James Cook University (JCU) researchers are calling for urgent government support to protect the spectacled flying-fox from extinction as new and escalating threats push the species closer to the brink. Despite their reputation as noisy and messy neighbours, spectacled flying-foxes play a vital role in the survival of Australia’s rainforests, travelling vast distances to pollinate flowers and spread seeds at levels unmatched by any other species. JCU adjunct associate professor Noel Preece sai
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National Police Remembrance Day Today, the community of Ingham came together to pay tribute to the brave men and women of the Queensland Police Service who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The National Police Remembrance Day Service, held at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, offered a solemn and poignant moment for reflection, remembrance, and respect. Since 1861, 151 Queensland Police officers have lost their lives while protecting and serving communities across the state.
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Each year, a team of Hinchinbrook Emergency Services Cadets travels to Brisbane to attend the prestigious ESCAPE Week, a program that brings together cadets from across Queensland to experience life at multiple emergency services. This year, three Hinchinbrook cadets participated: two senior cadets attending as leaders and one as a program participant, accompanied by Cadet Coordinator Mark Regazzoli. The week kicked off at Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ), Bribie Island, where cadets underwent an
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The Hurley Bus Since launching in December last year, the Hurley Bus has already completed more than 400 bookings, providing free transport for elderly, frail, and palliative community members. The service, run entirely by volunteers through the Ingham Palliative Carers Committee, offers a safe, reliable, and compassionate way for people to stay connected and attend important appointments. The eight-seat bus is wheelchair accessible and travels throughout Ingham, the surrounding districts, Card
Read the full storyWe all know it’s the people who make Queensland truly legendary. And when disaster strikes, it’s often the quiet heroes who rise to the challenge without fanfare or fuss. Carina Chesson is one of those heroes. Recognised as one of this year’s Queensland Day's five Local Legends, Carina showed what it means to step up for your community when it needs you most. From heart to hand, her actions during the devastating February floods in Ingham proved that greatness lives in compassion, grit and relentless care.
Recognising Carina Chesson A Queensland Day Local Legend
Premier David Crisafulli recognised Carina Chesson as 'a teacher who was a lifeline for her community during the Ingham floods,' as when historic flooding hit Hinchinbrook in early 2025, Carina became a community powerhouse. Turning her own home into a hub of action and care, and through the 'TRAVEL, TOURISM & Flood CHATTER BOX – Hinchinbrook & Ingham' Facebook page, she kept thousands updated with real-time flood information, donation drop-off points, fuel alerts, road closures, and rescue contacts.
Working with SES and Defence Force crews, Carina ferried food and supplies, helped locate safe accommodation for stranded families, and coordinated care for the lost and isolated. She handed out essentials, tracked down urgent items, performed welfare checks, and lifted up the spirits and actions of her fellow volunteers. She also helped notify pet owners of stranded animals and made sure families knew where to go and what services were still operating.
Her steady, loving message was always: “Please be patient. Please be kind.”
“I helped ferry food for the police and the unsung heroes; the delivery truck drivers who were the true heroes collecting food, fuel, and generators non-stop for 7 days through torrential downpours. I made sure they were fed and had hot drinks to sustain them also,” Carina said.
“With so much trauma at the disaster centre at my place-of-work the cyclone shelter (Ingham State High School’s auditorium), to assisting everyone there, whilst maintaining constant checking in on the elderly around town whose children could not check on them, themselves. Lots had to be done, and you have to soldier on and do it.”
“Having this recognition is extremely humbling and even embarrassing, as there were hundreds of others helping out as well, throughout the whole Hinchinbrook Shire."
Amid all this, Carina also became a grandmother for the first time, celebrating the arrival of her granddaughter even as she cared for so many others.
Whether she was making hot drinks for delivery drivers, helping people fill out recovery paperwork, cooking, cleaning and comforting, running her veranda like a laundry, and never asking others to do what she wouldn’t, or just relaying updates in moments of chaos, Carina showed resilience, empathy and the true spirit of a Queensland legend.
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