Article provided by Rick Stoker

Jenny Hill was a primary school principal in a southern state, who along with her former husband sought a more acceptable climate.  

They arrived in Port Douglas in 1993 and following adversities on both sides of the family, went their separate ways.  

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With her ideas for a house designed for local conditions, Jenny purchased a block of land in Port and presented her plans to a builder.  

It won the Far North Tropical Home Design Award, for 1994.

Ms Hill obtained High School teaching qualifications and became a special adviser to eight schools which required travelling 780kms and working 70 hours a week, implementing programmes to integrate disabled and impaired students into normal classrooms. 

Ever community minded, Jenny was a committee member of The Port Douglas & District Combined Club (The Tin Shed) for 20 years and its President from 2010 to 2012 inclusive.  Since 2007, she’s been a volunteer at the Neighbourhood Centre, concerned mainly with family support.  

For each of those years, she’s been involved with their Carnivale Parade entry which has won ‘Best Float’ six times.  With her teaching skills surfacing, Jenny also teaches crafts at the Centre and has done so for seven years.

Jenny jumped in and organised local interest in the Port Douglas Commercial Fishermen’s Association where she remains the secretary.

Jenny has been a volunteer with the SES for 10 years, and received a Volunteer of the Year Award on behalf of Far North Queenslanders Volunteers Inc.

On behalf of The Combined Club, she manages the Australia Day Yacht Races. 

Her desire is to continue serving the community which she has come to dearly love.