Final-community Guide 03 04

                        FAME IN
                                                   NOOSA
T     he rich and famous certainly have            home was named in her honour in 1997.
                                                                                                              By planting landscapes
      discovered Noosa over the years - many       After making an enormous contribution to the
of them as visitors : Paul Keating sporting                                                                   natural to this area,
                                                   Noosa community through theatre, art,
fancy beach coat, Rolling Stones eating all the    literature and most especially the conservation      residents provide habitat for
pasta, Cherie Blair shopping at Bay Village.       movement, Nancy Cato died in the year 2000           wildlife dispossessed by urban
Quite a few of them have established holiday       at the grand old age of 83, survived by her
homes here, but just like the humble camper in                                                          expansion. Native gardens need
                                                   children Bronley Norman, (also a writer),
one-time Noosa Woods, many (Keating-               Michael and Bill.                                    little water in comparison to
Jagger-Blairs not included) have opted to
                                                                              Former Queensland         European style lawns and
become full-time Noosans.
                                                                              Treasurer    in     the   flowerbeds, and local nurseries
We do not have room here to include all the                                   Nicklin Government
national or international names that call Noosa                                                         stock a wide range of native
                                                                              Sir Thomas Hiley
home or holiday home. And if you have                                         KBE,         M.Com.       species. And remember : the
suggestions for inclusion in next year’s Guide,                               F.C.A. dwelled for        prickly bush plays an important
please pass them on to Publicity Officer Susie                                many              happy
Osmaston on 5449 5282. (Josie Ansett did                                                                role in offering refuge to small
                                                   retirement    years   on    Hilton     Esplanade
suggest it would be more fun to read about the     overlooking the Noosa River. The National            birds being pursued by predators.
“infamous people” of Noosa - but we don’t          Park Information Centre sanctuary at the
want to see them in Court.)                        entrance to Kin Kin Creek is named for Sir
Amongst those famous                               Thomas, who was President of a group called
Noosans     who     have                           the Queensland Bird and Wildfowl Society -
departed in the direction                          initially more interested in game shooting than
of another form of                                 protecting the wildlife.
paradise               is
                                                   When members decided to close down this
internationally
                                                   Society, they proposed to show their bona fides
acclaimed writer Nancy Cato, A.M., D. Litt.
                                                   by putting any remaining monies towards
(hon.). Born in 1917, Nancy and her husband
                                                   building the centre on pylons above the waters
Eldred Norman settled in Noosa Heads in
                                                   of Lake Cootharaba, offering visitors an
1967. After his death in 1971 Nancy moved to
                                                   introduction to the wetland environment
Marcus Beach and started writing her famous
                                                   through a series of fascinating displays and a
“Study in unplanned development,” The Noosa
                                                   self-guided boardwalk through the mangrove
Story - a mega-popular reference work which
                                                   swamps.
keeps having to be reprinted, due to public
demand.                                            Also named after Sir Thomas was the Port of
                                                   Brisbane’s ocean-going, trailing-arm hopper
Nancy Cato’s 18 books were translated into
                                                   dredger, which was operational from 1971 to
many languages, one of them (All The Rivers
                                                   2001 and recently sold to Korea.
Run) adapted for television. In 1978 she moved
to Peregian Beach with a view of the sea so dear   The highly ethical Treasurer (and then also
to her that she paid SEQEB to move an              Racing Minister) is also recorded as standing
intrusive power pole. Worsening arthritis forced   up for his principles in the early Sixties, when
a move to Munna Point, where she could fish        bookmakers complained about alleged police
and row her locally famous little orange dinghy.   corruption. However, when he sought
The park on Noosa Parade near her long-time        volunteers for the witness box he was told :

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