STEAM FESTIVAL + COMMUNITY REPS

GYMPIE’S HERITAGE ORGANISATIONS TEAM UP FOR STEAM FESTIVAL AND CONFERENCE

Gympie's premier heritage organisations the Mary Valley Rattler, the Gympie Gold Museum and the Gympie Woodworks Museum are partnering for the annual Steam Festival and Conference over three days from 15-17 October, 2021. The celebration builds on the existing Steam Festival hosted annually by the Gold Museum which commemorates the discovery of gold, making Gympie (or Nashville as it was known then) the ‘town that saved Qld’. Gympie is home to a unique range of fully operational, large-scale steam operated machinery.

• The Gold Museum features a unique 1906 Walkers Cornish Boiler, believed to be the only such boiler operating in Australia. The steam produced powers the 1899 Walker Winding Engine, the 1907 Thompson Air compressor and a Hindley powered 110V DC generator, all on the original footings of the No 2 South Great Eastern Mine which was the second richest mine in the field between 1887 and 1017. The installation also features steam pumps by Weir, Schwage and Evans.

• The MV Rattler operates two C17 steam locomotives. Number 974 entered service in March 1951, and Number 967 in 1950, both were built by Walkers Limited of Maryborough. Built in 1934 and designed on a bus chassis for passenger services, railmotor RM76 originally ran the Mary Valley branch line.

• The Woodworks Museum houses an 1891 steam sawmill engine made in Philadelphia, USA and an interpretive centre which showcases the history of the region’s timber industry.

• The new three-day program opens on Friday 15 October from 8am at the Woodworks Museum with a guided tour including a blacksmithing demonstration and operational steam sawmill.

• At Chatsworth Hall local historians Ralph Richardson and Allan Blackman will each share their knowledge on the history of steam power and its role in the development of Gympie goldfields, and the importance of the discovery of Gold in Gympie.

• Queensland Rail historian, Greg Hallam will explain how the railway evolved so quickly after discovery of gold and how this shaped the region. Ticket $65 including breakfast and lunch.

• On Saturday 16 October, jump on RM76 at the Mary Valley Rattler for the shuttle service to Monkland where the 1932 Leyland bus, which served the community until the 1960’s, will take you to the Gold Museum for a tour of the live steam demonstrations. The 2.5-hour experience is $40 and includes entry to the museum.

• To cap the weekend of steam adventures, on Sunday 17 October it’s the 'Ultimate Steam Train Experience' with a loco light up at the Mary Valley Rattler from 6am, which includes a workshop tour and breakfast, a ride on 967 out to Amamoor and back, including lunch. This exclusive package is $150. For tickets go to www.maryvalleyrattler.com.au/steamfestival/ For additional info – www.museum.gympiegoldmuseum.com.au and www.woodworksmuseum.com.au/

Over the weekend, the Gold Museum is open for general admission on Saturday from 9am-

9pm and Sunday 9am-3pm with the Woodworks Museum open Saturday from 10am-4pm, Sunday closed. The Mary Valley Rattler will also be operating its regular services.

The conference aims to celebrate the cultural heritage of the Gympie region and foster the collaboration between local heritage organisations to promote Gympie as Queensland's heritage centre.

CR WINSTON JOHNSTON DIVISION 5 SUNSHINE COAST

A undertaken on Dalton Bridge. The works span Mary River at the north eastern end of Eastern Mary River Road, Conondale. I encourage the community to follow the road closure signage as the single lane bridge will be closed 9am-2pm Monday to Friday.

• Over the next five months you’ll see extensive reseal and refurbishment works for 37 separate roads and streets across the Division 5 area, including Conondale and Cambroon. Approx. expenditure of $3.3 million to maintain our bitumen road networks. Councils that fail to carry out this type of work can see roads fall into disrepair. Residents will be notified prior to work starting, with the works to be undertaken in the warmer months as the higher temperatures allow the bitumen to adhere better.

• Book in for Tiny Giants, 21–24 October, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. 12 entomologists and arachnologists, led by the Qld Museum, will uncover the invertebrates who keep the rainforest ecosystem ticking. Under the microscope will be trapdoor spiders, mites and moths, beetles and butterflies. Free walks, talks and workshops suitable for all ages and to book, visit events. sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.

• I want to express appreciation to all the private property owners of Div. 5 who make a special effort to keep their road verges and pathways maintained and tidy. Thank you for your efforts.

CR DAVID LAW DIVISION 10 SUNSHINE COAST

More than $287,000 is on offer for Sunshine Coast artists and creative practitioners to apply for funding through the Regional Arts Development Fund’s (RADF) Grants program, after securing a record investment from Arts Queensland. Applications for the November round of RADF grants are open now and close on 1 November. Apply via sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

• Applications for Council’s Community Grants Program - Minor Grants (all categories) close on 2 November 2021. Supports community organisations to deliver one-off projects, events and activities that align with council’s strategic priorities and demonstrate a community purpose. Please visit council’s website.

• Residents were asked, via an online survey, what their main motivations for recycling were and if they would use a garden waste or a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin service. From 7500 responses, vital feedback has led Council to make the decision to roll out an opt-out garden waste bin service to Sunshine Coast households from July 2022. Some property owners may be exempt. Currently a garden waste bin is $62.10 per year – but once the service is expanded, we expect the cost of the service to go down due to economies of scale to around $35.00 per annum, but this is still to be finalised. The expanded garden waste service will divert garden clippings, weeds and leaves from landfill, extending their life and importantly prevent one million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions being released into the atmosphere over the next 30-50 years. Details on www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/Living-and-Community/Waste- and-Recycling/Bin-Collection-Services/Garden-Waste-Bin- Collection/Frequently-asked-questions

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