Dogwood Crossing, Miles is a Centre for Community Creativity and Inspiration, housing an Art Gallery, Library, IT Centre, and Social History displays. Dogwood Crossing, Miles has become the cultural heart of the district and fulfills its vision of ‘a vibrant centre that connects people and inspires creativity, thus enriching our community and the lives of those who visit us.’ The award winning building has become in itself a cultural icon for the region, with seven metre tall stylised bottle trees forming a colonnade down the centre of the facility. Managed and programmed as a convergent facility Dogwood Crossing, Miles prides itself on interpretation, education, public programming and community engagement in arts and culture.
Our History
In 2001, the development of Dogwood Crossing, Miles was envisioned and overseen by a committed and passionate Steering Committee of the then Murilla Shire Council. This valuable and exciting process ensured:
- Community participation and interaction
- Collaboration between professional arts workers and the community
- Skills development and learning experiences
- Research and analysis
- Building self-confidence and self-esteem in individuals and groups
- Developing a sense of belonging, a sense of place and of ownership and
- Imagination and creativity applied to express and address the concerns, the aspirations and the visions of the community.
Out of this planning came a first for Queensland – and possibly Australia: a multi-disciplinary approach to deliver a range of integrated cultural experiences within one enterprise.
As a result of the Murilla Shire Council’s adoption of the model, literature (through the delivery of innovative library services) is combined with the visual arts and social history, enabling locals and visitors alike to undertake a journey of discovery and understanding. An initial sum of $500,000 was granted by the Queensland Heritage Trails Network. Arts Queensland, a State Government Department, contributed a further $50,000 under their Millennium Arts Fund. Murilla Shire Council also gave a generous sum of $350,000 plus landscaping for the Centre. Money for the IT Centre came primarily from the Commonwealth Governments ‘Networking the Nation’ Scheme, and funding from the Regional Assistance Program allowed Council to employ a Centre Manager. Multicultural Affairs Queensland gave an out-of-round grant to assist with the opening celebrations.
Dogwood Crossing, Miles was named so because Dogwood Crossing was the original name of the town of Miles until 1878 when the Railway went through. At this time it was renamed to Miles as a mark of respect to Sir William Miles. William Miles was the owner of the famous Dulacca Station. He was elected to State Parliament in 1865 and took an exhibition of Queensland and the Murilla Shire to Philadelphia in 1876.
Dogwood Crossing, Miles utilises the old Library building, which was given both an interior and exterior facelift, as well as a new extension to the existing building. The original Library was constructed in 1961; however, it was not used as a Library until about 1978. The building process of the project commenced in February 2002 by the Toowoomba-based company F. K. Gardner.
Dogwood Crossing, Miles opened its doors to the public on September 7th, 2002 with a huge multicultural street carnival-style ceremony.
