Ian Johnston was a long-term member of the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach and is most proud of his involvement with the ‘famous’ Rotary Phone Book, which was in print from 1992 to 2020.

He arrived in the Whitsundays in April 1989, from Sydney, having driven for five days via the ‘backroads’ due to the flooding at the time.

“I came up here because I guess you could say I was having a mid-life crisis!” Ian, now 83, said.

“I got out of corporate life and my first wife was a mad scuba diver, and we both enjoyed sailing, so we came to the Whitsundays.”

Born and raised in Tasmania, Ian worked in London, UK, for six years, before coming back to Australia and living in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne…and then Airlie Beach.

“We came up to do some investing in property because I could foresee that Airlie Beach was an undiscovered jewel, as far as tourism was concerned,” he said.

“We built some units in Airlie Crescent, in 1990, but then the recession hit, in 1991, and I decided to look for a business because property was in the doldrums.

“I bought Hertz Car Rentals, which was going broke, and then bought National Car Rentals as well.

“We started with five cars and, by 1996 when I sold both businesses, we had 65 vehicles.”

Ian and wife Judy, who took off on Monday, were farewelled at a casual dinner held at Club Whitsunday, Jubilee Pocket, on Monday, February 24.

The Rotary Club presented Ian and Judy with a framed photograph of the local area in thanks for Ian’s service to the club and the community.

Ian joined the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach on June 1, 1992, and was a member for 32 years and nine months.

He held the position of club treasurer for nine of those years (not all continuous) and was club president in 2000-2001.

For several years, he was also the club’s liaison with the contractor who produced the club’s Rotary Phone Guide, which grew exponentially over the years as the region’s population grew. It was also very well supported by advertisers.

“We started as a ‘cottage industry’ and grew it to a point where we had contractors working for us,” Ian said.

“It was a very successful money raiser. We provided funding for the PCYC, Jubilee Pocket, originally, and also donated $100,000 to the VMR, in Cannonvale, to help get it going.”

Ian was also honoured by the club for his service to Rotary and the community through the presentation of four Paul Harris Fellow recognitions (named after Rotary’s founder) during his time in the club.

Ian and Judy are moving south to be closer to family and will be based in both Geelong, Victoria, and on the Gold Coast.

“I will miss the sea views,” Ian said of his time in the Whitsundays.

“I have lived in different places in the Whitsundays but I always had a sea view. And I’ll miss the sailing, and of course our friends.”

PHOTO: Ian Johnston (second from right at front) with wife Judy on his left, pictured with Rotary members, former members and friends.

In total, 55 new officers have been deployed across the state, in regional areas, from this week.  

In the Whitsundays, this has translated into one new officer at the Proserpine Police
Station and two new officers at the Whitsunday Police Station, in Cannonvale.

The cohort of new recruits have graduated from their training program, which included a unique deployment to flood-affected Townsville, where the officers-in-training assisted with clean-up efforts. 

After being officially sworn in at the Townsville ceremony, last week, officers have joined frontline police this week in stations across the state including Cairns, Townsville, Ingham, Kirwan, Gladstone and the Whitsundays.

The 55 officers are ‘just the start of the pipeline’ that will see hundreds more recruits reinforce the police frontline across Queensland this year, delivering on the Crisafulli Government’s commitment to make the community safe.   

The Crisafulli Government will deliver officers the support they need to do their job properly in the Making Queensland Safer Laws and investing $13.5m to bolster the police mental health framework.  

Minister for Police Dan Purdie said being a police officer was a challenging but rewarding career, and thanked recruits for their commitment to serve and protect their community.  

“I was a police officer for more than 25 years and, during that time, I saw the worst of the worst and the best of the best, sometimes in the same day,” Minister Purdie said. 

“My message to our newest officers is that you will be rewarded with mateship and gain a unique perspective on the value of service to your community. 

“We will continue to give police the laws and resources they need to make the community and officers safe. We will always have your back.” 

Commissioner of Police Steve Gollschewski APM congratulated the newest officers and acknowledged the significance of their deployment. 

“Investing in regional Queensland means investing in the people who understand these communities best,” Commissioner Gollschewski said.  

“Many of these new officers will serve in their hometowns, where they have strong ties and knowledge that will help create safer, resilient communities and an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities of policing in regional Queensland.” 

This is a significant event that celebrates the leadership potential and commitment of the school’s students.

This special occasion brought together staff, students, families and community members to witness and support newly appointed student leaders, as they stepped into their important roles for the year ahead.

School Principal Nicholas Shirley said they were honoured to have special guests in attendance.

These included Belinda Greenwood, who represented Whitsundays’ MP Amanda Camm, the Principal of Proserpine High School, Don McDermid, Libby Edge from Eco Barge CleanSeas, and the President of the Cannonvale State School Parents’ and Citizens Association, Sabrina Mitchell.

The 2025 School Leaders are:

School Captains: Mia Berry and Jagger Sassall

School Vice Captains: Ruby Luka and Harvey Fitzpatrick

Indigenous School Leader: Tiffany Bloomer

During the ceremony, school captains, vice captains, sports house captains, events managers, ambassadors, band captains and student council representatives were officially inducted.

They received their leadership badges as a symbol of their responsibility and dedication to the Cannonvale State School community.

Each leader was acknowledged for their willingness to serve, inspire and uphold the values of Cannonvale State School.

“The atmosphere was one of pride and excitement as students took their leadership pledge, promising to lead with integrity, kindness and a commitment to making a positive impact on their peers and school environment,” Mr Shirley said.

“Congratulations to all student leaders on their well-deserved nominations!”

While the Whitsundays have dodged the worst of it this time, it pays to always be cyclone-ready during the season.

One company helping with this is Telstra, which spent months at the end of last year inspecting thousands of sites around the country, to ensure its network is as resilient as possible.   

“Telstra is ready to support communities with 19 upgraded payphones across Queensland, recovery equipment on standby, and extra mobile data for customers,” Telstra Regional General Manager for Northern Queensland Rachel Cliffe said.

“We know how critical it is for Australians to remain connected during a natural disaster and, while we can’t predict what mother nature will throw at us, we’re as ready as we can be.

“If your mobile phone isn’t charged, or you’ve had to evacuate, a payphone might be the only way to contact family and friends to let them know you are OK.

“Knowing where your nearest payphone is can be a huge help in case the power goes out and you need to make a call, get online, or to charge your phone.”

Of the 19 upgraded payphones, two are in Bowen and two are in Airlie Beach.

Ms Cliffe said Telstra had a long history of responding to extreme weather events and the Telstra Response Team was often first on the ground, after emergency services, to assess and help restore its network.

“While our network and other infrastructure, such as electricity, can be affected during a natural disaster, we continually work to find better, faster ways to reconnect affected communities,” she said.

Payphones in the region are among 1,000 across the nation that have been upgraded, with free Telstra Wi-Fi, USB charging ports and back-up power to help keep communities connected during a natural disaster.  

Last disaster season, Telstra deployed 110 new trailer-mounted, high-powered generators across Australia and have done so again this year.   

These generators are part of a multi-million-dollar co-investment under the Federal Government’s Strengthening Telecommunications Against Natural Disasters (STAND) program.

“Extended power outages are often a major cause of network disruption, however the quicker our network sites are powered up, the quicker we can reconnect a community,” Ms Cliffe said.

“In preparation for this disaster season, we deployed 30 high-powered generators to at-risk areas across Queensland, with six of them based in and around Central and Central West Queensland in case our network is impacted by a power outage.

“We have back-up power systems built into many of our network sites, but these high-powered generators, along with other infrastructure such as temporary mobile towers known as Cells-on -Wheels, can help with getting people back online faster.”

This year Telstra has expanded the use of portable satellite technology with 51 Starlink satellite kits stationed across Queensland, which can be assembled in under 10 minutes and help provide basic connectivity for Telstra teams.

Last disaster season, Telstra provided short-term assistance through extra data to customers in 122 locations across Australia, with over 400,000 instances of support.

Aussies need to consider their own disaster plan and know Telstra is here to support in times of crisis.

• 100GB of extra mobile data: Customers on monthly mobile plans who live in a disaster affected area will receive 100GB of extra data – for free – without having to contact Telstra first and request it.
• Extra support for pre-paid customers: Customers on pre-paid plans are eligible for 70GB of extra data. If customers have their service registered to that postcode, they’ll receive an SMS offering disaster assistance.
• Dedicated disaster assistance team: Contact Telstra on 1800 888 888 for billing and payment support, advice on managing services if relocated or to help resolve a fault caused by disasters.

More information about these initiatives, and how communities can prepare themselves for natural disasters, can be found on Telstra Exchange.

ALLEGRA Bradley, from Proserpine State High School, was the winner of the annual Proserpine Lions Club ‘Youth of the Year’ award at the Club Night, held on Wednesday, February 19.

Allegra was one of six competitors representing Proserpine State High School and St Catherine’s Catholic College, who gave it their best at the event, held at the Proserpine Whitsunday Leisure Activity Centre.

Topics such as ‘The inspiring power of music’ and ‘Why alarm clocks are the true villains’ engaged and entertained the audience, which was made up of the Lions Club, community members and students’ families.

Allegra’s speech on the topic of public speaking and facing your fears inspired the judges, resulting in her achieving the highest score and making her the overall winner.

She will now compete at the zone final of the competition, due to be held in Proserpine, on Sunday, March 9, 2025.

“I believe that my speech will continue to relate to my audience, as public speaking is a fear most people face. All I can do is try my best and hope for the best,” Allegra said.

On Monday, February 17, Allegra was joined by Savannah Lamont, Thalia Foster, Sonny Telford, Finlay Farrell and Andrew Kimlin, when each student underwent a challenging interview process.

They responded to questions assessing their leadership and achievements, and input within their school communities, as well as their extracurricular involvement within the wider Whitsunday community.

This process earned each student their first score out of 70, however, it all came down to the final on club night to determine the winner.

As well as their individual prepared speeches, each student on the night was asked two spontaneous questions and had two minutes to respond.

The first question was ‘If your life ever flashed before your eyes, what is one scene, either past or future, you would hope to see?’.

The second question was ‘You will wake up tomorrow in a different place in the world, where would you choose and why?’.

Each student responded to the first question with fond memories of family travels and gatherings.

While some students’ reply to the second question included waking up in unique places such as Greece, Machu Picchu or playing soccer in Brazil, St Catherine’s Catholic College Student Andrew Kimlin chose to wake up in his own bed, where he could enjoy the beauty and communality of his home.

This response, and Andrew’s speech about the hidden evil intentions of alarm clocks, resulted in him deservingly receiving the club’s Public Speaking Award.

The Lions Youth of the Year competition was adopted by the Lions Club more than 60 years ago, originating in Queensland.

“The Lions love this night, it’s one of the highlights of their calendar,” Proserpine Lions Club Youth of the Year chairperson Jane Bettridge said.  

The students’ confidence, professionalism and sportsmanship were also praised by the Lions Club members, representing youth in a positive light.

“Congratulations to all participants and the amazing work of the judges, Proserpine Lions Club members and volunteers on the night,” Allegra added.

Whitsunday Regional Council has been granted more than $100,000 to educate and empower residents to make the correct choices when it comes to sorting their waste and recycling.

The funding has been granted through the Queensland Government’s Let’s Get It Sorted Partnership Program, which is so far supporting 26 councils statewide.

The overarching program hopes to spread a united message across the state to improve household recycling habits and trigger behaviour change in residents.

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Ry Collins said the funding had created the ‘perfect springboard’ to address regional recycling challenges.

“We live in one of the most environmentally diverse and delicate regions in the world, and in order to protect our local ecosystem, everyone needs to be playing their part in our war on waste,” Mayor Collins said.

“Our 2023 bin audit demonstrated that, across the region, there is a 30 per cent rate of contamination in our recycling bins, with the biggest issues being soft plastics and bagged recycling being placed into our yellow recycling bins.

“The campaign will focus on reducing this percentage, and another audit will take place at the end of the campaign to see how we are tracking as a region.

“By rallying the community together to make the correct choices when sorting their waste, we can make a real difference together.”

Council’s co-ordinator Waste and Recycling Clinton Shand emphasised the importance of communicating the core recycling messages, for the campaign to have maximum effect.

“We have chosen to focus our messaging on the DOs and DON’Ts of recycling to get back to the basics of sorting waste correctly within our community,” Mr Shand said.

“By starting from scratch, we can hope to bust some recycling and waste myths, and ensure all residents are on the same page with their recycling knowledge.”

The campaign will have a soft launch during February, with some recycling messages distributed with the household rates notices.

“Residents will also have the option to opt in to receive a ‘recycling top tips’ fridge magnet, by visiting the Let’s Get it Sorted page on council’s website,” Mr Shand said.

The Let’s Get It Sorted campaign is proudly funded through the Queensland Government’s Let’s Get It Sorted Partnership Program.

More information is available at Let’s get it sorted! – Whitsunday Regional Council.

Keep it out! 

There are certain things that we must never put in our recycling, in fact, when we put non-recyclable items in the yellow bin, it can contaminate the whole load!

This can mean it gets sent to landfill rather than being recycled.

To ensure you make all your recycling efforts count, never put the following in your yellow bin: 

• Soft plastics – if you can scrunch it in your hands, then it’s a soft plastic. This includes food packaging, plastic film, bags and bin liners.  Please put soft plastics in the general waste bin or avoid them altogether.
   
• Food and garden waste – try to compost these! If you are unable to do so, food scraps should be put in your general waste bin. Green waste can be taken to your nearest transfer station to be made into mulch.
   
• Clothes and textiles – if they are in good condition, try selling them on, or donating to your nearest charity shop. If not, repurpose as rags, or place into your general waste bin.
   
• Rigid Plastics – items like old toys, kitchenware, plant pots and industrial materials like PVC piping can’t be recycled through your yellow lid bin. If they are in good condition, try selling them on, or donating to your nearest charity shop. If not, place into your general waste bin.
   
• Batteries – should never be placed in your general waste bin or recycle bin, as they can cause fires in the bins or the trucks that collect them. Council runs a household battery recycling program. Look out for the special bins that are located at all of our Customer Service Centres and Libraries. Bins can also be found at the Collinsville and Cannonvale Transfer Stations depots.
   
• e-waste – electronic waste should never be placed in the general waste bin or recycle bin as they contain toxic chemicals such as lead, cadmium and mercury that are bad for the environment and hazardous to human health. Instead take e-waste to your nearest landfill or transfer station to be disposed of correctly. 
   
• ‘Other’ types of glass – don’t put glassware in the yellow lid bin, except bottles and jars that have previously contained food or liquid. Glassware can contaminate other recyclables, as this type of glass melts at a different temperature compared to bottles and jars, which have previously contained food or liquid. Other glass which has not contained food or liquid, should be placed in the general waste bin.
   
• Paint and household chemicals – these can be dangerous when disposed of incorrectly. They contain toxic substances that are harmful to you and the environment. They should never be poured down the drain or into waterways. Paint can be recycled through your nearest Paintback drop-off location. Contact ChemClear for more information on how to recycle your chemicals.

Mia Vloedmans and Callum Henry were inducted into the position of School Captains, with Tavis McDonald and Abbie Green inducted as School Vice Captains.

School Principal Don McDermid said he looked forward to working alongside the school leaders to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for all students.

“We value our school community and strive to include others, recognise strengths, value diversity and support others in times of need,” Mr McDermid said.

On the back of being named the first secondary school in Australia to be a b kinder school, badges were also presented to the school’s six b kinder ambassadors at the ceremony.

Alice Pini and Hurley Diessel were the school’s recipients of the George Telford Memorial Bursary and Douglas Debney Memorial Bursary.

These are generously funded by Wilmar Sugar Australia Limited and were presented to students for being the top two academically achieving Year 12 students for 2024.

Alice was also named School Dux for 2024 after achieving an outstanding 99.40 ATAR result.

Alice expressed her gratitude for the generosity of Wilmar towards herself and Hurley and acknowledged the support from the broader school community.

2025 School Leaders

Captains – Callum Henry and Mia Vloedmans

Vice Captains – Tavis McDonald and Abbie Green

Indigenous Student Leaders

Senior – Tavis McDonald

Junior – Savanna Allan

Senior Student Council Executives

President – Bella Knight

Vice President – Kate Hamilton

Secretary – Zane Devine

Treasurer – Archer Philipson

Junior Student Council Executives

President – Hayden Turnbull

Vice President – Addison Whitney

Secretary – Dwayne Mount

Treasurer – Brayden Fogg

Band Captains

Concert Band – Tavis McDonald and Savannah Lamont

Strings Orchestra – Matthew Mendoza

House Captains

Oxley House

• Captains – Ambrose Diessel and Ivy Thompson
• Vice Captains – Allegra Bradley and Lily Chapman

Flinders House

• Captains – Blake Hanks and Ruhveer Kaur
• Vice Captains – Amelia Brain and Mia Vloedmans

Kennedy House

• Captains – Tiana Bell and Mia Vique
• Vice Captains – Thalia Foster and Elsie Hinton

Cook House

• Captains – Hayden Hudak and Elizabeth Pascoe
• Vice Captains – Zane Devine and Archer Philipson

b kinder ambassadors

• Mia Vloedmans
• Abbie Green
• Savannah Lamont
• Elizabeth Pascoe
• Georgia Whitton
• Charli Young

2024 School Dux – Alice Pini

Bursary Winners

Douglas Debney Memorial Bursary – Hurley Diessel

George Telford Memorial Bursary – Alice Pini.

The community-funded rescue helicopter service, based in Mackay, is a lifeline to anyone, anywhere, at any time, across Central and North Queensland.

In 2024, BMA CQ Rescue performed 729 life-saving missions, including 264 in the Whitsunday Region.

Bowen and Proserpine were the top two visited regions, in 2024, with 82 missions and 76 missions respectively.

“In 2024, we welcomed BMA as our new naming rights partner, we took delivery of a new AW139 helicopter, and we spent 1,076 hours in the sky on 729 life-saving missions,” BMA CQ Rescue Stakeholder, Sponsorship and Communications Manager Tegan Philpott said.

“From urgent inter-hospital transfers to search and rescue missions and emergency responses, the highly skilled crew has worked tirelessly to provide critical care to those in need.”

The service extended to some of the region’s most remote and challenging locations, with 11 missions to Bowen Basin mine sites and six missions to cattle properties.

The service was also called to 18 search and rescue missions.

“On 123 occasions, we were primary responders at emergencies, and we were able to fly our community to major hospitals for additional treatment at Queensland Health facilities 383 times,” Mrs Philpott said.

Tourism and recreational activities also required the assistance of the service, with 54 flights completed across the 10 islands, reefs and bays across the region.

“Every mission flown and every life saved is a testament to the generosity and commitment of our supporters,” Mrs Philpott said.

“Together, we can make a difference in ensuring BMA CQ Rescue remains a vital lifeline for the regions.”

Mission Facts

729 Missions in 2024 including…

264 Whitsunday Region

259 Mackay Region

181 Isaac Region

25 Townsville/Rockhampton

Top most visited areas

Bowen 82 missions

Proserpine 76 missions

Moranbah 51 missions.

For more information visit BMA CQ Rescue.

The Zonta Club of the Whitsundays makes several awards for students each year.

These include the PJ Halter Memorial Award, which offers a scholarship to a young female student from the Whitsundays region, to assist with the costs associated with accessing a tertiary course of their choice.

The club also provides Zonta Achievement Awards for Year 12 girls to assist with their ongoing studies.

The scholarships are provided to deserving students who, because of limited financial means or distance, would otherwise struggle to access the course of their choice.

The club awarded three scholarships this year: The PJ Halter Memorial Scholarship for $3,000, and two Zonta Achievement Awards, each for $2,000.

However, only two of the winners were available to celebrate at a morning tea with club members, at My Rainbow Bakery Café, Shingley Beach, on Sunday, January 19, 2025.

The award winners, all from St Catherine’s Catholic College this year, were:

PJ Halter Memorial Scholarship – Eleanor Baldock

Zonta Achievement Awards – Molly Bennett and Hazel Farrell (Hazel was unable to attend the morning tea).

The ideal candidates demonstrate the following qualities:

• Academic promise and commitment to their education
• Engagement with extra-curricular activities
• Personal qualities consistent with Zonta values

For more information about the Zonta Club of the Whitsundays visit Zonta International District 22 | » Zonta Club of The Whitsundays Inc. and (20+) Facebook.

Cyclone Ada was a category 4 cyclone that wreaked havoc over two days – January 17 and 18 – in 1970.

The region took a battering that sank boats, decimated resorts and towns, uprooted trees and flattened buildings.

Tragically, 14 people lost their lives.

Many survivors of that terrible time still live in the region and, last Friday (January 17), they got together for a reunion, to share stories and remember those two days that changed everything.

The Cyclone Ada survivors 55th anniversary reunion lunch took place at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, Airlie Beach.

The informal event was followed by a visit to the Cyclone Ada Memorial, on the Airlie Beach Foreshore, which was erected five years ago, in January 2020, to mark the 50^th anniversary.

The memorial was made possible due to the prolonged efforts and persistence of a small, dedicated group of survivors, who made up the Cyclone Ada Committee, along with grants from Whitsunday Regional Council and Wilmar Sugar, and donations from local residents.

A book of survivors’ stories – ‘A Community Remembers’ – was also published and is still available to purchase at the Proserpine Museum (the proceeds from the book go to the museum).

At the time the memorial was unveiled, a Proserpine Museum spokesperson recounted the following:

“January 17 and 18 are dates forever etched in my memory, as is the year 1970.

“50 years ago, on this date, the Whitsunday islands, coastline and inland to Proserpine were ravaged, destroyed and flooded by Cyclone Ada.

“Many in our community would like to compare Ada to Cyclone Debbie (2017) but there’s no comparison. They were different times – a different lifestyle and a smaller population.

“For one, people were prepared for Cyclone Debbie. There was no preparation and hardly any warning for Ada.”

The Cyclone Ada Committee wrote letters to the relatives of loved ones who had died during Cyclone Ada and the unveiling of the memorial, on January 18, 2020, was the first opportunity for many to finally have peace.

There were speeches, a dedication service, and the laying of wreaths at the memorial.  

About 23 people attended the reunion lunch, last Friday, when stories of survival and heroism were shared.

With little to no warning, many boats were still out at sea when Ada struck and the passengers had to be rescued – many locals rose to the task, putting their own lives at risk.

All roads in the area were blocked by floodwaters at the time and it was a scene of utter decimation and chaos. 

The following people – all of them survivors – attended the lunch: Kaye Cronan (one of the organisers), Mario and Gloria Demartini, Leanne Adamson (formerly Paterson), Jeannie Hynson (formerly Grosskreutz), Ian McClintock (former marine crew), Meryl McIntyre and her husband Barry McIntyre (a crew member on the vessel Roylen Viane), as well as other marine crew including Bill Liddel, Ray Dibben, Garry McCubben, Paul and Annette Stevenson, Greg and Fay Davey, and Mark and Di O’Donnell.

Locals who had their homes devastated on land also attended the lunch, including Rex and Jeremy Robinson, Brian and Rhonda Davey, and Col Young and family.

During Cyclone Ada, the vessel Roylen Viane, along with Roylen IMF, came up from Mackay in extremely rough conditions and rescued all the stranded guests from the wrecked resorts, then transported them to Bowen by boat (the roads were blocked), where the locals there took care of them.

Barry McIntyre told the story of that epic voyage – the rescue and evacuation of the residents and holidaymakers on the islands – at the reunion lunch.

Following is an excerpt from his story:

‘It was wet and rough and we anchored down before dark, having put out extra anchors.

‘The wind and rain got progressively worse and we were held side-on to the swell, so we were rolling all the time and it got so bad, we were almost dipping the gunnels while at anchor.

‘The rain and wind were so hard it was stripping the paint off the boat.

‘Everything inside and down below was soaking wet – the bunks, the bedding and the floors. It was relentless.’