The Old Ambo gallery has been operating in Nambour’s heart since 2008. It is an independent and accessible multi-arts creative hub built on the shoulders of the community where artists can invest in their artistic practice and experiment with complete creative freedom. It is quintessentially ‘Nambour’, part of the town’s renewal and a community pillar, distinctive on the Sunshine Coast, it draws audiences from across the region for diverse arts experiences.

How well does the community run facility keep to its aims? Judging by the turnout at the last exhibition, they are doing very well indeed! Chony’s Art Room has been at the Old Ambo for the last two years, providing art classes to a wide variety of young people across the Sunshine Coast. In early October her students staged a show entitled Emerging.

Chony Bowden grew up in Nambour and knew the building when it was the ambulance station. After travelling for 20 years, she returned to her home and saw that the building was now an arts precinct, for gallery (visual arts) and music (music arts) and theatre (performance arts). Her interest in these, creative people and community drew her to the Old Ambo.

From being a kid at the creek drawing dragonflies, Chony studied to be a teacher, was employed to teach visual arts, and found she loved it. She started classes for young artists ranging in ages from 6 or 7 to 11 years old and also runs classes for teenagers in Coolum and people with disabilities under the NDIS.

Chony believes that children need their imagination to be ignited, to be creative and express emotions and to feel a sense of community; and that her classes can provide something not available in the school system. She says that there is a waiting list for her classes at the Old Ambo. 

“I believe that the Sunshine Coast Council does a really good job in the arts, putting a lot of money into it and with some great people supporting this effort,” says Chony.  “I think that the Old Ambo should continue to bloom and support the talented artists in this region.”

Gallery Coordinator Julya Hegarty is a committed fan of the Old Ambo.  “We are trying to maintain a creative community hub with a mix of things so that everybody can be heard or seen and feel welcome,” she said. “What we’ve got here is a fantastic, eclectic mix of artwork, emerging art, music, records, and we’re going to have movies soon. It’s going to be a hive of activity for the rest of this year and all of 2025.”

• You can keep an eye on happenings at theoldambulancestation.com  Gallery hours are Monday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm.