Humans of Gladstone | Blogger
Humans of Gladstone
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21.01.2022 Gratitude Post We would like to send a big THANK YOU to Denene Cavanagh Denene has been working with our awesome Humans from the beginning and has made this project a wonderful platform for connection, understanding and hope.... We want to say THANK YOU and we want everyone to hear how wonderful Denene is!! We wish her the very best for the future!
20.01.2022 William I have a culturally diverse background because I was born in France but lived in three different countries before coming to Australia. My kids have three nationalities, French, British and Australian. They were both born in England and we have been in Gladstone for about 7 and a half years. I had a business in England that was suffering from the recession, so we made the move to Gladstone in 2013.... Gladstone is just the right size city for a family like ours, we love the outdoors lifestyle Gladstone brings. What I find wonderful is that you don’t actually need to go very far to enjoy a weekend away. One of our favourite places is Boyne Dale. We are very lucky to be able to pack the car and camper trailer and drive 45 mins away from home, and not have mobile reception so I can’t keep checking my emails. In Europe you always have coverage, people always have access to you, and can find you pretty much anywhere. When we first came over the plan was for me to look after the kids, which I really enjoyed and found fulfilling. But things turned out to be more expensive than we thought over here, so I went back to work as a part-time photographer while my wife worked as a researcher at Central Queensland University. I was about 10 or 11 when I got into photography. I loved how I could capture moments. I’ve worked in portrait photography for most of my career. More recently, I’ve been working as a commercial photographer and on a documentary projects such as capturing aspects of the boom and bust cycles Gladstone has recently been through. I spent 16 years in Britain. Because I lived in an English-speaking country for so long; I almost expected it to be very much like England over here and it isn’t quite like that at all. There is obviously a lot of inherited traits from the UK but there are some very distinct differences. One of them I found was that Australians work extremely hard, but that there is a very distinct separation between work and free time. Business and family time are very well defined. Britain has become this neoliberal sort of society where these boundaries are almost nonexistent. I used to have to work all the time, there was no weekend downtime. My clients in Gladstone have been less demanding and allow me to take my time to finish things up properly. This allow for more creativity in my work. I am enjoying the slower pace over here, and the family lifestyle it can bring. .
20.01.2022 Registrations are still open. And it is free!
18.01.2022 ? Join us at Humans of Gladstone, a Strong Communities Ltd initiative as we bring a FREE series of webinars to the Gladstone region with passionate social enterprise, Digital Storytellers. When| 4x Wednesday evenings, commencing 5th of August 2020... Time| 7:00pm to 8:30pm Where| Online Limited places, registration is essential. To register https://strongcommunities.org.au/register-for-a-program-now/ ‘Because everyone has a story worth telling’ More information on the webinars below
17.01.2022 Cheryl I was born in Murgon, where we lived in a beautiful big house with dahlias and oleanders all along the side of the driveway. Mum and Dad, Eve and Frank Allwood, loved gardening and we always had a fruit and veggie garden, chooks and all of that. When we moved to Gladstone in 1967, there wasn’t a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables here, so Mum grew our own veggies whilst she wasn’t working. Everyone around Gladstone grew their own fruit and vegetables and I can rememb...Continue reading
15.01.2022 Peter I think I am extremely fortunate to have some remarkable ladies in my life who just also happen to be sensational mothers. My grandmother Ann Marshall, mum Diane Masters along with my beautiful and caring wife Paula. My grandmother Ann Marshall was a wonderfully compassionate person whom I got to spend a lot of time with, she acted as my proxy school teacher when I was doing my schooling via external correspondence. I couldn’t attend my regular primary school in Callio...pe because I was suffering from the degenerative hip disorder, Leg Calve Perthes disease. My Ma as I called her was far too soft and I easily got out of doing the bookwork. The English cricket team was touring Australia in what shaped up as an extremely exciting Ashes series and I did not miss a ball. When we weren’t watching the cricket, doing card tricks or listening to music we would be in the kitchen cooking. She was a tremendous cook and I absolutely adored spending time with her in the kitchen and learning so many of her secret cooking techniques and tricks which helped develop a deep love of cooking for me. It was during this period that I had both my legs in plaster, mum would just pick me up and carry me where ever it was that we needed to go. We lived in a high set house and I lost count the amount of times she would have carried me up and down the stairs. Mum was an extremely hard worker and I can remember watching her effortlessly going about her business in hot and uncomfortable conditions in the laundry at the Alchera Park Nursing Home where she worked for many years. I never heard her complain once, as she was doing it to provide for her family. As we witnessed on numerous occasions, she would do absolutely anything for her family and would defend us to the hilt. It didn’t matter if it was Brother Rodger who was the principal of Chanel College where us three boys undertook our high schooling, or the local police Sergeant. You would feel her full wrath if she thought one of her little angels had been wronged. Mum has been having a lot of trouble with her back recently and will be lining up for more surgery shortly to help improve her quality of life. On a recent visit I asked, Mum do you think I’m responsible for your sore back with all the lifting and carrying. She simply replied I don’t know, and I don’t care. I wouldn’t change a thing. I see so many of my grandmothers and mothers’ traits in my darling wife Paula. Hard working and extremely loyal to her family. Who also possesses the happy knack of picking you up when you’re down or kicking you in the backside and telling you to get on with it, when a bit of tough love is the best medicine. I truly believe that behind every good man there is an even better woman, but how fortunate am I to have three. #msg2mum #humansofgladstone #gladstone #australia #mothers
14.01.2022 Anonymous Dear Mum, Several years have passed since I moved to Australia, and it has been two years since I last saw you. With travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, I do not know when I will see you next, but thanks to technology, we can still exchange text messages on a daily basis.... Looking back, so many things have changed in the last several years. I have had two more children, and I am now a mother of three just like you. I now call Gladstone home. I sometimes find it hard to have no family or relatives around, but my husband is supportive, and although not many, I have a few people that I can talk to. I remember Dad living away from us for many years due to his work commitments, and he would come home once a month to see us. Even though you still had Grandma’s support, I can now see how hard and stressful it must have been for you to take care of us on your own. You cooked, took us to after school activities and made sure we were not falling behind with schoolwork. On this Mothers’ Day, there is something I would like to tell you. Actually, I do not expect you to be reading this message, so perhaps I should say, there is something I wish I could tell you. Please don’t be offended. I am worried and I am scared that you may judge me, so I had made the decision to keep everything to myself. Every time we video chat, you tell me that I look overweight, call me names and tell me that I should lose weight. To which I say, I’ve had three children and I drive everywhere now. What do you expect? What you don’t know is that I have been diagnosed with a mental health illness and some of the medications I was prescribed cause weight gain. I also have difficulty getting out of the house, so the lack of exercise may be another cause. In addition, I am on the contraceptive pill, which is not so common in our home country, which may have also led to the weight gain. I have been admitted to hospital on several occasions too. I assume there are still a lot of stigmas around talking about mental health for your generation and in our culture, so that’s why I decided not to tell you. I do not want you to worry about me. But I would like you to know that I’m getting the help and support I need, and I have become more aware of my conditions. To be honest, not every memory I have of you is a pleasant one. But I still want to thank you for bringing me into this world and for giving me a chance to live a life. One day, I hope I will be able to have an open and honest conversation with you. Your Daughter #msg2mum #humansofgladstone
13.01.2022 Registrations close this weekend! To register https://strongcommunities.org.au/register-for-a-program-now/
12.01.2022 Janelle When the railway closed at Dalby 27 years ago, my husband had the choice to transfer to Rockhampton or Gladstone, guess which we picked...Thankfully. I didn’t have my driver’s licence at that time and was used to walking everywhere, but no one told me just how hilly Gladstone was. So, at 26 I got my automatic licence and it made life and taking my kids to sports so much easier. 10 years later I decided that I wanted to get my manual licence, so I put my mind to it an...d did it. I’ve overcome many challenges in my life; the first ever being my Dad passing away when I was just 6 years old, but I remind myself that life is what you make it, there are people a lot worse off than me and I believe that what I give out to the world, I get back. Maybe that’s why I enjoy customer service so much. This November will be 25 years working for the same large supermarket chain; sure, it’s changed a lot over the years, but I’ve learnt many skills, I have some wonderful regular customers who I know by name and get to share in how their day has been in those few minutes and I have seen many children grow into adults. I can see that COVID has been tough for a lot of people, especially some of my older customers with social distancing and the disruption to normal life, so I’ve tried to be helpful, make sure their shopping experience is as easy as possible and I always have a smile for each and every one. Sometimes I wish I could do more. About 5 years ago I took up crochet and patchwork as a way to unwind, maybe I’m a little old fashioned but I enjoy cutting up fabric to put it back together again (not that I have much time for it just now); but then again, I don’t feel old fashioned when we take off on our Harley’s, whether it’s just for a day ride or our annual trip down south with friends. I try to bring happiness into whatever I am doing and I’m comfortable with who I am.
12.01.2022 We are over the moon with the announcement of this grant for our Humans of Gladstone project. We can't wait to roll out this amazing project, now bigger and better than before due to this grant. Thank you Glenn Butcher - Member for Gladstone and the Queensland Government for your support!
10.01.2022 'Gidgee' I was born in Longreach, but during primary school I moved to Ubobo for a while and stayed with the Wedge Family. I have fond memories of those times; attending Ubobo School in the 70’s with 27 students and and just one teacher (Mr Haye), I learnt so much. When I went back to Longreach I was ahead of my classmates and getting A’s and B’s, recapping what I had learnt while I was at Ubobo. Although, it only lasted until everyone else caught up. Growing up in the count...ry helped me learn many skills, we couldn’t just get someone in to do a small repair so I had to work out how to ‘make do’ and fix things myself, with practice you get pretty good at it. I moved back to the Gladstone region and spent 30 years in construction as a Rigger, a train driver and a painter, among other things. After that long, things changed quite a bit and I’d had enough. I worked out how I could put my skills to good use and that’s how I came to do what I’m doing now. I can enjoy my days here in the shade with my radio and my Border Collie, Tex to keep me company and there’s always someone coming past to say hello. I have many stories to share.
10.01.2022 Mothers are so important that we are dedicating the month of May to sharing short stories about Mums in our lives. If you live in Gladstone and want to contribute a short piece (250-500 words) we want to hear from you! Do you have a special memory you would like to share? A message you want to give her? ... Contact us at [email protected] and we can help you write it. Because everyone has a story worth telling! #humansofgladstone #msg2mum #gladstone #strongcommunities
07.01.2022 Mark ** Please note this story contains content related to suicide awareness** I grew up in a small Queensland town of Dalby. Mum always said I would bring home sick animals and had a willingness to help others. Throughout my life I have worked in many different jobs that included caring for or serving others, this sparked a need in me to live my life with purpose. I found myself working in construction when the opportunity came along in Gladstone and although at first I didn...Continue reading
06.01.2022 Crystal I think being a parent can be one of the most challenging yet rewarding roles we can have. My mum had 6 children; I was her second born. My sister Tara would have been 40 this year and I know mum still has her ashes, her name tattooed on her leg and her memory always in her heart. Losing a child not long after birth 40 years ago was just not spoken about. Perhaps that is why when I came along 2 years later, mum invested so much of her love into me. My earliest memor...ies of mum are her smile, her ability to make you feel safe, loved and calm. Somewhere along the way someone must have referred to mum as a hippy with her long dark hair, sarong wearing or crochet clothes. There was a time growing up that I thought this was embarrassing, but now as an adult; I treasure this outlook on life because Mum didn’t place our worth on material possessions, always telling us- people are more important, you can’t take things with you when you leave this earth. She could make anywhere we lived feel like a home. She has this knack of turning absolutely any place into the warmest, inviting living space. With her baskets, ferns, incense sticks, paintings her dad created, Indian or wooden decor- mum has soul and you can feel it, where ever she lives. My 10-year-old daughter said recently, ‘I know where you get your kindness from, from Mama. She is always so kind and giving.’ My nurturing nature is definitely a gift I was mothered with, perhaps unintentionally mum instilled an ability in me to think outside the box, to challenge the status quo and not to let other peoples opinions define me. Mum was inclusive of all people, often opening our home to extra friends or family with no judgement. My warmest memories with mum are snuggling up to her reading books, her cuddles, listening to her sing along to her favourite tune, helping her pull weeds out of the garden and picking the sweetpea flowers that she grew. As I was growing up mum would talk about the damage we were doing to the earth (I would roll my eyes and not realise I was wearing a Greenpeace shirt). I loved making recycled paper with her and I didn’t realise the values she was installing in me then, would have such an impact on my future. My family and I went off grid 6 years ago, to leave a lighter footprint on the earth. Our property is aiming for self sustainability (eventually) and Mum has been a big contributor to making this happen. Watching my children grow connected to nature, animals and growing food is a gift, a gift because of you Mum- so thank you. #msg2mum #humansofgladstone
06.01.2022 **Story-telling workshops** Want to improve your digital storytelling skills? Join the passionate team from social enterprise, Digital Storytellers for a series of FREE workshops to improve your storytelling skills.... These webinars are suitable for beginners, but also those who have a bit more experience and want to familarise with some of the storytelling tools used by Digital Storytellers. In this series of webinars, supported by Humans of Gladstone and Strong Communities Ltd, you'll get hands-on-tools and frameworks to inspire and empower you to reflect on, craft and share stories through various mediums. What we will cover: #1- What makes a good story? #2- Tips & tools to get started with brainstorming #3- How to craft a meaningful story #4- Digital stroytelling skills & exercises to capture & share stories The workshops will be held over 4 sessions: Wednesdays evenings the 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th of August 2020 at 7:00pm to 8:30pm via zoom. Spaces are limited, registration is essential at www.strongcommunities.org.au. Follow the 'register for a program prompts'. For more information you can contact the Strong Communities team on 0497 704 113 or PM us. This program is an initiative of Strong Communities Ltd. currently funded by the Queensland Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors.
05.01.2022 MELISSA From A COUNTRY ARTS PRACTICE I had no idea that visual and community arts, and arts and disability would become a life-long career for me. But 18 months ago, I set up my own practice; and all the things I’ve done over the years (including how I met my husband) , have led to me having my own business and are connected to how I play a part in this community. I knew I wanted to be an artist when I was 11. I would draw landscape scenes of the farm where I grew up in Reg...Continue reading
04.01.2022 Do you want to learn some smartphone skills for shooting video and editing? We have some spaces available next week (Wednesday at 7pm) in our online workshop! If you would like to register contact us at [email protected]
02.01.2022 Kate, Megan, Nicole To Paulette Flint, thank you for being our Mum. Kate: Mondays were always amazing with Mum. That is a pretty strange thing to say (who likes Mondays?) but when I was younger than school age, Mum and I would have a baking ritual. Every week, we would bake biscuits for the family. Three batches. Always jam drops (with strawberry jam duh), coconut biscuits and honey biscuits (pressed with a fork for decoration). It is memories like this that make me smile ...and treasure my mother. Even from a young age, I knew she has always had my best interests at heart, and helping me strive to be the best person I can be. Even if my fork pressing decorations were a little wonky, or if I spilled just a little too much coconut on the bench I knew that she was the best Mum I could ask for, because she always believes in me, celebrates my wins and offers sage advice in times of despair (like when the jam jar drops on the floor). Thank you Mum, looking forward to many more delicious memories. Megan: I remember one night, in Grade 1, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t sleep. There was something on my mind. My mum came in, and sat on my bed to ask what’s going on. In her careful way, she encouraged me to tell her what was wrong (in this case, a bossy girl at school who wouldn’t let me play with anyone except her). She gave me advice, words to use and assured me I was allowed to have more than one friend. I don’t remember what happened with that girl, but I do remember that it wasn’t a problem anymore. Over the years, no problem has shocked her, and she has never passed judgment when helping me work out what to do in any given situation. She always has time to help me work out a tough one. She is my biggest cheerleader, most loyal defender and my moral compass. I’m so grateful to have a Mum like her. Nicole: When my two younger sisters and I were growing up, Mum had a bumper sticker on her car that read ‘Girls can do anything’, and thanks to Mum I have never doubted that for a second. She didn’t talk about ‘if’ we went to university, but ‘when’ we went. Mum demonstrated that philosophy when she herself went back to university to gain further qualifications, studying at night after working and looking after us all day. Now that I am also a mother, I realise that the day Mum and Dad settled their 17-year-old into university accommodation and drove 800 km home to Gladstone without me must have been one of the hardest days of Mum’s life. But if she hadn’t shown her trust in me that day, I wouldn’t have found the courage to chase my goals. Thank you Mum, for teaching us to be bold. #msg2mum #humansofgladstone
