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Fly the flag, slap on the zinc cream and belt out the national anthem at any number of Australia Day activities across the region.
Customer Services portfolio leader and Australia Day Committee chair Cr Anne Glasheen says Toowoomba Regional Council and local Australia Day committees are inviting residents to celebrate our national day on Saturday, January 26th.  There will be fun and entertainment throughout the region and we’d love mum and dad and the family to come along and share a special day together,” Cr Glasheen said.

We truly are a lucky country and it is the perfect time to get together with friends from the community and join in the festivities to mark our proud history.” Cr Glasheen said Australia Day activities would be held at Clifton, Highfields, Goombungee, Cecil Plains, Yarraman, Crows Nest, Pittsworth, Hodgson Vale, Oakey and Toowoomba.

What’s On:
Toowoomba – Picnic Point
· 7.45am: Caledonian Pipe Band
· 8am: Flag raising. Free billy tea, damper, flag handwavers (limited supply).
Also, 8am-3pm: PCYC All Abilities and Disability specific sports display
· 8.10am: Toowoomba Municipal Band
· 8.50am: Bush Poet
· 9am: Cactoblastis
· 9.30am: High Altitude Harmony.
· Free children’s activities (limited snow cones, fairy floss, temporary tattoos)
· 10am: Bush Poet
· 10.10am: Mosaic Judy
· 11.05am: Bush Poet
· 11.15am: Australia Day Awards presentation
· 11.30am: Free sausage sizzle (limited supply), The Webb Family band
· 12.15pm: Bollywood Dancers
· 12.30pm: Scout Revue
· 1pm: Dance Central
· 1.30pm: Penny Davies and Roger Ilott
· Organised activities until 3pm

Please note: Picnic Point’s top car park will be closed on Saturday, January 26 for the duration of Australia Day celebrations. The car park will be closed to all traffic from 4am to 3pm.

Cecil Plains – Memorial Hall Park
· 7-9am: Free breakfast
· Includes games and activities – egg and spoon race, tug-o-war, thong throwing
· 9am: Official ceremony and presentation of Australia Day Awards followed by mini triathlon with categories for children and adults. Barbecue lunch available

Clifton – F E Logan Hall, Meara Place, Clifton
· 7am: Flag raising, National Anthem
· 7.05am: Australia Day Prayer
· 7.15-8.15am: Free barbecue breakfast
· 7.15-8.30am: Nobby Barefoot Folk Orchestra; Tony Fenner (poetry)
· 8.30am: Lucky breakfast draw
· 8.35am: Addresses, including Australia Day Ambassador Christopher Raine, Awards presentation
· 9.15am: Cake cutting, damper for A 26ers

Crows Nest – Community and RSL Centre
· 6.30am: Cooked breakfast with tea/coffee for $2 donation. Cooked by Lions Club, served by Boys’ Brigade members – sausage and bread for children
· 7.30am: Flag wavers distributed
· 8-9am: Flag raising, national anthem, Australia Day Prayer, affirmation address by 2013 Crows Nest State School captains
· Guest speaker: 2012 Young Citizen and Regional award winner Samantha Gluer
· Presentation of Australia Day Awards
· Announcement of Regional Australia Day awards and Groom Scholarship recipient
· Naming of best damper cook
· 9am: Morning tea with competition dampers

Goombungee – Goombungee Public Hall
· 8-9.30am: Community breakfast
· 9am-noon: family activities: face painting, races, jumping castle, big
· slide, backyard cricket
· 10am: Australia Day Awards. Includes guest speakers and official ceremony (Acknowledgment of traditional owners, national anthem, community reflection, affirmation followed by Australia address)
· Closing address

Highfields – Highfields Pioneer Village, Wirraglen Road

· 9am-1.30pm: Activities including Aboriginal art display, milking and butter making, draft horse, sheep shearing and bee keeping displays, damper making demo and competition, whip cracking school, wheel tyring at the blacksmith’s shop.
· 2pm: Official Australia Day program starts. Didgeridoo performance – Don Nikkelson; Flag raising, national anthem; Welcome new citizens, guest speakers including Australia Day Ambassador Daphne Pirie, awards presentation; Trevor Dodds – I Still Call Australia Home
· 2.30-3.30pm: Free billy tea, damper. Musical entertainment continues

Hodgson Vale – Hodgson Vale Community Sports Club (Maydean Place)
· 8.30-10am: Free breakfast, children’s games (face painting, jumping castle, egg throwing comp and more), entertainment by James Anderssen
· 10.30am to noon: Official award ceremony, flag raising. Guest speaker and Australia Day Ambassador Professor John Pearn AM

Oakey – Oakey Cultural Centre
· 7.30am: Community breakfast
· 8.45am: Awards presentation, Australia Day Ambassador Uncle Albert Holt
· 9.45am: Morning tea
Oakey – Arthur Shooter Park
· 10.30am-noon: Oakey Creek Cup raft race and other creek-based activities (canoe races, billy boiling competition, Oakey Freshwater Fish Restockers display, Condamine Alliance river rescue displays and demonstrations, carp busting competition, remote control boats, magnetic fishing, water pistol war, waterslide and entertainment.)
· Stay on for a picnic after the formal program

Pittsworth – Pioneer Village, Pioneer Way
· 4pm: Face painting, balloon tricks, treasure hunt for Under 5s
· 4.30-6pm: Frisbee throwing (12 and under). Other events include men’s thong throwing, women’s shopping bag throwing, egg throwing in junior categories, Mums’ pram race (BYO pram), Under 5 egg and spoon race
· 5pm: Billy cart race (John Stephens Memorial – check in 4.30pm)
· 5.15pm: Children’s tug-o-war
· 5.30pm: Crosscut saw competition (men’s, women’s, jack and jill events)
· 6pm: Postle Gift – 75 yard sprint (Under 10 boys/girls; Under 14 boys/girls; Under 16 boys; Under 16 girls/women; open sprint)
· 7pm: Official ceremony – National Anthem/flag raising (Pittsworth Army cadets). Official address, Australia Day Ambassador Charlie Earp. Presentation of Australia Day Awards, event prizes and Gift trophies
· 7.45pm: Tug-o-war
· Ridgy Didge Bush Band plays throughout the program
· Organised activities until 9pm

Yarraman – Yarraman Memorial Hall, Browne Street
· 8.30am for 9am start: sit-down breakfast
· 10am: Presentation of Australia Day Awards
· 10.30am: Coffee and socialising

Information Provided By:
Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
Toowoomba Service Centre
Toowoomba Regional Council

Fred Brophy OAM is the last of the traveling boxing tent showmen. A fourth generation ‘carny’, Brophy is virtually the last man standing in this time-honoured sport that is every bit Australian as vegemite, Holden cars and kangaroos. It’s a sport that was part of the culture at Australian shows and events going back 50 years or so, and now it’s a dying tradition.

The Fred Brophy Boxing Tent is coming to Toowoomba for Australia Day 26th January at the Newtown Hotel. There, young men will hear the call ‘Roll up boys and try your luck against some of Australia’s great tent fighters’. As part of the visit, the Burke and Wills Hotel will host a Sporting luncheon on Friday 25th January featuring the legendary Brophy as the guest speaker – with all the proceeds from the luncheon going to the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation. Patrons will here a tale or two from the revered showman during an insightful interview by the luncheon MC, Lee Faulkner.

During the lunch there will be a charity auction, with some great prizes, including a signed and framed 2012 Queensland State of Origin jersey and a magnum of 1995 Grange (currently available online for $1450 – $2000). There will also be a multi-draw raffle, while McWilliams Wines and XXXX have generously agreed to supply the refreshments.

Tickets are selling fast but there are still a few tables available. Individual tickets are only $59 each or Business/Corporate sponsors pay only $549 for a table of 10. They can be purchased from the Burke and Wills on 1800 633 679.

Submitted by:
Peter Rookas
Toowoomba Hospital Founndation
Ph 4616 6166

The Federal Attorney-General and Minister for Emergency Services,  Nicola Roxon visited Toowoomba on January 10th, 2013 to mark the second anniversary of the devastating floods.

The flooding in Toowoomba, Murphy’s Creek, Grantham and the Lockyer Valley claimed 20 lives.

During a special morning tea, Minister Roxon met with SES volunteers, members of Emergency Services Queensland Counsellors and other dignitaries in Toowoomba to recognise and praise their efforts during one of the region’s darkest times.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1e1JD-p2f0?[/youtube]
The Minister, TRC Mayor Paul Antonio, members of the SES and those involved in the flood recovery effort also visited three sites to inspect flood rebuilding efforts which are still continuing.

Submitted by:
Kathryn Doyle
Online Communities Officer
Stakeholder Engagement and Communications
Toowoomba Regional Council

The Christmas Tree Festival at St Luke’s is in its 6th and final year – Christmas Tree Festival chairman Mr Stephen Buckley says there are no plans to hold the Festival again in the future. Attendances are up, and he is urging those who haven’t visited as yet to do so to experience the Toowoomba Christmas Tree Festival with over 90 decorated trees while the opportunity is there.

Toowoomba’s Christmas Tree Festival Music Program (Days Remaining)
Lunchtime Concerts from 12.30pm
Evening Concerts from 7.00pm     

MON 17th Dec  The Shaw Brothers     Sing Australia

Tues 18th Dec    TBA     Toowoomba Caledonian Pipe Band

Wed 19th Dec     TBA       6pm Christingle/7pm Festival Finale

Enquiries: Stephen Buckley
Phone: 0407 142 259

St Luke’s Anglican Church on the corner of  Herries and Ruthven Streets, Toowoomba will be holding a candlelight vigil from 5pm this afternoon with prayers for those who have lost their lives in the school shooting in Connecticut, USA , and for their families. All are welcome.

Submitted by:
Stephen Buckley
for St Luke’s Toowoomba

The Silver Spike refers to the traditional method of laying rail track. Queensland Rail, in celebrating more than 145 years of rail history dating back to the bygone era of manual tracklaying, started a competition more than 20 years ago.
‘Silver Spike Teams’ compete to see which team can lay a 13m length of track in the fastest time.

Three members of the current champion team were at Highfields Pioneer Village recently to put down rail track in front of the historic Gore Railway Station which was moved from near Inglewood and now resides at the Village.

 
Once the railway line is in place, Highfields Pioneer Village Volunteers will start restoring two old QR track inspection cars, a Level Crossing and a set of very old iron railway gates of historical significance. Thanks to the Silver Spike Team the track will be completed  in time for the upcoming Australia Day Celebrations at the Village on Saturday the 26th January 2013 for the enjoyment of the visitors.

This is an opportunity to remind the community that the Highfields Pioneer Village is a not for profit group totally manned by volunteers dedicated to preserving the history of the Darling Downs for future generations. Entry fees: $8 per adult; $6 concession; $20 per family of two adults and four children.

The Village is open 7 days a week from 10am – 4pm except Christmas Day at 73 Wirraglen Road, Highfields. Please phone 07 4696 6309 for more information.

Submitted by:
Jody Dodds
Treasurer
Highfields Pioneer Village, Museum and Park Inc.