Australia Wide First Aid (AWFA) is so excited to announce that our Gympie training location has moved to Gympie RSL, a veritable stalwart of the local social, cultural, and dining scenes.
Our new Gympie training location will nicely complement our mammoth list of Queensland (QLD) training locations – across the ‘Sunshine State’, we now have over 20 training locations, including Coolangatta, Bundaberg, and the Brisbane CBD.
Today, we will be looking at the history of Gympie RSL and its significance in the Gympie region. We will also be exploring the history of AWFA in QLD, and what you can expect from an AWFA first aid training course.
The History of AWFA in QLD
Here at AWFA, we have been delivering industry-leading and nationally accredited first aid training since 1996.
From the outset, it has been our mission to make it easier for people Australia wide to learn first aid, and to contribute to the safety and wellbeing of communities throughout the country.
In the span of just 25 years, we have established over 75 training locations across Australia. And though we are headquartered in Brisbane, we have training locations in all the capital cities.
Approximately 25 of our training locations are concentrated in QLD alone. As with all our training locations, our QLD training locations are primed for our customers’ comfort and convenience, and to facilitate the learning process:
Parking and transport
Most of our QLD training locations have onsite parking or, at the very least, available parking that is only a stone’s throw away. In any case, all our QLD training location can be reached by public transport.
Facilities
Our QLD training locations are styled in the way of spacious, open-planned classrooms and are kitted out with comfortable seating, drinking water, amenities, and hygiene measures in line with current infection controls.
We know that students learn best when they aren’t distracted by niggling thoughts like, “when was this manikin last cleaned?”, which is why we work tirelessly to prepare and maintain our QLD training locations for your ‘peace of mind’.
Trainers
We pride ourselves on working with trainers who have a wealth of personal and professional experience in first aid situations, and a delightful personality to boot.
Our trainers are industry leaders who wield their real-world experiences and penchant for health and wellbeing to instil their students with the skills and confidence to assist in any medical emergency.
Gympie
As we mentioned earlier, our new Gympie training location will be based at Gympie RSL, which has been playing an integral part in the Gympie community since 1919.
Gympie itself formed an important role in shaping Queensland into what it is today. Here are some interesting facts about Gympie’s vibrant history:
- Gympie was founded in 1867 after James Nash, a prospector, discovered ‘payable’ alluvial gold at the site where town hall now stands.
- At the time of Nash’s discovery, Queensland was experiencing a severe economic depression due to drought and a fall in wool prices. Nash’s discovery has subsequently been credited with saving Queensland from bankruptcy, which is why Gympie is sometimes colloquially regarded as the ‘Town that Saved Queensland’.
- Located 160 kilometres north of Brisbane in the Wide Bay-Burnett District, Gympie derives its name from the Gubbi Gubbi word gympie-gympie, which refers to Dendrocnide moroides. Dendrocnide moroides, otherwise known as ‘stinging tree’, belongs to the nettle family and comprises large, round leaves that are known for inflicting an extremely painful and long-lasting sting.
- Gympie was only named ‘Gympie’ in 1868. Prior to that, the city was named Nashville in honour of James Nash.
- Although Gympie originally found its footing as a gold mining hub, it is now an important regional centre for servicing the surrounding agricultural district. It is also home to the Gympie Muster, an Australian music festival that started in 1982 as a community fundraiser and that continues to distribute profits to worthwhile community groups and charity partners.
More information about Gympie's history can be found on the Aussie Towns website.
Gympie RSL
Founded in 1919, Gympie RSL exists at the figurative heart of the Gympie region.
Since its inception, Gympie RSL has been supporting the wellbeing, care, and compensation of current and retired Defence Force members, their families, and other vulnerable people in the Gympie community.
As such, Gympie RSL has a wealth of modern facilities to bring the community together and encourage conversation, mateship, and an appreciation for the finer things in life that money can’t buy – friends, family, and good food!
Some of the facilities on offer at Gympie RSL include:
So, once you’ve finished your first aid course, you can celebrate with a cheeky lamb cutlet in the Atrium Bistro, or a decadent loaded shake at the Rendezvous Café!
What to Expect from First Aid Training
Here at AWFA, our primary objective is to help you become a confident and effective first aider.
As such, our first aid courses are split into two digestible chunks – an online eLearning component, and face-to-face assessed training.
The online eLearning component must be completed at least the night before your first aid course. It is a multiple-choice quiz that you can attempt as many times as you need. You’ll be supported through your learning with our free First Aid eBook, which we’ve curated with plenty of explanatory text and images.
Once you’ve breezed through the online quiz, you will put your knowledge to the test under the guidance and support of an experienced AWFA trainer. The face-to-face assessed training will encompass a variety of first aid principles, including how to perform CPR, how to use an AED, and how to treat and bandage different stings, bites, breaks, and burns.
Our trainers are not just available to demonstrate proper first aid principles - they will check your technique to ensure that you leave the classroom with absolute clarity on how to manage different emergency scenarios.
Final Thoughts
Our Gympie training location has moved to Gympie RSL, and we could not be more excited.
Gympie RSL forms an important part of the Gympie region and has been supporting local veterans and their families since 1919. It has also dedicated its facilities to encouraging mateship throughout the wider community.
AWFA has a long history in QLD, and all our QLD training locations are primed for our students’ comfort and convenience, and to facilitate the learning process. We have plenty of on-site parking and amenities, as well as strict hygiene measures in line with current infection controls.
What’s more, our trainers are industry leaders who use their expansive professional and personal experiences to help our students become the most effective first aiders possible.
Your first aid training course at Gympie RSL, together with the online eLearning component, will no doubt instil you with the confidence and know-how to assist in any crisis. Head to our website to book your first aid training course today.
