Finding a Home at the Old Fire Station
SNAPSHOT
The Artisans Guild met in a variety of locations, including the old Church annexe in Old Bay Road. This was purchased by the Caboolture Shire Council in 1991, where a meeting place was established with a basic gallery. We still held very successful annual exhibitions in the Memorial Hall in King Street Caboolture. We had a very exciting and energetic 14 years in the Old Fire Station Gallery until we had to move out when the council demolished the old building for the new town centre and Hub in 2010. The Guild moved operations completely to the Gallery in Old Bay Road, where we remain to this day
From borrowed spaces to a place of their own…
…built by members, for the community
Before there was a gallery to walk into… there were many places along the way.
In the early years, the Artisans Guild met wherever they could — including the old Church annexe in Old Bay Road. When the Caboolture Shire Council purchased the building in 1991, it became a more established meeting place, complete with a modest gallery space.
But even then, the Guild continued to grow beyond its walls — holding well-supported annual exhibitions at the Memorial Hall in King Street, Caboolture. These events became a cornerstone of the Guild’s presence in the community.
Then came 1996 — a moment that would change everything.
The Guild was approached by Caboolture Shire Chairman John White, who offered half of the old Fire Station in King Street as a permanent home and gallery space.
It was an opportunity too important to pass up.
What followed wasn’t a quick move-in… it was a transformation.
Members rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Hours were poured into turning a raw, empty space into something functional, welcoming, and worthy of the artwork it would hold. With strong financial support from John White and the Council, the space slowly came to life.
An air conditioning system was salvaged from the old library before its demolition. Hundreds of carpet tiles were sourced and installed. Walls were painted. Lighting was fitted. Hanging systems were put in place. Security and computer systems were established.
Piece by piece, effort by effort — a gallery was built.
And when it opened… it opened properly.
A full house.
A sense of pride.
A community showing up.
Over the next 14 years, the Old Fire Station Gallery became more than just a space. It became a hub of creativity, connection, and exhibition. The Guild hosted numerous successful shows there, while continuing its annual competitive exhibitions at the Memorial Hall.
It was a time of energy. Momentum. Growth.
Until 2010, when the building was demolished as part of the development of the new town centre and Hub.
And once again, the Guild adapted.
Operations moved fully back to the Old Bay Road gallery — where the Guild continues today.
Because if there’s one thing this story makes clear…
it’s that the Guild was never just about a building.
It was — and still is — about the people who create, build, and keep it going.
