December 19, 2017
Kingaroy played host to two special visitors on Monday evening … champion beach volleyballer Taliqua Clancy and mining magnate Gina Rinehart, the patron of Volleyball Australia.
Taliqua Clancy, who grew up in Kingaroy, and her on-court partner Mariafe Artacho del Solar won a women’s FIVB World Tour event in NSW last month.
The FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball) World Tour is the global elite professional beach volleyball circuit.
Taliqua and Mariafe’s victory was the first international tournament win at home by an Australian women’s team since Kerri Pottharst and Natalie Cook won gold at the Sydney Olympics.
As the Australians defeated a pair from China, they also won the Hancock Prospecting Perpetual Trophy, awarded each time Australia and China face off.
Mrs Rinehart brought the large Hancock Prospecting trophy to Kingaroy so local residents could share in Taliqua’s glory.
Special guests at St John’s Lutheran School were Taliqua’s proud grandparents Robert and Jocelyn Clancy.
The Kingaroy visit was also a chance for Mrs Rinehart to inspect some of the entries in the recent South Burnett Regional Council Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd Christmas Lights competition.
Mrs Rinehart met the major winner (Kath Kennedy, from Wondai) and runners-up (David and Linda Marskell, from Kingaroy), who have won trips to Singapore through the generosity of Mrs Rinehart’s company.
Also at St John’s School Hall were local businesspeople and representatives from the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry who had the opportunity to chat briefly with Mrs Rinehart.
An important part of Mrs Rinehart’s visit was the opportunity to spend time with her long-time friend, Lady Bjelke-Petersen, at Orana Lutheran Complex.
Mrs Rinehart also briefly visited the Lady Bjelke-Petersen Community Hospital to see a new sign which has been recently installed to acknowledge her generous support, which enabled the hospital to re-open.
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