Touch of Toowoomba: Bandland

Touch of Toowoomba brings you a scene from the lives of people in Toowoomba each week. Who are they? And what do they love about our great city?

At Bandland on Russell St are Katie Eastaugh, Jess Rutledge, Steve Eastaugh and Judy Strong. Picture: Sean White

TOUCH of Toowoomba brings you a scene from the lives of people in Toowoomba each week. Who are they? And what do they love about our great city?

When: 11.00am, Wednesday, December 12

Where: Bandland

Katie Eastaugh

MY husband Steven and I have lived in Gatton for the past five years.

I moved around to places such as the Gold Coast and Sydney before I got a job as a minister with the Salvation Army in the Lockyer Valley.

Toowoomba is a very beautiful city and I love everything about it.

I have come to the city with fresh eyes and can see the potential it has.

The growth I have seen has been amazing to watch.

I believe Toowoomba will turn into a large destination soon.

Music and art are my interests and I enjoy interacting with creative people.

It is great watching people excel in something they are passionate about.

I don't get a lot of time to myself but when I do I enjoy playing my bass guitar.

Music is a great way for people to express themselves.

Jess Rutledge

I WAS born in Toowoomba and now live on a farm outside the city.

Toowoomba is the right mixture of a country and city living.

The city feels big, but it also feels homely with all the great parks it has.

Music is my passion and it is the only thing I do in my spare time.

My grandmother started teaching me piano when I was two it was only something to do back then.

It wasn't until about four years ago that my passion for music started and I couldn't tell you where it came from.

My favourite instrument to play is the guitar but I also play bass, piano and sing.

I will play acoustic guitars when I busk and at small gigs and play electric when I perform with the school's band.

It's important for people to find their passion and to go hard with it.

Steven Eastaugh

I'VE lived in the Lockyer Valley for the past 30 years.

My family would travel around Australia doing seasonal work when I was growing up.

The great thing about living in the region is that it's not far from a city.

In my spare time I enjoy working around the yard and playing euphonium in the local church band.

The great thing about yard work is you can see what you have achieved.

I have seen Toowoomba change a lot in the past 30 years.

The region has grown really fast which has provided a lot of opportunities.

Judy Strong

I HAVE always lived in farms around Withcott.

My family had a dairy farm when I was growing up and then I married a cattle farmer.

The Garden City has gone through a lot of changes since I went to high school here.

There is a lot more traffic and businesses now.

In my spare time I enjoy playing tennis and music.

I learned to play the cornet when my children and I joined a learner band 20 years ago.

Playing music calms me down and makes me happy.

Another great aspect about music is being able to play for the community during events like Anzac Day.
 

Originally published as Touch of Toowoomba: Bandland