Extraordinary stories

Wilhemina Rawson 

Wilhelmina Rawson, also known as Mina or Mrs. Lance Rawson, was Australia’s first published female cookbook author. Her publication Mrs. Lance Rawson’s Cookery Book and Household Hints (1878) marked the beginning of a remarkable writing career of editing and writing in newspapers, journals, books, and domestic guides. Living in what were once isolated and remote parts of Queensland, Mina wrote from firsthand experience and offered practical advice to women managing households with limited resources in challenging environments. At a time when few public platforms were available to women, publishing cookbooks and household manuals provided a socially acceptable way to share knowledge and assert expertise. Mina’s works extend beyond domestic instruction to provide insight into the everyday realities and challenges of colonial life. Her legacy reflects the resilience, ingenuity, and quiet authority of women building lives in 19th-century Australian society. 

150 years of The Ekka  

150 years of The EkkaThe R.N.A. (Royal National Agricultural & IndustrialAssociation of Queensland) Show, lovingly known sincethe 1920s as the Ekka, began in 1876. Initially developed to promote Queensland’s resources and encourage innovation, the Ekka has become so much more.

Queensland was a young colony in 1876 and had a lot to prove. The Exhibition was conceived to demonstrate Queensland’s “progress” in colonising the land and highlight its resources to potential markets. Horseback and woodchopping skills formed early exhibitions, and piles of produce filled the halls. Technological innovation was championed, and the latest machinery displayed to inspire audiences. As time went on, audience and organiser priorities shifted. Before the convenience of supermarkets, the Ekka served as a marketplace for vendors to reach audiences, often through sample bags – a precursor to the beloved showbags. The Industrial Pavilion, once home to demonstrations of cutting-edge technology, is now the Showbag Pavilion, and Sideshow Alley is no longer the only funfair attraction in town.

Despite these changes over the last 150 years, the Ekka continues to celebrate rural Queensland, and remains a powerful symbol of community connection and nostalgia.

True Relationships & Reproductive Health [formerly Family Planning Queensland]

Formed in 1971, the Family Planning Association of Queensland emerged at a time when access to information for unmarried couples was limited. Sex education in schools was rare, abortion was illegal, and pregnancy tests and contraception were difficult to obtain. Queensland’s teenage pregnancy rate was the highest in Australia.   

The Association's aim was to provide clinical services and training to both medical professionals and the wider community and make contraceptive information more freely available. The first clinic opened in Fortitude Valley in March 1972. Services expanded quickly to several regional centres, transforming the Association into a professional statewide organisation that drove the evolution of reproductive and sexual health services. 

In 2002 the Association changed its name to Family Planning Queensland, then in 2015 to True Relationships & Reproductive Health. Today, True maintains clinics in Brisbane, Cairns, Ipswich, Rockhampton and Toowoomba, offering sexual violence counselling and educational courses and resources across Queensland.  

Lakeside: the motion picture

The Queensland Motor Sporting Club built the Lakeside International Raceway between 1959 and 1960 on an old dairy farm on the banks of Lake Kurwongbah. With limited finances, utilising volunteer labour and borrowed machinery, this unlikely venture revolutionised motor sport in Queensland.  

Opening in 1961, Lakeside went on to become the spiritual homeland of Queensland motor racing hosting major events including the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Touring Car Championship, and the Australian Superbike Championship, and became a breeding ground for generations of successful Queensland drivers and riders. 

Lakeside was filmed by Mr N. E. Winn, about whom little is known, and pieces together footage taken between 1959 to the early 1960's. It gives us insight into the original development in a grassy paddock, right through to competitive racing on the completed track in front of large crowds. The quality of the footage varies with some fading badly over time, however, as a whole, the film showcases the incredible efforts made by a group of dedicated individuals to provide Queensland with a raceway of national significance.

4ZZZ: 50 years of people-powered radio

For fifty years, 4ZZZ has been a resilient, subversive and crucial voice on Brisbane’s airwaves. Launching in late 1975 as 4ZZ-FM, the station was conceived by a group of dedicated students and activists, fed up with the conservative media landscape. With a focus on new and local music, independent news and current affairs, and youth-oriented programming, 4ZZZ revolutionised local radio.  

Largely run by dedicated volunteers, 4ZZZ’s income has always been dependent on subscribers, promotions and events ranging from its legendary early Joint Effort concerts to the now iconic Market Days of the 1980s and 1990s. The annual Radiothon subscription drive, the 4ZZZ Hottest 100 and the Radio Times publication have been other much-loved station staples.  

For generations of young people, 4ZZZ has been a cultural touchstone, profoundly impacting the musical landscape of Brisbane and providing a local platform to underrepresented communities and many thousands of appreciative listeners.

Paniyiri Brisbane: 50 years of culture, community & celebration

In 2026, Brisbane celebrates 50 years of Paniyiri, Queensland’s longest-running cultural festival and Australia’s biggest celebration of Greek culture. What began in 1976 as a small community gathering in Musgrave Park, inner Brisbane has grown into a joyful two-day festival drawing more than 50,000 people each year.

Paniyiri was created by members of Brisbane’s Greek Orthodox Community who wanted to share their culture, food, music, and traditions with the wider public. Over the decades, it has become much more than a festival: it’s a celebration of identity, connection, and belonging. Visitors now come from across Australia to join in the dancing, taste regional Greek dishes, explore the Orthodox Church, and enjoy the competitions that have become crowd favourites.

As Paniyiri marks its golden anniversary, it honours five decades of community spirit and the generations of Greek Australians whose contributions continue to shape Brisbane’s cultural life. It remains a vibrant reminder that through celebration, we share stories, build friendships, and keep culture alive.

Aunty Denise Proud oral history

Respected Elder Aunty Denise Proud is a Koa and Kuku-Yalanji woman, born and raised in Cherbourg (Wakka Wakka Country). Renowned as an educator, author and presenter, Aunty Denise has been an early childhood professional for almost 50 years. Her commitment began in the 1960s when at age 16, she became the ‘teacher in charge’ of Cherbourg’s first kindergarten.

Aunty Denise has tirelessly advocated for the education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. As a cultural advisor for Queensland Corrections she delivered cultural and educational programs in youth detention centres and prisons.

In 2024 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in recognition of her immense contribution to the early childhood sector, commitment to cultural awareness and advocacy for Indigenous knowledge. In addition, Aunty Denise is an accomplished artist, sharing her wisdom and nurturing spirit through paintings, pottery and jewellery.