As Queensland’s coldest town and a centre for wine and produce, Stanthorpe has an unusual main street with few off street carpark areas and a state road. Community planning was undertaken using a demountable shed on the main intersection in order to test a street closure. After detailed design and town planning, a town square with a shared zone was created which reflected local culture and the arts.
The Post Office Precinct was rebuilt and includes sculptural treatments in the pavements and a water fountain adjacent to a sitting place. A further masterplan with a shopfront engagement looked at the town as a whole, and set out improvement and renewal actions for ten stages. Grant funding was successful, and a new artful laneway leading to an off-street car parking precinct was built.
The innovative processes of placemaking involved the whole community over a period of a generation. High school children and teachers collaborated on street furniture, local craftsmen made benches and shelters and local artists created art built into the street.
