Politics & Council
31 May, 2024
$7 million Donaldson Park community hub opens today
ALMOST 80 years ago, after World War Two, there was debate as to what should be done with 25 acres of wasteland in the centre of Wedderburn. It consisted of both Crown and private land, a creek, disused roads, some shacks, gold mining mullock heaps...
ALMOST 80 years ago, after World War Two, there was debate as to what should be done with 25 acres of wasteland in the centre of Wedderburn.
It consisted of both Crown and private land, a creek, disused roads, some shacks, gold mining mullock heaps and wandering house cows.
Two prominent community leaders at that time were Richard ‘Dick’ Donaldson, Korong Shire Councillor and five time president and Arthur Cooper, Korong Shire secretary. They were both members of the Wedderburn Progress Association.
From the association. meeting of 1946 emanated a vision, the wasteland should become a community centre where multiple sports would be played.
The Wedderburn community rolled up its sleeves and with fund raisers and working bees - no government funding for community infrastructure in those years - they began to realise the vision.
Generations later, that same community vision and spirit has been behind the transformation of Wedderburn’s Donaldson Park into a new $7 million community hub that will be officially opened on Saturday.
It was nine years ago the Donaldson Park Committee of Management had a vision of what could be done to revitalise the park. Existing buildings would need to be demolished and one super complex built.
The project grew into the biggest community infrastructure development in Loddon Shire’s history, Alan Holt, Bruce Hargreaves, John Chandler, Alex Holt, Michelle Hargreaves, Danny Fowles and current Loddon Mayor Gavan Holt became the project’s steering committee, scoping and designing the hub.
The group was part of Donaldson Park committee of management that secured initial support from the community and Loddon Shire.
As it had done in the beginning, today’s equivalent of the progress association, Wedderburn Development, was an early financial contributor to the new vision for Donaldson Park that is home to football, netball, hockey and harness racing.
The $7 million community hub is, however, much more than sporting club rooms.
A major function centre has appeared at the top of the amphitheatre overlooking land where the cows had roamed.
Cr Holt says he hopes the new Donaldson Park complex will help the community to grow.
These 21st century visionaries have built on the dreams of Dick Donaldson and Arthur Cooper eight decades ago to deliver a new community facility.
ABOVE:
Members of the project steering committee Alex Holt, Jon Chandler, Gavan Holt, Alan Holt, Michelle Hargreaves and Bruce Hargreaves. Absent: Danny Fowles