Call for un-needed books for RFS book stall at Community Markets

The Paluma RFS brigade will have their second-hand book stall at the market this coming Sunday. We need to refresh our stock of second-hand books, especially good novels, fiction and non-fiction. We should be home all week so feel free to drop them at our place opposite the hall.

Give me ring if you want to discuss further.

Peter and Jan Cooke #56 mt spec road, 0428744874.

Reminder: Paluma Community Markets, Sunday Oct. 1st 9am-1pm

Our next Community Market is just over a week away. There will be a range of locally produced ornamental and edible items available for purchase as well as our sausage sizzle and cold drinks. If you forget to bring cash Wilfred of one of the PDCA executive will be able to take your credit card and provide small amounts of cash uisng our eftpos machine.


This is also a call-out for Paluma’s amazing cooks to donate some baked goods to sell for community (PDCA) fund raising.

If you are interested in doing some baking and donating your goods for sale at the Easter Market then please read on…..

Here’s what to do:-

  1. Please divide your baked goods into small batches for sale. We suggest batches of 2, 4 or 6 individual pieces as this has worked well at previous markets.
  2. Please plate the goods (in batches) and secure with glad wrap or suitable packaging. (We have previously used paper plates and glad wrap and this works well).
  3. Please add a sticker or other suitable label outlining the contents of your baked goods. You will need to add this label to EVERY individual batch of goods. This is required for health & safety reasons.
  4. Please add a price sticker to your goods, with what you think is a fair and reasonable price for your baked delights.
  5. Please deliver your goods to the Community Hall on Sunday morning at 8.30 AM (for a 9 am market start).

If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact Lynn Hyland by phone or email:- leshyland@icloud.com

Previous cake stalls have been a great success.

Notice to all Residents

Waterfall Creek Rural Fire Brigade wish to advise that they will be conducting hazard reduction burns in the Blackfriars area, this Saturday September 16th September 2023 (weather and conditions dependent).

Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Sonya Bryce on (0474) 324 153 or 1st Officer Josh McAllister on (0437) 694691.

Notice of Annual Paluma Garden Competition

The annual Paluma Garden Competition will be held in the month of October.  Competition judges from Bunnings will be escorted by a member of the PDCA executive committee around gardens of Paluma residents and businesses including the blocks along and adjacent to Hussey Road.

If you do not wish to be included in this competition please let Jamie Oliver, Lynn Hyland or any other member of the PDCA committee know as soon as possible.

All contact details of the PDCA committee are accessible on this website under ‘contact’.

Vale Trish Jackson

Patricia Mary Jackson (1947 – 2023)

Trisha was born Patty McGahan on May 26th 1947 in GawlaSA. She was estranged from her father at a very early age and was raised in her Mum’s family clan Ramsay around Naracoorte and Kingstone in southeast SA. After leaving school Trish became a Medical Receptionist/Typist working in Doctor’s surgeries in Adelaide and sharing an apartment with two friends who she kept in touch with throughout her life.


Trisha was married at twenty-one and they spent the next seventeen years moving regularly. From Adelaide to Peterborough and on to Ballarat. Their two boys were born in that time. Trish owned and operated a Fashion Studio, a Photographic Studio and an Antique Store some of these at the same time. She was heavily pregnant when an errant antique wardrobe fell off a truck and pinned her to the ground. In true Trisha fashion she got up, dusted herself off and finished unloading the truck.

From Ballarat the family moved into Queensland buying a property at Laidley. From there on to Emerald and then Innisfail.

Trish arrived in Townsville in 1985 and was employed as an Admin Officer/PA at the same company as James where they met. Trish moved on and was employed by Commonwealth Pathology Laboratory where she met Doc (Ron) and Sue Rimmington. When Doc discovered that Trish and James spent most weekends camping around Paluma and PalumaDam he offered the Rimmington house at any time it was not being used.

Trish and James were married in 1989 when they both resigned from their respective positions and embarked on a shared but personal journey of self-discovery. With that out of the way and a stint at running a pub under their belt they moved to Paluma permanently, living in the Tubman/Jackson Family house that had been built of the site of the old Willowdean cottage. Trish worked around the village in different part time and full-time positions that her knowledge, experience and flexibility allowed. Her last trick before leaving Paluma was a multiple resignation and return from and to PEEC. I can remember Baz saying, ‘no more retirement cards for you’ They had a beautiful working relationship.

The Paluma community was very welcoming, and Trish made many ‘forever’ friends that she loved and kept in contact with. Cooking had always been a passion, no doubt inherited fromher Mum. Cooking for kids at the two Centers were some of the happiest times. Trish contributed to the community she loved, she worked hard for the Community Association, Mount Spec State Emergency Service and Paluma Rural Fire Brigade, earning a Australian National Service Medal and a QFES Diligent and Ethical Service Medal. She was humbled by the awards and would say ‘all I ever did was make the sandwiches. Mind you when you’ve been on the fire ground for six hours ad someone turns up with a sanga and a cold can of coke you’d bloody well give them a VC.

Trish and James moved on from Paluma after twenty-five or so years to build a retirement home and lifestyle at the foot of the Cardwell Range near Ingham. The family house changed hands and Tracy put the finishing touches to it that we had never gotten around to. (Looks fabulous Trace).

The owner-built house in Bemerside was completed in 2019 and by 2022 Trish had started her Hoogle Culture beds off with their first seedlings when she received the diagnosis. Trish and James left immediately for the Gold Coast where a specialist team (not available in North Queensland) began treatment. Unfortunately, a combination of factors including the fact that there is no early diagnosis currently available for Ovarian Cancer, hence most are not diagnosed until stage three or four, there are very few unusual or noteworthy symptoms and treatment options are very limited when compared with more common cancers. Trish passed away at home in Bemerside after a year of intense treatment, but she was wrapped in a cocoon of love by family, friends and even Doctors for that whole period. Trish was pretty easy to love.

James Jackson

Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation – Donate to Patricia Mary Jackson (ocrf.com.au)

Spring clean at Star Valley lookout

Last Saturday, Sept 2nd, three keen workers joined Wilfred and did a lot of hard work cutting back the vegetation at Star Valley lookout to ensure it wasn’t getting too overgrown. Visitors (and locals) can now enjoy the view over the ranges. When was the last time you stopped for a look out over Star Valley?

Our community working bees are usually held on the first Saturday of the month.

Removal of the vegetation overgrowth by the working bee team has got to be seen to be appreciated! Many thanks to the September working bee team.

Text: Wilfred Karnoll and Juanita Poletto. Image: Wilfred Karnoll

Notice To All Paluma Ratepayers

You are invited to attend a public meeting on Saturday the 30th September at 10:00 am at the Paluma Community Centre.

The meeting is being held to discuss the setting of the Fire Levy for 2024. 

Come along for chat and also find out what the brigade is up to over a cuppa and piece of cake.

If there are any queries in the lead up to the meeting, please contact:

Sonya Bryce – Treasurer/Secretary of Paluma Rural Fire Brigade on email: sonyab360@gmail.com