We usually think of Boundary Street as West End’s retail centre, so it may be surprising to learn that Qlicksmart one of Queensland’s award-winning exporters operates upstairs from a thrift shop along the strip. Qlicksmart, established by Australian medical professionals Dr Neville Henry (AM) and Dr Michael Sinnott, was recently awarded Exporter of the…
Category: Faces

Celebrating Fiona Stager’s OAM for services to literature.
There were celebrations at Avid Reader on Monday evening. We all knew something was up, but Kevin and Fiona had managed to keep a tight lid on their reasons for inviting us along. Some thought it might be a marriage announcement, others thought perhaps retirement, others, a Winter Solstice ritual, but the real reason had…

Community Friends founder, Mark McDonnell, recognised in King’s first Birthday Honours.
Today, founder of West End’s Community Friends, Mark McDonnell, was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours, “for service to the community through charitable initiatives”. Typically self-effacing, Mark accepted the award “on behalf of my volunteers and supporters.” “I think it is an ideal opportunity to draw attention to the…

Senior Constable Sandi: “we will miss you”.
After eight years in West End as part of her nineteen years with the QPS, Senior Constable Sandrene (Sandi) Trembath is leaving to start a new career. Her last day on the beat was Friday, 20 May, and I joined her as she said goodbye to some locals. The overwhelming sentiment from those Sandi…

Bronwyn Gartside’s Life with tang.
If you worked in a library and had to catalogue Bronwyn Gartside’s new book, you might wonder which section it belongs to. Is it a memoir? Is it a history book? Is it a recipe book? It’s a little bit of all three. This is how Bronwyn describes her book and her chosen title, “Lemon…

Darren Godwell: the disruptive effect of Indigenous success.
Darren Godwell is a Kokoberren man from North Queensland. He grew up in Mt Isa and went to university in Brisbane, where he studied sport and psychology.

Terri Butler – ‘available for lunch’.
Not long after Terri Butler conceded in Griffith, she changed her Twitter bio to read “available for lunch”. It seemed to reflect Butler’s laconic humour and to signify a determination to move on with life.

Senior Constable Sandi on the West End Beat.
Senior Constable Sandrene Trembath, Sandi to many, has worked as a Community Beat officer in West End since 2014. Over the past eight years, she has earned the respect, and genuine affection of many in our community.

Jo-Anne Bragg OAM – “brave, forthright, and terrific.”
To the acclaim of environmental supporters and her friends, in January, Jo-Anne (Jo) Bragg, General Counsel at the Environmental Defenders Office, was awarded a medal in the General Division of the Order of Australia for her services to environmental law. With COVID and the floods, it has taken a while for Jo’s friends and community…