Australia Day 2012

Nominations are now open for the 2012 Australia Day Awards.

Tablelands Regional Council wants to hear about people in your community that give their own time and energy for the benefit of the community - it could be someone who donates their time to a local charity, is heavily involved in improving the environment or has been the driving force behind initiatives in your community.

Nominations can be made in the following categories:

Citizen Award, Young Citizen, Community Event, Coach/Sport Administrator, Senior Sports, Junior Sports, Senior Cultural, Junior Cultural, Senior Community Service, Junior Community Service, Commerce & Industry, Environmental Excellence, and Quiet Achievers Award.

Nomination forms are available here or from the Council offices at Atherton, Mareeba, Malanda and Herberton.

Nominations close at 4.30pm on Wednesday 11 January 2012. Nominations can be mailed to Events Coordinator, PO Box 154, Mareeba 4880, can be emailed to staceym [at] trc [dot] qld [dot] gov [dot] au or faxed to 4092 3323.

A regional Australia Day event will be staged at Atherton International Club on 26 January 2012.

Australia Day competitions now open

Faces and Places of the Tablelands
Creative writing for school children
Creative drawing for young children

Three competitions will allow people of all ages to get involved in 2012 Australia Day celebrations being staged by Tablelands Regional Council.

Tableland Newspapers, which takes in the Tablelander and Tablelands Advertiser, are sponsors of the competitions and will help to promote them over the coming weeks.

Faces and Places photographic competition

This annual competition is open to everyone and aims to capture the character of our beautiful environment and country towns, as well as our people.

This year, the photo competition features six categories:

1. The Big Picture ….. Landscapes
2. Strike a Look ….. Portraits and People
3. Capture the Action …. Sports and Action
4. Call of the Wild … Wildlife and Nature
5. Shades of Grey …. Black and White
6. Creative expression …. Editing and Manipulation

The images entered into the competition will form a pictorial display at the Council's regional Australia Day event to be held at the Atherton International Club on 26 January, 2012.

The winners will be announced at the regional Australia Day event. Great prizes will be awarded to first and second in each category.

Entries must be submitted to Tablelands Regional Council by close of business on  Wednesday 18 January, 2012.

Entry forms are available hereor from Council's service centres and libraries. It will also be available at Tableland Newspapers offices in Byrnes St, Mareeba (Advertiser) or in Mabel Street, Atherton (Tablelander).

Creative Writing Competition

This year, school children can get involved with the spirit of Australia Day through a Creative Writing Competition.

Students are invited to enter a short essay on "What Australia means to me" and battle it out for the great cash prizes on offer. Entry is free and entries must be in by 1 December 2011.

There are three categories - Years 3-4, Years 5-7 and High School. Cash prizes will be awarded for first and second.

Junior Drawing Competition

This year, young children can enter a creative drawing competition, with the artwork theme to be "What Australia means to me". The competition is open to children from Prep to Years 2.
Children can enter artwork on an A4 page and prizes for this competition will be given in first and second place.

Entry is free and entries must be in by 1 December 2011.

For inquiries about the above competitions, email Stacey on staceym [at] trc [dot] qld [dot] gov [dot] au or call 1300 362 242.

Celebrating Australia Day on the Tablelands

The Australia Day spirit will be well and truly alive across the Tablelands region on 26 January when celebrations take place in a number of communities.

Tablelands Regional Council will host the Regional Australia Day event at the Atherton International Club from 4pm on Thursday 26 January.

The event will feature:

• the announcement of the Regional Australia Day Awards
• a display of the "Faces and Places of the Tablelands" Photo Competition and the announcement of winners of the competition
• the winners of the Creative Writing and Creative Drawing competition
• a Citizenship Ceremony; and,
• live entertainment.

The official proceedings will also include special guest speaker, Kevin Wadley who will talk about overseas charity projects he is involved with.

Other centres around the Tablelands are hosting their own events, sponsored by Council. Here is a brief rundown of what's happening:

Ravenshoe

Ravenshoe will be celebrating with a social cricket match of "Dairy Farmers against Potato Growers" to be staged on the second oval of the Ravenshoe High School. There will be a sausage sizzle, children's entertainment and wet canteen. Event kicks off at 10am. For further information call Bert Wilson on 4097 6421.

Mt Garnet

Celebrating with Australia Day in the Park - starting at 6pm at Anniversary Park and featuring a free sausage sizzle, presentation of certificates to quiet achievers in the community, showing of an outdoor film (weather dependent) or indoor at the school's hall, and a damper competition. For further information, call Pat Wilson on 4097 9083.

Herberton

From 7.30am, an Australian Breakfast will be held behind the QCWA Hall, with Billy tea and damper, a sausage sizzle, bacon and eggs, bush poetry and singing. For information: Robbie on 4096 3267.

Yungaburra

From 10am to 1pm, there will be an “Australia Day Brunch" which will be held at the Rec Shed, Memorial Park, Yungaburra. Family entertainment and activities are planned and a BBQ brunch, tea and coffee will be available from 10 am onwards. This event is being subsidised by the YCA and TRC, however, a gold coin donation to help cover some of the costs would be appreciated. Come dressed in an Aussie hat or outfit and you may win a prize under the categories - “Best Aussie Hat” or “Best Aussie Outfit” - and a prize for the “Best Decorated Bike or Scooter”. For further information email Annie at corkies6 [at] bigpond [dot] com or call her on 4095 3431.

Millaa Millaa

It will be "Australia Day in the Park" at Millaa Millaa, with activities to start in Lions Park at 10am. The event will feature a free sausage sizzle, soft drinks and chips. There will be heaps of fun for the family, with a tug-o-war, face painting, three-legged race, sack races and fun games like cricket, tipsy and gumboot throwing, and giveaways. Bring a hat, sunscreen and a chair. The event is being hosted by the Millaa Millaa Chamber of Commerce and the Millaa Millaa Lions Club. Inquiries to Pat Reynolds 0438 965 440, Dora on 4097 2250 or Robyn on 4097 2247.

Innot Hot Springs

It will be all happening at the Innot Hot Springs Hotel/Motel on Australia Day from about 12.30pm. The annual Man and Woman of the Mountain contest will be on again, with competitors expected to drag a tyre up the hill, roll a keg, drink a hot beer and eat a cold pie! There will also be a Spit the Dummy contest and thong-throwing. A sausage sizzle and live music will be on offer during the afternoon. For further information, call Wayne on 4097 0158.