Sept10 MT MEE NEWS
By Ian Wells
That mid-August rain was just glorious – we had over 80mm on our Kalahari Downs. It has topped the dams and freshened the grass with a little early shoot that even the westerly can’t discourage. Let’s hope that our good fortune continues!
Your writer is just home from a couple of weeks northwards of Auckland in New Zealand, on family matters. I had almost forgotten just how unpleasant Northland is in July and August. In my younger days I worked at Whangarei for five long years as a dairy veterinarian and this visit brought back memories! Northland has clay soils which set like concrete if they ever dry out. But their natural state is an impervious jelly. During July and August it rains every day, and the water just sits on top of the mud. July and August are jestingly referred to as “Spring”, and this is when everyone calves their herd – dairy production in the North is seasonal because most milk goes to manufacture.
So July and August days (and many nights) were spent racing at top speed around the country on muddy gravel roads to pull calves and treat milk fevers in bitter cold winds, incessant rain and mud above the knees (if you were lucky enough to have a standing cow). Queensland’s rolling sunburned plains called me loud and clear!
The Northland dairy industry might be more civilised now, but the weather hasn’t changed much.
I also attended the opening of the new Veterinary School at Gatton last month. It has cost about $100M but will be worth every penny. I can only describe the buildings and equipment as phenomenal – it was a mind-blowing experience. Mind you, it will be fifty years next year since I emerged from a brand new but very basic School at St Lucia – one would hope for changes!
By the time you read this the annual Mt Mee Spring Ball will be done and dusted for 2010 and perhaps Adrian and Andrew – the costume judges, will have again avoided physical retribution.
The next Hall attraction—The Mt Mee concert of the Savoyard Singers on Sunday 12th September is titled “You Must Remember This” – and you must. If you haven’t booked yet, please get on to it (5498 2104, 5498 2270). This really will be an entertaining afternoon. Some wonderful singers and Phyll Griffin, their diminutive artistic director, will perform a selection of those old favourite tunes. Look forward to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, “It Had To Be You”, “Singing in the Rain” and about twenty more.
The long awaited chapel under construction for the Mountain Top Church is making great progress. The wall blockwork is complete and the imposing, steeply angled roof trusses are just in place as I write. This complex is an incredible effort for such a small group of people, as was the Mt Mee Community Church way back in 1922. Mt Mee people are a determined mob!
Construction of the deck beside the supper room at the Mt Mee Hall will begin in the next few weeks – Council is currently finishing off the detailed plans. Committee had a recent meeting with the project management coordinator to tidy up some loose ends.
It seems likely that the kitchen work can be completed in between dance and markets commitments and that there will be minimal disruption to normal Hall activities. Let’s hope that is indeed the case.
This project is to be funded jointly by Council and from the Hall Committee reserves generated by years of hard voluntary work. This will make that work worthwhile!
The Mt Mee Neighbourhood Watch led by Cynon Lowe has donated a cardiac defibrillator to the community. The unit will be kept at the Hall, and six volunteers from the Hall and from birches restaurant have been trained and accredited to operate it. This device will restart hearts and save lives in that critical window of five minutes following a cardiac arrest. Thanks to Cynon and the other very generous donors!
Finally, it is a pleasure to report that Joyce Knight OAM is regaining her fire. She has endured a difficult six months with severe injuries in her car accident followed more recently by some tricky surgery. Now, bloodied perhaps but quite unbowed, she is ready to reassert herself in Mountain affairs. Look out!
So July and August days (and many nights) were spent racing at top speed around the country on muddy gravel roads to pull calves and treat milk fevers in bitter cold winds, incessant rain and mud above the knees (if you were lucky enough to have a standing cow). Queensland’s rolling sunburned plains called me loud and clear!
The Northland dairy industry might be more civilised now, but the weather hasn’t changed much.
I also attended the opening of the new Veterinary School at Gatton last month. It has cost about $100M but will be worth every penny. I can only describe the buildings and equipment as phenomenal – it was a mind-blowing experience. Mind you, it will be fifty years next year since I emerged from a brand new but very basic School at St Lucia – one would hope for changes!
By the time you read this the annual Mt Mee Spring Ball will be done and dusted for 2010 and perhaps Adrian and Andrew – the costume judges, will have again avoided physical retribution.
The next Hall attraction—The Mt Mee concert of the Savoyard Singers on Sunday 12th September is titled “You Must Remember This” – and you must. If you haven’t booked yet, please get on to it (5498 2104, 5498 2270). This really will be an entertaining afternoon. Some wonderful singers and Phyll Griffin, their diminutive artistic director, will perform a selection of those old favourite tunes. Look forward to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, “It Had To Be You”, “Singing in the Rain” and about twenty more.
The long awaited chapel under construction for the Mountain Top Church is making great progress. The wall blockwork is complete and the imposing, steeply angled roof trusses are just in place as I write. This complex is an incredible effort for such a small group of people, as was the Mt Mee Community Church way back in 1922. Mt Mee people are a determined mob!
Construction of the deck beside the supper room at the Mt Mee Hall will begin in the next few weeks – Council is currently finishing off the detailed plans. Committee had a recent meeting with the project management coordinator to tidy up some loose ends.
It seems likely that the kitchen work can be completed in between dance and markets commitments and that there will be minimal disruption to normal Hall activities. Let’s hope that is indeed the case.
This project is to be funded jointly by Council and from the Hall Committee reserves generated by years of hard voluntary work. This will make that work worthwhile!
The Mt Mee Neighbourhood Watch led by Cynon Lowe has donated a cardiac defibrillator to the community. The unit will be kept at the Hall, and six volunteers from the Hall and from birches restaurant have been trained and accredited to operate it. This device will restart hearts and save lives in that critical window of five minutes following a cardiac arrest. Thanks to Cynon and the other very generous donors!
Finally, it is a pleasure to report that Joyce Knight OAM is regaining her fire. She has endured a difficult six months with severe injuries in her car accident followed more recently by some tricky surgery. Now, bloodied perhaps but quite unbowed, she is ready to reassert herself in Mountain affairs. Look out!
