Eight decades of community, connection and transformation at Alex Park

Alexandra Park Conference Centre celebrates a significant milestone this month, marking 80 years since the site’s first Easter camp.

The 80th anniversary celebration marked with a lunch event on Tuesday 14 April, bringing together past and present staff, church leaders, community partners and supporters. We thank all of those who attended for helping make this a memorable occasion.

From its beginnings in 1946 to its role today as a vibrant camp, conference and community facility, Alex Park regularly hosts school camps, sporting teams, church groups and other community events.

Alexandra Park Conference Centre Manager Danny Salzke said the anniversary was a moment for both reflection and anticipation. “Alex Park has always been deeply connected to this community. We see it in the relationships we’ve built with local organisations and the generations of people who keep coming back,” Mr Salzke said. “With the Olympics on the horizon, there’s real excitement about the role this place can play into the future, while staying true to the spirit of welcome and connection that has defined Alex Park for 80 years.”

With capacity for 350 overnight guests and flexible conferencing facilities for up to 750, all just a few hundred metres from the beach, the site is a major contributor to the local economy. Alex Park welcomes more than 15,000 guests each year, with many first-timers becoming repeat visitors to both the Centre and to the Sunshine Coast region at large.

Those stays contribute directly to the local economy through accommodation, hospitality, transport and community engagement, reinforcing Alex Park’s role as a well-connected and active member of the region’s tourism and business community.

Alex Park’s roots lie deep within the Uniting Church’s history – originally established under the Presbyterian Church. The site continues to host significant gatherings such as Synod in Session, Easter Madness and other church events, while remaining open and welcoming to the wider community.

Moderator Rev Bruce Moore remarked on Alex Park’s history and its vital contribution to the history of the Church. “Alex Park reminds us that place matters. For generations, people have come here to step away from the noise of everyday life, to find belonging and to discover what it means to live and serve together. As we mark 80 years, we give thanks for what has been, and we look with hope toward what is still to come.”

Looking ahead, Alex Park is also part of the Sunshine Coast’s future story. As one of the last major green spaces in Alexandra Headland, the site has been identified as a potential Community Zone during the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, highlighting its importance as both a place of gathering and a shared community asset.

Fast facts – Alexandra Park Conference Centre