This is the month for the launch of the Festival of the Walks – a magnificent marketing exercise coordinated by the Blackall Range Business & Tourism Association. This great variety of hinterland walks, each with its own BRBTA map, will attract residents and visitors to discover the rich environment of this region. Four pages focus on the events which will accompany the Festival starting on August 29
In this edition we feature Olga Tarling, whose career includes her achievement as the first female air traffic controller in Australia. Another fascinating personality is Dr Tony Burlingham, a recent arrival to the Range, whose career as a critical care doctor brought him onto the front line of medical emergency work. A forensic specialist of a different kind is Steve Chaddock a qualified archaeologist who was invited to be part of a team that excavated the site of Ned Kelly’s last stand at Glenrowan in Victoria. Steve was also part of an international documentary, presented by the BBC’s Tony Robinson.
This month I was able to pin down federal MP Peter Slipper and get his views on Tibet and his recent meeting with the Dalai Lama in Daramsala. Peter expresses a passionate commitment to a free Tibet and wants the Australian government to be more upfront about human rights abuses in that part of the world.
A couple of interesting hinterland businesses are also featured this month. Sound Images, the video and TV production house has been here 28 years, quietly making films for governments and companies around the country. And in a completely different direction we talk to Geoff MacKie, recently moved to Reesville with his family. Geoff is CEO of Ideal Introductions, an upmarket introduction agency based in Brisbane. Geoff explains that modern mating has become a sophisticated business where successful coupling is often based on old-fashioned values.
So, another rich and varied magazine about the Hinterland.
Michael Berry
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