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USQ Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Lynne Hunt will be the special guest speaker at a breakfast in Toowoomba as part of Domestic Violence month activities.

Professor Hunt has an extensive background in the research of Domestic Violence and related health issues. She has also produced a number of publications and journals in the area of women’s health & is an internationally acclaimed speaker.

The Toowoomba Says No to Violence (TSN2V) committee and both Zonta Toowoomba & Zonta Toowoomba Garden City clubs are hosting the breakfast at Angelo’s House on Wednesday 12th May at 6.45am as part of Domestic Violence awareness month in Toowoomba. Sadly, Domestic and Family Violence are prevalent in our community and it hurts everyone. The social and economic cost of violence is staggering and the community should not turn a ‘blind eye’ to its presence.

The TSN2V committee is committed to curbing violence in the Toowoomba community and is conducting a number of events to heighten awareness and spread the message that violence in any form is not acceptable in Toowoomba.

The DV Breakfast with Professor Lynne Hunt will bring home that message and the community, plus business & civic leaders, are invited to attend. Cost is $30 for a hot breakfast plus fruit & yoghurt platters and tickets can be booked by contacting Angelo’s House on Ph. 4659 9200. Credit Card facilities are available. There are limited tickets available and RSVP is by 5.00pm Tuesday 11th May.

Peter Rookas CEO
Toowoomba Hospital Foundation
peter_rookas@health.qld.gov.au
Ph. (07) 46166166
Fax. (07) 46166177
Mobile. 0418-713138

State Member for Toowoomba North, Kerry Shine is encouraging Queenslanders to celebrate International Guide Dog Day on Wednesday 28 April.  Mr Shine said Guide Dogs Queensland, which turns 50 this year, was a local icon worthy of all Queenslanders’ support.

The guide dogs trained by Guide Dogs Queensland make an enormous difference to the quality of life of people with a sight disability. These dogs help thousands of vision-impaired Queenslanders to remain active in their communities and live independently.”

The Bligh Government recognises the great job Guide Dogs Queensland has done over five decades, and look forward to working with them for the next five decades.”

Mr Shine went on to say  the Bligh Government was committed to stamping out discrimination against people who rely on guide dogs.

Tough new penalties came into force last year for anyone refusing service to people with a disability because they have a guide dog,” he said. These include fines of up to $10,000 for individuals, and up to $50,000 for businesses that don’t do the right thing. We want to send out a very clear message that discrimination against people with guide dogs is not on and anyone who refuses service to people with a guide dog will face the full force of the law”.

Further Information:
Phone: 4638 5755  Fax: 4638 4056  Email: toowoomba.north@parliament.qld.gov.au

Tiffany Zimmermann is a firm believer in pursuing academic dreams.

This Saturday (April 24), when the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Master of Mental Health Nursing graduate steps onto the stage to accept her Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Award for the highest grade point average, it will be a triumph over a difficult childhood and troubled teenage years.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the life I have now or the achievements I have made, it blows me away,” she said. I would never have considered that one day I would have a Bachelor’s Degree, a Master’s Degree and be working towards a third degree.”

Tiffany, 36, a mother-of-two who was born in Toowoomba, describes her past as somewhat gruesome.  I was raised by a single parent and moved around a lot – 10 moves and nine schools by the time I was 14,” she said.

I was put in the care of the Department of Child Safety Services at 14 years old, kicked out of home at 16, unemployed and living in a caravan in Miles at 17 and pregnant at 18.”

At 20 years old, Tiffany undertook a natural therapies course and discovered she had a passion for women’s health. I decided I wanted to be a private midwife and repeat Year 12 so that I could go to uni.”

Since then, Tiffany has undertaken study in pregnancy counselling, completed a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing Science and a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Nursing, and is currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s Degree in Midwifery. I am also planning to train as a doula later this year,” she said.

Currently residing in Cairns with her husband Rene (a doctor), daughter Ivory and son Raven, Tiffany said her dream was to work as a private midwife, providing community and home-based intrapartum care and birthing services to women and their families.

I would like to find a way to meld my mental health training with midwifery training,” she said. ‘”I have a particular interest also in perinatal mental health and am part of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health group in Cairns.  I would like to do a doctorate one day and maybe write a book about hyperemesis gravidarum (a severe form of morning sickness) for Australian women.”

Tiffany will join more than 1100 Sciences and Education students celebrating the conferring of their degrees during USQ’s Autumn Graduation Ceremonies at the Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre this Saturday,  April 24.

The Faculty of Education graduation ceremony will be held at 10am and the Faculty of Science graduation ceremony will get underway from 2.30pm.

Submitted by Madeleine Tiller, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 1163, 0400 025 429

Come and  ‘Experience Pioneer Life at Highfields Pioneer Village on Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday, April 3rd, 4th and 5th, 2010.

Milk a cow, crack a whip or be a blacksmith. Enjoy Billy tea and damper, Grand Parade , baby animals in the nursery, great food, entertainment all through the day  with special guest Jeff Brown  are only a few of the features! You don’t even have to love history or be a vintage  machinery buff to enjoy this Festival.  It is an affordable, entertaining weekend for all ages.

Highfields Pioneer Village is in Wirraglen Road, Highfields. For more information call 4696 6309 or visit  www.eastervintagefestival.com