Happy 50th Anniversary Sunshine Coast!

Today marks the official 50th Anniversary of the Naming of Sunshine Coast and celebrations are in full swing.

Mayor Mark Jamieson said Tuesday August 1, marked a very special day for our region.

“It was exactly 50 years ago today that the words “Sunshine Coast” became our official name, taking over from the Near North Coast – and as everyone would agree it was a very wise decision by our forebears,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“Today we celebrate our history as a region and pay tribute to our community members who have helped shaped our strong identity.

“Council has worked together with a wide range of passionate local community groups to produce a calendar of special and diverse 50th Anniversary celebration events and activities.

“The dedication and enthusiasm of all our community groups involved will ensure that our 50th Anniversary celebrations will be widely enjoyed by all.

“The celebrations for our 50th Anniversary year are now well underway and I encourage you to join the fun as we look forward to what is surely going to be very bright future for our region – one that is healthy, smart and creative.”

Fifty-seven official celebration events and activities have been funded by Sunshine Coast Council’s 50th Anniversary program.

Maroochydore Roos Operations Manager Lisa Daldy said the inaugural Annual Women’s AFL Cup on Saturday August 5 would be a great community event which aimed to leave a legacy.  

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our community group to be involved in the official 50th Anniversary celebrations and also create a legacy event for women’s sport on the Sunshine Coast,” Ms Daldy said

“We especially look forward to welcoming our community to the inaugural Women’s AFL cup between Maroochydore Women’s Senior team and the University of Queensland Women’s Senior team on Saturday (August 5) – it’s sure to be a great day of sporting action.”

Rosey Field of Landsborough Museum will showcase The News Makers, 50 years of major events on the Sunshine Coast and said hosting the special heritage exhibition at the Landsborough Museum provided a great opportunity to reflect on the region’s rich heritage.

“The 50th Anniversary celebrations allow us to showcase our rich heritage and reflect on the events and people who have defined our region,” Ms Field said. 

“We encourage our residents to come visit the exhibition, which is a cross-section of significant stories that captured the headlines over the past 50 years explored in photograph, text, film and oral accounts.”

Key celebration events this week include the live Today Show outside broadcast at Maroochydore on Friday (August 4), a number of Festival of Community halls events, the inaugural Women’s AFL Cup on Saturday (August 5), environmental workshops designed to Discover, Create and Celebrate the coast and the Our Sunshine Coast Anniversary Concert on Sunday (August 6).

More than 40 other events will be held throughout the year including community days, street fairs, art exhibitions, concerts, musical tributes and heritage exhibitions – just to name a few.

For more information on the 50th Anniversary celebrations, visit www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/fifty.