The Artisans Guild Incorporation Dinner, 1989
SNAPSHOT
This photograph is from the Artisans Guild Incorporation dinner in 1989, which was held at the Top Hat restaurant in Caboolture. The then Caboolture Shire Chairman Stan Mudoon on the left, and Guild President and co-founder Elaine Coggins on the right. The beautiful dried flower arrangement, created by Guild member Stella Couling, was presented as a thank you gift to the council and took pride of place in their offices for some time. Stan Muldoon was a very keen supporter of the Guild, as were many of the councillors.
Where community support and creative vision first came together.
Every now and then, a photograph gives us the chance to pause… and step back in time.
This image was taken in 1989 at the Artisans Guild Incorporation Dinner, held at the Top Hat Restaurant in Caboolture — a night that marked an important turning point for the Guild as it officially became an incorporated organisation.
Standing together in this moment are two people who played a significant role in that journey.
On the left is Caboolture Shire Chairman Stan Muldoon, a genuine and enthusiastic supporter of the Guild. His backing — along with that of many councillors at the time — helped ensure the Guild had the support it needed to grow and become part of the local community.
On the right is Guild President and co-founder Elaine Coggins, whose vision and commitment helped bring the Guild to life and guide it through those early years.
And between them, something quietly special — a striking dried flower arrangement created by Guild member Stella Couling. Presented as a thank you gift to the council, it later took pride of place in their offices, a lasting symbol of appreciation and connection.
It’s easy to look at this as just a formal moment — a handshake, a photograph, a dinner.
But it’s more than that.
It’s a reminder that the Artisans Guild was built on people showing up for one another. On support freely given. On a shared belief that creativity belongs in the heart of the community.
More than three decades on, that same spirit still carries through everything the Guild does today.
