Moreton Border News - 13th February 2026

Moreton BorderNews

Rosewood brush-strokes PAGE 8

Beauty above, shame below

By LARA HART

A Thagoona couple once focused on reducing the number of pest fish from Wyaralong Dam, say they are discouraged by the lack of support from local fisher groups and government environmental bodies.

Nicole Whysall and her husband Jason Terelinck, said the mounting problem of pest fish and surface plant growth is degrading the ecosystem and making the problem worse.

Read the story on page 9 A beautiful day at Wyaralong. (Lara Hart: 533636)

Dr Rebecca Wainwright Dr Emma Wainwright

INSIDE

WEATHER

Lockyer Valley Council partners with EcoSig to combat the incorrect disposal of electronic waste. Cr Julie Reck with one of the vape disposal bins. (LVRC)

E-waste fire warnings

By JESSE HAMILTON AND LARRAINE SATHICQ

A fire at a Scenic Rim tip over the weekend, linked to the incorrect disposal of electronic waste, has prompted warnings from the Lockyer Valley Council about the danger of throwing out batteries and devices in general rubbish.

TheBromeltonblaze,reported on Friday night, was brought under control in the early hours of Saturday morning by firefighting crews from three local brigades.

Scenic Rim Acting CEO Leo Jensen said the incident was a reminder.

“If you’re throwing out an old mobilephoneorelectronicdevice with batteries, or just batteries themselves in the general waste, please think again,” he said.

“As rubbish is compacted in the back of the collection truck or at the landfill, it only takes one spark to ignite a fire.”

Since December 2024, Lockyer Valley Regional Council has

partnered with EcoSig, a specialist in recycling.

CouncillorJulieReck,whohas strongly advocated for the proper disposal of vapes, which can contain small batteries, said the trend had resulted in a range of social and environmental problems.

“Residents should never place batteries in kerbside or public bins and should take them to a dedicated B-cycle recycling point across the region instead,” Cr Reck said.

“About 13 months ago, council established free vape recycling points at the Gatton, Laidley, Lockyer Waters and Withcott transfer stations, and the number of people doing the right thing and dropping off vapes in bulk continues to increase, which is great to see.”

Queensland Fire Department Scenic Rim area commander Joe Pope said waste fires were becoming more common with the rise of USB-chargeable devices and other products.

THIS edition of the Moreton Border News celebrates the nine decades long ownership of the Marburg Hotel by the Bowden family.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and our cadet journalist Jess Leis reports on a Marburg florist’s quest to bring happiness to the community through beautiful floral displays. If you enjoy art, you will love the story on the Rosewood Art Group.

Why not join? You’ll make new friends who share a love for expressing creativity through brushstrokes.

You’ll also find an article written by Wendy Creighton on a developer who plans to to subdivide about five hectares into 97 home sites at Walloon. And, gates to a bushland reserve in Ebenezer will soon be open to the public for the first time, with plans to make it a new place for enjoying nature.

Happy reading

- Lara Hart

Several fire crews were called to a fire at the Bromelton waste facility on 6 February. (File)

Bowden’s pub is to call time after 90 years

By LARA HART

THE heritage listed Marburg Hotel has been in the hands of the Bowden family for almost 90 years.

There’s been a lot of change overthedecadesandthehotelwas even renamed the Cedar Creek HotelforthefilmingofTheSettlement, a 1948 Australian film starring Bill Kerr and John Jarratt.

The present owners are Dan and Julie Bowden and they have plans to sell the property and retire.

Dan’s parents Arthur and Alice Bowden bought the hotel in 1936 and he inherited it.

“[My parents] were born in Australia and my mum has an interesting story because she was fostered in the depression and didn’t much of a family life,” he said.

“She celebrated that by having eight children, three boys and five girls.

“My first brother was a priest andthesecondtookoverthehotel then had a traffic accident and became a quadriplegic.

“None of the girls were interested in the pub and I was the last man standing.”

When Dan and Julie took the reins, they had a succession plan in place but that changed when tragedy struck.

“We have two sons and the one running the hotel succumbed to stomach cancer, and we are too old to do all of the maintenance so that’s why we are selling it,” he said.

“Matthew had already taken over the business and he has a daughter who could be the fourth generation.”

Dan’s father became a hotelier when he met a businessman who owned two hotels in Rosewood and two in Marburg.

“In 1936 the hotel industry underwent a change when Queensland Breweries bought over 100 of them throughout Queensland,” he said.

“They bought them to move their products and the strategy wastohavewellknownfootballers run them.

“My dad qualified as a well knownfootballerandhetookover the Marburg Hotel in 1936.”

The Bowden’s have worked hard to maintain the Marburg Hotel’suniqueprofileoffabricand design.

“It is a unique building because itwasoriginallyasinglestorythen they very cleverly put another story on top of that,” he said.

“It is an unusual structure and we’ve had people come out from

Marburg in Germany to look at the way it’s tied together without the use of nails.”

Dan said the Marburg Hotel was a ‘work in progress’ and unique.

“It’s like when you buy a house, you may look at many but one feels right and like home,” he said.

“That will be the hotel’s new owner, someone who comes to see it and understands it’s meant for them.”

MONDAY - PUB CLASSICS $20 – 200g Rump, Chicken Schnitty or Grilled Barra, all served with chips and salad (Dinner only)

TUESDAY - TWO FOR ONE – Purchase two mains off our selected menu and receive the lesser value meal for free (Dinner only)

WEDNESDAY - PARMY PARTY $20 – Your choice of 6 different Parmy’s served with chips and salad. (Dinner only)

THURSDAY – BLACK ANGUS $20 – 250g Black Angus rump served with chips, salad and sauce. (Dinner only)

FRIDAY/SATURDAY/SUNDAY – ALL DAY DINING LUNCHES FROM $15 MONDAY-FRIDAY

Marburg florist ready for Valentines rush

By JESS LEIS

AS Valentine’s Day nears, Trisha Pedersen of ‘Mystical Wonderland’ – flower and gift delivery is preparing for one of the busiest times of the year.

Delivering across the district, Trisha has become accustomed to the fast pace and unexpected challenges the day brings.

When asked about her most memorable Valentine’s rush, she remembered a chaotic day last

year when a florist, unable to fulfil their orders, passed the task onto her.

“Igot30ordersin15minutes.” she recalled.

Redrosesremainafirmfavourite, though mixed colours and even rainbow petals are popular.

“On Valentine’s day, they all seem to want roses and some want yellows, orange, and red, all in one. I have rainbow ones, which are beautiful,” she said.

Trisha said the highlight of her work was simple. “Just making people happy.”

Interestingly, she notes that Mother’s Day is even bigger than Valentine’s Day, drawing more orders and attention from the community.

For locals needing a lastminute gift, Trisha is open on the weekends, at Shop 2/207 Edmond St, Marburg, ensuring there’s time to grab a bouquet or small gift before the day.

Help shape Ebenezer bushwalking reserve

THE gates to a bushland reserve in Ebenezer will soon be open to the public for the first time, with plans to make it a new place to enjoy nature.

Environment Committee Chairperson Councillor Jim Madden said the community was encouraged to provide their ideas on Shapeyouripswich.com.au before Sunday 8 March 2026.

“There is opportunity for community ideas on features such as a day use area, lookout points, educational signage and other embellishments to this future reserve,” Cr Madden said.

“There are various ways that the natural, cultural and historical significance of the area could be potentially highlighted or explored.”

Division 1 Councillor Jacob Madsen said the project was funded through Ti Tree Bioenergy payments which must be used by council to provide environmental and/or community benefit.

“Upgrading this bushland

Environment and Sustainability Committee Chairperson Councillor Jim Madden said the community was encouraged to provide their ideas on shapeyouripswich.com.au before Sunday 8 March 2026.

reserve on Paynes Road, Ebenezer will create local benefits, both to the natural environment and the community,” Cr Madsen said.

Division 1 Councillor Pye Augustine said the 83 hectare reserve on Paynes Road, Ebenezer would be an important bushland buffer to future industrial development to the north.

“It features wetlands and is home to a diverse range of species. There will also be ongoing restoration to improve

place for enjoying nature.

the quality of this site as a koala habitat reserve,” Cr Augustine said.

For more information see the Paynes Road Reserve project on shapeyouripswich.com.au

Taylors Road infill subdivision on the books

By WENDY CREIGHTON

A developer has plans to subdivide about five hectares into 97 home sites at Walloon.

Piano Keys East Pty Ltd hopes to subdivide most of the northern half of the three properties off Taylors Road and with frontage to Rohl Road.

Addressed as 44, 54 and 72 Taylors Road, diagrams uploaded as part of the application indicate that 90 of the allotments are less that 390sqm and include eight ‘terrace’ allotments which range in size from 210 to 238sqm.

The developers are proposing to activate the subdivision across three stages.

In Stage 1, 27 lots are to be developed as well as a 6,200sqm stormwater basin, and the formation of the start of a series of internal roads and the only access to the total development off Rohl Road. A small strip of land will also be set aside as open space during this stage.

A diagram showing the site of the proposed subdivision (labelled as project site to the centre right of the illustration) in the context of the approved subdivisions which surround it.

A total of 24 allotments are proposed for Stage 2 and the final stage has 46 allotments including the eight ‘terrace’ lots.

A report by the developer found no significant vegetation communities on site, but a section of high value regrowth and core koala habitat was identified on the southern part at 54 and 72 Taylors Road.

Accordingly, a minimum 10

metre buffer is proposed between the development boundary and protected vegetation.

The southern half of the three properties and a long thin strip on the western boundary of 44 Taylors Road will become a single ‘balance’ lot if council approves.

The land is located within the Western Growth Corridor in a low density residential zone, which means the application is

code assessible and does not require a public notification process.

Town planning agents for the developer noted that the three stage subdivision was a natural follow on from nearby approved developments.

“There is significant development occurring in the immediate area,” it was pointed out in the application.

“These include the 49 Taylors Road Residential Development (158 residential lots); Dawn Walloon (1,886 residential lots); Highland Walloon (243 residential lots); and Taylors Ridge (66 residential lots).

The town planning agents originally lodged a similar application for a planning permit to subdivide a portion of three properties just before Christmas. That application was withdrawn on Monday, February 2. The current application was submitted three days later..

Group helps seniors to connect, find support

THE Rosewood seniors group began its 2026 program on 3 February, gathering at the Rosewood hut on Matthew street for their first monthly meeting of the year.

Led by Community Project Worker Tia Lancaster from Rosewood and District Supporting Communities Inc, the group continues its mission of connecting and supporting local seniors through a diverse and welcoming program.

“Supporting community is what we do. Our goal is provide inclusive spaces and experiences that provide connections between individuals, services and supports. We design our program with the aim to be relevent, informative, useful and enjoyable.” said Tia.

The Rosewood seniors group is an open group for seniors from Rosewood and surrounding areas. The main program runs on the first Tuesday of each month, meetingupat79Matthewstfrom 9-11am. The program is complemented by twice-monthly coffee catch ups held at the Cabanda Cafe on select Thursdays and Fridays. While the program looks different each month, its purpose remains consistent: creating an inclusive space with a diverse range of activities.

Overpreviousyears,thegroup has enjoyed bus trips, game days, celebrations, health and wellbeing sessions, and talks from aged and disability advocates, emergency services, dietitians, podiatrists, hearing specialists, physiotherapists, doctors and more.

“The information sessions are about learning & understanding about what is available to us in our community,” said Mark Strong, co-coordinator of the group.

The year started with a lively cooking session facilitated by community food project worker, Skye.

The seniors joined together to cook and eat, shared recipes, ideas and plenty of conversation.

“It was wonderful to come and run this workshop with the seniors group. I wanted to share some recipies and ideas with

them, and let them know about our program and what we are doing and how they could get involved if they wanted to... but more then that I wanted to take the opportunity to ask them to share,” Skye said.

“There is so much knowledge in our seniors, about how to cook and little tricks about how to cook affordably etc. A part of our program is about bringing people together and to pass down information. We are doing this through community, as not everyone has had the opportunity to learn through family.” she said.

The social aspect remains at the heart of the group.

“We really enjoy attending the Rosewood Seniors Group. Its great for keeping in touch with everyone. Its a group that is all about friendship keeping in touch with everyone and

The group continues its mission of connecting and supporting local seniors through a diverse and welcoming program.

getting out of the house... away from those house walls,” said Mark.

“its really just about having a chance to see each other and the friendly faces of our community. Its for this reason, the need so many of us have for those regular catch ups that Mark and I agreed to start up and run the coffee catch ups... because as a group, wedecidedonceamonthwasjust not enough,” said Denise Strong, co-coordinator of the seniors coffee catch ups.

“We started with one catch up between the monthly senior sessions but it just wasn’t enough, so this year we doubled them, and now there is two a month,” Mark said.

“We have had a couple this year already and they are going really well. We kind of take over the cafe and our conversations

The seniors joined together to cook and eat, sharing recipes, ideas and plenty of conversation.

often flow through morning tea and into lunch. Its not a problem though, because anyone is welcome to join us,” Denise said.

Tia Lancaster welcomed any interested seniors to come along and get involved.

“Rosewood is a really great place to be a senior, with so many local groups and activities happening. We encourage any seniors who are interested to come and get involved. All our groups are designed for our community. If you can’t find what you are looking for we encourage you to come to us and have a chat. your idea could become a part of our plan to support community.” she said.

For more information, locals can contact the Rosewood community centre on 07 5464 1544 or search for the Rosewood community centre on facebook.

Thursday art in Rosewood is a wide canvas

By JESS LEIS

THURSDAY mornings from 9am to 12pm at the former Girl Guide hut, 79 Cossart Street, Rosewood, are filled with colour, conversation and quiet concentration as the Rosewood Art Group comes together for its weekly session.

Volunteer co-ordinator Marg Bess oversees the Thursday gathering, which offers a welcoming creative circle where participants share ideas, exchange techniques and enjoy the simple pleasure of making art together. Friendly conversation moves easily between tables as pencils sketch, brushes glide and imaginations take shape across the page.

Over the past five years, the group has grown steadily from just four members to a thriving community of 21. In addition to their weekly meetings, members organise outings to inspiring locations such as the Warwick Botanical Gardens, drawing on the surrounding landscape for fresh ideas and creative energy.

“It’s not an art class, but we learn from one another.” Marg said.

“And then when we do have the funds available, we discuss what workshops we’d like to do.”

Although each session may include a theme to spark creativity, participation in the theme is optional.

“Normally, we bring in what we’re working on, and it doesn’t matter what that is.” said Marg.

Sessions remain accessible, with members contributing just $3 for each visit. On the final Thursday of every month, a re-

laxed ‘show and tell’ provides an opportunity to share completed works and celebrate one another’s progress.

At a recent gathering, artists created small trading cards inspired by the theme ‘If You Go to the Woods’, exchanging their finished pieces at the end of the morning. Each card reflected the individuality of its maker, from detailed bushland scenes and native wildlife to whimsical, imagined creatures.

Together, these small artworks offer a vibrant reminder that creativity continues to flourish in the heart of the Rosewood community.

Pest fish, water weed are all a dam disgrace

By LARA HART

A Thagoona couple, veterans of regional fishing and pest fish control efforts, say they are ‘discouraged and frustrated’ with the state of Wyaralong Dam.

Nicole Whysall and Jason Terelinck said there was a lack of meaningful action to address the proliferation of invasive species such as carp and tilapia, and the increasing mats of water hyacinth that feed pest fish and alter the environment.

Wyaralong Dam is located northwest of Beaudesert and is part of the Logan and Albert River system.

It has struggled with invasive fish species like carp and tilapia for decades.

The pest fish are regular targets of community eradication efforts and organised fishing events intended to reduce their numbers and raise funds for native fish stocking.

Groups such as the Logan

and Albert Fish Management Association run annual competitions to catch and remove as many carp and tilapia as possible, with hundreds caught at recent events.

However, experts and local anglers acknowledge competitions alone are unlikely to eradicate pest fish.

Springs hide a snake

By LARA HART

A Maroon resident got the fright of her life when one of Australia’s most venomous snakes, an Eastern Brown, was discovered inside her mattress.

That’s right, an Eastern Brown snake slithered through a hole in her mattress and was living among the springs.

The Maroon woman phoned experienced snake handlers Zachery’s Snake and Reptile Relocation.

“She’d found a [shredded] snake skin in her bedroom but didn’t think too much about it,” Zachery Richards said.

“Then a couple of days later, she saw the snake lying along the carpet near the door and when she approached it, it took off under the bed and she lost sight of it.”

The woman had been sleeping soundly, completely oblivious that an Eastern Brown snake was coiled up beneath her.

Jason spent a few hours fishing the dam this week and said a third of the water was covered in hyacinth.

“I used to fish there at least three to four times a week but had a break because I was unhappy with the government and general public’s position at the moment,” he said.

“It has cleared up quite a bit since I was there about four weeks ago but it is still there.

“The conditions are just right for it to grow and it’s just going to come straight back again.”

There’s another aspect to it and that’s the sound of thousands of tilapia sucking the root system of the hyacinth.

“When you walk along the banks, you can hear them and it’s like tree frogs going off,” he said.

“I’ve been fishing the dam for eight years and each year the population of pest fish increases.

“Every flood we’ve had pushes everything down into the Lo-

Can you see it? The snake was an unwelcome roommate for a Maroon resident.

Zackery said he regularly responded to calls for snake and reptile relocations in the region. He transported the Eastern Brown to suitable bushland well away from homes and people, releasing it back into its natural environment.

In warmer months, snakes like Eastern Browns become more active and may slither into sheds, garages, and even homes in search of shelter, food or warmth.

Local residents, particularly in rural and semi-rural areas, are encouraged to be vigilant by checking bedding, clothing and shoes before use and sealing up gaps where a snake might enter.

gan and Albert [water systems] and it’s just poisoning the whole system.”

His few hours fishing the dam this week removed 20 tilapia from the water.

“They were all around 45 centimetres and a pretty small day for me,” he explained.

“Twenty fish are between 20 and 25 kilograms, when I go out and have a good day, it will be around 80 kilograms in six hours easily.

“There has also been a big swing towards eating them and I don’t want any part of that so I shut my social media down and had a break.”

Tilapia and carp must be dispatched as soon as they’re caught, then disposed of into a bucket on the shore for that purpose.

When kiff souties grow up as crook bludgers

By LARA HART

SOME words and sayings have the lifespan of a decade.

Once 10 years have passed, saying them is no longer cool and instead, it’s become cringe.

Nowthat’sanotherslangword, a present day one at that ... cringe.

My dad told me he was once a ducktail and showed me a photograph from when he was 30 in the late 1960s. He was wearing sunnies and lounging at park near the beach.

His hair was slicked back and combed backwards around the sides, it was a hairdo called a ducktail and was very much in vogue.

Men who wore their hair this way were called ducktails and he must have looked ‘quacking good’ because he met my mum around that time.

The 1970s breezed in with slang words that read nowadays, sound a little high in my internal monologue.

Groovy, far out, right on and outta sight were how the cool cats spoke.

Then there’s foxy to describe an attractive woman, hip, square, calling money bread and the use of man for emphasis as in c’mon man!

If you like something, you dig it, dancing was to boogie, trippin’ was when someone was acting strange, and the man described the establishment of authority.

As we moved into the 1980s the word chill came with it.

As a teenager in the 1980s, new slang words were dropped into the everyday vernacular because 1970s slang was no longer cool.

Because I lived in Durban, South Africa, some of my generation’s slang words weren’t the same as those in Australia.

It was a complicated situation because as an English speaking person in Durban, our slang was even different to that of our peers who lived in the Gauteng province, a place where most people spoke Afrikaans.

To kiss was to lumber, if

something was good, then it was kiff and the words ek se’ (‘I say’ in English) were inserted at the end of random sentences.

Question, “How are you?”response, “I’m kiff, ek se’”.

Partying was to jol and anything good was lekker.

People who lived in the Gauteng province called the English ‘souties’ (salties) because our ancestors came to Durban by ship while their province is landlocked.

Rivalry between English and Afrikaans speaking South Africans exists to this day.

As a Durbanite, we called people from Gauteng planks as in ‘thick as two planks’.

We also referred to them as rock spiders and there is a longstanding joke about them coming to the coast to see ‘die groot dam’ which translated is ‘the big dam’.

A slang word that persists to this day is howzit (how is it); ag man! come on! mild annoyance); and eish (shock, frustration and disbelief).

During the same decade in Australia, slang words were so good they’re still used today.

Words like mate, drongo, yobbo, larrikin, ripper, beaut and then bastard, which is wildly flexible and can be used as an insult or a compliment.

When I arrived in Australia,

I found some slang words and phrases confusing.

Words like crook when feeling unwell, a bludger being a lazy person and stubbies and tinnies for bottles and cans of beer.

And the concept of chucking a sickie was new and using it felt low key dishonest.

During the early 2000s Australia pulled out new slang words andphrases,butsomelikechucking a sickie remained embedded in the Aussie work culture.

Then post 2010 up pops the word eshay that describes kids who hang out in groups on the streets and inside malls making mischief while not buying anything.

Then gronk (an idiot), legend (top person), fully sick (very good), mint (excellent and clean), sick (awesome) and tool (annoying person).

I once kept up with new words and their meanings but lost interest because it became annoying.

Who invents these words and how do they become so embedded in everyday communication?

Is there an email sent out that outlines which will become obsolete and a list of new ones to replace them?

Teenagers and young adults are the main drivers of new words. They want identity, speed and words adults don’t

understand or approve of.

Once adults start using the slang unironically, it is already dying.

The cool, hip and young age out and the next generation steps up and rolls their eyes at them justliketheydidafewyearsprior.

There is a word in the English language that is the most overworked, and that’s ‘cool’.

If something is good, it’s cool.

If someone agrees, they’re cool.

If nothing is wrong, cool.

This word has survived every generation and somehow still hasn’t been cancelled.

How cool is that!

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Churchill offers you a offshore study option

By LARRAINE SATHICQ

THE Churchill Fellows Association of Queensland is hosting an information session at Boonah this month, encouraging locals from across the region to aim high and chase their dreams.

The Churchill Fellowship is a memorial to Winston Churchill in the form of a scholarship available to all.

Funded by the Churchill Trust the scholarship has helped many Australians travel overseas to learn from experts and bring acquired knowledge home to share with others.

The Boonah event will feature a visit from QFAQ president Maura Solley and a Q and A presentation with two past recipients of the fellowship, Bruce Tully and Adele Rice.

Templin jewelry designer Bruce Tully said anyone with a passion to learn, no matter their age or educational status, could apply for a Churchill Scholarship.

“We are trying to promote the Fellowships more to regional areas as most Fellows seem to come

from the major centres,” he said “I came from Quilpie in far South West Queensland and the Fellowship really changed the course of my life.”

Mr Tully undertook his field of research in jewelry design and crafting, traveling to Florence via Chicago, New York, Munich and Milan after his ideas for opal design were scoffed at by Australian jewellers.

He came to his current career after selling off his cattle and sheep farm and taking up opal mining in his 40s.

“I was just a country kid with very little education. If you leave a farming or grazing situation in your mid or even early 40s it’s very difficult to start again.

“The Churchill Fellowship gave me the opportunity to get the credentials I needed to be accepted in this field of jewelry and design.Icouldn’thavedoneitany other way. I’m just keen to see more people from regional areas have the same experience.”

The information session at the Boonah Cultural Centre is on 21 February at 11am.

Million mark beckons on a dual-living block

A well-presented, dual-living property on a corner block in Rosewood, sold recently for $958,000.

One of the stand-out features of the Albert Street home is the fully self-contained granny flat, which comes complete with a council-approved office space (approved in 2017).

Inside the main home there are three bedrooms, four splitsystem air conditioners, a 2017-renovated kitchen, and two updated bathrooms.

The granny flat has been finished with the same attention to detail. It too, has a modern kitchen (renovated 2017), bathroom and three air conditioners.

Other property upgrades include a water filtration system servicing every tap, electric hot water systems and electric ovens and stoves in both dwellings and a security camera system. Also, there’s a double bay carport and under-house storage with a concrete base. The 776sqm yard is fully fenced.

The property last sold in 2013 for $240,000.

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Rosewood buckeroo rides the Bull-O-Rama

A Rosewood bull rider’s ambitions to break into the American bull riding industry are a step closer after a show stopping performance at last Saturday’s BullO-Rama event.

Lucas Taylor took to the ring and showed off his skill before an audience of more than 4,000 people at the Ipswich show ground event.

He’s competed in USA based competitions before and represented Australia at the Yeti junior World final in Las Vegas in 2023.

He also qualified for the Youth Bull Riders World final that was held in Texas.

His introduction to the sport happened through his father who is also an accomplished bull rider.

Kids keen on being part of the bullridingscenecompetefromas young as five or six years old, riding ‘poddy calves’ or calves that have been hand raised.

“I’ve won under-15 bull rider

titles, three junior bull rider titles, a novice bull rider title, an open bull rider title as well as Rookie of the Year,” he told the Moreton Border News late last year.

“Those are the ones in South East Queensland and I have been riding in the open section under the National Rodeo Association, since [2024].”

The Ipswich Show Society has hosted a number of rodeo events over the last 12 months and with the greyhound track no longer in use, they are looking to bring three rodeo events each year to the precinct to serve the community and remain financially strong.

Ipswich Show Society president Darren Zanow said the decision was down to a number of reasons.

“It was extremely successful and the after party was huge,” Zanow said.

“It was the perfect afternoon and evening with no rain and I

think people were looking for something to do, and they certainly came out in their thousands.

“People want to get back to the real roots of Australia and become more patriotic and I think that’s their way of saying ‘we’re patriotic’ by coming to those types of events.

“We also noticed some international tourists came to the event on Saturday night. There were some people there from Spain and also two couples from Ireland,” he said.

The organisation hosted the National Rodeo Finals at the end of 2025 and was looking to be home to even larger events in the future.

“We will keep trying to get these things right because there’s not too many good facilities around to be able to hold such an event,” Zanow said.

“Since the dogs are gone now, we’re going to concentrate more

on those larger, outdoor rodeo, concert type events.

“There will be a caravan and camping show in the second half of this year at the show grounds that we’re working on now, and other events as well, in the main grandstand pavilion and the main arena.

“I wouldn’t discount getting 5000 people at the next rodeo because this one went so well,” he said.

The Ipswich showgrounds were set to have a large animal pavilion built by the middle of the year, as well as a veterinarian room in order to support the welfare of animals at the venue during the show and at rodeo events.

While the show still remains the main event at the showgrounds, rodeos have proven themselves to be a massive success and a path to sustained financial stability for the show society.

Chantal’s two-way bet for horse of the year

Racing Queensland has unveiled the finalists for the 2025 Queensland Harness Awards with two horses trained by Somerset Farms’ Chantal Turpin in the running for Queensland Harness Horse of the Year.

Somerset Farms, led by Turpin and her husband Pete McMullen, is one of the finest harness racing training centres in the state, based north of Lowood.

Staged at Victoria Park on Sunday, March 1, the Queensland Harness Awards will acknowledge Queensland’s outstanding pacers, trotters and participants throughout the past year.

Turpin’s stars The Janitor and trotting superstar Gus join threetime reigning Horse of the Year Leap To Fame in the running for the top gong.

Leap To Fame, who claimed both the Group 1 Inter Dominion Pacing Final and Group 1 NZ Pacing Free-For-All, also leads the finalists for Queensland Aged Pacer of the Year.

Other Group 1 performers amongst the nominations for an award on the night include Fire And Passion, Fate Awaits, and Cool And Classy.

In total, close to 30 Awards of distinction will be presented to Queensland’s outstanding achievers including Horse of the Year, Trotter of the Year, Trainer of the Year and Driver of the Year.

The Albion Park, Redcliffe and Marburg club awards will also be presented.

Queensland Harness Horse of theYearfinalists

Gus NZ – trained by Chantal Turpin

Season 2025: 13 starts for five wins, six placings and $342,006 in prize money.

Highlights: Winner of Group 1 NZ Dominion Trot, and Group 1 NZ Trotting Free-For-All. Placed in Group 3 Menangle Park Trotters Cup. Finished fourth in Group 1 Inter Dominion Trotting Final.

Leap To Fame – trained by GrantDixon

Season 2025: 22 starts for 16 wins, six placings and $1,758,424 in prize money.

Highlights: Winner of the Group 1 Inter Dominion Pacing Final, Group 1 NZ Pacing Free-ForAll, Group 2 Newcastle Mile, Group 2 Cranbourne Cup, Listed The Race by betcha, and Listed Melton Casey Classic. Runner-up in Group 1 Blacks A Fake, Group 1 NZ Cup, Group 1 Hunter Cup, Group 1 Miracle Mile, and Group 1 Victoria Cup.

The Janitor – trained by ChantalTurpin

Season 2025: 15 starts for nine wins, four placings and $221,276 in prize money.

Highlights: Winner of the Group 3 2025 4YO Championship, and Be Good Johnny Sprint.

Runner-up of Group 1 The Rising Sun and Group 2 Sunshine Sprint. Finished third in Group 1 Blacks A Fake.