Rotunda at Ladies Beach Emu Park was initially a project of the Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) to build a shelter on the headland overlooking Ladies Beach.
Panoramic view from rotunda
Emu Park is a coastal resort town, south of Yeppoon and the second-largest community on the Capricorn Coast area. It is located about 664 km north of Brisbane and 45 km northeast of Rockhampton.
Old photo of rotunda and playground (Photo taken from signage by rotunda)
Old photo of rotunda and playground (Photo taken from signage by rotunda)
Emu Park is an old seaside town that was born during the boom of the early settlement in Rockhampton and the subsequent discovery of gold at Mount Morgan. In the early days, it was customary for men to bathe naked around this coastal settlement. Segregated bathing was the order of the day and the area where women and children bathed was tucked away so that modesty and privacy were ensured at the expense of safety. Men's Beach was the main area along the foreshore, now commonly known as
Emu Park's Main Beach. A little secluded sandy bay about 220m long under Constitution Hill (where the Singing Ship now stands) formed The Ladies Bathing Place. People changed into swimmers in the open or the dunes but six bathing sheds were built for the women and children, at what has become known as Ladies Beach now. Mixed bathing became accepted on the coast from Yeppoon to Emu Park in the early 1930s.
Rotunda at Ladies Beach Emu Park became at one time during the town's history a landmark. It opened on 28 December 1928 and was named the Catherine Humphries Memorial Shed (there is a plaque inside the rotunda for Catherine). Mrs Catherine Humphries was the first Emu Park QCWA president.
Rotunda at Ladies Beach is located at the corner Of Emu Street And Granville Street, Emu Park. It is between
The Centenary of ANZAC Memorial Walk and
Kerr Park playground. There is a footpath from the rotunda that leads to The Centenary of ANZAC Memorial Walk. In the middle of the rotunda, there is a big stone round table made by
S. W. Kele, a steel and concrete contractor from Rockhampton who created the structure of the Singing Ship. Six long benches can be found around inside the rotunda. Pity that there is some graffiti on one of the benches. There are 2 signage posts that tell the history of the rotunda as well as Emu Park QCWA.
S. W. Kele was making the round table in the middle of rotunda
The Emu Park QCWA supported WWII by making camouflage nets, organising dances, knitting, cooking and fundraising. This rotunda is a lovely memorial of Emu Park QCWA and its contribution to the local community.
