Home Hill’s signature sculpture festival, the Canefields Ephemera, is back for 2024 and the Home Hill Chamber of Commerce is inviting all interested artists, schools, organisations or groups of fellow artists to be involved.
The much loved and anticipated annual event is now in its seventh year and has continued to grow to its current standing as an outdoor sculpture exhibition which is sure to impress local and state artists exhibiting works.
‘Ephemera’ is defined by something that exists or is enjoyed for only a short time, with the competition inviting local artists to create installations to be temporarily erected in Home Hill’s Lloyd Mann Park.
Once installed, Burdekin residents and visitors alike will be able to experience and enjoy the Burdekin’s Ephemera between Monday September 8 and Sunday September 22.
The Home Hill Chamber will be conducting the event this year and is already working on a project to be included in the Ephemera.
Put on your artist cap and be part of this exciting event in September 2024.
The event is open to anyone, only requiring the completion of an entry form and acceptance of the criteria to be part of the Canefields Ephemera 2024.
A first prize of $1,500 is up for grabs to be judged by a panel of independent judges with $500 on offer for the installation that receives the most votes on the Home Hill Harvest Festival Facebook page.
For more information and to request an entry form, contact Uli Liessmann on 0439 822 064 or Robert Antoniazzi on 0407 637 679.

Uli Liessmann’s ‘Peace’ won the Judge’s Choice Award at Ephemera 2023
‘It’s a Colourful World’ by Maree McKeough and Lorraine Lynch won the People’s Choice Award
Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

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Following a hugely successful 2023 sell-out tour, Queen tribute act Bohemian Rhapsody are returning in 2024, bringing a set of the British rock band’s ‘Greatest Hits’  to the Burdekin Theatre alongside some of the most popular songs from their albums.
Australia's longest running Queen tribute, performing since 1993, Bohemian Rhapsody stars the internationally acclaimed Thomas Crane and returns in 2024 with their brand new show, ‘Made In Heaven’.
Prepare to be transported back in time as the group recreates the visual excitement and electrifying energy of a Queen concert.
Audiences can expect an unforgettable night filled with Queen's iconic hits from the '70s to the '90s, including classics like ‘Somebody to Love’, ‘Another One Bites the Dust’, ‘Don't Stop Me Now’, and, of course, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
The hit movie of the same name exposed Queen to a much wider audience, making the band’s music more popular than ever.  
Queen is amongst the greatest rock bands of the twentieth century and Freddie Mercury is hailed by many as the most charismatic and flamboyant performer in contemporary rock.
Thomas Crane as Freddie, alongside his talented band Bohemian Rhapsody, bring back to life the visual excitement, sound and stage energy as witnessed at a Queen concert.
You’ve seen the hit movie, now see the sensational family friendly show that everyone is raving about!

WHAT: Bohemian Rhapsody Made In Heaven Tour
WHEN: Saturday, April 13 from 8:00pm
WHERE: Burdekin Theatre
TICKETS: www.burdekintheatre.com.au

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Caption: Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

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Caption: Photos supplied: Burdekin Christian College

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The NQ Fast Track Talent Showcase is around the corner, and no one is more excited than the two special guests for 2024, Taylor Henderson and Ethan Beckton.

The two talented artists will not only perform live at the final showcase, but also attend a workshop with performers prior to them taking the stage.

Having both participated in television talent competitions, Taylor and Ethan know how much a talent showcase can mean for someone’s career.

Growing up in regional Victoria, Taylor Henderson was inspired by his father to perform music.

“He was always playing and singing around the house which sparked something,” Taylor said.

“As I got a bit older, I started to love guitar more, I started to play guitar and it was something that really spoke to me.”

Taylor and his father entered Australia’s Got Talent in 2010 when he was just 16, going on to appear on X Factor when he was 20 where he said his career really started, and he has since signed to a record label, released numerous albums, and toured the country.

“It was just a crazy experience,” he laughed.

“I’d just picked up a guitar, hadn’t had much experience, never had a lesson, I was just figuring out what I liked and having fun with it.”

Having recently played sold out shows in Queensland, Taylor will return to the Burdekin in March for the NQ Fast Track Talent Showcase which he said is a great opportunity for young performers to hone their craft.

“It’s a great place for you to get up and figure out what you’re like on stage,” he said.

“It’s a great chance to get out there, put something out that you feel confident in and that you’re excited to share with everyone.

“It’s a great opportunity for anyone to get up there, have a crack, see how you go and see if it’s for you, because it can be such an exciting career.”

Ethan had a similar journey, playing music and performing on the New South Wales Central Coast since he was 14.

Ethan went on The Voice in 2023 and made the grand final which he said really kick started his career.

“Being on The Voice, it opened my eyes to what the music industry is like at a higher level,” he said.

“It gave me a lot of industry perspective and knowledge and gave me the confidence to be able to pursue that.”

Ethan looks forward to using his experience on The Voice and contributing it to the NQ Fast Track Talent Showcase in March.

“For young artists, it’s a really great opportunity to put your foot in the door of the industry, see what it’s like and put your talent out there,” he said.

“Being on The Voice, I got coached and mentored, so I’m looking forward to do a similar thing from the coach and mentor perspective.

“I’m really excited to come up there and see all the crazy talent you have in the Burdekin.”

Open to every talent genre and age group, the NQ Fast Track Talent Showcase offers performers the chance to be mentored by talent scouts and special guests in a unique and fun stage experience.

The showcase will be split into 2-3 heats held from 10am on the morning of Saturday, March 16 with the top 20 performers from the heats to head into the Grand Final Showcase at 7pm that evening where over $5,000 cash and prizes are up for grabs.  

Special guest judges will also perform live during the final showcase.

To register for the showcase, email burdekin@fasttracktalent.com.au for more information.

Visit www.burdekintheatre.com.au to purchase tickets to attend the showcase as an audience member.

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Caption 1: Ethan Beckton

Caption 2: Taylor Henderson

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The Burdekin boasts a remarkable rugby league history, with close to 20 internationals playing in the local competitions between the 1920s and 1980s, with this history and more captured in the book ‘A Short History of the Ayr, Home Hill and Burdekin Rugby Leagues’ which was written by rugby league historian Martin Grandelis and published in 2022.

Mr Grandelis grew up in the Burdekin in the 1960s in the heyday of rugby league in the Burdekin district.

From the great rivalries between clubs to the excitement of Foley Shield matches at Rugby Park, the book reflects on great memories for players, administrators and supporters.

“As a kid growing up in Parkside in the 1960s, Rugby Park was the place to be, particularly on Foley Shield days,” Mr Grandelis told QRL before the book was launched in 2022.

He said he was inspired to chronicle the history of rugby league in the district through the pages of a new book, and recalled how clubs were fertile hunting grounds for recruiters as well as big name southern players who came north as coaches for club and Foley Shield teams.

“The history of rugby league in the Burdekin district is such a fascinating and at times turbulent story,” he said.

“Ayr Football League formed following a break from the Lower Burdekin Rugby Football Union which saw matches of rugby league in Ayr from 1916 with Natives, Rainbows, Hornets and possibly Ramblers the foundation clubs.

“Across the river the Home Hill Football League was formed shortly afterwards and by the early 1920s, four clubs in Zambucks (named after a famous ointment), Osborne, Cities and Iyah made up a senior and junior competition”.

Over 760 pages, the book tells of controversies, club and representative matches, grand finals, recollections of players, referees and administrators, immortalising more than 350 stories on the page.

‘A Short History of the Ayr, Home Hill and Burdekin Rugby Leagues’ by Martin Grandelis is available to borrow from Burdekin Libraries in Ayr and Home Hill.

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Rugby league historian Martin Grandelis. Photo supplied: QRL

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There are many groups throughout the Burdekin offering residents the opportunity to pursue and develop their creative pursuits, and one of these is the Burdekin Night Writers, a vibrant online writing group with roots dating back to 2007.

Founded by the visionary Cherelle Murphy, the group initially convened at her residence for a remarkable 15 years.

In 2019, facing the challenge of Cherelle's move to palliative care, the group seamlessly transitioned online to ensure her continued participation.

Even after Cherelle's passing, the Night Writers persevered, using messenger platforms to connect every fortnight, each session revolving around a carefully crafted prompt.

Tracy Liotis, a member since 2019, said the aim of the group is to improve each member's writing skills through group input, critique and discussion.

More than just a writing group, the Night Writers provide a space for collaboration and skill development.

“Being around other creative people seems to up your own creativity,” Tracy said.

“With the amount of technology and things like that, a lot of these skills are getting lost and if we don’t try and keep them going at a community level, where will people learn and practise?”

Tracy loves to write short stories, and other members specialise in non-fiction or poetry, but the group is also fertile ground for cultivating manuscripts and novels.

Current and former members have not only published works but also earned accolades in story writing competitions across Queensland.

The ‘Burdekin Creative Writers’ 2023 anthology, featuring contributions from Burdekin Night Writers and its sister group Burdekin Creative Writers, is available at the Burdekin Library in both Ayr and Home Hill.

Aspiring writers and literary enthusiasts are invited to join the Burdekin Night Writers and Burdekin Creative Writers.

Burdekin Night Writers meet fortnightly on a Tuesday evening from 7:00pm while Burdekin Creative Writers meet monthly on a Wednesday morning.

Email Burdekinnightwriters2023@outlook.com for more information.

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Burdekin Night Riders would meet every fortnight to discuss their work before meetings moved online. Photo supplied

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