THE WAY WE WERE
BERNBOROUGH: 40 years have passed away since the bronze statue of the mighty Bernborough was unveiled in Oakey in front of a large crowd on October 29, 1977 by the Minister for Tourism, Hon. Max Hodges, MLA. A torch, the Bernborough Blaze, was carried by a group of runners, 25 kilometres from the Champions birthplace at Rosalie Plains to Oakey to begin the official part of the celebrations. During those forty years, Bernborough has stood steadfast while everything else around him has bowed to progress with dramatic change. The Tourist Centre and Historical Museum (in the first photo) was removed in 1995 following which the new Community Centre was completed by mid 1996. The refurbishment of the Library/Senior Citizens Centre was completed by February, 1999. During 2000, the War Memorial was re-located to the Bi-Centennial Park where the Tourist Centre once stood. The Olympic Torch passed by the old Jondaryan Council Office in 2000 before it, too, was demolished in 2001 and replaced by the new Jondaryan Shire Administration Centre. During the construction period, Council business was conducted in the vacant Westpac building further along Campbell Street. The second photo shows the old Council Office which was built in 1960. The World War I trophy, Austrian Skoda field gun, was re-located from Lions Park to beside the War Memorial in 2002 to complete the current precinct.