Our Journalists

Shelley Strachan is the respected and award winning Editor of The Gympie Times, a mother of four, and a passionate advocate for her hometown (Gympie), the region it is the centre of and the people who live there. A recipient of multiple PANPA Community News Brand of the Year awards, and the coveted News Corp Achievements in Regional Journalism award, Shelley Strachan cut her journalistic teeth as a cadet at The Gympie Times before spending some time as a sub-editor with Quest Community papers in Brisbane and then returning to the idyllic lifestyle the Gympie region offers. She proudly leads a talented team of journalists covering all the news of the Gympie region 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Shelley Strachan

Latest

Gympie

The seven candidates to so far nominate for the seat of Wide Bay in the May 3 election.

Meet the seven candidates vying for your vote on election day

The Wide Bay will be contested by a broad field on May 3, with candidates from the LNP, Labor, Greens, Independent, Family First, Trumpet of Patriots and One Nation. Vote in our poll:

ExclusivePolice & Courts

New Queensland police data has revealed there have been more than 1630 offences recorded in Gympie in the past six months, an alarming 273 offences per month. THis photo was taken in Lawrence Street in 2015, when a siege took place in connection with an attempted murder. Lawrence Street is one of Gympie's crime hot spots.

273 offences a month: Gympie’s most dangerous streets revealed

New data shows crime is increasing in Gympie as police ramp up patrols in the CBD to support business owners. See the hotspots, HOW YOUR STREET RATES

UpdatedGympie

Kidd Bridge was closed on Saturday morning as floodwaters rose to 10.5m around 6:30am, with local resident Joan capturing the scene as water spilled over the bridge.

Mary River reaches peak and starts to recede

The Mary River has started to slowly recede after reaching its peak earlier on Sunday, though the Kidd Bridge is expected to stay closed until some time tomorrow. LATEST.

Bundaberg

Stunning Coral Reef Lagoon. Lady Musgrave Island, Southern Barrier Reef, Queensland AustraliaEscape 16 March 2025101Photo - iStock

Snorkeller airlifted after nearly drowning on Great Barrier Reef

A man was airlifted from the Great Barrier Reef at Lady Musgrave Island after almost drowning in a snorkelling incident.

Gympie

Jason George Reker has been identified as the man found dead at Talegalla Weir on Sunday.

‘Love you brother’: Tributes flow for former businessman found dead

Popular Gympie man Jason Reker bought a large cattle property at Talegalla Weir in 2024, about nine months before his body was discovered beside his car and not far from a double barrel shotgun surrounded with empty casings.

VIDEONoosa

A stunning photo of the exposed rocks at Rainbow Beach taken by John Clough of Infinity Flights Photography and reproduced with their permission.

Watch: Stunning video reveals impassable impact of Cyclone Alfred

Severe erosion has exposed the infamous four-wheel-drive destroying Rocks at Rainbow Beach, blocking beach travel south to Double Island Point. VIDEO, PHOTOS.

Gympie

A photo taken by Mal Dodt of the Mary River at Kidd Bridge at 6am on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

Mary River 7.3m and rising as flood warning extended to Miva

Minor flooding of the Mary River downstream of Gympie is expected today as it heads towards its expected peak following a weekend of heavy rain in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Fraser Coast

News Courier Mail, Hervey Bay 10.3.2025 Flood recovery. Pamela Truscott 0427447707 at her home in McKean road hervey bay devastated over the flooding. Photo Paul Beutel

‘Very quick, very hard’: How Alfred took Hervey Bay by surprise

Hervey Bay residents were left wondering how did this happen? More than 1400 homes were without power and 1600 properties flooded in a freak weather event nobody saw coming. PHOTOS, VIDEO

Gympie

Fraser Coast council has revealed an alternative creek crossing point will be established near the Munna Creek solar farm, featuring a new metal vehicular bridge to replace the existing bridge, which has a 10-tonne weight limit. This new access and bridge will accommodate the heavier equipment and traffic loads generated bythe construction of the solar farm. The replacement bridge design is currently being finalised by the developer.

Gympie council hits ball to Fraser Coast in Munna Ck solar farm issue

The Gympie council has distanced itself from the $160million Munna Creek Solar Farm, rightfully pointing out that it had no say in the approval of the project and no obligation to fund road repairs near it, but that it did share the concerns of residents.

Gympie

The latest track map issued by the Bureau on Thursday afternoon.

Supermarkets, schools close as Alfred inches toward coast

Woolworths have closed their three Gympie region supermarkets ‘until it is safe’, schools are shut, sport and one of the country’s biggest cattle sales has been cancelled as the region awaits Alfred’s next move.

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/journalists/shelley-strachan