News
Vietnamese community remembers 1975
The Brisbane Vietnamese community and their Australian allies marked “the day of mourning” – the anniversary of the fall of Saigon which ended the Vietnamese war on 30th April, 1975. Before the twilight service in Anzac Square yesterday, a grieving man thumped the memorial wall of pictures depicting stages of the Vietnam War, while another, [...]
Sea of red as thousands rally for the disabled
Rallies were held around the country today to raise awareness of the financial difficulties facing people with disabilities and their carers and to promote the National Disability Insurance Scheme. About a thousand people including many with disabilities, Paralympians, carers and representatives of various disability groups including Endeavour, Cerebal Palsy League and Spinal Injuries Association of [...]
Carers tell of financial challenges
Families of many disabled Australians suffer financial hardship caring for their loved ones. This was a common story told by carers and family members gathered at Reddacliff Place in Brisbane today to advocate for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Event organiser Fiona Anderson of the Every Australian Counts campaign had first-hand experience with the [...]
Former mayors oppose government duplication
Two former Brisbane mayors say the city’s top job has not changed very much, but there’s now too much overlap of state and local government powers. Watching last night’s debate between mayoral candidates, Jim Soorley and Sally-Anne Atkinson (pictured, left) said the mayor’s job was still about economic development, promoting the city and making the [...]
Australian bee documentary wins international prize
An Australian documentary about bees won the prize for best science reporting at the Commonwealth Broadcasters Association conference in Brisbane this week. The UNESCO Award for Science Reporting and Programming was awarded to SBS’s Eniko Toth for the documentary, “Honeybee Blues”. “Honeybee Blues was the epitome of all that was good about public service broadcasting [...]
Festival to focus on urban design
Brisbane’s inaugural urban design and film festival will be launched tonight at the State Library of Queensland. The design festival called U.R.(BNE) will focus on Brisbane’s public spaces throughout May. The Films project seeks to raise the awareness of urban design and the built environment and generate a greater interest in architecture, public spaces and [...]
Community mourns respected judge
A wide cross-section of the community attended St Stephen’s Cathedral yesterday for the funeral of former District Court Chief Judge Pat Shanahan who died last Sunday aged 82. Among the mourners were members of the judiciary, legal profession, Indigenous community, police and military, reflecting the many public-spirited activities of Judge Shanahan (pictured left) over the [...]
Mystery tweeter appears at mayoral forum
“Not Campbell Newman” (@Can_Do_Campbell) was a mystery guest at the Lord Mayor’s Forum in Brisbane yesterday. @Can_Do describes (pictured left) himself on Twitter as “the Qld Premier of Parody. Ex-Fake Lord Mayor, but am still so very fake.” @Can_Do began tweeting as the fake Lord Mayor two years ago after receiving a car-parking fine which [...]
Brisbane candidates battle for keys to City Hall
Three of Brisbane’s five Lord Mayoral candidates faced off in a live forum and debate at the ABC Brisbane studios yesterday. Independent candidate Chris Carlton arrived late and Australian Sex Party Rory Killen failed to show. Pictured left to right: Andrew Bartlett (Greens), Ray Smith (Labor), Graham Quirk (LNP). ABC drive presenter Tim Cox questioned [...]
Women journalists get inside stories in war zones
It can be an advantage to be a female journalist in war zones, according to war correspondent Sally Sara. People are often more willing to speak to women journalists, especially other women, she said. In particular it was possible to have access to homes and speak to women, something often denied to men in traditional [...]
Photojournalist’s life changed forever by 15 months as a hostage
It was a life-changing experience to be a hostage without knowing whether he’d live or die or ever be released, Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan said in Brisbane this week. Brennan and Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout were kidnapped in 2008 just outside the Somalian capital Mogadishu. He told his story to a group of aspiring journalists, [...]
Tens of thousands cheer city Anzac Day parade
Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Brisbane to view the 2012 Anzac Day parade and applaud the marching veterans. Along every street of the parade all vantage points were taken. In places people were packed six-deep and bus seats turned into sought-after high ground for photographers. “Every year you see a thickening [...]
Moving ceremony at Tweed
About 4000 people gathered at Tweed Heads for a moving Anzac day dawn service. Local MP Geoff Provest made special mention of two local young men who had recently paid the ultimate price in serving their country. Private Nathan Bewes from Murwillumbah and former Kingscliffe High School student Sapper Rowan Robinson (pictured) were killed in [...]
Thousands gather for city dawn service
An estimated 8000 people gathered in Brisbane’s ANZAC Square for today’s dawn service. The service began at 4:28am at the Shrine of Remembrance for a memorable 97th anniversary of the Anzac Cove landings at Gallipoli in Turkey. Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley referred to the changing light of dawn and shifting shadows as a poignant reminder [...]
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 [...]