New to Pleasant Hills: A Fresh Take on Our Village

Hi Pleasant Hills neighbours! I’m Yvonne, and I’m new and want to share my initial thoughts about our little village. Coming from Sydney and the tropical gem of Bowen, I’m seeing Pleasant Hills with new eyes. Hopefully, my take reminds you how good we’ve got it here.

I moved into the old Bakery in late 2024 from over 2000kms away, because I heard the Community Pub’s committee knocked back a heap of cash to not have a 5G tower built. That was a big deal for me. In Bowen – think stunning beaches and the best mangoes – I was doing fine until a 5G tower was turned on 600 metres from my place. It hit me hard: swelling, hives, headaches. I tried fixing my house to block it, but I was stuck using only half the home and not getting better. Leaving Bowen and friends was tough, but Pleasant Hills is a safe spot where I can feel good again. And these days with Starlink for my work from home setup I have great internet (which was one of the concerns moving here).

As a newcomer, I feel very blessed by what this village offers, and maybe you locals take it for granted sometimes. The Community Pub is fantastic. Everyone’s friendly, and it's like the TV show Cheers - where everyone knows your name! The post office or “Poster Fish” is handy. Nidine and Cathy have been so welcoming, and it’s handy for groceries and banking too.

The history here is fascinating. I’m reading Pepper Trees on Ryan Street and loving it. The Community Hall’s got old stuff like a Bakery calendar with a three-digit phone number and mail order bread – how did that work? There was even a general store on Ryan Street once. Fiona B’s done a cracking job on the Esplanade, and the school mural’s a must for visitors. I’ve been to the Lutheran Church with its organ and reckon more should pop in to keep it going. There’s heaps more: CWA, patchwork groups, tennis courts, the rural fire brigade, and a dam I’d love to see turned into a recreational spot. The village sheep, horses, chooks, and pets are fun to talk to when I walk my dog.

The new dump point’s handy for my motorhome, though I haven’t used it yet. And this newsletter? It’s great! The effort to print and share it each month is huge, and I’m grateful. Pleasant Hills is a great spot, and I’m pleased to be here. Hope to meet more of you soon. — Yvonne Lee

Hills Happenings

Birthdays: Happy 18th Birthday to Natasha Beckett for the 18th July.

Condolences: Condolences to the Kendall family on the passing of Dorothy Ruth Kendall on the 17th June.

Word of the Month: “Dysania”

Thanks to Peter and Alison Campbell for this one. “Dysania” refers to the extreme difficulty or inability to get out of bed in the morning, sometimes described as an “addiction to bed”. Boy, been the odd cold frosty morning I’ve felt that way. — Mathew Rush