Local News

LEROY PERCIVAL | Central-Coast Queensland Folk-Rock Editor | CONTACT A local father of 3 has this week decided he would begin wearing a pork pie hat, in an effort to remind people that he is his own man. Paul James, 46, purchased the classic-yet-unique fashion accessory at the City Beach boutique, whilst visiting Pacific Fair Shopping Centre on a current family trip to the Gold Coast. Although maintaining a cool demeanor,...

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact About two hours ago local time, John Douglas' phone rang loud enough to wake him up. It was 11 am on this bright Sunday morning when his mother, Boral, decided to give him a ring. "I thought he'd be up by now," she said. "I think I might've woken him up." John told our reporters that he was...

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Timothy Camry and Marcia Blasket have been hearing that a lot in recent weeks. Though they've been exclusive for nearly three years now, they're both still young enough to be arrested for enjoying a glass of chilled, wooded Chardonnay on a hot Californian afternoon. Young enough to prompt the question:...

LEROY PERCIVAL | Central-Coast Queensland Folk-Rock Editor | CONTACT A kitchen in Betootas brownstone district is overflowing this evening as one of its occupants went to the shops during the time between having a smoke after work and having dinner. Scottie Green, a fourth year apprentice sparky, decided to head to Woolies in the early evening after discovering Kelly, his house-mate, had gone and bought...

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact Though his coal mining days have long passed and his life is now full of one mild regret after another, Peter Grince's children tell The Advocate that he often finds solace in the music of Bruce Springsteen. After he's done listening to the Immortal Bard, the 67-year-old often looks disconnected from his surroundings. He seems quite and deep in thought...

WENDELL HUSSEY | Cadet | Contact Despite claiming the odd few things he shouldn’t, and lying here and there when he lodges some of his returns, Sam Nicholson still pays a pretty reasonable amount of tax. As a secondary teacher in Betoota he gets some tax incentives as an employee in the public sphere, but overall he pays roughly 15-20 grand a year in tax. Which is 15-20 grand...

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact "I paid for express postage," she said. "Where is my jacket? I ordered and paid for it on Thursday and it still says it's in Melbourne? Next working day my arse!" Jenny Gilmour is pissed off. The 24-year-old wants the Gorman jacket, currently sitting motionless in an Australia Post depot on the northern fringe of the Yarra Republic, by today but...

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact The blame game has started down at Colenso BBDO's South Betoota office this afternoon after news broke that local chainsaw and lawnmower retailer, Perry's Husqvarna, has dropped them for another local agency. Short of being stabbed to death with a broken Ridell wine glass by John Singleton outside a popular steakhouse, the agency's creative director and senior partners have been locked...

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact After close to a year of intensive training, a local boxing coach feels one of his star students is ready for the big time. Lloyd Cressford, according to his coach Darcy Potter, is finally prepared to go on his first Carnival Cruise - where he's expected to fight close to two dozen people. The 24-year-old fighter...

SHEILA BAKER | Theatre Critic | Contact The artistic director of the Betoota Grove Theatre Association (BGTA) announced today that there will be no formal apology made to Andrew Lloyd Webber after the group told reporters they plan to butcher his landmark musical 'Cats' for the next 6 weeks. Hyacinth Gynt, who's been at the helm of BGTA for nearly a decade, remains unapologetic after critics panned...