October 2006

aye karumba! new mural!

Another photographic blend mural of The Golden Quill images is soon to go up in Karumba, the Tropical North's fishing mecca. The mural will adorn the entrance to Ash's Café & Holiday Units at popular Karumba Point.

Glorious sunsets overlooking the Point are sure to feature prominently in the photographic blend celebrating highlights along the road to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Following in the success of the photographic mural at Brinsmead Supa IGA, more murals based on the TNQ Classic Calendar are in the pipeline also, with talk of one in a Townsville IGA and one in an Innisfail shopping centre!

3 October 2006

calendar in movie

The Around Ingham feature leaf of the 2007 Classic Calendar, pictured in May, is being used in a short film on the Hinchinbrook region, produced by 12 Ingham State High School students.

The short film will be shown at the International Youth Coastal Conference in Victoria on the 15-18 October.

The map in the calendar, and aerial image of Ingham, will also be in the movie. Our thanks to Anthony Vardanega of Avar Photographics, Ingham who contributed some of the wonderful photos in this feature.

1 October 2006

web presence

This new 2007 TNQ Classic Calendar website includes an online version of the calendar’s Festivities Guide for all  Classic Calendar customers and visitors.

Unlike most online event calendars, the Festivities Guide will be updatable directly by the event organisers throughout the year so that you always know what is going on!

A special mention to web designers Gabrielle Cooney and Symon Pritchett of justpurple new media, who have done a great job of turning our concepts and designs into working parts!

8 December 2005

wildlife rescue boost

It was with great pleasure that The Golden Quill donated $2,150 from profits of the TNQ Classic Calendar to Far North Queensland Wildlife Rescue Inc (FNQWR).

This money goes to assist in the rescue and rehabilitation of thousands of native animals which FNQWR has undertaken since its establishment in 1993.

You too can help FNQWR make a difference by getting involved as a carer or member!

Visit Wildlife Rescue Page:

October 2005

media awards finalist

In August 2005 The Golden Quill submitted its sole entry to date into the North Queensland Media Awards: the 2006 Tropical North Queensland Classic Calendar, Silver Souvenir edition.

In October, that entry was announced a finalist for Best Non-daily Publication, with the other two finalists entries from The Cairns Post and City Life Magazine.

This was a nice acknowledgement for the Tablelands-based graphics partnership of ten years. In the four years since its inception, the TNQ Classic Calendar has taken off in popularity and distribution.

September 2005

calendar inspires mural

A huge 11 metre mural based on the Tropical North Queensland Classic Calendar graces a wall in Queensland’s largest IGA, recently opened at Brinsmead Shopping Centre, Cairns.

Mr Lou Piccone, owner of the complex, conceived his vision for this mural on seeing a copy of the 2006 TNQ Classic Calendar. He had an idea to depict, right along one wall, some of the wonders of our region using images from the calendar’s various editions.

Mr Piccone says he is very proud of the result and that customers are airing many positive comments about the art.

December 2005

from the tip to townsville

Following the expansion of the Festivities Guide to include events around Australia’s largest tropical city Townsville, and the excellent response received there, The Golden Quill invited the City of Townsville via Townsville Enterprise, and the Shire of Dalrymple, to participate in the 2007 Classic Calendar and the invitations were accepted.

Thus, the 2007 Classic Calendar showcases TNQ from the Northern tip to Townsville – and west to Carpentaria! The Golden Quill wishes to acknowledge  the following government bodies:-

Atherton, Carpentaria, Cook, Croydon, Dalrymple, Herberton, Johnstone, Hinchinbrook and Mareeba Shires, the City of Townsville, Townsville Enterprise and Queensland Rail.

June 2005

silver souvenir advent

The bumper-sized Silver Souvenir edition of the TNQ Classic Calendar was released mid-year mainly for the benefit of tourists and visitors to the region.

This edition was the first to feature an expanded colour-coded Festivities Guide covering events from Thursday Island to the twin cities and west to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Released early in June to great reviews, the first print sold out in the tourist season and thus was updated with latest event details and re-released for the local market in September where it again sold extremely well.

February 2005

calendar art in book

Author Heather Corfield wrote to request the use of the Innisfail feature page in the TNQ Classic Calendar (also released as a popular postcard) in her new book on Innisfail, “East of the Ranges”.

For further details on the book, please contact the author Mrs Heather Corfield, Windrush, MS 53, Taroom QLD 4420.

vip calendar launch

The 2005 TNQ Classic Calendar was launched in spectacular style to a select group of well-known community figures from all around the Far North.

The night started at 6 pm with a fabulous Fire Art performance by Fire by the Sea at the Cairns cenotaph and a hands-on snake show from Cr Russell Dennis of Mt Surprise.

The launch party, held at Cairns RSL, featured  a ceremonial drill from Captain Cook marines in full regalia, specially flown in from Cooktown, and displays by mayors, councillors and regional representatives from Ingham to Cooktown and west to Georgetown.

Every presentation reflected a month in the calendar, which showed twelve special places of TNQ. Atherton Mayor Cr Jim Chapman and his wife looked on as Deputy Mayor Louise De Marzi gave an in-depth slideshow on the Atherton Shire, whilst Jo Evans and Terry Walsh from TerrEstrial Georgetown described the Gulf Savannah and Queensland's finest collection of mineral specimens.

The Mayor of Hinchinbrook Cr Pino Giandemonico distributed gifts printed with the original “Pub with No Beer” poem from Lee's pub in Ingham whilst Cr Sno Bonneau spoke with passion about Cairns' Northern Beaches. Daniel Buhmann, looking dashing as a Captain Cook marine, talked about historic Cooktown.

Herberton Shire Mayor Cr Ann Portess gave a positive intro to Roy Jaques of Herberton Camera Museum and his presentation on Herberton Shire, high in the hills. From Chillagoe, Jim & Tonia Evans of The Hub came to share the unique history of their town.

Over 100 guests enjoyed the celebration held at Cairns RSL, which marked the end of the long process of compiling the Classic Calendar, Cr Ann Portess calling it “a very innovative night of entertainment and a wonderful opportunity to be reminded of what a great region we all live in.”  She described the calendar as “a terrific promotional tool that will travel to all parts of the world”.

wildlife rescue support

A donation of $1,400 to FNQ Wildlife Rescue was also made on the launch night from profits from the 2004 TNQ Classic Calendar, and FNQWR President Fred Howles gave a talk on the work of the association.

The evening was attended and covered by local media including Seven and WIN Local News, the Cairns Post and a number of regional newspapers.

See press clippings for more info...

View more photos...

calendar invites councils

In the wake of the original 2004 TNQ Classic Calendar's sellout success, The Golden Quill invited a number of councils to participate in the development of features showcasing the attractions of their Shires. A selection of attractions which it was deemed would be fantastic to feature for 2005 was shortlisted and the relevant Shires were approached.

Seven out of ten applications were accepted and the 2005 edition enjoyed the financial development support of Atherton, Cook, Douglas, Etheridge, Herberton, Johnstone and Hinchinbrook Shires Councils.

The support of Councils has been a key factor in the calendar's development each year since then, and participating councils contribute valuable information, suggestions and images to support the showcase of their regions, much to the delight of many of the shire residents.

Councils in turn receive a quantity of calendars which they use as powerful promotional tools to their key contacts and/or sell in their Visitor Centres.

Each year more Councils have participated in the publication as the calendar has spread to encompass all of TNQ.

first calendar sells out

The pilot edition of the TNQ Classic Calendar for 2004 was released in the first week of September 2003 to great reviews including a Page One colour article in the Innisfail Advocate.

Within two short weeks of its release, all 5,000 copies of the calendar sold out wholesale.

Demand was ongoing, so a further 2,000 issues were printed in mid-October.

The first Classic Calendar featured the Far North Coast and the Tablelands and was distributed between Mossman and Tully and west to Mt Garnet.