July2013_HOW GREAT IS THIS TOWN

– Salute to a grand old dame !
The University of Queensland made the big decision to build a new Dayboro Veterinary Surgery in order to upgrade and expand facilities to meet the growing demand for high quality veterinary care.  Although our beloved old building served the community well over the past 25 years, it really was time for rejuvination.

Being a building of local historical significance it is wonderful that the Dayboro Show Society have given her  a home and may she have many years there and be enjoyed by all.  She was originally built in 1916 where the Police station is now and was relocated to McKenzie Street in 1961 by Dr Don Kerr.  As Dayboro has grown significantly, many reading this may not have had the pleasure of knowing Don who was the original Dayboro vet.  He lived with his young family in the back of the old building while operating the surgery from the front, before building a residential house behind the clinic.  Don had the foresight to realise that graduating Veterinarians would benefit from real life ‘hands on and problem based learning’ especially in mixed practice helping them become well grounded and well rounded veterinarians, so in 1987 the practice was sold to the University of QLD, and Don stayed on as the principal veterinarian until his untimely death in 1992.  For the past 25 years the old building has played an integral role in the life of every vet who has graduated from the University of Queensland, as well as serving  the local community in all things veterinary.
As the pictures show her relocation was somewhat challenging, between the mud, the power pole and the proximity of the new practice, she was tilted and tipped and jiggled about until literally scraping free out onto the road. Her amazing moving crew then backed her down Don Kerr Drive to the footy oval where she waited for the ground to dry out sufficiently before continuing on to the showgrounds.
It is wonderful to see people pulling together to preserve such an important piece of Dayboro’s heritage.  Thanks to everyone who made this possible, and to the grand old dame herself, they don’t make them like that anymore !!!