Palm Island Voice Your Community Issue 92 Your Newsletter $1.25 Thursday 17 November 2011 Your Voice Community-only for Palm Allblacks NO NRL players is the call for a huge rugby league Allblacks carnival Palm Island looks set to host in February next year. Brainchild behind the carnival and other communities expected Mayor Alf Lacey said he expected to follow suit. strong support from other Phil Rist, CEO of Girringun Indigenous communities for the Aboriginal Corporation in Cardwell Carnival and the idea. said he was impressed with the “I have spoken to people from idea. other communities and they “We would bring a team along for agree no NRL players should play sure,” he said. for any of the sides,” he said. Palm Island club premiers Jets “This will be all about the travelled to Cardwell on October Barracudas who constantly come 29 for the third annual Jack Henry up against sides stacked with and Joe Romelo Memorial match. NRL and other league players, Palm Island Voice has covered some of whom have actually numerous Allblacks carnivals been bought in. around North Queensland “Our Barracudas play for the over the years and most of the pride of playing and winning winning sides have played “ring for our community, there’s no ins” including current and former stacking and there’s no money NRL stars. changing hands, they are all for The Palm carnival would ensure Palm Island and they play for us talent from communities would for the love of their community.” be on show for the pride of their He said the intention was home towns. to only allow communities During 2011 Palm sides have to field resident teams - ie travelled away to most of the big teams of players who lived on Allblacks carnivals at considerable the community they were cost. These include carnivals at representing. Rockhampton, Cairns, Townsville, Already Yarrabah and Yarrabah and last November a Woorabinda have put their Palm team made the marathon hands up, with Hopevale, journey to Bamaga. Kowanyama, Lockhart River ...Continued Next Page... Mayors meet at Wujal Wujal Palm Island Mayor Alf Lacey was in Wujal Wujal last week to help celebrate the opening of the town’s new Art & Culture centre and to meet with other Mayors. While he was there he also for Aboriginal and Torres Strait to see the coming together met informally with Member Partnerships Curtis Pitt and the of community members, for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch LGAQ also attended the 11th particularly when there are (pictured below right). “We just Ministerial Forum (roundtable) good events like these are on.” caught up and had a little chat in Wujal Wujal over the week. about different issues and I’ve “Mayor Desmond Tayley, his also offered him an invitation to community and his Council need come to Palm, and he’d like to to be congratulated for another take that up because he hasn’t successful round table which was been here,” he said. Mayors the follow-on from Palm Island and CEOs from Aboriginal Shire and Bamaga and Cherbourg,” Councils across the State, local he said. “Wujal Wujal has really State MP Jason O’Brien, Minister picked up and it was good ...From Previous Page... The Palm carnival will enable ...Out & About... communities to where the Barracudas have travelled an opportunity to return the favour. February would be an ideal time for such a carnival as it will give Palm players match time in which to fine tune their skills for the 2012 club season. With a combined Palm Island/Bowen side to Thumbs up from a footy fan around the again contest the Foley Shield competition grounds earlier this year, above, and next May, it would give selectors a chance below at the Bindal Allblacks Carnival in Townsville to see the players in action. Indigenous sides from Charters Towers, Bowen, Cloncurry and Dajarra have also expressed a desire to compete at the Palm carnival. Palm Island would be able to field a powerful Barracudas side with all available players to pick from and would be amongst Above Left: Recently signed to the NQ Cowboys, Robert Lui the carnival favourites. now lives in Townsville and is an avid reader of the Palm Island All players would be injury free and there Voice. The Cowboys have signed Lui on a two-year deal. A veteran of 43 NRL matches at just 21 years of age, he would be no other football carnivals has been released from the final year of his contract with Wests clashing with the February date. 2 Tigers and started training with his new team this week. Artists take healing journey to southern venues PAINTINGS by three Palm Island artists have proven popular in NSW and the ACT during a 14-day Women’s NSW Healing Trip made by seven ladies. Artists Sandra Clay and her daughter Noby along with Aunty Mary Twaddle, arts coordinator Maggie Blackley, Caroline Doyle (nee Sibley) from Mackay, and tour co-ordinator Oni Kirwin were joined by Ranietta Lind on their way to a number of art galleries, museums an art gallery on Palm Island,’’ Ms Kirwin said. and libraries “in the big smoke”. The group also had scheduled visits to Art Aunty Mary Twaddle, aged 82, said she was Galleries, Museums, Libraries and the Blue confident the trip would “open the door for her Mountains. people in many ways.” After church services they travelled to Goulburn Aunty Mary and Mrs Blackley said a much to do art works courtesy of South Hill Galleries. anticipated Arts Centre was likely to open on They conducted workshops for TAFE students Palm Island in December this year so the tour and gave an exhibition for the local Arts Council. gave artists some wonderful exposure. Ms Kirwin spoke to the Palm Island Voice from “On the tour we will be able to connect with Goulburn last weekend, saying the trip was many in other communities,” Aunty Mary said. proving to be an amazing success. Mrs Blackley said the main purpose was to “In Canberra somebody was so impressed with promote the excellent work they had already done. our artists they wanted to buy three paintings,” “It is also to enable women connect with other Ms Kirwin said. communities and to gain expressions of interest Ms Oni said the ladies were in the “Lap of God” about work our artists do,” she said. where they stayed at Goulburn. “It is good timing.” “There is art around us everywhere and we look During the trip they enjoyed a guided tour of out at rolling hills and there are roses everywhere Parliament House in Canberra and had morning - this has been a wonderful tour,” she said. tea with Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin. After Goulburn they visited the South Coast “Jenny Macklin knows of the importance of having Aboriginal Community of Mogo and had an art exhibition. From there they went to Sydney where they saw a play at the Opera House. On Monday 21st November they will have lunch at Sydney Harbour, visit Taronga Park Zoo and return to North Queensland the following day. Ms Kirwan said she wanted to thank Mayor Alf Lacey and the Palm Island Aboriginal Top Right: L-R: Patricia Dawn Bobongie, Caroline Doyle (both nee Shire Council, the Palm Sibley) and Oni Kirwin; Above: Maggie Blackley, Aunty Mary Twaddle, Island Community Company Noby Clay and her mum Sandra Clay 3 and St Vincent De Paul. Looks like art will be Jimeika’s bag A partnership between the Cathy Freeman Foundation (CFF) and Coles supermarkets has proved to be a winner for budding artist Jimeika Richardson. Earlier this year the two giants ran a student art competition across both St Michaels’ Catholic School and Bwgcolman Community School, asking students to draw something to symbolise what they love about Palm Island. to Prep, which made it very difficult for us to The winning design was an opportunity not decide on a winner.” only to show off the artistic talents of the As with all competitions, there could only be lucky winner, but to also the chance to have one winner and that was 17-year-old Jimeka their design featured on a limited edition Richardson from Bwgcolman Community CFF shopping bag to be sold in every Coles School for her vibrant, fuschia-infused drawing supermarket across Australia. of local, exotic flowers. “We were most excited to offer this unique Jimeka said she thought Palm Island was a opportunity for the students of Palm Island pretty place to live which was reflected in her to have their design seen by Australians all painting. over the country,” CFF CEO Sonya Stephen “The colours I’ve used in my artwork reflect said. parts of the island that are special to me,” she “We received over 50 wonderful drawings from said. all age groups ranging from Year 12 right down “I hope that other people enjoy my picture.” Jimeka said she was keen to continue with her art when she finished school. “I want to go to TAFE and do an arts course and teach little kids how to do art,” she said. As a last minute surprise, Coles flew Jimeka and her father, Robert, down to Melbourne to present her personally with the first CFF shopping bag. A long way from home, it was a proud and memorable moment when Jimeka jumped on stage in front of almost 600 people to accept the bag. No doubt adding to Jimeka’s already-exciting Melbourne trip was the opportunity to have lunch and a good yarn with Cathy Freeman and the rest of the CFF team.