Community & Business
14 June, 2021
The sun shines on state’s day
Warm sunny conditions greeted organisers and patrons on Sunday 6th June for local Queensland Day celebrations held at the Pioneer Village.
Commemorations were low-key and attendance was moderate, estimated at around 120 across the three hour program from 10am.
The 11am official ceremony was similarly low-key and brief with Ros Scotney OAM reading a Queensland Day proclamation, outlining the royal assent given by Queen Victoria on 6 June 1859 to the formation of Queensland as a self-governing colony separate from New South Wales.
The first governor George Ferguson Bowen arrived in Moreton Bay to jubilant fanfare on 10 December 1859.
Sunday’s entertainment was primarily provided by Toowoomba group ‘Hop N Hymn’, with verse interludes by Toowoomba Bush Poets members Peter Frazer, Bill Hill and May Vincent.
MC was Allan Petersen OAM.
Refreshments were supplied by the Men’s Shed barbecue, History Pittsworth’s morning tea and the Cooks Soft Drinks van, manned by the Pittsworth Scouts who also performed the flag raising.
Gretchen Thomson, Leon Surawski, Barbara Vines and Dorothy Burrell demonstrated the time-honoured crafts of spinning, lace making and basket weaving, while Pittsworth Woodcrafters also had a display of their wares.
A number of museum buildings were open for inspection and the World War Two Jeep recently donated by the Saal family was also on show.
Children’s games set for late morning did not eventuate, as the small number of families had mostly left.
Lindsay Schultz was awarded a prize, though, having been the only one to bring a vehicle for the proposed billy cart race.
A few impromptu time trials had to suffice, testing the cart granddad Graeme Cook made last Christmas using wheels from his children’s old bicycles hanging in the shed.
