General News
22 July, 2026
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IT was a hub for social gatherings, family celebrations and entertainment for much of its past and, now, the owners of a historic Cassowary Coast community hall want to restore and revive the venue to its former fabulous glory.
The Garradunga Progress Association, which owns and manages the historic Garradunga Hall, is on a mission to secure the building’s future.
With the hall set to celebrate its centenary in 2030, the association faces the immediate challenge of raising vital funds and bringing the local landmark back into the spotlight.
Keeping the doors open is no cheap task. The association requires between $4000 and $4500 every year just to cover basic running costs, including council rates, insurance and utilities like power.
To meet these demands, the group is looking to boost its membership – which costs just $10 a year – and ramp up its fundraising efforts.
Compounding the financial pressure are necessary maintenance works, including serious structural upgrades, realised after a building inspection.
The association recently commissioned a building inspector to assess the hall, uncovering several “structural integrity” issues that association president Ian Richardson says must be addressed.
Mr Richardson said the committee were actively working to resolve the building challenges and are currently in the process of gathering quotes.
“We’ve also taken upon ourselves to get a builder’s inspector and inspection of the place – and we’ve received that now,” he said.
“We’ve got builders actively quoting on the repairs to get it to where we want it or it should be.
“There’s a couple little issues that we’re addressing here and there.”
Preserving the hall also means protecting its rich history.
The venue was once the beating heart of local social life, hosting countless community milestones.
“So, back in the day, you had a lot of functions there, dances and gatherings and the like,” Mr Richardson said.
“We’ve actually had a historian guy come in and gone through all the papers that were in the office there and archived a lot of them and I think we’re close to making decisions.
“Some of that stuff can go to the Innisfail Historical Society, just for everyone’s benefit.”
Today, the hall remains a highly versatile space, with a stage, tables, chairs and amenities. It can comfortably accommodate up to 100 people.
While the kitchen is not equipped for full on-site catering, it is ideal for serving light, pre-prepared food – and Mr Richardson has a creative solution for larger events.
“So, we may utilise something like the food vending vans or similar,” he said.
“I’ve seen that happen in Brisbane and quite well, you know, and charge them a hire and they come in and service whatever you’re trying to do.”
Whether hosting a wake, a community market, or a family celebration, the hall is ready for hire.
“I heard the other day people have had wakes,” Mr Richardson said.
“You know, there’s been parties. This weekend, a one-year-old baby’s party.”
To fund the group’s dreams of putting the venue back on the social map, a series of fundraisers are on the horizon.
“We’ve got a couple of raffles in the wind,” Mr Richardson said. “We’ve got a smaller one, then down the track not too far, we’ve got a bigger raffle and people have been kind enough and Bunnings have been kind enough to let us do sausage sizzles.”
The association also received a welcome financial boost recently, securing a $1000 sponsorship payment from the Babinda branch of Bendigo Bank during its own birthday celebrations. The association expressed its gratitude online, noting the funds “will help enormously with some upgrades on our hall.”
Ultimately, the association wants locals to fall in love with the facility all over again.
“Within the group there’s energy, so we need to grow the group, and also, yeah, just promote it,” Mr Richardson said.
“I think that’s a great thing. People have forgotten about it, you know and we need to bring it front of mind.
“If you’re going to have a milestone like an anniversary, a 40th birthday, or if you want to run your bingo or your markets or cent sales, this is the place.”
Read More: Innisfail