Herald 20220809

Oakey Art Group celebrates 50 years
There is a saying: “We stand on the shoulders
of those who have gone before us.”
This certainly applies to members of the
Oakey Art Group whose first meeting was
held on July 25, 1972.
What a great history this group has had
- from the time a few artists participated
in art classes at the Technical College in
Toowoomba and shared a dream of forming
a group in Oakey.
Toowoomba Adult Education organised a
tutor to come to Oakey on a fortnightly basis
and those who attended became known as
the Oakey Art Group.
There were 26 members by the end of
the first year and in July, the group became
more formalised when the inaugural meeting
took place.
The group became incorporated in 1989
and today, the current members are reaping
the benefits from the dedication of those previous
members over the past 50 years.
Since the late 1970s member numbers
fluctuated from around 10 to over 50 at
times.
To boost membership the group invited
tutors to teach at workshops and invited other
artists to attend.
Initially, some tutors were from The Flying
Art School.
Over the years, other professional artists
have been invited to enhance the skills of
members and there has always been a climate
of sharing among the group of what
has been learnt from these workshops.
Tutorials and weekend workshops have
also been held in the studio on Stanley Sreet.
In 1989 the group participated in its first
‘live in’ seminar at Perseverance Dam.
This form of tuition and the experience
was appreciated and so it was decided to
hold ‘live ins’ on a yearly basis.
When Perseverance Dam became unavailable
after many happy years, the James
Byrne Centre at Highfields was hired. Then
COVID…. need I say more.
The group decided to have more workshops
at the studio.
To facilitate and enhance the experience,
a large screen and camera enabled participants
to remain at their easels while the tutor
demonstrates.
Many bus trips to art exhibitions throughout
South East Queensland and excursions
for ‘Plein Air’ painting and sketching have
been highlights for members of the group.
Members have also had opportunities to
enjoy and participate in Art Tours throughout
Central, Northern, Eastern and Southern
Australia and have returned sharing their experiences
with the group.
The meeting place of the Oakey Art
Group has changed over the years.
At first it was the classrooms in the Oakey
State School, then a cottage in McDonald
Street in 1981, then to the current position in
Stanley Street in 1994.
The first exhibition by the group was held
Men's Shed makes kindy letterbox
Members of the Highfields
Men’s Shed unveiled their latest
work with a new letterbox for
the C and K Highfields and District
Kindergarten.
The Men’s Shed affixed the
new letterbox which was created
to look like the kindergarten
building on Thursday, July 28.
Men’s Shed member Les
Wildman said several members
worked on the project which
took about two months to complete.
“As a men’s shed, we occasionally
get commissioned to
create items like this from our
workshop which helps cover the
bills,” he said. - Sean White
in 1975 in the Oakey High School Assembly
Hall.
Since then, exhibitions have been held in
many different venues.
These include The Art Cottage, Jondaryan
Shire Council Chambers, Oakey Community
Centre, Toowoomba Regional Gallery,
Darling Downs Potters Group, Rosalie Gallery,
and the Hampton Gallery.
Exhibitions have also been held to honour
special occasions such as Carnival of Flowers,
the Bicentenary and the 25th and 40th
anniversaries of the Oakey Art Group.
Throughout the years, the Art Group has
developed a relationship with the Oakey
Show Society, where the group assists in the
organisation of the art display at the annual
shows and facilitates the judging and monitoring
of the display.
There has also been mutual co-operation
in supporting the Historical Museum.
Over time, the Oakey Art Group has made
financial donations to worthy causes as well
as being involved in local events in the
Oakey community.
Not least has been the support of the
Toowoomba Regional Council especially
through the representatives in the local regional
office in Oakey itself.
The Oakey Art Group is especially grateful
for support in many ways and through
many organisations, as well as from individual
members of the Oakey community.
- Rose Schick
Crows Nest Meals on Wheels
is calling on the community for
more volunteers to help them
support those in need.
For more than 30 years Crows
Nest Meals on Wheels has delivered
meals to clients with a wide
variety of support needs.
While it is known for delivering
meals to seniors, it also
serves those with disabilities,
those recovering from hospitalisation
or illness, and those in
need of assistance.
Crows Nest Meals on Wheels
president Lesley Somerville said
Oakey Art Group are raffling this pastel painting by Cynthia
Hargraves valued at $800. Tickets are $5 each. It will be
drawn at an exhibition by the group at the Oakey Cultural
Centre from October 23 to October 29.
Meals on Wheels seeks volunteers
the group has dedicated volunteers
but due to one reason or
another, numbers had dropped.
“We used to have 40 volunteers
who would each give us
two hours a month to deliver
meals for our clients but our
numbers have dropped to about
18 now,” she said.
“The drop has been for a variety
of reasons, whether that
be moving out of town, health
issues, or vaccination mandates
but we need more hands to help
with deliveries.
“Crows Nest Meals on
Wheels is currently looking for
a treasurer and secretary to join
our committee.”
Mrs Somerville said the group
was partly funded by the Federal
Government and consequently
volunteers are required to undergo
a police check which was
paid for by Crows Nest Meals on
Wheels.
• If you would like to volunteer
at Crows Nest Meals on
Wheels, phone roster clerk Kay
on 0429 699 629 or Mrs Somerville
on 0432 306 826.
New CEO for Sunrise Way
The Sunrise Way drug and
alcohol rehabilitation centre in
Toowoomba has appointed local
businessman John Griffith to the
role of interim Chief Executive
Officer.
Mr Griffith immediately assumed
the role from Louise
Sanderson who left to pursue
opportunities with a family business
in Brisbane.
Ms Sanderson had been CEO
at Sunrise Way for the past twoand-a-half-years.
Sunrise Way board chairman
Jaden Frame said the organisation
wished Ms Sanderson the
best in her future endeavours.
“She did an excellent job in
establishing the systems and
processes at Sunrise Way. Under
her helm, the business matured,
and a major investment cycle
was initiated.”
Sunrise Way is a 20-bed residential
facility offering treatment
and support for those
dealing with drug or alcohol addiction
issues.
Since opening, demand for
its services has remained high,
and the Board is looking at opportunities
to expand its support
capacity.
“As a board, we are always
focused on giving residents the
best chance of beating addiction,”
Mr Frame said.
“To that end, we are reviewing
our model of care within
the program in terms of pre and
post-care, more integrated services
across the Darling Downs,
and potentially a day program.”
Mr Frame said Mr Griffith
was the perfect choice to fill Ms
Sanderson’s shoes, and his capacity
to start the role immediately
meant the program would
not lose any momentum.
“John really understands why
John Griffith Sunrise Way CEO
• Les Wildman and Neil Coggan
- Highfields Men’s Shed
Photo contributed
DEEP KNOWLEDGE and LIVED EXPERIENCE
Sunrise Way matters, both to
the community and to those requiring
support. “He has a deep
knowledge and lived experience
of the sector (having overcome
alcohol addiction 30 years ago
as a young man), and fully understands
the addiction model.
“John will be a tremendous asset
to the Sunrise Way team.”
Notice of meeting
Gowrie to Calvert Community Consultative Committee
Meeting details
Tuesday 16 August 2022 6.00pm–8.00pm
You are welcome to attend the meeting as an observer. If you have any
questions or for more information about the G2H and H2C projects,
please get in touch using the contact details below.
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The Gowrie to Calvert (formerly Lockyer Valley) Community Consultative
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Gowrie to Helidon (G2H) and Helidon to Calvert (H2C) projects.
We encourage you to get in touch with your local CCC members to discuss
and provide feedback on the project. Member details and the most
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