1979 FIRST RELEASE FUNDING PROGRAMME

November 1979 saw the formation of the original committee of Magpie Sporting Complex with 11 members on board: Senior Vice President Ray Toomey, Secretary Gar Houston, President Stan White, Junior Vice President Bill Gibson, Treasurer Syd Duncan and other directors: Greg Pembroke, Graham Kong, Mick Miller, Chris Jorgenson, Charlie Ogilvie and John Wallman. The original Board of Directors who helped to create Magpie Sporting Complex were: President: Stan White, Senior Vice President Ray Toomey, Junior Vice President Eric Gibson, Secretary F. G. Houston, Treasurer Syd Duncan, Patron Greg Pembroke. Committee Members included: Graham Kong, Mick Miller, W. C. Ogilvie, J. W. Wallman, C. E. Jenson and Chris Jorgenson.

To enable the early completion of the proposed sporting complex, the committee and trustees utilised several methods to help finance construction of the new clubhouse including the launch of a three part funding programme aimed at supporters, businesses and members of the public. The ‘First Release Funding Programme’ was selling life memberships for $100 each, advertising agreements with businesses and a loan program for supporters to lend to the club. The selling of Foundation Life memberships was adopted as a major fund raising avenue but for a long time they were difficult to sell as no evident progress could be seen. Initially 500 life memberships were on offer, about 600 were sold by the committee, the AFL, rugby league, hockey and senior soccer clubs. About 450 of the life memberships were sold by Chris Jorgenson from the rugby league club. The club also had 500 financial ordinary members. It was planned to increase that number to 1500 as the more members meant more money to provide facilities for them. The committee received a needed financial boost when the football club which had gradually become more financial, offered the committee the running of the lucky dip stall at Canelands Shopping centre. This provided a valuable source of income.

The then anticipated two storey complex was to cost an estimated $500,000 with the first floor compromising a public bar, games area, toilets, sauna, spa pool and gymnasium. The club was ambitious in it’s forward planning, allowing an area that could be designed to incorporate poker machines should the present government change the laws.

ACQUIRING LAND FOR THE CLUBHOUSE

The current location of Magpies Sporting Club was originally farm land.  The club experienced some difficulties with the lease agreement because of the restrictions involving licensing on sporting grounds.  A group got together to form a complex incorporating all Magpie Sporting Clubs for the purpose of raising funds and acquiring free hold land. The committee consisted of President Les Greenhill, Secretary Gar Houston, Vice Presidents Ray Toomey and Stan White, Treasurer Syd Duncan, Charlie Jensen, Charlie Ogilvie, Herb LeGarde, Col Kingsbury, Stan Sologinkin, Ernie Mooney and Bill Gibson.

Magpies had been fortunate some time earlier, when Les Greenhill, a former Wynnum Manly footballer had joined the club and agreed to accept a position on the building committee.  Les had been transferred to Mackay as the principal of the TAFE College and was an ideal choice for president when the new committee formed.  Les made a room at TAFE available to the committee for their meetings and because of his own experience with the Wynnum Manly Club he was able to offer sound and practicable advice.  In time the Wynnum Manly constitution formed the basis of the Magpies constitution.

In addition to raising money, the committee also handled a multitude of negotiations with the Government and the Pioneer Shire Council with regard to obtaining freehold and leasing rights to the land that would be needed.  The Government advised the committee that a consortium of several sporting clubs with similar interests would be necessary before approval for land ownership would be given. 

The complex gradually absorbed other clubs, Walkerston Magpies Aussie Rules, Farleigh Magpies Cricket Club, Hockey and Touch Football.  Some of these clubs were looking for grounds to train and play on, plus a place to hold meetings and enjoy social drinks.  The Glenella Hotel was the local drinking hotel.  An application was made to lease the grounds, after lengthy negotiations a special tenure lease was granted from the Queensland Governments Minister for Lands Mr Bill Glasson on 19th June 1981.  This gave approximately nine hectares to build the licensed premises.  The land was a freehold title, a considerable portion was reserved for recreation and agistment and right in the centre of the block owned freehold by the Chenoweth family.  The Chenoweths deeded this block to the Pioneer Shire Council who in turn made it over to Magpies to be incorporated into the proposed lease.  Magpies Football Club already held the lease to the land where Sologinkin Oval sits, Magpies Football Club surrendered its lease of this ground so the whole area on both sides of Glenella Road could be incorporated into the one lease, now granted to Magpie Sporting Complex.