I attended a meeting of the “Save the Slade” supporters, held on Friday, February 25, as an observer. I was very impressed by the vision of the group, given that the Education Department doesn’t appear to find the complex a viable solution to overcrowding in the High School. Already, the return for usage of the buildings by local and visiting groups, wedding functions etc more than covers the cost of the caretaker and maintenance. Research has shown that asbestos problems were minimal. It is a beautiful area, which could be such a wonderful asset to the community for cultural, tourist and social use.
I am an “immigrant” to Warwick, coming from a small NSW town approximately the size of Allora. My grandchildren will not benefit from the preservation of this complex, but many of the children of local families will, so I will tell what happened in my old home town nearly 60 years ago.
The local community had a dream to establish an Ex-Servicemen & Citizens Club. It started as a tin shed with a bar for men only. To purchase land and build they asked interested residents to make interest-free loans of at least five hundred pounds, (a significant amount then) to be repaid when business was able. Admittedly, it was over 20 years before the money was returned, but that tin shed is now an extensive building with three bars, dining, meeting and games rooms. Outside, there are tennis courts, bowling greens and a sports oval. It has been the hub of social life for the district and tourists from the beginning. If Warwick citizens really want Slade, there is a way. Invest in your district. Be positive and go for it.
Dorothy Peters,
Warwick
