New home for Tait-Duke Cottage

Tait Duke Cottage, which stood proud at the heart of Tewantin for close to a century, will soon be moved to its new home.

Contractor Wrights Brothers House Removals will transport the old house from Wallace Park – its temporary home since 2009 – to Council land at Earl Street, Tewantin. It is hoped the house will be relocated next week, weather permitting.

United Synergies and the Rotary Club of Noosa Heads will join forces to seek resources and coordinate the restoration and future use of the cottage, fulfilling its long-time owner Esme Tait’s wish of seeing it benefit the community.

It is envisaged that Tait-Duke Cottage will provide meeting and activity spaces for a variety of community organisations and serve as an information hub for local support services. The Rotary Club of Noosa Heads and Tewantin-Noosa Branch of Red Cross will use it as a base for meetings and community activities.

“Rotary Clubs in Noosa have always hoped for a home base where regular club meetings and activities can be held, and we see this as assisting Rotary to further support the local community,” Rotary Club of Noosa Heads President Gerald Victor said.

The cottage was built at the corner of Poinciana Avenue and Sidoni Street, Tewantin, for Charles Tait and Emma Duke in 1919.

Last year Noosa Council signed off on a new site for the house, which was home to Ms Tait for more than 87 years.

Family representative John Duke said Ms Tait was thrilled to see the house repurposed for the community.

"She is delighted that our new Noosa Council is relocating her much-loved home to its permanent site in Earl Street where, after restoration, it will be utilised for the benefit of the Tewantin Community as she originally intended," he said.

Council Planning and Infrastructure Project Manager Adam Britton said the house will be moved in sections. It will share the Earl Street site with Noosa Community Garden.

Garden Co-ordinator Judy Pratt said the gardeners were looking forward to incorporating Tait-Duke Cottage into their site.

“We are excited by the prospect of working with other community groups and we look forward to not only re-establishing our garden but also to helping to develop and maintain heritage plantings around the house,” she said.

Noosa Council CEO Brett de Chastel said Council was pleased to provide the cottage a new home.

“Tait-Duke Cottage was a prominent landmark in the heart of Tewantin for close to a century and I’m pleased that we can fulfil Esme’s wish of seeing her historic home retained as an important part of the local community,” he said.

26 June 2015