August

Message from the President

Hello everyone
It's great to see the Museum coming alive again with more events and children's activities. Science Day was fabulous, enjoyed by many children and volunteers. Our Photograph Collection is extensive and we have included some in this edition on local community halls.  Welcome to our new members and volunteers. We have our AGM on Tuesday 1st September so this is my final Recollection's message.  Being President has been an enjoyable privilege. I look forward to catching up with you at the AGM.

Take care.
Tony Spinks

WHAT'S ON 

MATINEE PERFORMANCE ON SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER IS SOLD OUT!

School Holiday Activity Packs

As the school holiday activity packs were so successful in the June - July school holidays, we have included them again these School Holidays to accompany the workshops to be held at the Museum.  These wonderful activity packs can be purchased when booking a place at the workshop or on their own and collected from the Museum during the holidays. Each pack includes a "One child's free general entry pass" to the Museum.  These packs are $6.00 each and can be purchased online or at Reception.

Create your own unique dot painted plaque or wand design, with 5 high-quality wooden plaque/wand designs to choose from:

• Mini Surfboard plaque
• Koala plaque
• Fairy Wand
• Oyster Shell Wand
• Trident Wand

Each pack includes:

• wooden plaque/wand
• 3 (variety) colour water paints
• Cotton buds
• Glitter
• One free child's General Admission pass to Redland Museum

CONTINUING EXHIBITION

MARINE MASTERY 
 by Don Braben

The exhibition ‘MARINE ARTISTRY’ will be on display during August and September.

It celebrates International Merchant Navy Day which falls annually on 3rd September.

The exhibition comprises marine paintings on loan from Victoria Point artist Don Braben, together with artifacts from the Queensland Maritime Museum where Don is Honorary Curator.

Don is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Marine Artists. His works are in collections in Australia and overseas and feature in many books and publications.

After graduating with a Masters degree in art he left Merseyside and taught in Nigeria, Zambia, Canada and Australia where he became Lecturer in Art at Griffith University.

TOYS 

Museum volunteer, Artie Rentoul, occupied himself during the COVID-19 lock-down by making wooden toys.  He donated them to the Museum shop to sell, with all proceeds going back into the Museum.   If you would like to purchase any, please see Jill at Reception.

Toys for sale
- Helicopter $14
- Cars large & small $13
- Money Boxes $15
- Trucks $18

SCIENCE DAY - 10 August

On a beautiful winter's day, 147 adults and children joined the many Museum volunteers for Science Day.  Rocket Man, Ross Bower, drew a crowd of excited children to watch "the plastic bottle" rocket go into the sky then run to catch it as it came down.  The Wildlife Preservation Society spoke to children on their activities.  Blacksmith, Martin Rayner, drew gasps from children as he demonstrated an air pressure drum crusher experiment and Kevin Lucas "zapped" children with a little electric current. These were just a few of the many experiments demonstrated and Rod Burke kept us COVID safe by regular cleaning. Thank you to everyone involved in making our first event since COVID-19 lockdown a fun day.

LAMB ISLAND HALL

MOUNT COTTON HALL 

REDLAND BAY SCHOOL OF ARTS HALL 

The Redland Bay School of Arts Hall was built in 1889 on land donated by Doig and Harlen.  It was officially opened on 12 July 1889.  The hall was used for local community functions and also housed a library of over 500 books.  An open day, on Saturday 10 August 1889, was a gala occasion with a public afternoon tea for over 100 people and a public meeting and concert in the evening with guests attending from local and adjoining areas. 

William J. Nuttall, the Hon Secretary of the School of Arts committee wrote to the Colonial Secretary on 26 June 1890 advising that Beale & Co had generously donated 52 guineas for a piano for the hall.  The hall  was also used for electioneering speeches and local meetings related to the fruit growing industry in the area.   There were many fund raising events including a fancy dress ball in 1903  which netted proceeds of 4 pounds  which was given to the city ambulance, one in 1904 in support of the Hospital Aid Association and another in 1914 raising 60 pounds for the Patriotic Fund.  A farewell was held at the hall for Mr A. Hurwood and Mr P. Hornibrook when they set off with the Australian Cricket team to tour England in 1933.

The hall was demolished in the mid-1990s. (Redland Museum P01852)

THORNLAND DANCE PALAIS HALL 

Members of the Thornlands Hall Society Inc hand over the Hall to Mayor Eddie Santagiuliana on behalf of Redland Shire Council in 1997.  (Redland Museum P01846)

The Thornland Dance Palais Hall was constructed in 1938, opening in December that year to a crowd of 600 people.  The original 2 acre site was donated by the Langdon family who were local farmers. From the late 1930s the hall was the social centre of the Thornland district with Saturday night dances, fetes, public meetings and euchre (card game) evenings.  Fund raising events were held during World War 11 to raise funds for the war effort.  During this time, the Saturday night dances were also attended by American soldiers stationed in the district.

The extensive grounds included tennis courts installed in 1950 but demolished in 1971. The Saturday night dances became less popular but new activities began. The unused land was eventually sold for residential development.  In 1997, the hall and its land was formally gifted to the Council and remains in use as a public hall.

EDGAR HARLEY HALL 

The Edgar Harley Pavilion, Redland Showgrounds at Cleveland, in 1952 (Redland Museum P00218)

This Hall was originally constructed c1890 as Cleveland's first School of Arts Hall.  School of Arts buildings were important educational hubs in the 19th and 20th centuries as community centres, libraries and venues for public lectures.  The building was originally located in Shore Street North on Cleveland Point (see photo below left). The Cleveland Agricultural Horticultural and Industrial (A.H.&I.) Society held its first agricultural show in 1904 in the hall and grounds.  About 1929, a new School of Arts building was constructed and the old building became solely the show pavilion.

New showgrounds were selected in the early 1950s and the old School of Arts building was moved there in 1952 where it remained the main pavilion.  It was renamed the Edgar Harley Pavilion in recognition of Edgar Harley, a long-serving secretary of the show society.  As the show expanded, the Pavilion was removed from the showgrounds to its current location on Smith Street in 2008. It is now used primarily as a band hall.
(Reference:  Redland City Council Heritage Card No. 5)

The editors, Sharon Vassallo and Sylvia McGarry, will endeavour to provide you with articles about items in our Collection and historical facts on the Redlands.  But we would like to hear from members.  What would you like for inclusion?  Do you have a story to tell? 

The newsletter will continue to be sent at the end of each month (except for December which maybe earlier). Editors can be contacted at recollections@redlandmuseum.org.au