CIRCLE OF FRIENDS VISIT THE WALTER REID CENTRE

 I was lucky to make it back to Rocky for the last couple of Circle of Friends outings for the year.  I have missed so many this year.  I have really enjoyed meeting with these lovely ladies.  I have got to meet so many beautiful women that I would have not otherwise met.  

For their last outing before their breakup, we were heading to McCafe for morning tea on the Southside of Rocky and then heading down to the Water Reid Cultural Centre on the Riverbank to check out the Christmas stall there...

Morning Tea at McCafe...

From Maccas we headed down into town to the Walter Reid Centre.

There is quite some history to this building.. 

It is now owned by the Rockhampton City Council and is now called the Walter Reid Community Arts Centre. It is a heritage listed former warehouse that was designed by Rockhampton architects Hutton & Hockings and built from 1900 to 1902 by Rockhampton builder Dennis Kelleher.  At the time it was known as Walter Reid & Co and was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21st October 1992.

 The rendered brickwork building has a great history and was the second warehouse to be constructed for the rapidly expanding merchandisers and was built when Rockhampton's activity as a thriving city port fostered such commercial development near the Fitzroy River wharves.Walter Reid, the founder of Rockhampton's premier mercantile house Walter Reid & Co, came to Rockhampton in 1862 to manage a southern owned retail store in East Street which he subsequently bought in 1864. He moved from his shop to new premises situated in Quay Street in 1868. It was in these new premises where Reid began to specialise as a wholesaler, trading in wine, spirits and general merchandise, supplying the hotels and stations in central Western Queensland. Since Rockhampton had been declared an official port in 1858, it had acted as the major transport and trade centre of central Queensland making it a prosperous city in which wholesale merchants like Reid could base their business.

The Walter Reid Centre

 

 Today the Centre is home to many art, craft, music and leisure groups and is a great place to come and learn some new skills along with making new friends and joining in one of the many craft workshops that is held there.  The have movie programs, photography, pottery, painting, woodwork and rail modelling just to name a few..

One of the many mosaics on the footpath around the Walter Reid Centre...

By the 1990s, the building had deteriorated into a state of neglect, located as it was in an increasingly derelict area of Rockhampton. Although it was still a vital centre for the arts groups in residence, the desolation inherent in the building was not conducive to the spirit necessary for a vibrant community cultural centre. Therefore, in reference to the stipulations of the Burra Charter, the Rockhampton City Council revitalised the inside of the building. The refurbishment of the cultural centre in 2002-03 saw additions that improved the structural and functional livability of the centre.

The refurbishment was undertaken so that much of the building’s original fabric survived to show how the building operated as a warehouse. The wood of the ground floor was retained, the new ground floor staircase was framed by an original heavy wooden beam, an old metal machine situated on the wall from the middle to the top floor was painted and featured, the archways of the top floor shaped the new glass door frames to various rooms.  Additionally, a small auditorium was built on the ground floor, the middle and top floors were re-segmented for a more economical use of space, while several internal staircases and an additional lift were installed. These changes invigorated the space to create the atmosphere of a cultural centre.  

The palm trees that frame the entrance to the cultural centre and the community-designed mosaics on the footpath establish the atmosphere of innovation and creativity that now defines the building as a cultural centre. A strong sense of colour is prevalent throughout, in vibrant rather than ‘heritage’ colours. Paintings by local artists are featured. From its origins as a warehouse that served the people of Rockhampton, to its occupation during World War II and current incarnation as a cultural centre, the Walter Reid Centre is itself ‘back again’.

Eleonore, Dot and Joyce about to embark on some Christmas shopping...

The "Reid Gallery and Gift Shop" is a pop up store that is back for the Christmas season at the Walter Reid Cultural Centre and is open every day of the week from 10am to 3pm until Christmas Eve with arts and crafts which have been created by the Walter Reid Cultural Centre Artists.

The gift shop includes all sorts of work from artists, potters, patchworkers, mosiac, cardmaking, people who sew and there really is something there for everyone.   

We were very impressed with a lot of the goods on sale there as they were quite affordable and make ideal gifts for neighbours, or co-workers etc and quite a few of the girls were able to source a lot of their Christmas gifts.

The community groups at the Centre include  Capricornia Potters, Rockhampton Embroiderers’ Guild, Patch-Happy Circle, CQ Contemporary Artists, Fibre Arts, Rockhampton Lapidary Club, Little Theatre and more.

Narelle checking out all the beautiful cards

Dianne like the look of some of these pots.

Beautifully sewn Christmas wares

 

Some lovely mosaic works..

Val and Margaret admiring some of the lovely hand painted plates.

Lovely fairy mosaic tray

Hand painted pots

I remember these from my childhood.... they must be making a comeback...

Some lovely pottery goods from the Potters...

They even had hand woven baskets for sale...

These were cute...

I really love  these...

I really loved these and bought the Christmasy looking one...

Crocheting and weaving..

Narelle found these little bowls to buy as gifts..

Coral and Dot were impressed with some of the sewing on offer

Joyce decided to buy these bags for her grand daughters..

These looked very Christmasy

Beautiful sewn wall hangings

There were lots of lovely cards for sale also.  A lot of them were of a lot of the heritage buildings around Rockhampton.

The pottery flowers below were very popular with the ladies as well.  Quite a few of the ladies bought at least one of these.

Dianne shouted her self this gift of a beautiful leaf windchime...

Pottery fridge magnets

Pottery game of "0 and Xs" was pretty reasonably priced at $9

Eleonore checking out the handpainted plates

Dianne and Margaret

Dot finalising her purchases

 

Once we had finalised our shopping we found some table and chairs out the front that we sat at whilst we waited for everyone else. 

By now it was well and truly lunch time and we were all ready to head our separate ways.  Before we could do that though, it was a great opportunity to get a group photo of us all.

Group photo of us all..