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Hannah Walsh
Hannah Walsh is a multi-platform journalist based in Mackay, Queensland. She joined the ABC in 2021 and covers everything from major state healthcare issues to the weird and wonderful stories of North Queensland.
Latest by Hannah Walsh
New inquest to seek answers over suspected kidnapping, murder of Queensland schoolgirl in 1972
Marilyn Joy Wallman was 14 when she vanished from an isolated stretch of road while riding her bicycle in Mackay. More than 50 years later, her family is desperate for answers.
Parents of two-year-old girl charged with murder
Police will allege that toddler Diana Jane Hanbury was denied medical intervention from her parents which caused her death in north Queensland in 2022.
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Tropical Cyclone Kirrily crossing coast near Townsville downgraded to category two system — as it happened
By Matthew Eaton, Jessica Black and staff
Tropical Cyclone Kirrily is crossing the north Queensland coast near Townsville, with the system revised to category two — as it happened.
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Cyclone Kirrily declared with impacts expected on Queensland's coast and islands
The cyclone is currently a category one but is expected to cross the coast as a category two system on Thursday night, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
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Yachts in global race forced to bunker down at Airlie Beach as potential cyclone approaches
A mismatched bunch of thrill seekers on a world marathon sailing challenge take shelter in Northern Queensland to avoid wild weather in their path.
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Why posting on social media about crimes in your neighbourhood could backfire
By Hannah Walsh and Scout Wallen
Communities are going online to help catch alleged criminals at work in their neighbourhoods. But experts say "digital vigilantism" can land people in hot water.
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FIFO parents share their tips for families separated at Christmas
Members of families tackling shiftwork and a fly-in-fly-out lifestyle can often miss out on Christmas festivities, but with a little festival season magic, and lot of preparation, these Australians are making it work.
Police allege man threatened officers and paramedics with a knife before being shot
Police say a man who threatened them with a knife outside a hotel in Bowen this morning has been shot dead.
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North Queensland woman charged with murder over four-year-old son's death
A woman has been arrested after allegedly murdering her four-year-old child two years ago in North Queensland.
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Mysterious COVID complication leaving some sufferers unable to walk
What began as pins and needles in his feet quickly left 43-year-old Mackay man Matthew Dillon entirely dependent on his partner and unable to work.
Loved ones of military personnel killed in Taipan chopper crash could wait another year for answers
A three-month recovery mission for a defence helicopter that crashed into the sea off Queensland's Whitsunday Coast has ended, but investigations into the incident are ongoing.
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No daycare? No worries. Meet the businesses letting parents bring their bubs to work
With families battling year-long childcare waitlists, some parents in North Queensland are being thrown a lifeline by their employers.
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Daughter in custody as police investigate death of 73-year-old Queensland woman
Police found the body in a residence on a quiet Mackay street earlier today and a 55-year-old woman was taken into custody. Shocked neighbours say the occupants of the house seemed "quite friendly".
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Luxury home with star-studded history burns down on Hamilton Island
A multi-million-dollar holiday home which once hosted movie star George Clooney has been destroyed by fire that took emergency services several hours to extinguish.
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Grandmother watches killer babysitter walk free a day before 18-month-old would have turned 10
Matthew James Ireland inflicted sickening injuries on Hemi Goodwin-Burke in 2015 and pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the day his murder trial was to begin. Today he's a free man, but Hemi's family say they've got a life sentence.
Queensland man accused of robbing two sex workers at gun and knifepoint in less than a day
The 30-year-old is expected to face court today over what police allege are "serious and traumatic" crimes.
Sugar cane milk may be the next plant-based milk to hit the market. And it might even be good for you
Consumers looking for plant-based options already have an abundance of choices, from oat, almond, soy, and rice, to even macadamia milk. So, what does sugar cane milk have to offer?
After 97 years, this famous beach motorcycle race now has a women's class
It started with a group of mates, their bikes and the beach. It's taken almost a century, but the Motorcycle Beach Races now has an all-women class — and they're revving to go.
12yo charged with arson after returning to watch a blaze that destroyed a vacant Whitsunday house
Police say one child was caught after he returned to watch the blaze he allegedly lit destroy a Whitsunday house.
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Coal ship banned after inspection uncovers wage theft, coercion and mistreatment of workers
Maritime authorities acting on a tip-off from a union find conditions aboard a bulk-carrier docked at a North Queensland port to be "disgraceful".
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'Agonising toll' in push for compensation as scandal-plagued maternity hospital regains accreditation
The Mackay Base Hospital wins back part of its training accreditation after a healthcare scandal that left dozens of women permanently injured and led to the entire board's sacking.
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Meet the people stepping up to care for our most vulnerable
The National Disability Insurance Scheme workforce needs to grow by 128,000 workers in the next couple of years, and support workers are in short supply.
Mining town facing demolition may be saved by 11th-hour government intervention
The future of a Queensland mining community that was on the brink of collapse has been guaranteed after the state government announced new legislation to save the town.
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Citizen scientists capture whale songs in the Whitsundays
The giants of the sea give up their secrets to citizen scientists as tiny microphones capture the songs of humpback whales in the Great Barrier Reef.
Fears of deadly disease outbreak like 'Russian roulette with your dog' as leptospirosis vaccine shortage bites
Vet clinics say they're running out of a vaccine that protects dogs against a lethal disease. Here's what pet and working dog owners need to know.
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