The Beaudesert Centenary was celebrated with a festival that commenced on September 27, with the Bells and Beaux of St Mary’s dance and ended with a Combined Church Service of Thanksgiving at the Civic Centre on October 20.
The majority of events took place between October 12 and 20.
To look back at the program is to gain a snapshot of Beaudesert at the time.
The main program commenced on October 12, with the unveiling of a plaque in front of the Civic Centre by the Premier, the Hon J Bjelke-Peterson who later officially opened the celebrations.
This was followed by the arrival of a special vintage train from Brisbane, and the commencement of the Grand Parade.
A video of this parade can be viewed at the Beaudesert Museum.
The winning entries in the various arts competition were announced, the winning painting Beaudesert Then, c1902 by Brian Malt hung in the Beaudesert Library for the last 50 years.
There was also a song competition, won by Finn Nielson, and a poetry prize.
The week also saw the publication of Kathleen Nutting’s book Beaudesert Then and Now: 1874-1974.
The program highlights the involvement of local businesses, Enrights, Cloonans Newsagency, the National Bank and others sponsoring activities, and the participation of local groups such as Rotary, Rural Youth, and APEX.
Sporting groups organised tournaments to coincide to take place during the week. These included the Pony Club, the Tennis Club and Rugby League, the Golf Club, and the Badminton Club.
The major sponsorship was by Rothmans Event Centre and Winfield Cigarettes, this highlights how much things have changed in the last 50 years.
