A 1976 Express report said pupils at Albert Street, Moe, held a party for Winnie the Pooh's 50th birthday, with some bringing teddy bears. In 1996, community groups urged Latrobe Valley residents to attend the Latrobe Regional Hospital annual general meeting, where state Health Minister Rob Knowles was guest speaker. The groups opposed proposed privatisation. In 2016, Traralgon pilot Ben Lappin landed a restored 1941 Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber at Latrobe Regional Airport after an air show at Port Lincoln.
HMAS Eyre has been welcomed to Port Lincoln in South Australia with a freedom of entry parade. The ship's navigator, Lieutenant Katie Webb, led the procession, having grown up in the city and spent time at sea on her father's fishing boat. Mayor Diana Mislov presented the scroll granting the honour to commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Amy Brauns. Hundreds of people watched the parade along Tasman Terrace. The ship is expected to depart on Sunday afternoon and deploy to the north-west shelf in six to eight weeks.
A fishing crew has rescued a kangaroo found about 3 kilometres offshore in Boston Bay, off Port Lincoln in South Australia. Skipper Ryan Smith spotted the animal, and the crew turned back to check. Diver and farmer Jake Murray said the exhausted male kangaroo was lifted aboard through the boat's sea door. He held the animal calm while it rested. Murray said he was unsure how it reached such a distance, suggesting it may have been caught in the tide. After the rescue, the kangaroo sat on the beach before hopping away.
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Work on the Eyre Peninsula Desalination Plant in South Australia has been pushed back six months to mid-2027, due to hard granite slowing tunnelling. SA Water says consumer access to water will remain unchanged. Residents of Port Lincoln and surrounding areas had been warned they could run out of clean drinking water by 2026. Higher rainfall this year has raised water levels in the Uley South Basin, which SA Water says is enough to supply customers until the plant opens. Opponents say the cost, now estimated at about $470 million, will rise further.
Regional South Australian restaurants have been recognised in the inaugural Michelin Guide to Australia, launched in Adelaide this week. The list of 77 establishments includes Mayura Station near Millicent, Elementary Dining in Mount Gambier and The Fresh Fish Place in Port Lincoln. Elementary head chef Kirby Shearing said the honour was surreal and reflected the whole town. Premier Peter Malinauskas said the Michelin Guide gave the state's hospitality industry a platform to tell its story to the world. Owners Craig and Sandy McCathie said the recognition came after 15 years of simple, seafood-focused cooking.
A Port Lincoln mother says she drove three hours with her daughter for vital forensic testing after the teenager was raped, and she is calling for better regional access to such services. The daughter was sexually assaulted earlier this year and police were contacted. After statements and a hospital consultation, the family was directed to the nearest qualified nurse, who was in Whyalla, about 270 kilometres away. The nurse attended on her day off, and testing took three and a half hours before the family returned home at 2am.
Western Australia has the most poorly rated airports in the country, with seven of the ten lowest-rated passenger airports. Travellers complained about slow security checks, limited facilities and baggage delays. Newman Airport in the Pilbara ranked worst, averaging 3.10 stars from 295 reviews. Perth Airport ranked eighth and was the lowest-rated capital city airport. Port Lincoln Airport in South Australia was rated highest, averaging 4.62 stars from 131 reviews.
Councils across South Australia will share $5 million in funding for 16 cycling infrastructure projects. Announced on 12 October, the latest round of the State Bicycle Fund provides grants of up to $200,000 for construction, upgrades and design work. Projects span metropolitan Adelaide and regional areas. They include new shared-use paths, safer pedestrian crossings and upgrades to existing cycling routes. The funding aims to support safer walking and cycling for people travelling to work, school and public transport.
Councils across South Australia will share $5 million in funding for 16 cycling infrastructure projects. Grants of up to $200,000 come through the latest round of the State Bicycle Fund. Projects include new shared-use paths, safer crossings and a further three kilometres of the Amy Gillett Bikeway between Birdwood and Mount Pleasant. The works are scheduled for delivery this financial year. The announcement sits alongside larger projects, including the $15.4 billion Torrens to Darlington Project.
