Publication
A BLESSING FOR OUR CITY
Just a decade ago, Nat and Tiff Spary were on the verge of shutting their beloved Basement soup kitchen. Now, the couple are set to embark on the biggest move of their lives, taking Base Services to their new $3.7m home.
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NOTHING IN IT FOR CITY
Toowoomba has completely missed out on specific funding in the 2026-27 federal budget, with mayor Geoff McDonald taking aim at the current state of funding for local governments.
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BRING IT ON, PAULINE
Federal Groom MP Garth Hamilton has issued a warning to voters not to be drawn in by One Nation’s “angry slogans” after Pauline Hanson’s party made it clear the once-safe LNP seat is in its sights. The rise of One Nation in the polls has struck fear in...
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GYM RAISES THE BAR
From a small shed with a handful of members to Toowoomba’s largest grappling hub, Behan Jiu Jitsu has officially unveiled its new upgraded facilities alongside the launch of a new business by one of the city’s most recognisable hospitality figures, who...
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TALENT TAKES CENTRE STAGE
More than 3000 entrants will feature as the 80th City of Toowoomba Eisteddfod takes over The Empire precinct. Part one of the 2026 instalment features competition across the genres of vocal, dance, choral and piano over 12 days finishing on Sunday,...
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SYDNEY IN GARDEN CITY
A-list celebrity Sydney Sweeney has landed in Toowoomba to shoot scenes for the upcoming Netflix blockbuster Gundam.
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SECURE RAIL FOR OUR CITY
Three southeast Queensland councils will ramp up pressure on the state and federal governments to fund a new passenger rail route to the state’s largest inland city. The proposal for a major extension to Brisbane’s current electrified network, dubbed...
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DREAMS DERAILED
Toowoomba’s political and business leaders have expressed anger and disbelief at the federal government’s decision to cut short the beleaguered Inland Rail project. Infrastructure minister Catherine King on Tuesday night announced Labor would end the...
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GLITZ AND GRIT
Standing a mighty 150cm tall, Suzette Byrnes Statham O’Reilly was a sight to behold wrestling the heavy wheel of a truck built for men twice her size. Despite the smell of rotting kangaroo carcasses drifting through the cabin and the red dust...
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OUR KIDS, OUR FUTURE
Top doctors have warned the future of Australian children is at a critical crossroads and in dire need of worldleading medical research to reverse a situation where an entire generation’s health is now, for the first time, worse than their...
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REVEALED EMPIRE THEATRE BAILOUT
Toowoomba councillors voted confidentially to prop up the Empire Theatre by an extra $770,000 nearly a year ago, amid the discovery of longstanding fraud by the venue’s former accountant. New financial documents for the historic theatre and its...
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HIGHWAY TRAGEDY
Police are looking at speed and inattention as possible contributing factors in a shocking rear-end crash that killed a truck driver. Emergency crews were called to the Toowoomba Bypass at Mt Kynoch about 12.15am on Wednesday after two prime movers...
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HERITAGE APARTMENTS COMING TO INNER CITY
A slice of inner-city Melbourne or Sydney streetscapes could be coming to Toowoomba’s CBD, with a developer unveiling plans for a set of terraced apartments in a burgeoning area. Melbourne-based Queenslander Trent Macartney will lodge an application...
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GLITZ AND GLAM AT MARY MACKILLOP FORMAL
Mary MacKillop Catholic College year 12 students and their partners stepped out in style for their formal at Highfields Cultural Centre on Friday evening. With the threat of rain, more than 50 students stayed dry and shone on the red carpet, arriving...
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JEAN’S ANZAC DAY TRIBUTE
Jean Dellit rode through Toowoomba streets wearing her late husband’s service medals while holding onto painful seven-decade memories of wondering if she would see him return from combat.
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A NEW GEN TO HONOUR ANZACS
Students at one of the Toowoomba region’s smallest schools have gained powerful insights into Anzac Day’s significance while meeting a Vietnam War veteran. Pupils at Bunkers Hill State School were treated to a visit on Tuesday from Toowoomba RSL...
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FACING A PERFECT STORM
Farmers are delaying planting crops in the hopes of rain while also battling the rising cost of diesel.
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OUR STARS TO LEAD QUEENSLAND
Darling Downs stars Jada Ferguson and Shenae Ciesiolka have been named in a newlook Queensland Maroons women’s squad. The dynamic duo will lineup alongside Lauren Brown and rookie Chantay KiriaRatu who have been tasked with leading Queensland into the...
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PACKED TO THE BRIM
Real time data released by the Queensland Police Service shows the Toowoomba, Ipswich and Dalby watch-houses are some of the most overcrowded in the state. From April 7 to April 20, there were 12 days when the Toowoomba watch-house, with 21 beds, was...
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A YEAR WITHOUT A WIN
The Western Clydesdales’ year-long winless streak should’ve ended at the weekend. Unstoppable in the opening 25 minutes of their Hostplus Cup clash, the Clydesdales ran roughshod over Souths Logan Magpies, galloping away to a 24-0 lead – only to lose...
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CAREER PAWS ON PATROL
At just 15 and 13 years old, Jessica Archinal and Willow Sutcliffe already know they want to pursue a future dedicated to serving the community. The two Toowoomba Emergency Service Cadets explored their many future pathways to becoming police officers...
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OUR NATION NEEDS THIS
One of Queensland’s most powerful businessmen has unveiled a plan for a new $2.5bn refinery on the Darling Downs, which could use household waste to produce more than 100m litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) every year. Toowoomba’s John Wagner...
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HE DIED WORKING FOR THE DOLE
Welfare advocates have called for a federal inquiry into the government’s work for the dole programs, arguing justice has not been served for the death of a young man in Toowoomba in 2016. The Australian Unemployment Workers Union will hold a rally...
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TEAMING UP FOR NRL BID
Ipswich Jets have revealed a “secret weapon” in their $60m battle to become the NRL’s 20th club. Fierce rivals on the footy field, soon to be “brothers in arms” off it Ipswich bid boss Steve Johnson said his team needed the Western Clydesdales to...
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HIGHWAY HEAD-ON HORROR
A man has died and a woman is fighting for her life after a head-on crash at East Greenmount early on Tuesday morning. The crash occurred on the New England Highway about 6am.
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CREWS NEED FRESH SPARK
A growing Lockyer Valley community faces potential disaster as its rural fire brigade struggles with ageing volunteers and no workplace support for emergency responses.
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MEATSTOCK BOOKS OUT CITY
More than 20,000 people flooded into Toowoomba for the Meatstock festival at the weekend, bringing with them a major economic boost for the region. Meatstock, Australia’s biggest barbecue festival featuring live butcher wars, country music and more...
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LET’S JOIN FORCES
Toowoomba has one chance to make its NRL dream a reality, and it rests in the hands of their fiercest rivals. As the Ipswich Jets’ Western Corridor NRL bid gains momentum, Western Clydesdales boss Alex Pagoni said his club needed to be open to any...
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HIT & RUN SEIZURE
Police have seized a vehicle that was believed to be involved in a historic hit and run which left a Toowoomba man with serious injuries. The incident happened on Bakers St in Darling Heights on January 24, 2021 when a driver of a Toyota LandCruiser...
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GARTH TAKES AIM
Groom MP Garth Hamilton has slammed One Nation’s support for Trump’s attack on Iran, saying the party has failed to put Australia first while offering no serious alternative policies.
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AWARD-WINNING FLAVOURS FOR MEATSTOCK
Darling Fresh Smoke Haus will bring their awardwinning biltong to Meatstock this weekend, as well as a new book and spicy jerk rub. Known for their woodsmoked meats, small-batch seasonings and smokeroasted sauces, they recently won a gold medal at the...
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CARJACK SPREE ENDS IN ARREST
The man suspected of stealing four vehicles in a major carjacking crime spree across the Darling Downs has been taken into custody at a Toowoomba shopping centre. Police confirmed a man was arrested at Eastville on Herries Street just before 1pm...
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HIGHWAY CARJACK TERROR
Police are searching for an armed man who stole three vehicles and fired a gun into the air during a terrifying Darling Downs carjacking spree. Officers were called to Princess Street, Newtown, about 3.20pm on Saturday following reports a man...
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CAMERAS HIDDEN IN HOSPITAL
Former health supervisor Stephen Ibell is alleged to have placed hidden cameras in Baillie Henderson Hospital to secretly film women’s genitalia, court documents reveal.
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OPEN FOR BUSINESS
As southwest Queensland prepares to welcome tens of thousands of people over the Easter weekend, tourism operators are urging visitors to stick to their plans amid Australia’s ongoing fuel crisis.
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NEW SCHOOL’S FIRST STUDENT
Ava Ramsey doesn’t know it yet, but the ground she planted a shovel into will become the school where she takes her first steps as a student just nine months from now. The excited 2027 prep student was on-hand with her parents Cameron and Dakota...
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GARDEN COMP IN FULL BLOOM
For 77 years, The Chronicle Garden Competition has elevated the Toowoomba region’s most vibrant private gardens to the wider community. In 2026, the competition returns to allow green thumbs of all experience levels to cultivate their yards with...
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COUNTRY CHARM AT CITY SHOW
Despite rising prices of fuel and cost of living pressures, the Toowoomba Royal Show put on an epic weekend as attendees from across the Darling Downs packed the showgrounds. The 161st People First Bank Royal Toowoomba Show had something for every...
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GAS BILL OUTRAGE IGNITES
Darling Downs farmers have accused the LNP of failing to keep their election promise, after the introduction of new legislation they claim will not protect prime agricultural land.
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OUR BEST ON SHOW
The Western Downs community is rallying around a young Dulacca woman after she underwent surgery following a rare bleeding brain cavernoma. Newly graduated 18-year-old Zoe York was celebrating her freedom and planning for her future as a veterinary...
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BERSERK BOWSER BEHAVIOUR
Australia’s ongoing fuel crisis is leading to panic-buying at Toowoomba bowsers, as concerns around national and state supplies persist amid conflict in the Middle East. Residents have been sighted stockpiling petrol and diesel across the Garden City,...
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THE KIDS STUCK IN LIMBO
Since he was little, Sarah’s* son jumped from school to school, with nowhere giving him the support he needed. It wasn’t until he moved to a school with specialised supports following an autism diagnosis at age 11, that Sarah saw his life change...
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A SHOW OF SUPPORT
Organisers have broken with 161 years of tradition by offering half-price tickets and free access for one night as cost-of-living pressures bite regional families. Royal Agriculture Society of Queensland chief executive Damon Phillips said families...
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FUTURE IS GREEN STEEL
Construction could start before the end of the year on a $450m green steel mill in Toowoomba’s western suburbs. GM Steel has secured all its approvals from both the Toowoomba Regional Council and the Queensland Government for its massive new electric...
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ACCUSED ARSONIST NAMED
Ash Livingstone, the 28-yearold Toowoomba man accused of burning down the Toowoomba PCYC building, has been remanded in custody. Police arrested Mr Livingstone on Thursday about 5am and charged him with one count each of arson, stealing, unlawfully...
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BURNT TO THE GROUND
Police are speaking with a 28year-old man apprehended at the scene of a fire that destroyed the Toowoomba PCYC. The blaze broke out in the early hours of Thursday, with eight crews on scene at 1.20am. Southern Region Acting Assistant Commissioner...
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FUEL’S GOLD
As fuel prices continue to hurt the wallets of many, an expert says there shouldn’t be further drastic increases at this stage. Both unleaded and diesel prices spiked after conflict broke out in the Middle East between Iran, the US and Israel which in...
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KEYS TO CITY FOR BURTON
Olympic equestrian champion Chris Burton will be awarded the keys to the city in recognition of his sporting achievements and advocacy for the region. Chris Burton represented Australia in equestrian at three Olympic Games, winning bronze at the 2016...
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EMBRACING OUR CITY’S COLOURS
Despite recent postponements due to weather, Holi Colourfest kicked off in Toowoomba as about 400 people enjoyed explosions of colour. Although the event has run for about nine years, the celebration held at the University of Southern Queensland’s...
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BABY’S FINGER SEVERED
State authorities are investigating the circumstances that ended in a baby’s finger being severed at a Lockyer Valley childcare centre. Education Queensland confirmed on Saturday it was aware of the incident, which is believed to have happened at the...
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PROBE INTO WHO FAILED GIRL
Emails outlining why hospital staff strongly opposed the release of diabetic girl Elizabeth Struhs to live with her mother were sent before Child Safety made the decision to discharge her home, a coroner has heard.
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ON THE PATH TO 2032
The Glennie School’s mission “To Be All She Can Be” will take on new meaning in the coming years as the private school prepares to lead Australia’s 2032 Olympic Games charge. One of Toowoomba and Queensland’s most prestigious private schools – Glennie...
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INSIDE COUNCIL’S MEGA-PROJECT
The Toowoomba Regional Council has embarked on a bid to secure $80 million in the federal budget for the safety upgrade of Cressbrook Dam.
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THERE FOR MY FAMILY AND MY COUNTRY
An Oakey soldier has commemorated International Women’s Day reflecting on balancing motherhood and family life with her service to her country. Joining the Australian Defence Force eight years ago, Trooper Justine Gatti, who works out of Oakey, serves...
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Jayden swims for sick kids after losing sight
As Jayden Wessling paddles through the water, he can only make out blurry outlines and contrasting colours. This February the 15-yearold Toowoomba teen swam for sick kids through the Starlight Foundation’s Superswim, but it wasn’t too long ago that...
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TOOWOOMBA TO THE STARS
After starring in productions of Phantom of the Opera, Singin’ in the Rain and Jagged Little Pill all across Australia, acclaimed actor Georgina Hopson has landed the role of her dreams. Hailing from Toowoomba, she’s now playing the main role of Anya...
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WOMEN WHO EMPOWER
“You can do whatever you want to do, it doesn’t mean you have to do it all.” Nine inspiring Toowoomba women have opened up about the lessons that have shaped them and their advice for the next generation to celebrate International Women’s Day on March...
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Tributes for 17yo Mackenzie
A devastated Lockyer Valley family is calling for community support as they face the unimaginable loss of their 17-yearold daughter who died in a head-on collision. Mackenzie Addison Tutt died after a multi-vehicle crash in Grandchester at 5.47pm on...
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AFL STAR’S SICKENING SEX ACT
Two footballers preyed on a 14-yearold girl at a birthday party, luring her away from the festivities to rape her in the dark, a court has heard.
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GOTTA CATCH ’EM ALL
The Toowoomba Cosplay Group hosted a celebration of all things Pokemon on Saturday to mark the 30th anniversary since the original games debuted in Japan. Nearly 200 people turned up to the Japanese Gardens for a fun-filled family day. From cosplay...
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SHENAE’S OFF TO SYDNEY
Former Oakey Bears junior and Western Clydesdales star Shenae Ciesiolka is looking for a new NRLW club. Ciesiolka has been granted an immediate release by the Brisbane Broncos – just months after featuring in the club’s NRLW premiership winning...
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RUNNING FOR CARDIAC HEALTH
John Howe was out running one day, and in hospital with a heart attack the next. Eleven years since he faced a near-death experience, Mr Howe showed why you should never give up as he crossed the finish line of the Peak2Park run at the...
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HOSPITAL HOUSING PRICE SURGE
The sale of a workingclass house for $1.07 million has raised alarm bells, as the new hospital transforms traditional battler suburbs into investor goldmines.
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MASSIVE CITYWIDE DRUG RAIDS
Police seized a rock of ice the size of a cricket ball among a haul of drugs during a seven-month investigation in Toowoomba. Led by the Toowoomba Criminal Investigation Branch, police raided 80 properties where they recovered about $120,000 in cash,...
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A NEW LEASE ON LIFE
Working mother Ashlee Mesken’s extreme lifestyle of three jobs, minimal sleep and multiple caffeine drinks led to a medical crisis that completely transformed her approach to life and charity work.
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BREAKING POINT
Michelle Jensen remembers a day she couldn’t face going home. She was left broken, exhausted, and empty after her disabled 10-year-old son received a devastating $50,000 cut to his NDIS funding. “They cut Hugh’s funds but that doesn’t mean the need’s...
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UNIT COULD BREAK RECORD
A luxurious and renovated Toowoomba penthouse could break its own city record for a unit selling price from just three years ago, after it was listed for an astonishing price by a noted businessman. Keith Beer, a developer and former local McDonald’s...
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SUNBURNT HOEDOWN
For one bride-to-be, the perfect hens party was a music festival in town featuring country stars from Australia and the US. Katlin Tilly attended the Sunburnt Country music festival at Queens Park on Saturday with 15 of her friends. “It was a blast,...
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POLICE CLEARED IN TRAGEDY
Toowoomba police have been cleared of wrongdoing in Steven Nixon-McKellar’s 2021 death in custody, with a coroner finding multiple complex factors caused his cardiac arrest.
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ALDEAN IS READY TO ROCK
National and international music royalty will land in Queens Park this weekend for an afternoon and evening of bootscootin’ tunes. Nashville legend Jason Aldean is set to headline Sunburnt Country in Frogs Hollow on Saturday, in an unforgettable night...
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TEACHERS UNDER ATTACK
Spat on, punched, kicked and even stabbed, a university professor has revealed the horrific violence Darling Downs teachers are exposed to every day in Australian classrooms, and why teachers are leaving the profession.
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SURVIVOR’S WARNING
Abandoned by a system meant to protect them, vulnerable children in residential care have fallen prey to men who inject them with drugs, and coerce them into crimes and sex acts – an inquiry into the Department of Child Safety has been told.
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VETERAN TAKES ON ALLEGED CAR THIEF
A veteran of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Scott May bears a large scar across his face, but it didn’t come from a bomb or bullet. Instead it was from an armed robbery a decade ago. Now he has again become an alleged victim of youth crime.
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