A life of travel leads to home in Bundaberg

Georgia Neville

With a camera in hand and a goal of capturing photos of incredible marine life, Rebecca Griffiths has spent the past five years visiting many beautiful places and now she officially calls Australia, and Bundaberg, her home.

The wildlife photographer celebrated becoming an Australian at Bundaberg Regional Council’s Citizenship Ceremony at the Multiplex on Friday.

She said she was proud to be a Bundaberg Region resident after moving to the country from Weymouth in Dorset.

Rebecca is no stranger to travel, spending her time visiting every corner of the globe as part of her career before moving to Bundaberg five months ago.

Her travels have taken her from Mexico to Peru, West Africa, the Galapagos Islands and Faroe Islands, although she said the “hidden gem” of Bundaberg had surprised her.

“I feel like Bundaberg is a hidden gem as Goreng Goreng country has so much incredible nature and wildlife,” Rebecca said.

“To have the privilege of living in such a beautiful country with so much cultural history and diverse landscape is incredible.”

Rebecca has lived in Australia for eight years and said recently settling in Bundaberg had opened her up to even more opportunities for her photography.

“To be able to be on the Southern Great Barrier Reef in under an hour from home, or to be able to see turtles hatching down the road at Mon Repos is amazing,” she said.

“I really feel like I am living amongst nature here and it is pretty special to be able to immerse yourself in it.”

Rebecca said she found her love for photography five years ago and the Bundaberg Region had so much on offer for her to continue to capture into the future.

“Bundaberg has so many amazing things to photograph,” she said.

“I am ocean obsessed so every chance I get I am in the water and love heading to Lady Musgrave or Lady Elliot Islands where there is always an abundance of wildlife to photograph.

“I love photographing the marine wildlife like whales, turtles, sharks and rays because they are so important in our eco system and I have the opportunity with my camera to show people the amazing wildlife we share this planet with.”

Rebecca said the journey to becoming a citizen was special to her with the chance to live in Australia providing her many opportunities she otherwise wouldn’t have had.

“The citizenship ceremony was the final step in what has been a long and emotional journey in setting up a life for myself in Australia,” she said.

“It was such a momentous achievement and to be considered a citizen is pretty special.

“There is so much opportunity here and I wouldn't have ever been able to do the things I am doing today if I still lived in England.”

Find out more about Rebecca’s work here.

A Well Loved sauce wins two awards

Georgia Neville

Mark and Bronwyn Welbeloved’s Well Loved Worcestershire Sauce has once again won over judges at the Mr Chilli Awards.

After taking home a win in 2021, the couple decided they could go one better in 2022, receiving two awards in this year’s competition.

The Mr Chilli Awards aims to highlight the best of the best chilli products from around the globe.

The local Gin Gin company won a first and second place in the Worcestershire Sauce category with their hot sauce coming first and extra hot sauce a close second.

Mark and Bronwyn were pleased with the win, which they said cemented the fact that they were on the right path with their sauces.

“It is just confirmation and reassures that it was not just a lucky win, having now won two years in a row,” Mark said.

“What we enter in the competition is exactly what we sell and what people can buy off the shelves in the stores that stock the product.”

Mark said they had different heats of sauce available, with each customer liking a slightly different temperature.

“We find that everyone has different chilli flavours that they prefer, especially when they are doing taste tests at the markets - everyone seems to find the perfect heat for them,” Mark said.

“The original recipe was one that a friend of our mother’s gave to Bronnie, and we have pretty much stuck to the recipe, despite a few alterations along the way.”

Mark said after ten years in business, they were continuing to produce more than ever and were receiving orders from right around the country.

“We have shipped orders to Western Australia and Tasmania, so our sauce is going everywhere,” he said.

“Our business is twofold as my sister also does it up in Cairns and she covers from Mackay north and has been doing so for the past six or so years.”

Mark said his Gin Gin-based business had seen great success thanks to the local community.

“We couldn’t do what we do without the support of the locals,” he said.

“We have been here for 30 years and we love it.

“It is a great community and there are a lot of people living out here that are doing the same as what we are doing.

“As remote as we are, the community all come together and support each other.

“We have shops in Adelaide through to Weipa, but our heart is in Bundaberg.”

Find out more about Well Loved Worcestershire Sauce here.

Unity Mandala takes shape in gallery

Georgia Neville

Spiralling through Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery’s ImaginArts space, the Seeds of Unity Mandala is ever-evolving.

A number of different community members have played their part in helping the mandala come to life, with the project continuing to see support from locals.

It has so far engaged the entire Bundaberg Region through pop-up stalls and workshops, utilising the abundant supply of leopard tree pods from the area to culminate in the large-scale display.

Over 1500 residents and visitors have so far contributed a painted pod to be included in the Seeds of Unity Mandala installation that will continue to grow during the life of the exhibition.

The community is also able to take part in the activity in their own time, with schools and local community groups able to pick up an activity kit from Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery to start their own mandala.

Council’s Arts, Culture and Events portfolio spokesperson Councillor John Learmonth said it had been great to see the community come together, with the mandala a reflection of the connections the project had built.

“The mandala is a reflection of collaboration within the community,” he said.

“When we create a ripple effect that shapes connections, we become a part of something greater than ourselves.

“The vision for this project has always been to reach out to community though creative arts, inspiring improvements in social connectivity and mental health and I think it is doing a fantastic job of this so far.

“I encourage everyone to pop into the gallery and take a look at the mandala and paint their own seed pod if they haven’t already.”

Find out more about what is happening at the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery here.

Food and art to bring seniors together

Georgia Neville

As part of Queensland Senior’s Month, Bundaberg Regional Galleries is looking forward to hosting a number of workshops in partnership with Bundaberg Art Society, themed around the Art of Good Food.

The connection of food and art will be celebrated as part of the workshops, which are free to the community, and will also highlight the Senior’s Month theme of social connections.

Throughout October people of all ages, cultures and abilities will come together and connect, celebrating the essential roles that older citizens play in our communities.

With the support of a grant, Bundaberg Regional Galleries was able to facilitate a series of workshops to encourage seniors to come together and learn a new skill.

Each participant will choose their favourite recipe and bring along one key ingredient from that recipe to use as a still life object.

Under professional arts tuition, participants will be guided over two-hour specialised workshops from 10 am until noon.

A collective book of recipes and artwork will be produced at the conclusion of the program for each of the participants.

The workshops will be hosted by Bundaberg Art Society, with one session being held a week for the month of October.

5 October – Pen and Wash Watercolour

12 October – Advanced Printmaking

19 October – Pastels and Smudging

26 October – Graphite Drawing

Council’s Arts, Culture and Events portfolio spokesperson Cr John Learmonth said the workshops were a fantastic way for the community to enjoy both art and food.

“The Art of Good Food: Arts Workshops celebrates Seniors Month and invites seniors to come together for a culinary journey, to share their delicious heritage, traversing food memories, family recipes, cookery, and history,” he said.

“Whether you practice art regularly or have never picked up a paintbrush before, these sessions will provide the opportunity to learn many different art techniques while also meeting new people.

“The book that will be compiled at the end of the sessions is a fantastic resource for the entire community, with people sharing their greatest family recipes.”

The sessions will be held at Bundaberg Art Society Inc, 95C Walker Street, Bundaberg West.

To book into your session, contact Marilyn Batty on 0487 324 291 or email her at battymarilyn@gmail.com.

This project is funded by Queensland Government and supported by COTA Queensland.

In Our Gallery with Maxine Harwood

Morgan Everett

A day job in developing computer software is a far cry from a passion for portrait art that Maxine Harwood has been finetuning over time.

The local artist is one of many showcasing work at Bundaberg Regional Galleries' Here + Now exhibition.

She shares her story about how she discovered her talent and her See No Evil artwork.

Maxine is one of many local artists showcasing work at Bundaberg Regional Galleries' Here + Now exhibition.

She shares her story about how she discovered her talent and her See No Evil artwork.

How long have you been an artist and how did you get started?

In my day job I work in developing and customising computer software.

For many years I convinced myself that I was left brained (analytical and methodical) and therefore couldn’t possibly be creative as well.

However, its my belief that the more you exercise the creative right side of your brain, the more of those skills you will develop.

I’ve dabbled in many different styles of art over the years.

I’ve been a henna artist for 12 years, applying freehand henna designs to visitors of my stalls across the Wide Bay region.

I think it was from this creative practice that showed me that you can use both sides of your brain equally.

I started working in watercolour to create some simple décor items in late 2019.

I found that the process of painting in transparent layers fascinated me and fell in love.

I soon discovered a passion for human portraiture and the human body that continues to this day.

In 2022 I decided to improve my drawing skills and challenged myself to draw a different face each day and photograph it for my Instagram profile.

You can see the progression in those 30 days and beyond!

It was a great exercise and I recommend it to others.

Tell us about your artwork displayed by Bundaberg Regional Galleries as part of the Here + Now exhibition?

I often create multiple pieces in the same style.

When I develop an idea I have to work on it until I feel I have exhausted that spark.

See No Evil was one of these times.

I developed a number of individual pieces but they never felt complete.

It was only after I combined them into a single work that I felt it matched my vision.

What was the inspiration behind this piece?

As a portrait artist I have spent much of my time sourcing reference photos of people, women in particular.

I get a sense that many of these women are so focused on their outer beauty that it becomes the only focus in their world, like the Instagram influencers.

I started working on this piece around the time the war in Ukraine was breaking.

I started thinking about these influencers and how they could use their platforms to bring awareness to this situation, but instead pretend like it isn’t happening.

See No Evil is how I see these people – beautiful but blinding themselves to the horrors of the world.

What medium was used and how does this reflect your usual practice?

Much of my art practice is works on paper, usually watercolour and lately moving to charcoal and pastel.

This work was the first time I attempted to combine these mediums.

I frequently work with bold colours in my watercolour paintings - but at the same time find myself drawn to monochrome schemes.

I continue to explore techniques to combine wet and dry mediums and have recently started trialling working on canvas and board.

What advice would you give to others who are just beginning to explore art?

Practice and practice and practice.

Don’t be afraid of failing.

Don’t be afraid of trying new things.

Experiment, explore and develop your own style (I’m still working on mine).

If you can attend a class – great – but if that isn’t possible, there are plenty of YouTube videos out there.

Challenge yourself to spend some time every day on your art – even if its just five minutes!

To have your vehicle featured in In Our Garage email us at news@bundabergnow.com

Netball carnival to bring plenty of visitors

Ashley Schipper

Up to 1,800 visitors and netballers will begin to arrive in the region next week to take part in the Primary Schools Cup, with projected benefits of more than $800,000 to be injected into the community.

The major sporting event will take place on 24 and 25 September at the Bundaberg Superpark Netball Complex on Enid Ethel Drive.

It will be the second time in four years that the competition has been hosted locally, with Bundaberg Regional Council providing sponsorship funding of $15,000 to support its delivery.

President of Bundaberg Netball Association Matt Leighton said it was one of the biggest competitions on the local sporting calendar with plenty of benefits to come from the two-day event.

“There are 54 teams registered which means there is 540 players, 54 coaches, 54 managers and approximately 60 umpires,” he said.

“With spectators added to that, it is estimated that there will be a total of 1800 visitors to Bundaberg due to this competition.

“These visitors will be staying up to two nights in local accommodation, visiting food venues for dinner and much more.

“Suppliers of food and drinks to Bundaberg Netball will also benefit as lunch and snacks are provided to all the players, coaches, managers and umpires at the courts.

“Being school holidays there will be some who will extend their stay to visit the tourist destinations of Bundaberg.”

Matt said for local players, the competition provided a great opportunity to enhance their skills while going up against some of the best in the state.

“There are nine Bundaberg teams from six schools playing in the competition, four of the teams are competing in the championship division and five teams playing in the challenge division,” he said.

“For some of our players it is their first netball carnival so they get to experience playing multiple games in a day against a range of different players of varying ability.

“One thing is for certain, they will all benefit from playing netball against the different schools from across the state.”

Matt said he was looking forward to what the weekend would bring.

“It is always exciting to see the courts full of netball players and the sidelines full of spectators,” he said.

“With the exposure from this carnival there is always the possibility that Bundaberg Netball Association and the Bundaberg Regional Council could host a Netball Queensland state age carnival, which has 150 to 220 teams participating.”

Bundaberg Regional Council has provided funding support for the second time, with Sport and Recreation portfolio spokesperson Cr Vince Habermann stating the Primary Schools Cup was a huge drawcard for visitors.

“The majority of participants will travel from outside of Bundaberg and will stay a minimum of two nights for the carnival, with the option to extend their trip to sightsee in our wonderful region” he said.

“Bundaberg hosted the same event in 2018 which provided an estimated direct spend into the community of $760,240.

“As past experiences have shown us, this event provides a huge economic boost, and we are estimating the 2022 Primary Schools Cup to provide a minimum direct spend of $860,000.”