September 15, 2016
The Kingaroy Arts and Heritage Precinct received an unusual present on Thursday: a framed tapestry created by former Kingaroy Rotary Club member Martin Boettcher.
Martin, who lived in Kingaroy for about five years, came to the region with his wife Emma to work at the Tarong Power Stations.
Not knowing anyone in the town, he joined Rotary.
Soon the couple were holding regular Wednesday night dinners for up to 17 people, which quickly became highly sought-after events.
At the dinners, Martin and Emma used to place a pink “polio pig” on the table to receive donations for Rotary International’s campaign to eradicate polio.
Within a few short years the couple’s dinners raised more than $9000 towards the cause, a figure that was doubled with a matching donation towards the campaign by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
In his spare time – when he wasn’t working or helping out at Rotary events – Martin used to create tapestries as a hobby.
And for an 18-month period in 2013-14, he put all his energies into creating one special tapestry he intended to give to the town to thank Kingaroy residents for the kindness and consideration they had shown the couple during their stay.
Martin and Emma have now left the region to pursue their careers.
But true to his wishes, the Kingaroy Rotary Club had Martin’s tapestry framed.
And on Thursday, they presented it to Fiona Kemp, the manager of Kingaroy’s Arts and Heritage Precinct.
The rear of the tapestry carries this note from its creator:
This tapestry was made in 2013/14 by Martin Boettcher to thank the people of Kingaroy for opening your hearts and welcoming us to town. It is a gift to the town and is never to be sold or given away. It belongs to the people of Kingaroy.
The framing was kindly sponsored by the Rotary Club of Kingaroy of which I was a member the past five years. I hope the people of Kingaroy will have years of pleasure from this artwork.
Fiona said she intends to mount the tapestry on a wall in the Kingaroy Heritage Museum.
