This year's ANZAC Day saw hundreds turn out to remember the efforts of Australia and New Zealand's great service men and women. Veterans, schools, clubs and businesses poured into the streets to march in grand parades, and packed in close to attend services held across the Hinchinbrook Shire. Beautiful wreaths were lain and the bugles mournful tones echoed across respectful silences as flags were lowered to half mast. A gunfire breakfast, coffee and traditional ANZAC biscuits kept everyone going
Read the full storyAllan Colquhoun grew up in Sydney, but his life has taken him far beyond the city limits. In his youth, he worked with a station owner named Bob, whose property combined dairy and sheep farming with a focus on Jersey bulls and cows. One vivid memory that’s stayed with him is of Bob chasing down a bull meant for butchering on his stock horse —a beast that, to Allan’s amazement, climbed over the holding fence one hoof at a time to escape. Allan spent most of his working life as a coastal travelle
Read the full storyHinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Tourism held their monthly Coffee Connect last week, being hosted by local business Wild Local. There was a very strong attendance at this event, with Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter and KAP Senate candidate, Robbie Lyon. Rebecca and Dom Zaghini provided a delicious light snacks and gave the audience an overview of their business journey from inception to their current location, the diverse range of products they provide and some insight into t
Read the full storyOver the weekend, the Ingham Kennel Club hosted six rounds of dog shows, featuring judges from across Australia who rotated to ensure fair and balanced competition. Dogs were entered into one of seven group categories, with the Toy Group attracting the largest number of entries. Sunday's shows saw the Italian Greyhound emerge as a standout, making up 20 of the 170 total entries across the weekend. Unique and rarely seen breeds like the Xoloitzcuintli and Briard added excitement to the event, of
Read the full storyMary Patane has lived in Ingham all her life, and over the past 67 years, she has witnessed the township undergo plenty of changes since her primary school days spent at Macknade State School.
“It’s changed a lot, and I don’t think there are many businesses that are there now that have been there since I was a kid – I’m thinking of dress shops, fruit shops, but no, none,” explained Mary.
“I went to Macknade State School which is still there - it’s a smaller school, but when I was going there were 100 students, and I liked school, and enjoyed going and because I went to a small school, some of the friends I made then, are still some of my friends now.”
Just last week on Wednesday the 22nd of January, Mary and her husband Sam Patane celebrated 48 years of marriage, and in that time, the pair have raised two children and made countless memories together. Time spent with loved ones certainly is a core value of Mary’s, and having just visited her daughter, Helen, in Brisbane, Mary cannot wait until she can see her son Tony and two grandchildren (aged five months and nine years old), when they visit again from New Zealand.
Mary’s late father moved to Australia from Sicily when he was just three years old, and she still speaks Sicilian here and there with her mother, who recently celebrated her 94th birthday!
“We had a few outings because December is a busy month, and for her birthday the five of us took her out for lunch as she likes going out, she gets all dolled up, and it’s nice that we can still go out together,” shared Mary.
“My mother is bilingual, and it’s actually quite funny if you’re to observe us, because she’ll start a sentence in English, and finish it in Sicilian!”
Still today, Mary finds herself gathering fresh tomatoes and preparing them as her father did to make exquisite pasta sauce to enjoy. When Mary isn’t working, calling or travelling to see her children, you’ll find her crafting and sewing up a storm, taking a minute to work on a puzzle, or visiting her mother in the aged care home.