Help celebrate Scarness Rotunda’s 100th anniversary

Published on 16 July 2026

• Community invited to celebrate the official naming of Haddow's Corner on Friday 14 August.
• Renaming recognises the Haddow family's significant contribution to the development of Scarness.
• Event coincides with the Scarness Band Rotunda's 100th anniversary.

Fraser Coast residents are invited to a special community celebration next month to officially name the parkland surrounding the iconic Scarness Band Rotunda as Haddow's Corner, recognising the Haddow family's lasting contribution to the development of Scarness.

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said the free event would be held at Scarness Park on Friday 14 August from 3:30pm to 4:30pm, coinciding with celebrations marking the Rotunda's 100th anniversary.

“The naming honours a family whose legacy helped shape Scarness into the thriving seaside destination it is today,” he said.

"The Haddow family arrived in Scarness in 1925 and quickly became part of the area's growth and identity.

"They established Scarness' first café and milk bar before expanding their businesses to include a newsagency, barber shop, billiard rooms and the district's first petrol bowser.

"They also operated Haddow's Hall, which became a popular entertainment venue and social hub for locals and visitors for many years."

Cr Seymour said the Rotunda, originally built in front of Haddow's Hall, remains one of the Fraser Coast's most recognisable heritage landmarks.

"This year marks 100 years since the Rotunda was first erected, making it the perfect time to recognise the family's lasting contribution to our community," he said.

“The celebration will feature the official unveiling of the Haddow's Corner signage, with members of the Haddow family and representatives from the Hervey Bay Historical Museum taking part in the ceremony.

“The Hervey Bay City Musicians will perform from the Rotunda, while Mr Whippy Fraser Coast has generously donated 100 free ice creams in honour of the late George Haddow Senior, who delivered ice cream throughout Hervey Bay by horse and cart during the 1920s.”

Cr Seymour said naming this precinct Haddow's Corner ensures the Haddow family's contribution to Scarness will continue to be recognised and remembered for generations to come.

“The renaming follows community consultation earlier this year, with more than 150 people participating in a poll that showed strong support for recognising the Haddow family and selecting Haddow's Corner as the preferred name,” he said.

“The Scarness Band Rotunda was added to Fraser Coast Regional Council's Local Heritage Register in 2025 and was recently restored to preserve its historic character as a centrepiece of the Scarness foreshore for future generations.

"We look forward to welcoming the community to Scarness Park on Friday 14 August to celebrate this important milestone and honour a family whose legacy continues to shape our region.”