History
EST 1922-1923
Our Story
In the aftermath of the huge loss of life in WW1 and the sacrifices made by communities around the world, the urge arose to commemorate those men and women who served. Although a small village, 43 local men and a number of local women served overseas and at home. 5 did not return.
The honour boards in the Hall today record the names of those who served.
In 1922, the community decided to raise by public subscription the funds necessary to build a School of Arts Memorial Hall. An association was formed and the land was generously donated by Isaac Andrews.
In 2023, the Mudgeeraba Hall celebrates its centenary as the cornerstone of Mudgeeraba village.
The value of the hall and what it means to the community of Mudgeeraba, Springbrook and surrounding districts is best understood by its history.
The present day hall sits on a rise overlooking the floodplain of Mudgeeraba Creek, as it flows down from the Springbrook escarpment. The traditional people of this land, the Kombumerri clan, named this land Mudgeeraba, perhaps meaning ‘low lying ground’ or ‘place of sticky mud’. In the Dreaming, the peaks of the Springbrook plateau are called Ningeroongun and Barrajanda, named after the two hunting dogs of legendary hunter called Gwayla, which are buried under the peaks.
For tens of thousands of years, Kombumerri people played music, sang and danced at Mudgeeraba corroborees, featuring instruments like possum skin drums, gum leaves and clapsticks. Early European settlers once witnessed over 600 women playing drums at a Mudgeeraba ceremony.
170 years ago, European timber getters first arrived in the district, cut tracks through the bush and floated logs downstream. After that came the squatters, who carved out huge estates on which they chiefly ran cattle. Farmland was opened up to selectors in 1869, which brought many families into the district.
In the 1890’s, the first hall was established by William Laver, adjacent to the ‘Hampshire Terrace Hotel’, near the present day Franklin Drive. This was the site of the original small village. When the hotel moved to a site opposite the then new South Coast Railway station in 1914, it became the ‘Mudgeeraba Exchange Hotel’ and is now known as the ‘Wallaby Hotel’. A hall was established next to the hotel, which hosted dances for patrons during the First World War.
After initial conflict with the European squatters and peace was established it seems that the Kombumerri initially lived alongside the selectors and worked with them on farms. Unfortunately, they were displaced from their country by the farmers and suffered from disease before being moved onto reservations away from the district from the 1920’s. Their descendants are now re-establishing language and customs which were lost.
White settlers arrived from many corners of the British Empire, religious refugees from Germany and even South Sea Islanders, some brought forcefully to work on nearby sugar plantations.
After the First World War, like many communities across the world, Mudgeeraba was motivated by the sacrifices of the local men and women who served, to erect a permanent monument to their memory. It was decided by a meeting of residents to raise the funds necessary to construct a memorial hall. Given the close connection between the communities of Mudgeeraba and Springbrook, the project became a joint undertaking.
The hall was intended not merely to memorialise, but to meet the needs of the local community for a place of community recreation, entertainment and a public library. As a School of Arts, the hall was established as an association of subscriber members with title vested in five trustees, representing the community. The founding trustees were Isaac Rankin Andrews, James Lewis Lyndon, William Henry Laver, George A Greaves and William Godfrey Rudd.
Grazier and butcher, Isaac Andrews, kindly donated the land upon which the hall was constructed and the community began in earnest the fundraising events required to cover the costs of construction.
And so the name ‘Mudgeeraba and Springbrook School of Arts Memorial Hall’ was chosen for the impressive country hall which resulted from these community endeavours. The hall was officially opened on March 1923.
The hall immediately became the social hub of the community. The working lives of these pioneer families could be harsh and unforgiving. Their chief entertainments were enjoyed at the hall, where regular dances, concerts, musical events, family celebrations, fetes, picture shows, religious services and public meetings were attended by residents of the district. The public library was operated from the hall and was patronized by subscribers and run by volunteers. A ticket office was included in the original plans and open verandahs afforded cooling breezes on hot summer nights.
The names of those served in the Great War are preserved on the Honour Board found in the hall today.
The local Show was run from the hall with field events conducted on the land opposite before it moved to the present day Showground. Racedays were held there as well.
The dances at the hall were organized by locals who contributed their modest musical talents. The verandahs were eventually closed in to create more useful space for serving of hot tea, home made sandwiches and cakes, which were heartily enjoyed by patrons. Families would attend, with gatherings of small children included, often in their pyjamas. In the early days, most patrons arrived on foot, on horseback or in horse drawn buggies and races home would provide stories for weeks to come. Manys the couple whose long lives together were sparked at those dances.
The population was boosted in the inter-war years by developments such as the extension of the South Coast Railway, public works such as the Mudgeeraba Springbrook Road, the extension of arable and grazing land by reclamation and tree clearing, the new banana growing settlement at Austinville via a Great Depression relief scheme, the creation of employment opportunities in dairying, the Merrimac Cheese Factory, sawmilling, shopkeeping, butchery and council government and works.
As the population of the district grew, so the use and patronage of the hall followed suit.
However, 16 short years from opening of the hall, the Mudgeeraba community found itself again sending its young men overseas to fight in a worldwide conflict. Local men served in every theatre and branch of service in the Second World War. They doubtless dreamt of the green fields and hills of home and the dances they were missing at the hall. The names of those who served are commemorated on another honour board in the hall today. The Mudgeeraba Robina RSL Sub-Branch, which operates from the ground floor of the hall, has a collection of memorabilia from the Second World War.
The war years saw the arrival of US troops in the build up to the Pacific campaigns looking for local entertainment and fundraising activities to support the local boys overseas.
During the postwar years, the nearby beachside suburbs were transformed by canal developments and high rises and the influx of local and international tourists.
World War II was an anxious time for family members who awaited the return of those fighting overseas. Many sacrifices were made by local families and some men would not return. The Hall contains a plaque commemorating their service.
After the war, the Hall reprised its role as the social centre of the community…church services on the weekend and regular dances and picture shows. The railway line linking to Brisbane and Tweed Heads was pulled up in the mid-sixties and cocooned the township
The village remained intact, as if frozen in time, until the 1970’s. However, as residential subdivisions sprang up around the town, the old shops which had remained unchanged for decades gave way to modern structures. All the while, the Hall, the Post Office, the ‘Little Bank’, the Wallaby Hotel and a handful of original structures and residences remained and maintained the character of the village.
In the eighties, further development shortened the distance between the city and the country…Mudgeeraba now sat on the new highway, which followed the line of the railways tracks torn up in the sixties. And with its proximity and development, the population increased dramatically with adjoining areas Robina, Worongary, Tallai and Bonogin expanding as residential development replaced the dairy and cattle farms which had characterised the area for the past century.
These trends continued without abatement into the nineties, with the Robina Town Centre and the new railway line connecting Mudgeeraba once more to Brisbane.
In fact, the village character remained reminiscent of the older times and indeed was protected by precinct planning provisions. The original 1922 Hall stood out and was well loved by the community, which made the most of it for dance, exercise and functions.
It came therefore a great shock to the community when in 1993, the seventy year old structure was destroyed by fire…coming as it did only a few months after the tragic death of local Councillor and Hall President and Trustee, John Franklin.
This was a critical episode in the history of the Hall. It could easily have spelled the end of its story.
Instead, the fire enlivened the community to work together to raise the substantial funds necessary to rebuild. The original Hall had been managed on behalf of the community by trustees and a committee. The names of many of the trustees and office bearers over the years echoed those of the original trustees…Andrews, Laver, Franklin, Rudd, Starkey, and other local families such as Panitz, Kurz and Kearney…symbolising a continuity and volunteer spirit rare in a rapidly changing city such as the Gold Coast.
A Rebuilding Committee was immediately formed which included the trustees and other volunteers.
Initially, the decision needed to be made as to the prospect of retaining the façade of the burnt structure. Engineering advice resolved that no part of the hall could be saved and so the task became one of demolition and rebuilding. There would have been a shortfall Community fundraising events were organised. A concert day was held at the showground which featured volunteer entertainers and was well attended. Burnt weatherboards were repurposed into coat hooks by local furniture maker, Bernard Trafford, and sold to the public. Local historian and artist Robyn Burrows created a drawing of the hall and copies were sold. Donations were received from businesses, community organisations such as the Rotary Club of Mudgeeraba, the Albert Shire Council, local schools families to raise the funds required to supplement the insurance proceeds. Local architect Warren Webb drew the plans. The Mudgeeraba Lions Club was invested in the project and ‘the two Kens’, in particular. Ken Tandy OAM, a local real estate agent, co-ordinated the fund raising activities and Ken Phillips AM acted as project manager for builder Berela Constructions. Many local trades and businesses generously contributed their services without charge. A generous grant was obtained from the Jupiters Casino Community Fund. Donors are listed for posterity on a board in the Hall.
The new Hall built in a style reminiscent of the original with traditional decorative features, whilst increasing the size and facilities. The rare sprung crows ash floor so conducive to dancing was replicated. A larger kitchen with modern facilities was installed. The stage was also enlarged and a lighting and sound system was incorporated. In addition, the opportunity arose after construction had begun for the extension of the project to create the ground floor ‘dugout’, as a home for an RSL Sub Branch. This paid tribute to the theme of remembrance embraced by the founders of the original hall. The Trustees of the hall took on personal responsibility for the repayment of the loan required to complete the project.
Completed in 1995, the opening ceremony demonstrated, in a practical and heartwarming fashion, the increased capacity of the new hall. Choirs and bands from all the local schools entertained a capacity crowd and a time capsule commemorating the event was placed in the front garden. The President of RSL Queensland unveiled a plaque commemorating the opening. Honour boards recognising contributors to the rebuilding effort had been installed. Poignant remembrance of the local men who served in the Great War was invoked by the retention of the fire damaged original brass plaque and a replica. Another board recognised those who served in the Second World War. These remain as an important public record of the sacrifices made by past generations, including the names of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Since that day, the hall has continued to operate as a centrepiece of community life of the town in much the same way as it always has.
Members of the Lions Club of Mudgeeraba have continued to be involved in the maintenance of the Hall and served as Trustees, along with descendants of the founders. Ken Tandy OAM served as Trustee and President for 24 years until his passing in 2017. Ken Tandy contributed countless hours to hall business, managing hirings, maintaining the building and opening and closing for events. His committee oversaw the repayment of the Trustee’s loan. Ken was awarded his OAM in consequence of his voluntary work for the hall. He was succeeded in this role by Ken Phillips AM, the same Lions Club representative who project managed the rebuild and served on the committee for 30 years. He served as President and Trustee until 2019, ensuring that the facility was efficiently maintained and operated and transitioned to an incorporated association. Bill Laver Senior AM, former Chairman of the Albert Shire Council, was a trustee for more than 50 years.
Trustee, Rob Franklin, whose great grandfather William Laver was an original 1922 trustee served as President from 2019 to 2026. Rob had previously served as honorary solicitor for the hall since the 1993 fire. The current hall manager/treasurer is Alan Duff, who continues the long tradition of his Lions Club in operation of the hall.
Recently, the hall has been undergoing an extensive upgrade with new sound system, audio visual system, air conditioning, solar power, stage curtains and the addition of a meeting room.
So just as this story began with the coming together of the First Nations people followed by newly arrived pioneers striving to build a community in their new home, so it ends with the our same community, albeit a larger and more prosperous one… a community which we have seen, over the years, overcome the adversity of wars and a catastrophic fire. With a rare independence and self-reliance, the hall still stands as a gathering place, still run in the tradition of years past, by volunteers. And in that vein, in honour of our forebears, the hall will continue to serve the community for another hundred years.
The current life members are Ken Phillips AM, Kay Morley and John Down OAM.