Moorooka History Group Merge
Highlighting History – Call for History Buffs
Dutch Houses Park

Moorooka History Group. At yesterday’s MHG meeting, we discussed bringing our two groups closer together. This would be good for us both because MHG has members who attend regularly from the Annerley-Stephens History Group, thus linking the three groups. Also, the chair of MHG, Barbara Ravenswood is considering scaling down her workload. There is now a page linked from our website giving information about the MHG and how to get involved with them. New members welcome. The CPHG catchment will now include the group and our map will be updated to show this. Contact details are on this page.

Moorooka History Group meet at St Brendan’s Church

Highlighting History. Coopers Plains and surrounding areas are rich in history, but it’s being forgotten. We are lobbying for places and parks to be named with accompanying signage and history boards in places of historical significance to educate the public. Here’s our wish-list: Naming The Village (next to Coopers Plains State School) Damour Village (after the military barracks and ‘igloos’ built there during WWII). Renaming Lillian Avenue Park to Salisbury Quarry Park (we submitted a petition and a  qualified response came back from the relevant city committee requesting more information). Naming Soden Place (the triangle of shops where Salisbury Aldi and Hungry Jacks now stand). Putting a sign in front of Salisbury/Rocklea Munitions South Gatehouse (cnr Evans Road and Project Street). Erecting a history board and shelter shed at Victory Park (cnr Evans & Beaudesert Rds, a joint project with Moorooka History Group). Toohey Private Cemetery (Toohey Forest, behind Barnehurst Street, Tarragindi) which is totally unmarked and overgrown. This only just came to my attention through Mr Bill Metcalf, Adjunct Lecturer, Griffith University, Honorary Associate Professor, University of Queensland who has been researching the Toohey family for 40 years.  Lewis Hill Futures is a small team of neighbours in the grid bounded by Middle, Musgrave, Troughton and Orange Grove Roads who are working to improve the area – one is a long time resident and town planner.

Dutch Houses Park. As you would have noticed, yesterday we (CPHG & DACC) sent a media release out announcing the news that we have had our first success since this group was brought out of hiatus in 2023. The park on McKoy Street in the Cornerstone Living area in Coopers Plains that was created (as a contractual requirement) by the developer did not have a proper name (Council uses the street as a default name). It will have a sign ‘Dutch Houses Park’ and a history board telling the story of the 1950s public housing project.

We could use your help in several ways: Write to Cr Steve Griffiths about any particular project we’re pursuing or all of them and ask for his support. If you like doing research, you could find information about any of our projects listed above or listed on Our History. If you’re an ex-librarian, you could help tidy up our archives. Or you might like to research the history of your house or street and write it up. New members are welcome. We would like someone to help Barbara with an information stall at an event next month (see below).

Events

There are some great events happening next month:

The Moreton Bay Settlement Conference –
Celebrating 200 Years Since the Relocation of the Colony from Redcliffe to the Brisbane River

Saturday, 17th May 2025, 8:30am – 4pm

Join us on Saturday 17th May for a day jampacked full of historical talks at the Commissariat Store! Talks will centre around the early colony with topics ranging from convicts, soldiers, botany, medicine, and more.
For more information, or to reserve your spot, please follow the link:
https://moretonbayconference.eventbrite.com.au

CPHG Information Stall at St David’s Neighbourhood Centre Autumn Festival stall – Call for helpers,

Saturday 17th May 2025, 8:30am – 12:30pm

This is always a big, fun day and we need some kind people to help Barbara with our information stall. Please get in touch by commenting on this post below (if you can’t see the comment field, click the heading above).
The Festival is open to all – just rock up!
https://www.facebook.com/share/16Uan96KUD/

Coopers Plains History Group Monthly Meeting
No Meeting in April due to Easter
Saturday 17^th of May at 4pm
Coopers Plains Library Meeting Room (at the back)

All welcome. Please RSVP by commenting on this post below (if you can’t see the comment field, click the heading above).  Thanks to the friendly and helpful staff of the Coopers Plains Library for their assistance. The Coopers Plains Library Meeting Room is booked every 3^rd Saturday at 4pm for us to meet.

The Dutch Houses were built in the early 1950s

We are helping the Dutch Australia Cultural Center (DACC) collect stories from people who are associated with the Dutch Houses of Coopers Plains. The DACC Dutch Houses Story Collection Initiative is open to current residents of these houses as well as Dutch individuals who once lived in them and who are related to those who built them. Our primary goal is to gather stories, especially those related to the early days in the 1950s and the migration experiences of the residents during that period. We plan to showcase and archive these stories on both the DACC website and the Coopers Plains History Group website. If you have a story to tell, please read the information we already have in the links above and then you can either comment below or send your story in by email via the Contact page.