Mullum Preschool celebrates 30 years

Mullumbimby Community Preschool will celebrate 30 years in its current location with an event on Sunday, May 7, from 9am to 12pm.

The school is located on the corner of Fern and Station Streets, near the Council chambers.

The school’s Amanda McLennan told The Echo local businesses are involved, and a little market store will be set up in the school’s car park. They will have face painting, and the local fire truck will visit.

She said, ‘We will have the preschool all set up for children and families to play, and past families and staff are also invited to celebrate with us’.

Preschool history

Col and Di Davison bought the preschool together at beginning of 1977, and it was originally located at the RSL Hall on Stuart Street.

Di told The Echo, ‘After we became a Community Preschool, and owing to changes in regulations and needing more space, the process began to find larger land.’

The RSL Band Hall committee was approached. They were the owners of the building leased by the preschool.

‘They agreed to give us the building, as long as we moved it at our expense. We began fundraising, and the project became the main recipient of the Chincogan Fiesta, which was held each year and raised funds for community groups.

‘We had become a Community Preschool, and a committee had to be formed of parents and community members and sponsors.’

‘The first committee was in control from January 1981.

‘The committee, Col and myself began to set about finding land with the help of Don Page MP, and secured the site at Fern and Station Streets, on railway land.

‘Later on, when Council moved from Byron Bay to Mullum, Don Page negotiated with them for us to stay on the site, as State Rail no longer owned the land.

‘The building had to be cut in half for the truck to move it to the site (from Stuart Street to Station Street) and it was moved to Station Street in 1993, with Don Page officially opening the Preschool on the land at Station Street on May 7, 1993. We are known in the community as “Dinosaurs,” as we have a large dinosaur out the front.

‘We are celebrating being at our site in Station Street for 30 years on May 7, and that is why we are inviting the community to celebrate with us’.