Trudy Obst, Marion Lees and Bev Sorensen
Getting ready for a big quilt auction … Trudy Obst, Marion Lees and Bev Sorensen

March 21, 2014

A high tea and quilt auction being held near Kingaroy on Saturday, March 29, will help raise funds for Beyond Blue, the national organisation devoted to combatting depression.

The event is being organised by Marion and Alan Lees, who run a combined cattle property and The Quilter’s Rest craft retreat at 562 Weens Road.

The auction will see more than 30 quilts hand-sewn by women from Brisbane, Gayndah, Millmerran, Agnes Water and the South Burnett go under the hammer.

Many of the quilts have taken more than 100 hours to create, and all of them are unique pieces that could easily become family heirlooms.

The quilts are on display at the Uniting Church Hall in Alford Street, Kingaroy – opposite Shoppingworld – from March 20-22, along with craft items (which are available to purchase). The display also has entry forms for a silent auction which will be concluded at the High Tea.

The event isn’t the first fundraiser that Marion and Alan have run.

Two years ago, the couple raised $8000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Association with a similar event.

And the year before that, they raised $6000 for a new coldroom for Meals On Wheels.

This year the couple have picked Beyond Blue because with floods – and now drought – impacting tens of thousands of people across rural Australia, they feel it’s work is particularly worthwhile.

  • Bushy’s High Tea and Charity Quilt Auction will be held from 4:00pm to 7:00pm on Saturday, March 29 at The Quilter’s Rest at 562 Weens Road, Kingaroy. Admission is $15 per head and RSVPs can be made to Marion on (07) 4162-3987 or by emailing her