For over one hundred years, the Maleny Community Centre has provided facilities to residents and visitors for a wide range of activities. Located in the very heart of town, the original centre was established in the early 20th century, the result of a generous gift by one of its local residents, Mr Thomas C. Dixon.
The land on which the Maleny Community Centre stands was given to the community in 1907 by local resident Mr. Dixon, who also donated 250 pounds towards the building of a centre, intended for “public use and entertainment”. In 1908 the Maleny community responded to this generosity by creating a trusteeship, and then, under the direction of Mr. Harry Bate, pitched in to build the original timber-clad hall.
The “School of Arts” was officially opened in 1910, and for 41 years area residents enjoyed the use of that building, holding many dances, plays, “moving picture” nights, performances, public meetings, sports events and a range of other activities. The events held at the original hall were attended by hundreds of people from across the region.
In the “Maleny Show Special”, a supplement to the Nambour Chronicle published 15th May 1925, a feature article described the “instructional and educational” nature of the School of Arts, which boasted a reading room and library containing some 700 volumes. The article states that “the hall has always been made available at a cheap rate to lecturers, music and other teachers, debating and choral societies, and similar bodies.”
Sadly, the School of Arts was burnt to the ground on 25th May 1951 when fire spread from the next door café-bakery. Maleny was without a Community Hall until 1955, when construction of a new hall commenced on the same site under the direction of Mr. C. Skerman. The building which was constructed, now over 60 years old, is our present Community Centre.
Timeline
- 1907 - Mr. Thomas C. Dixon donates land and funds for a community building.
- 1908 - Construction of the original hall begins, with the community actively involved.
- 1910 - The "School of Arts" is officially opened, becoming a central gathering place.
- 1931 - Upgrade of building to show "talkies" (movies).
- 1951 - The School of Arts burnt to the ground when a fire spread from the next door cafe-bakery.
- 1955 - The construction of a new building commenced and remained for nearly 60 years.
- 2013 - The Centre underwent major renovations and upgrades to its facilities and digital technologies to enhance its offerings.
- Today - The Maleny Community Centre continues to be a self-sustaining, community-owned and operated facility, providing spaces for a wide range of activities.
‘The finest community hall between Brisbane and Gympie’
Fully Owned by the Community of Maleny
The Maleny Community Centre is a facility fully owned by the community of Maleny and administered by a volunteer management committee who are elected by the financial members of Maleny Community Centre Inc. Maleny Community Centre Inc (MCC) owns two properties both designated as Central Business District and defined by the Registrar of Titles as: Lot 10 RP 218040 (23 Maple Street) and Lot 26 RP 218040 (1 Bicentenary Lane).
In 2012 the Maleny Community Centre received a grant from the Regional Arts Development Fund to redevelop the front of the main building. Four shops were built with a large deck on the top storey and a state of the world digital technical system provided for productions such as plays, musicals, opera and musical performances. Films are held in the Main Hall regularly.
Five years previously in 2007, a fund raising campaign was conducted to raise money to renovate the back section of the main building. This was generously supported by the local community.
Many community organisations have worked cooperatively with and supported the Maleny Community Centre over the years. They include the Maleny Seniors, the Maleny branch of the QCWA and the Maleny Film Society.
The QCWA was instrumental in the reconstruction of the Hall after it was completely destroyed by fire in May 1951. The QCWA donated the proceeds from the sale of a property which they owned, to the MCC to assist with the reconstruction of the building. They used the front part of the building as their Restrooms and Library for many years and in 1993, handed over a section of this area to the Maleny Visitors Information Centre so an Information Centre could be started. A few years later in 2005, the QCWA were relocated to the “Old Scouts Hut”, which belongs to the Community Centre. They continue to meet there once a month.
The Maleny Community Centre continues to nurture this working relationship with the QCWA as both organisations share a mutual respect for each other’s operations and recognise a commonality of purpose to the extent that they each serve Maleny’s community in their respective ways.
The Old Scout Den - 1 Bicentenary Lane
The building on 1 Bicentenary Lane has had a chequered history. While there is some doubt about when it was moved there and from where it came, it has been part of the Maleny Community Centre for over 50 years. The original building was one storey and an underneath section was added. In 1998, the Flexi School occupied the upper floor with the Scout Den being downstairs. In 2003 the building was closed until 2007 when the upstairs area was renovated and has since been occupied by tenants and more recently houses the MCC office.
Over the years various MCC Management Committees have considered alternative uses of the site and to date, mainly because of cost considerations, nothing has resulted.
MCC commercially rents the top floor of the building and also uses it as our office. The lower level functions as a meeting room for community groups.
During 2021 we commenced work to make the building habitable, by replacing the roof and installing gutters at a cost of $12,000 which was funded by MCC.
Further work to make the building compliant with Workplace Health and Safety standards by replacing the rear steps and deck and upgrading the external lighting has recently been completed. An adjoining structure was removed, the external cladding was repaired, the building repainted and landscaping the site will improve its overall appearance.
