General News
11 March, 2026
Rising from the ashes
THE devastating fire which razed the Queensland Country Women’s Association hall at Flying Fish Point last week will not stop a dedicated group of women from rebuilding their beloved meeting place.
Branch President Debbie Blennerhassett said the group members were in positive spirits about “rising from the ashes” and the future of the branch.
Four fire trucks attended the blaze in Alice Street at 9pm last Thursday, to find the historic hall “well alight” and with structural collapse, a Queensland Fire Department spokeswoman said.
The cause of the fire was not yet officially established but social media comments suggest the fire began after power returned following a two-hour outage.
A spokeswoman from Queensland Police said there were no suspicious circumstances and the fire department will continue its investigations on the cause.
The hall’s overnight destruction has left the community devastated and concerned for the organisation’s future.
In the short term, the branch had notified its followers on Facebook that its popular weddings, birthdays and other events, as well as the CWA ladies craft meetings, have been cancelled.
“The ladies are very distraught because they lost over 80 years of historic photos and documentation they worked so hard to achieve,” the message said.
However, a determined Branch Vice President Jean Rosendahl, said the hall was insured and following forensic investigation, “the site will be cleared and the group plans to rebuild a new brick/cement hall”.
The picturesque CWA cottage, which is next to the hall, also sustained some smoke damage and a blown-out window, Ms Rosendahl continued, but these repairs would also be undertaken as soon as possible, as it was very popular and always booked well in advance.
Ms Rosendahl commended two brave bystanders who alerted and rescued a 93-year-old lady staying in the cottage behind the hall.
Her gratitude joined that of Fire and Rescue Station Officer, Cairns division, Shane Teahan, who congratulated members of the community who pulled together to try and maintain the area, and the “brave” civilian who had checked the CWA cottage and discovered a woman inside who was helped to safety.
Currently the branch, which covers the Tully to Babinda district, has a growing membership with 11 in the group, and two more expected this year.
The branch had also just purchased 50 new chairs and new windows for the hall in anticipation for a busy year.
It is not the first time the branch, now in its 67th year, has suffered catastrophe for its hall.
The original hall, located near the mouth of the Johnstone River, was destroyed by Cyclone Winifred in 1986.
It was replaced with the purchase of the Mirriwinni QCWA hall, which was transported down the Bruce Highway to its new location at Flying Fish Point and restored on site. Just a year later, it was officially opened.
The cottage behind it was built by the rotary club and gifted to the CWA in 1955.
The hall, which could cater to 50, was known for its Australia Day Breakfasts from the late 80s until 2013 when Ronnie Holden retired from the organising committee along with a couple of other older members.
Foundation member, Mrs Franklin Cook, received her QCWA For Service Bar from the Division handcraft committee in 1989. In 1990, the Johnstone Shire awarded her the Australia Day Citizen Award. Ronnie Holden was honoured as Citizen of the Year at the Johnstone Shire Australia Day awards in 1998.
Details of where and when the branch will hold its next meeting has not yet been confirmed. In the meantime, the CWA ladies are calling on the public to share any old photos, stories and memorabilia on their facebook page.
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