Members of Sing Australia Kingaroy entertained customers at Kingaroy Shoppingworld on Saturday with an impromptu concert

Members of Sing Australia Kingaroy sang a selection of their favourite songs at Kingaroy Shoppingworld last Saturday.

The selection included songs from well-known musicals, as well as some Australian folk songs.

The impromptu concert bought smiles to many shoppers’ faces as they passed by, with some stopping to watch and sing along.

Sing Australia Kingaroy is a group which gets together each week to enjoy the fun and fellowship of singing together.

Everyone is welcome to join because everyone can sing.

There are no auditions and members don’t have to be able to read music, either.

It’s simply all about enjoying communal singing, a pastime as old as humanity itself.

The group meets on Monday nights from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at the Uniting Church Hall in Alford Street, Kingaroy (except public and school holidays) and is always looking for new members.

If you’re interested in joining or finding out more, ring Sharron Coughlan on (07) 4163-2291 or 0431-816-071.

[Photo: Sing Australia Kingaroy]
 

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SE Qld Staff Officer Cadets Alan Cunningham and cadets Gabrielle Beutel (Wondai) and Mitchell Heimerl, Amos Hicks and Hayden Quirant (Kingaroy) managed to save "patient" Kellie Turnock (Kingaroy) during a resuscitation training display on Monday night

May 21, 2013

Commissioner Peter McMurtrie, AO, was the special guest at Monday night’s meeting of the St John Ambulance Cadets in Kingaroy.

The Commissioner, accompanied by SE Qld Staff Officer Cadets Alan Cunningham, travelled from Brisbane to inspect the recently formed St John (Qld) Kingaroy Combined Division.

The Division, launched in January after the State Government withdrew funding from the former SES Cadets program, is going from strength to strength.

Divisional Manager Naomi Beutel said there were now between 35 and 40 junior and senior cadets taking part in the program and 15 adult volunteers.

They meet every Monday night from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Kingaroy SES Headquarters in Glendon Street.

If anything, the program is almost proving too popular … the Division is now looking for more adult cadet leaders to join, especially medical officers, doctors, nurses or paramedics who could volunteer their services.

Naomi said that since the Division opened, St John had been called upon to provide services at campdrafts, rodeos, the Kingaroy Anzac Day Parade and the recent RSPCA Million Paws Walk. This had helped to free up the Queensland Ambulance Service for emergency calls.

Cadets have the opportunity to train to become “first responders”, and once they turn 18, “advanced responders”.

Another guest at Monday night’s meeting was South Burnett Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell who said he had taken a personal interest in the St John Cadets since the funding for the SES Cadets had been cut.

He welcomed St John to the South Burnett and embraced the work they were doing.

Commissioner McMurtrie said St John had a long history, dating back to the Crusades. He told the cadets that they were part of a worldwide organisation with branches all over the Commonwealth.

He said it was now up to the Cadets to make the most out of the opportunities offered to them but he pledged the organisation would do whatever it could to help.

“We will keep up your training and support,” he said.

If you are interested in joining the Kingaroy Division, contact Naomi on 0417-578-623 or visit the St John website

• Related article: St John Enrols Former Cadets

St John Commissioner Peter McMurtrie, AO, with Deputy Mayor Cr Keith Campbell

Cadet Gabrielle Beutel thanked Cr Campbell for Council's support of the St John Cadets

Senior Cadets Sarah Mackay-Smith and Stephen Lount (Kingaroy) with Divisional Manager Naomi Beutel and Junior Cadets Gemma Beutel (Wondai) and William Schasser (Moffatdale)

Camera enthusiasts practice shooting and framing a model at the Nanango & District Camera Club's outdoor portraiture workshop at Tipperary Flats

May 21, 2013

A portrait workshop held at Tipperary Flats at Nanango on Sunday afternoon proved a winner for the Nanango & District Camera Club.

About 20 keen photographers eager to learn more about how to shoot outdoor portraits attended, including several from the neighbouring Blackbutt, Kingaroy and Murgon camera clubs.

The workshop was led by professional photographer Alwyn Kucks who began working in photography in 1949 and taught evening photography courses to adults at the Toowoomba TAFE College for 13 years.

He also operated a professional photography studio in Toowoomba for 20 years that specialised in wedding, portrait, news, sport and social photography.

The Nanango club arranged five models for the day – four women and a man – none of whom had any experience in front of the camera. The models allowed the students to practice in as close to a real-life environment as possible.

The day began at 1:00pm with a 30-minute discussion by Alwyn about the key points of outdoor portraiture.

During the talk he shared valuable “insider” tips about how to get the best shots in a variety of common situations; how to work with models; and the right camera settings to use to get particular effects.

After this, the photographers were set loose for two hours to photograph the models and put what they had learned into practice.

Nanango & District Camera Club president Keren Mcsweeney said she’d received very positive feedback about the workshop, which is the second of its type the club has run in the past two years.

“The afternoon was a beautiful autumn day with a little bit of bite in the air,” Kerren said.

“There was also a bit of a wind, which helped us get some natural wind effects going with the models’ hair.

“It was good, though. I even picked up a few tips myself, and I’ve had a lot of commercial experience in portrait photography.”

• The Nanango Camera Club meets on the third Sunday of each month, usually in the Long Hai Room at Nanango RSL at noon unless it’s arranged an excursion. Admission is free for club members and $2 for non-members. You can obtain more details by phoning Keren on (07) 4163-7210.

[Photos: Keren Mcsweeney Photography]

Using a reflector to get different lighting effects on a model

Model Charlie with her hair picked up by a light breeze

Workshop leader Alwyn Kucks shared many valuable tips

Alwyn illustrating a point with model Tanisha

Queensland Health has identified 10 people who have had contact with horses which are at the centre of a health scare involving lyssavirus, a virus similar to rabies.

Two horses at a property near Allora were euthanased earlier this month after falling ill. Tests late last week identified the cause of their sickness as lyssavirus, the first time this has been detected in horses. The property has since been quarantined and Queensland Health began tracing anyone who may have had contact with the animals.

“As a result of this contact tracing, nine people have been offered a course of treatment which prevents Lyssavirus in humans,” Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said.

“The recommended course of treatment must be administered in a timely manner and comprises rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine.

“One other person was deemed to have had such a low exposure to the horse that preventative treatment was not required. There is no test available for Lyssavirus before symptoms appear.”

There have only been three recorded cases of humans contracting lyssavirus in Australia. All these cases were in Queensland, and all fatal.

Anyone who believes they have been in direct contact with, or in close proximity to these horses, should contact 13 HEALTH (13-43-25-84) for advice.

Bunya Mountains Ranger Maurice Mickelo ... one of the stars of the first MoJo videos

The Cherbourg MoJos (mobile journalists) have posted their first stories online.

The first short video was shot at Jack O’Chin Oval in Cherbourg on May 11 during the Hornets v Nanango Stags A Grade league game.

The second was filmed on the same day at the Bunya Mountains Murri Ranger Community Day which was held at Dandabah on the Bunya Mountains.

This event included a welcome to country and smoking ceremony, performances and a dance workshop by the Wakka Wakka dancers, a kup murri, yarning circles  and  a guided walk with the Murri Rangers.

The Cherbourg MoJo program is being run by the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE. 

The 10-week mobile journalism training program for indigenous youth (aged 15-24) is designed to give a new, engaging twist to learning literacy and numeracy.

After an initial week of training with the iPhone5-based production kit, the Cherbourg MoJos have been working with members of their community to take Cherbourg’s stories to the world.

Cherbourg MoJo Shantelle Arnold sees a lot of potential for stories.

“I’m enjoying MoJo lots – it’s a good experience. I’d like to use my new filmmaking skills to make a documentary someday myself,” she said.

The plan is for the MoJos to post a new collection of videos online every week.

Related articles

• Get Your Mojo Working
• Shooting To The Top Of The Class

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Video 1 – Try Harder (by Benjamin Donnelly) 

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Video 2 – Bunya Mountains Corroboree (by Robert French)