Home Blog Page 49

Fascinating Facts About Bribie

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

Bribie island has a remarkable history, with so many aspects of it about which I can write. Most people just enjoy the wonderful lifestyle here, without much thought of the amazing things that happened here just a few years ago. This article provides a few facts about some things that may surprise you.

MORETON BAY – During the last glacial period there was no Moreton Bay or any islands, the sea and beach was more than 50 klms from here, east of Moreton Island, and the entire Bay was dry land.. The sea level rose more than 120 metres over a period of some 12,000 years, the Bay flooded and the islands progressively formed. The sea level was actually a few metres higher than it is now 5000 years ago.

ABORIGINAL SITES – there are numerous archaeological Aboriginal sites gazetted on the Island, indicating occupation of this land over many thousands of years. The Water Tower in Bongaree Caravan Park is the site of a large Aboriginal shell midden, known as The Hill, before it was levelled to fill the Bowling Greens and Caravan Park. The main photo that heads this article was taken from the top of the Water Tower back in 1963.

TOWN of BRIBIE – the area surveyed by the Government in 1887 as the initial offering of land on Bribie Island was called Town of Bribie, at what is now Whitepatch. This area had been a reserve back in 1877, for the few remaining indigenous people of the area. The planned Town of Bribie did not eventuate when the private Tug Company started to develop Bongaree a few years later.

RED BEACH – the area known as Red Beach is a name carried over from the Second World War when Australian and American troops practiced beach landing craft training at various beaches around the island, given colour-coded names. Red beach was the only name that stuck after the War, being close to the settlement of Bongaree.

AUSTRALIAN OPERA –the first Opera written and performed in Australia titled Auster was written by Emily Coungeau in her grand home on Banya Street, Bribie Island in 1916. The house still stands today and is known as Toc H.

ANZAC DAY – the initial concept of an ANZAC day commemoration for those lost in WW1 was initiated through the Mayor of Brisbane by a few prominent Brisbane businessmen on a fishing trip to Bongaree in January 1916.

ATOMIC CLOCK -In the 1960’s, Queensland University established an Ionospheric Research Centre on Bribie Island to study the behaviour of Radio signals in the upper atmosphere. For this ground breaking research an Atomic Clock was installed to monitor precise timing.

TAX EVASION – In 1968, after a long and complicated Tax evasion case, the last operator of the Bribie car ferry, before the Bridge opened, was required to pay $500,000 in back taxes. In today’s money that’s equivalent to well over $20 million.

BRIBIE SUCCESSION – Over the years, residents of Bribie Island have made three different, but unsuccessful, attempts to break away from Caboolture Shire Council and establish Bribie Island’s own Council. These attempts at secession were in 1914, 1932 and 1967, reflecting various periods of significant growth and change.

POPULATION – In 1911, the resident population of Bribie was just 61 people. In 1986, it was 5,261 and in 2011 was 17,045. Do you know what the population is now..…and what might it be in 2030?

RAINFALL -the average annual rainfall on Bribie Island is 1,320mm. In 2009 we had a total of 2,484 mm for the year. However, the greatest daily rainfall ever recorded in Australia in one day was 907mm, in 1893 by the Government weatherman Inigo Jones, just across the Pumicestone Passage near Peachester.

Brisbane was badly flooded, but nobody lived on Bribie back then. The 1974 heavy rainfall that flooded Brisbane was even heavier on Bribie, but caused no serious flooding.

MOTOR CAR– the first Motor car was floated to Bribie Island on a pontoon from Godwin beach in 1919. The first road was not built on the island until 1924. At that time, the speed limit for the few cars on all roads in Caboolture Shire was 8 miles per hour.

CEMETERIES – only two people have ever been buried on Bribie. A cemetery site was surveyed in 1920 near Red Beach, and Albert Sweeting was the only person ever buried there in 1935. That cemetery was declassified in 1954 and a new one established in the bush off First Avenue, where Victory Press stands today. Frank Lee was the only person buried there in 1967, before it too was declassified to make way for the development of an Industrial subdivision. His body was exhumed and relocated to Gympie, and there is no longer a cemetery on Bribie Island.

AQUARIUM & MARINA – A private seawater aquarium was constructed at Red Beach in 1961 as a tourist attraction. It was a failure, but the remains of the concrete tanks are still visible in the bush today. In the 1970’s there was a proposal to construct a large Boat Marina, also at Red Beach, beside Buckley’s Hole, which fortunately was not built.

The Road Less Travelled – Travellers Together

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

If you had asked anyone on New Year’s Day 2020, if they thought by March the entire World would have shut down, they would have laughed at you;

however, as the days and weeks have moved on, I am drawn to Marcus Aurelius’ comment, some 2000 years ago, ‘remember, that very little is needed to make a happy life’.

On 31 December 2019, when China reported the ‘unknown pneumonia’, to the World Health Organisation (WHO) they said just 59 people were infected, all in Wuhan, China. How quickly things changed. On 11 February WHO named this new pneumonia COVID-19 – Coronavirus Disease of 2019. Then on 11 March Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO, declared that it was a global pandemic. As a result, people all over the world went into isolation. Countries and states closed their borders and everyone who could, started working and studying from home. Essential workers such as health professionals, emergency service workers and supermarket employees became `our heroes.

Today, after two months in isolation, I look back to New Year’s Day and realise just how vastly different the world looks now. I was in Brisbane with my family and texting 16-year-old Ema, who was Bribie Rotary’s 2020 National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) student. Ema was on her way to Canberra to attend the forum. She was so thrilled, and her enthusiasm was contagious. Unfortunately, due to the fires, NYSF was cut short. Then this pandemic happened, and everyone’s life and dreams went on hold.

To me, Ema and her fellow school captains at Bribie Island State High School, Amelia, Brooklyn, Elijah and Jazmine, represented the excitement and possibilities of a new decade. They were about to start their final year at school. Brooke and Jaz were to be Bribie Rotary’s representatives at this year’s Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) in Canberra in August; however, MUNA has been postponed and because most Rotary Clubs have had to stop fundraising activities, it may not take place in 2020. All our Year 12 students have been ‘robbed’ of so many possibilities. Some are finding home schooling stressful. They are all relieved that classes resumed on 11 May. After recently texting them I found they are positive and know that this is just a hiccup in their life journey.

During this time in isolation, I have been regularly checking on family and friends. My dear friends Bill Peacock and Peter Sheehan never cease to amaze me with their energy and positivity. Bill is in a wheelchair as he suffers from post-polio syndrome. He is also a Disability Advocate and an active member of Rotary d9560 Passport Club. As well as continually advocating for those with disabilities, who have their own set of unique problems and vulnerabilities, in this pandemic they have completed various projects around the house. Peter has also created a beautiful new garden sanctuary. Cicero’s view that ‘if you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need’ applies here.

My cousin Kathryn Borrelli, who is a preparatory teacher in Melbourne and a regular visitor to Bribie – she has helped at the Rotary markets – is being highly creative with her remote teaching sessions. Her husband is also working from home and has taken over the study with two computer screens, his laptop, and headphones. So, Kathryn prepares her sessions with her laptop mounted on storage boxes. Kathryn’s mother, my Aunt Eileen, turned 101 on 29 April and although in isolation in a Nursing Home is in fine spirits.

In rural Victoria, my cousin Megan is online teaching Grades 5 and 6 from her home. At the same time, she is supervising her own 3 teenage children who have computers set up in their bedrooms. At the end of the school day, Megan then has online sessions with school staff. Husband and Father Jeff has a 35-minute drive to and from his workplace. Megan’s parents Pauline and Brian, also regular visitors to Bribie, are helping with meals and shopping. A busy, hectic time for all. They are coping well but will be glad when things return to normal.

As for me, fortunately I am living with two ‘introverts’ and a very loving Golden Retriever, who make sure their ‘extrovert’ wife and mother is coping with social isolation. I am also grateful to an incredibly special group of friends on Bribie Island who keep me occupied with various jokes and email challenges.

It is heartbreaking that so many have lost their jobs and that our local businesses are struggling to survive. So many are finding isolation difficult and not coping without going to restaurants, pubs, theatres and night clubs; however, compared to the hardships of previous generations who suffered through WWI, the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, WWII, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, this pandemic is causing minimal hardship and will not drag on for years. Recovery will take time, but it is starting to happen and I think the majority of us will come out with a better understanding of what is important in life.

Here on Bribie Island we can be grateful for our beautiful surrounds, our warm weather, our peace and tranquillity, and the wildlife. Over the past weeks, we have been following the progress of a kangaroo and her joey as it ventures out of the pouch. They “live” at our back fence and we marvel at nature, and our amazing sunsets.So Bribarians don’t give up hope. An old Persian adage tells us, ‘this too shall pass’!

Getting Older

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

My regular readers will, by now, have worked out that I am no longer in the first flush of youth. Far from it, yet I do not yearn for my younger years, there are many advantages to getting older. Yes, the physical sometimes interfere, but on the whole, my health is reasonable for my age and my mind remains clear with only the occasional hiccup.

I, like many of my contemporaries, have a habit of mislaying objects. You put them down and then they disappear into the ether before popping up again right in front of your nose. Generally speaking, that is. There is a pale blue purse in my house that I distinctly remember hiding but cannot remember where. God knows where or why I hid it, as there was not a fortune contained within, so I can only warn any masked, balaclava-clad midnight visitors that it is not worth their time or trouble trying to turn over my home in the attempt to find it. Believe you me, I have been there before you. I worried about the purse not so much because of the contents but because I thought this might be the first slip on the slide to dementia. However, when I told some friends whose mental acuity I have no reason to doubt, they reassured me that they too might have similar problems if they did not take the following precautions. They gave me several helpful hints to prevent the Mislayingsyndrome from ever happening again. One said that she always made a cryptic clue in her diary as to where she has hidden any precious item that she has hidden, another friend said this would not necessarily be a good plan for him as he was not an expert at cryptic crosswords and he would find it difficult to decipher. However, a straight-forward entry would have been a good idea as it would have helped him to recover the photo he has been looking for in the last few months. Again, he remembers putting it somewhere safe. Always a Fatal Move! No doubt, it is lurking with my blue purse.

Another friend said that as the years rolled by, she was taking an increased interest in the Hereafter. Thinking that perhaps she was getting a little morbid, I asked if I could help. “No,” she replied, “it is only that when I enter a room, I have to think, “What am I here after?” Dah!

The advantages of being older are numerous. Only yesterday, when faced with an ATM different to the one that I am familiar with, some kind, younger person offered me guidance as to how to navigate it’s intricacies. Later, the Hereto-Help Lady assisted me in cashing out my groceries and Jack and Susie at my post office always address my parcels and letters for me, “ in order to give the Postman a sporting chance”. I smile sweetly and am genuinely grateful for all the help I receive as a result of my advanced age. Perhaps I am most proud of the piece of paper stating that I am competent in mind, memory and understanding. I will not go into the details as to why it was necessary for me to obtain this accolade, suffice it to say, I have been known to wave it in front of my son and my daughter and ask them to show me their equivalent! I have shown you mine, now you show me yours.

Yes, I know I am fortunate and perhaps a little smug, but I love being older. I would not exchange this time of my life for Youth with all its insecurities and angst. Selfishly perhaps, but I do not have to worry about the State of the World as it will not be that long before I make my final exit off-stage. Meanwhile, I appreciate my friends, family, and the love and laughter they bring me.

The Bribie Islander Gloss Magazine May 22nd 2020 Issue 114

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

Issue 114 OUT NOW. Get all your community news and information. Bribie Islands only community gloss magazine NOW EVERY TWO WEEKS! – Articles on boating, camping, fishing, life, drama, travel destinations, sports and what to see and do on Bribie Island. Covering charities, organisations, places, children’s activities, arts and crafts, tourist destinations, heritage parks, technology, science, music, gardening, and much more.

Download latest digital edition here.

The Joy of Bribie Island

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

Every day here on Bribie begins with knowing how fortunate we are to be able to live in such a unique environment. Surrounded by water with views to the Glasshouse Mountains across Pumestone passage and from Worrim across to Moreton Island. The community begins its day with the sounds of life with excellent schools, workplaces and activities to suit all ages, those who have to travel to work or do business elsewhere are able to access roads and transport without the obstructions in so many other places.

We may want to complain but we have all chosen to live on Bribie Island to fulfil a dream. There will always be room for improvement and with the continuing infrastructure, development and environmental care our future looks bright even in these difficult times of restrictions and social distancing. The awesome work of Global Care Bribie Island and Corey at Café 191 truly demonstrates the spirit of Bribie Island.

The community initiatives have demonstrated what a caring and compassionate community we are. Now with the easing of some restrictions we will once again have access to the exceptional Library, Art Centre and limited access to the restaurants, clubs, and other activities we have been missing. We need to continue to wherever possible shop locally and support those businesses who have seen us through some of the toughest times.

Sadly, we have seen many businesses having to close and they will influence our recovering commercial environment. The community has been cared for by our State (Pumestone) and Federal (Longman) Parliamentary members and the Division 1 Moreton Bay Regional Council representative. The local press continues to enlighten along with the strength of editorial input to ensure that we never lose the power of the word to encourage, entertain and give us knowledge through advertisers to meet our local needs. We are proud of the small business’s that have hung in there, it is now our time to continue to support them and shop local as often as possible.

Often we are reminded of a few incidents that have made life difficult for some people and the anger and frustration of isolation has brought out the ugly side of human nature but these incidents are very few as it is mostly smiles compassion, understanding and care. We must salute all our Doctors, Nurses, Dentists, Pharmacies and their staff, Health Care workers, the staff in sales and to all of the Bribie Island Community for keeping us safe.

We are all accountable to see that our community becomes stronger in service, economy, and contributors to all that we love about this community that we cherish in this our Island home.

Many visitors to the Island have enjoyed the experience as a holiday destination, the facilities and the accessibility of our parklands and water ways. There are many requests to have the Bribie Islander forwarded on after they leave, and many copies are posted out interstate and around the world as a sense of being part of the life on Bribie Island, and this is Our Home how fortunate are.

I long to go to the sea again the lonely sea and the sky, and all I ask is a tall ship to steer her by. John Masefield.

The Exploding Breakfast Sausage or, another weapon of Mass Destruction

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

Once long ago in a hemisphere half a world away I was engaged in winning business for Australia in the land of the Poms. My sad story takes place in a notorious seaside place by the name of Torquay. Older readers may remember this town as being the home of Mr Basil Fawlty the infamous hotelier. The action does not take place in his particular hostelry but when perusing my story gentle readers you may detect a familiar measure of his influence.

Those who have experience of travelling abroad on business trips will be familiar with the fact that to be able to travel as light as possible forward planning is necessary as regards clothing to be carried bearing in mind that available time for laundry/dry cleaning is often non existent. Also if events of prominence are to be attended where smart appearance is necessary to give the best impression to prospective business contacts then all the more forethought has to be applied. I write this now when of course the influence of Jobs and Gates have made the wearing of Jeans and maybe a jacket de rigueur – but back to times past.

I had arrived fully equipped, suitcase manageable but ready for anything – I thought. The event was the annual British Local Government equipment exhibition held in Torbay, the area of Torquay. Of special note was that each year just three exhibition stands were to be visited by the presidential party of the National Association. As a new exhibitor and a first ever from the Antipodes we had been selected as one of the preferred stands.

To best present I had chosen to take an outfit for the occasion that I thought would show our company to be one of quality and professionalism. After taking advice from an expert (my lovely wife) I was taking a pale grey suit with a pale blue shirt and a darker blue tie. I knew that I could mix and match each piece after the main event to continue to look the part. This methodology is a well-known ploy for the ladies but as a mere male I was learning as I went.

Now this is where things started to go awry. I was staying in a hotel in Torquay not unlike that portrayed in the famous TV series. The lady manager was fussy but friendly and efficient with nary a hint of the dangers posed by Mr Fawlty that is until the morning of ‘The Presidential Visit’. I dressed and checked my appearance in the mirror in the room. The term sartorial elegance came to mind as I inspected myself in the glass.

Walking down the staircase I entered the dining room to partake of breakfast that comprised the usual English cooked offering. Now at the showground there was little in the way of food to be had because of the strict rules in place that forbad the provision of food and drink to visitors by the exhibitors. This was thought to be possible bribery of local government officials who were mainly the visitors and potential buyers. Therefore it made sense to eat a hearty breakfast rather than have to leave the stand and walk into town for refreshments mid way through the show times. Little did I realise that this particular hearty breakfast was prepared for a condemned man.

The friendly waitress placed the meal in front of me with a smile. I started to enjoy the mix of eggs and tomatoes and bacon. Lying in wait, as I later discovered, was the dread missile. Not being particularly fond of breakfast sausages I ate all around the beast leaving it all forlorn on the side of the plate. Then foolishly as it turned out I considered the fact that the presidential party may take their time going around the exhibition site and that might leave me hungry and less relaxed by the time they arrived – big mistake.

I decided to devour the snag. I raised my fork to pierce the skin when, (now I know some readers will be well ahead of the game here but please be patient; there are some who prefer to savour the moment in the manner of a chocolate lover leaving the soft centres until the end). Yes you guessed it – EXPLOSION! The greasy contents of what seemed the entire snag now decorated my carefully executed attire. At this point the watching Manageress I think lost her composure and raced across to my table and began trying to wipe the detritus from my now destroyed outfit.

RUINATION – gone was my confident air of professionalism, gone was my thoughts of looking like a director from British Aerospace. The chattering lady had ceased wiping me down realising that matters were only getting worse. She was profuse in apology and assured me that of course they would have my jacket dry cleaned and my shirt laundered. But when? Panic set in as I raced back upstairs to replot the day’s attire.

Some time later the presidential party finally walked onto the stand. The President himself was adorned in a fine tailored suit replete with gold chain of office draped around his neck to inspect our products and to meet me, me dressed in a mishmash of multi coloured kit like some East African would be potentate, so well aware of my not so professional appearance. I very quickly took the party over to inspect the equipment talking all the while in my most persuasive tone hoping to divert attention towards more important issues. I think I managed to pull the thing off albeit not in the way I had intended. I consoled myself afterwards by thinking that they’d probably thought nothing of the affair – after all I was a colonial! Ever after that occasion I have always treated breakfast sausages with the respect they deserve.

Human Response to Fear

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

Fear is a powerful and primitive human emotion; its role is to alert us to the presence of danger. Fear is a natural emotion and a survival mechanism. Fear can be divided into two responses:

1. BIOCHEMICAL The biochemical response is universal. This physical response is also known as the “fight or flight” response, in which your body prepares itself to either enter combat or run away. This biochemical reaction is likely an evolutionary development. It is an automatic response that is crucial to our survival.

2. EMOTIONAL The emotional response is highly individual. The emotional response to fear is highly personalized., Because fear involves some of the same chemical reactions in our brains that positive emotions like happiness and excitement do, feeling fear under certain circumstances can be seen as fun, like when you watch scary movies. Some people thrive on extreme sports and other fear-inducing thrill situations, while others have a negative reaction to the feeling of fear and will avoid fear-inducing situations. Although the physical reaction is the same, fear may be perceived as either positive or negative, depending on the person.

FEAR Fear is incredibly complex. Some fears may be a result of experiences or trauma, while others may represent a fear of something else entirely, such as a loss of control. Still, other fears may occur because they cause physical symptoms, such as being afraid of heights as you feel dizzy and sick to your stomach. Fear is a chain reaction in the brain that starts with a stressful stimulus and ends with the release of chemicals that cause a racing heart, fast breathing and energized muscles, among other things, also known as the fightor-flight response. Experiencing fear occasionally is a normal part of life, living with chronic fear can be both physically and emotionally debilitating. The brain is a complex organ with over 100 billion nerve cells comprised of an intricate network of communications that is the starting point of everything we sense, think, and do. Some of these communications lead to conscious though and action, while others produce autonomic responses. The fear response is almost entirely autonomic. We don’t consciously trigger it or even know what’s going on until it has run its course (https://www.Verywellmind. Com).

FEAR CONTAGION Fear contagion is an evolutionarily old phenomenon that researchers observe in many animal species. It can serve a valuable survival function. Fear contagion happens automatically and unconsciously, making it hard to really control. Once fear is triggered in a crowd there is no time or opportunity to verify the sources of terror. People must rely on each other, so the fear travels from one to the next, infecting each individual as it goes. Everyone starts running for their lives.

Studies have found that being in the presence of a calm and confident person may help overcome fear acquired through observation of others. For instance, a child terrified by a strange animal will calm down if a calm adult is present. This kind of safety modelling is especially effective when you have your eyes on someone close to you, or someone you depend on, such as a caretaker or an authority figure.

Suggestions for dealing with fear When we are under significant stress, it is harder to process details and nuances, so gather information (facts, from reliable sources) about the danger and about what is needed to keep us safe. But do not overdo it.

We do not need to know about each new case of the coronavirus or each new ominous sign for the health of the global economy. Following these events closely does nothing to make us safer or change the trajectory of the coronavirus. The problem is that this continuous flow of information devours your headspace and attention.

The most important component of putting the pandemic in perspective is balancing what we should and should not do.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR MANAGING FEAR:

Identify the source(s) of your anxiety. Refrain from shaming and blaming Do not be afraid to ask for help Do not procrastinate about being prepared for the worst – social distancing, hand hygiene. Connect, connect, connect Practice self-compassion Do not skip self-care Do not let fear and anxiety become pandemic as well. Evolution hardwired human beings to share threats and fears with others. But it also equipped us with the ability to cope with these threats together.

Nougat the Fearless has Gone

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

We have much loved all our pets, all our lives, but our little champion was just so different from all our previous fur children. He was the most intelligent, a true comedian, who kept us laughing each day, and gave us an unprecedented love. He even tried to catch flies, just a few hours before he died on Tuesday when his heart and breathing were so bad, we had to rush him to the Queensland Veterinary Specialists Hospital in Brisbane. It all happened so fast. We were laughing in the morning and crying at night.

Since being published in The Bribie Islander Magazine last year, we have had many wonderful little encounters with the public. Total strangers on the street, when John took Nougat for a walk, would greet him with comments like this: “Hello Nougat, you are the most famous dog on the Island.”

And only last week a woman stopped John walking with our little prince:

“Hi there, you are that dog from the Bribie Islander Magazine. How beautiful you are!” And that he was.

About a year ago, we had a lovely couple stay with us at GAIA ON BRIBIE ISLAND. Months later, there was a knock on the door and this couple turned up unannounced with this beautiful pastel in a glass and timber frame. We could not even remember their names and did not know the woman was a professional artist. They must have been here in April when the stories on Nouguie were published in the BRIBIE ISLANDER MAGAZINE and were inspired by the main photo. Klasina Manteit would not accept a payment, so I gave her an evening bag and lots of makeup I sell on eBay. I have dedicated the original pastel with frame to the QUEENSLAND VETERINARY SPECIALISTS HOSPITAL now, who have looked after Nouguie for over six years, and we will deliver it personally to them tomorrow.

We here at the Bribie Islander Magazine are very sad to hear of Nouguie’s passing, he was one very special little dog.

Luxuries and Necessities Part 1

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

The Covid crisis has given me time to think. What exactly is a necessity? And what is a luxury?

The term is used in advertising – “Luxury Cruises” and Luxury Accommodation” come to mind. But after living for over seventy years, I have seen some luxuries become necessities. Healthy foods like fresh fruit and vegetables have improved our well-being. Just think back to the past when tea, sugar and flour were the staples. If we were to lose fresh foods, many “lifestyle” diseases would overwhelm society.

When I was a small child, bananas were a luxury; but these days, many people have one every day for breakfast to maintain their potassium levels. Chocolates, truffles and wine have always been luxuries, but if there is a problem in the wine industry, such as a drought, glut, or smoke-taint, we all hear about, and are willing to provide taxpayer support to the growers, as if it were a necessity. Only very expensive wine is now considered a luxury

Servants were once a luxury, and their loss during the gold rushes caused much pain for even the middle classes. In Australia, servants have mostly been replaced by casuals, like cleaning ladies, home handymen and tradies, though some outback properties still employ a cook for their workforce, especially during mustering or sheering.

Employment of servants by those who can still afford it, is a great way to redistribute that wealth, so we can cross all those workers off our list of luxuries.

Another luxury item of my childhood was a shop-bought dress. Fabrics and haberdashery were available everywhere at reasonable prices, and children were taught sewing at school. In high school they could include dress-design and various decorative crafts in their assessment. For years, my generation could make clothes for half the price of ready-made items, so dressed ourselves for home, work and even special occasions. Some of us still do. But dress-making has given way to other jobs for the average Australian.

Thanks to the sweat-shops of Asia, ready-made clothes are no longer a luxury item. But they can cause a problems, as Craig Reucassel has demonstrated.

Whatever has happened to quality standard items which will last for years? Fashion is a luxury we can do without.

It has been interesting to see the price of cotton has been falling lately, since new clothes are not a necessity in the short term. Thanks to the invention of synthetic fibers, wool is perhaps still a luxury, though we rarely need it in Queensland. Synthetic jumpers are much better at resisting clothes moths.

When I was a teenager, television was a luxury, and we didn’t own one for fifteen years. We even had to hire one for the Moon landing, but we eventually bought a set and became addicts like the rest of society. Have you ever just listened to the TV while getting on with other jobs? Most of my generation still listen to the radio, as words are often more important that the pictures. I even know one person who has resisted the “need “for TV.

But there is no doubt that TV has been a great educator, so is no longer a luxury. In the current crisis, the graphs provided on screen are vital to our understanding of the pandemic, and therefore, how we should respond. A screen, whatever it is connected to, is no longer a luxury.

In the 1970s a home computer was definitely a luxury, so much so that second-hand ones were passed on to family members when upgrading. We had to educate ourselves in how to use them – too hard for many people, and it wasn’t until about 1986 that schools started to instruct the non-geeks who hadn’t taught themselves. Many in the generations born before 1970, are still struggling unless they have found a patient instructor. The advent of the Internet has turned the computer into a necessity, so that subsequent generations now often rely on computers for work. However, for many Australians (and others) an Internet connection has remained a luxury, thanks to failure of timely government investment. With the current economic downturn, these people could wait years to move into the 21st Century, while the rest of us wonder where we be in this Covid crisis without the Internet.

Next week I will look at some other things which may or may not be necessities.

The Stories Amongst Us

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

FAITH IN KINDNESS & UNDERSTANDING

On my first meeting with Wendy Nelson at a recent International Women’s day lunch, I felt compelled to learn more about this amazing young Bribie Island School Chaplain who started out life growing up in the Northern Territory town of Humpty Doo. Her exposure to a passion for helping others came from growing up in church culture, whilst doing good deeds such as for the 40-hour famine for World Vision and raising money for wells in Africa.

Becoming part of a Christian mission organization called “Youth with a Mission”, Wendy had the opportunity to travel the world at a young age helping others in need. Today she has an undergraduate degree in Community Development and Youth work and is making her way towards a Masters in Social Science and Leadership.

This adventurous woman threw herself into a life of volunteering to aid less fortunate people in countries such as Thailand, India, and Mexico, with most of her time in Papua New Guinea, supplying educational resources and working on medical ships that provided care to remote Islands in her role as the Community Liaison Officer. Taking on a variety of roles gave her the hands-on practical experience she needed to cement the formal framework of her degree.

All her years of effort were volunteer-based. Being able to continue her passion for helping others didn’t come without the support of fundraising efforts, the church, family, and friends, who often joked that Wendy was their sponsor child.

I asked Wendy, how have you managed to live your life and your mission so heavily reliant on donations and peoples’ goodwill, yet continued without what many of us would deem as the necessities being job security, a home, day to day stuff? She responded with “faith had a lot to do with growing up, knowing there is more to life. Having a good family who bails you out if things go wrong and I knew I was with a group of people I trusted, and they had my back and looked after me.”

During these times, they required learning to live with extraordinarily little and out of a suitcase, which Wendy says “it’s really nice now to have a wardrobe, a bathroom and a bed to sleep in every night. Back then, I certainly got good at using squatty potties and built up good leg muscles” she laughs with fond memories. If she could meet anyone, this crazy Richmond supporter said it would be Dustin Martin the AFL football Brownlow medal recipient of 2017.

The most interesting people Wendy has met are in remote villages. The ones who have never seen white people. “Seeing people who are of different colour skin and they see your skin colour for the first time. It’s such a fascinating response, because they just reach out, seeing white skin and blonde hair”

Putting down her roots here on Bribie Island about 3 years ago to live with her grandparents while continuing her studies, she tells me she loves working with the students in her “Chappie” role at the school saying “it brings me a lot of joy encouraging the next generation”. With her Masters thesis being around Cross-Cultural Competence, her passion is for teaching people about how to interact with other cultures, believing that by understanding other cultures we demystify the differences and learn to live together better in a more functional society. It is not about losing different cultures, just understanding them better.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be? “It has to do with how we can be so happy with so little. There is a framework, academic rhetoric, and literature out there about how we can understand people better, but at the end of the day, it’s just being kind, understanding, and putting other people first”.

“I love Bribie. I love the ocean. I love the lifestyle” says this member of the Mahalo Outrigging Canoe Club and allround active breath of fresh air who lives amongst us.

The Bribie Islander Gloss Magazine May 8th 2020 Issue 113

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

Issue 113 OUT NOW. Get all your community news and information. Bribie Islands only community gloss magazine NOW EVERY TWO WEEKS! – Articles on boating, camping, fishing, life, drama, travel destinations, sports and what to see and do on Bribie Island. Covering charities, organisations, places, children’s activities, arts and crafts, tourist destinations, heritage parks, technology, science, music, gardening, and much more.

Download latest digital edition here. Or use the ebook below to view.

The Bribie Islander Gloss Magazine April 24th 2020 Issue 112

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

Issue 112 OUT NOW. Get all your community news and information. Bribie Islands only community gloss magazine NOW EVERY TWO WEEKS! – Articles on boating, camping, fishing, life, drama, travel destinations, sports and what to see and do on Bribie Island. Covering charities, organisations, places, children’s activities, arts and crafts, tourist destinations, heritage parks, technology, science, music, gardening, and much more.

Download latest digital edition here.

The Bribie Islander Gloss Magazine April 11th 2020 Issue 111

By
The Editor Cherrie Wilson
-
0

Issue 111 OUT NOW. Get all your community news and information. Bribie Islands only community gloss magazine NOW EVERY TWO WEEKS! – Articles on boating, camping, fishing, life, drama, travel destinations, sports and what to see and do on Bribie Island. Covering charities, organisations, places, children’s activities, arts and crafts, tourist destinations, heritage parks, technology, science, music, gardening, and much more.

Download latest digital edition here.

1...484950...143Page 49 of 143