Bookings at Boyne Valley Community Discovery Centre
For general enquiries, or to make a booking for accommodation (including photos inside the buildings), camping, or facilities please click here.
Accommodation with self catering will be available in October. Barbeque facilities (at the nearby Memorial Hall), refrigerator, microwave, etc. is available. Campers and Caravaners will also be able to book the use of toilet & shower facilities.
About the Boyne Valley Community Discovery Centre
The Boyne Valley Community Discovery Centre Incorporated is a not for profit community organisation with a self-help ethos.
One of our major goals is to create employment opportunities to encourage population growth as well as general economic growth. This will help to reverse the trend of people having to leave the area in search of work, particularly school leavers. As a result of consultations, community workshops, and the Boyne Valley Regional Opportunities Study, about 45 interested members of the community came together in August 2001 and formed the Boyne Valley Community Discovery Centre.
The Boyne Valley, a place of great natural beauty, is formed by the Dawes Range to the east (including Mt Castletower National Park), & Kroombit Range (including the magnificent Kroombit National Park).
The villages (Nagoorin, Ubobo, Builyan and Many Peaks), were originally soldier settlement and gold mining towns. They now form a rural community in the hinterland of Gladstone, Queensland.
The population of the area is approximately 600. Due to its rural base, the deregulation of the dairy industry, conversion of large areas of State Forest to National Parks (leading to job losses in the timber industry), flooding of some of the best land under the Awoonga Dam, and years of severe drought impacting heavily on the beef industry, the area has experienced an economic downturn.
Two positives in this time are the new bitumen road into the Valley, and the efforts of people in the Valley to take up new challenges, endeavouring to develop tourism.
A plan was developed to build an accommodation centre that will attract school students, special interest groups, families and individuals to the Boyne Valley. We envisage visitors to the centre undertaking a variety of educational and recreational activities that allows them to share in the culture, environment and heritage of rural Australia.
As there is an opportunity to capture and grow some of the ‘education’ market such as school excursion groups seeking educational experiences, we decided to focus on this ‘niche market’. To do this there will need to be a package of educational activities as well as adequate accommodation facilities including relevant amenities and facilities.
The first step was to take up trusteeship of the Ubobo Sports & Recreation Grounds & establish an incorporated body. The second step was to gain funding from the Dairy Reconstruction Assistance Program, and the first part of this funding was received in February 2003.
Funding has also been received from South East Queensland Forest Agreement Tourism Initiative , for mapping, signage, promotional pamphlets and this website. Funding has also been received from Gardening Australia , and from Stronger Families & Community Strategy (Volunteers Small Equipment Grant), to equip a community office. This office will be available for use by all community groups.
Considerable other funds in cash and kind (including considerable assistance from Calliope Shire Council) have been donated. This assistance has come from many individuals and businesses such as Parkside Sawmilling, Reece Plumbing, Cement Australia, Haymes Paint and many others (full list to be published shortly) and amounts to approximately $100,000. Members have contributed cash and in kind, with many hours of labour and expertise in the building part of the project.
Located at Ubobo, in the centre of the Valley, the buildings will initially consist of an ablutions block, dormitory accommodation, and refurbishing the old Railway Station to serve as an office. A licensed food preparation van and barbeque area will be used for kitchen facilities. Provision has been made in the plans for an area for overnight caravans to park.
The toilet and shower block is almost complete, and the inside of the dormitory building is completely refurbished. A large deck and disabled access has been added to the old Railway Station / Office. Construction of the covered eating area has commenced, with the posts in and round timber for the roof trusses on site. New rainwater tanks are full, and the borewater supply system is working well. Large mulched gardens are established and planning is in place for the vegetable and fruit tree gardens.
We have had excellent professional guidance in preparing a comprehensive Business Plan and Risk Management Program.
Much work has been done, and much more is yet to be done. The members of BVCDC sincerely thank all those who have helped in any way.
