October 18, 2017
More than a dozen South Burnett names are on the list of 3800 Australians selected to carry the Queen’s Baton on its 100-day journey across the nation in the lead-up to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Among the lucky batonbearers are South Burnett Relay For Life chair Rowena Dionysius, Kingaroy Christmas Carnival organiser Craig Lucas, Reconciliation Fun Run winner Floyd Aubrey and well-known local sportspeople Paul and Pacey Clegg.
On average, each baton bearer will carry the baton for about 200 metres.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the list of names were selected through a community nomination program.
“The lists have been compiled by judging panels in each State and Territory, allowing local knowledge to play the greatest possible role in the selection process,” she said.
The Premier said the uniform that the batonbearers would wear as they carry the baton would become a treasured keepsake of their special role in GC2018.
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Baton bearers for the Kingaroy leg are:
- Floyd Aubrey – Murgon
- Amanda Austin – Wilsonton
- Pacey Clegg – Kingaroy
- Paul Clegg – Taabinga
- Stephen Copas – Wooroolin
- Rowena Dionysius – Kingaroy
- Gabrielle Duncombe – Cooyar
- Noel Edmondstone – Kingaroy
- Janita Langton – Cherbourg
- Heather Litzow – Kingaroy
- Craig Lucas – Kingaroy
- Ronald Mitchell – Gayndah
- Alison Murray – Kingaroy
- Kerryn O’Brien – Northgate
- Paige O’Connor – Wyalla
- Lex Petersen – Kingaroy
- Brenna Prendergast – Tingoora
- Zane Ratcliff – Gayndah
- Krishna Stanton – Gordon Park
As well, Benarkin resident Sage Volschenk has been selected as a baton bearer for the Kilcoy section.
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The Queen’s Baton will arrive in Australia on Christmas Eve (December 24) after leaving Buckingham Palace on March 13.
The baton, which carries a message from the Queen, is travelling through every Commonwealth nation and territory on its way to Australia.
It has already gone through Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe; and will pass through Asia and Oceania before arriving in Australia.
It will then travel through every State and Territory over 100 days, covering another 40,000km.
Locally, it will travel from Gympie to Noosa, Caloundra, Kilcoy, Kingaroy, Dalby and Oakey before working its way back to Brisbane via Toowoomba and Ipswich.
It will be in Kingaroy on March 27, 2018.
When it arrives at the Gold Coast on April 4, 2018, it will have travelled for 388 days and covered 230,000km.
- Related article: Games Relay Coming To South Burnett
