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This year, the Royal Bull’s Head Inn at Drayton is responding to the International Museum Day theme of Museums for Social Harmony by hosting a special Edwardian High Tea.

Enjoy delicious treats including scones with jam and cream, caramel tart, blueberry pie, sandwiches, citrus tart, and tropical cream pie served with tea and coffee from 10am on Friday 14, Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 May.  All this, for a very affordable $10 per person!

Explore the Royal Bull’s Head Inn and discover their interesting collections items including a ladies’ green silk bustle skirt from the Victorian era and an original Victorian Chaise Lounge. These demonstrate how early Australians furnished their homes during this period and the types of fashions worn.

Did you know that two drovers accidentally poisoned themselves with arsenic in the upstairs bedrooms of the Royal Bull’s Head Inn and their ghosts are said to wander the building?

Royal Bull’s Head Inn at Drayton is one of many museums and galleries across Queensland taking part in this year’s Museums Alight! Queensland is a culturally rich and diverse State boasting more than 400 museums and public galleries, each with their own unique stories, exhibitions, collections and activities to share.

Visit the Museum and Gallery Services Queensland website www.magsq.com.au for full details of participating Queensland venues and related special events.

The 2010 Northern University Games is coming to Toowoomba, and with it comes lots of volunteer roles for locals interested in sports and events management.

Covering a range of roles in areas such as operations, media, marketing, administration, accreditation, sport planning and special events, the 2010 Northern University Games offers some fantastic opportunities for Toowoomba locals to become involved in a large multisport event.

Returning to Toowoomba for the first time since 2004 the event attracts in excess of 1,000 competitors in 12 sports and is organised by Australian University Sport, the governing body of university sport in Australia.

2010 Northern University Games project manager Paul Sutcliffe has some fantastic roles on offer at the moment. We are currently recruiting for a number of roles that would suit a variety of people, from students looking for a foot in the door in the sports events management industry to retirees who are looking for a new challenge, or a way to become involved in the local community” Mr Sutcliffe said.

Many of our volunteers have used our events as a springboard to launch their career in event management, and with roles ranging from 35 hours to over 100 hours it is a chance to gain some new skills while experiencing the buzz of working on such a large event” said Mr Sutcliffe.

Further information on available roles can be found on the Australian University Sport website  www.unigames.com.au or by calling the 2010 Northern University Games office on (07) 3876 2610.

For further information please contact:
Sarah Wordsworth
Australian University Sport, Ph: 07 3876 2610 Mobile: 0420 839 152
Email: sarah.wordsworth@unisport.com.au

To raise awareness of domestic and family violence in our community, the Toowoomba Domestic and Family Violence  Prevention Service (DFVPS) is holding a Hypothetical entitled “No Wrong Door” on Thursday evening the 27th May 2010.

The latest statistics from the Qld Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research identify that the Toowoomba DFVPS saw 575 new clients in the first quarter of 2010 with just under 85% of these involving spousal and intimate personal violence.

The aim for the hypothetical is to highlight for health practitioners, including medical and allied health personnel as well as community based counsellors and the general public, the complexity involved when working with issues of domestic and family violence.

Participants at the hypothetical will gain exposure to the various organisations and legalities involved, providing them with a useful source of referrals when working with an individual seeking assistance for  domestic violence issues.

The hope is that through this learning experience, individuals who do seek help will find No Wrong Door”. Participation is at NO COST.

No_ Wrong_Doors_Hypothetical Pdf

Reservation is ESSENTIAL.

Hyporegistration form

Could you please fax completed copies back to the Toowoomba DFVPS at 4639 6887. A ticket will be issued once registration is completed.

2^nd June a Corporate lunch in the Empire theatre Church, with the Attorney General, the Hon Cameron Dick, as the speaker. Further information will follow in regards to this event.

Your continued support for prevention of Domestic and Family Violence and the Toowoomba Says No to Violence campaign, is appreciated.

Should you want further information about any of these events feel free to contact me.

Tony Rehn
Crime Prevention Officer
Southern Region
Queensland Police Service
Ph 0746316755 Fax 0746153200
P.O. Box 1333, Toowoomba Qld 4350
QPS website: www.police.qld.gov.au
Crimestoppers 1800333000
Website: www.crimestoppers.com.au

The Rotary Club of Toowoomba East(RCTE)  have been running Tag alongs for the past 15 years…. traditionally we have run OUTBACK GETAWAY bi-annually, which is a fully catered tag along that is accompanied with a 4 piece band and support vehicles, and has auctions of donated goods raising up to $100,000 for various charities.  This year the club is running Happy Trekkers for the first time.

Happy Trekkers is a BYO Tag along that will have Country Singers & Bush Poet entertainment, and vehicle support. We will have a large mobile BBQ & a Wood Chuck Wagon providing fuel for the communal campfire which will be the focal point at night. The adventure will have 3 two night stay’s and 1 one nighter. (And at least 2 locations where an evening meal may be arranged, together with Shearing Quarters type accommodation.) The trek will start at Toowoomba, go West of Tenterfield in the Torrington State Recreation Area & then wind its way East through Washpool National Park, the Yabra National Park, the Richmond Range, the Toonumbar National Park, and the Border ranges taking in some of the best scenery including that on private properties, returning to Toowoomba via Main Range National Park following the head waters of the Murray/Darling waterway in Qld.

We will be staying at a farm stay, a 4wd park, a resort on the Clarence River and a Park and will radiate around those venues sightseeing & enjoying the country-side highlights. Vehicles with low range will be able to traverse all sections, however those without (but with good clearance), will be escorted through alternate routes as appropriate. Off-road campertrailers are welcome but caravans will be unsuitable.  The trip is being supported by members of the Downs 4WD Club who will act as Trek Marshalls” responsible for route matters and safe conduct. The route is planned to be limited to Medium” classification as per Outdoor Sports & Recreation Competency Standards.

The Trek will be leisurely with time to smell the roses” averaging about 300k/day with a lay-day mid week with action contained, on that day  to canoeing, other river activities & Bird watching, or simply relaxing by the Clarence River.

..the HT route takes you through some really fantastic scenery & you will love the Fun & Fellowship!

Monies raised are Tax Deductable & will go to supporting the Toowoomba Hospice.

Further info http://www.toowoombahospice.org.au/index.htm

or on the flyer http://www.campertrailers.org/rotary_tagalong.pdf

Les Webb 07 4630 9818

The Toowoomba Hospice has officially launched the Annual Darling Downs Free Dress Challenge for 2010!

At the Launch, Hospice Chairman Mr Graham Barron OAM encouraged all businesses, clubs, organisations and schools to have a free dress day during the months of May and June to raise funds for the Toowoomba Hospice, “these funds will assist the daily operations of this important community facility providing palliative and respite care for all ages”

The organisers of the Challenge have taken a slightly different angle this year with running the Challenge over a two month period instead of one week  Mr. Barron said This gives the businesses, clubs, organisations and schools a wider time frame to hold their free dress day.  We would like to raise at least $5000 from this fundraiser.”

A Digital Camera, DVD Player and Photographic Portraits are up for grabs for whoever raises the most money. To make it fair for all, especially the ones with a smaller number of participants, the organisers will divide the total money raised to obtain an average per person.

Intending participants can contact Mark Munro, on 07 46598500 OR email admin.toowoombahospice@bigpond.com to register their business, club, organisation or school.

Queensland’s museums and galleries are opening their doors and inviting visitors to join the worldwide celebrations for International Museum Day (18 May) during Museums Alight! which runs from 15 to 23 May 2010.

Now in its sixth year, Museums Alight! is a state-wide annual event presented by Museum and Gallery Services Queensland (M&GSQ) to highlight the great contribution Queensland museums and galleries make to their communities.

This year, Dogwood Crossing @ Miles and Miles Historical Village & Museum are responding to the International Museum Day theme of Museums for Social Harmony by hosting the Through Curious Spaces to Curious Places – Progressive Dinner.

Book now for this great evening to be held on Friday 21 May 2010, starting at Dogwood Crossing @ Miles at 5.30pm. Enjoy drinks while viewing the featured exhibition: Curious Spaces by past and present USQ Spatial Construction Students. Students from the local high school involved in a 3D art workshop with the USQ students will be on hand to show and speak about the installations they created in response to the exhibition.

Next stop is the Miles Historical Village and Museum for main course and dessert.  The evening provides the perfect opportunity to explore the Museum’s original homestead, which is built from timber slabs and was originally the “Hipong” homestead north of Miles. Furnished in period style, the homestead’s dirt floors and open fireplace are grim reminders of pioneering days.  To conclude the evening the radio play “Ghost Bats” by Sally McDonald will be performed by a local cast using the homestead as a backdrop.

Did you know that Dogwood Crossing @ Miles and the Miles Historical Village and Museum are open 7 days a week, 364 days a year, closed only on Christmas Day?

Anne Keam

Cultural Officer at Dogwood Crossing @ Miles Historical Village & Museum

Phone: 07 4628 5566

Email: anne.keam@wdrc.qld.gov.au

Visit the Museum and Gallery Services Queensland website www.magsq.com.au for full details of participating Queensland venues and related special events.

Chloe Sayer, an internationally recognized specialist in Latin American art and culture, will present a lecture for the Toowoomba Group of the Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society (ADFAS) on Tuesday, 18th May. Chloe, who hails from London, will speak on the ground-breaking art of  Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

Kahlo and Rivera have iconic status in Mexico. Responding to the revolutionary fervor that swept Mexico in the early decades of the twentieth century, these two artists helped to shape the cultural identity of contemporary Mexico. Rivera’s vast murals adorn the walls of many public buildings in Mexico and combine social criticism with faith in human progress. Frida Kahlo’s art on the other hand is usually in a small format and often she is the subject of her paintings.

This is a lecture not to be missed by people with an interest in key contributors to the development of international art.

Chloe Sayer’s lecture will be given in the Glennie Room, The Glennie School, Herries Street, Toowoomba on Tuesday 18 May starting at 6.45 pm and will be followed by supper.

Members of the public are welcome to attend. The cost is $20 for persons who are not members of ADFAS. For further information about Chloe Sayer’s lecture and about membership of ADFAS, contact the Secretary of ADFAS, Toowoomba on 07 4636 6164.

Firefighters from across the State will go head-to-head 14^th and 15^th May as the final round of the Road Crash Rescue (RCR) Challenge comes to a thrilling conclusion at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

With the competitive tradition which started at the inaugural National RCR Competition in Brisbane, Queensland in 1995, the Holmatro RCR Challenge trophy has always been a prized possession for all teams striving to attain the top award.

The RCR Competition format provides all participants with the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge, better preparing themselves for ‘real life’ incidents in their work environment and provide a better service to the community. Road Crash Rescue Challenges have been held over the last year, with teams from each region competing against each other for their bid to be judged best in the state”.

Eight teams (including an SES team from Far North Queensland) will line up against each other this Friday (14^th May) and Saturday (15^th May) in a display of strength, courage and comradeship across a number of rescue scenarios in which their technique and skill will be assessed.

It really is a great opportunity for our firefighters and SES teams to show the public, and ultimately each other, the skills and techniques required to rescues lives and save property on a daily basis”, State Road Crash Rescue Challenge Coordinator Grant Gaskin said.

Teams will be competing for a range of trophies and the prestigious title of 2010 State RCR winner. The winning team will go on to represent the State later in the year at the 2010 Australasian Rescue Challenge (ARRO) to be held in Melbourne.

Awards and trophies will be presented to the winners at a presentation dinner on Saturday night 15^th May at the City Golf Club.

In conjunction with the State RCR Challenge a Community Safety Expo with the focus and theme Zero harm to our Community” will also be run over the two days.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to test their driving abilities in the Shared Vision simulator, and Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Drive 4 Life along with many other exhibitors will be on hand  – all with the aim to help save lives through safe driver training, improved road practices and awareness.

For more information:

Di Warr, QFRS SWR Community Liaison Officer Mb: 0407 033 788