April started with the arrival of Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food setting up its mobile truck in Buchanan Park for a 10 week stint. The truck had full kitchen facilites and teaching spaces for two five-week food preparation courses. Jamie wasn’t there himself but all the instructions were based on his recipes.
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Mount Isa Indigenous rapper Lucky Luke Dargan was chosen as the Unearthed winner to open the One Night Stand later in April. His submitted song “Jacks” is set in Pioneer and is about overcoming the social issues like overcrowding, drinking and drugs.
A police investigation into the Harvey Norman fire in February found it was “not deliberate”. Investigators said it was likely to be due to an electrical fault as the franchise celebrated its new store opening in Townview.
On April 22, more than 7000 people packed Tony White Oval for Triple J’s One Night Stand. Triple J broadcast the event live as Lucky Luke opened the concert. He was followed by crowd favourite Tash Sultana who overcame the flu to play. Legendary hypeman Fatman Scoop was there to rev up the crowd though police said the night was well behaved.
Big crowds attended the 102nd Anzac Day services across the region. Almost 2000 people attended the Mount Isa Dawn Service and a bigger crowd still was at the day service where RSL president Tony Smith praised schoolchildren for their research on war veterans now buried at Mount Isa Cemetery.
At the end of the month, the big buzz was over an unclaimed $2.7 million Keno ticket won at the Mount Isa Hotel. Many wondered if it was a One Night Stand visitor. The prize was finally claimed 10 days later by an unnamed Mount Isa tradie.
There was controversy in May when the Isa Rodeo announced there would no longer be a Mardi Gras on the Friday of Rodeo. Instead the Rodeo supported the council’s street party on the Wednesday featuring a Jessica Mauboy concert. Later the Council said it would support a parade as part of its Rodeo Wednesday festivities.
Cloncurry held a huge event in May when it hosted the Outback junior Rugby League Carnival. Boys from all over the Outback descended on the Curry for a day on the field and there was also education sessions at the schools involving Queensland Police who brought a team out to play a Northern Outback invitational side.
All roads led to Mount Isa in the middle of May for Minex 2017, the largest mining conference in eastern Australia. This was the first conference since it went biennial and organiser Commerce North West Star president Travis Crowther was delighted with the event especially the new day one trade-only day. “We’ve seen some great sales happen that day,” he said. “I‘ve heard there was a million dollar sale and it’s all about being able to exhibit your products and talking to people at the right time.”
Also at MineX, Jemena gave an update on the Northern Gas Pipeline saying early works had started at the NT compressor site and they were preparing for early works in Mount Isa while MMG Dugald River operating manager Sam Rodda told the conference the Cloncurry site would be one of the ten largest zinc mines in operation globally when it hits full production in 2018. Mr Rodda said employment preference would be given local workers in Mount Isa and Cloncurry before falling back on the Townsville FIFO hub.
There was tragedy on the roads in May when Cloncurry locomotive driver Keith Hulett was killed in a collision with a road train 12km outside of Mount Isa. A fire was caused after another road train carrying cattle swerved to miss the initial crash. Some cattle were also killed in the incident.
June started with the shock news Glencore had written to the prime minister and federal treasurer warning soaring power and transport costs could force them to close its North Queensland copper operations. After the AFR letter was leaked to the Australian Financial Review, the Queensland government went into damage control with state treasurer Curtis Pitt setting up a meeting with Glencore. Member for Mount Isa Robbie Katter called the letter “a spit in the face”.
On the same day, Woolworths announced it was shutting its store in the suburb of Pioneer and all employees would be moved to its CBD store. The company did not provide a reason though Pioneer locals lamented the fact shopping would no longer be so convenient. “I don’t know how they are going to go with Woolies in town because there’s very little parking,” said resident Frank Tuttle.
Three talented local female singer-songwriters were chosen to take part in the Queensland Music Festival Songs That Made Me program. Lenita Woodsbey, Bianca Lugo (BeeJae) and Cath Purcell would be tutored by Katie Noonan and Mount Isa mentor Megan Samardin, and they would perform with Deborah Conway in a free QMF concert in Mount Isa in July.
Cloncurry’s C150 celebrations started in earnest in June when the steam train arrived from Townsville in time for the annual Cloncurry Show. Almost 100 passengers enjoyed the journey in the Class BB 18 ¼ locomotive built in 1958 and all would hang around for the weekend to enjoy the show before heading back to Townsville. The Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove was also in town on Saturday to formally open the show. Sir Peter also visited Mount Isa for a civic reception.
There was sad news from Mackay where former Mount Isa police sergeant Brendan Poustie died. Sgt Poustie, 44, died several days after he was knocked down by a car while out jogging. He and wife Jakki, also a police officer, moved to Mount Isa in 2013 where they were both popular members of the community. They moved to Mackay in 2016.
The North West Star facilitated a happier story from Mackay when Gympie woman Sue Chapman contacted us to help find her Mount Isa-born father. Ms Chapman was adopted out as a baby and never met her father. She eventually found him in Mackay – Max Streidl. Max and wife Beryl were from Mount Isa before retiring to the coast.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
