Sales of Legacy badges help those left behind

Soldiers were out in force on Brisbane streets today selling badges for the welfare charity, Legacy, which helps more than 100,000 widows, 1900 children and disabled dependants of combat veterans. Badge-sellers said Anzac Day was an opportunity for serving members of the defence forces to take part in preserving the memory of soldiers, sailors and airmen who have died, as well as helping the families of the fallen. “We need to remember them,” said a young soldier on the corner... Read More

First-ever Anzac Day without a World War I veteran

Wednesday’s Anzac Day celebrations in Australia will be the first without a World War I veteran. The last surviving digger, Claude Choules, died last year aged 110. British-born Mr Choules served in the Royal Navy in World War I and the Royal Australian Navy in World War II. He will be remembered tomorrow along with all other service men and women who fought for and gave their lives for their country. Over 8000 people are expected to attend the Anzac Day dawn service in Brisbane. Dawn... Read More

Special plans for Anzac Day

Those looking to get into the spirit of Anzac Day in Brisbane on 25 April will have a variety of options. Public transport will run on a Sunday timetable, with extra bus and train services in the early hours to get people to the dawn service. Translink will also provide free public transport for veterans and their partners who are attending Anzac Day ceremonies. The dawn service begins at 4.30am at the Shrine of Remembrance in Ann Street. The march begins at 10am at the corner... Read More

Brisbane roars its support for back-to-back champions as coach quits

Brisbane Roar fans used today’s ticker tape parade to plead – in vain – with coach Ange Postecoglou to stay with the club for a shot at a third straight championship. Premier Campbell Newman and Lord Mayor Graham Quirk presented players with a special certificate in a ceremony at King George Square following the parade through the Queen Street Mall. Ange Postecoglou said “Orange Sunday”, the day of the team’s controversial A-league grand final 2-1 win... Read More

Disasters ‘prove importance of public broadcasting’

Natural disasters proved the importance of public broadcasting, Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley said in Brisbane last night. Opening the Media Leadership in Crisis, Disaster and Emergency Conference, Ms Wensley said Queensland’s 2011 disasters proved the critical role of public media, when the Australian Broadcasting Corporation played a major part in informing people of flood and cyclone developments. She said no-one could have imagined when the conference theme was... Read More

Brown kicks his 500th as Brisbane Lions storm to victory

The Brisbane Lions stormed to an exhilarating 65 point win over the Gold Coast Suns in the season’s first AFL QClash at the Gabba last night. The 21,000-strong home crowd also saw Lions captain Jonathan Brown finally kick his 500th career goal in the 17-9-111 to 6-10-46 win. After managing just three disposals last week in a miserable display against Fremantle the veteran superstar was kept goalless for the first half in his first clash against the Suns. But as Brisbane... Read More

Hysterical fans surge in One Direction

Shrieking fans greeted a brief appearance of touring band One Direction outside the Sofitel Hotel in Brisbane this week. Girls camped out overnight to catch a glimpse of the British-Irish boy band before they set off for their Brisbane debut at the Convention Centre. Hordes of hysterical young women were barricaded from the hotel this morning to let the band get onto the main road. The band left the hotel in a convoy of police and black vans with tinted windows. When the fans... Read More

Gold Coast mayoral candidates pledge spending cuts, lower rates

Big budget savings and a freeze on water rates were two of the promises made by Gold Coast candidates at ABC local radio’s mayoral debate this week. With only a week to go until local council elections, more than a hundred Gold Coast residents turned up to hear candidates address key local issues and outline their visions for the future of the city. Bringing savings to rate-payers was a big ticket item on the night, with Keith Douglas announcing he would put a one-year freeze... Read More

Qld mental health sector to get $51m from Canberra

Queensland’s critically underfunded mental health sector will receive $51.5 million from the Federal Government as part of the new National Partnership Agreement. Under the agreement funding will be provided for a coordinated accommodation and support project which includes long-term social housing and support services. Queensland Alliance for Mental Health CEO Richard Nelson (pictured) said massive underinvestment in patient accommodation was adding pressure to the already... Read More

Review: A Dangerous Method

1904: young, attractive, Jewish, Russian Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley) suffers from hysteria. At the start of the film we see her, writhing and laughing maniacally, carried from a coach into a psychiatric hospital in Zurich. Thirtyish, good-looking, Protestant, Swiss Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) has hopes of helping Sabina using a new talking treatment known as psychoanalysis, pioneered in Vienna by Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen). We soon learn that, as a young child,... Read More

Horror smash survivor inspires young achievers

Six years ago Sam Cawthorn was pronounced dead on the scene of a major car accident. Now he is on stage at the Brisbane Convention Centre, talking with some of the world’s most promising minds about his experiences overcoming adversity. You could say Sam bounced back from the dead, but he prefers to call it bouncing forward. “Things will never be the same again. Why would you want to go back to where you started? You need to keep moving forward,” the motivational speaker... Read More

Fire-fighters compete to improve skills

South-east Queensland’s fire-fighters are ablaze this weekend at the regional fire-fighters championships at Mount Tamborine showgrounds. Twenty-two teams are competing in 10 events to find a winning team that best displays the skills and drills of everyday fire-fighting. Events include ladder skills and working with hoses of small or large diameter. Winners of the regional championships will compete in the State Fire-fighter Championship in August 2012 at Hervey Bay. Scenic... Read More

City organ gets $2m tune-up

The Brisbane City Hall organ will make its grand re-entrance to Brisbane’s cultural life next year after restoration costing about $1.9 million. Intense restoration work on the 1890s classic organ continues in a workshop at Hemmant in Brisbane’s east. Master organ builder Simon Pierce said a 10-member team from Pierce Pipe Organs was restoring the organ to its original glory featuring French-polished casework, gold-painted pipes and “gorgeous sounds”. He said... Read More

Protestors call for stop to Chinese live organ harvesting

About 40 protestors held a candlelight vigil and gathered signatures in King George Square last week to draw attention to reported live organ harvesting of political prisoners in China. The Falun Gong group, a banned organisation in China, says 45,000 of its members have had organs harvested against their will. Falun Gong Queensland spokesman John Andress said live organ harvesting was frequent throughout China, as the large Buddhist population meant few citizens donated organs... Read More

Cooking oil to power Qantas jet in test flight

Australia’s first commercial flight powered by sustainable aviation fuel will take to the skies this week. Biofuel made half of used cooking oil and half conventional jet fuel will power the Qantas Airbus A330 Sydney-Adelaide return flight. Qantas environment head John Valastro said the goal of Friday’s flight was to examine the potential for sustainable aviation fuel in Australia. “We know that sustainable aviation fuel can be used in commercial aviation just like conventional... Read More