NEWS 03
TORRES NEWS THURSDAY 16 MARCH 2023
Royston makes top six in Idol BY CHRISTINE HOWES
Australian Idol competitor Royston Baira-Sagigi is excited to be in the top six of the competition and grateful for all the support, including all the social media messages – especially coming from the Cape and Torres Strait – he has received so far. “I’ve been seeing all the support from all the mob,” he said. “It just means everything. “I’m so happy people are getting behind me and really supporting me because I really do need everyone’s votes.” He said he was excited and terrified - of this Sunday night’s competition. “I feel like I need to garner a lot of votes this round, because this is the second to last week,” he said. “It’s the last week before the final, I’m in the top six right now and I need enough votes to get me into the grand final, which is the top three – there are three people that are going home this week.
“So I just really want everyone to be able to get their phones out and vote, vote, vote, because I really do need all the votes, as much as I can get.” He said he wanted to thank everyone for their support so far. “I’m just so grateful for everyone believing in me and taking the time out of their day to spam that number and vote for me because it does mean the world,” he said. “And I’m so happy that I get to represent all my mob, Torres Strait Island people and Aboriginal people, it just means the world.” He said the number of votes was astounding to him. “Someone did a thousand in the whole 24 hours, which is so amazing,” he said. “I hope all the little kids are watching as well, and they’re getting
inspired by my story and what I’m doing. “If they can see my story, where I come from, where I grew up in a small little
community with 60 kids at the school, and now I’m here on Australian Idol – I just want them to see that if you have a dream and you work hard for it, you can get there.” Pic supplied.
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by Artist Irene Robinson AVAILABLE IN STORE ONLY
80th celebrations set to launch today Celebrations for the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion’s 80th anniversary will begin this afternoon and tomorrow on Waiben, with another launch to be held at the Army Museum on the Jezzine Barracks Precinct in Townsville tomorrow, marking the start of six week long celebrations to end on ANZAC Day. Waiben events include: • Open Day at Sarpeye Barracks (1-4pm) –
Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion
80th Anniversary News
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includes army equipment displays, recruitment, photography exhibition and sausage sizzle; March from Seahop to ANZAC Park (8.30am) – veterans, families and agencies are
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encouraged to join; Commemorative Ceremony at ANZAC Park (9am) – families are welcome to lay a wreath and watch the Sarpeye Dancers and Badu Aeroplane Dancers.
Townsville celebrations over the next six weeks will include visits to local schools, guided tours of the Lavarack Barracks and Army Museum; a church service at St John’s and displays at James Cook University and Central Queensland University. Information on the celebrations is available at the Townsville Community Information Centre and the Townsville Aitkenvale Library, where numerous committee meetings
have been held. In recent weeks there has been recording of Torres Strait Island Dancing Songs, Language Hymns and Chorus’. Volunteers and others including school students will take part in the ANZAC Day march along Townsville Strand and there will also be a family day.
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The Torres News will publish full reports with pictures in next week’s edition.
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