Pictured above: Butler Hut
A Magnetic Island History and Craft Centre project to make necessary repairs to two relocated historic buildings – Butler Hut and Hayles Cottage – was this year supported by Queensland Country Bank through its Good for Good Community Grant program. The grant supplied MIHCC with $11,000 with the requirement to fundraise 10% of the grant money for charity partner Ronald McDonald House.
President Zanita Davies has confirmed that the repair works have been successfully completed. ‘We are delighted that with the help of QCB we have been able to guarantee the longevity of both our heritage buildings’, she stated. ‘Both buildings are almost a century old and ongoing maintenance works will always be crucial to their survival.’
A recent celebration was held at the Centre to commemorate the centenary of the opening of the heritage-listed Picnic Bay school building in 1921. The community support for this event helped raise a substantial amount of the reciprocal donation to Ronald McDonald House. Zanita noted, ‘We are a self-funded and volunteer-run organization and are indebted to Queensland Country Bank and the Magnetic Island community for their assistance. This allows us to preserve Magnetic Island heritage and to continue to operate Magnetic Museum, a tourist attraction at Picnic Bay.’
Pictured above: Hayles Cottage