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Bookmark this article, save it and send it to your friends and family for it will become your go-to guide for what’s on for the rest of the year.
There are more than 200 events on the list, all in date order with still more to come.
If you know an event that should be on the list, email heidi.petith@news.com.au
This list will be updated as more events are announced so make sure to keep check on what’s happening, right here.
MAY
Mackay Roadshow by Audi Centre Townsville
When: 9.30am to 5pm, Wednesday, May 19 to Saturday, May 22 as well as 9.30am to 1pm on Sunday, May 23
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The trauma inflicted on an eight-year-old Mackay boy manifested into him smothering his baby sisterâs face and attempting to strangle his four-year-old sister.
His father is in jail.
He is just one of many Mackay males aged nine to 18 referred to Mackay Womenâs Services for intervention therapy because they have personally experienced or witnessed domestic, physical and sexual violence or abuse.
Executive director Linda-Ann Northey said the cries for help from mothers, grandmothers, aunties, the Child Safety Department and police officers inundated the centre with not enough funding to go around.
She said other examples of trauma in the home including having toys broken, being yelled at, having basic needs such as food and blankets withdrawn as punishment, and not being provided with basic love and healthy relationships.
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At age 24, Linda-Ann Northey experienced sexual harassment in the workplace when she was faced with making a choice no woman should ever have to make.
The Mackay Women’s Services executive opened up about the incident – which was the catalyst for her first activism campaign – during the 2021 Mackay Labour Day march.
“In a relatively small organisation, I was the sixth woman in two years threatened with the sack if I didn’t sleep with the state service manager,” the Services Union member said.
“I chose to leave my job rather than think about complying with such a threat.”
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There are so many children and adolescents in the region who have been abused, sexually assaulted or exposed to domestic violence, a counselling service had to expand.
Mackay Women’s Services executive director Linda-Ann Northey said they were adding two new consultant rooms after receiving support for more “desperately needed” children’s counsellors.
Ms Northey said they put together a wish list of play items that would become essential therapeutic tools and Ergon Energy Mackay answered the call.
Ergon program officer Kelly Arnold said staff personally donated some of the items but they also held a combined tradies and office staff barbecue fundraiser.
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Subscriber only From a Yalboroo woman who was found alive after days of searching to Mackay being named a top destination for Queensland travellers, these were some of the top stories in March 2020. A CHINESE company with lease hold over parts of Keswick Island has been called out for illegally trying to restrict public access to the popular tourism destination. Picture: Daily Mercury The death of a teenage girl in an alleged hit and run incident in Beaconsfield rocked the community as police searched for the driver. Investigations were continuing into the death of the 15-year-old girl who died on Nicklin Dr after the incident about 3.15am Sunday.