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    London, Paris…Thargomindah

    The rain had set in as we departed Cunnamulla for Thargomindah, with road closures and flooding causing havoc for tourists all over the Outback. Luckily for us the highway out was unaffected. It’s been amazing to see the landscape so green and lush – I gather I am seeing the…

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    Unique eggs and lizard chutes

    Since heading out from Goondiwindi on Wednesday morning, the on-the-road MDOs have headed further west into cotton country, with the first stop Thallon. This little community boasts a supersized art presence, with the grain silos dominating the horizon painted with dazzling murals. William the northern hairy nosed wombat was also…

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    G’day from Gundy (and Texas)

    As part of the MDO role, every so often we hit the road to reconnect with some of the more far-flung communities in our region and get to know the places and people throughout Queensland. As I’m the newest member of the MDO team, as well as not a Queensland…

  • Relaxing the tapa: preparing for Mapoon’s new Cultural Keeping Place

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    Relaxing the tapa: preparing for Mapoon’s new Cultural Keeping Place

    Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council holds a piece of tapa (bark cloth) that is believed to date from the 1900s. It was one of several items bought back to Mapoon in 2015 by Mrs Liz Ashton, granddaughter of Mapoon missionary, Reverend Nicholas Hey. Although the exact provenance of the cloth is…

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    A Tale of Two Rosebuds

    Last year I wrote about the Eleanor, the 22 foot motor launch built in 1913 by Henry Charles Rose and now on display at the Mackay Museum. The Eleanor’s story continues to evolve, with the identification of further items relating to her sister ships, Rosebud and Rosebud II, also held in…

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    Up close & personal: falling in love… with objects

    Sometimes I fall head over heels in love with the objects and collections I work with in far north Queensland. I remember them. I seek them out on site visits to make sure they are still there. I undertake research on them in my spare time, and try to understand…

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    Maritime Museum of Townsville

    A new permanent exhibition has opened at the Maritime Museum of Townsville – Rise of the Port City. The exhibition showcases the Port’s contribution to the development of North Queensland through a series of interpretive panels detailing events by using a timeline approach. There are also a series of virtual…

  • 150ZK: Truth Telling and the Coming of the Light

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    150ZK: Truth Telling and the Coming of the Light

    Two new exhibitions at Gab Titui Cultural Centre, THURSDAY ISLAND On June 17, Gab Titui Cultural Centre opened two new exhibitions to commemorate 150 Years of Coming of the Light. One explores the history and impact of Christianity on the community through an historic timeline. In the other, artists from…

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    A slice of sailing history

    As Museum Development Officers, significance assessments of community collections are a regular and important part of our work. Responding to a request for an assessment and funded by the Community Heritage Grants programme administered by the National Library of Australia, I recently had the opportunity to undertake an assessment of…