PREMIER UNVEILS QUEENSLAND'S 150 ICONS

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Anna Bligh
10/06/2009

PREMIER UNVEILS 'S 150 ICONS

'King' Wally Lewis, The Great Barrier Reef, World Expo '88 and the Royal Flying Doctor Service are among the people, places and events that Queenslanders have voted as their Q150 Icons.

Premier Anna Bligh today released the official list of 150 icons, across 10 categories, as voted by Queenslanders.

The Premier was joined by official Icons Wally Lewis, Susie O'Neill, Dick Johnson, Hugh Lunn and representatives from Surf Lifesaving Queensland. Suncorp Stadium provided a fitting backdrop for the announcement - voted an iconic structure and engineering feat.

"In our Q150 year, Queenslanders are celebrating the people, places and stories that have made our State the great place it is today," Ms Bligh said.

"And the official Q150 Icons illustrate what a diverse and colourful history it is, from Charles Kingsford Smith to Allan Border, from Australia Zoo to the XXXX Brewery, from the Daintree Rainforest to Carnarvon Gorge.

"From the internationally renown Steve Irwin to the controversial Sir Joh Bjelke- Petersen - means something different, but something special to all of us," she said.

Proud Queenslander Rupert McCall penned a dedicated poem incorporating all 150 icons.

Ms Bligh said almost 30,000 votes were received to compile the official list, from a short-list of 300.

"The list of Q150 Icons will be added to the official Q150 Archive at the State Library and 15,000 lucky Queenslanders will also have the opportunity to win a commemorative Q150 Icons Post Card Pack.

"Entry forms will be in local papers tomorrow and I urge Queenslanders to get in quickly because stocks are limited."

Visit www.q150.qld.gov.au for a full list of the top 150 icons.

Media: For more information on Q150 icons, including biographies, contact Angela Spiegel on (07) 3238 3313

TOP 150 ICONS

CATEGORY

PLACE

ICON

CATEGORY 1: State-shapers

Queenslanders or organisations that have influenced or made a significant contribution to .

1

Yungaba Immigration Centre

2

Steve Irwin

3

Surf Lifesavers

4

Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen

5

Leslie Thiess

6

Founders of QANTAS

7

Clem Jones

8

Eddie Mabo

9

State Emergency Service

10

John Flynn

11

Charles Kingsford Smith

12

James Cook

13

Royal Agricultural Society of

14

Isolated Children's Parents Association

15

Wayne Bennett

CATEGORY 2: Influential artists

Those musicians, authors, actors, painters, designers, or pieces of art from that have left a lasting impression on the people of our State.

1

Bee Gees

2

Powderfinger

3

Geoffrey Rush

4

Keith Urban

5

Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker)

6

Steele Rudd

7

Judith Wright

8

Billy Thorpe

9

Hugh Lunn

10

11

Gladys Moncrieff

12

Graeme Connors

13

William McInnes

14

David Malouf

15

Charles Chauvel

CATEGORY 3: Sports legends

Those greats that have made a significant contribution to sport in our State.

1

Wally Lewis

2

Cathy Freeman

3

Pat Rafter

4

Rod Laver

5

Allan Border

6

Greg Norman

7

Susie O'Neill

8

Dick Johnson

9

Allan (Alfie) Langer

10

Gunsynd

11

Mal Meninga

12

Grant Hackett

13

Matthew Hayden

14

Kieren Perkins

15

Mick Doohan

CATEGORY 4: Locations

The towns, parks, recreation attractions in that put our State on the map.

1

Zoo ( Hinterland)

2

Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame (Longreach)

3

Surfers

4

Bundaberg Rum Distillery

5

Big Pineapple (Nambour)

6

South Bank Parklands ()

7

Noosa

8

Breakfast Creek Hotel ()

9

Yatala Pie Shop

10

Barcaldine Tree of Knowledge

11

()

12

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary ()

13

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (Gold Coast)

14

15

Darling

CATEGORY 5: Natural attractions

Those iconic locations in that are naturally formed.

1

2

3

4

Whitsundays

5

Daintree Rainforest

6

Outback

7

Carnarvon Gorge

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Magnetic

15

Undara Lava Tubes

CATEGORY 6: Structures and engineering feats

Those built structures in .

1

()

2

Kuranda Scenic Railway ()

3

XXXX Brewery ()

4

5

Skyrail Rainforest Cable ()

6

()

7

Suncorp Stadium ()

8

Q1 (Gold Coast)

9

The Gabba (Brisbane)

10

The

11

Cathedral ()

12

()

13

QANTAS Hangars (Longreach and Cloncurry)

14

(Redcliffe)

15

Dam

CATEGORY 7: Defining moments

Those memorable moments from our State's past, moments that highlight our triumphs and our hardships.

1

World Expo '88

2

1974 floods

3

QANTAS takes to the air

4

1982 Games

5

Mabo High Court of Australia decision

6

Fitzgerald Inquiry (1987-89)

7

proclaimed as a new colony

8

Gold discovered in (1868)

9

World Heritage listing of the Wet Tropics

10

wins its first Sheffield Shield (1995)

11

Cloudland and the Bellevue Hotel demolished

12

the first with free education

13

's first Aboriginal Parliamentarians

14

All chained up for women's rights (1965 at Regatta Hotel)

15

Railway comes to (1865)

CATEGORY 8: Innovations and inventions

Inventions or innovative concepts that Queenslanders have pioneered.

1

Royal Flying Doctor Service

2

Cervical cancer vaccination (Professor Ian Frazer)

3

Polio treatment

4

Blue Care (formerly Blue Nurses)

5

School of the Air

6

Billabong

7

Lamington

8

Kids Alive - Do the Five

9

Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment

10

Weis Fruit Bar

11

Immune system research wins Nobel Prize

12

Southern Cross windmills

13

Tilt train

14

Dingo fence

15

wotif.com.au

CATEGORY 9: Events and festivals

Those iconic events that bring Queenslanders together to celebrate.

1

EkkA (Brisbane)

2

State of

3

Birdsville Races

4

Riverfire (Riverfestival)

5

Woodford Folk Festival

6

Carnival of Flowers (Toowoomba)

7

Country Music Muster (Gympie)

8

Indy (Gold Coast)

9

Apple and Grape Harvest Festival (Stanthorpe)

10

B&S Balls

11

Beef (Rockhampton)

12

to Yacht Race

13

Mount Isa Rodeo

14

Panyiri Greek Festival ()

15

Noosa Triathalon

CATEGORY 10: Typically

What is all about? Those things, behaviours or traditions that define and its people.

1

Backyard BBQs

2

Queenslander house

3

XXXX Beer

4

Bundy Rum (and bear)

5

Sunshine

6

Bowen mango

7

Summer afternoon storms

8

"Waltzing Matilda"

9

Macadamia nut

10

Maroon

11

Jacaranda tree

12

Cane fields

13

Cane toad

14

Thongs

15

Mud crab