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Hello from Toowoomba’s Christmas Tree Festival!

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Hello from Toowoomba’s Christmas Tree Festival!

It’s on again in 2016 at Middle Ridge Uniting Church, Stenner Street, Toowoomba  from the 7th to the 16th of December

The theme for this year is ‘Christmas around the World‘.

Visitors to the festival are asked to contribute a gold coin donation which will be distributed to two south-east Queensland charities. 2016 donations will be made to Buy a Bale and Kairos Prison Ministries.

Again there will be the Empty Christmas Tree where visitors can bring non-perishable food or gifts to place under this tree. These offerings will be arranged into hampers to distribute according to family needs.

A Toowoomba Philharmonic Choir performing at the 2016 Opening Night

As in previous years, entertainment will be provided at 10:30am and 7:00pm, and the Festival is open from 9am to 9pm each day. Free refreshments include tea or coffee with Christmas cake or slice. In addition, Devonshire teas will be available for purchase.

Each evening from 5:00pm – 7:30pm the Rotary Club of Toowoomba will be operating a sausage sizzle from their catering van.

Throughout the festival a craft stall will be open offering lots of Christmas gifts.

Don’t forget to keep in touch via our Facebook page or contact us by email or telephone (07) – 4636 3850

First Sighting In 100 Years!

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Scientists have sighted a fledgling Night Parrot for the first time at Bush Heritage Australia’s Pullen Pullen Reserve in Queensland, confirming the 56,000-hectare nature refuge is successfully protecting a breeding population of one of the world’s rarest birds.

A young fledgling appeared from a hummock of spinifex in the late afternoon, and University of Queensland scientists Nick Leseberg and James Watson were able to photograph and observe the fledgling from a safe distance.

night-parrot-fledgling_credit-james-watson
Night Parrot (Janes Watson Photo)

“It was amazing, and we are privileged because this is the first Night Parrot fledgling that has been seen or recorded in nearly 100 years,” said PhD candidate Nick Leseberg.

The fledgling was observed at Pullen Pullen as part of Bush Heritage Australia’s ongoing Night Parrot research and recovery program that is building new knowledge about the rare, rediscovered bird.

Over three years, researchers led by Australia’s foremost Night Parrot expert, Dr Steve Murphy, have spent more than 250 days in the field at Pullen Pullen.

They have carried out the world’s first GPS-tracking of the nocturnal birds, installed 60 song meters (sound recorders) in the landscape, and collected a staggering 20 years of recordings that contain more than 5,000 Night Parrot calls.
“We’ve taken a great leap forward in understanding that the birds use a range of habitats beyond spinifex…we now know they don’t just rely on plants for their water needs and are more vulnerable than we first thought to predation from feral cats along creek lines,” said Dr Murphy.rob-murphy-paul-hales-annette-ruzicka

The next steps in the research program at Pullen Pullen involve further study into what plant species Night Parrots feed on and what habitats they use seasonally over the year; investigation of their breeding biology, including nesting success rates and how climate and landscape conditions affect nesting; and what impact climate change may have on Night Parrot survival.

This ongoing research will be supported by the University of Queensland, Bush Heritage Australia and the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Programme through the Threatened Species Recovery Hub.

Temporary Closure Of Museum

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Temporary Closure Of Museum

marian-jonesMarian Jones president of the Milne Bay Military Museum would like to inform the residents of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs and the  Museum’s patrons that the Milne Bay Military Museum will be closed to the public to enable maintenance and refurbishment to take place from the 17th November, 2016.

The Museum is planning to reopen in early 2017, hopefully on Tuesday, 3rd January.

The Milne Bay Military Museum would like to thank the community of Toowoomba and surrounding areas for their continued support and looks forward to reopening in the New Year with an Open Day on Saturday,  7th January, 2017.

Submitted by:
Marian Jones
President
Milne Bay Military Museum

2016 Gidgee Coal Awards In Pittsworth

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2016 Gidgee Coal Awards In Pittsworth

Pittsworth. Queensland 14TH †20TH November 2016

Featuring:

Chad Morgan—Rex Dallas—Zeta Burns—Johnny Greenwood—Kylie Castle—Sharon Heaslip—Ken Lindsay—Bec Hance—Pete Wilson—Bruce Lavender—Gary Fogarty—Ray Essery—Keith Jamieson—Alisha Smith—Caitlyn Jamieson—Kev Groves and other 2016 Gidgee Coal Awards finalists (see below)…..

 

Gidgee Coal  Bush Ballad Awards Finalists
for 2016

ALBUM

Sharon Heaslip – “A Year of Firsts”

Michael Clare – “Sixty-three”

Jeff Brown – “Wanderin’ Man” – Winner

MALE VOCAL

Dale Duncan – “My Dog Nui Dat”

Jeff Brown – “Wanderin’ Man” – Winner

Michael Clare – “Australia We Love You”

FEMALE VOCAL

Dianne Lindsay – “Charlie”

Sharon Heaslip – “The Drover and The Brumby” – Winner

Rachel Jillett – “Blue Gums Calling Me Back Home”

GROUP OR DUO/COLLABORATION

Mark Lavender & Kathryn Coad – “Running from the Rain”

Jeff Brown & Anne Kirkpatrick – “Orchid Street” – Winner

Dianne Lindsay & Peter Simpson – “Brigalow Bill”

SONGWRITING

Dianne Lindsay & Peter Simpson – “Charlie”

John O’Dea & Ray Essery – “The Patchwork Quilt” – Winner

Jeff Brown & Vaughan Baker – “In the Bed He’ll Never Leave”

NEW TALENT

Dianne Coombes – “The Grey the Black and the Bay”

Michael Clare – “Here in Hay” – Winner

Mark Lavender & Kathryn Coad – “Running from the Rain”

COMEDY/NOVELTY

Sharon Heaslip – “Grandma Doin’ Bootcamp”

Michael Clare – “The Neighbours Turned New Age” – Winner

Jeff Brown & Chad Morgan – “Petticoat Rule”

INSTRUMENTAL

Lindsay Waddington – “By a Fire of Gidgee Coals”

Terry Bennetts – “Pardoo Station” – Winner

Ginger Cox – “Country Way”

chad-morganThe Winners concert is being held at the Pittsworth Town Hall from Midday on Sunday, 20th November-winners of the Gidgee Coal awards will be announced and performances by winners and special guest artists including the Sheik from Scrubby Creek, Chad Morgan.

A BBQ lunch will be available prior to concert from 11am at the Town Hall, and a courtesy bus will be available from the showgrounds to the Town Hall – Tickets $20 at the door.

The dates for the next Gidgee Coal Bush Ballad Awards are 13 †19 November 2017. 

 

 

Shanghai Surprise: More on Private Data Flowing Overseas

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Shanghai Surprise: More on Private Data Flowing Overseas

Call on Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate reports of local mobile phones having data secretly sent to China

Senator Stirling Griff has today written to the Privacy Commissioner calling for an urgent investigation into reports that tens of thousands of Australian pre-paid mobile phones may have been automatically transmitting sensitive data to a Chinese company, located in Shanghai, without the phone users’ consent.

Senator Griff has also called on Telstra, which has partnered with Huawei and ZTE, to give a “full explanation” to customers as to whether several of their branded Android phone models have been involved in any privacy breach.

Reports from the New York Times and respected technology website ChannelNews state that the data of customers of Telstra branded phones include location information, the full body of text messages, contact lists and call history. Text messages and call logs are reportedly being transmitted every 72 hours and other data every 24 hours.

“These revelations, if correct, are a stunning breach of privacy that requires immediate action by the Privacy Commission. Telstra needs to either guarantee this has not happened, or if it has, notify all customers and compensate them for such a gross breach of privacy,” Senator Griff said.

Senator Griff has also asked the Privacy Commissioner to investigate whether any other Telco carriers in Australia have sold the Android phones in question.

The move by Senator Griff, Communications spokesperson for NXT, follows his call yesterday with his colleague Nick Xenophon for sweeping reforms to the offshoring of data overseas, following the Indian call centre scandals revealed by Fairfax yesterday. For a link to yesterday’s media release ‘Information Overboard’ click here.

Senator Xenophon said “this latest revelation highlights the need for much tougher safeguards for data breaches and penalties, and for compensation mechanisms to be put in place to ensure companies do everything possible to prevent their customers’ data and privacy being compromised.”

For further details please contact (preferably via text) Stirling Griff on 0413 999 100 or Nick Xenophon on 0411 626 677.

Information Overboard!

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Information Overboard!

Off-shore call centres scandal sparks move for major reforms

A scandal involving massive privacy breaches of Australian companies with Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, has sparked moves for a major overhaul of privacy laws and personal accountability of company directors.

The details were revealed in an investigative report published by Fairfax that found: “Corrupt insiders at offshore call centres are offering the private details of Australian customers of Optus, Telstra and Vodafone for sale to anyone prepared to pay.”

NXT Senators Nick Xenophon and Stirling Griff (Communications spokesperson for the team, and a former telecommunications business owner) have called for a series of reforms and remedies including:

1. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone to notify all their customers of the privacy breaches and the ramifications on a voluntary basis, ahead of legislation mandating disclosure currently before parliament

2. Directors of companies to face prosecution and fines if they fail to have robust and comprehensive systems in place to protect against privacy breaches

3. Making compensation payable for breaches, without the current requirement to prove actual damage for customers whose privacy has been breached

4. A requirement for Australian customers of companies based in Australia – such as Telcos, banks and utilities – to provide written consent before their information can be sent overseas.

Senators Xenophon and Griff have also called for a review of maximum civil penalties which are currently up to $1.7 million for companies and $340,000 for individuals.

“This latest scandal shows how vulnerable Australians are to their privacy being trashed by their personal details and data being sent overseas,” said Nick.

“There needs to be strong penalties in place on company directors to ensure they have done everything reasonably practical to prevent these privacy breaches in the first place,” said Stirling.

  • Call for company directors to be personally liable for offshoring privacy breaches
  • Move to increase fines for breaches, and for victims to claim compensation
  • Australians should give written consent before their information goes overseas

In the banking and financial services sector alone, it is believed well over 7,000 jobs have been lost to cheaper overseas labour where customers’ personal details have been offshored including: phone numbers, home addresses, dates of birth, passport numbers, wages and salary details, assets and liabilities, marital status, employment histories and pins.

For further details please contact (preferably by text) Nick Xenophon on 0411 626 677 or Stirling Griff on 0413 999 100

Lancaster NN775 And F/Sgt Allen Olsen of Toowoomba

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We have been contacted by Benjamin Cleynens in the hope that you may know of the whereabouts of Allan Olsen’s surviving relatives, and that this story may be of interest to you.

piotr-forkasiewicz-aviation-illustration-intothedarknessOn March 5, 1945, an RAF Lancaster bomber crashed into a meadow of  the Flemish village of Bunsbeek in Belgium (now part of Glabbeek municipality). The whole crew perished and rests now at Heverlee Military Cemetery.

This incident was etched into the mind of countless villagers of Bunsbeek. Finally, two local enthousiasts, André Bruyninckx and Ben Cleynen contacted Mayor Peter Reekmans. Together with two aviation archaeology societies (Planehunters and BAHAAT) it was decided to form a project group to investigate the site with modern technologies.

A preliminary analogue detection revealed that many parts of the Lancaster were still buried on the spot.  This was confirmed during a magnetometric scan by Bom-Be, which revealed that the whole silhouette of the wartime bomber is still visible.

Two well-known Flemish battlefield archaeologists, Simon Verdegem and Maarten Bracke, joined the team in order to guarantee that this project, with permission of the Flemish official archaeological board, is conducted in a scientific way. Since it is expected from witnesses that most of the famous bomber is still buried, though in a battered and damaged state, a preliminary dig and geophysical survey is to be made.  This archaeological project might reveal a unique insight into this particular aspect of aerial warfare, more than 70 years ago.

The excavation is planned during the weekend of November 11, 2016. Depending on the results, an exposition is planned in 2017.

One of the crewmembers was F/Sgt Allan Olsen from Toowoomba. You can look at Allan Olsen’s military file which is available on-line from the National Archives of Australia. The link is: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=5536616

We have found Sally Olsen in New Zealand, but we are still searching for the two cousins who we think are living in Toowoomba. Maybe you can help me with this? You can find the story on: http://lancasterglabbeek.weebly.com/english.html

Coincidence: We are going to start the excavation on the anniversary of the birthday of Allan – 11/11/1923.

Very Best regards

Benjamin Cleynen

Belgium

New National Food Platform Launch

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New National Food Platform Launch

Local food entrepreneur Josie Townsend has announced a new national food and farmer online connection platform. The co-operative welcomes the opportunity to partner for some focussed outcomesfor promotion of micro, small and large businesses that sit in the food, farming and tourism sectors.


The online platform (www.mylocalfeast.com.au), which is a website only model at this stage until additional funding is found, is being launched with a small celebration at Canvas Co-working, 625 Ruthven Street at which the community are welcome to join in. Membership will be free until June 2017 for everyone who signs up for the Beta Launch prior to 31st March, 2017.

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