Bundaberg and Dorothy Height: Difference between pages

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Revision as of 23:19, 19 July 2007

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{{Infobox Biography

|subject_name=Dorothy I. Height|120px

{{Infobox Australian Place | type = city

|image_name= DorothyHeight_Book_Nordstrom_VA_15feb97.jpg

| name = Bundaberg

|image_caption= Dorothy Irene Height

| state = qld

|date_of_birth=[[March 24]], [[1912]]

| image = Bundaberg locator-MJC.png

|place_of_birth=[[Richmond, Virginia]] {{USA}}

| caption =

|date_of_death=

| pop = 50,540 (2007)

|place_of_death=

| poprank = 30th

| density = 489.89

| est = 1870

| area = 95

| timezone = [[UTC10|AEST]]

| utc = +10

| timezone-dst =

| utc-dst =

| lga =

| stategov = Queensland

| fedgov = Australia

| dist1 = 385

| location1 = Brisbane

}}

'''Dorothy Irene Height''' (born [[March 24]], [[1912]]) is an [[African American]] [[Public administration|administrator]], [[educator]], social [[Activism|activist]], and a recipient of the [[Congressional Gold Medal]].

'''Bundaberg''' is a city in [[Queensland]], [[Australia]]. The city lies on the [[Burnett River]], approximately 385 kilometres north of the state capital, [[Brisbane]]. Bundaberg is a major centre within Queensland's [[Regions of Queensland|Wide Bay-Burnett]] region. The population of the City of Bundaberg is just over 50,000. The combined population of Bundaberg and surrounding [[Burnett Shire Council|Burnett Shire]] is about 74,000. Bundaberg is projected to have a population of 92,000 by 2016.

The city name is thought to be an artificial combination of ''bunda'', the Kabi [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] word denoting important man and the [[German Language|German]] suffix ''berg'' indicating mountain. The city is [[colloquial]]ly known as "Bundy".

The local Aboriginal group is the [[Goreng goreng|Gurang Gurang]] (goo-rang goo-rang) people.

Bundaberg has [[sister city]] agreements with [[Nanning]], [[China]] and [[Settsu]] City, [[Japan]].

[[Image:Bundy-CBDfromBurnett_1.jpg|thumb|left|230px|View of Bundaberg town centre from the Burnett River bridge.]]

==History==

Bundaberg was founded by timbergetters John and Gavin Steuart and Lachlan Tripp in [[1867]]. The first farmers in the area arrived soon after. Timber was the first established industry in Bundaberg. In 1868, a sawmill was erected on the Burnett River, downstream from the Steuart and Watson holdings. The city was surveyed, laid out and named Bundaberg in [[1870]].

Experimental sugar cane growing in the district followed and a successful industry grew. The early sugar industry in Bundaberg was supported by [[Kanakas|Kanaka]] labour. Bundaberg was gazetted a town in 1902 and a city in 1913.

==Industry==

[[Image:Bundy-BourbongCBD.jpg|thumb|left|230px|Looking down Bourbong Street, Bundaberg town centre.]]

[[Subtropics|Subtropical]] Bundaberg is dependent to a large extent on the local [[sugar]] industry. Extensive [[sugar cane]] fields extend throughout the district, and value-adding operations such as the milling and refinement of sugar and its packaging and distribution are located around the city. A bulk terminal for the exportation of sugar is located on the coast east of Bundaberg. Another of the city's better-known exports is [[Bundaberg Rum]], which is made from the sugar cane by-product [[molasses]]. Bundaberg is also home to beverage producer [[Bundaberg Brewed Drinks]].

Commercial fruit and vegetable production is also prominent throughout the district, most notably [[tomato]]es, [[zucchini]]s, [[capsicum]]s, [[legume]]s and [[watermelon]]s are grown in abundant quantities.

==Tourism==

[[Image:Bundy-CBD.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Bundaberg town centre with Bundaberg General Post Office to the right.]]

Tourism is an important industry to Queensland and Bundaberg is known as the 'Gateway to the [[Great Barrier Reef]]'. The city lies near the southern end of the reef in proximity to [[Lady Elliot Island|Lady Elliot]] and [[Lady Musgrave Island]]s. The world famous [[Mon Repos Conservation Park|Mon Repos]] [[turtle]] [[rookery]] is located on the coast just east of Bundaberg, as is the town of [[Bargara, Queensland|Bargara]], an increasingly popular holiday and retirement destination.

The northern bank of the Burnett River between the Tallon and Burnett bridges is home to a colony of [[Pteropus|flying foxes]]. The bats leave the river at dusk and fan out all over the city to look for food.

Tours of the famous [[Bundaberg Rum]] [[distillery]] are also popular with tourists.

==Climate==

Bundaberg has a [[subtropical]] - [[Temperate climate]] with warm summers and cool winters. The mean daily maximum temperature is highest in January at 30.3 [[degrees Celsius|Celsius]], and lowest in July at 10.0 degrees Celsius{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. With the coldest tempreture recorded in bundaberg a mere 0.8 degrees Celsius and some inland areas of bundaberg do get frequent frosts. The mean annual rainfall is 1141.0 millimetres [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_039015.shtml].

==Transport==

Bundaberg is situated at the end of the [[Isis Highway]] (State Route 3), approximately 50 km east of its junction with the [[Bruce Highway]]. Bundaberg is serviced by several [[Queensland Rail]] passenger trains, including the [[QR Tilt Train|Tilt Train]] and is approximately four and a half hours north of Brisbane by [[Rail transport|rail]]. Many long-distance [[bus]] services also pass through the city. Bundaberg has its own airport, with flights to Brisbane and Lady Elliot Island. Adjacent to the airport is a campus of [[Central Queensland University]]. The city is home to the [[Jabiru Aircraft]] Company, which designs and manufactures a range of small civil utility aircraft. [[Bundaberg Port]] is located 20 kilometres northeast of the city, at the mouth of the [[Burnett River]]. The port is a destination for ships from Australia and overseas. It is predominatly used for shipping sugar cane and other goods related to that industry such as [[Bundaberg Rum]].

==People of Bundaberg==

[[Image:Bert Hinkler-MJC.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Bert Hinkler]] is memorialised in many places throughout Bundaberg]]

===Notable Residents===

Well-known inhabitants of Bundaberg include:

* [[Bert Hinkler]], pioneer [[aviator]],wife beater

* [[Gladys Moncrieff]], [[singer]]

* [[Vance and Nettie Palmer|Vance Palmer]], [[writer]]

* [[Don Tallon]], Australian [[Cricket]]er

* [[Mal Meninga]], [[rugby league]] footballer

* [[Chris Sarra]], [[2004]] Queenslander of the Year

* [[Michelle Steele]], Australian [[skeleton (sport)|skeleton]] representative at the [[Australia at the 2006 Winter Olympics|2006 Winter Olympics]].

* [[Clint Bolton]], [[Sydney FC]] [[football (soccer)]] player

* DickWicked, prog-rock band during the late 1990's

===Representatives===

'''Current'''

* [[Jack Dempsey]], ([[National Party of Australia]]), [[Queensland Legislative Assembly|State member]] for [[Electoral district of Bundaberg|Bundaberg]]

* [[Paul Neville]] ([[National Party of Australia]]), [[Australian House of Representatives|Federal member]] for [[Division of Hinkler|Hinkler]]

'''Former'''

* [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Ministers]] [[Andrew Fisher]] and [[Frank Forde]] both represented [[Australian House of Representatives|Federal electorates]] that included Bundaberg, yet neither was from there.

==Bundaberg public health problems==

Bundaberg attracted national media attention in [[2005]] due to the alleged incompetence of Bundaberg Base Hospital surgical director [[Jayant Patel]] (also known as "Doctor Death"), who was implicated in the deaths of up to 87 patients.

Height was born in [[Richmond, Virginia]]. At an early age, she moved with her family to [[Rankin, Pennsylvania]]. While in high school, Height was awarded a scholarship to [[Barnard College]] for her oratory skills, but upon arrival was denied entrance. (At the time, Barnard admitted only two African Americans per academic year and Dorothy had arrived after the other two admittees.) Years later, at its [[1980]] commencement ceremonies, the college awarded Height its highest honor, the [[List_of_Barnard_College_people#Recipients_of_the_Medal_of_Distinction|

Bundaberg also was the ___location of another health-related disaster in [[1928]], when 12 children died shortly after receiving injections of [[diphtheria]] [[vaccine]]. At the time, the vaccine was created by the [[toxin-antitoxin]], or ''TAT'' process, where diphtheria toxin was combined with [[antibody|antibodies]] from horses, which served to eliminate the toxicity of the toxin while leaving it intact enough to stimulate a long-lasting [[immune response]] in the recipient. The vaccine, produced by the [[State Serum Institute]] in [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]], world renowned for the quality of its work and products, was dispensed to the city's children without incident; however, two weeks later, when they received a [[booster shot]], all the children became very ill, and 12 died. Initial fears that the TAT process had failed to neutralize the diphtheria toxin in this instance were allayed when an investigation by an Australian [[Royal Commission]], headed by future [[Nobel Prize]] winning [[immunologist]] [[Frank Macfarlane Burnet|Macfarlane Burnett]], found that the vaccine had become contaminated by ''[[Staphylococcus aureus]]'' during the first round of injections. During the two week gap, these bacteria had multiplied in the vaccine, producing a different toxin (see [[toxic shock syndrome]]). As a result of this finding, the Royal Commission issued a strong recommendation, adopted by all major manufacturers, that all vaccines packaged in containers containing multiple doses incorporate an antibacterial preservative. After testing of various compounds for toxicity and compatibility with the vaccine, the optimal preservative was determined to be [[thimerosal]], which, ironically, has now become controversial due to questions of its own toxicity.

Barnard Medal of Distinction]]. She later pursued studies at [[New York University]], where she earned her Master's Degree in psychology.

Height started working as a caseworker with the New York City Welfare Department, but at the age of twenty-five, she began her [[civil rights]] activist's career when she joined the [[National Council of Negro Women]]. She fought for equal rights for both African Americans and women, and in [[1944]] she joined the national staff of the [[YWCA]]. She served as National President of [[Delta Sigma Theta]], Incorporated from 1946-1957.

== Radio Stations ==

*[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] Wide Bay 855 AM/100.1 FM- Due to the terrain of the area, both AM and FM frequencies are used.

*4BU 1332 AM (commercial)

*Sea FM 93.1 (commercial)- Part of the SEA FM network, owned by Macquarie.

*Hitz FM 93.9 (commercial)-

*4DoubleB 96.3 FM (community)

*4BCR 94.7 FM (community)

*95.5 FM (narrowcast)

*97.1 FM (narrowcast)

*Classic FM 98.5 FM

*[[Triple J]] 99.3 FM

*Radio National 100.9 FM

She remained active with the organization until [[1977]], and while there she developed leadership training programs and interracial and ecumenical education programs. In [[1957]], Height was named president of the National Council of Negro Women, a position she held until [[1997]]. During the height of the [[American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|civil rights movement]] of the 1960s, Height organized "[[Wednesdays in Mississippi]]", which brought together black and white women from the North and South to create a dialogue of understanding. American leaders regularly took her counsel, including [[First Lady]] [[Eleanor Roosevelt]], and Height also encouraged [[President of the United States|President]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] to desegregate schools and President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] to appoint African American women to positions in government.

==Trivia==

*The 1989 film, ''[[The Delinquents (film)|The Delinquents]]'', starring [[Kylie Minogue]] was set and filmed in Bundaberg.

[[Image:dorothyheight.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Dorothy Height]] Height has served on a number of committees, including as a consultant on African affairs to the Secretary of State, the President's Committee on the Employment of the Handicapped, and the President's Committee on the Status of Women. She has received the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]], the ''[[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] [[Freedom From Want Award]]'' and the [[Spingarn Medal]] from the [[NAACP]]. She has also been inducted into the [[National Women's Hall of Fame]].

*The 1977 film, ''[[The Mango Tree (film)|The Mango Tree]]'', was set and filmed in and around Bundaberg.

In [[2004]], she was awarded the [[Congressional Gold Medal]] by President [[George W. Bush]] on behalf of the [[United States Congress]].

==External links==

* [http://www.bundaberg.qld.gov.au Bundaberg City Council]

* [http://www.npa.net.au Bundaberg Port Authority]

* [http://www.cqu.edu.au/about/bundaberg.htm Central Queensland University Bundaberg Campus]

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20040511090025/www.arts.monash.edu.au/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/bundaberg.html Australian Places - Bundaberg]

* [http://www.bundabergtravel.com Bundaberg Local tourism website]

* [http://www.rebeccahales.net Art by Rebecca Hales ]

* [http://wikitravel.org/en/Bundaberg Wikitravel article on Bundaberg]

* [http://www.insideartgallery.com.au Solo Gallery by local artist Tessa]

* [http://www.bundabergrum.com.au Bundaberg Rum]

* [http://www.bundaberg-brew.com.au Bundaberg Brewed Drinks]

Dr. Height is currently, at age 95, the Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the [[Leadership Conference on Civil Rights]], the largest civil rights organization in the USA.

{{coor title dm|24|51|S|152|21|E|region:AU_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki}}

The musical stageplay ''If This Hat Could Talk'', based on her memoirs "Open Wide The Freedom Gates", opened in the summer of 2005 and is currently on tour. It showcases her unique perspective on the civil rights movement and details many of the behind-the-scenes figures/mentors who shaped her life, including [[Mary McLeod Bethune]] and [[Eleanor Roosevelt]].

{{Queensland cities}}

==References==

[[Category:Cities in Queensland]]

*Height, Dorothy. ''Open Wide the Freedom Gates: A Memoir.''

[[Category:Epidemics]]

[[Category:1912 births|Height, Dorothy]]

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