The Royal Flying Doctor Service Near and Far Auxiliary is starting the year with a $20,000 head start thanks to the generosity of Weipa. Photo: Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Weipa’s generosity has put more than $20,000 in the bank for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Near and Far Auxiliary.
Auxiliary member Sam Nolan’s annual charity event, League of Lemons, managed to raise a whopping $14,000 for the service, which has been a lifeline at one point or another for many in the remote region.
A donation of $3527.65 from the Running of the Bulls event and $3190 from Bramwell Roadhouse brought the total to $20,717.65 in a strong start to 2026.
Former RFDS Near and Far Auxiliary president Susanne Gane, who stepped down this year but is remaining active in fundraising, said the group was blown away by the figure.
“I’ve lived in Weipa for 30 years, so it doesn’t surprise me that the town is that generous, but it still amazes me in the circumstances and the way life is at the moment,” she said.
“Whether in a mining town or not, there’s still struggles for people, so to put their hand in their pocket for something like that is amazing.”
Ms Gane said fundraising was a vital aspect of the service, with an RFDS plane costing more than $2000 an hour to be in the air when including fuel and the pilot’s and medical staff wages.
She added that the funds also went towards on-board equipment, which all had to be made to fit the size and weight limits of the plane.
“Flying Doctors is the main lifeline out of Weipa in a medical emergency; my husband has used it, and my children and grandchildren have used it,” she said.
“Once you’ve used the service, I think you’re more aware of what they actually do for you.
“A lot of people didn’t know about the Near and Far Auxiliary for a long time, so when I went back up to Weipa, one of the big things was to spread the word that if we can bank the money into our auxiliary, we get a say in where that money goes in North Queensland.”
Ms Gane said larger donations such as the ones from the three groups were extremely helpful in what was a shrinking volunteer scene.
“Our auxiliary consists of a lot of elderly people; we have about 80 members, but there’s probably only 10 that are active, and that’s in our area,” she said.
“What’s great about the Running of the Bulls, the League of Lemons, Bramwell Roadhouse and people giving us bigger donations is our auxiliary doesn’t have to work so hard for a little money.
“We might make $3000 on a raffle, but it takes us three months because we’ve got to get it together, then we’ve got to sit and sell the tickets, and volunteers are few and far between these days.”
