An Early History
of Queensland Lapidary And Allied Crafts Clubs Association. Inc.
(QLACCA)
Queensland Lapidary and Allied Craft Clubs Association Inc. was established in 1982, after the disbandment of South East Queensland Associated Gem Clubs, as the latter did not offer membership to all of the Lapidary & Gem Clubs in Queensland.
The name of QLACCA was given to the group in line with the national group of Australian Federation of Lapidary and Allied Crafts
Association (AFLACCA).
One of the first meetings of QLACCA was held at the residence of Hans Hattink in Holland Park. Some of the original delegates were, Barry Waters (Beenleigh), Charlie Saddler (Redcliffe), Arthur Hawkins (SW Brisbane), Albert Zecher (Wynnum Manly), Ron Madden (Ipswich), John Nedwich (Mitchelton), Cec Townsley (Roma) and Les Richards (North Brisbane) (who was the designer of the current badge of
QLACCA
One of the early major projects undertaken by the Association was building a display for the National Bi-centenary Gemboree in Canberra during Easter 1988.
A committee was established from member Clubs to design, build and transport to Canberra the display. The final cost of materials for the display was over $6000 with all building work done by various Club members. The Committee included, Clyde Eggert, Kevin & Laurel Voigt, Errol Johnson, Arthur Hawkins, John Nedwich and John
Scaroni.
The display was basically the design of Errol Johnson’s and was built in a shed on Clyde Eggert’s farm at Alberton and took nine months to build.
There were several functions held to raise money to help buy materials. One of these was at the Mt Gravatt Club Rooms at Tarragindi, and the other at Clyde & Pam Eggert’s farm at Alberton. The largest donation received was from BP, of $1000 towards the cost of materials. Other companies made donations. Mt Isa Mines supplied a variety of mineral specimens.
On completion, the display was dismantled and placed into twenty-two boxes. The boxes were all measured, sketched and weighed. This was a requirement of the RAAF who transported the display to Canberra in a Hercules aircraft at no cost. All we had to do was get it to Amberley.
Several members of the Committee who constructed the display
also travelled to Canberra for the Gemboree, and assembled the display. After the Gemboree the display was returned to Brisbane by road transport and sold off in parts.
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