Moreton Border News - 3rd April 2026

Moreton BorderNews

WEATHER

Rosewood women’s group helping RFDS

THE Rosewood Women’s Group hosted a fundraising morning in March at the Memorial Hall in Rosewood, raising funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service via games, raffles and community activities.

The event, coordinated by group member Debbie and her cousin Lyn, drew a crowd of 35 women who took part in lighthearted competitions including heads and tails and a “guess the beads” challenge.

Rhonda claimed the prize in the latter, correctly estimating closest to the total number of beads in a bottle. Her guess of 1,400 fell just six short of the actual count of 1,406, earning her both the bottle and a craft pack.

Mary was also among the winners, taking home a handcrafted large sun catcher made from recycled jewellery sourced from Debbie’s personal bead collection.

Participants described the morning as both engaging and rewarding, with each attendee also receiving a piece of jewellery

to take home.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service was selected as the beneficiary due to its personal significance toDebbie,whotravelsextensively across Australia and has a strong connection to the organisation’s work in supporting remote communities.

In total, $558.50 was raised, an encouraging result for the group’s first event and inaugural fundraiser for the RFDS this year.

Organisers said the strong community support set a positive tone for future events on the group’s calendar.

HUMUNGOUS pumpkins hijacked the cover of this week’sMoretonBorderNews.

Inside, Wendy Creighton writes about the Frohloff family and their longstanding reputation for growing giant cattle pumpkins.

The Queensland Redistribution Commission has proposed changes to Ipswich West’s boundaries.

The move would mean the area would more than double in size but not in voter population.

Jess Leis tells the story of local farmer Neville Bulow who recently celebrated his 90th birthday while I write about a grant to Harrisville Women’s shed to help with its end of the year celebrations.

The West Moreton show circuit kicks off in April and show societies are hoping diesel shortages don’t deter people travelling to compete in the many events.

The showmen drive big double trucks loaded with equipment from one show ground to the next, and a lack of diesel could throw a spanner in the works.

And Thagoona schoolgirl Isabella Lehmann represented the Lions Club of Rosewood at the regional finals for the Lions Youth of the Year Quest.

Happy reading.

- Lara Hart

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Electoral swap: Scenic Rim for Ipswich West

By WENDY CREIGHTON

IPSWICH West will more than double in size but not in voter population under the new State Government election boundaries proposed by the Queensland Redistribution Commission.

Tasked with balancing voter numbers in the state’s 93 electorates ahead of the 2028 election, the Commission’s proposals for electoral boundary changes were released last month.

And now those proposals are open for objections from the public in the lead up to the final decisions being made in June, this year.

The aim of the redistribution was to consider the voter population in each electorate to assess whether each was within the realm of the average number (40,188) plus or minus 10 percent. There was also a weighted average for the larger, more sparsely populated electorates of 40,188 plus or minus 12 percent.

The current voter population in the Ipswich West electorate is 40,416 which is almost 0.6 percent more than the average.

The new boundaries for the State Government seat of Ipswich West as proposed by the Queensland Redistribution Commission. The heavy red line indicates the proposed boundary, while the finer blue line indicates the current boundary.

The Commission also assessed what the average voter population (known as the ‘quota’) would be in 2032 if the boundaries remained unchanged.

In 2032, the voter population in the electorate was calculated to be 49,817, which would be 11.5 percent over the projected average across all 93 electorates.

And so, some significant boundary changes had to be made.

Boundary changes external to Ipswich West also had an impact.

The nearby electorates of Bundamba (to be renamed Redbank) and Jordan (to be renamed Greenbank) were already over quota and like Ipswich West, the electorate of Ipswich was projected to be over quota by 2032.

To help rectify the imbalance in those and other South East Queensland electorates, the Commission has proposed a

completely new electorate called Springfield.

As a result, the ripple effect has led to proposals for significant boundary changes in all the above electorates.

Ipswich West is proposed to cede Chuwar, Karalee and Barellan Point and parts of Tivoli and North Ipswich to the electorate of Moggill. And a portion of the suburb of Yamanto is proposed to become part of the Ipswich electorate.

On its southern boundary, Ipswich West is proposed to gain most of the Ipswich City Council area that was part of the Scenic Rim electorate – an area extending west from Goolman and Purga through to the boundary shared with the Lockyer Regional Council at Grandchester.

The suburb of Deebing Heights is also proposed to become part of Ipswich West.

Under the proposed new boundaries, Ipswich West’s projected voter population in 2032 is anticipated to be 46,539 – around 4.2 percent above the projected state average.

Fireworks in the women’s shed with $5000

By LARA HART

HARRISVILLE Women’s Shed were successful in their bid for a grant that brought almost $5,000 into the organisation’s coffers.

The founder of the shed is Charmaine Standfield, and she formed the group in 2011 when she was 72.

“The grant isn’t really about the shed at all,” she explained.

“Rather, the money is used to pay for the fireworks during carols on the field at Christmas time.

“This is our forth year and the grant helps with the expenses.”

While the money explodes into colour and goes out with a bang, it’s the experience that makes it a worthwhile spend.

“We had a really good year last year because it went on for longer,” she said.

niversary lunch at the Royal Hotel Harrisville.

“We were able to buy them cheaper and it was a really good fireworks night.”

There’s also free sausage sizzle and hamburgers, cakes and coffee are on sale.

“Then there’s the carol singing and last year the kids club did

their bit, it’s a real community effort putting it on,” she said.

Charmaine said she started the Women’s Shed after a priest at her church told her hospitality was one of her gifts.

“Then she asked me if i’d do a coffee morning for young moth-

ers but I didn’t think there were many in Harrisville,” she said.

“After two or three months thinking about it, I decided to open it to all women and that in turn led to establishing a Women’s Shed.”

Show season trepidation with fuel shortages

By LARA HART

SHOW societies are in a holding pattern as they wait to see what effect the war in the Middle East will have on their ability to host an agricultural show.

The West Moreton show circuit doesn’t kick off until the first one in Marburg towards the end of April, and it’s the price and availability of diesel that will determine if they go ahead.

In recent weeks, diesel prices have surged to historic highs, with some regions reporting costs above $3 a litre, driven largely by global supply disruptions and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

For many in agriculture and regional industries, diesel is not just another expense, it is the lifeblood of their operations.

And nowhere is that more evident than on the showgrounds.

Kalbar Show Society president and cattle auctioneer Neil Goetsch said agricultural show cancellations were already happening.

“I heard that at the Toowoomba Royal [Show] when I was there the other day,” he said.

“There is an impact on the auction side too because people pay freight to have their cattle taken back to their property.

“That then reflects on the price of cattle because people have to budget the cost of extra freight when it comes to buying their cattle.”

Neil said it once cost around $200 in diesel to take a truckload of cows to an agricultural show but that cost had doubled.

“Some of the campdrafts have been cancelled as well because of

fuel costs,” he said.

“Their committees use these events to make money to run the following year’s camp draft.

“It’s not just the shows, it’s affected the dog trial circuit as well because a lot of them have been cancelled because of the fuel cost.”

Those able to afford expensive diesel don’t get an easy ride because there’s no guarantee service stations on the route will have fuel available.

Neil said the cost increases were hitting all aspects of agriculture and feedlot owners were paying more for grain to be delivered off an already slim bottom line.

Operators of show rides, food trucks and attractions also rely on diesel-powered generators, with some consuming between 100 and 250 litres of fuel a day just

to operate.

The result is a double hit, high transport costs followed by high running costs on-site.

And for regional agricultural show societies, show time is when they make most of their money.

Camping and caravan facilities are a key component in keeping them financially viable.

The president of Queensland Ag Shows, David Wilson, said a few shows had ‘reached out informally’ to say some of their caravan groups cancelled.

“Many show grounds rely on caravan clubs and camping to subsidise their costs and there’s a bit of a nervous wait in regard to Easter [holidays].

“It’s something the showman’s guild is talking about, and they’re concerned in regards to doing northern and western runs to

support our shows.”

David said that for some of the semi trailers used to haul show equipment a tank of fuel was costing upwards of $3,000.

“That’s something I’ve also heard at camp drafts and shows where people haul cattle using larger semi trailers,” he said.

Shane Hauschildt of View Field Droughtmasters in Talegalla outside Rosewood said his boss owned a piggery, where the fuel bill rose to $20,000 in one week.

“That was when the fuel prices were still around the two dollar mark and he said this week the bulk price for fuel was going to be $3.23, so I’d say ours is going to be a lot dearer,” Shane said.

“We’ll take our cattle to the shows regardless because it’s something we enjoy and look forward to doing.”

Police report no increase in drive-off crimes

WITH the price of fuel still sky high, there has been no meaningful change in reported thefts involving fuel, according to Queensland Police Services.

FortheperiodJanuary1,2026, to March 18, 2026, QPS reported 33 offences for ‘Shop stealing,

unlawfully takeaway goods’, compared to 25 to the same period last year.

For ‘Stealing from other specified buildings (including ATM transactions)’, QPS noted 8004 offences in 2026, against 7946 for the corresponding same period last year.

A QPS spokesperson said crime trends, including fuel theft, can fluctuate over time and can be influenced by a range of contributing factors.

“QPS remains committed to working collaboratively with

stakeholders, including local businesses, to implement effective prevention and disruption strategies, whilst also triaging, and when necessary prioritising investigations to hold those responsible, accountable for their actions,” the spokesperson said.

Madden dusts off a showground master plan

By BYRON PESZKO

A masterplan for Rosewood Showgrounds that has laid dormant for a decade has been revitalised, thanks to Division Four Councillor Jim Madden who is pushing to see an updated plan come to fruition.

AtlastThursday’sIpswichCity Council meeting, Cr Madden noted the existing Master Plan for the showgrounds was completed in 2016 and to be updated with feedback from residents and regular users of the showgrounds via the Shape Your Ipswich campaign

“There’s lots of buildings in it that have since been demolished,” Cr Madden said.

“It doesn’t have the newly constructed camp kitchen or utility block in it either, for example.

Cr Madden said more than 20 tenants occupy the showgrounds.

“We’ve got new groups like Pickleball, and the Hack and Pony Club hold their State Cham-

pionships here.

In his motion, Cr Madden outlined that Shape Your Ipswich feedback from locals and users of the precinct be used for consultation.

“I’m not too worried about the history, but where it’s clear, we should be talking to our groups that use the precinct when we update the master plan.

Cr Madden said the motion was to simply update the 2016 master plan, not create a new one he says is “60 to 70 per cent accurate” in 2026.

“It’d be a much bigger thing if we were starting from ground zero.

In response, Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said she was supportive conceptually of updating the master plan but noted further discussions needed to take place.

“It should move to a budget workshop for further consideration where we can as a Council

decide it and prioritise it in accordance with all things.

“That’s where I stand,” she said.

All Councillors voted for the motion, with Mayor Haridng and Councillor Pye Auigustine voting against.

With no timeline around consultation set in stone, Ipswich Tribune Today suggested the upcoming Rosewood Show in June as a starting point.

“We should focus on that time period around the show, that’s a good suggestion.”

On reflection, Cr Madden said he criticised the maintenance of Council master plans in years gone by.

“I’m not going to say Council did the wrong thing, but we shouldn’t go 10 years without upgrading a master plan.

“Every master plan should note at the bottom of the page that it needs to be reviewed by a certain date,” Cr Madden said.

Dignity boxes land in Rosewood, Walloon

FAMILIES enjoyed a vibrant and welcoming afternoon on Tuesday, 24 March, as the Rosewood Community Centre hosted the official launch of the new Community Dignity Boxes. Held at theCentreacrossfromRosewood Primary School, the event offered food, fun, and activities while celebrating an initiative aimed at supporting locals during times of growing cost-of-living pressures.

Supported by local businesses and community there are now three Dignity Boxes available across Rosewood and Walloon.

The launch event also featured free face painting, interactive games, and hands-on activities designed to help families learn more about the Dignity Box initiative in a relaxed and enjoyable way.

Earlier in the day a special gathering of past participants from the community’s food project workshops. The group reunited for a morning cook-up, preparing a variety of dishes that were later shared with launch-day attendees. Their efforts contributed to the warm, family-friendly atmosphere of the afternoon celebration, where visitors enjoyed freshly made food and even had the chance to bake their own biscuits.

The launch event also featured free face painting, interactive games, and hands-on activities designed to help families learn more about the Dignity Box initiative in a relaxed and enjoyable way.

With cost-of-living pressures continuing to affect local households, the arrival of the Community Dignity Boxes brings timely, practical support.

Each box provides 24-hour access to essential hygiene and personal care items, ensuring people can access support privately, respectfully, and without barriers. (Supplied.)

The Dignity Box locations are:

• Walloon – outside the CWA Hall (near the primary school)

• Rosewood – outside the Rosewood Community Centre

• Rosewood – outside the Rosewood Laundromat

Each box provides 24-hour access to essential hygiene and personal care items, ensuring people can access support privately, re-

spectfully, and without barriers.

Tia Lancaster, Community Project Worker at RADSc said the Community Dignity Boxes were arriving at exactly the right time. “With the rising cost of living affecting so many families, having access to essential items without barriers or judgement is incredibly important,” she said

The Rosewood Community Centre will maintain and stock the boxes, supported by local contributors including:

Rosewood Dental, Walloon Dental, Foots Pharmacy Walloon, Foots Pharmacy Rosewood. Handmade dental hygiene bags, each with essential dental care items for distribution, have been prepared by the Rosewood Craft and Quilters Group.

Donations are welcomed from the wider community, with items such as soap, sanitary products, dental care items, deodorant, and other essentials able to be dropped off at the Rosewood Community Centre.

a

50c fares made permanent

•Delivering a second Ipswich Central river crossing

Delivering for Queensland

•Upgrading Marburg SES training facilities

•Installing a new playground and shade sails at Ipswich North State School

•Delivering more homes for vulnerable women with The Lady Musgrave Trust

•Delivering a new grandstand for Ipswich State High School

As well as delivering permanent 50c fares, here are some of the ways the new Queensland Government is delivering for Ipswich:

•Delivering grandstands at Ipswich Musketeers Baseball Club

•Delivering more classrooms for Haigslea State School

•Upgrading facilities at Norths Tigers Rugby League Club

•Upgrading Rosewood Showgrounds with new lighting.

Find out what else we’re delivering for you.

At 90, Nev has a lifetime of tales to be told

By JESS LEIS

WHERE paddocks still carry the memory of hoofprints and hard years, Neville Bulow contemplates turning 90, his life unfolding not as a single story, but as a long, steady rhythm of work, resilience and small, hard-earned joys.

At his table, a fresh packet of monte carlos sit, waiting to be shared.

“I was born in Matron Stubb’s hospital in John st, on the 25th of March 1936,” he begins.

From childhood, the family’s 60 acre farm defined everything. School at Mount Marrow offered inspiration, particularly from a teacher-Miss Burton.

“She was a very nice person, and was very fond of pomegranates. I knew that there was a tree up along our boundary line, and I used to go up and pick a nice one and take it to school and give it to her.”

“She was very grateful for that, so she let me go home a half an hour early in the afternoon.”

“That didn’t work out real well either. As soon as I got home, my dad said to me, ‘seeing as you’ve come home early, you can get the hoe and chop some scotch thistles before milking.”

“I wanted to be a school teacher,” he says.

“My dad simply said that I’m not going to send you to college… and then pay for somebody else to work on the farm.”

So he worked on the farm. From 14 to 17. “All I got was three feeds a day and a bed.”

“When I turned 17, dad was doing real well on the farm, and he gave me a 5 pound note..I thought I was a millionaire!” he said.

“Every month after, dad received the cream check from Jacaranda milk at Booval, and gave me some money from that.”

Music found Neville.

“My cousin Ainsley Bulow and I decided we’d like to play a musical instrument.”

“I’m

Neville went down to East Ipswich to purchase his first piano accordion.

to try and do something

He and his cousin then found a music teacher at Lowood and travelled every Tuesday night to learn to play.

A piano accordion led to a travelling dance band, winding through country halls and muddy roads.

“Wetravelledalloverthecountryside like the Leyland brothers.. from Kalbar to Mulgowie, and everywhere in between.”

It was in those halls he met the woman who would become his wife, Phyllis Degen.

“On the 20th of February 1960, we got married in the central congregational Church in East Street (Ipswich), and our minister was Reverend Graham Hall.”

Following a honeymoon in Burleigh Heads, they stayed with Neville’s parents while their new home was getting built.

Children, drought and work followed in quick succession. There were years working on the railway, long shifts at the milk factory, and always the farm in between. Cattle, pigs, corn, oats. Life was not linear but layered, each responsibility stacking upon the last.

Neville retired at 60.

every

day.”

At 90 years young, Neville still operates his original Massey Ferguson tractor, still mows the lawn, and walks without a cane. (542981)

The greatest tests came later. One morning, he woke up feeling awful. He’d been lacking energy, losing weight and having issues.

“I said to my wife..there’s something seriously wrong with my body.”

Following tests, a diagnosis followed. “You’ve got cancer of the bowel.”

The words, he says, “hit me like a freight train.”

Surgery, treatment and time carried him through.

“You’re one of the lucky ones,” his doctor told him, and after a chemo program, Neville was given the all clear.

“What I would like to say to all the people reading, is if you think there’s something wrong with your body, do something about it, because it could save your life.” he said.

Despite the loss of his wife, and later his youngest son to an aggressive brain tumor in 2024, Neville still keeps putting one foot in front of the other.

“I made a vow when I retired, that I wasn’t going to go home and sit on my backside and do nothing,” he said.

“I’m going to try and do something positive every single day.”

“Keep your mind and body active, and live one day at a time.”

Isabella takes the Lions’ youth flag to Kalbar

By LARA HART

THE Regional Finals for the Lions Youth of the Year Quest was held at Kalbar last weekend.

The contestants were Alison Boettcher, Isabella Lehmann and Bridget Muller.

Alison was the overall winner.

Alison represented the Lions Club of Fassifern and is in Year 12 at Boonah State High School.

At 17, Alison is already an accomplished sportswoman who has represented her school at the district and regional levels in cross country and athletics.

She is also sports captain and has been awarded the Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork Award, the Cathy Freeman Inspiration of Sports Award and she also mentors younger students at her school.

Her speech topic was Bridging the Generational Gap and in it, she discussed the similarities that flow from one generation to

the next.

Isabella Lehmann represented the Lions Club of Rosewood and she’s a student at Faith Lutheran College in Plainland.

She lives in Thagoona and has been the recipient of many awards including, the Principal’s Award, Outstanding Service Award, Academic High Distinction and the Community and Cultural Awards.

She also achieved a high distinction at Head Start University of Southern Queensland and honours in chemistry, literature, physics and engineering.

Her speech topic was Youth Leadership Today.

This is the second year Isabella has been an entrant in Youth of the Year. She said she enjoyed the process because it built confidence, especially in interviews and professional interactions.

Bridget Muller represented Lions Club of Boonah and is the Cultural Captain and STEM Ambassador at Boonah State High School.

Her speech topic was Gender Roles- if caring is woke, then stay awake.

Bridget is part of the University of Queensland’s Young Achievers Program. She was the public speaking winner for Fassifern Lions in 2024, Boonah Lions in 2025 and the overall Youth of the Year winner in 2025.

She has won the Boonah State High School Public Speaking competition for the past three years and has completed a Certificate 111 in Community Dance, Acting and Events through TAFE Queensland.

The competition was organised by Lions Don and Joy Young and the judges were Jenny Jenner, Luke Coller and Lara Hart.

Alison will proceed to the District Finals on 19 April.

Don’t meow if life gets ruff, buy a guinea pig

By LARA HART

THERE are ways to divide society in conversations covering politics, religion and whether pineapple belongs on pizza, but none are as revealing as this; ‘are you a cat person or a dog person?’

This is not a casual preference, it’s a personality test disguised as a pet choice.

Dog people will tell you they love dogs because dogs are loyal, loving, and always happy to see you.

All of which are true, dogs greet you like you’ve just returned from a heroic voyage, even if you’ve only stepped outside to check the letter box.

There is no playing it cool with a dog and they never pretended they didn’t miss you.

Cat people, on the other hand, say they like cats because they’re independent and low maintenance.

Which is a very polite way of saying ‘this animal could take me or leave me, and I respect that’.

Dog people want to be loved loudly and with enthusiasm.

They want a creature that says, ‘You are the centre of my universe and also possibly made of snacks’.

Cat people want to earn it, they want a slow burn and a relationship built on mutual respect, quiet judgement and the occasional head nod of approval.

A dog will follow you from room to room like a slightly confused bodyguard.

A cat will watch you from a distance like a supervisor who is documenting your mistakes.

Dog people say things like, ‘He’s just happy to be here’.

We restructure our lives around animals that have no idea what’s going on.

That we even have pets at all is incredible considering the work and expenses that come with owning one.

We go out, look at them and say, ‘Yes, we’ll take the financial burden with fur’.

That’swhatapetis,it’sabillthat blinks and we fall for it every time.

Every pet I have ever owned has come with multiple hidden expenses.

Deworming medications, desexing, vet check ups, microchip implanting, and Elizabethanstyle head cones designed to stop the licking of wounds.

One of our dogs was bitten by a paralysis tick and required a veterinary hospital stay that cost hundreds of dollars.

We also had a Rottweiler who was loyal and loving.

When he reached old age his back legs gave out and he couldn’t climb the back steps to reach the lounge room on the second floor.

Every afternoon after work, my husband carried him up the steps, then back down again before we went to bed.

Around four years ago we moved to a house on a huge property with no fence.

Our dogs were long gone, and our daughter was desperate for a pet.

I thought long and hard because falling in love with an animal always ends in grief.

We decided to get two male guinea pigs and keep them inside a large roaming enclosure in the house.

The lifespan of a guinea pig is about eight years and they are relatively easy to take care of.

Enter Caramel Ginger Ninja and Barry, a pair of bonded boars we bought at a pet shop.

Caramel was the most entertaining and charismatic piggy I have ever known.

But he developed lung problems around the three year mark.

There were vet visits and medication, then as he got worse we were referred to an exotic pet vet.

We were told to buy him a nebuliser and to keep that running next to his enclosure and the little purple hut he slept in.

I live in a small regional town and there are only two pharmacies.

I spoke to the pharmacist about a $70 nebuliser they had for sale and half way through the conversation remembered to explain it was for a guinea pig and not a human child.

‘He’s not breathing properly and when he does, there’s a bubbling sound’ I explained.

‘I need to make sure the nebuliser is close to his little hut and he’s able to inhale the steam’.

‘How old is the child and why is he living in a little hut, also ...

please take him to the hospital because I think that’s what is needed, not a nebuliser’, he said, and I explained the patient a guinea pig and a child.

At the end of the day, dog, cat or guinea pig even, it doesn’t really matter.

All groups willingly handed over control of their homes, their routines, and their dignity …to something that licks its own feet.

And when it comes to guinea pigs, that means cleaning up droppings that have made the same journey twice.

Heavy hitters in a world of pumpkin giants

By WENDY CREIGHTON

THE Frohloff family are the premiers of the 2026 Brisbane Ekka’s Giant Pumpkin competition … again.

Their reputation as Queensland’s most consistent champion giant pumpkin growers was founded by family patriarch, Geoff Frohloff, back in the late 1980s.

And it was Geoff, 72, who won theprizefortheChampionHeaviest Pumpkin and the blue ribbon in the Open class during the judging at the Brisbane Showgrounds, on Saturday.

Geoff’s giant weighed in at 342kg.

Also vying for the title was his son Tony, 44, who won second (326kg) and third place (279kg).

Geoff’s grandsons, Riley, 17 and Dylan, 20, also competed.

And it was Riley who won the Youth class with his 249kg entry.

The month of March is early to be judging an Ekka competition, but the timing suits the king of vegetables and their growers.

Tony explains: “Cattle pumpkins may look tough but they are really a bit soft and susceptible to rot.

“We couldn’t change the growing season and it was always a battle to keep them through the wintermonthsfortheEkkainAugust.

“In 2014, they brought the competition forward.”

Since the change of dates, Geoff has claimed the champion award five times and Tony three..

While Tony began helping his father with the cattle pumpkins whenhewas10,heonlybeganentering the competition in his own right in 2017.

“One day, I decided that I’d like to grow my own entries and join in the fun,” he explained.

Geoff has logged entries every yearfor36years,andinnumerable wins.

But the most memorable was 2003, when he grew the first one that weighed in at over 300kg.

Giant pumpkins are not his only winning claim.

“Dad used to enter around 25 varieties of table pumpkins in the shows and even nowadays he still enters about 12 to 15 varieties,” Tony said.

Varietal diversity has also played a role in Geoff and Tony’s selection of seed for the giants.

“We’ve tried the Australian Cattle Pumpkin and the Atlantic Giants and we’ve grown seeds we’ve swapped at the biggest competition in Australia,” Tony said.

Success means potting the best seedlings.

“We grow them on a bit more and then make our choice of the ones we’ll plant out,” he said.

“Planting out happens around November and what follows is a two weekly spraying schedule to deter bugs and diseases.”

The Frohloffs are experienced growers, knowledgeable about cultivation techniques and the impact of weather patterns.

But their added ingredient isluck.

Frohloffs are well known in the national pumpkin competition.

“It used to be held in Lismore but now its run in Kyogle during the Giant Pumpkin and Watermelon Festival in January,” Tony said.

“They are big growers down there, real heavy hitters, and the climate is more suited and so the competition is highly competitive.

“Dad has won the competition once with a 326kg entry and I

won it this year with one weighing 368.5kg.”

Tony is hoping the family’s Ekka entries will hold for another twoweeksintimefortheMarburg Show.

“The Ekka entries and the other ones we picked are now resting under a shady tree in the garden

and if we’re lucky some won’t go soft before the Show.”

And how does one dispose of a giant cattle pumpkin?

“We run between 50 and 70 head of beef cattle,” Tony said.

“They’ll finish off a 300kg pumpkin in 10 to 15 minutes, no trouble.”

Minden - water security, sustainable living

A four bedroom, two bathroom brick and tile home on an acre block at Minden sold last month for $926,111.

The Luther Court residence is located along a cul-de-sac and features a fully renovated bathroom, cathedral ceilings, an open fireplace, split system air conditioning units, a large outdoor undercover area, a two car garage, solar hot water and a solar system.

Outside, the three water tanks have the capacity to store up to 75,000 litres in total. In addition, the home is connected to town water.

There’s also a 7.5 metre twobay lock up shed and workshop, with a full length carport.

The property last sold in 2005 for $282,000.

Centrals last to go as Laidley win everything

By CLANCY NUGENT

A fighting effort by Central Districts was not enough to force a comeback on the final two days of the Cricket Ipswich Division One grand final, with Laidley Mulgowie winning by 47 runs on the back of a famous performance by Tom Sippel.

Laidley resumed Day 3 at 6/97, leading by 208, and were eventually bowled out for 145 to set up a difficult yet achievable run chase of 257 required for Centrals to win.

Nobody in the Centrals top seven managed to pass 30; only Rogan Utz made a reasonable impact, scoring 27 off 68 balls.

That was before Charlie Utz strolled to the crease at number eight after Centrals had lost backto-back wickets.

He hit a defiant 87 off 135 balls and was supported by the three batters below him, who faced 141 balls between them to give their side a genuine chance.

While it was a brilliant innings by Utz, he was eventually undone LBW by Sippel, who claimed his tenth wicket for the match, the scalp that ended the game with Centrals 47 runs short.

It was an incredible performance by Sippel, who only started bowling pace in the off-season after being a successful leg-spinner for the Ipswich Hornets in previous years.

He hit a consistent line and full length to bring the stumps into play and troubled all the Centrals batters.

His vital 61 off 120 balls in the first innings also ended up being Laidley’s top score for the match, a stellar individual performance that earned him Player of the Final.

Head coach, second drop and Cricket Ipswich legend Dan Wilson said it was great to see Sippel enjoying his cricket.

“He’s obviously been at the Hornets for about five or six seasons and he played some first grade there bowling leg spin,” Wilson said.

“He had a couple of longer

overseas trips planned during the cricket season this year, so he didn’t think he could give a full commitment to the Hornets.

“Tom decided that playing for Laidley this year was going to be the best fit and turned up to the first pre-season training session and just decided he was bowling seam-up this year, we said do whatever you want.

“He started to bowl a few and we were like, ‘Oh, he’s not bad at this,’ and then he just sort of worked on it through the season,

got better and better to the point where, in the final, he was the difference in the game.

“Tom got it all together for us at the right time,” he said.

Across the first and second division competitions, Laidley won both the One Day grand finals and the Four Day grand finals, as well as the minor premierships.

Wilson said the success comes down to the culture and depth at the club.

“In ones and twos, to win all those finals was a pretty good ef-

fort,” Wilson said.

“We have such a good club culture and, traditionally, we have provided a lot of players to the Hornets as well.

“It obviously starts at the juniors, and we’ve always had a pretty good player base.

“We’ve done a lot of work to try and promote opportunities for guys to go on and achieve bigger and better things with their cricket, and then we welcome them back with open arms if that opportunity arises.”

FROM AISLES TO OPEN HOMES

You might recognise this face…

After years of looking after locals at Drakes, Jayden is stepping into a brand new chapter and we’re proud to announce he’s joining Acutt & Greet Real Estate in just two weeks’ time.

Born and raised in the area, Jayden knows this community inside and out. More importantly, he genuinely cares about the people in it.

That kind of connection can’t be taught and it’s exactly why we’re so excited to have him on board.

Over the coming weeks, you’ll see a lot more of him as he learns the ropes and gets ready to hit the ground running.

If you see him around town, make sure you congratulate him on the new venture!

Welcome to the team, Jayden!