Former Norths Rugby League Club, Kershaw House, destroyed in fire

Piles of fire-destroyed rubble and debris are all that remain of the Oasis Church building on Glenmore Road. We take a look at the building history over the decades. Check out the photo gallery.

The building at 5-7 Fraser Street, off Glenmore Road, over the years before it was destroyed by fire in August 2023.

A basketball hoop, steel and concrete fence, a handful of signs and rear workshop shed are all that survived a ferocious fire at Oasis Church on Rockhampton’s Glenmore Road at the weekend.

An iconic building for weddings and events over the decades, it had a rich history spanning over 57 years.

Photos taken by Kent Murray of the fire destruction at Oasis Church on Sunday August 27.

The original structure, which was still standing prior to the fire and had only been extended over the years, was built in 1967 by Dave Simpson Builders for the North Rockhampton Rugby Leagues Club.

Patrons frequented the venue for countless weddings, receptions, birthday parties, events and Friday afternoon raffles for decades, until the sporting club was forced to close the venue and sell it in 2000.

The partially destroyed structure of the former church. Photo: Kent Murray.

It was sold on the cheap for $150,000 and was extensively renovated about 2002 into a function centre with timber bars, officers, entertaining decks, landscaping groups and sealed parking lots.

It was about this time it became “Kershaw House”.

It sold in 2003 for $725,000 and then again in 2014 to the owners of Oasis Church for $1,045,000.

The Oasis Church was founded in 2002 by Pastor John Rewald and was formerly on George Street near Wurth’s Motorcycles and McDonalds.

The church added a children’s playground, Oasis World Cafe and Play Centre in about 2014, which became popular for birthday parties and closed during Covid.

The mess left at the Oasis Church.

The construction of the building was Trevor Large’s first job as a 15-year-old apprentice for Dave Simpson.

“When I started there were only a few concrete posts,” he said.

There were no electric drills in those days and most of the timber was all cut and drilled by hand.

Mr Large recalled the job as being “bloody hard work for a 15-year-old”.

“All the timber was massive because it was a big building… The floor was 1.5 inches, we had to use 2.5 inch nails, instead of two-inch nails,” he said.

“That’s the only time in all my building years I have ever come across a floor so thick, I’ve never ever seen that since.”

The fire collapsed the structure at the Oasis Church.

Mr Large was devastated when he heard the news of the alleged arson.

“I like to hope most of the things I have built will outlive me… 90 per cent of them are still there,” he said.

“When I saw that it was burnt down I was a bit sad.”

The building was constructed with hardwood timber.

“It just would have burnt and burnt,” Mr Large said.

The Morning Bulletin uncovered many happy snaps in its archives over the years, from events hosted by the publication, careers’ expos, and even a visit from former Premier Anna Bligh.

Rockhampton woman Karlee Mulry was kind enough to share her photos from her 2011 wedding.

Take a look at the gallery of photos over the years.

Photo gallery: Kershaw House Rockhampton over the years

VIEW GALLERY

A 33-year-old Gympie man, Jason James Pronger, has been charged with arson over the fire.

Police will allege the man was associated with the Oasis Church and he was motivated to make the attack against it.

Originally published as Former Norths Rugby League Club, Kershaw House, destroyed in fire