Milford Lodge Childcare Centre, Buderim

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Having driven past Milford Lodge countless times in the past decade, imagine my surprise and excitement when we recently discovered this little place of paradise in the heart of Buderim. Our adventures started when out and about, enjoying the private Open Gardens that were generously opened to the public, as part of the Buderim Garden Festival, 2024.



Set back from Gloucester Road and surrounded by an acre and a half of all natural spaces and gardens, Milford Lodge Childcare Centre is a home steeped in history and stories, a home which feels warm, safe and secure. 



Milford Lodge was established in 1986 as the first privately owned childcare service on the Sunshine Coast. The beautiful, historic, 108-year-old Colonial Queenslander ‘Milford Lodge’ is a true portrayal of love. Once a pineapple and banana plantation, this magnificent property was a blank canvas for Margaretha and her late husband, Frank Prendergast, ’s amazing vision.



Margaretha dreamt of opening a place for children that was homely and loving in a way she felt was important for the care of young children. Together with her builder husband, Frank and a heap load of hard work, Milford Lodge was created in October 1986, five years after they initially purchased the old house. Being the first privately owned service on the Sunshine Coast, Milford Lodge attracted a red ribbon opening from the Minister for Health.



Not only was Milford Lodge a home, but it was also a farm. Children collected eggs from the chicken coop to use in baking and the children enjoyed daily pony rides.



Over the next few decades, Milford Lodge Childcare Centre grew, with Frank building smaller cottages and rooms, and Margaretha enhancing these with her amazing skill set of sewing, painting, gardening and timeless interior designs. Through the 90s, with an overflowing wait list, Frank and Margaretha built another service - now Toral Lodge - and also renovated another old Queenslander - now Art Nuvo - where they offered care for babies and toddlers.



All of these services provided children with beautiful outdoor spaces, amazing play equipment, beautiful homely rooms and the wonderful smell of home-baked morning tea.



It was during this time that early childhood became the focus for money-making businessmen, as well as a target for the push down of formal learning. Small 'custom built' centres began popping up all over the Sunshine Coast, and times changed as the era headed into the 'plastic fantastic' age, where concrete jungles with minimal space requirements were somehow passed as places for children. Milford Lodge began to receive non-compliance letters. The play equipment, where children learnt to challenge themselves and develop their muscles, began to be deemed 'unsafe'. The ponies, which had been given pony rides for 20 years, were no longer allowed. The chickens, that children fed, and collected eggs from, were 'unhygienic'. After a decade of destruction, Margaretha almost shut the doors for the last time in the mid-2000’s when she was informed that she would need to remove the grass, due to it being 'dirty'.



Thankfully, in 2012, the Early Childhood Industry in Australia began to turn around. The Early Years Learning Framework was introduced. Regulations were changed. There was a strong emphasis on children connecting with nature; children being capable and children having the freedom to play. 



After the huge changes that 2012 presented, Milford Lodge commenced on a journey affectionately called  ''Bringing Back the Magic" to rediscover Milford Lodge in a new light. For three and a half years the experiences that had been removed, were slowly reintroduced. Outings came back in 2012, and are now a daily experience for all ages. Animals soon thereafter made a comeback, with guinea pigs and a bird aviary, then chickens - and finally, pony rides, which had been a daily experience for twenty years.



Rooms are no longer confined by age and children are offered the opportunity to play with their siblings, cousins and friends throughout the entire day. This provides children with the opportunity to build strong relationships and minimises separation anxiety.
Play equipment has been purposely rebuilt to be challenging and fun.



Milford Lodge is now operated by Frank and Margaretha's daughter, Molly, along with her husband Justin and young family, who are continuing on with her parent’s dream. Whilst early childhood 'trends' have come and gone, many causing the heart breaking removal of experiences held dear, Milford Lodge Childcare Centre has stood firm in their beliefs for children and families and the belief that Milford Lodge has stood the test of time.



Milford Lodge Childcare Centre is truly a home-from-home experience, where the aroma of fresh baking stirs the senses upon arrival; a home filled with real furniture and soft furnishings; a home where children are free to play and learn from one another; a home where adults share real-life skills like gardening, sewing and cooking.
Milford Lodge Childcare Centre is a home with spaces designed for play, work and relaxation - every family’s dream home-from-home.



Location: 28 Gloucester Road, Buderim
Phone:. (07) 5445-6228
Email: [email protected]
Milford Lodge is a licensed Long Day Care Service, incorporating a Government Approved Kindergarten Program, catering for 100 children per day.

Please Note: Milford Lodge Childcare Centre’s gardens are not usually open to the public but this year, 2024, they were opened as part of the Buderim Garden Festival.



Images courtesy of author, Elaine de Wet. Information, with thanks to Milford Lodge Childcare Centre

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