Mapleton Men’s Shed
52 Delicia Road, Mapleton
The original Forestry building was constructed in the 1940s, fortunately from hardwood. The main workshop building was designed to house and service three large forestry trucks. A gantry, still in place, could lift a truck engine out of its mountings.
Several forestry workers lived in the top barracks building, which had three double bedrooms, a kitchen, shower area and an open fire and barbeque area.
About 25 years ago, the whole facility was closed down. The doors were locked, the workshop forgotten, and the briars, Lantana and ginger bushes took over. Sunshine Coast Council approved a major restoration of the buildings about three years ago. When the Mapleton Men’s Shed volunteers commenced cleaning up, the roof had three metres of briars all over it, the floors in the rear of the workshop had 50mm of mud caked on the floors. Termites had invaded the barracks area and most stumps had to be replaced. A considerable amount of the barracks floor was also termite infested and ruined.
After many thousands of hours of restoration, replacement of timbers and painting, (much of which was funded by the Sunshine Coast Council) the buildings were brought back life and now look like they are in original mint condition.