About James Coleman
Even before he could actually drive, James Coleman and his brother started a hobby car magazine, and he has been waxing lyrical about all things cars and motoring ever since.
He is told repeatedly that he has a British accent, but Canberra is where he was born and bred. Although he and his family now live in Queanbeyan.
He loves - you guessed it - cars and driving, but also squeegee-ing windows for some reason.
Have an idea for a story? Email [email protected]
All Articles
News
Homeowners in Queanbeyan can blame "high inflation and global uncertainty" when they pay their next rates bill. Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) is one of 86 NSW councils which applied to the state's Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for an increase to rates above the annual rate peg. Tribunal member Deborah Cope said the latest rate peg of 0.7 per...
News
It's the blight of Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong. They're so close to Canberra's borders they're almost Canberra, but not quite. There have different government services, different registration requirements for cars, and perhaps most irritatingly for the horde of week-day commuters, different bus services. The ACT is serviced by Transport Canberra (previously ACTION), while over the border, it's Q-City Transit. A...
Community
Sophie is no stranger to change. When her family arrived in the fledgling town of Googong, they moved into the only house on the street. As other buildings popped up, so did a school. So when Sophie left St Gregory's Primary School in Queanbeyan, she entered year 7 in The Anglican School of Googong. Now Sophie and her friends are...
News
Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council has voted to give councillors a 22 per cent pay rise for the coming financial year, while the mayoral pay is going up 33 per cent. From 1 July, councillors will make $25,310 a year and the mayor $62,510. These are the maximum amounts dictated by the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal Annual Report, issued on 20 April...
Food & Wine
Award-winning winery Corang Estate, just off the Federal Highway, has opened a cellar door alongside the handmade art and craft at Creative Collection in Tarago. Visitors can enjoy a guided wine tasting, followed by a glass of wine and mezze platter while browsing the creative work. The fruit behind the wines is sourced from vineyards across the Southern Tablelands region,...
Community
Most people will leave their backyard projects at a slash and burn of the periwinkle, a new retaining wall, vegetable plot, and maybe even a pizza oven in their most ambitious moments. Not so for Baz Am. The 52-year-old is constructing a life-size spaceship in his Canberra backyard, measuring 8.4 metres long and weighing close to a tonne. Science-fiction buffs will...
Motoring
A new prime minister has taken up residence in the Lodge here in Canberra. But before we talk about promises and policies, there's a more pressing question: what will he be driving? Anthony Albanese's humble Toyota Camry Hybrid was splashed all over the news last year when it was struck by a 17-year-old girl in a Range Rover. In his...
Community
Mariaha Suey is on a mission. The young Indigenous woman grew up in a small town in the Hunter Valley where she noticed a fractured relationship between her people and the police force. She has now set her sights on helping to heal the ties after becoming one of the first graduates of a new Indigenous police training program at...
Community
"Roads? Where we're going, there are no roads." So said Doc Brown in Back to the Future, shortly after stuffing the steaming engine of his DeLorean time machine with banana peels, coffee grounds and other assorted compost. Fast forward to 2022 in Canberra, and the iconic stainless steel sports car is starring in another film. This time, local owner and...
Community
It's a sound heard only near Bungendore in the Southern Tablelands – a long, deep droning croak followed by a series of shorter grunts. It comes from the throat of the Green and Golden Bell Frog and, fingers crossed, local residents will soon hear it more often. A local not-for-profit environmental organisation has received $170,000 of grant funding from the...
Community
The death of one of Queanbeyan's iconic identities has prompted an outpouring of thoughts and dollars from the local community, who fondly called him "The Cowboy". Terry or "Tex" earned his moniker because of the iconic rodeo couture he wore for almost two decades. Easily recognised by his unique dress sense, including a wide-brimmed hat, tight black trousers and big...
Community
One of Queanbeyan's biggest and oldest pubs is being treated to a raft of upgrades to ensure the town's pub culture stays alive and well. Over the years, locals have had five pubs to choose from, not least of all Hotel Queanbeyan, or - as it came to be known - 'The Top Pub', on account of its lofty position overlooking...
News
For owners buying into new developments in the Queanbeyan-Palerang region, the term 'domestic cat' will take on a very literal meaning. The Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) is looking to extend its Cat Containment Policy from Googong and Jumping Creek to cover all new greenfield residential developments in a bid to protect native wildlife. Current greenfield developments in the region include...
Community
For a town founded nearly two centuries ago, it's little wonder Queanbeyan is rich in heritage. But over the years, many of the original landmarks have made way for the new and sparkly, making the ones that have survived extra special. One of these, 4 Alice Street, received a badge of honour as part of this year's Heritage Festival. Owner...
Community
No sooner had the lease been signed than news broke of a virus ripping through China and spilling out into the rest of the world. Matt Morrissey and his partner Katie Hancock had come to Queanbeyan to open a new café, just as COVID-19 arrived and all their potential customers boarded themselves up at home. But as far as they...
Property
Tucked away at the end of a private laneway and nestled in unspoilt coastal bushland with filtered views out to the ocean, the contemporary and eco-friendly beach house at 35 Denise Drive in Lilli Pilli is attracting plenty of interest from those wanting a sea change. Blackshaw real estate agent Pat Jameson says it started life as a little holiday...