News from Glasshouse Country Men’s Shed
Article by Rick Canhan
Glasshouse Country Men’s Shed
A Community Hub in the Hinterland
Nestled in the picturesque foothills of the Sunshine Coast hinterland on Peachester Road in Beerwah, the Glasshouse Country Men’s Shed is a thriving hub of woodworking, metalwork, community projects and social connection. The Shed regularly supports local initiatives through hands-on projects and fundraising efforts — and 2025 has been a particularly big year. Here’s a snapshot of what’s been happening lately.
2025 - A Year of Upgrades
Last year was a big year for the Glasshouse Country Men’s Shed, with the Shed enjoying substantial upgrades following a successful State Government grant that has enabled major improvements to our facilities.
These new works have effectively doubled our work and storage space, including the addition of a much-needed, purpose-built area dedicated to welding and metal fabrication — something we never really had before. This new section is now separate from the general shed workspace, making both spaces safer and more accessible.
We now also have a larger, dedicated woodturning area, with enough space for all lathes to be set up and operating simultaneously. Adjacent to this area is a new, dedicated dust-extraction room, which greatly improves both the efficiency and comfort of our woodturners.
Another welcome addition is a new covered work area. Previously, overflow work was carried out under a gazebo-style structure, which was always subject to the whims of the weather and became unsuitable during periods of rain or heat. The new covered space has made a noticeable difference to how we operate day to day.
Work commenced in late 2024, with the contract signed in October, engineering designs completed in November, contract approval in January 2025, and slab laying in February 2025. From there, the project really began to take shape as the walls and roof were installed.
This was followed by major internal reorganisation, an electrical fit-out, and the gradual return of equipment — all of which led to what is now a significantly improved Glasshouse Country Men’s Shed.
Made Possible by Shed Volunteers
A number of people deserve recognition and sincere thanks:
The Shed committee — well done, gentlemen.
Ian Collingwood, our dedicated Grants Officer, whose persistence and commitment in chasing funding opportunities made this project possible.
Our Shed members, many of whom stepped in at short notice to assist with a wide range of tasks, your support is greatly appreciated.
And, of course, a big thank you to the State Government Fund, without which these upgrades would not have been possible.
Onward and Upward
An official reopening took place in July 2025, and we haven’t looked back since. It’s also worth noting that the Glasshouse Country Men’s Shed proudly took first place in the Sunshine Coast Fisher Senior Community Group Award for 2025.
While it took several months to get all the equipment fully back online, by the February–March period, the shed was once again running at full capacity. Since then, we have taken on a number of community-based projects and several private projects.
It’s onward and upward from here!
