Tara Christmas Street Party

Christmas has come early for residents in Tara, with Saint Nick and Mrs Claus leaving their reindeer at the North Pole for the carnival.

Mr and Mrs Santa Claus with local paramedic David Hornsby at the Tara Christmas Carnival. Picture: Eloise Quinlivan

CHRISTMAS has come early for residents in Tara, with Saint Nick and Mrs Claus leaving their reindeer at the North Pole and catching a lift into town for the carnival with the help of the Local Ambulance Committee.

Families lined up to tell Father Christmas just how good they've been in 2018 after an afternoon spent trying to stay on the mechanical bull, climbing the rock wall or gladiator wrestling.

Tara Local Ambulance Committee secretary Judith Bridge said naughty and nice alike were this year treated with free rides at the biennial carnival, encouraging more families to come along and celebrate together.

"We love the Tara community and it's all about seeing local families have a really fun day out. The stalls, food and entertainment brings out the best in people here and we love hosting the event," she said.

"It's a great way to welcome new people to our community, and we know many of the families who have been coming for years."

She said this year the rides were free, thanks to support by QGC and Western Downs Regional Council, who also sponsored the fireworks display at the end of the night.

The Tara Christmas Carnival raises funds through the stalls, a raffle and food sales to support the Local Ambulance Committee to purchases equipment for the station and training materials that aren't funded through the government.

Tara ambulance Officer-in-Charge Tracey Britton said community events were a great chance to raise awareness about initiatives including the Emergency+ app and the Snakes Alive program.

"The app will tell you your GPS co-ordinates that you can give to dispatchers when you call Triple Zero to help them get to you quickly," she said.

"We're also looking to work with businesses to find suitable places to have a defibrillator installed and available in emergencies."

Paramedic David Hornsby is one of three ambulance officers in Tara, and said with rural properties and young families in the region, he used these events to chat with residents about first aide and how to respond to danger.

Training mannequins, one of which was purchased through funds raised over a number of years in Tara, were also brought out to demonstrate the basics of CPR.

The Tara Scout Group joined the event, celebrating their return to the community after a six-year break, with club leader Lisa Toon now ready for 2019.

Mrs Toon said the group gave young people a sense of leadership and adventure, as well as a chance to learn valuable skills.

"Since we started back up in January we've had up to 27 young people come through which is a great turnout and something we're looking to grow," she said.

A Christmas tree exhibition is hosted on the alternating year in Tara, with businesses and community groups getting creative and adding their special touches to the display.

Tara Scouts return in 2019 on Friday's from February 1. Phone [phone] for more information.

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Originally published as Tara Christmas Street Party