Our coastal neighbours at Rollingstone would like to remind all Paluma residents that the 2019 Rollingstone NQ Pineapple Festival & Family Fun Day is taking place on 21 September. All Welcome. See the Flyer below.
Loris Klumpp (nee Brown), 9 September 1925 to 26 July 2019
Sadly, the last of the early pioneers of Paluma, Loris Klumpp, passed away in Brisbane recently, aged 93.
Loris, with her parents Eric and Ruby Brown and sister Averil, started visiting Paluma in the early 1930’s. Eric purchased land at 70 Mt Spec Road at the first public auction in 1934. The land was two doors down from Ivy Cottage. This property is still owned today by the Klumpp family.
Loris wrote an interesting recollection of her childhood memories of Paluma in Neal Sellars publication, The Paluma Road – 50 Years On. You can read her account in the History Section of the paluma.org website. Loris’ account starts at the bottom of page 4 in the document.
[mdocs single-file=”Paluma Road.pdf”]
During the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s Loris, with husband Bill, loved their time at Paluma, enjoying the climate, fauna, flora and social gatherings. Just for the same reasons many locals enjoy time at Paluma today.
After volunteer work in Townsville, Loris and Bill enjoyed 4 to 5 days of each week at Paluma. Every Friday night ‘it was on at the Klumpps’. Local residents visited the Klumpps for a fun night playing table-tennis and snooker, with the ladies playing cards. Everyone brought a plate to share for supper. On the weekends many ‘Wimbledon finals’ were hotly contested on the old World War 2 tennis court located opposite Ivy Cottage. The playing surface was said to be – part cement, part grass and part dirt – due to all the cracks! Contestants had to be skilled as ‘all court players’.
Loris and Bill moved to the Sunshine coast in 1991, handing over their Paluma property to son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Dorothy.
In her later years, after suffering ill health, Loris was lovingly nursed and cared for by her daughter and son-in-law, Diane and Russ Morgan. The many visits from her four grandsons and nine great grandchildren gave Loris much joy.
When not volunteering, Loris always kept herself busy with many hobbies and interests. She was an avid novel and history reader, piano player, china painter, art lover, dressmaker, crochet needle worker, gardener, extensive overseas traveller, and she loved cooking for large family and social gatherings. It may be easy to see why Loris will always be loved and missed by her family and friends.
Loris’ deep and abiding affection for the little rainforest village of Paluma now lives on through her descendants in the Klumpp family. All family members, over five generations, love visiting Paluma and enjoy the area’s natural beauty and wonders. Loris’ spirit will always reside in the village – somewhere about 70 Mt Spec Road and the old tennis court!
Article & Photo provided courtesy of Peter & Dorothy Klumpp
Members of the Paluma Rural Fire Brigade (PRFB) are advised that Len Cook proposes to hold the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday 14th September at 4 PM at the Community Hall.
Len Cook advises that a full quorum is required to the hold the meeting.
If you are a member of the PRFB please advise your availability to attend the AGM by contacting Len Cook via email:- anagama@activ8.net.au
Good morning
Had a call from Don at the Tree Men yesterday afternoon (Friday). He’s coming up to Paluma next week to scope out a job request.
If anyone has a problem tree, please call him on 0419 029 234.
We’re not getting anything cut, but Don has given us good service in the past.
Cheers
Linda
16 Mt Spec Road, Paluma QLD 4816
Phone +61 7 4770 8690
Email paluma@bigpond.com
The stars weren’t the only thing shining at Paluma last Saturday night, with the inaugural Glamour & Glitz Social at the Community Hall. The night was filled with glitter, sequins and precious jewels, all on display. Some stunning outfits were worn by the ladies, the frocks to rival any H(B)ollywood red carpet event. The razzle dazzle and glitz was so great that some patrons had to wear their sunglasses all night! Even the menu had sparkle with a dazzling chocolate and silver masterpiece (cake) made by Jennie, in (belated) celebration of Lynn’s birthday.
While only a small crowd attended this event, it was quite possibly the most successful social this year for fun and frivolity. There was much laughter and camaraderie and anyone passing the Hall on Saturday night might have thought that 100 people were in attendance. The music was sensational with a soundtrack of classic dance tunes. Some patrons took a whirl around the dance floor before tucking into the menu of savouries, casseroles and other delights.
If you didn’t attend the Glamour and Glitz Social then you missed the opportunity for a night of fun and frivolity – but most importantly, you missed the chance to meet and mingle with your Paluma friends and neighbours and to support your own community association. Social events are fun, but they are also vital to raising much needed funds for the PDCA, so that all those very important matters like road repair and maintenance and the preservation of all those things we most love about Paluma can remain on the working agenda.
See you at the next Social planned for 2 November. The weekend is short, but friendship and strength of community goes on and on……!
Well folks, it almost time for one of the most anticipated social events of the year – the Paluma Glamour and Glitz Social. This auspicious social occasion will be held on Saturday 10th August at the Community Hall, commencing at 6.30 pm.
Now’s the time to check that wardrobe and plan your most glamorous and glitzy outfit for this not-to-be-missed social event!
There will be a prize on the night of a free beverage for the Best Dressed Male, the ‘King of Bling’ – and also the best dressed Female – the ‘Queen of the Village’. No doubt this will be a hotly contested competition.
Rumour has it that several local ladies have been planning their outfits for some time and are set to dazzle and sparkle on the night!!
It’s time to put the mower, the leaf-blower and the chainsaw in the shed, ditch those work clothes and scrub-up for a night of glitz, bling, razzle-dazzle and fun.
As usual, please bring a plate to share (savoury or sweet) and don’t forget that the bar will be open with our very own ‘Blingy Barman’ (Les Hyland) who will be dispensing low-cost drinks.
See you there Darlings…..!
Trichosanthes pentaphylla (Red Gourd)
A plant you may see fruiting in and around Paluma at present is the Red Gourd, scientific name Trichosanthes pentaphylla. This is a vine with very conspicuous rounded, bright red fruit. The fruit grow to nearly cricket-ball size (40-70 mm x 50-60 mm). The usual fruiting season is from February to June, but sometimes there are a few late-comers (or late bloomers….!).
The distribution of this vine is from Cape York to Home Hill, south of Townsville. It is a tendril climber with both male and female plants. Leaves are compound with 3 to 5 leaflets, 40-170 mm x 22-110 mm in size and are slightly rough (resembling sandpaper) on both sides. Flowers, not particularly conspicuous, are white with 5 petals, 12-14 mm long.
The fruit, which is eaten by cassowaries, is distinguished by its dark-brown to black, 9-17 mm long seeds which are suspended in a slimy, dark green pulp.
Text & Photos by Colwyn Campbell
Darlingia darlingiana (Silky Oak)
Have you ever been curious about the large leaves, shaped roughly like dinosaur footprints, commonly seen amongst the leaf litter on the forest floor? These belong to the Darlingia darlingiana, also known by the common names of Silky Oak, Brown Silky Oak or Rose Silky Oak, a handsome tree which can grow to a height of 30 metres. The common name of ‘oak’ originates from the oak-like grain in its wood, which is a dark red lace-like pattern. The tree was originally named after Charles Darling (1809-1870), Governor of Victoria. Distribution of this tree is from the Cooktown area to Paluma, at altitudes between 0 and 1,150 metres.
The leaves of Darlingia darlingiana are large: 70-500 mm long x 20-140.5 mm wide and may be lobed or unlobed. Juvenile leaves tend to be heavily lobed which gives them the ‘dinosaur footprint’ appearance. As they age prior to dropping, the leaves lose their bright green pigmentation and look striking in hues of red, orange and yellow, before fading to a coppery brown.
Darlingia has a dense crown of large leaves and conspicuous, strongly scented flowers which bloom from May to November. Prominent spikes or racemes of cream or white flowers are held at the ends of the branches and attract a variety of nectar and insect-eating birds. Many people find the scent of the flowers unpleasant. The fruit which follows, from November to January, are olive-green to brown leathery capsules, measuring 40-70 mm x 20-30 mm. These split along one side only, (like a mussel shell), to release several winged seeds, around 40-60 mm in size. A sketch of the seed pods is shown below.
There are many of these attractive trees in and around Paluma. Look for the distinctive green leaves in the canopy and also the aged brown leaves (dinosaur tracks!) on the forest floor next time you take a walk around the village.
Text, Photos and Sketch by Colwyn Campbell
