Latest news with #Gillies
ABC News
24-07-2025
- ABC News
World Heritage listing hopes to transform Pilbara from being 'one big mine site'
From the deep hues of Ningaloo Reef to leafy Margaret River wine country, glossy murals spruiking Western Australia's regional offerings line the walls of Perth Airport. But the high-visibility garb dominating its queues suggests many travellers are bound for another destination, and for reasons far less idyllic. Communities in the Pilbara have long sought to dispel the perception the region is just a "big mine site". In light of Australia's 21st World Heritage listing this month, some are hoping the Murujuga Cultural Landscape, more than 1,500 kilometres north of Perth, will put the red-dirt capital on the map. Jeff Gillies, chief commercial officer at cruise line Coral Expeditions, said the international recognition of Murujuga had "absolutely" increased bookings. "The World Heritage listing will increase the awareness," Mr Gillies said. Coral Expeditions is one of the few cruise companies in Australia with an itinerary that features the Burrup Peninsula, or Murujuga, off Karratha. The exploratory-style line has travelled there since 2019, with passengers tendered ashore for tours with Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) rangers. "[Travellers] definitely seek out World Heritage areas because they know they know that they're going to see a special place on Earth." The nearby Port of Dampier is home to one of the country's busiest industrial ports but only welcomed its first cruise vessel in 2023. Mr Gillies said the lack of a dedicated cruise terminal, leaving vessels to dock within the cargo wharf, could be a barrier for less nimble craft. MAC, which jointly manages the World Heritage site, told the ABC it had recently struck a deal with French operator Ponant Cruises to also visit Murujuga. The arrangement would bring larger contingents of guests to view the area's ancient Aboriginal rock art. The World Heritage listing significantly increases the conservation estate once covered by the Murujuga National Park from 5,134 hectares to just under 100,000. MAC deputy chair Belinda Churnside said commercial opportunities had to be balanced with cultural obligations. "We have roles and responsibilities to care for country," she said. The body's plans to construct a tourism precinct at Conzinc Bay has stalled since it began in 2022, attracting some local dismay over the closure of the popular "jump up" four-wheel-drive track. It would see a two-wheel-drive road installed leading to the picturesque inlet where MAC hopes to build an eco-resort. However, Ms Churnside said "cultural sensitivities" around the road design have delayed the works. The uncertainty extends to the makeshift shacks dotting several islands off Murujuga used by local fishers and surfers. Both MAC and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions (DBCA) said the World Heritage listing would not directly impact access to the shacks. Any changes would come through the preparation of a new joint management plan, something the ABC understands is still being negotiated. Yindjibarndi elder Jane Cheedy said the World Heritage listing was a rare chance to share culture, protect country, and address economic inequality in the Pilbara. "We, the traditional owners, are putting out our story and it's getting taken overseas, and then people will come to know more about Murujuga," she said. "If it helps empower Aboriginal people that would be good." City of Karratha Mayor Daniel Scott said the heritage listing presented a "very large" opportunity, but the area was not yet ready to cope with an increase in tourists. Housing availability is a chronic challenge in Karratha, especially as a population increase looms. Cr Scott called on investors to help get more accommodation online in Karratha. "We've got everything here we need, now we just need the entrepreneurs and those people that see the opportunity to come to Karratha and help us take advantage of it," he said. The City of Karratha said an international airport was essential to make the most out of Murujuga's listing. "I think it's a really, really big step forward and in justification for an international airport," Cr Scott said. The only international airport in the Pilbara is in Port Hedland, a two-and-a-half-hour drive further north. It has not serviced regular international flights since the COVID-19 pandemic, although a business case to resume those services is before state and federal authorities. A WA government spokesperson said tourism officials were continuing to assess all route development opportunities but would not comment on Karratha's bid for an international airport. Pilbara Tourism Association chair Barry Harrison echoed the city's concerns about accommodation. "So much accommodation is sucked up by mining and the resources sector," he said. Mr Harrison said with the high cost of airfares, stronger marketing of the Pilbara's world-class Aboriginal history was needed to attract holiday-makers. "As we've seen around the world, in other locations, people will just flock to this region to see it," he said.
ABC News
24-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
How Queensland got its first radio station 4QG in 1925
One hundred years ago, Queenslanders gathered around their new wireless sets and strained to hear the state's first local radio station broadcast. "Hello, hello," were the first muffled words to be heard. "Station 4QG, Brisbane Queensland radio service. Stand by for tune-in signal." On July 27, 1925, the Queensland government launched 4QG, which would eventually become ABC Radio Brisbane. The launch was fraught with technical difficulties, and a speech by premier William Gillies was partially drowned out by microphone distortion and a loud hum coming from the generator. Despite the hiccups, The Telegraph's front page declared the moment to be a technological leap forward for the state. "Guests unversed in the wireless method of communication marvelled at the thought of sound being conveyed from one part of the building to another without any physical connection between the sending and receiving instruments," the paper reported. "But their astonishment grew when they learned that the Premier's message was travelling to the far-flung borders of the State at the rate of 186,000 miles a second, to be caught up on a piece of wire stretched between two gum trees on some lonely farm, or to find its way into the home of a citizen in Cairns or Camooweal." The radio station was situated inside the top floor of the State Insurance Building on the corner of Elizabeth and George streets and was built in just four weeks. 4QG, the first state-owned radio station in Australia, was run entirely as a not-for-profit public broadcaster for the people of Queensland. Speaking at the launch, Mr Gillies said Queensland's foray into public radio would set an example for the rest of Australia. "The Queensland state government considered that wireless should be owned by the people and operated solely for the people's benefit and not for the purpose of commercial gain," he said. "It considered that wireless was so potential a force for good that it decided it would be against all ethics of right government to permit of its operations and functioning for the purpose of private profit making." The premier would be proven correct in his predictions that the rest of Australia would follow Queensland's lead. Seven years later, 4QG became part of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) at its inception on July 1, 1932. The ABC launched 4QR in Brisbane on January 7, 1938, which had a more national focus in a style which would become Radio National. 4QG retained its local Brisbane focus, shifting across the AM Band on 779.2AM, 760.5AM, 760AM, 800AM, 790AM, 590AM and 580AM, before finding its permanent home on 612AM in 1978. In 1983, the Australian Broadcasting Commission was renamed the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. To celebrate 100 years of local radio, 612 ABC Brisbane will be broadcasting live from Queen Street Mall on July 25, 2025. Loretta Ryan, Joel Spreadborough, Steve Austin, Kat Feeney, and Ellen Fanning will be broadcasting their programs live throughout the day.
Perth Now
17-07-2025
- Perth Now
Taser and bullet fail to stop domestic violence suspect
An alleged domestic violence incident has ended with two police cars rammed and a man shot in the arm after a dramatic two-hour ordeal. The 42-year-old man was allegedly seen wielding a knife and arguing with a woman when police were called to an address in San Remo on the NSW Central Coast about 5am on Thursday. Multiple attempts to arrest him were unsuccessful and he got into a car and rammed two police vehicles to flee, police say. Officers tried to use a Taser while the man was in the vehicle and when he drove at the surrounding police cars, an officer fired once. "It appears that he was struck by the bullet in the upper arm area," Detective Superintendent Chad Gillies said on Thursday. "(His) condition is stable, it's certainly not life-threatening." After escaping despite being shot, the man evaded police for more than two hours before being found in nearby Gorokan about 7.30am. Police used a Taser and managed to arrest the man on the second occasion, Det Supt Gillies said. The man, who is known to police, is under guard in hospital. "I anticipate a number of serious charges will be conferred against that male at the earliest opportunity," Det Supt Gillies said. The alleged victim of the domestic incident was taken to hospital with injuries including facial fractures and has since been discharged. The car used by the man to escape has been seized by police and will undergo forensic testing. No critical incident has been declared and the officers involved acted appropriately in trying to detain the man, Det Supt Gillies said. "Police were required to act immediately, which they did and put themselves in jeopardy," he said.
Elle
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Elizabeth Gillies Will Never Sing ‘Suddenly Seymour' Again
Places, please for ELLE's column Showstoppers, where theater's biggest stars reflect upon the moment in their careers when the famous phrase 'the show must go on' became a little too real. When things don't go according to plan onstage, here's how the pros react—and what they take away from it. Elizabeth 'Liz' Gillies is perhaps best known for two iconic television roles: Fallon Carrington on Dynasty and Jade West on Victorious. In both roles, Gillies had notable belt-your-brains-out moments. (Her 'Give It Up' duet with Ariana Grande on Victorious is gay history.) Now, the actress is returning to her theatrical roots. Gillies, who made her Broadway debut in 13 with Grande in 2008, is about to wrap her five-month run as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre. She's been the Audrey to both Milo Manheim and Graham Phillips's Seymours, and for the actress, it has been a welcome return home. Below, Gillies discusses the challenges of the song 'Suddenly Seymour,' her favorite shows, and if she'd ever return for the Victorious reboot. I did the show with the flu a few times, which was just sort of trippy and disorienting. The beautiful thing about this show is [that it's] very self-aware, and obviously, it's funny. Although there are moments of total sincerity and gravitas, it can be very irreverent. It's fun to see where my handicaps that day take me. I've made the choice to do the show instead of calling out [sick]. When I've [gone onstage] with no voice, other parts of my performance have been stronger. It's forced me to make different choices and not rely on a pretty vocal. One time, I went to sing high notes, and I had to talk it. It got a laugh. I've had fun messing around and seeing what I can get out of myself when I'm at my weakest. 'Suddenly Seymour' was my audition and karaoke song for years. After this, I won't touch it with a 10-foot pole. It's not that I don't love it, it's a gorgeous song, there's just something about it. I'm more relaxed once it's over. For a long time, I was completely unable to hit the high note on 'condescend.' I was making a choice in the beginning to sing in head voice and get choked up over it, and now I sing it how it's supposed to be sung—sort of—but I made a sign in the girls' dressing room that says, 'What I lack in condescend, I make up for in vibes.' It's on our wall. So, once I'm gone, they can always remember that. Of course, if I must call out, I totally do. We have such an incredible team of understudies. The show is never in danger. Anytime I've been having a really horrible day or something bad happens, I think [the show] is a lovely escape. Unlike TV, where you really have too much time to sit and think about it in green rooms, the luxury of having two hours of catharsis is unmatched. I love theater. I love it when it's good. I love it when it's messy. I think it's all great, as long as the performance comes through. It's not an opera. As long as the audience feels what they're meant to feel, as long as they feel connected, it's OK. It's been my dream since I saw the show in 2003. I have other Broadway shows that I love very much, but there's really no role for me in them. It's always been Audrey. I was nervous to reenter this space, but also I would be doing myself such a major disservice if I said no. It's really changed my life, not in a corny way. This reminded me of how much I love theater. Going back to my roots kind of reaffirmed my passion for this business. I've been a serial monogamist in TV world. I would have these really tiny gaps of not working, and then it would be two to six years on a TV show. But, my roots are honestly exclusively in musical theater and improv. I'm thankful [coming back to the theater] was kind of was like riding a bike. It's very, very different from TV, in many ways. Wonderful. It's certainly my preference. TV and film both have their charms, but to me, the immediate response of live theater and live performing is unmatched. I love knowing if I succeeded or failed in real time. I love knowing if I moved the audience or if I fell short. I'm a glutton for punishment. My run with Milo was incredible. He had his devout Disney fans. I had my fan base, which is primarily Nickelodeon-lore. I think the combination of the two fandoms sort of blew the roof off the Westside Theatre. Our stage doors were insane. Now, with Graham [who previously co-starred with Gillies in 13], our stage doors are as passionate as ever. They bring their 13 playbills, which is so special. So many 13 fans have been waiting to get our final two signatures for 15 years. They've found everyone else. It's been so rewarding to me, and I really can't even put it to work into words. That's why I wasn't ready to leave just yet. I had actually never heard of Milo [before this]. He had also never watched Victorious, which was surprising to me. Milo was so wonderful, and I think the youngest person I have ever played opposite against romantically, and probably the youngest friend I now have in my life. I was very surprised and impressed by him. He is so professional and talented. He's such a star, and he played the role without any preconceived notions or any comparisons, because he wasn't that familiar with Little Shop. I think that served him really well. He created his own iconic take on the character, he and really made his own stamp. I built my Audrey around his Seymour, because Seymour's the lead. Graham has been my friend for 16 years. I've known him since I was a child. The biggest hurdle with Graham has been that we avoided the romance and kissing of it all until the very last possible minute, because it was just too weird. Imagine having a friend for 16 years non-romantic, and then all of a sudden you have to be dying in his arms, falling in love, and kissing. Now we're fine because we're professionals. It feels like we've been working with each other consistently for the last 15 years, when really the last thing we did together was an episode of White Collar [in 2012]. We've had Ari, Eamon Foley is a good friend of mine, Aaron Simon Gross. I don't know if I'm missing anybody, but we've had we've had people come in and out. One day, I'm going to track everyone down. We're going to have some kind of 13 family reunion. We'll have a barbecue. I know. I think we should do a reunion concert, in a much smaller scale than what they did for Spring Awakening. We don't need to get that fancy, but I do think something like that would be special. I'd love to play Hedwig [in Hedwig and the Angry Itch]. That is one of my all-time favorite shows. I'm probably not going to play Hedwig, but I would, if asked, if that was ever okay. Hair is one of my favorite musicals. I would totally play Sheila, if I can hit it all, because I am an alto. I love Sweet Charity, but I'm not a dancer. I love Ragtime, but I don't want to be Mother. You know what I mean? In Hairspray, I'd love to be Velma von Tussle. That's a dream role. [Annie's] Miss Hannigan is a dream role. And I really, really, really, really, want to play Velma in Chicago. I'm not diminishing how difficult the dancing is, but that type of dancing, I think I can do it. Then, all the 60-and-over roles, which I have to wait a little longer for. If they let me in Death Becomes Her, I'd play Helen Sharp. Yes, I definitely want to do more. I have to do more. I was reminded by doing this show that this is really who I am and what I love. This is probably the most important job I've ever had, just because of where I am in my life. I come from a musical family. My uncles, my hands, my dad, my grandma, everyone sings. I was always around music. I sang in church growing up. I would cantor and do the arm movements. I would wear dresses that made no sense for church. That was my first little taste of it, and I was like, 'Oh, I love it.' Then, I forced my parents to help me get an agent when I was about 10, because we lived so close to the city. Why can't we try? I would find open calls and make them drive me. I was my own little stage mom, and I knew that I had enough to give it a shot. If it made sense, and I was going back with all my friends and 'classmates,' I would totally consider it. I mean, Daniela [Monet] is at the helm of it, and she's wonderful. She's the perfect person to keep this whole legacy alive. Hopefully it's everything our fans, and we alumni of Hollywood Arts, dream of and stand by. If I talk to the team, meaning my Victorious cast mate team, and they say so, we're going on the show. It's trippy. I think I processed it early when Milo left, because that was sort of the end of that era, and I didn't. I don't think I knew at that point that I was coming back. I'll feel it most on my first Tuesday off. This has been eight shows a week since February 25, and it's not a long time, but it is for me. I haven't had theater in a long time, and this has been my whole life. I made such good friends here. The people here are just incredible. I'm going to miss the girls so much, our dressing room, our gutter. We all kill cockroaches together and do TikToks. This show made me young again. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Elizabeth Gillies currently stars in Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre. Tickets can be purchased here.
Glasgow Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Swinney: Reasonable for ex-Dundee University principal to return £150,000 payout
Professor Iain Gillespie told MSPs on Thursday it was not in his 'thought process' to hand back the cash, although he accepted the 'buck stops with me' for the university's difficulties. He stepped down from his post at the university – which is looking to cut hundreds of posts as it tries to deal with a £35 million deficit – in December. He told Holyrood's Education Committee, which is examining the difficulties faced by the institution, that the university had a 'contractual obligation' to pay him the cash. Prof Gillespie insisted it was 'not in my thought process to repay a contractual obligation to me for my work at the university' – although he added later he would 'reflect' on the matter. Mr Swinney however later insisted: 'I think that would be the right thing to do because the University of Dundee is facing an acute challenge.' A report into the situation at Dundee by former Glasgow Caledonian University principal Professor Pamela Gillies last week heavily criticised Prof Gillespie. Asked if Prof Gillespie should give back the money, the First Minister said: 'Given the awfulness of the Gillies review of the handling of the finances of the University of Dundee, I think that would be a reasonable thing to do.' His comments came after Education Committee convener Douglas Ross branded Prof Gillespie a 'coward' and accused him of having 'created this mess and walked away into the sunset'. Pressing the former principal over his time in charge, Mr Ross asked him if he was 'incompetent or corrupt' – with him replying he was 'certainly not corrupt' so he would 'have to choose incompetent'. Prof Gillespie began his evidence to the committee with a 'heartfelt apology' to staff and students at Dundee – which is to receive an additional £40 million from the Scottish Government to help its financial situation. 'Let me start off with an apology to the staff and students,' he told MSPs. 'I think staff and students deserve better than they have had with the management and the governance of the University of Dundee over quite some time, but particularly over the period of 2024. First Minister John Swinney said the University of Dundee 'is facing an acute challenge' (Jane Barlow/PA) 'It's a heartfelt apology for a university that I love, and a city that I hugely respect. 'I accept the buck stops with me. That is why at the end of last year I left.' Mr Ross said the Gillies report showed Prof Gillespie had 'dangerous over self-confidence and complacency', and an 'overbearing leadership style'. Prof Gillespie said that description was 'not something I recognise' – although he later told how a complaint had been made against him in a previous job at the Natural Environment Research Council about his 'overbearing behaviour'. Prof Gillespie stepped down as principal at the University of Dundee in December, recalling this happened after others at the institution told him they had 'no confidence' in his leadership. He told MSPs it was 'possible' he had then resigned by text – though he said he may instead have sent an email confirming his decision. Mr Ross told him: 'The only thing I thought about you was you are a coward. Committee convener Douglas Ross accused Prof Gillespie of being a 'coward' (PA) 'You couldn't go back to the university and face the staff who were losing their jobs, face the students whose studies were so badly disrupted. 'You just created this mess and walked away into the sunset.' Challenging him on the payout, Mr Ross told Prof Gillespie he had been given 'over £150,000 to walk away from a university you almost destroyed'. He asked the former principal: 'At any point have you considered paying that money back?' Prof Gillespie said the university had a 'contractual obligation' to pay him the money. While he said he took 'overall management responsibility for what happened at the University of Dundee', he told Mr Ross he would 'push back' against the claim that he 'almost destroyed it'. Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie also pressed for Prof Gillespie to give back the money. Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie was one of those who pushed Prof Iain Gillespie to hand back the payout he received after quitting (Fraser Bremner/Scottish Daily Mail/PA) He told the former principal: 'To hold on to that just seems astonishing with the pain other people are feeling. 'I just genuinely want you to think about that, because I think it would send an important message. 'It wouldn't repair the damage but it would send an important message.' Conservative MSP Miles Briggs said giving back the money could be a way for Prof Gillespie to 'send a message to students, to the staff who are left at Dundee, that you understand your role in this saga'. The former principal told him: 'You are one of several members of the committee who have suggested that and I will reflect on that.' Prof Gillespie also hit back at claims from former Holyrood minister Wendy Alexander, who was vice-principal international at the university for almost a decade. In a submission to the committee, Baroness Alexander had said she was 'frozen out' and then 'asked to leave' her post after raising concerns about university finances. Prof Gillespie insisted he did 'not want to get into a slagging match about people's characters', he told MSPs: 'Wendy's performance in terms of delivering student numbers wasn't what we needed it to be.'
