Noosa District Orchid & Foliage Society
We are a group of orchid lovers and growers who meet monthly to learn about, discuss, enjoy and indulge our passion for orchids and foliage.
About us
We invite you to join us at our regular monthly meeting on the first Saturday of each month
(excl. Dec. and Jan.) from 1.00pm at the Tinbeerwah Hall, 863 Sunrise Rd, Tinbeerwah
NDOFS History
In August 1984 Graham Willersdorf and Coral Anderson spoke to a number of local orchid growers who seemed enthusiastic about starting an orchid society to cater for the growing population in the Noosa Shire and surrounding areas.
The name chosen for the club was ‘Noosa District Orchid & Foliage Society’ (NDOFS) with its inaugural meeting held on 18 September 1984 at the Uniting Church Hall, Cooroy and attended by around 16 people.
A decision was made to move meetings to Eumundi which was fairly central to Yandina, Peregian Beach, Noosa Heads, Cooroy, Pomona and Kenilworth. The first Eumundi meeting was held on 8 October 1984 at the CWA rooms, with subsequent meetings at the School of Arts Hall, Eumundi. In July 1986 the society moved its meetings back to the Uniting Church Hall, Cooroy.
Barry Anderson was the first elected President and Coral Anderson was Secretary. NDOFS was very fortunate that in the early years the Sunshine Coast Orchid Society offered much-needed moral support. NDOFS made regular appearances at school, church and hospital fetes, displayed at shopping centres, held an annual Autumn display and a Spring show which assisted in boosting interest and membership.
The property board of Cooroy Church allowed the society to have a permanent cupboard in the church as the library books etc. had to be taken home and brought back each meeting. When the society bought a public address system, the church allowed them to buy another cupboard but only if it sat on a cupboard of theirs. They then kept the address system in this cupboard.
In 1986 on the 24th of May the society held a display in the School of Arts Hall at Eumundi. It wasn’t successful as not many people came and the markets were on at the time. We used to run street stalls in Cooroy and sell raffle tickets at Eumundi markets as we started off with very little money and no props, only polystyrene boxes for our displays at all the orchid shows.
NDOFS Committee
President: Dave Lyons
Vice President: Jacqui Murphy
Secretary: Julie Menkens
Treasurer: Sue Morrell
Show Co-ordinator: Gav Menkens
Newsletter and Promotions: Fay Knight
Committee: Bev Prideaux, Trevor Cook, Ian Skipworth
Raising funds in the early days was hard work – some members went prawn fishing overnight and sold them the next day at the Eumundi Markets. Displays at shopping centres and school fetes helped raise the profile also, of course, the Annual Spring Show at Cooroy.
NDOFS held its first show at the end of August 1985 at the Noosaville Baptist Church Hall and was reported in the local paper, a feature being “the best display of Cymbidiums ever seen in the district”.
28-29 August 1985 – first orchid show at the Baptist Church Hall, Noosaville
22-23 August 1986 – orchid show at the Baptist Church Hall, Noosaville
21-22 May 1987 – orchid display at CWA Hall
11-12 May 1990 – first Mother’s Day display at Cooroy
Our Spring show – 13-14 September 2024
Our Mother’s Day show – 10-11 May 2024
Our Spring show – 15-16 September 2023
Our Mother’s Day show – 12-13 May 2023
