Lisa Hamlyn, our Director of Community and Business Development, never wanted an office job. Sitting at a desk eight hours a day? No, thank you! So, what’s kept this outgoing former beautician in office-based roles with Quilpie Shire Council since 1994? Lisa says it’s the Quilpie Shire difference: endless opportunity, variety and the strong community connections she feels every single day.
Choosing Quilpie
It was only meant to be six weeks – a short getaway from city life, working at The Quilpie Hotel, pulling beers and taking orders. For Lisa, at a career crossroads, working in an Outback pub was an exciting adventure.
She’d never worked behind a bar before, and it showed. Yet, serving customers at the centrally located hotel proved a great way to get to know the town, and at the end of her six weeks, Lisa took the biggest leap of faith of her life. She traded her beautician job in Ipswich’s central business district for a life in Quilpie. So, what convinced her to stay?
“It was the community of Quilpie – that’s what hit me very quickly; what a cohesive and unique community it was. I got to meet a lot of people working in the hotel, and it became apparent very quickly that there was something special about Quilpie.”
Lisa’s family wasn’t convinced that she’d last long away from the nightclubs and designer shops of south east Queensland. They placed bets on when she’d return. But Lisa proved them all wrong, and she’s never regretted her decision.
What keeps her here is the community spirit, as well as the beauty of the country. It’s moments like seeing wild brolgas dancing, kangaroos hopping through the streets at dusk, and the spectacular Quilpie sunsets.
“I’m an absolute sunset tragic,” Lisa laughs. “It’s become this ritual to look out over my deck towards the west every evening, and if it’s a half-decent sunset, my camera’s always out. My sister lives in the city, and we have a bit of a competition going for the best sunset picture.
It might not surprise you to know who’s winning.
“Hands down, it’s me. I win all the time,” Lisa laughs.
A desk job with diversity
Before joining Quilpie Shire Council, Lisa never pictured herself in a desk job. She figured she’d need more variety than an office role could give her. But Lisa has found more variety at Quilpie Shire Council than she ever could have imagined.
“The work here is anything but dull. In every role I’ve had here, there’s such a diverse range of issues you deal with. It’s the environments you’re exposed to as well. You learn something new every day. It’s a very integrated organisation, so you have the opportunity to experience a lot of things you wouldn’t necessarily have the chance to in larger centres.”
In her current role as Director of Community and Business Development, Lisa’s portfolio is incredibly diverse, including everything from pest and disaster management to community funding and events. She also oversees our NDIS, library swimming pool and health promotions programs, disaster management and Visitor Information and Tourism Centre.
All this means that in the space of one day, you might find Lisa catching up with Quilpie’s Pest Management Team to get an overview of Council’s feral weed control program. From there, she might check in on the latest exhibition at the Visitor Information Centre, before wrapping up the day coordinating activities for the next big town event. The key to managing it all, Lisa says, is a supportive team and opportunities to keep learning.
“I’ve always felt very supported in my career journey here, and I’ve met a lot of very knowledgeable people who’ve mentored me. The opportunities I’ve been given here you wouldn’t necessarily expect to experience anywhere else. I’m proud to have seen Council grow from a place of work that people thought was ‘just a job’ to a place that offers career paths. I think people have started to realise that.”
Bringing out the best in community
Since Lisa moved to Quilpie, she has seen her share of natural disasters. When the rains come, the rivers can flood. Generally this means inconvenience – townships might be isolated from mail and food deliveries for several days, due to road closures.
But that all changed with unprecedented flooding in March 2025. The event significantly affected many landholders as well as the small community of Adavale, an hour’s drive from Quilpie. However, the community’s response to the disaster only reinforced why Lisa chooses to live and work in Quilpie.
“There are a lot of lessons coming out of this disaster. We’re definitely working towards how we can prepare ourselves and the community for the future. But I’ve heard over and over again from many different people, from many different government departments and organisations, how impressed they were with the way the community pulled together.”
Lisa says it was a genuine all-community effort:
“The evacuees from Adavale were met at the airport and totally looked after. People were cooking for them and gave them children’s clothes and toys. In Quilpie itself, we had people going to the coffee van and putting $100 down just for landholders coming into town and other people who were flood affected. The community support has been incredible. It’s all part and parcel of small communities, but I do believe that there is something extra special about Quilpie.”
A strong community focus is important for everyone at Quilpie Shire Council. But in Lisa’s role, especially when it comes to overseeing Council-sponsored events, it’s something she lives and breathes.
“It definitely gives you a sense of pride to know that you’ve had a hand in being able to deliver events that really lift people up. Whether it’s during drought, when we coordinate a free comedy event that makes people laugh, or just being able to give the opportunity for social inclusion when people have been out on properties. All of that, I think, is really, really special.”
