General News
13 March, 2026
Locals shocked over fire
A DEVASTATING fire which razed the Queensland Country Women’s Association Hall at Flying Fish Point last week will not stop a dedicated group of women from rebuilding their beloved meeting place.
Branch President Debbie Blennerhassett said the group members were in “positive spirits about ‘rising from the ashes’ and the future of the branch.
Four fire trucks attended the blaze in Alice Street at 9pm last Thursday, to find the historic hall “well alight” and with structural collapse, a Queensland Fire Department spokeswoman said.
The cause of the fire was not yet officially established but social media comments suggest it began after power returned following a two-hour outage.
A spokeswoman from Queensland Police said there were no suspicious circumstances and the fire department would continue its investigations on the cause.
The hall’s overnight destruction has left the community devastated and concerned for the organisation’s future.
In the short term, the branch had notified its followers on Facebook that its popular weddings, birthdays and other events, as well as the CWA ladies craft meetings, have been cancelled.
“The ladies are very distraught because they lost over 80 years of historic photos and documentation they worked so hard to achieve,” the message said.
However, a determined Branch Vice President Jean Rosendahl, said the hall was insured and following forensic investigation, “the site will be cleared and the group plans to rebuild a new brick/cement hall”.
The branch, which covers the Tully to Babinda district, was “going strong” with 11 members and two more expected this year.
The picturesque CWA cottage next to the hall, also sustained some smoke damage and a blown-out window, Ms Rosendahl continued, but these repairs would also be undertaken as soon as possible, as it was a very popular holiday rental and always booked well in advance.
Ms Rosendahl commended two brave bystanders who alerted and rescued a 93-year-old lady staying in the cottage behind the hall.
Her gratitude joined that of Fire and Rescue Station Officer, Cairns division, Shane Teahan, who congratulated members of the community who pulled together to try and maintain the area, and the “brave” civilian who had checked the CWA cottage and discovered a woman inside who was helped to safety.
It is not the first time the branch, now in its 67th year, has suffered catastrophe for its hall. The original building, located near the mouth of the Johnstone River, was destroyed by Cyclone Winifred in 1986.
It was replaced with the purchase of the Mirriwinni QCWA Hall, which was transported down the Bruce Highway to its new location at Flying Fish Point and restored on site. Just a year later, it was officially opened.
Details of where and when the branch will hold its next meeting has not yet been confirmed. In the meantime, the CWA ladies are calling on the public to share any old photos, stories and memorabilia on their facebook page.
