June 22, 2025
by Anne Miller
Can you believe it? South Burnett Online – www.southburnett.com.au – has been running for 25 years!
And until September last year, Dafyd Martindale was faithfully at the helm, day in and day out, writing news stories, updating code and keeping the Daily Calendar ticking over.
In fact, he phoned me to correct a typo in a news story from his hospital bed, only a day or so before he died.
SBO was truly Dafyd’s baby, as I only came on board full-time in 2012.
We had discussed post-retirement succession strategies for some time, opting for a not-for-profit model so that SBO could continue in some form.
Dafyd’s untimely death brought that decision forward.
I unveiled the new structure at the KCCI’s meet’n’greet in Kingaroy last week.
Here is my speech, which explains the history of SBO and how to become a member of the new association:
* * *
There’s some big changes happening at South Burnett Online …
But first a bit of history:
South Burnett Online was founded in September 1999 by the South Burnett Local Government Association with support from the Networking the Nation program of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, the Tarong Coal Community Development Fund, Australian Cybermalls, and burnett.net.au.
It also received valuable support from the Queensland Department of State Development and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources in Canberra.
The community-based project was fostered by then-SBLGA economic development manager Cameron Bisley.
Its mission was to:
1. Promote the economic growth and development of the South Burnett region
2. Assist the region’s world-class exporting businesses expand their markets
3. Spread knowledge about how to conduct effective online business as widely as possible through our local communities; and
4. Provide a genuine local online service to South Burnett residents.
SBO began operating on the Internet on March 14, 2000, and was corporatised on January 1, 2001.
The sale by the SBLGA to Dafyd Martindale was on condition (listed in the contract) that SBO run the SBLGA’s own website for five years and must “at all times use its best endeavours through South Burnett Online” to facilitate:
1. Strengthening of the small business base of the South Burnett region
2. Fostering extra-regional interest in the South Burnett
3. Marketing the South Burnett region and its products to the world at large; and
4. Developing intra-regional communication and trade.
Dafyd did this for much more than the specified five years.
He supported the ongoing development of SBO with his work as webmaster for the Rosalie, Nanango, Kingaroy, Wondai, Murgon, Kilkivan, Jondaryan and Cambooya shire councils as well as building and updating websites for several South Burnett companies.
Unfortunately the Council work dried up almost overnight with the Council amalgamations in 2008.
My business, AM Publishing, had been working with Dafyd on other projects, including writing and maintaining a website for a large local company. When that decade-long contract ended in 2011, we began to formulate plans to amalgamate our businesses and relaunch South Burnett Online.
It wasn’t that big a stretch to think about full-time news, as I was a journalist and our individual websites had been running “news briefs” for some time.
SBO was relaunched as an online newspaper on April 2, 2012 … at a KCCI meet’n’greet.
The design of South Burnett Online has changed many times over the years … and now the way it will be run into the future is also changing.
Dafyd and I had been discussing the future of SBO for some time and had landed on the idea of creating a not-for-profit association, ie. handing it back to the community from whence it came.
We felt there was just too much history collected over the past 25 years to simply switch it off.
Dafyd’s death last September just hastened this process.
So … tonight, at another KCCI meet’n’greet, we are unveiling the new not-for-profit association, already incorporated and open for membership.
We have a management committee in place and already have signed up some members.
This membership will guide the future of SBO.
It’s success and longevity is now up to all of you …
Interested in becoming a member of the new not-for-profit association? Contact the Secretary by email
All membership applications must be approved by the management committee.
- Read more Editorial columns
I have enjoyed the news stories for many years, and I check in daily to receive my ‘updates’.
I believe the success of people like me checking in daily is due to good journalism.
For me I have little interest in user-submitted articles. If I start seeing SBRC selfies for every footpath upgrade and community group meeting the councillors attend, you’ve lost me!
What’s unclear to me in the above story is what the structure might look like going forward. Is there an intent for independent journalists to tell the real story?
Thank you, Michael, for your support. I can assure you that the intention is to keep South Burnett Online running the same way as it is now, and with the aim of training a new journalist (or two) to help keep the content fresh and relevant.
Both you and Dafyd have provided a great coverage of news across the South Burnett and your What’s On Calendar is the best way for community to find out what’s happening. I believe you have done an amazing job and look forward to seeing community take a bit of the weight off to allow you to continue to cover our news in a fair and unbiased way.
Thank you, Jane!
Hi Anne
Wow 25 years!! How time flies. Very timely to have the history of SBO reflected on as you move into the new structure and thank you for the recognition of my very minor role all those years ago.
I remember meeting Dafyd for the first time in his office at the Ipswich Library where he was working as a digital economy specialist for the Ipswich City Council (ICC). The ICC are today recognised for their pioneering work in this area and had created Australia’s first online community.
This work in Ipswich was led by Neil McPhillips (as Economic Development Manager) and ex-WA Deputy Premier Mal Bryce. Remember in the late 1980s, the internet, email and in particular websites that could facilitate e-commerce were very new :)
I recall asking Neil how we in the South Burnett could join this exciting new world and he generously allowed (on loan) Dafyd to travel to the South Burnett and run a number of workshops highlighting e-commerce and the importance for local business to educate themselves and take advantage of communicating and potentially trading with the world.
Dafyd was such a visionary and inspiration in this space and many local businesses have benefited from this since. (The Peanut Van being a good example – thanks to Chris and Robbie Patch for coming on board in the very early days).
Fortunately, Dafyd fell in love with the region and, in particular, the humble and hardworking people in our community and the rest is history.
I was fortunate to see first hand over all these years how hard and diligently Dafyd worked for the South Burnett community and take this opportunity to personally extend my heartfelt thanks to Dafyd and express my sorrow at his untimely passing.
While I now live outside the region, I am still a regular visitor to SBO to get all my local news (I know there will be lots of people in this category), and I wish all now involved the very best.
Regards
Cam Bisley
Thank you, Cam!
Anne we would like to thank you and Dafyd for the publishing of South Burnett Online for so many years. It has been great working with you and sharing some of your news stories and photos.
We look forward to continuing our relationship and I am only to pleased to provide any photos etc to help you cover such a wide area.
regards
Leo Geraghty
Editor, Murgon Moments, Murgon Business & Development Assoc.
Thank you, Leo!
I pop in here nearly every day to get my news on the local scene. You have no idea how it’s helped, seeing photos of things I can’t attend, finding out about rule changes or council decisions that may affect me, and just plain knowing what’s going on. I’d be lost without it.
Many years ago, I would buy the SBT newspaper, but that all changed as the Net took over, and frankly their online site is more controversial, and designed for clicks. It comes up in my Facebook feed at times, and all I see is it polarises people into *agree or disagree*. Here, we get the facts, not embellished by sensation or a wish for popularity.
That’s real journalism, in a world now given over to shock value.
I’m hoping this site will continue to be the same, reliable news source, standing out for its honesty in a world that’s fast becoming a mish mash of sensationalism. Good on you, for your dedication and effort.