News
7 September, 2025
Cheers to 30 years of songs
THE Caboolture Community Choir is marking 30 years of music-making in the Moreton Bay region with a special anniversary performance — and the community is invited to join the free celebration.
The milestone event will be held on Friday, September 13, from 2pm at the Caboolture Memorial Hall, King Street.
Guests will enjoy a free concert, afternoon tea, and presentations to founding members Dawn Gillespie and June Willoughby, who have sung with the choir since its formation in 1995. Reservations are required for catering.
The choir’s story began in mid-1995 when Barbara Smith welcomed a small group of music lovers into her home. What started as informal gatherings around her piano quickly grew, prompting the need for larger rehearsal spaces. Not long after, local schoolteacher Laurelle Olsson became the choir’s first conductor, providing leadership until the COVID-19 pandemic forced choirs across the country into silence.
Determined not to be silenced, the Caboolture singers returned as soon as restrictions lifted, performing under the direction of several conductors, including Mitch Meyer, Kat Mandu, and Helen Arndt.
Today, the baton is held by June Willoughby, who also conducts Bribie’s Gallery Singers, although the group is currently seeking a permanent musical director.
Known for their distinctive purple shirts, the choir regularly performs at community events, seniors expos, Christmas celebrations, and aged care homes. Their joint ‘Back to the 50s’ concert with the Gallery Singers recently raised more than $1200 for Rural Aid.
To mark the 30-year milestone, attendees will receive a commemorative booklet charting the choir’s history, complete with photos, memories of past concerts and special performances, and the songs that shaped them.
The Choir is always seeking new members, and all attendees at the Anniversary Party will be invited to join this happy group whose voices continue to bring the special joy of song to the Moreton Community.
For more information and to reserve your place, visit: www.trybooking.com/DDXHA
