June 10, 2026
The residents of Cherbourg’s Boys Dormitory – which closed in the 1970s – would have been more than a little surprised by the visitors who filled its walls on Monday.
The former dormitory, which housed hundreds of boys in strict segregation from 1910, hosted the Premier of Queensland, David Crisafulli, and his team of 18 Cabinet Ministers for a special “Country Cabinet” meeting.
Prior to getting down to Cabinet business, the visitors enjoyed a formal welcome at The Ration Shed historical precinct which included a smoking ceremony by Cr Daniel Weazel and a performance by the Wakka Wakka dancers.
Each of the visitors was also presented with a red, black and gold footy scarf as a memento of their visit, and the Premier received one of Cherbourg’s famous boomerang, woomera and spear shields (the design adopted by Cherbourg Council as a logo) .
Premier Crisafulli presented a gift of his own … $2 million for upgrades to the Cherbourg Materials Recovery Facility, which not only services Cherbourg but also receives recyclables from across the South Burnett and elsewhere.
The Cherbourg meeting was the major part of the Country Cabinet visit to the South Burnett, which also included an afternoon tea in Kingaroy on Sunday (see separate report).
Cherbourg Elder Uncle Eric Law AM, who compered the welcoming activities, said it was a very significant day for Cherbourg.
“It’s probably something our old Elders never even thought about,” he said.
Cherbourg Mayor Bruce Simpson also thanked the Premier, Cabinet Ministers and Directors-General for coming to Cherbourg.
“This visit is significant. It gives our community visibility,” the Mayor said.
“It sends a message that our voice matters, that our future matters. And that the challenges and opportunities in small communities like ours deserve to be seen and understood up close.”
He said Cherbourg was a community that wanted to move forward “with purpose”.
“That means making sure the basic needs of our people are met: law and order, health, housing and education. These are not just ‘government words’, these are the things which affect families every day,” Mayor Simpson said.
“They shape whether our children feel safe, our Elders are cared for, whether our families can live with dignity and whether our young people can see a future.”
Mayor Simpson thanked the government for the important support Cherbourg had received with water treatment and housing, but he also called for a long-term, sustained relationship with the State Government based on honesty, respect, follow-though and shared responsibilities.
He said Cherbourg was willing to work in partnership to achieve better outcomes for its people.
Premier Crisafulli said it was an historic day many decades in the making.
“Every time I come here, I have a sense of hope, it’s a hope for the future for these young people sitting here,” he said.
The Premier hinted at future changes that could lead to Cherbourg residents owning their own homes.
“What I want is kids owning homes here and we’ve set up the legislation to enable us to do that and I want your Council to one of the first to do that,” Premier Crisafulli said.
“You owe it to yourselves. This is a proud community and you have got a proud story. Part of that means you should be able to own and control your own destiny in a community like this.”
Premier Crisafulli said he hoped that some of the children sitting there could one day become a Director-General or a Commissioner of Police or “the next Deb Frecklington”.
“That’s what success looks like,” he said.
Speaking after Cabinet, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington said it had been an historic event to have the meeting in the old Boys Dormitory.
She said the State Government was making a practical difference in Cherbourg, such as upgrades to the water treatment plant and MeRF (Materials Recovery Facility), the alternate suspension school program and extra housing.
Mrs Frecklington said these were “fantastic, practical initiatives which had been really welcomed by Mayor Simpson and his Council”.
- NB. “Ngara” means “welcome” in Wakka Wakka.
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Gallery Of Photos
The Wakka Wakka Dancers greeted visitors as they passed through the smoking ceremony and then performed a set of dances in the performance space at the rear of The Ration Shed museum.
