2018-02-06 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                6 FEBRUARY 2018


1.    The Cooroora Masonic Temple

The Cooroora Masonic Temple was built in 1923. It was used by the Cooroora Freemasons until
2003, when dwindling membership forced the sale of the property.

It is a simple timber building (10m x20m) with a gabled, corrugated iron roof. It consists of a front
anteroom (now converted into a reception area and two small offices) with a main hall at the rear
where ceremonies and rituals were conducted.

The property was privately purchased in 2005 and then restored for use as a health studio. It
continues to be privately owned and is in reasonable condition.

The land on which the temple is located is zoned Community Services. The building was listed
on the Queensland Heritage Register in 2003.

The rationale for heritage listing is that in addition to demonstrating the development of Pomona,
the spread of freemasonry in Queensland and representing an intact example of a timber
Masonic temple, the building features unique murals on the interior walls that were hand-painted
by a Pomona merchant and Lodge member, Brother William Hodge. The Temple murals
replicate murals that featured on the walls of a building in London that was destroyed in WWII.
They depict the symbolism and beliefs of freemasonry.

The Museum lists one objective of its proposal as being to provide protection, preservation and
public access to the murals.

2.    Noosa Museum Proposal

The Museum proposes to use the Temple as an annexe to the Museum (refer to Attachment 1).
The property will become part of the Museum’s collections providing public access to the murals,
a venue for Museum events, displays and visiting exhibitions.

The Museum’s Management Committee believes that the purchase of the Temple will improve
the Museum’s sustainability and complement their development planning following on from a
Council funded review by the Queensland Museum’s Development Officer, Josh Tarrant to
develop an agreed Strategic Plan for the Noosa Museum (undertaken in 2017). The Museum
also undertook a voluntary self/peer-review process in 2017 in conjunction with Museum &
Gallery Services Queensland.

The outcome of these reviews was three reports including a range of recommendations relating
to:
   Succession planning;
   Volunteer recruitment, retention and training;
   Collection rationalisation; and
   Exhibition/display redevelopment.

The Josh Tarrant review makes no mention of the Museum purchasing the Cooroora Masonic
Temple.

The Noosa Museum’s proposal is for Council to allocate $225,000 (being half the purchase price
of the Temple) from the Heritage Levy towards the purchase of the land and building which would
ultimately be owned by the Museum. The Museum would then seek funding and donations for
the other 50% of the purchase price and be responsible for the ongoing maintenance and upkeep
of the building.




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