Big Little Small Talk

How AI describes Marty Hollis:

Marty Hollis brings the skies to Saint Mary's halls,

Where aerospace dreams take flight within the walls.

With passion for flight and the mechanics of space,

He guides every student at their own steady pace.

Inspiring young minds to reach for the stars,

From the physics of wings to the mysteries of Mars.

Not bad!

Paddy Long is a true creative, and he’s lucky enough to make a living from his talents. He is one half of Rare Squid Creative; a digital marketing agency, based in Toowoomba.

After a rocky start to his working career, Paddy decided to study a Bachelor of Visual Arts at UniSQ. He thought he wanted to be a surrealist painter but his world expanded from there.

From art assignments that involved a miniature gallery displayed inside his mouth (Art Mouth) to a coat made from taxidermied duck heads (Polymorphic Duck Coat)….Paddy has lots (and lots) of stories.

Megan found this interview a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

No matter what topic Heather Smith starts speaking about, it mostly ends up being about gardening. She loves her garden, other people’s gardens, public gardens and gardeners too of course.

That is how she came to meet and lose a dear friend. Today Heather shares with Megan the tragic story of her friend whose life was taken by her intimate partner in a terrifying act of domestic violence.

Heather is opening her garden in this year’s Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. She has dedicated it to her friend and will donate the proceeds to Protea Place Women’s Support Centre.

In 2023 Phil Loxley was diagnosed with prostate cancer. While he accepts that Antigen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) is a necessary part of the treatment, he wishes he could have been better prepared for the side effects.

Phil felt completely blindsided by the mental and physical challenges ADT presented to him; hot flushes, lethargy, breast swelling, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, loss of bone density and so much more.

Phil is advocating for better counselling when men are first diagnosed with prostate cancer so they can have a better understanding of the treatment options and pathways.

Jane Smith is an author, librarian/archivist and editor with a love of history.

Her latest book “One Free Woman” tells the compelling true story of Hannah Rigby. Hannah was the only female convict to stay in Moreton Bay when the penal settlement closed – a woman who notoriously served three separate sentences of transportation, including two at one of the harshest establishments in the country.

Jane’s love for her subjects and the process it takes to uncover and tell their stories is evident throughout this delightful interview.

Brendan Keal is a content creator. In his beautiful and unique way he reviews all things Toowoomba. From restaurants, pubs, shit parks, public transport to the cheapest basket of essential groceries….. it’s all vlogged with dead pan humour.

Brendan explains to Megan that young people don’t trust the news or governments any longer and that content on social media is taken much more seriously as a believable source of information.

This is a fascinating interview that gives us real insight into someone from a different generation. Brendan gently takes Megan through his thoughtful decision making processes regarding his life choices.

Dr Barb Ryan is the founder of “Cicada Research and Communication” a company that specialises in how communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural hazards.

Barb’s PHD thesis explored the concept of where people seek information in a natural disaster. She talks about the notion of informational and disinformation and the prominence of social media as a modern (and not always reliable) news source.

The science tells us that as the planet warms, the incidence and severity of natural disaster is on the rise. Now more than ever, we need experts in their fields, such as Barb, to keep us informed.

Dave Wallis started his working life as a carpenter but after his son was born profoundly deaf, his life took a completely different turn.

When Dave realised that only about 10% of parents with a deaf child learn sign language, he went about bucking the trend. Dave not only learnt Auslan, he started interpretting professionally. In 2015 Dave started his own NDIS business which expanded rapidly and employed over 100 staff.

Dave takes Megan through some of the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding the deaf community, as well as some of the intracies and nuances.....for example humour and dialect.

A thoroughly deligtful listen.

Peter Castles wanted to be a saddler from the time he was a boy in short pants riding his pony to school.

When he couldn’t get his hands on the tools he needed to be a sadde maker, he decided to became a blacksmith. He had a talent and passion for both.

These trades are in peril of being lost to history due to mass manufacturing and lack of time. Peter does his best to spread the word about the value of craftsmanship and making things to last the test of time.

He was even awarded a Churchill Fellowship to see how saddle making is done overseas. Congratulations Peter for preserving, promoting and sharing your knowledge before these essential skills vanish.

Uma Kumar is a local GP who focuses on the holistic care of her patients. To this end she volunteers with the Heartfulness Institute - an organisation that offers meditation practices and lifestyle tips.

Each week, Uma takes at least two free classes to guide people to search for a happy and purposeful life by taking care of their mental and physical well-being.

Uma is also the chair of Toowoomba’s Peace Committee which fosters social inclusion, trust and cultural understanding.

She is a remarkable woman with a heart that brims with compassion, contentment, courage, calm and clarity.