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ABC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Restored spiegeltent back in action for Wynnum Fringe festival
Once abandoned in an outback Queensland town, the Augathella Spiegeltent is set to hold more than 110 live performances for the sixth annual Wynnum Fringe festival. The restored circus tent is breathing new life into the festival scene on Brisbane's Bayside as music and hospitality venues continue to close. The venue is hosting the Wynnum Fringe for the second time and thousands of spectators are expected to attend the festival's three-week run. Event founder Tom Oliver began the renovation project in 2023 to give performers the increasingly rare opportunity to share their craft. "To be able to give hundreds of artists the chance to perform in front of audience members, the chance to get paid, and thousands of audience members to come into a space and experience live art — there's not many words to describe it," he said. Until 2013 the tent was a roaming venue for parties and events in the state before it was left to languish in Augathella, 750 kilometres west of Brisbane. Mr Oliver is hoping to take it back on the road to give other homegrown artists the opportunity to perform under its roof. "We're looking for places interstate to take it next year, but it's always going to be the home of Wynnum Fringe," he said. Relocating and restoring the tent led to an unexpected relationship between Augathella and Wynnum. In May Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Murwey Shire Mayor Shaun Radnedge announced the two were sister suburbs. This year's Wynnum Fringe will celebrate the partnership with the theme of mateship. "This has been a really remarkable journey, where a tiny town in west Queensland and a suburban town in Brisbane … have worked together to relocate a 400-seat live performance venue and bring it back to life," Mr Oliver said. A cherished Queensland tradition is being revived to celebrate this new connection between the bush and the bay. The Wynnum Fringe is throwing its first bachelor and spinster ball, which will be hosted by ABC Radio Brisbane. Festivities will start at 4pm on Saturday, July 5, and will be headlined by country music artist Brooke Schubert. The spiegeltent is open for business but the restoration is only half complete. Mr Oliver has been running a crowdfunding campaign to bring the travelling venue back to life. In the last few months he and his team have replaced the floors, roof, and purchased a new stage just in time for this year's performances.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Stunning photograph captures 'once-in-a-lifetime' transformation in Australian outback
Stunning photographs have captured Queensland 's dusty outback burst alive with wildlife following months of major flooding. Channel Country, in the state's south-west, has turned into a green wonderland with locals calling it a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' for tourists to experience. The region suffered months of flooding following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in February and Tropical Cyclone Dianne in March. Some parts of Queensland's interior received more than double their average annual rainfall in March alone. Floodwaters are expected to flow through the Channel Country's intermittent waterways to reach the Lake Eyre basin in June. Images from the air showed rivers and streams crossing the land, surrounded by bright green grass. Pelicans were spotted flying over the inland region, thousands of kilometres from the sea. Locals said the natural spectacle was an extraordinary sight that should not be missed. 'Mother Nature has put on this great show for us,' Quilpie Shire Mayor Ben Hall told 7News. 'The country looks absolutely amazing. It is something to behold,' Murweh Shire Mayor Shaun Radnedge said. He said it was a 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunity to see the region cloaked in green. Tourists have already begun travelling to the region, and interest in flights over the area is surging. Outback Queensland Tourism has urged visitors to see nature's display while it lasts. 'The outback's open. the roads are ready. The towns are waiting. And Mother Nature is putting on the show of a lifetime,' CEO Denise Brown said. The region's event calendar is packed over the next few weeks with opera in Winton and Longreach, fishing competitions, and dozens of race meets. Ms Brown said some of the events had been postponed during the wet period, but none had been cancelled. In March, more than 13 councils spanning more than 500,000sq kilometres across Queensland had flood warnings or watches in place. Many areas were evacuated by land and helicopter as floodwaters surrounded entire towns. Much of the region was cut from power and internet connection. Locals and business owners shared images of roads completely submerged, with residents walking in water up to their knees.
