By Jenel Hunt
Motorists drive past it almost without noticing. The once bright black paint on the corrugated iron wall is still there, proclaiming ‘Queensland Fruitgrowers’ Society Ltd Suppliers of All Orchardists’ Requisites’. But in truth the requisites haven’t been there for nigh on 30 years.
It’s one of those buildings that has been in Stanthorpe for so long that despite being quite imposing when you look directly at the structure, it otherwise blends into the landscape.
Situated in the Queensland Railway precinct at Davadi Street, the old building has been in decline for decades despite its Heritage listing with both Queensland Rail and the Southern Downs Regional Council.
But murmurings about saving the old girl have been growing ever stronger and late last year Artworks Granite Belt made the brave decision to reverse the slow slide into decay and start the arduous project of bringing the old QFS back to life for a new beginning as a meeting place and artworks hub.
Many, many people said the place was beyond repair, but some people are born optimists. One of them is Barbara Bowyer, secretary of Artworks Granite Belt (which has its home at the Stanthorpe Railway Station) and a member of its smaller QFS Restoration Sub-Committee.
She and fellow member Carol Parkinson are even more enthused about the project after receiving a visit last week from Heritage Strategist from Queensland Rail, Peter Osborne and a consulting architect.
“There won’t be any money forthcoming from QR but we had a very productive meeting,” said Barbara.
“In terms of the information we got from them, we’re greatly encouraged about the changes we want to make both to the interior and exterior. We discussed prospective plans and requirements like heritage approval that would be needed for any changes we might want to make. It was very promising. Of course, there’s paperwork at every step of the way, but you have to expect that with a Heritage building.“
There will also be hoops to jump through with Southern Downs Regional Council as they will be putting in an application for a Material Change of Use.
In the meantime, a small team has had a working bee last weekend to move some of the dirt of decades from the building, clean up broken glass and generally just tidy up.
The big corrugated iron and timber structure has stood there since the 1930s. Although it can only trace its history to 1933 and 1936 when it was first rebuilt after a fire and then extended, the story goes back to the previous century when groups of farmers formed co-operatives to help market their produce and gain other group benefits. One of the most successful of these co-ops was started in Woombye and it morphed into the Queensland Fruitgrowers Society. The Artworks Granite Belt website describes it like this:
“The railway line to Stanthorpe, which opened in 1881, was a significant benefit in the early years of the 20th century to the burgeoning fruit industry.
“In 1921-22 the QFS ran special fruit trains from Stanthorpe. In 1924, the Labor Government introduced wide-ranging legislation in relation to agriculture, and in order to establish a more efficient State-wide system of marketing, they introduced a Committee of Direction of Fruit marketing (COD). The QFS was heavily involved in consultation and served on the board. In 1931, the QFS leased the land within the railway precinct in order to build a store and facilitate loading of produce on to trains.”
The QFS building is the last of its kind to still stand on railway property.
The space inside is enormous and the possibilities are almost endless … art displays, workshops, historical displays, community meeting places, pop-up shops and undercover markets.
Barbara said one of the most important considerations was the restoration of the building’s exterior to safety standards.The truth is, if restoration doesn’t happen soon it really will be too late.
The building needs restumping, and the committee is raising funds as it can, asking for help from the community and writing grant applications.
“We’re in the process of sending emails out to members of the community asking for funds. Please give generously!” said Barbara.
Artworks has a dedicated bank account for the QFS restoration project and people can get the bank details for electronic funds transfer donations by ringing Barbara on 0438 845 624.
