will be calling for volunteers to help support our history display which will be changing from a Tuesday to a Wednesday.

If any of the above raises questions or you would like to know more information, please don’t hesitate to contact any of your PDCA committee members.

Did you know, five years ago on June 23rd, Paluma’s water treatment plant was opened by Margie Ryder and the community was invited to tour the facility?

It was your PDCA which played a key role in getting the Townsville City Council to install the facility.  This became a necessity after a series of momentary shutdowns, monthly testing for giardia and finally many months of water not being fit for drinking.  

Text and Photos by Juanita Poletto

And the polar bear award goes to….

Our recent working bee, held on the first Saturday of each month, was capably organised by Wilfred Karnoll and focused on cleaning the community hall.  A willing troupe of helpers with a range of cleaning gear – some of it motorised but most of it powered by good old ‘elbow grease’ – gathered to polish our local hall up.  Whilst the resident Cairns birdwing larvae decided to pack up shop and find new digs elsewhere, Wilfred ensured we didn’t miss a corner, ceiling or railing and was all over, in and around the hall himself mending and replacing bits as needed.  The stoic group of locals continued in the rain and wind till their allocated section was completed.


The wind chill factor in the rain was quite bracing to say the least.  However the Polar Bear Award goes to young Colin who was soaking wet due to pressure spraying and scrubbing the ceilings!  You could hear his teeth chattering as he walked home in the wind and drizzle. Given the chilly weather, the cold drinks afterwards are on a rain check with Wilfred.  (Pun intended)

Text by Juanita Poletto; Photos by Leonie Crennan

Reminder: June Events at Paluma

The month of June and winter is just around the corner and this is timely reminder of the upcoming events in the Paluma Community this June.

A reminder that this Saturday 3rd June the monthly Working Bee will be held in the village. If you can spare a couple of hours to participate, please meet at the Community Hall at 2 pm. This month the focus of the work will be at the Hall itself which is in need of a ‘spit and polish’ and some ‘elbow grease’. Wilfred will shout a refreshment after the work is done on Saturday afternoon.

In June everyone’s favourite Leprechaun Leslie Hyland will celebrate his 92nd birthday. To make the occasion there will be a get-together at the Community Hall on Saturday evening 17th June at 6.30 pm. The Bar will be open for drinks and please bring along a plate of food to share. Everyone is welcome to come along and wish Leslie a very happy birthday.

On 24th June the annual Paluma Bush Dance with Wattle n Gum will be held at the Community Hall. This is a fun afternoon of music and dancing, kicking off (literally) at 1 pm, after a BBQ sausage sizzle for lunch at 12 pm. The Bar will be open for beverages. A gold coin donation at the door is requested please. What better way to warm up in the cool winter weather than a bit of hokey-pokey at the Community Hall!

The Paluma Community Market will be held on Sunday 25th June from 9 am to 1 pm, the morning after the Bush Dance. Come along to enjoy the sausage sizzle and browse and buy from the various stalls selling plants, arts and crafts, jewellery and other wares.

Mark these dates in your diary and we will see you for some dusting, dancing, drinking and boot scootin’ at Paluma in June.

Community Working Bee – May

Last Saturday’s Community Working Bee (6 May) was attended by Colin, Anneshka, Julia, Ian, Don, Charlie and Wilfred. The main focus of the Working Bee was to continue the track upgrading and drainage work on the Rainforest Walking Track. This centrally located track allows walkers of all capabilities to experience our rare and special Wet Tropics Rain Forest. It is a 600 metre long track constructed with steps and viewing platforms. It even has a new park bench made from recycled plastics installed at the halfway mark along the track.

Jamie and Juanita continued cleaning up the corner of Mt Spec Road and Loop Road to make visible the previously overgrown signage directing visitors to McLelland Lookout and the various businesses and accommodation in the village.

The next Working Bee will be held on the 3rd of June and will focus on giving the Community Hall a much needed spring (or autumn) clean. Now that we are moving into the drier months we plan to attack the mould, dust and grime inside and outside the building. Come along and lend a hand,  refreshments will be served after the event.

Text by Wilfred Karnoll

COMMUNITY ALERT

Following the recent attempted break in at the Rainforest Inn there has been a reported case of squatters taking over one of the residences along Mt Spec Road. They apparently found the key to the property that was hidden in a “safe” place. The unauthorised “visitors” helped themselves to some of the alcohol, left a mess and caused some water damage when they left a tap running.

This is just another reminder that our village is not immune from these kinds of criminal acts of wilful damage and vandalism. All property owners should reconsider and upgrade their security precautions and keep a watchful eye out for suspicious activity in our community.

A reminder of some important contact numbers:-

Police Link (non-life threatening issues) – 131 444

Rollingstone Police – 4770 7144

Text by Wilfred Karnoll & Michele Bird

Reminder: Working Bee this Saturday 6th May

A reminder to Paluma residents that the monthly Village Working Bee will take place this coming Saturday 6th May. The weather is beautiful so it’s a great time to get out in the fresh air to help with all those maintenance jobs around our village.

Please meet at the Community Hall at 2 pm and from there tasks will be assigned to team members. Refreshments will be provided after the work is done. If you have some garden tools (shovel, wheelbarrow, pruners, secateurs, etc) bring them along with you.

If you have any questions, Wilfred is the man to see.

Paluma Rural Fire Brigade 40th Anniversary

Serving the Community for 40 years – Happy Birthday Paluma RFB!

Last Saturday the fire gods were shining down on the Paluma Community Centre and our beloved fire truck ‘Paluma 51’ was adorned with yellow and red balloons to give thanks to past members of the Paluma Rural Fire Brigade.

A modest but jubilant crowd of 30 people gathered to raise their glasses and help celebrate the 40th Anniversary, including a couple of visiting families.  Paluma 51 as always was popular with the children.  Don kindly manned the BBQ to cook an array of BBQ meats to perfection which was accompanied by gourmet salads of the exceptional Paluma standard. 

Following lunch, 1st Officer Ross Hyne thanked those who had made the Brigade what it is today, still here after 40 years and to others for helping celebrate this auspicious occasion. Lynn Hyland provided some early historical narrative on the very beginnings of the Brigade which humbly started in April 1983 with a small loan from the Paluma Progress Association to purchase a trailer for housing firefighting equipment. 

Following the speeches, the cutting of the cake was undertaken by some of the longest serving members of the Brigade, founding member and former 1st Officer Len Cook and Lynn and Les Hyland who have been active members for 36 years.

May the Brigade be here for another 40 years!

Interested in joining the Brigade or wondering how you can get involved?  New members are always welcome. For more information, please contact Sonya on (0474) 324 153.

Text by Sonya Bryce, Secretary/Treasurer, Paluma Rural Fire Brigade. Photos by Sonya Bryce and Michele Bird.

Paluma 51

Harley the Action Dog

Whenever you see Sam and Aline from Outer Limits Adventure around the village of Paluma, the chances are that their canine companion Harley is not too far away. Harley loves nothing better than to accompany his humans on a walk, run or cycle. In fact, most times Harley is leading the way with a big grin on his freckly face. Harley has been pretty busy just lately with lots happening at the Outer Limits Centre with training programs, renovations to install an ablutions block and the preparation work is in full swing for the upcoming Paluma Push in July.

Sam says that one of Harley’s favourite activities is to join him in the all-terrain vehicle for track surveillance and maintenance works. Sam just has to think about taking out the all-terrain vehicle and Harley is by his side, ready to roll on paw patrol. Strapped in securely in his canine harness, Harley looks extremely pleased with himself. Sam and Harley stopped briefly for a chat and photograph last weekend, but Harley was keen to keep moving. Harley is clearly living the (canine) dream and every day is an adventure for a busy Outer Limits action dog.

Text & Photos by Michele Bird

Easter Working Bee

The monthly Working Bee at Paluma was held on Easter Saturday (8 April). A small group of volunteers turned up to undertake some much-needed tasks around the village. Colin and Richard carried out work along the Rainforest Walking Track in installing a new bench seat. Charlie, Anneshka, Wilfred and Michele took on the unenviable task of continuing the clean-up along the road verge at the Loop Road.

The clean-up involved trimming back the overgrown vegetation on the road side and in the table drain including dead wood, overhanging low branches, encroaching sword grass and a variety of introduced weeds including dense patches of Singapore daisy. We also tackled the last of the lantana along the (raised wall) road verge at the top of Loop Road. It was hard but satisfying work in tidying up this area, removing some noxious invasive weeds and (hopefully) improving the stormwater flow to the culvert at the bottom of Loop Road. We were rewarded with a cool drink at the end of the session…..and some of us took home some leeches and ticks for our efforts.

The next Working Bee will be held on Saturday 6th May so save the date and take up the challenge!

Text by Michele Bird. Photos by Charlie and Michele.

Bumper Easter Market at Paluma

It was a big Easter at Paluma with lots of visitors to the village, both day visitors and campers who stayed on for a few days. The local accommodation was fully booked and reports are that the camp ground at the Paluma Dam was at capacity. There were certainly a lot of people out and about enjoying the beautiful Autumn weather and all that Paluma has to offer.

The Sunday Easter Market was a roaring success. There were queues several times throughout the morning at the Sausage Sizzle and all stall holders reported excellent trade. The fundraising efforts for the PDCA on the day were outstanding.

The Sausage Sizzle alone raised over $630.00 and thanks go to Don, Leslie, Anneshka and Jill for keeping everyone fed. Lynda made the delicious coleslaw for the BBQ. Jill was a roving volunteer who popped up everywhere and between herself and Colin the coffee/tea stall raised $80.00. Stella’s contribution of freshly baked scones with jam and cream were a delicious addition to the coffee/tea stall, giving people the opportunity to enjoy a Paluma-style version of ‘Devonshire tea’.

The Paluma Bakers Stall made a record profit of some $454.00. Once again the Kitchen Goddesses of the village excelled themselves with their efforts. Eleven ladies baked to their hearts content to produce a huge variety of cakes, slices, biscuits and other sweet treats. Anneshka and Bronwyn deserve special mention as they both went above and beyond. Anneshka donated a huge variety of goods including freshly baked hot-cross buns. Bronwyn’s gluten free options and very glamorous baked treats sold like’ hot-cakes’ and were all snapped up early in the day. Thanks to the following ladies for their outstanding and very generous contributions for the cake stall – Stella, Ros, Bronwyn, Jill, Anneshka, Julia, Jan, Lynn, Michele, Bobbie and Jennie. Charlie ran the cake stall, assisted by Michele.

Other funds were raised on the day from an Easter raffle run by Wilfred. The raffle raised over $140.00 and the Easter egg and chocolate-filled food hamper was won by ‘Jessie’, a visitor to the village staying at one of the cottages on Mt Spec Road. Con the Fruiterer (aka Wilfred) raised $165.00 from the sale of produce (pineapples and bananas, etc). Les and Lynn report that the Paluma History (books and card sales) raised $240.00. Peter and Jan ran the book stall for fund-raising for the Paluma Rural Fire Brigade.

The overall success of the Paluma Easter Market and the impressive fundraising for the community is possible due to the generous contribution of time from the many volunteers in planning, setting up and cleaning up on the day. Lynn worked tirelessly and was still at the Community Hall at 3 pm on Sunday. To all of the volunteers from the community, well done and a big thank you!

And a similar big thank you to all those residents and their visiting friends and families who stopped in at the market to buy a sausage sizzle, some baked goods for morning/afternoon tea and to shop at the numerous stalls. Your support is greatly appreciated. Well done Paluma!

Text & Photos by Michele Bird