Croydon Road Trip

Sandra-McCormack-150 By: Administrative Support Officer, Sandra McCormack...

In an attempt to 'share the love' around the region, FNQROC Board members hit the road to visit member councils every second board meeting.  We've been to Cooktown, Atherton, Innisfail and Yarrabah.  Last month it was Croydon Shire Council's turn to roll out the welcome mat.

Croydon occupies the most distant corner of our council membership map and this means Mayor Trevor Pickering and CEO Joanne Jacobson find themselves driving the long, long miles north-west to the coast several times a year.

No doubt on Sunday 12 October Cr Pickering and Ms Jacobson were enjoying a lie in, secure in the knowledge that representatives from the other eight members were spending eight hours on the road travelling to their place.

Our journey was spent cocooned in a comfy coach driven by Ron Perks of Cairns Bus Charters. Representatives from all member councils were collected along the way, along with 'invited gate-crasher' Mark Matthews from Advance Cairns.

The logistics of organising this meeting certainly tested me a few times in the lead up, with consideration needed for the transportation, collection points and times, the food and drink requests, the accommodation types which awaited us and the comfort stops required along the way.  Oh, and the organisation of the meeting itself!  Little did my colleagues know I was fanging to launch into karaoke but I felt a certain level of decorum was needed ... next time!?  But I'm proud to say we arrived in Croydon only 20 minutes behind (my) schedule, at 5.20pm.

Most of us had not been to Croydon before (nor Georgetown for that matter, but Cr Attwood conducted a brief tour for us en route).  Croydon Councillors and staff were keen to show off their town and so organised two tours for us...a walking tour on the Sunday afternoon and a bus tour on the Monday.

Jana and Renee led us through the Croydon Heritage Precinct – four heritage buildings which are open free for people to wander through, being the Police Sergeant's Residence circa 1898, Police Station and Gaol c. 1896, Court House c.1887, and Croydon Town Hall c.1890.  Despite the 6pm start of the walking tour the temperature was still sitting around 30 degrees!

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A drink or two at the Croydon Club Hotel, built in 1887, quelled our thirst and preceded a meal in the air-conditioned dining room with further opportunities for networking among the members and Croydon shire councillors.

The Board meeting was held in the Croydon SES Hall the next morning, after which Jana and Renee re-joined us for a bus tour of Croydon and the immediate surrounds, including Lake Belmore (an oasis in an otherwise dry landscape), the Chinese temple archaeological site, the Iguana Consul Mining Museum, Diehm's Lookout and the Gulflander train station.

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Amanda, Sandra, Darlene, Travis and Steve of FNQROC at Diehm's Lookout, and right, the whole group strikes a pose.

The True Blue Visitor Information Centre houses significant collections of heritage items, photographs, information displays, pioneer and descendant genealogy information, and offers a great audio visual of the history of Croydon in the theatrette, through which everyone sat very well behaved.  We enjoyed lunch here before hopping back on board the bus for the return trip to the coast.

For further information on Croydon's attractions visit the council website.

Next year we plan to hold Board meetings in the Hinchinbrook, Douglas and Mareeba shires.