Community & Business
21 April, 2025
The Clifton Museum’s re-opening - four years on
Thursday, 10 April marked four years to the day since the Clifton Museum had its grand opening, a treasured moment for the members of the Clifton and District Historical Society.
In late 2016 the old Butter Factory building that housed the Clifton Museum was deemed to be unsafe to occupy on advice provided by structural engineers.
Thanks to funding from the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, Drought Communities Programme - Extension Grant and from Toowoomba Regional Council, the old building was demolished in May 2019 and the museum building that now stands was constructed in its place.
A hard-working and dedicated group of volunteers worked with the Taddio Building Group on the plan and construction of the new museum, turning the ceremonial sod in February 2020.
Construction of the museum was completed by September 2020 and volunteers spent the next several months preparing the space into becoming a museum.
On the big day itself, Member for Federal Maranoa David Littleproud, State Member for Condamine Pat Weir, Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio and several councillors were in attendance alongside many Clifton district residents
and visitors from as far away as Melbourne, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast.
The success of the big day was a relief to the Historical Society, members of which have continued to work on improving the Museum displays, both inside and outside, over the last four years.
In January 2022, The Big Machinery Move, a huge undertaking, where the small group of dedicated volunteers successfully oversaw the transfer of many heavy outside exhibits into the new Museum compound.
Kind locals have also donated many items, adding a wealth of knowledge to the Historical Society’s vast collection.
Anyone who has not been to the new museum since it opened, or even for the past year or two, will be pleasantly surprised to see new additions to the displays.
Sadly, over the past four years some of the Historical Society’s volunteers Ga Weidman, Les Mason and Life Member Dave Burns, have passed away but their memories have lived on through their contributions to the Clifton Museum.
