The inaugural meeting of community members spearheading the long-awaited restoration of the much-loved Queensland Fruitgrowers Store building on Davadi Street, has been held at Artworks at the Stanthorpe Heritage Railway Precinct.
This building holds a significant place in the history of fruit growing and farming on the Granite Belt.
Many residents have personal memories of the store in its heyday, the wonderful ordinary stories that give it its heart and character.
Over the years since it ceased to be in use, those memories have lingered and now there is the opportunity, thanks to Artworks, to restore this building to the heart of the community.
Once the building is made safe it can become many things, a meeting place, an event venue, pop-up shops, shared office spaces and a storehouse of its history.
Financing the restoration has begun with Artworks securing the lease to the building from QR and the commitment of the Artworks Committee to work towards restoration of the QFS building to acknowledge the rich history and culture of our region.
The seed investment from Artworks garnered from the hard work of the Café volunteers will kickstart the journey of returning this building back to the community.
The project is supported by local and state government, as well as Whistlestop Gardens and the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery Society. Many local residents are very supportive of this project and have offered memories and photographs.
The committee welcomes the news of a $5000 grant from Nutrien Harcourts under the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal.
The restoration committee of Barbara Bowyer, Mary Findlay, Anna Purvis, Michelle Conkas, Jim Barnes, Russell Wantling, Jenny Sherrin, Carol Parkinson and Mary Rofe are applying for grants to further finance this project.
The task of supporting this project has been made easier with a separate audited account being started with the Stanthorpe Community Bank to accept funds.
The community can also contribute through a crowdfunding campaign in the near future.
News of the restoration launch has already generated much interest from locals, the community is responding, and the organisers are excited about the prospect of completing this project under the 5-year time period allotted by the lease from Queensland Rail.
For more information, please contact Barbara on 0468 879 081
