Leone Wilson

It was the summer of 1962 when Leone Wilson joined the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force, beginning a 12-year career serving on bases throughout the nation.

Her time with the RAAF was not only where she met her husband John, it was also the start of a lifelong passion in volunteering for the veteran community.

After moving to Bundaberg in 1980, Leone said she and John became heavily involved in local organisations.

“One of our first Bundaberg committee involvements was with the Bundaberg Soaring Club, however it was the various organisations centred on defence service veterans that saw both of us becoming very involved, notching up decades in committee executive positions,” Leone said.

Through her many roles within local community and veteran organisations, Leone said she became a prolific newsletter creator, which was something she had learned to love.

“The importance of communication has always been a driver for me,” she said.

“Producing newsletters for members became a secondary but very important part of the committees on which I served.

"For the RAAF Association I have produced monthly newsletters for 20 years, for the Bundaberg RSL Sub Branch it was 30 years, and I am still producing them for women veterans after 27 years and the RAAFA.

"I also introduced a newsletter to the RSL Wide Bay Burnett District and produced that regularly during my 18 years on the committee executive.”

Leone said one of the highlights during her 40 years of working in the veteran community came in 2014 when a long-held desire to see the War Nurses Memorial Park enhanced to honour the regional nurses who had served in the Australian Defence Forces was realized.

“Aided by a newly-elected president of our Ex-Servicewomen’s Association, this project developed into a very fitting tribute to these selfless people who provide care and comfort to our service men and women,” she said.

“Officially opened in 2014, plaques and tributes have been added since, marking significant anniversaries.”

Leone said next year would be a very special time not only for herself, but also for the many women veterans throughout the nation.

“In 2022 the Vietnam War will be honoured, and the women veterans are pleased to be able to provide this tribute to the nurses and medics of the Bundaberg/Burnett region,” she said.

“We will also pay tribute to 75 years of Australian peacekeeping/peacemaking.

"The wellbeing of women veterans and the honouring through commemoration of all service men and women is a continuing aim for the Bundaberg District Women Veterans.

"I am so proud to be a part of that.”

Chris Sorensen

Chris Sorensen has been a member of the Bundaberg Vintage Vehicle Car Club since 1987 but his passion for old cars came long before that.

He said he had loved vintage vehicles since he was a child but during his days working at Qunaba Mill, Chris was able to explore this further through his interest in a vehicle that once belonged to the manager of Bundaberg Foundry, William Parry.

The vehicle was a De Dion-Bouton.

“The manager of Bundaberg Foundry in 1904, Mr William Parry, sent his foreman to London to purchase the car and it was shipped to Bundaberg,” Chris said.

“An ambition of mine was to own this car and I was fortunate enough to purchase it in 1986.

"The other part of my ambition was to take it back to London to do the London to Brighton Run, and I did that with my family in 1989.

"Since then, we have done several London to Brighton runs with other cars that we have.”

The popular car rally celebrates the Lifting of the Red Flag Act in 1904, which requires a person to walk in front of the car when it was driven on the streets in London.

The event has been celebrated since the late 1800s.

“One of the highlights of this event is the participants dress in the period dress of the car,” Chris said.

"For our first trip my wife Jenny had made period 1904 outfits for all of us, including our sons.

"We have a photo of all of us dressed up with the De Dion-Bouton lined up with the other old cars in Hyde Park.

"It was a big effort and memorable in that the De Dion-Bouton went back to where it started from all those years ago.”

Chris said the De Dion-Bouton was one of a few cars he owned steeped in history.

“It was the first car registered in Bundaberg and after many years, was sold to Bert Hinkler’s sister, Mrs Queenie Palm,” he said.

"I also purchased a 1903 Grout steam car in Pennsylvania.

"The Grout, like the De Dion, is a very original car with a lot of history and there is one photo of it parked in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.”

Chris said he also owned a 1903 Cadillac, a 1901 Locomobile, a 1906 Buick, 1911 Overland, 1915 Saxon, 1926 Lincoln (once owned by the famous American tennis player Elinor Sears) and a 1929 Rolls Royce Sedanca deVille.

These days, Chris gets to enjoy his cars even more in retirement and recently participated in the re-enactment of the London to Brighton in Burnett Heads with the Bundaberg Vintage Vehicle Club.

He said it was an opportunity to give Australian vintage car owners who couldn’t attend the event in the United Kingdom a place to celebrate locally.

“I am often asked what the attraction is of going all the way to London and taking a car to do this run,” he said.

“My answer is: it’s the thrill of driving such an old car through London.

"Past the Palace down the mall, past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.

"Over Westminster Bridge and then all the way to Brighton – it’s an incredible experience.”

Lyn McIlwain

Long-time Burnett Heads resident Lyn McIlwain is no stranger to community spirit, she helped the local kindergarten grow to the thriving, positive space it is today.

Lyn moved to the seaside community in 1976, with her late-husband and her children.

Trained in clinical nursing and midwifery Lyn decided as well as a sea change, she needed a career change, and so applied for a job with C&K Oaks Beach Community Kindergarten.

More than four decades ago, Lyn recalls the start of her role at the kindergarten.

“In the old hall the Burnett Heads Kindy started in 1970, and they already had a couple of teachers,” she said.

“They weren’t funded and relied on raffles at the pub, lamington drives, bush dances and more.”

Shortly after her start, Lyn rallied the community together to build a permanent space for the kindergarten, garnering support from the Bargara Lions Club and Apex Clubs.

In the early stages of building, she recalls being told “just make a few cakes ladies, and you’ll succeed.”

But with Lyn’s tenacity and drive, she knew they would need more than cakes to fulfil the community project.

“Tafe students assisted in the build and Duffy’s buses would bring them down (to help),” she said.

“East Bundaberg Rotary put the trusses up on the roof. I did rely heavily on community services to assist.”

After almost a decade of living in Burnett Heads, Lyn’s dream had arrived, and the kindergarten was fully functioning.

“We opened in 1986,” she said.

“The State Government offered land and Council gave us 50 loads of fill and did the carpark all for nothing.

"We got $2,000 from State Government and $2,000 from Local Government.

"We had it paid off in four years, but mainly from the 5,800 lamingtons we made once a year!”

Leaving her role at the kindergarten some 20 years later, Lyn said it was now fully funded and continued to be a thriving, positive space for children today.

“I want to thank the community’s unwavering generosity and support towards a permanent educational facility for the adults of the future,” she said.

“It takes a village to raise a child and I am so proud of our unique village and surrounding areas.”