Some good news this February
Sometimes the news can be a bit overwhelming, so we hope our hand-picked and light-hearted good news stories can bring you a little bit of joy each month!
Feel free to check out some of our other editions: November, September, August.
Historical photos of Brisbane in the 1800s brought to life thanks to volunteer restorer
Photos of southern Queensland regions in the late 1800s, passed down through the generations, have been rediscovered. These images clearly show what it was like in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Gympie in the 19th century. The owner of the images got in touch with an amateur photographer and restorer who was happy to take on the big, involved project of digitising the glass slides – of which there are 92! He has been able to restore the images to high-quality digital versions and – impressively – was even been able to add colour to some. The owner of the images is looking forward to sharing the digital versions around with the public, including some featured in the article.
We definitely recommend clicking through to the link below to check out the images and take a look at how things have transformed over the decades.
Silverton couple adopts emu, reindeer and camels to offer ‘therapeutic’ petting zoo
A couple from the NSW outback town of Silverton have taken in dingoes, donkeys, reindeer and even a baby emu. The couple have been rescuing and adopting desert animals for a while now, and let them roam across their property and beyond; luckily the animals seem to fit in well with each other. The couple hope their love for animals can help bring more joy to the lives of people with mental and physical illnesses or disabilities.
They recently branched out to host disability groups from Broken Hill, and 8 members of the disability group got to visit the farm. The group coordinator noticed the group’s morale, attitude and behaviour improved exponentially throughout the visit. The attendees are still talking about it, so the organisation is thinking of making it a regular activity.
Southern hairy-nosed wombats reclaim the Nullarbor
The southern hairy-nosed wombat is now thriving in the vast, arid landscape of the Nullarbor. In the 19th century, when the rabbit plagues came through, the wombat population in the area was almost destroyed. Now that the rabbits are under effective control, the wombats are reclaiming their lost territory. In some areas, such as Eucla and Mundrabilla, wombat population densities now exceed 100 animals per square kilometre and, in some parts of that region, wombat warrens are so large they can be spotted from satellite images! Take a look on Google Earth or Google Maps. This is great news for the “full of personality, headstrong, stubborn and affectionate” little guys!
Stay tuned for next month’s good news stories and feel free to share any of your good news with us too!
