Mr Basil Sellers AM announced he was doubling his annual Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize to $2000 at the art prize finalists annual lunch on Tuesday 22 September held at The Point Tavern, Midge Point, Whitsundays mainland, nearby the Laguna Quays Resort.
Moreover, at this annual lunch the finalists spoke to Basil Sellers regarding broadening the geographical intake for the art prize and as a result the townships of Calen and Kuttabull have been included – Kuttabul is three quarters of the way to the city of Mackay.
The lunch table was set up with Basil Sellers at the head and two by two art finalists having 15 minutes each with Mr Sellers and then the next two moved forward – a bit like musical chairs, but it gave every finalist time with Basil Sellers to converse on art.
After the luncheon as last year's art finalists lunch, two by two had their photographs taken with Basil Sellers and then the entire party went outside for a group photograph.
Basil Sellers and I flew to Proserpine on the 8.00am flight out of Brisbane and returned on the 3.55pm flight that same afternoon. It was a last minute call for the 8.00am flight as Mr Sellers' was held up with a Gold Coast traffic accident which created huge delays. We arrived at Gate 30 on the third and final call of our names after a spring by me down the concourse.
We were collected by Midge Point's Terry McMullen (Airlie Beach and Whitsundays Real Estate) and followed the itinerary script for the day.
Basil Sellers Laguna Quays Respite cottage
The first port of call was the Basil Sellers Laguna Quays Respite cottage to inspect the newly installed hand rails front and back steps, the OHS yellow lines on all concrete slabs, the cottage's upkeep and the double car port entertainment area.
Basil Sellers sat down on one of the reading chairs and read the entries in the "Welcome Book" and noted the verses from the Psalms mission visitors had written and in particular where they wrote thanking Mr Sellers for such a place as this set aside for mission people.
Basil Sellers was then introduced to Will Pearce who put in the hand rails who lives opposite and has done these same material tasks at their local church to meet the requirements. Will explained how they met the last mission visitors and after chatting he and Margaret met for prayer.
One mission family left on the weekend, the mission family booked in had a medical emergency and could not make it while the next mission group in is on the weekend – it is a busy mission respite facility. Mission / missionary / school chaplains .... families are welcome by contacting Dr Mark Tronson timeout@bushorchestra.com 0419 917 7130419 917 713.
5 residents-for-sale survey
After a morning tea at Terry and Cathy McMullen's home, Terry then took Basil Sellers and me on a tour of the Midge Point area to look at five current residents for sale so as to provide a broad survey on what's on offer.
First was Hill House with a panoramic view of the Repulse Bay waterways. Second was a very large home with a granny flat and a huge shed which once housed two school bus coaches and situated behind The Point Tavern.
Places three to five were on the newly released Whitsunday Waters Estate, the first was a two bedroom and a one bedroom separate residences (almost akin to a duplex), the second a three bedroom family home, and the third a four bedroom place with an uninterrupted view overlooking Repulse Bay – with pool fence along the rear so as not to dampen the view.
It was to this fifth place that my wife Delma and I consider ideal as it has a small yard, little maintenance, a splendid view of Repulse Bay and ideal for our purposes as a manger's residence for the respite ministry. Dreams are wonderful things!
Art decisions for 2016
The logistics of the Basil Sellers Midge Point Art Prize will necessarily change in 2016 and these were discussed and agreed upon at a meeting post the luncheon photographs. Basil Sellers explained that for his Melbourne $100,000 Sport-Art Prize there are often over 300 entries and photographs are sent by the artists for the judges to reduce that number to a workable number of artistic works for judging.
This was kicked around and the outcome is that a day will be set aside for artists to bring their visual art works to The Point Tavern for photographing. Same camera, same background setting, same conditions. Those photographs will be sent to the independent judge outside the Mackay Shire to reduce the number to 30 and those will be bought in for physical judging.
It is from that number (30) the finalists and $2000 winner will be selected by the judge.
This is another ministry that Well-Being Australia established and then handed over to the community with willing hands to be involved. The Lord continues to bless and honour.
Well-Being Australia is a ministry that focuses on respite (Australian Institute of Sport, Cricketers and mission people), a young writers program, Country Town Tours, Art, Tourism and Environment ministries, Research and Development, Footplate Padre, Life After Cricket and more besides. Mr Basil Sellers AM has been a remarkable support of our faith financed ministry and ministry projects for almost 30 years.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html