Pyramid Views JULY 2018

EDITION 18, JULY 2018 

GORDONVALE’S ONLY GYM UNDERGOES RENOVATIONS 

amenities including free wifi, tvs, showers, 

a water cooler, chef-prepared ready-made 

meals, a huge variety of equipment and 

these renovations will take the state-ofthe-art 

gym to the next level. 

“I recently introduced a range of chefprepared, 

high-protein, ready-made meals 

which are available for purchase in a range 

of sizes and they’ve been really popular for 

people wanting healthy meals and might 

not have the time to cook dinner.” 

Renovations in a snap shot 

- Adding 180m2 to the gym floor to 

increase workout space 

- 28 new pieces of equipment to help 

members target muscle groups 

- Moving the 24 hour access entry point to 

improve member safety 

- Extending supplements and merchandise 

range to give members more choice 

Gordonvale’s only gym 360 Fitness Group, 

located on the main street, will undergo a 

massive overhaul to help members better 

achieve their health and fitness goals. 

Founder and owner Rory Stallbaum 

said members were his first priority so 

he scheduled the renovations to be 

completed as quickly as possible so they 

could take advantage of the new changes 

when they’re finished in late June. 

“I’m passionate about positively changing 

the lives of people so it was time to redo 

and revamp the gym and make a lot of 

changes to benefit the members,” Rory 

said. 

“Just to name a few of the changes I’m 

ripping out most of the reception desk to 

make room for a bigger work out space, I’m 

getting almost 30 new pieces of equipment, 

a new functional zone tailored to strength, 

conditioning and cardio, and getting more 

pin and plate loaded machines.” 

“I’m also moving the 24/7 access point 

from the back of the gym to the front 

to make sure member’s are as safe as 

possible when they want to access the 

gym after hours.” 

The gym, which has been open for over 

nine months, already offers a wide range of 

“It made me realise that I need to upgrade 

the gym so people can get the most out of 

their membership.” 

Rory started the gym in 2017 because he 

saw a need in the community and wanted 

to help people take control of their health 

and fitness and has an exclusive deal for 

Pyramid Views readers. 

Mention this article and he’ll waive the $29 

joining fee for people wanting to sign up. 

There are a range of membership options 

available. 

The gym is open 24/7 from Monday 

through Sunday and is located at 64 

Norman Street. 

Words and photo by Amalia Buckerfield

TO REGISTER VISIT 

WWW.RIDEFORISABEL.ORG.AU 

OR PHONE 1800 815 743 

 

 

 

Sunday 29 July 

 

50kms or 100kms Ride 

Depart Norman Park; ride out via Pine 

Creek Road to Bessie Point. 

Return to Norman Park for morning tea. 

Then head south turning off the highway 

at Aloomba taking the back roads to the 

end of Barbagello Road. 

Return to Norman Park for a barbeque 

lunch. 

REGISTRATIONS close 22 July 2018 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.rideforisabel.org.au 

GORDONVALE – BESSIE POINT - ALOOMBA - GORDONVALE 

SR PEST 

CONTROL 

QBCC: 15006342 

Gordonvale family owned and operated 

PEST AND TERMITE MANAGEMENT 

Phone Ben Rains on 0477 007 601 

www.srpestcontrolcairns.com.au 

E: srpestcontrol@outlook.com 

Safe Pest Solutions 

Domestic, Industrial & Commercial 

Your Lending Specialist. 

Presbyterian Hall 

Saturday 21st July 

9am-3pm 

$5.00 entry fee 

Lucky Door prize patchwork quilt 

- included in entry fee. 

Tea, Coffee and food available 

Stalls there so you can purchase products 

All proceeds go to Local Charities 

Further information contact 

Bobbie Rennie - 0407 901 180 

Greg Hendy 0403 172 807 

greg.hendy@bendigoadelaide.com.au 

bendigobank.com.au 

Page 2 - PYRAMID VIEWS, JULY 2018 “Celebrating and connecting our community” 

1113456-Babinda CB-Lending Specialist Press ad UPDATE.indd 1 

5/12/2017 9:25 AM

MY FIRST PYRAMID RACE 

HOME AWAY FROM HOME 

GLORIA RETIRES 

The first time I heard of Gordonvale was when 

I was posted to the State School as a first year 

physical education teacher in 1985. I arrived 

in Gordonvale in the middle of the night, and 

camped on a vacant area on the corner of 

Swan and Templeton Streets. When I woke the 

next morning and took my first glimpse of the 

Pyramid, I was totally in awe. 

“Look what I have in my new backyard!” I 

boasted to my friends. 

I was a State Representative Cross Country 

and Middle Distance Track Runner and it 

wasn’t long before I was told about the “Great 

Pyramid Race”. 

Louise Carver 

“No Way!” I said. “How on earth could you run 

up there?” 

I first climbed the Pyramid with Michael Hoare 

who told many stories about races in the past. 

I was still very dubious about it all. 

The Monday before race day, I decided to see 

how fast I could go up the Pyramid, and to my 

surprise, I considered that I did a reasonable 

time, so I entered the race. 

Race day was incredible. Norman Park was 

filled with runners and well wishers. The actual 

race up the Pyramid felt a lot harder than my 

practice day. 

On my return to Gordonvale the crowd cheered 

me over the line. My students were my best 

supporters and they were shocked and amazed 

that their teacher was the first female home. 

From that very first race, I became addicted to 

running the Pyramid. Every time I looked at the 

Pyramid thereafter, it gave me an overwhelming 

sense of achievement. It’s that feeling of 

achieving something that you were not sure 

was possible. I went on to win another 6 races 

and competed in total for about 16 years. 

We have had a great local training group over 

the years with Greg Lewis, Ian Kruger, Geoff 

Thomas, Robert Ayling, Adam and Martin 

Douglas, Romi and Sharon Berridge, Raymond 

Moller, Andrew Greenwood, Mark Trevor, 

and Lachlan Murray to name a few. We all 

consistently ran well under the 2 hour mark. 

Also running in my day was Clive Murray, Rod 

Whittle and Georgie Oosen. 

Julie Amadio’s bed and breakfast cottage 

on her 1 acre block in Gordonvale is literally 

a ‘home away from home’. Guests have 

described Julie’s B&B as a place that has 

peaceful surroundings, excellent hosts, 

and is immaculately clean with delicious 

home baked and home grown food. Cairns 

Gateway B & B Cottage is popular with past 

residents returning to catch up with family, 

business people wanting accommodation 

close to Gordonvale yet in a quiet location 

and tourists from all over wanting to see the 

natural beauty on the south side of Cairns. 

The cottage, separate from Julie’s family 

home has all the modern conveniences, 

and with the well- maintained gardens, 

attracts butterflies and birds with the 

majestic Pyramid as a backdrop. 

Julie, a natural born host, loves the 

interaction with people. Knowing the area 

and experiencing all the north has to offer 

enables Julie to recommend destinations 

or experiences for guests to include in 

their holiday itinerary. The swimming pool 

is perfect to cool off or Julie can suggest 

local swimming spots to picnic at. Julie’s 

chickens provide fresh free -range eggs; 

and fresh produce can be picked straight 

from the fruit trees and vegetable gardens. 

Cairns Gateway B & B Cottage is the 

perfect place to get away, unwind, and get 

to know real locals. 

To make an enquiry, visit Julie’s website 

www.cairnsgwaybb.com 

or phone her on 0457080670 

Story by Sandra Charlton Photo by Julie Chaffiel 

If you would like to advertise or contribute to 

a story please contact us 

pyramidviewseditorial@gmail.com 

Gloria Plant has seen many changes in 

the Gordonvale chemist since she began 

working there 22 years ago. When Gloria first 

started at the chemist it was located where 

the Lifeline Store is now and shifted to its 

present location where the Commonwealth 

Bank was. Chemists changed, with Keith 

Crappe being the first during Gloria’s 

employment. Robert Brown was next and 

then a partnership was formed between 

Robert and Dennis Davies. The chemist’s 

banner group has changed over time from 

Chem World, to Guardian Pharmacy and the 

latest Discount Drug Stores. Prescription 

labels were typed on a typewriter and Gloria 

remembers the excitement when Robert 

introduced a computer system for efficient 

administration. There was a photo lab and 

photos were developed in the shop. 

The one constant and what Gloria will miss 

the most is the friendly interaction with 

customers and the satisfaction of serving the 

Gordonvale community. Gloria’s retirement 

will give her the flexibility to continue to help 

the community through more volunteering 

and getting to experience what Australia 

has to offer with a trip to the tip of Cape 

York planned in the near future. 

Words by Sandra Charlton Photo by Cath Davies 

Words by Louise Carver Photo by Sandra Charlton 

Page 3 - PYRAMID VIEWS, JULY 2018 “Celebrating and connecting our community”

NOVEL TROLLEY 

The new book exchange with a ‘novel’ 

name in Trolley’s sister coffee shop offers 

inexpensive options to access a range 

of reading material. Readers can buy 

or exchange books with profits going 

to needy community organisations. 

Tastefully decked out, the space provides 

a quiet environment to kick back and 

read. 

Linda Barnard, Jenny Verrall and Leslie Grehan 

Above the book exchange is a community 

room available free of charge during the 

day or for a minimum charge at night 

to cover electricity. To donate books or 

book the community room, phone Ian on 

0434331223 

Words and photo by Sandra Charlton 

WORLD CLASS MUSIC 

The people of All Saints Anglican church 

in Gordonvale were stunned to receive 

an email from the Chamber Philharmonia 

Cologne asking if they could play in 

our church. How did they even know 

we existed??? So of course we said 

yes and on the 7th July, 7.00pm, at All 

Saints church, Gordonvale will have an 

international chamber ensemble playing. 

The Chamber Philharmonia Cologne is a 

world renowned ensemble of musicians, 

whose aim is to inspire people to enjoy 

classical music. The ensemble is eager 

to play music, the world over. It doesn’t 

matter to them whether they play in 

a village church or the Sydney Opera 

House, they just want to bring good 

music to all sorts of people all over the 

world. They perform around 300 concerts 

a year. 

They will be playing Vivaldi, Mozart, 

Tchaikovsky, Paganini and tickets 

are available from Trolleys, $40 adult, 

concession $35, children $30. 

People can BYO picnic in our fenced 

grounds between 5.00pm and 7.00pm 

before the concert commences when 

we are hoping that there may be an 

opportunity to meet the members of the 

ensemble. 

Words by Kay Graham 

Kat & Tim’s 

Pizzeria 

Gordonvale 

Delivery 

Service 

Available 

Ph: 40566224 



TASTE BUDDIES 

With Ian Kruger 

Kruger’s “See-if” Cooking style 

Well, I came from a family that did meat 

and three veg very well and very often. So 

early in my teens I thought I’d commence 

my journey into life as a “chef de cuisine”. 

Forced to really, as I was now the eldest at 

home. Mum’s mantra was “to be a good 

cook you have to be organised”. So off I 

went to the cash and carry, complete with 

hessian carry bag (no plastic then) and 

some pounds, shillings, and pence in my 

pocket. After cruising all the aisles, I’d filled 

my bag so then it was home to prepare the 

kitchen to cook. 

Electric frying pan out (just out really!) and 

all the ingredients neatly arranged to cook 

the new fashioned Eastern dish – rice -ariso. 

Everything was going smoothly until it 

was my turn to bat in the back-yard cricket 

match which was going on at the same time. 

By the time I was out the frypan was in melt 

down and the meal was a coagulated brown 

mess. Organised! I’d forgotten to nominate 

my assistant cook. Ball tampering wasn’t on 

then, but had I rubbed the ball with rice-ariso 

that day, it surely would have swung. 

Fast forward to now and I’ve completed my 

journey into the world of cooking gourmet 

food with great aplomb. 

Step 1 - neatly arrange all ingredients on 

the kitchen bench, complete with utensils, 

directions etc. 

So now everything is over to you – throw all 

of this in the pan, cook it and see if you like 

it enough to eat it. 

Chicken Curry 

Ingredients 

2 tbs oil 

½ tsp cumin seeds 

Chopped ginger and garlic to taste 

2 brown onions chopped finely 

1 tomato (or 2tbs tin tomatoes) 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp coriander powder 

½ tsp turmeric powder 

500 gms chicken breast 

Method 

Brown chicken and set aside 

Heat oil in a pan and add ½ teaspoon cumin 

seeds, garlic and ginger 

Add chopped onion – cook until brown 

Add salt, coriander and turmeric 

Add tomatoes- cook for 5-7 minutes 

Add chicken 

To make a gravy you can add water, cream 

or yoghurt. 

Serve with aged Indian rice, stir fried 

vegetables and lime pickles to enhance the 

flavour. 

Quantity test: See if you have put in enough 

of each ingredient 

Taste test: See if anything is missing and 

needs to be added 

The final step: Now that you have made it, 

see if you can improve on anything. 

So, in conclusion – I look for simplicity in 

cooking and complexity in my reds 

Bon Appetite! 

REAL ESTATE MATTERS 

with Robyn Hawley-Whitton 

What Happens When There Are Multiple 

Offers on a Property I Want to Buy? 

This is a situation that happens frequently 

when selling property. If more than one 

person wants to buy a property then the 

agent should operate under best practices 

and take written offers in this manner: 

1. Use a Letter of Offer Form or Contract with 

the first buyers. Explain to them that they 

are the first to offer and that, not only the 

amount they offer but also their terms such 

as whether they want the contract subject to 

finance, building and pest and how quickly 

they can settle along with how much deposit 

needs to be given, all form part of the owners 

being able to make a decision or to negotiate 

the best offer being put forward. 

2. The second or further offers need to also 

sign a “Multiple Offer Form” stating that they 

have been made aware that there is another 

offer and they should put forward their best 

offer as they may not have the opportunity to 

negotiate further. 

3. At this point the Agent goes back to Offer 

no. 1 and also has them sign a “Multiple Offer 

Form” with the same instructions. 

4. The Agent then presents all offers to the 

Sellers for them to make a decision. They 

may choose just one offer to negotiate with 

or they may choose all of them but usually it 

is just one. The highest offer is not always 

the one accepted if the terms are something 

like CASH or a shorter or longer settlement 

which is of benefit to the owners. 

If you have any further questions about this 

subject or would like to see another question 

highlighted in my column, please email me at 

robynhw@cpo.com.au 

Step 2 – Go off and “see if” someone else will 

cook it. Always look completely engrossed 

in a diversionary activity at this stage. 

This works really well with the washing up – 

I rinse and stack and then leave it – “see if” 

someone else will wash up. This generally 

is a winner! 

But I digress - I developed my style when 

my meat and three veg brother came to 

visit. I put everything on the bench and he 

asked what I was going to cook. I said that 

I was going to throw it all into the pan and 

cook it and he could see if he’d eat it, as I 

knew I would. 

!"#$%&#'%&()#(*+,#-%#.)/,0-*1,#%0#2%3-0*4&-,#-%# 

.#1-%0$##5(,.1,#2%3-.2-#&1# 

5$0.6*)/*,'1,)*-%0*.(786.*(92%6# 

!"#$%&'()*+$,*#-.$+/#.$0/1$(22#31$(0&$4*(5*4*1*#.$ 

6/'$(0&$#''/'.$/'$/)*..*/0.$2/01(*0#+$*0$('1*24#.7$ 

.1(1#)#01.7$/3*0*/0.$/'$(+8#'1*.#)#01.$3954*."#+$ 

"#'#*0:$ !"#$ 8*#-.$ (0+$ /3*0*/0.$ #;3'#..#+$ *0$ 

%&'()*+$,*#-.$('#$1"/.#$/6$1"#$(91"/'

ANIMAL ANTICS 

With Steph Williams BVS MANZCVS 

NORTH QUEENSLAND EQUINE CLINIC 

Doggie Dementia 

Did you know that our beloved pets as they 

age can suffer a disease which is incredibly 

similar to Alzheimer’s disease in people? 

In dogs the syndrome is known as Canine 

Cognitive Dysfunction and in Cats it is 

known as Feline Dementia. 

The late Siggy - Photo by Cherry Judge 

This disease may not be obvious initially 

and many owners don’t even realise their 

cat or dog has it. Some of the signs include: 

• Confusion or disorientation (getting lost or 

even seemingly forgetting what they were 

doing at their food bowl) 

• Becoming unsettled at night (waking up, 

getting lost, pacing) 

• Toileting accidents (by a previously toilet 

trained animal) 

• Vocalising for no reason (often at night) 

• Reduced activity or interaction with 

owners or other pets 

• Staring at walls 

• Excessive grooming (or in some cases no 

grooming at all) 

One of the mechanisms by which this 

disease is thought to develop is an 

accumulation of proteins in the brain which 

impairs awareness, memory and response 

to stimuli. 

It is essential to get your pet checked by 

your vet. There are other disease processes, 

like bladder infections, arthritis, sight loss, 

renal failure or diabetes than can cause an 

aged animal to behave in a strange manner. 

It is essential to rule these diseases out or 

treat them if diagnosed. 

While there is no way to reverse the disease, 

there are a few things you can try to slow 

down the progression and help manage 

your aged pet. These include: 

• Feeding a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids 

and other anti-oxidants (like Hills B/D) 

• Melatonin (a natural supplement, but 

check with your vet first) 

• Food enrichment- e.g. food puzzles 

• Keeping the environment consistent (no 

moving furniture) 

• Reminding them to go and get a drink, 

eat, go outside to the toilet or go to bed. 

• Continuing exercise and play activities 

Dementia in senior pets is extremely 

common. The earlier the disease is 

recognised, and the quicker management is 

implemented, the more likely it is your aged 

pet will live many more quality years. 

STUDENT IS REEF HERO 

Laani Bradley is a Year 5 student at Gordonvale 

State School and is participating in the Cairns 

District Schools Science and Sustainability 

Enrichment Program. As part of this program, 

Laani is investigating the public understanding 

of oxybenzone found in some sunscreens. 

Oxybenzone has been found to damage 

the protective layer of coral. In fact, Hawaii 

is the first US state to ban sunscreens with 

oxybenzone for this reason. 

Vishy Hayne-Keon (class teacher), Helen Underwood 

(Deputy Principal), Lloyd Perkins (Principal) 

Laani has endeavoured to increase the 

awareness of the impact of oxybenzone to the 

student population and amongst government 

agencies, businesses and tourism operators 

by embarking on an education campaign. 

Promising responses from these organisations 

have already been received. She also 

presented her project idea to an audience 

of industry professionals at Cairns Regional 

Council. Impressed with the case Laani put 

forward, members of the audience indicated 

they would consider purchasing reef safe 

sunscreens and provided feedback on how 

she could alert a wider population. 


Looking for the right home loan? 

You're not alone. 

Tracy Whitby 

CommBank Home Lending Specialist 

0428 080 342 

tracy.whitby@cba.com.au 

Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124. Australian credit licence 234945. 

Page 7- PYRAMID VIEWS, JULY 2018 “Celebrating and connecting our community”

CONSTRUCTING DREAMS 

A sixth generation Gordonvale Alley, Kane 

always liked to build. It started with Lego as a 

toddler, then cubbyhouses as he got older, then 

sheds with his dad, Kent and now houses. After 

completing his carpentry trade, Kane started his 

own business, KCA Constructions in 2013 and 

worked as a carpentry contractor. More satisfied 

with seeing a house built from scratch to finish, 

Kane completed his building qualifications and 

started building houses 2 years ago. ‘Constructing 

Dreams’ is the perfect catchcry for his business, 

helping people achieve the Australian dream. 

QBCC # 1247160 

KcA 

FNQ 

CONSTRUCTIONS 

Constructing dreams! 

• new homes • extensions • renovations • remote work 

www.kcaconstructions.com.au Phone Kane today on 0409 574 466 

It is a family business, with Kane’s trade being 

the foundation of KCA Constructions while wife 

Emma handles the administration and finances 

work. Having a genuine love for his trade and 

understanding the importance of apprenticeships 

to having a skilled workforce, Kane gives back by 

offering opportunities for young people to be part 

of his business and the building industry. Local 

Gordonvale tradespeople are used on job sites 

where possible. 

Kane’s focus is on modern style homes but he 

also does renovations and extensions. Kane 

focuses on building locally but covers areas from 

Cape York to Tully. KCA Constructions will be 

constructing another display home in Riverstone 

Hills Estate, Gordonvale in the not too distant 

future. 

Words by Sandra Charlton Photo by Emma Alley 

LIONS LEND A HAND 

Several community organisations reaped 

the benefits of the fundraising efforts of our 

Gordonvale Lions with representatives of these 

organisations being presented with cheques at 

a recent Lions dinner meeting. Each organisation 

highlighted how the funds would be spent and at 

the same time thanked the Gordonvale Lions for 

their commitment to making a positive change in 

our local community. 

Organisations included: Souths Football Club, 

Southern Suburbs Junior Rugby League, 

Pyramid Residential Care Centre, Pyramid 

Power Junior AFL, Mulgrave Athletics, Cairns 

Cardiac Challenge- ‘We Are Family’ Team, Cairns 

Mudcrabs, FNQ Prostate Cancer Support Group, 

Gordonvale Girl Guides, Gordonvale Tennis Club, 

Gordonvale Scouts and Mulgrave Combined 

Cricket. 



THE HORSEMAN 

An accomplished horseman and bushman, 

63 year old Raymond Moller is as Aussie 

as you can get. Preferring starry skies to 

city lights, Ray grew up around horses, 

learning from doing and observing other 

horsemen around him. When he was a 

boy, the town common at the Greenpatch 

paddocked his horse and many of the local 

horses at the time. 

After joining the tail end of the Gordonvale 

Pony Club scene in his early twenties, Ray 

moved to training racehorses and has 

dabbled in this ever since. The Gordonvale 

Races is a must do and the Garnet Races 

is an annual drawcard with family and 

extended family being accommodated in 

the Milton Fanny humpy.. 

Ray Moller at Little Mulgrave 

His passion however is bush riding, 

exploring the historical tracks around 

Gordonvale and gaining an understanding 

of the hardships our early pioneers 

faced. Steep, rugged, overgrown tracks 

do not deter Ray and like his horses, he 

is tough, fit and strong. Knowing full well 

the capability of a horse, he respects the 

contribution of horses to the development 

of our modern day world and is grateful to 

have had the opportunity to interact with 

horses and nature at the same time. To Ray 

there is no better way to fill in a weekend 

than hours in the saddle mesmerized by 

brumbies while exploring Thomas, Old 

Cairns, Robson and other tracks along 

waterways like Huntsbrook and Butcher’s 

Creek , finishing off with a coldie at the 

Mountain View pub. 

Local horse enthusiasts would be aware 

of Ray and his horses over the years. A 

standout horse for Ray is ‘Fiver’. Twenty 

years ago Ray purchased a skinny 

pregnant mare from the Gordonvale 

Council Pound for $5. She gave birth to 

a beautiful Appaloosa colt, named “Fiver” 

after the five dollars Ray had paid for the 

mare. A strong horse with good hooves, 

Fiver has done the Goldsborough trails 

almost weekly for the last 18 years. 

Ray Moller is a horse breaker, a horse 

trainer, a horse rider, and a horse lover. 


PITT STOP with Curtis Pitt MP 

July 2018 

Indij Designs wins Small Business Digital 

Grant 

Congratulations to Gordonvale business, 

Indij Designs, who have been successful 

in securing a Small Business Digital Grant, 

helping them to achieve a tech savvy edge. 

Investing in IT can be a big expense for 

small business, and Indij designs are now 

able to upgrade their systems to the highest 

in industry design standards. With so many 

new businesses opening in Gordonvale, 

Small Business Digital Grants provide a 

wonderful opportunity to upgrade hardware 

and software, to help your business grow 

globally! More information can be found at 

www.business.qld.gov.au. 

Grab these grant opportunities! 

The Gambling Community Benefit Fund is 

turning 25! Register your club’s Expression of 

Interest to apply for a chance to celebrate by 

winning one of 10 grants of $100,000. There 

is one grant available for $250,000! 

July is an exciting month for clubs, with big 

money up for grabs – the Get Playing Places 

and Spaces Grant opens for infrastructure 

funding up to $150,000. Our local not-forprofit 

groups are the heart and soul of our 

community, and I’d love to see that money 

secured locally. Make sure you let me know 

what’s on your club’s wish list so that I can 

help support your application. 

Mulgrave Budget Highlights 

Duplication of the Bruce Highway between 

Edmonton and Gordonvale to four lanes is 

one step closer thanks to a $15.15 million 

allocation in the Budget. The growing 

southern corridor will need our already busy 

road network to keep pace, and I’m keen to 

see this $481 million project hopefully begin 

next year. 

The Budget also included over $1 million for 

upgrades and repairs to our local schools. 

That’s in addition to $4.5 million for the 

new indoor sports hall at Gordonvale State 

School, which is on track for completion in 

the coming months. 


STREETS AHEAD 

This column provides a background to the streets 

of Gordonvale and who they were named after 

Fixter Road 

Aloomba. His sons ran the farms, but by 

1954 the farms were split up and Charles’s 

son Ken was the only one left farming, and 

chose the Behana Creek farm, but lived in 

Aloomba on what now is Fixter Road. Ken 

married Ivy in 1965 and gained an instant 

family of five. 

Ivy and Ken had a daughter Michelle 

together and the combined family worked 

well. Later, they all moved to a new house 

on the farm. Ken died in 2009 at the age of 

94 having spent 93 years living in Aloomba 

and would have been the longest serving 

resident of the area. Pictured are Billie 

Corcoran (Ivy’s granddaughter) Ivy Fixter 88 

and Bruce Corcoran. (Ivy’s son) 

Nielsen Street 

across the Mulgrave River near his house. 

The horseman summoned Peter by ringing 

a bell mounted on a tree and Peter would 

row across the river, pick them up and their 

saddlery and the horse would swim behind 

the boat. 

Peter originally taught the children at home, 

but was instrumental in assisting other 

settlers to apply for a provisional school at 

Aloomba. Eventually all of the 10 Nielsen 

children attended Aloomba School. Niels 

and Christie Nielsen were among the first 

students when the school opened in 1899. 

Peter and his family embraced the faith of 

the Church of England, and Peter donated 

a parcel of land from his farm for the 

establishment of St Anskars Church which 

was built in 1913. It was destroyed by the 

1927 cyclone. 

Fixter Road was part of the old Bruce 

Highway until 1966. It was named after the 

Fixter family who still lived on the road at 

the time and were one of the oldest cane 

farming families in the Aloomba area. 

Charles Fixter was born in Lincolnshire 

England in 1874 and came out to Australia 

in 1884 at the age of 10 with his parents 

and siblings. The family settled in Tasmania, 

then around 1900 moved to Victoria, where 

Charles married Alecia and took up dairy 

farming. 

They moved north to Atherton in 1912 and 

Charles got work building roads. He became 

a Lay Preacher and would walk down the 

packers trail (Robsons Track) to Gordonvale 

on a regular basis to conduct services. 

John Gordon (who Gordonvale is named 

after) had heard about Charles and asked if 

he would move permanently to Gordonvale 

as there was no Presbyterian minister in the 

town. Charles served as a Lay Preacher 

until the church group was large enough to 

support him as a ‘home missionary’. 

He also conducted services as far away as 

Innisfail and would travel on his horse and 

stay overnight at various cane barracks 

along the way. From other people’s 

recollections, Ivy Fixter (Charles’ daughter- 

In-Law) remembers that Charles always 

had a sermon to tell and could go on and 

on. The canecutters just wanted an early 

night, as they had to get up at day break 

again to spend another long day in the 

paddock cutting cane. They came up with 

an ingenious idea of putting green leaves 

on the cooking fire to smoke Charles out, 

so everyone could get some sleep. Charles 

and Alecia went on to have five sons. 

Charles got a job managing Walkers Farm 

at Edmonton and around 1916 bought a 

cane farm at Banna near Aloomba, a farm 

in Cairns where City View subdivision is 

today and later the farm at Behana Creek, 

Nielsen Street, Aloomba was named after 

Peter Nielsen who came to Australia from 

Denmark at the age of 19 in 1877. Peter 

was a well educated man and spoke good 

English. He arrived into Hervey Bay on the 

sailing ship Lammershagen. He stayed in 

Townsville for eight years milking, fencing 

and doing lots of bush work. In 1885 he 

went back to Denmark to visit his parents 

and married Mette Mogensen in 1886. Peter 

returned to Townsville with his new bride 

that same year. They bought a piece of land 

there and tried market gardening. Three of 

their children were born in Townsville. After 

their second year at Townsville, there was 

a terrible drought and they lost everything 

so they had to sell up. Two of their three 

children died in Townsville and in 1890, 

Peter decided they should move north as 

Townsville held many sad memories. They 

left with their surviving child Niels who was 

11. They eventually settled on a farm on the 

banks of the Mulgrave River, first dairying 

and then sugar cane growing. Their fourth 

child Anna was born here in 1891. Peter 

was adamant that they would only speak 

English and was determined to raise an 

Australian family, but Mette was longing to 

hear a Danish voice. 

In the early days it was a two day trip into 

Cairns, with no bridges across the Mulgrave 

River. Peter and Mette lost their daughter 

Anna who was suffering from pneumonia, 

while they were desperately trying to ferry 

her to Cairns in 1897. Peter, in due course, 

acquired a dinghy and ferried passengers 

Page 10 - PYRAMID VIEWS, JULY 2018 “Celebrating and connecting our community” 

After their retirement, the Nielsen’s 

purchased a house in Moller Street and 

became pillars of ‘All Saints Anglican 

Church’. Peter died in 1939 aged 82 and is 

buried in the Gordonvale Cemetery. Pictured 

from left are some of Peter’s descendants; 

Christine Belgrove, (Great Granddaughter) 

Olga Beh, (Granddaughter) Gordon Nielsen, 

(Grandson) Peter Beh, (Great Grandson) and 

Beverley Belgrove. (Great Granddaughter) 

Words and photo by Julie Amadio 

MAREE & KURT ROTH’S 60TH 

I would like to share the news of my parents’ 

60th wedding anniversary or as I call it the 

60th anniversary of the wedding gifts they 

are still using today. Mum still regularly uses 

the crystalware, baking trays, pyrex bowls, 

aluminium cake tins and a hand egg beater 

that she received as wedding gifts. Maree 

and Kurt Roth have lived at their Bellenden 

Ker property for over 40 years, having lived 

in Gordonvale for about 6 years prior to 

that after moving up from Brisbane in 1972. 

Mum is now 81 and worked as a nurse at 

Gordonvale Hospital before becoming a 

nursing sister for Government Medical 

Officer, Dr Schorman, whose surgery was 

were Cornett’s supermarket carpark is 

today. Dad is now 85 and worked with 

Gordonvale builder, Frank Dall’Alba for 

many years. Together they built a wonderful 

award-winning garden at their Bellenden 

Ker property that has featured on ‘Better 

Homes & Gardens’ several times. 

Mum sewed her own wedding dress, and 

Dad made all the bouquets. 

Maree and Kurt with family and friends 

Words and photo by Antony Roth

CHAMBER UPDATE 

Since being elected as President of 

the Gordonvale & District Chamber Of 

Commerce in March this year, I have been 

bowled over by how many people have 

introduced themselves to me, shared 

ideas and concerns and filled in the gaps 

of my knowledge. 

Marcia Harrisnew 

member of Chamber of Commerce 

I confess that I am not a born and bred 

Far North Queenslander. In fact I had only 

been to Gordonvale once before moving 

here in 2009, and on that occasion there 

were a whole bunch of kids on bicycles 

playing in the creek at the end of our street 

and from that moment on Gordonvale 

and quintessential country Australian life 

captured my heart. 

Since March the Chamber has addressed 

some outstanding administration issues, 

created a Facebook page “Gordonvale 

Chamber” (please like and follow us) and 

are in the process of creating a web site 

(and possibly an app) that combines a 

Gordonvale “What’s On” today events 

page with a local business directory. The 

aim is to connect all Gordonvale and 

district residents with the diverse array of 

activities and services that are currently on 

offer here. 

We are presently in discussions on how 

we can incorporate another community/ 

country fair type event within the yearly 

calendar to attract more visitors and locals 

to the town. 

I would just like to add a huge “well done” 

for all those involved in achieving the 

following: 

• A brand new event for FNQ, Targa GBR, 

similar to Targa Tasmania will have their 

first leg around Greenhill on Friday 31st 

August from 7am to 12. 

• All involved with the Aloomba State 

School Trivia Night. The effort that went into 

decorating the venue and the costumes 

would put Universal Studios to shame. 

• At the recent BEX Awards hosted by 

the Cairns Chamber Of Commerce, 

Gordonvale family business FNQ Forklifts 

was awarded the Trades and Services 

Excellence award. 

The Gordonvale & District Chamber meets 

at the Parkview Tavern every second 

Tuesday of the month from 5:30pm – 7pm 

and all are welcome. 

Words by Susan Byrne-Callaghan 

DANISH DEVOTEES 

Lene Sofie and Lars Wolhers, returned 

to Denmark last year, after living in Little 

Mulgrave for a long time. This photo shows 

them enjoying a little ray of sunshine after 

having just survived their first winter back 

there. 

Friends send them the Pyramid Views to 

keep up to date with what is happening in 

Gordonvale. 

RED CROSS GIVES 

Gordonvale Red Cross members visited ARC 

Disability Services to donate two Elna sewing 

machines and accessories. These machines 

will replace ARC’s sole, very old sewing 

machine that has seen better days and many, 

many miles of thread run through it! 

The new machines will be great resource 

tools for ARC’s sewing programs and other 

creative art and craft initiatives that ARC 

provides. 

Red Cross members also participated in 

the Cancer Council’s “Australia’s Biggest 

Morning Tea” whilst at ARC. The morning 

was filled with delicious food along with 

music and dance from ARC’s drummers and 

a very enjoyable time was had by all who 

attended. 

of items to make up Care Packs for victims of 

domestic violence and be distributed to safe 

houses and through RFDS to clinics in Cape 

York and other remote locations. 

For those interested in joining the 

Gordonvale Red Cross, meetings are held on 

the 1st Thursday of each month. For more 

information, contact President Maureen 

Carne on 4056 5713. New members would 

be most welcome. 

Leane Sofie and Lars Wolhers 

On another note, Gordonvale Red Cross 

made a donation in aid of Domestic Violence 

Connect, a project we undertook in 2015. 

These donated funds will assist the purchase 

Words and photo by Jo Atkinson 


SCENE OUT 

Capturing our community members out and 

about in Gordonvale and surrounds. 

Doug Cook, Pyramid Polocrosse Club 

Bronwyn Case with rescue greyhound, Allie in 

Norman Park 

A happy space, locally owned & bursting with ideas. 

Affordable homewares chosen with love, garden gadgets 

& brilliant gifts that are perfect for tropical living. 

ALSO INTRODUCING 

A refreshing, affordable 

approach to interior design 

& decoration. See fabrics & 

cushions, get ideas & 

inspiration. Learn design 

tips & tricks. Chat to Susan 

about that dream project. 

Home Tonic is proud to upcycle & source locally where possible. 

Phone 0417 774 267 

Email susan@tonicdesignstudio.com.au 

Visit our new store in Bryce’s Arcade. Open Wed - Sat. 

/thevaleemporium 

the_vale_emporium 

Gordonvale Girls Team Cairns Ironman 

Denise Bewert, Sallyanne Powell, Jenny 

Vanderzee and Kay Graham playing Mah Jong at 

Novel Trolley 

Gordonvale Girls Team Cairns Ironman 


EDDY AND LYDIA - A LOVE STORY 

An open conversation with 95 year old 

Changi prisoner of war survivor and now 

Gordonvale resident, Eddy Beets revealed a 

love story destined to happen. Born in Java, 

Indonesia in 1923 to Dutch parents, Eddy 

has experienced many hurdles in his life, 

but none so testing as the loss of his dearly 

beloved wife, Lydia only a couple of years 

ago. 

His parents had a troubled marriage ending 

in divorce when Eddy was a young boy. He 

and his brother were sent to boarding school 

where Eddy terribly missed his parents and 

his previous lifestyle. However, it was while 

he was at boarding school that Lydia would 

chance a glimpse of her future husband. 

When Lydia was about 14 years old and while 

attending a Catholic school she sighted Eddy 

in the school ground of the boarding school 

across the road. After learning his name, 

Lydia told her mother that evening that she 

saw a nice boy that day and his name was 

Eddy. Who would have guessed that 7 or 8 

years later they would meet. 

Aged 18, Eddy was called up to serve in 

the Dutch East India Army, and after only 

fighting a few months in Indonesia, Eddy was 

captured by the Japanese. His internment 

at Changi prison would be for 4 years. 

Eddy witnessed many atrocities inflicted on 

allied soldiers and he himself suffered many 

beatings. Prisoners would be shot without 

warning. At his lowest point Eddy weighed 

only 36 kg. For self-preservation, Eddy came 

to a point where he would switch off to 

everything. 

After the war the Dutch troops were shifted 

to Singapore and Eddy lived in a refugee 

camp where he met Lydia. Lydia had also 

spent most of the war in a Japanese war 

camp. Immediately struck by her beauty 

and presence, Eddy was so nervous he 

had difficulty finding the words to converse 

with her. With Lydia always in his thoughts 

and concerned she may prefer the company 

of officers, he pursued her relentlessly. 

Escaping the disorder in Indonesia, Lydia 

fled to the Netherlands and Eddy requested 

leave from the army and followed her on the 

same ship. After 9 months in the Netherlands 

they returned to Indonesia where Eddy got 

a job in a lamp factory. He was permitted to 

work but if political unrest happened he was 

to be ready and available to be called into 

military service again. 

Eddy with a photo of Lydia 

In 1949, things were getting very dangerous 

in Indonesia and Eddy and Lydia immigrated 

to New Zealand where they lived for the next 

38 years. During the first 10 years they were 

very poor and couldn’t even afford to pay 

for their first-born baby son’s, funeral. Times 

were hard but with Lydia by his side Eddy 

always felt he could achieve anything. 

They conquered many hardships including 

Lydia being very sick with Influenza that 

developed into pneumonia during pregnancy 

and because she was so ill she had to remain 

in hospital for 4 ½ months. They both got 

through this time and over the next few years 

went on to have three children - Raymond, 

Robert and Denise. 

During Eddy’s working life he has had several 

occupations- housepainter, cook, fitter and 

turner and a successful wall paper hanging 

business. 

Many years later and nearing retirement time 

for them both, Lydia holidayed in Cairns 

and on her return to NZ she persuaded 

Eddy to live in Far North Queensland. She 

thought the climate and fruit very similar to 

Indonesia’s and she convinced Eddy of the 

similarity to their birthplace in Indonesia. 

They retired to Cairns in 1988 initially buying 

a home in Mooroobool then 25 years ago 

building a house on Dempsey St. Life was 

good in Gordonvale for the couple because 

they were a team. Even after all those years 

of marriage, Eddy and Lydia would still hold 

hands and several times a week they would 

go to Cairns for coffee or out to visit friends. 

It was since moving to Gordonvale that Eddy 

developed his passion for making intricate 

wooden inlayed items. Lazy susans for 

dining tables, small stools which are called 

a Dingklik in Indonesia and serving spoons 

called Centongs another Indonesian item. 

His implements differ from the Indonesian 

versions because Eddy puts his artistic 

interpretation on them. He designs and inlays 

wood from different trees to give a decorative 

effect making the finished product a work of 

art. 

The centong spoons can take 2-3 hours 

each to make but this time does not include 

the preparation of the coconut shell which 

he harvests from his home-grown coconuts. 

This hobby is somewhat of a distraction from 

his yearning for Lydia. And it is because 

of Lydia and her encouragement of Eddy 

to pursue his woodwork hobby as well 

as his skill in making tofu and tempeh, an 

Indonesian favourite, that he still continues 

in these pursuits today. 

Words by Sandra Charlton and Judy Tyson 

Photos by Judy Tyson 


GHOSTS OF 

GORDONVALE 

Kelly Carter playing Thomas Stewart 

Planning of the “Ghosts of Gordonvale 

Cemetery” is well underway. Those wishing 

to attend please save the date – Sunday 

26 August. As usual the characters will be 

portrayed by students of the Gordonvale High 

School dressed in costume of their character. 

Whose ancestors will be presented this year? 

Just a teaser- 

Who is the man who has a cairn in Norman 

Park? 

Do you know where Paddy McGrath House 

was built and why it was built? 

Do you know which Italian royalty is buried in 

Gordonvale Cemetery? 

And why is George Kenneth Alley buried 

in the Gordonvale Cemetery and not in the 

family grave plot at Riverstone Homestead? 

Which inhabitant of our cemetery was 

enlisted for both World War 1 and World War 

2? 

If you do not know the answers to these 

questions, join the Mulgrave Shire Historical 

Society’s Ghosts of Gordonvale Cemetery 

tour to find out the stories of these and 

8 other characters on Sunday 26 August 

commencing at 4pm. 

Words by Jenny Verrall 

Mulgrave Shire Historical Society 

and students from Gordonvale State High School 

present 

GHOSTS 

OF 

GORDONVALE CEMETERY 

Visit with and hear the stories of early Gordonvale 

inhabitants 

SUNDAY 26 th AUGUST 2018 AT 4.00PM 

Registration to attend is necessary 

Registration will not open until the beginning of August 

To register - Phone Mulgrave Settlers Museum on 40561810 and 

leave message or email settlersmuseum@bigpond.com 

with name, number of attendees and contact information 

FARMING, WAR TIME AND HOLIDAY SHACKS 

Don and Lesley Leighton (nee Hunter) 

warmly welcome us into their home – a cane 

farm nestled against a forested mountain 

backdrop at the end of McAlloon Road which 

has been in the family for five generations. 

Both born in the early thirties and growing 

up in Aloomba, they have plenty of stories to 

share! 

Early Aloomba 

Don explains his Dad bought the farm in 

1921, and after trying various types of cane 

finally settled on a strand that proved the 

most resistant to flooding. Don and Lesley 

attended Aloomba School, and, in those 

days, the town was a bustling centre, boasting 

a butchery, bakery, shop, three cafes, an 

engineering workshop and a railway station. 

Don recalls that North Queensland at that 

time was full of such small towns; as there 

were no cars people needed to be close to 

walk to work on farms. Farming was hard, 

tiring physical work so when the season 

ended, a break was in order. 

Machan’s Holiday Shack 

Don and Lesley say the idea for local 

Aloomba farmers to head to the beach for R 

and R started with Samuel Williams, the local 

butcher, who after regularly camping out at 

Machans Beach, finally built a shack on the 

esplanade. 

Don’s father, ever the entrepreneur, bought 

four blocks and proceeded to build a cottage 

on one of the front spots. Other families, 

such as the Buchanans, Cotterills and the 

Hicklings soon followed the trend – the word 

had got around! Don remembers his first 

trip to stay in the cottage on the beach was 

when he was two years old and his sister 

was six. The couple’s childhood seemed a 

mixture of hard work and adventurous fun. 

With a twinkle in his eye, Don tells the story 

of mowing his Mum’s lawn for two bob – 

enough to buy four and a half fresh loaves 

of bread, some of which he ate on his way 

home! 

Transport 

Mostly life revolved around the farm, as 

getting to Cairns was an all-day effort. First 

the horse needed to be caught, attached 

to the sulky and then off along a dirt track 

they went to the railway station. Here the 

horse was set loose to graze in a paddock 

(provided free for this use – bit like park and 

ride today!!), and then the train to town. When 

all business was completed in town, the 

whole process began in reverse – boarding 

the train to the station, catching the horse 

and hitching up it to the sulky and off to the 

farm, sometimes in the dark! Both Lesley 

and Don also remember coming home in the 

dark if they were kept in at school for some 

reason…. a long day for kids! 

Wartime Memories 

But the looming threat of war was soon to 

cloud their childhood and change the town 

forever. Both remember the US paratroopers 

landing in close by fields – Don adds that 

Page 14- PYRAMID VIEWS, JULY 2018 “Celebrating and connecting our community” 

the stand out memory being that they were 

starving!! Lesley recalls that the soldiers soon 

bought up nearly all the town’s supplies and 

approached her Dad to ask his wife to cook 

the food up for them. The town swelled to 

over 2000 people and money seemed to 

pour in. “They liked the grog” Don says, and 

the hotel was a busy place – but his Dad 

saw an opportunity not to be missed and 

used to keep cut off 44-gallon drums which 

he filled with rough wine. Whether this solid 

consumption affected the paratroopers as 

they flew low over Aloomba, practising 

landing into and getting out of trees is not 

clear!! Don remembers the paratroopers as 

larger than life characters who were “bits of 

larrikins”. 

Don & Lesley Leighton 

Listening to Don and Lesley, it seemed the 

kids of the town “loved wartime”. As Don puts 

it, digging trenches for practice if invasion 

should occur sure beat school work! But 

the threat of war eventually became serious, 

and Don’s dad decided to evacuate Don, his 

sister and mother to Armidale in NSW, where 

they lived for six months – a freezing, bleak 

place in winter for a child from the tropics! 

Lesley was sent to Malanda with her mother 

and sister and went to school there. It was 

the victory at the battle of the Coral Sea that 

enabled them to finally return home. 

When asked what they did for entertainment 

in those days, the couple say there was 

lots to do – tennis matches, dances, the 

occasional ball and lots of picnics. For 

indoor entertainment there was cards and 

home movies. Today, they still make trips out 

to the Machans Beach cottage and love the 

fact that they can leave all their own bits and 

pieces in it, and if it needs a coat of paint 

“no-one worries”. Their two children and 

grandchildren enjoy going to stay and Don 

and Lesley are happy that the beach house 

will live on when they leave it to them. But it 

seems what brings the most joy these days 

is that this beautiful part of North Queensland 

will stay in the family – one grandson is keen 

to take on the farm and that makes Don and 

Lesley very happy. 

Words and photo by Leanne Kruger


Heritage Brady Funeral Directors 

70 - 76 Maher Road 

Gordonvale 

Funeral Home, Crematorium, 300 Seat Chapel and Catering Facilities 

Phone: 0740561627 Website: wwwheritagebradyfunerals.com.au 

Locally owned and operated by the Heritage Family.

Pyramid Views JULY 2018

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?