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
Read the full storyWith 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
Read the full storyIngham 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
Read the full storyOn 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 storyIn celebration of her artistic talents, Joanne Bingham was awarded first prize in the 46th Hinchinbrook Art Awards’ works on paper category for her piece titled “Evening Light” in November.
Jo has been painting and drawing for as long as she can remember, and in pursuing her passion further, she undertook studies at an art college located in the United Kingdom where she specialised in illustration.
In the early years of her artistic career, Jo created paintings of pets which quickly gained plenty of traction, transforming into a fulltime career which she still practices today.
“I love the serenity of creating, and the delight of owners when you present their artwork to them never fades,” shared Jo.
Now an art teacher herself, Jo hosts classes and workshops across North Queensland, creating works on occasion for exhibitions and art award showcases, including her most recent, award-winning piece.
“This was an unusual piece for me, I don’t often create such large works because of the amount of time it takes to create them and the difficulty of finding robust and large boards to draw on,” explained Jo.
In dedicating countless hours and days of work to creating “Evening Light”, Jo illustrated a Queensland paint horse, and focused heavily on capturing the perfect, late afternoon light, producing a magnificent result.
“I love horses, they feature heavily in my work,” Jo added.
“The drawing is very layered, and I worked to develop the interesting and contrasting colours of the horse, and the background – the horse is stunning, isn’t he.”
Jo has been celebrated for her talents on multiple occasions, including at both the Hinchinbrook Bird Art Awards, and the Cairns Art Awards.
“The feeling is indescribable, you never get over it, that happy feeling when someone really likes your work, and validation and recognition are a big part of why we enter these awards,” Jo said.
“I already have pieces on the easel for next year, and I have plans to enter both Hinchinbrook exhibitions and other national award competitions.”
“I still love doing commissioned pieces of animals and that will always be a part of my career, as will teaching classes and workshops.”
Jo with her award-winning piece, “Evening Light” on display in the TYTO Regional Art Gallery.