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In 1903, a student named Arthur Lamb checked out "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens from the Toowoomba Grammar School library in Queensland, Australia. In December 2022, his grandson, John Lamb, returned the book to the library. Only 119 years after it was first checked out! The school, which has been around since 1875, shared on its Instagram: Dr Lamb kindly returned it to the School for display - 120 years overdue!!! A huge thank you to the Lamb family. The book was in a box of things belonging to the Lamb family. At least they thought they belonged to them...

Facility being built to house those “who have not had access to vaccination.”. Despite some states tentatively beginning to lift lockdown restrictions, Australian authorities are building quarantine camps that won’t be completed until next year in order to prepare for “ongoing operations” and to house those “who have not had access to vaccination.” According to ABC Australia, one such 1,000-bed quarantine facility at Wellcamp Airport outside Toowoomba will be fully completed by the end of March 2022. “At this stage, the cabins will be used by domestic travellers returning from COVID hotspots,” states the report. However, it also makes clear...

With zero new cases of community COVID overnight, the Queensland Government says it will build a regional quarantine centre at Wellcamp Airport near Toowoomba. This is despite the lack of support from the federal government. In the daily media conference Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there were two new cases both in hotel quarantine with 749 people now in home quarantine, 12,733 tests done yesterday and over 21,000 vaccine doses administered. The Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was speaking at the Wellcamp Airport where she reiterated the need for regional quarantine centres as she announced a new one to be built at...

An Australian teenager who travelled to Syria has had his passport cancelled by the government, according to his lawyer. Oliver Bridgeman, from Toowoomba in Queensland, was reported missing by his parents in March 2015 after they thought he was spending time in Bali. Instead, the teenager journeyed on to war-torn Syria where his lawyer said he had been engaged in humanitarian work... Immigration Minister Peter Dutton defended the government's decision, telling ABC News those who travel to Syria put Australia's military staff and personnel at risk... The government has the power to cancel an Australian passport when a person "might...

The Royal Australian Navy Anzac Class Frigate HMAS Toowoomba arrived home today, following a six-month deployment to the Northern Persian Gulf. Her ship’s company of 183 men and women were greeted by the Minister Assisting the Minister of Defence, Mr Bruce Billson, the Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Dayvd Thomas AM CSC, RAN, and family and friends. Toowoomba was stationed in the Northern Persian Gulf as part of Operation Catalyst, Australia’s commitment to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq, from January to July of this year. “I would like to pay tribute to the crew of Toowoomba for their professional...

The Royal Australian Navy Anzac Class Frigate HMAS Toowoomba arrived home following a six-month deployment to the Northern Persian Gulf. Her ship's company of 183 men and women were greeted by the Minister Assisting the Minister of Defence, Mr Bruce Billson, the Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas and family and friends. HMAS Toowoomba was stationed in the Northern Persian Gulf as part of Operation Catalyst, Australia's commitment to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq, from January to July of this year. During her time in the Gulf, Toowoomba conducted 65 boarding and security patrols, more than 300 boat...