MY first connection with Canungra was in 1974.
I had a wholesale meats business in Warwick to the Gold Coast supplying Boonah, Aratula, Kalbah and Canungra shops as well as several on the Gold Coast.
We traded as three brother-in-laws, now called Warwick Meats.
Back in those days, the road from Boonah to Beaudeset was a gravel road with grids dividing properties.
During the big flood in 1974 I was stranded in Boonah for two days. When I was able to go back to Warwick I found the bridge was washed away in Warwick!
Canungra was a sleepy township back then.
The main grocery shop was the building next to the information centre which catered for most essentials.
Mr Doug Bennett built the motel, and another shop was built where the pizza shop is now.
Canungra has one small ambulance station with one Ambulance Officer, Joe Rye, who catered for the town and surrounds.
My business partners and I built two shops adjoining the butcher shop which had been built by the Finches.
There was no camping available in the area in 1980, so we developed the Canungra Caravan Park which served the community for 25 years.
Garreth Fitzgerald was wanting to build a shopping complex. Around 1980 our land joined the bowling green on the western side and I made a deal for Garreth to have this land for car parking to ensure the project could go ahead.
I purchased two blocks from the late Vera Smith. The blocks were cut for the railway line which serviced Canungra and ended where the school stands today.
I ran the Tallow Wood Stud on the second block and built a new house overlooking the Canungra Creek with my late wife Nanine.
The doctor’s small centre was in the Canungra Valley Real Estate building and the chemist was where the pie shop is today.
The Outpost Café was open for business long before my time.
The police could supply a stock permit and Sgt Rickey was on hand – there was only one police officer in town at that time.
The CBA Bank was in town but soon after I came it changed to Westpac. The manager lived in the house which is now Café Metz.
Years later the house was sold to the Education Department and three or four teachers had accommodation in there for several years.
The late Sam and Pam Grange had the post office at this time. They had a family of three boys and two girls.
Mrs Libke owned a modest home on the Eastern side of the bridge which is now car parking for teachers.
George Cecil would mow the park by hand for nothing to keep it tidy. Ironically, at one time he received a notice from Council to mow his block! This was vacant land between The Outpost Café and the butcher shop and is now approximately six shops.
The Canungra Show always ran at a loss with so many expenses to promote and entertain locals on this special day.
Canungra would have the best country showgrounds anyone could wish for and being central for exhibitors and competitors made it ideal.
We should be proud to have such a young vibrant committee today.
The Gorge Road (Beaudesert-Nerang Road) to the Gold Coast had three crossings over the Coomera River and in wet weather it was too risky to take on any crossing. The best option was to go around via Beechmont to Nerang.
Mr Cecil shared many stories with me when selling pigs for market. They would drive the pigs down to Canungra to a yard and then load them on to transport trucks (it is hard to drive pigs anywhere).
Mr Cecil also had a pet carpet snake. One day, having hidden in Mr Cecil’s excess boxes, Mr Snake was thrown out at the tip.
Mr Cecil missed Mr Snake, but two weeks later Snake turned up, battered and bruised after this three to four mile return journey!
The late Patty Fitzgerald was living at Killarney Glen and would come to town in his old Land Rover and purchase 44 gallons of kerosene from Garreth’s service station and then drive down a very steep drive to his camp.
I was always concerned for Patty, tackling his rough stony drive, to his magic home.
There were a lot of lovely customers I came to know through the butcher’s shop.
Mrs Amos Finch, was a pioneering lady I had the pleasure of serving in the shop and talking to. She was a special lady.
Mr Mick O’Reilly, father of Vince and Peter would also buy his personal meat from our shop.
Mrs Carmichael who ran O’Reilly’s café long before the new building was erected, a small building full of goodies, also shopped with us.
Tony and Gurta had the Summit Café at Beechmont, great coffee and Danish tarts were a specialty.
I purchased Pine Mountain 2902 Lamington National Park Road from Clinton and Joan Jenner in 1984. Romeo Lahey was the owner prior to the Jenners.
Romeo also surveyed this windy road to O’Reilly’s, 36km south of Canungra.
The property is situated on both sides of the road with views of the ocean and the Glass House Mountains on a clear day. It is surrounded by National Park.
Dick and Pam Moriarty lived on their farm in their big open veranda home where Moriarty Park complex stands today.
The Moriarty’s had three boys and two girls – Steve is now our Councillor.
Dick was a special friend. We can in several marathons together on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane.
We also won the ride and tie three race times with the same horse, Domishal, which I bred and trained, he was all heart.
Lamington National Park Road was the route used for the ride and tie – 22km from the Canungra Hotel to the Roberts’ stock yards and back to the showground.
Ken Lawson was the referee – Ken was the Show and Pony Club President for many years.
The road was declared too dangerous to run this event after seven or eight years. We then changed the event to a 15km run and 5km run and it was very successful.
Dick and I then passed the organisation of the run over to the Lions Club.
I was President of the Canungra Show Society for several years and my wife Jen had a very active role in entertainment, always having new ideas and direction.
We now live at Beechmont and enjoy coming to Canungra with so many special friends.
There are so many changes to the town as Canungra and the surrounding districts continue to grow.
