🚀 Orbital Rocket Shipped From The GC | Virtual Doctors Acquired | Digital Classroom Disruptors | Vegemite's 100th birthday and more!
Today’s newsletter is 1280 words: 4.5 minute read.
Happy Thursday, October 26, a few days before Halloween falls on October 31 👻
🤔 Did you know!? During the 18th century, single ladies devised Halloween traditions that were supposed to help them meet their romantic match.
According to History.com, women used to throw apple peels over a shoulder, hoping to see their future husband’s initials in the pattern they made when they landed.
When bobbing for apples at parties, the winner would supposedly marry first.
Most spookily, they even used to stand in a dark room, holding a candle in front of a mirror to look for their future husband’s face to appear in the glass.
Creeepy 🎃
In today’s email
Australian Orbital Rockets: Shipped from the GC over 1,000km of road to takeoff
$25m Digital Doctors: Acquired by Burleigh Heads Cannabis parent company Vitura
Digital Classroom Disruptors: Euka's Virtual Learning Revolution
Trending: Let the L platers be
Around The Web (Snippets): HECS debts to be wiped for thousands, Vegemite’s 100th birthday, our 80,000 unused mines, a Broadbeach $m lottery winner that doesn’t know it yet and more!
Councillor’s Corner
Upcoming Events
GC Weekend Weather and Surf (pumping!)
Live Gold Coast Housing Price Index
1. One Big Thing: Australia's First Orbital Rocket Navigates Bruce Highway
What's Happening?
Gold Coast's own Gilmour Space Technologies is preparing to launch Australia's first-ever orbital rocket, but it has to travel over 1,000 kilometres up the Bruce Highway to the takeoff zone.
Why It Matters
If it all goes to plan, this isn't just a leap for Australia's space industry; it's a giant leap for the Gold Coast, hopefully putting us on track to one day in the ranks of world-renowned space hubs.
Zoom In
A 25-metre rocket with three-stage engines needs to be shipped
Scheduled launch in December
1,200 km journey from the Gold Coast to Bowen Orbital Spaceport
The Big Picture
The transportation bit isn't a smooth ride:
Four test trips were conducted using concrete blocks fitted with sensors
Gilmour reported hundreds of G forces due to potholes
After multiple foam prototypes for suspension, they found one they were happy with
If successful, this 11-year effort not only puts Australia in the space game but also transforms the Gold Coast into a potential hub for space technology, bringing jobs and innovation to the area.
What the People Say
Adam Gilmour states, "The first launch of any rocket company is very risky."
"Our aim is to sensor this up—we have more than 400 on the rocket."
"If it goes all the way into orbit, it will be the first time a new rocket company has ever done that."
What To Look For Next
Watch out for the Eris rocket’s maiden voyage this December.
A successful launch could change the course of space exploration from Australia and turn the Gold Coast into the country's own Cape Canaveral.
2. From Cannabis to Virtual Consults: Vitura's Digital Health Power Play
What’s Happening?
Vitura Health is morphing into Australia's next big diversified digital health company with its latest acquisition of Brisbane-based Doctors on Demand for $25 million.
Why It Matters
The acquisition further establishes Vitura as a diversified digital health powerhouse, providing an array of services beyond its businesses, like its medicinal cannabis operation right here on the Gold Coast.
Zoom In
The acquisition brings several perks for Vitura, including entry into new healthcare verticals such as urgent care, men's and women's health, and more.
Vitura reported a net profit of $13.8 million in FY23, a 128% increase from the previous year.
Doctors on Demand consults are privately billed at $60-$90, depending on the time and day, generating significant revenue.
The deal will close on October 26, 2023.
Doctors on Demand has been serving approximately 280,000 patients annually through its network of over 120 medical practitioners.
The company also has significant service agreements with Australia’s major health insurers.
The Big Picture
For Gold Coast locals and other areas of Australia, this means a new healthcare option from the company will be just a click away.
With Doctors on Demand's South Brisbane base less than an hour from Vitura's Gold Coast operations, expect the telehealth services to be more seamlessly integrated into the local healthcare landscape.
What the People Say
Vitura CEO Rodney Cocks called the acquisition a 'significant milestone'.
"This supports and assists our sustainable growth and profitability," Cocks says.
What To Look For Next
Keep an eye out for expanded service offerings from Doctors on Demand, including potential services like the ability to purchase medications directly post-consult.
3. Education Disrupted - Euka's Virtual Learning Revolution
Pioneering Pandemic Pedagogy
Gold Coast's Brett Campbell takes the helm at Euka Future Learning, and here's why local parents should take note.
What's Happening?
With the rise of homeschooling as a pandemic legacy, Euka Future Learning is charting an unparalleled growth trajectory.
170% increase in revenue since 2021
Supports 13,000 students across Australia
Expanded workforce from 5 to 50 employees
Why It Matters
Gold Coast-based Campbell is now steering Euka's direction, suggesting a ripe opportunity for local families to tap into innovative learning pathways.
Zoom In
Since Campbell's involvement, Euka has diversified its focus to target international students aiming for Australian tertiary education.
NAPLAN scores for homeschooled students are 70 marks higher than the state average
Euka students can earn up to $30,000 in part-time work while still in school
The Big Picture
The Euka curriculum focus is not just about ticking boxes; it incorporates real-world experiential learning.
What the People Say
"COVID-19 has exposed families to the benefits of homeschooling when other options aren’t viable, and Euka is at the forefront," says Campbell.
"Homeschooling allows unique experiences like extended travel without compromising on education."
"Our program only requires 90 to 120 minutes of daily school work."
What To Look For Next
Beyond its national footprint, Euka is ramping up international partnerships that don't necessitate raising capital, positioning the business well to maintain increased growth and, who knows, maybe more local job opportunities.
4. Trending
5. Around Web (Snippets)
Tastes Like Australia: The spread that could, Vegemite (GC Minute office favourite), proudly made in Australia since 1923, turns 100 years old!
HECS debts to be wiped: For 14,000 Aussies from 104 different higher education institutions due to record-keeping error
Mystery $1.8m lotto: Won by someone in Broadbeach a few days ago, but they still haven’t come forward to claim it yet, so it’s likely they don’t know
Microsoft invests $5b into Australia: With the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD)Â and launch its first Datacentre Academy
Coachella-style fest for Sunny Coast: Unveiled by the Comiskey Group to launch by 2025
80,000 unused mine sites: Across the country present a massive opportunity to help prOctober 28store renewable energy
Councillors’ Corner
Div 14 | Currumbin, TallebOctober 28gun and Coolangatta | Cr Gail O'Neill
Div 6 | Southport | Cr Brooke Patterson
Upcoming Events
GC 500 Supercars: 27-29 October with tickets and details here
AFLW Gold Coast Suns vs. Giants: 27 October and a must-win match for the girls!
NRL Beach Touch Summer Series: 28 October 29urrawa Beach
Australia’s Largest Live School eSports Gathering: 28 October with Fuse eSports Festival at Emmanual College in Carrara
🎃 Halloween Hustle: 28 October, a run in the dark Nerang Forest... what a perfect way to enjoy Halloween! Get into the spirit and dress up for a spooktacular running night!
The Annual Cavalier Catch Up: 29 October, for the first time since 2019, and back by popular demand, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rescue Queensland will be hosting the Cavalier Catch Up!
Asia Pacific Screen Forum: November 1-4, local filmmakers, APSA Award nominees and international delegates will connect through a series of panels and presentations, roundtable discussions and networking events.
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