southburnett.com.au - What's On In The South Burnett

Australia Day 2014

Today is Australia Day, our national day of celebration. Australia Day marks the date in 1788 when Captain Arthur Philip landed the First Fleet at Port Jackson near the present-day site of Sydney and became Governor of the new British colony of New South Wales. Australia Day used to be called Foundation Day until the name was changed in 1946, but since then it's grown to become one of our key national celebrations. It's also traditionally the day when our nation hands out Australia Day Awards to outstanding citizens who've made significant contributions to the country and/or their communities. And because Australia Day falls on a Sunday this year, we'll also be getting a long weekend (the Australia Day Public Holiday will be held tomorrow, January 27th). Here's your guide to what's happening around our region today:

Australia Day Family Fun At Blackbutt

The Blackbutt community will be celebrating Australia Day with a family fun day at the Blackbutt RSL & CMC at the corner of Muir and Douglas Streets in Blackbutt from 10:00am onwards. There'll be a free jumping castle and popcorn, fairy floss and snow cones for children; a free sausage sizzle; live music from local artists including Les ("The Postie") Horvath, Paula Ogilvie and James Mcsweeney. There'll also be fun games like thong tossing, dummy spitting and egg and spoon races along with market stalls, raffles and a licensed bar. Today's celebrations are sponsored by the South Burnett Regional Council and everyone is welcome! More details? Phone (07) 4163-0444.

Australia Day Breakfast At Yarraman

Toowoomba Regional Council and the Yarraman Progress Association will be celebrating Australia Day with a free community breakfast at the Yarraman Memorial Hall in Browne Street this morning. Doors will open at 8:30am for a 9:00am sit-down brekkie, and this will be followed at 10:00am by the presentation of Australia Day Awards (which will be done this year by Cr Nancy Sommerfield), and then morning tea at 10:30am. Everyone is welcome and admission is free. Note: If you'd like to kick on from the brekkie, the Yarraman Hotel-Motel will be holding a Fair Dinkum Aussie BBQ from noon onwards for a gold coin donation to the Leukaemia Foundation; and the Yarraman Bakery will also be open and selling kangaroo meat pies.

Australia Day At Nanango Showgrounds

The Nanango Historical Society will be hosting a free community breakfast at the Nanango Showgrounds in Cairns Street at 7:00am this morning. The breakfast will be followed by a flag raising ceremony and the presentation of Nanango's Australia Day awards; and then a variety of family-oriented games and entertainment including the traditional dog high jumps, male and female tug-o-war contests, a junior tug-o-war contest, live music, tales and yarns, bush poets, watermelon eating, tea, scones, great coffee and ice cold soft drinks. There'll also be lots of children’s activities available and a stack of great prizes to be won (thanks to local sponsors). Everyone is welcome!

Australia Day Celebrations - Kingaroy

Kingaroy Australia's Day celebrations will be held in the Town Hall Forecourt in Glendon Street, kicking off with a free community breakfast at 6:30am. This will be followed from 7:00am onwards with a range of family fun activities including face painting and a jumping castle for children; bush poetry performed by Brian Weier, John Tully, Jeff Missingham, Brian (Banjo) Patterson and Dan Rutley. There'll also be live music from the talented Matt Phillips as well as a whip-cracking display by Paul Simms. At 9:00am, the offcial flag-raising ceremony will be performed by the Australian Army Cadet Unit, and this will be followed by recognition of Australia Day Award winners from the Kingaroy area and a special guest speaker. Vocal quartet Vocal Mayhem will perform during the ceremony, and this in turn will be followed by the famous pie-eating competition for adults and lamington-eating contest for children. The morning will close with a free morning tea followed by cane toad races, and an Ecumenical Worship Service at 11:00am. Everyone is welcome! Note: In the event of wet weather, festivities will be held inside Kingaroy Town Hall.

Australia Day Community Breakfast At Wondai Town Hall

Wondai will be kicking off its Australia Day celebrations at 7:00am this morning with a free community breakfast at the Wondai Town Hall in Mackenzie Street. This very popular event will also feature live entertainment, an Australian Citizen Affirmation Ceremony and a Flag Raising Ceremony. Everyone is welcome!

Australia Day Celebrations At Proston

The Proston Scout Group will be organising Proston's Australia Day celebrations at their scout den in Rodney Street from 2:00pm onwards this afternoon. Events will begin with a flag raising ceremony, and be followed by a great free afternoon tea of billy tea and damper, then games and activities. Cold drinks will also be on sale if you get thirsty. Everyone is welcome!

Australia Day Concert At Boondooma Homestead

Boondooma Homestead will be hosting an evening Australia Day BBQ and concert from 5:00pm (when there'll be a flag-raising ceremony) until late tonight. The event will feature a sausage sizzle and live entertainment from Buddy Thomson, Lynne Bennett and other performers. Buses will be leaving from the bus stop in Mackenzie Street Wondai (3:30pm) and the Murgon Visitor Information Centre (3:30pm), the Hivesville Pub (4:10pm) and the old Proston Town Hall (4:20pm) if you'd prefer to bus it rather than drive, and tickets can be purchased from any SBRC Service Centre. Everyone is welcome, and you can obtain more information from the Boondooma Homestead website. Note: This event will be held undercover and won't be affected by the weather.

Australia Day At The Dairy Museum - Murgon

Murgon will be celebrating Australia Day with a free community breakfast and family fun morning at the Queensland Dairy & Heritage Museum in Gesslers Road, Murgon. The BBQ breakfast will get underway at 8:30am and will be followed by an official Australia Day ceremony at 9.00am with SBRC representative Cr. Kathy Duff and guest speaker Brett Heading (the owner of Clovely Estate). This, in turn, will be followed by the presentation of Murgon's Australia Day awards, then bush poetry from the popular Harry Pickering and a morning tea of billy tea and damper, plus live musical entertainment from the evergreen Stolzenberg Brothers. Everyone is welcome! More details? Contact the Museum on (07) 4169-5001. Note In the event of wet weather this event will relocate to the PCYC in Macalister Street.

Australia Day At The Palace - Nanango

The Palace Hotel at 77 Drayton Street in Nanango will be celebrating our national day from 10:00am onwards with a bumper all-day (and night) music festival. Between 12:00 noon and 3:10pm, the Palace will be running an Acoustic Showcase with sets by Luke Green, Craig Menere, Tori Somers and Rowan Edwards. This will be followed by Aussie-style Karaoke led by Billy Tea and Honey Bee from 3:30pm until 5:30pm; and then a pretty tub-thumping night of rock music organised by the multi-talented Mr Q. from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. There'll also be a $5 per plate BBQ meat and salad lunch and dinner available from noon to 2:00pm and 5;00pm to 8:00pm, plus lots of fun activities for kids and adults. Admission is free and everyone is welcome! More details from the hotel on (07) 4163-1287

Lucas Oils Kingaroy Speedway

The South Burnett Speedway will be roaring into life at 4:00pm this afternoon with the third and final day of their bumper three-day Kings Royal Modified Production Meeting - probably the biggest single race meeting the club has ever held. Tonight's racing will feature the finas of the Kings Royal Modified Productions with the best drivers compreting for a whopping $10,000 in prize monies, along with the finals of the Australian Grand Prix (for Proddies) and also the finals of the Ollies Towing Peanut Crown (for 4-Cylinders). Tickets for tonight are $25 for adults, $15 for students/pensioners or $65 for families of four (under 12s are free). Camping is also available in the Showgrounds for the entire weekend for $60 per site - but first in, best-dressed! (gates open at 9:00am). You can find out more on the Speedway's website.

Australia Day Yabby Races - Kingaroy

If you'd prefer to celebrate Australia Day with some dinki-di racing and also help support the South Burnett's regional rugby union team, the South Burnett Thrashers will be holding their 6th annual Australia Day Yabby Races at the Broadway Hotel in Kingaroy Street, Kingaroy from 12:00 noon until around 6:00pm today. The Thrashers had a really top year in 2013 - ask anyone! - and they're keen to do even better in 2014. The Australia Day Yabby Races are one of the team's major annual fund-raisers and always a lot of fun too. Naturally, there'll be a sausage sizzle in operation and all manner of liquid refreshments on offer, plus lots of cool ruggers people and the first races will get underway around 1:00pm. Admission is free and everyone is welcome! More details? Phone the hotel on (07) 4162-1815.

Pink Stumps Cricket Day - Kingaroy

South Burnett cricketers - and everyone who'd like to help a worthy cause this weekend - will be gathering at the Red Ants Football Grounds in Youngman Street (just next to the Kingaroy Cricket Club) from 9:00am onwards today to support the McGrath Foundation's Pink Stumps Day - an annual fundraiser that helps to place McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities right across Australia and increase breast awareness in young Australian women. Teams who want to play need to pay a $60 nomination fee and have at least two women in their ranks. And while competing teams battle it out on the pitch, spectators are very welcome to watch the fun under cover at the clubhouse; take part in raffles and prize draws all day; chow down on meat and gravy rolls and sandwiches (which will be on sale); and try to grab a bargain at a great charity auction which will be held in the afternoon. The club is fully licensed and everyone is welcome! You can read what last year's Pink Stumps Cricket Day was like (and see photos) on our website.

Australia Day At Nanango RSL

Nanango RSL at 26 Henry Street, Nanango, will be marking Australia Day with live entertainment with Matti Biskit from noon to 4:00pm today. There will be a "happy two hours" in the bar from noon to 2:00pm plus lamington and pie-eating contests, giveaways, prizes and great Aussie food. For more info, call the club on (07) 4163-1375.

Australia Day Family Fun Movie Night - Wondai

Looking for a great way to spend a hot evening? The Wondai Swimming Pool in Mackenzie Street, Wondai will be hosting a Family Fun Movie Night from 6:00pm onwards tonight - and you can watch it from the lawns or in the pool, as you prefer. They'll be screening Monsters University (rated G) from 7:00pm - just bring $5 and your togs, chair, umbrella or blanket. The Wondai Swimming Club will be operating a sausage sizzle in the grounds if you get peckish, and the pool's canteen will also be open for soft drinks and snacks. Everyone is welcome, and you can get more details by phoningh Adam at the pool on (07) 4168-5158.

Australia Day Smorgasbord Lunch - Wondai

Dimities Cottage at 49 Haly Street in Wondai will be holding an all-you-can-eat Australia Day Smorgasbnord Lunch from 12:00pm to 2:00pm today. The buffett features a selection of hot dishes, roast meats, salads, as well as sweets and tea of coffee, and the cost is $15.00 per person for a really great feed (BYO). However, bookings are always advisable if you want to be certain of a seat: (07) 4168-5744

Australian Family Fun Day At The Wondai Hotel & Cellar

The Wondai Hotel & Cellar in Haly Street, Wondai (the home of the Wondai Chloe, pictured at right) will be celebrating Australia Day with a Family Fun Day from 12:00 noon onwards. The South Burnett's favourite indigenous band Muddy Flats will be grooving on the rear deck all afternoon and there'll be free kids' activities, as well as great BBQ lunch specials and an Aussie pie-eating competition. More details? Phone the hotel on (07) 4168-5274.

Australia Day Bowls Carnival - Wondai

The Wondai Country Club on the Bunya Highway just north of Wondai's CBD will be holding the second day of their two-day Australia Day Bowls Carnival, with Mixed Pairs kicking off at 9:30am. More details from the club: (07) 4168-5582.

Australia Day Golf - Kingaroy and Nanango

The Kingaroy Golf Club on the Bunya Highway, Kingaroy will be holding a Mixed 4BBB Single Stableford with a 12:00 noon tee-off today; and the Nanango Golf Club on the D'Aguilar Highway north of Nanango's CBD will be holding a Club Trophy match. New players are welcome at either event. More details? Phone Kingaroy Golf Club on (07) 4162-1720 or Nanango Golf Club on (07) 4163-1463.

Australia Day Bowls - Yarraman

The Yarraman Bowls Club in Margaret Street, Yarraman will be holding a club select match from 12:30pm today. New players are very welcome. More details from the club: (07) 4163-8269.

Australia Day At The Hivesville Country Markets

The Hivesville Country Markets will be held at the Hivesville Sports Grounds from 7:00am to around 1:00pm today. These family friendly monthly markets feature a variety of stalls including fresh local farm produce, plants, crafts and lots of food. There'll also be mini auctions running throughout the morning and there's plenty of free parking in the grounds. Because today is Australia Day, the markets will also have an Australia Day theme with prizes for the best Australia Day-themed stall and the best dressed Aussie. There'll also be a jumping castle and pony rides for children. New stallholders are very welcome too, and you can obtain more details by phoning Trish on (0459) 493-511

Kilkivan Sunday Markets

The weekly Kilkivan Markets will be held in Lester Millar Park in Kilkivan from 7:00am until around 12:00 noon this morning. The markets feature an array of locally produced fruit, vegetables and merchandise and new stallholders are always welcome! More details? Stall Bookings? Phone (0407) 772-741 or visit the website.

Dirt, Bikes and Music - Manar Park

Today is Day 2 of Manar Park's Australia Day Long Weekend Dirt Bike Challenge, and today's featured event will be the finals of the Dirt Bike Challenge at 9:00am. But if you prefer, the Park's bike trails and 4WD tracks will be open from 6:30am to 6:30pm for practice runs or your very own heart-pounding adventure. In the adternoon, there'll be live music on the stage which will run through until late into the night. A licensed bar will open at 6:00pm and presentations for the Challenge winners will be made in the main marquee. Highlights from the day's activities will be also displayed on a big screen there, and there'll be lucky draw prizes for spectators. The Manar Park motocross complex is located on Boondooma Road, north of Proston (turn-off just past Boondooma Homestead). For more information phone Mandy or Simon on 0488-764-242.