In 1960 the Association continued to render valuable assistance to the youth of the community with much success, even though there was a decline in the numbers enrolling, due to the influence of television in the community. A Committee appointed by the Government to enquire into youth problems recommended that consideration be given to establishing more Police-Citizens Youth Clubs throughout the State.
n 1961, “The Frank Nicklin Shield” was presented as a trophy to the Association, by the Premier of Queensland, the Honourable Frank Nicklin, MLA. The shield was to be competed for each year, and awarded to the best Sportsgirl or Sportsboy of the year. Premier Nicklin also consented to being the Association’s Patron.
Boys Basketball Team at the Lang Park Police Youth Club, 1961.
Image No. PM1608 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
In 1962 a branch of the Association had been formed at Ipswich, but the Club had not been established, although a site had been acquired and some finance raised. Proposals for the establishment of a further Club at Fortitude Valley had advanced to the stage where a tender had been accepted for the construction of the building in 1964. The Club was officially opened by Premier Nicklin, on the 7 April 1965, at a cost of approximately £43,000. The new brick building was situated on land which was released from the Fortitude Valley Station Reserve as a Reserve for recreation under the control of the trustees of the QPCYWA. The new club was well equipped, furnished and debt free.
In 1965, the construction of the Ipswich Club in Limestone Park had commenced. The club was completed, and opened in October 1965, at a cost of approximately $82,000. Between 1966 to 1976, new clubs were established at Wynnum, Palmwoods, Redcliffe, Townsville, Toowoomba, Nambour, Inala, Gold Coast, Rockhampton, Castle Hill in Townsville, Longreach, and North Albert (Logan City).
A member seminar held in February 1976 discussed proposals for the reorganisation of the QPCYWA. As a result, a residential Managerial Training Course for club supervisors was conducted later that year at the Queensland Police College, Chelmer. The purpose of the course was to give club supervisors expertise in managerial fields, justified by the fact that net assets of the Association were about $2.5 million. In 1978 the administration of the QPCYWA was under the control of the Officer in Charge of the Public Relations Branch. Funds from the State Government allowed the Association to modernise the operation of the clubs by employing civilian personnel in specialised areas to reform activity programmes and to assist in the centralisation of an accounting system.
More quiet pursuits like chess, were on offer at the Inala Police Youth Club in 1975.
Image No. PR2856/75 courtesy of the Queensland Police Museum.
A new camp site named “Bornhoffen”, located in the Numinbah Valley, in the Gold Coast hinterland, was purchased in June 1978. The camp consisted of 242 acres of rain forest near Binna Burra. The property had a waterfall, a creek with a number of swimming holes, and walking tracks. Accommodation consisted of one house and four fully self-contained cabins, with each building catering for 12 people. The property was used for youth leadership camps, and youth club excursions.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing. The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.
Email: museum@police.qld.gov.au
“FROM the VAULT- QPCYWA Part 3” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode