Official Launch of 2017 Sunshine Coast Open House

Mayor Jamieson and Mayor Wellington; Councillors; Vice-Chancellor; Mr Middleton; other distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen. In this fiftieth anniversary year of the adoption of the name ‘Sunshine Coast’, Kaye and I are delighted to join you for the launch of the inaugural Sunshine Coast Open House. 

I at once extend respectful greetings to the traditional custodians of the lands of the Sunshine Coast, and express respect for Elders past and present.

Just seven weeks ago, I had the honour of presiding at the investment of Sir Angus Houston as Chancellor of Sunshine Coast University at this campus. It is wonderful to be here again.  

That said, it is not only visits to Sippy Downs that remind Kaye and me of the Sunshine Coast. We are reminded every time we walk into the Drawing Room of Government House and see the painting by Anne Graham that – courtesy of the Queensland Art Gallery – occupies a prominent place.   

The 1975 painting is called Pineapple farm: Queensland. And if the rows of pineapples fail to provide a clue to the location, the unmistakable outlines of the Glasshouse Mountains in the background give the game away entirely.

Horticulture and, even earlier, timber and grazing, drew European settlers to this region in the second half of the 19^th century. The first commercial crop of pineapples, by the way, was grown in the region around 1895.

Over time, the settlers in the region built homes, businesses and the infrastructure needed by a growing community from schools to lighthouses, from hotels to public spaces

The buildings that survive from those early days, and those constructed subsequently, represent a history of this region written in wood, brick, stone, glass, concrete, metal and newer building materials that the earliest settlers could not even dream of.

That kind of history is still being written, as a walk through the impressive buildings on this campus so clearly illustrates.  

The buildings included in this inaugural Sunshine Coast Open House represent important chapters in that fascinating history.

The earliest structure dates from 1868, and the most recent buildings were completed only this year.  There are examples of buildings from most of the decades in between. Many are from the last thirty years or so, reflecting the rapid growth and development of this region during that period.

There is also great variety in the nature and functions of the buildings. The oldest began life as a way-station for travellers on their way to the Gympie goldfields. Among the newest is an environmental discovery centre overlooking the Glasshouse Mountains.

Each of these buildings contributes to the narrative of how architects, builders and communities across many generations have responded to the celebrated Sunshine Coast climate, its equally celebrated environment, and its lifestyle.

I encourage the Sunshine Coast community to take advantage of Open House, to see and learn more about the region’s history through the unique prism of the region’s built environment.  

Events like Open House do not happen spontaneously. They require leadership, commitment, management and organisation, particularly when dealing with thirty buildings spread over a large area from The Glasshouse Mountains north to Pomona, and east to the coast.

In that regard, I thank and congratulate the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, the Noosa Council, and the Sunshine Coast Regional Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects, for their initiative and energy in bringing this inaugural Sunshine Coast Open House to fruition.

I thank for their generosity the many community-minded partners and supporters of the project, and the owners and managers of the buildings participating in Open House.  

Last, but never least, I thank the generous volunteers whose knowledge and enthusiasm will contribute greatly to community enjoyment of Open House on the 21^st of October.

On that positive note, it now gives me great pleasure to officially launch Sunshine Coast Open House 2017, and to wish the event great success.

Thank you.