{"id":370122,"date":"2026-03-13T12:22:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T02:22:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=370122"},"modified":"2026-03-16T21:11:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T11:11:22","slug":"a-century-of-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2026\/03\/13\/a-century-of-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"A Century Of Memories"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Key organisers of the celebration included Gympie Regional Council’s Jacqueline Briggs and Goomeri’s Phyllis Hopf OAM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

March 13, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Current and former Goomeri residents filled the Goomeri Hall Of Memory to overflowing on Saturday to mark the centenary of the Heritage-listed building.<\/p>\n

The celebration was organised by the Goomeri Hall of Memory Committee with support from the Gympie Regional Council.<\/p>\n

Visitors had the opportunity to browse memorabilia and photographs from the hundreds of events that have been held at the hall as well as share memories over lunch.<\/p>\n

A special guest was Joseph Keen, from Hervey Bay, who was playing old-time music on the hall’s piano.<\/p>\n

Joseph’s grandmother, Elizabeth Keen, was one of the pianists who played at the many dances held in the hall during World War II.<\/p>\n

Australian and New Zealand troops, who flocked to the dances, were camped on the Keens’\u00a0 property near Goomeri.<\/p>\n

Its wartime role was fitting as the Hall Of Memory was originally dedicated to the memory of the district residents who had served in World War I.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The building has been extended and modified several times over the years, but its history actually stretches back to Nanango.<\/p>\n

Gympie Regional Council’s “Heritage Trails” website records that members of the recently chartered Goomeri RSL Sub-Branch immediately began working on the project in 1926.<\/p>\n

A public meeting was held in March 1926 and a Building Committee – consisting of J.T.C Mayne, J.E. Stanton, C.A. Wimberley, A.W. Maudsley and T.M. Wise – was authorised to obtain land and a building.<\/p>\n

The committee bought an existing timber store from Cuthbert Butt at Nanango.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Local residents, including Percy Perrett, helped with the removal and prepared the building site; Arthur Kopp and Bill Toop re-erected the building which was ready by May 1926 and officially opened on July 28.<\/p>\n

It has been a key part of the town’s social life ever since … serving as a picture theatre, ballroom, concert venue, meeting room and much, much more.<\/p>\n

A crow’s ash floor was laid for dancing and the building was painted.<\/p>\n

The under area of the building was later enclosed,\u00a0 a large supper room and kitchen added in 1931, and more extensions opened in 1940 and 1946.<\/p>\n

During the World War II, the basement area was used to store tonnes of emergency supplies for the area in case of Japanese invasion.<\/p>\n

After the war, this area was partitioned as clubrooms for the RSL.<\/p>\n

Kilkivan Shire Council took over responsibility for the hall in 1971, with this passing to Gympie Regional Council after council amalgamations in 2008.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig with local councillor Warren McEwan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Attendees at the celebration posed for a group photo after lunch, recreating a photo from the original opening
(Photo: Charmaine Lyons Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
A photograph possibly taken of the crowd at the official opening of the building in 1926<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Well-known Goomeri residents Phyllis Hopf OAM and David Pitstock cut the cake (Photo: Charmaine Lyons Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The special Goomeri Hall Of Memory centenary Cake (Photo: Charmaine Lyons Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Ex-Goomeri resident Joseph Keen, now from Hervey Bay, was playing old-time songs on the hall’s piano<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Goomeri Show Society president David Pitstock with Ross Williamson, from Goomeri<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Robyn Barsby, from Tansey Bowls Club, with well-known local agronomist Paul McIntosh, son of former Kilkivan mayor, the late Alec McIntosh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Graham Knight and Fay Thompson, from Gympie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Goomeri “Pumpkin Fairy” Penny Ruthenberg with Ruth Chamberlayne, from Big Tuan (near Maryborough) … the pair went to school, boarding at the former Graham House Student Hostel in Murgon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Richard and Maureen Irving and Sandy Hoffman, from Murgon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Former Gympie Deputy Mayor Hilary Smerdon with ex-Goomeri resident Dennis Cotter, former Kilkivan Shire councillor Harvy Dascombe and current GRC Division 6 councillor Cr Warren McEwen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Current and former Goomeri residents enjoyed a two-course lunch at the centenary celebration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

[UPDATED]<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Current and former Goomeri residents filled the Goomeri Hall Of Memory to overflowing on Saturday to mark the centenary of the Heritage-listed building.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":370123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,3],"tags":[100],"yoast_head":"\nA Century Of Memories - southburnett.com.au<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Current and former Goomeri residents filled the Goomeri Hall Of Memory to overflowing on Saturday to mark the centenary of the Heritage-listed building.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2026\/03\/13\/a-century-of-memories\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Century Of Memories - 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