With countless cars making the drive out to see the infamous Christmas lights at Paul Cavallaro’s house, this lively and extravagant display has become a Hinchinbrook family tradition during the merry season, dating back 21 years. Paul and his mother Mary began creating a lights display for Paul’s nephew and discovered that they enjoyed it so much they continued expanding their collection and, as the years went by, their reputation grew. Continued on page 3 Paul Cavallaro and his mother Mar
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With unpredictable weather attempting to dampen the festive spirit of the region, the Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce and Markets at the Mosaic organisers assured the second 2024 Late Night Shopping event would go ahead, rain, hail or shine! On Thursday 19th December, a wonderful turnout filled Mercer Lane and surrounding precincts, with stalls retailing handmade delights, delicious treats, beautiful plants, fantastic florals, and more for all to enjoy. Shoppers flooded the streets, supporting
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Ingham will soon be treated to another wonderful celebration of Italian culture with the return of the Australian Italian Festival scheduled for Saturday 7 June, and Sunday 8 June 2025! An annual celebration of all things food and culture, the Australian Italian Festival continues to make headlines across the state, with the atmosphere beautifully complimented by Ingham’s gorgeous TYTO wetlands and parklands. Since its establishment in 1995, the festival has grown exponentially with the suppor
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On Monday 9 December the Hinchinbrook Emergency Service Cadets had their graduation, acknowledging the hard work they have dedicated to the service. 18 Cadets received their end of year graduation certificates marking the completion of the 2024 Program, while one Senior Cadet who is now over 18, graduated the whole program, having been a cadet for the past four years. On the night all Cadets graduated the year and some received special awards. Keldon Fletcher was awarded the Don Prichard mem
Read the full storyOn the morning of 18 December 1942, an American B-24 Liberator Bomber, known as the Texas Terror, crashed into Mount Straloch on Hinchinbrook Island killing all 12 on board.
The men on board were American soldiers who were assisting Australian troops in World War II.
The Texas Terror left Garbutt Field in the morning of 18 December 1942, headed towards Iron Range. On their journey they had engine troubles so they turned around and headed back to Garbutt. Sadly, they ran into a violent storm in the Hinchinbrook region, and crashed into Hinchinbrook Island.
The 31st Battalion Association in Ingham hold a ceremony in honour of the people who lost their lives during the Texas Terror crash every year.
Each year on a date closest to the 18th December the 31st Battalion Association in Ingham hold a ceremony in honour of the Texas Terror.
Felix Reitano, President of the 31st Battalion Association Ingham Branch, said the ceremony is an important time to remember those involved in the crash and a way for the broader Hinchinbrook community to acknowledge the history of the tragedy.
“It is so we can remember those men who were killed on an island close to us, which is the closest major accident we had during the war,” explained Felix.
On Sunday 15 December the ceremony to commemorate the tragedy was held.
Locals Judy and Felix Reitano became more involved in preserving the memories of those who passed away on that fateful day when a son of one of the victims, Carl Silber, visited the region to observe the crash site and see where his father had died.
Initially, loved ones of those who had passed were informed that the crash occurred as part of the Battle of the Coral Sea, so many assumed the wreck was at the bottom of the ocean.
Carl did some research into the crash and discovered that the crash site was on Hinchinbrook Island, something locals had known about for some time, in 1997 he came to North Queensland and climbed to the wreck site.
Judy, Felix and the rest of the association were extremely moved by his story.
“He seemed to be so sad and so wanting to know about his father and what happened there, that we decided to erect a memorial to the Texas Terror,” said Judy.
“We erected the memorial on ANZAC Day in 1999 in the Botanical Gardens, and we invited him to attend.
“He was then situated in Hawaii in the Air Force and he came with the brother of the co-pilot on the plane and together they unveiled the memorial as part of our Anzac Day ceremony.”
The Texas Terror crash site remains on Hinchinbrook Island to this day, and is now regarded as a grave site by authorities.
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