Snapshot 2012 full report, the tenth in the Commission’s Snapshot series, draws together data from a wide range of sources to compile a contemporary portrait of the health, safety and wellbeing of children and young people in Queensland. Where possible, data are supported by robust trend analyses to provide a longitudinal evidence base that can be used to inform policy and program development and facilitate shared understandings across sectors. The Snapshot 2012 key data booklet is also now available.
This year, a Snapshot Key Data: Children and Young People in Queensland web app for use on mobile devices is also being launched. This free app has been developed by the Commission to provide stakeholders with instant access to a wide range of information on issues relating to children and young people in Queensland. The web app acts as a quick and easy reference guide to statistical information on demographics, families, health risk factors, health conditions, early childhood education and care, education, deaths, child protection and crime and justice. It is also a great reference for people working directly with children and young people, as well as researchers, academics, Parliamentarians, policy and program developers and other people with a general interest in the health, safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Call the midwife: Now available
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Call the Midwife - ABC TV |
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Featured eBooks: Memoirs
The happiest refugee: A memoir. Anh Do nearly didn't make it to Australia. His entire family came close to losing their lives on the sea as they escaped from war-torn Vietnam in an overcrowded boat. But nothing - not murderous pirates, nor the imminent threat of death by hunger, disease or dehydration as they drifted for days - could quench their desire to make a better life in a country where freedom existed. Life in Australia was hard, an endless succession of back-breaking work, crowded rooms, ruthless landlords and make-do everything. But there was a loving extended family, and always friends and play and something to laugh about for Anh, his brother Khoa and their sister Tram.
Impractical jokes. In 1986, Charlie Pickering's dad, Ron, was pushed into a pool by his best friend, Richard. What followed was an all-out water pistol ambush in a five-star restaurant and then ten years of tit-for-tat payback and near fatal hijinx that eventually involved the State Emergency Service. When maturity is the first casualty of war, things tend to escalate. This book is the true story of two seemingly responsible, middle-aged men who opted out of having a mid-life crisis and instead gave themselves permission to be silly. It is also the tale of how Charlie finally learnt something from his dad - that being grown-up shouldn't mean losing your sense of humour - a lesson he lives to the full as one of Australia's leading comedians.
Very big journey: My life as I remember it. An inspiring story of one woman's determination to do better in life, raise a large family, improve the life chances of her children and keep the bonds of family alive. Though not always centre stage in the political sphere, Hilda Muir is emblematic of many Aboriginal woman working hard to keep their families and their culture alive.
War babies: A memoir. This is a compelling story of the intense bond between mother and son, its disturbance when the soldier father returns, an affectionate portrait of Brisbane, and an intriguing family history from journalist and film-maker Robert Macklin.
Impractical jokes. In 1986, Charlie Pickering's dad, Ron, was pushed into a pool by his best friend, Richard. What followed was an all-out water pistol ambush in a five-star restaurant and then ten years of tit-for-tat payback and near fatal hijinx that eventually involved the State Emergency Service. When maturity is the first casualty of war, things tend to escalate. This book is the true story of two seemingly responsible, middle-aged men who opted out of having a mid-life crisis and instead gave themselves permission to be silly. It is also the tale of how Charlie finally learnt something from his dad - that being grown-up shouldn't mean losing your sense of humour - a lesson he lives to the full as one of Australia's leading comedians.
Very big journey: My life as I remember it. An inspiring story of one woman's determination to do better in life, raise a large family, improve the life chances of her children and keep the bonds of family alive. Though not always centre stage in the political sphere, Hilda Muir is emblematic of many Aboriginal woman working hard to keep their families and their culture alive.
War babies: A memoir. This is a compelling story of the intense bond between mother and son, its disturbance when the soldier father returns, an affectionate portrait of Brisbane, and an intriguing family history from journalist and film-maker Robert Macklin.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Quote of the day

"Klingon speakers, those who have devoted themselves to the study of a language invented for the Star Trek franchise, inhabit the lowest possible rung on the geek ladder. Dungeons & Dragons players, ham radio operators, robot engineers, computer programmers, comic book collectors— they all look down on Klingon speakers. Even the most ardent Star Trek fanatics, the Trekkies, who dress up in costume every day, who can recite scripts of entire episodes, who collect Star Trek paraphernalia with mad devotion, consider Klingon speakers beneath them."
Okrent, Arika. In the Land of Invented Languages.
Westminster, MD, USA: Spiegel & Grau, 2010. p 3.
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/jcu/Doc?id=10386233&ppg=13
Copyright © 2010. Spiegel & Grau. All rights reserved.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Australian native animals on display
The staff at Eddie Koiki Mabo Library are continuing the focus on Australia's unique wildlife - with a display featuring Australian native fauna Library resources. The Library holds some beautiful resources on Australian wildlife to support teaching and research on tropical ecosystems and conservation. Even if you are not studying in these areas, you might like to have a look at the display on the first floor of the Library. Some of the fascinating items on the display include:
Animals of arid Australia: Out on their own?
Australian birdlife (journal)
Field guide to the frogs of Australia
Spectacular snakes of Australia.
Animals of arid Australia: Out on their own?
Australian birdlife (journal)
Field guide to the frogs of Australia
Spectacular snakes of Australia.
Featured eBooks: Writing guidebooks
Fearless confessions: A writer's guide to memoir. Everyone has a story to tell. Fearless Confessions is a guidebook for people who want to take possession of their lives by putting their experiences down on paper - or in a Web site or e-book. Enhanced with illustrative examples from many different writers as well as writing exercises, this guide helps writers navigate a range of issues from craft to ethics to marketing and will be useful to both beginners and more accomplished writers.
Here comes the bogeyman: Exploring contemporary issues in writing for children. This book is an essential text focusing on critical and contemporary issues surrounding writing for children. Containing a critically creative and a creatively critical investigation of the cult and culture of the child and childhood in fiction and non-fictional writing, it also contains a wealth of ideas and critical advice to be shared with writers, students of children’s writing and students of writing.
The writing book: A practical guide for fiction writers. This book provides a completely practical workbook that offers down-to-earth ideas and suggestions for writers or aspiring writers to get started and keep going Full of ideas and examples to get pen to paper or fingers on the keyboard, this guide doesn't just talk about how to write fiction; it takes the reader, step-by-step, through the process of doing it. Each chapter concentrates on one aspect of writing: getting started, bringing characters to life, writing convincing dialogue, revising and writer's block, and more.
Writing nonfiction: Turning thoughts into books. This book shows aspiring authors how to break down topics into easy-to-attack projects, do research, develop material, find an editor, evaluate publishing options, and even handle fame once the book becomes a bestseller.
Here comes the bogeyman: Exploring contemporary issues in writing for children. This book is an essential text focusing on critical and contemporary issues surrounding writing for children. Containing a critically creative and a creatively critical investigation of the cult and culture of the child and childhood in fiction and non-fictional writing, it also contains a wealth of ideas and critical advice to be shared with writers, students of children’s writing and students of writing.
The writing book: A practical guide for fiction writers. This book provides a completely practical workbook that offers down-to-earth ideas and suggestions for writers or aspiring writers to get started and keep going Full of ideas and examples to get pen to paper or fingers on the keyboard, this guide doesn't just talk about how to write fiction; it takes the reader, step-by-step, through the process of doing it. Each chapter concentrates on one aspect of writing: getting started, bringing characters to life, writing convincing dialogue, revising and writer's block, and more.
Writing nonfiction: Turning thoughts into books. This book shows aspiring authors how to break down topics into easy-to-attack projects, do research, develop material, find an editor, evaluate publishing options, and even handle fame once the book becomes a bestseller.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Special Collections Fossickings 12: Mysteries solved and unsolved
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Page from Victorian Lady's Sketchbook, Pencraig |
Albert’s surname can be deduced from entries in The Queenslander between 1893 and 1905 concerning members of the Brook family, “of Pencraig, Bowen”. Mrs A Brook, mentioned in 1893, must surely have been Albert’s wife. Bowen cemetery records list Albert Brook (1835-1900), husband of Ellen Marion and father of Edith and William, both of whom died in infancy in 1870 and 1871.
But what is the link between the Pencraigs? Where had Albert come from? A marriage notice in the Melbourne Argus provides the answer. On 15 March 1866 Ellen Marion Langdon, of Bellarine, married Albert Brook, younger son of Thomas Brook of Pen Craig Court, Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire. A family history website confirms this as Albert’s home at least until 1851.
Clearly Albert came to Australia as a young man, marrying Ellen, daughter of a Victorian pastoralist, and moving to Queensland. Bowen would have been starkly different from the lush Herefordshire countryside and the loss of their children must have been a cruel blow. But the fact that their social activities were reported in The Queenslander indicates they were of some social standing in the district.
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Page from Victorian Lady's Sketchbook, Plants from Java |
Story by Miniata
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Toxic Australian animals and plants
Are you interested in the nastier plants and animals of Australia? If so you might like to have a look at the display on the first floor of the Eddie Mabo Library. JCU Library holds some interesting books on the subject, including:
Australia's dangerous creatures: For dummies
Noxious weeds of Australia
Pretty but poisonous: Plants poisonous to people, an illustrated guide for Australia
Venomous creatures of Australia: A field guide with notes on first aid.
Australia's dangerous creatures: For dummies
Noxious weeds of Australia
Pretty but poisonous: Plants poisonous to people, an illustrated guide for Australia
Venomous creatures of Australia: A field guide with notes on first aid.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
2012 Inclusive Practice Acknowledgement Awards
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Nathan Miller shows off his IPAA award |
JCU Library is delighted to report that we had three nominees for the 2012 awards. Bronwen Forster and Vaurian Lewin from JCU Library in Cairns, and Nathan Miller from the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library on Tonwsville campus. Nathan was a winner for JCU Townsville campus. Congratulations to all nominees and winners for making a difference to JCU students with a disability.
Special Collections Fossickings 11: A journey across the world
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Page from Victorian Lady's Sketchbook - plants from India |
From the domesticity of English wildflowers and countryside, suddenly the locations become exotic. In December 1891 and January 1892 there are drawings from both sides of the Indian continent. By May 1892 there are sketches from Heidelburg near Melbourne and, in July, from Chatswood, NSW. All of these botanical – flowers, fruits and leaves – some confidently named, others simply described. In India the artist often indicated where the plant had been seen. But there are no landscapes – even though the districts visited were known for their outstanding scenery. Was it all too overwhelming for someone used to the tamer English countryside? Or was it simply a question of time? Botanical specimens can be collected and painted at leisure, landscapes require an artist to be present for hours or days.
Whatever the reason, once the artist arrived in the Bowen district, he or she had both the leisure and the desire to paint no less than eleven landscapes in the month of August, several in considerable detail. Views across the water to the peaks of Gloucester Island and Cape Gloucester clearly made an impression, as did the river and bush scenery inland. One full-page watercolour shows a picnic site beside a river, capturing the faded colours of the bush under a midday sun but not the deep azure of a north Queensland sky.
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Page from Victorian Lady's Sketchbook - plants from Australia |
Story by Miniata
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
JCU Library Kindle Touch winners
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Emma (Cairns) with her prize |
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Janene (Townsville) receives her prize from Helen |
Congratulations to JCU Library's Open Day Kindle Touch winners. We hope they experience many hours of enjoyment with their new eReaders.
New trials of online video databases
JCU Library is trialling two new video databases. No logins are required while using these databases on campus, however off campus users will be asked to authenticate with their jc username and password. Both databases are also available via the trial of online services webpage.
JCU Library can not guarantee access to these databases after the trial period. However heavy use between now and 3 October will support the case for including them in the JCU Library online collection. Consequently, we encourage you to take advantage of these databases and to tell your friends!
Sports Medicine and Exercise Science in Video (on trial until 3rd October 2012)
This database provides an extensive video collection covering areas of fitness and health assessment, disease management, injury treatment, nutrition, medical fitness, sport science, work-site wellness, exercise adherence, and much more. The collection features an array of internationally renowned physicians, exercise scientists, certified athletic trainers, physical therapists, registered dietitians, sport psychologists, personal trainers, and health/wellness experts who share information, ideas, and insights on the principles, techniques, and modalities of modern exercise science and sports medicine.
Video Journal of Counseling and Therapy (on trial until 3rd October 2012)
This database provides a collection of video available for the study of counseling, social work, psychotherapy, psychology, and psychiatric counseling. The wealth of video and multiplicity of perspectives in these collections allow students and scholars to see, experience, and study counseling in ways never before possible. It also complements popular JCU Library subscribed databases Counseling and Therapy in Video, vols 1 and 2.
JCU Library can not guarantee access to these databases after the trial period. However heavy use between now and 3 October will support the case for including them in the JCU Library online collection. Consequently, we encourage you to take advantage of these databases and to tell your friends!
Sports Medicine and Exercise Science in Video (on trial until 3rd October 2012)
This database provides an extensive video collection covering areas of fitness and health assessment, disease management, injury treatment, nutrition, medical fitness, sport science, work-site wellness, exercise adherence, and much more. The collection features an array of internationally renowned physicians, exercise scientists, certified athletic trainers, physical therapists, registered dietitians, sport psychologists, personal trainers, and health/wellness experts who share information, ideas, and insights on the principles, techniques, and modalities of modern exercise science and sports medicine.
Video Journal of Counseling and Therapy (on trial until 3rd October 2012)
This database provides a collection of video available for the study of counseling, social work, psychotherapy, psychology, and psychiatric counseling. The wealth of video and multiplicity of perspectives in these collections allow students and scholars to see, experience, and study counseling in ways never before possible. It also complements popular JCU Library subscribed databases Counseling and Therapy in Video, vols 1 and 2.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Call the Midwife: Coming soon to JCU Library
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Call the Midwife - ABC TV |
Look out for passing Library Rovers

Library Rovers are JCU students who can assist with a variety of issues:
First level IT assistance:
- Using Library computers
- Software applications
- JCU online services (webmail, wireless, eStudent, StudentsOnline and LearnJCU).
Basic assistance with Library services:
- Lending services
- Finding information resources
- Copying and printing services.
Are you on the top level of the Library building and have a problem? Well, keep your eye out for a Library Rover.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Get ready for the 2012 solar eclipse
Image source: www.eclipsecairns.com |
Not surprisingly, the people of Cairns are making the most of being hosts for the eclipse, and so much fun and merriment is scheduled around the event - including the Eclipse 2012 Festival. A quick Google search also reveals that conferences have been scheduled around the event, and there will also be many local parties, so plan ahead if you want to witness this natural phenomenon.
JCU Library has some interesting books on astronomical events. You may find them interesting if you have any time to read them between completing your assignments, and preparing for your exams:
The 50 best sights in astronomy and how to see them: Observing eclipses, bright comets, meteor showers, and other celestial wonders (ebook)
David Levy's guide to eclipses, transits, and occultations (ebook)
Glorious eclipses: Their past, present, and future (book)
Observations and predictions of eclipse times by early astronomers (book)
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Special Collections Fossickings 10: An “orphan’s” story
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Page from the Victorian Lady's Sketchbook, Aylestone Church |
Appearing on the early pages are the initials NB, which we might reasonably assume to be the artist’s. But the full name, and gender, of the person who sketched and painted the plants and landscapes are hidden. So what can this book tell us about its mysterious owner and his or her travels?
The early sketches and watercolours, completed between 1888-90, indicate the artist’s botanical interests, but among the wildflower illustrations we find rural scenes in England and Scotland. A sketch titled Netherton Hill, near Healey House Lodge, is probably of a site in Yorkshire. A full page watercolour of a country church with spire, standing near a river, is inscribed, Ayleston, another landscape is at Lubberthorpe. Both are in Leicestershire where the spire of Aylestone’s 13th century St Andrew’s church still rises above the River Soare. In Scotland the artist sketched Hoddam Castle and its Repentance Tower, near Lockerbie, where castle and tower still stand, and painted wildflowers near Broughton’s 17th century Crook Inn – which, four centuries later, is still in business!
None of these places throw any light on the identity or home of the artist. But one sketch, showing trees bordered by a rustic fence, will become significant. Its title, Below Pencraig quarry seems unremarkable – that, is until we find the name Pencraig associated with paintings made four years later on the other side of the world.
What is the link between the two Pencraigs in opposite hemispheres? Will we discover the identity of NB? Don’t miss next week’s exciting instalment!
Story by Miniata
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Eddie Koiki Mabo Library ATM
Great news! The Commonwealth ATM is back on site and ready for action at Eddie Koiki Mabo Library - northern entrance.
Monday, September 3, 2012
September is National Biodiversity Month
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Litoria caerulea - Australian Green Tree Frog by Trevor Dennis |
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Australian gull 070622-1535 by Tony Rodd |
Biodiversity and conservation (ejournal)
Biodiversity and traditional knowledge: Equitable partnerships in practice (ebook)
Biodiversity monitoring in Australia (book)
Biodiversity: An introduction (ebook)
JCU Townsville campus hosts the Centre For Tropical Biodiversity & Climate Change, check out their website to find out about their research activities. Also online, you can find out about biodiversity in Queensland, and the Australian Government's approach to the conservation of Australia's biodiversity.
Upcoming Writing Skills workshops
Do you think you need to improve your assignment writing? If so, check out upcoming Learning Skills writing skills workshops at Eddie Koiki Mabo Library. Upcoming workshops will be covering useful topics such as:
- Writing to convey your understanding
- Summarising and paraphrasing
- Concise writing
- Reviewing, editing and proofreading.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Featured eBooks: Exercise science
Dictionary of Sport and Exercise Science. An invaluable reference book for anyone interested in the fascinating world of sport, containing over 5,000 terms relating to sport and exercise science. Coverage includes anatomy, physiology, physiotherapy, biology, sports medicine, sporting rules and regulations, governing bodies, health and fitness and banned substances.
Nutrition and Metabolism in Sports, Exercise and Health. A key determinant of successful athletic performance is the high-level energy transformation which begins with combustion of the food that we eat. By developing a sound understanding of good nutrition we can improve athletic performance, help maintain good health and prevent disease. This clear and comprehensive introduction to nutrition in sport, exercise and health goes further than any other textbook in integrating key nutritional facts, concepts and dietary guidelines with a thorough discussion of the fundamental biological science underpinning our physiological and metabolic processes.
Key Themes in Youth Sport. This book is a concise, easy to read guide to core concepts in the study of young people's relationship with sport, exercise and leisure. Designed to help students get to grips with the basics and go on to master the central ideas and debates in contemporary youth sport, this book reflects the multi-disciplinary interest in youth sport, exploring perspectives from sociology, psychology, physiology, sports policy, sports development, and physical education.
Physical Activity and Health: The Evidence Explained. This book explains clearly, systematically and in detail the relationships between physical activity, health and disease, and explores the benefits of exercise in the prevention and treatment of health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and cancer. The book includes tables, figures, plates and study aids throughout, and is supported by a companion website.
Nutrition and Metabolism in Sports, Exercise and Health. A key determinant of successful athletic performance is the high-level energy transformation which begins with combustion of the food that we eat. By developing a sound understanding of good nutrition we can improve athletic performance, help maintain good health and prevent disease. This clear and comprehensive introduction to nutrition in sport, exercise and health goes further than any other textbook in integrating key nutritional facts, concepts and dietary guidelines with a thorough discussion of the fundamental biological science underpinning our physiological and metabolic processes.
Key Themes in Youth Sport. This book is a concise, easy to read guide to core concepts in the study of young people's relationship with sport, exercise and leisure. Designed to help students get to grips with the basics and go on to master the central ideas and debates in contemporary youth sport, this book reflects the multi-disciplinary interest in youth sport, exploring perspectives from sociology, psychology, physiology, sports policy, sports development, and physical education.
Physical Activity and Health: The Evidence Explained. This book explains clearly, systematically and in detail the relationships between physical activity, health and disease, and explores the benefits of exercise in the prevention and treatment of health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and cancer. The book includes tables, figures, plates and study aids throughout, and is supported by a companion website.
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