GECC Hall of Fame

As the beating heart of Gladstone events and entertainment, Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre knows how much arts and culture enrich our community. 

Our thriving arts community would not be possible without the people and organisations who devote their time, talent and energy. What would we do without their unwavering passion?

To recognise and honour these significant impacts and achievements, we established the GECC Hall of Fame. Since 2017, we have selected one person or organisation from the Gladstone Region to become a Hall of Fame inductee.

  • Do you know someone who has made a significant contribution to arts and culture in the Gladstone Region? Every January, nominations for potential inductees are open. Members of the Gladstone community are invited to submit their nominations using the official form made available in January.

    Nominations are reviewed by an anonymous panel of assessors bought together by the GECC. This panel includes staff, volunteers, and previous inductees. Assessors are required to declare any conflicts of interest once nominations are received and prior to voting. The Hall of Fame inductee is decided by the majority vote.

  • Nominations are assessed via criteria that is pre-determined and released at the time nominations open. The criteria must include but is not limited to the following:

    • the inductee must have made a proven significant impact on performing arts in
    • the Gladstone Region
    • the inductee should have spent considerable time in the Gladstone Region
    • the inductee should have high standing in the community
    • length of service in the industry.

  • Once the Hall of Fame inductee has been chosen, a Hall of Fame Star is placed on the GECC Hall of Fame wall. This celebration follows the GECC’s musical production (Combined Schools Musical or Community Musical).  

    Please note: GECC reserves the right not to induct any nominees into the Hall of Fame should no nominations be received or deemed suitable. 

Wesley Walker - 2020 Hall of Fame Inductee

We’re thrilled to present our 2021 GECC Hall of Fame Star to Wesley Walker. Having been involved in theatre since childhood, Wesley has championed the performing arts in Gladstone with incredible dedication and commitment.

Since moving to Gladstone more than 20 years ago, Wesley has donated significant time to the performing arts. As a RADF Committee member, he has helped many local performing artists realise their work and develop their shows.

As part of the Arts Council - or as it’s known today, the Curtis Coast Arts Alliance - he lobbied funding bodies for the Gladstone performing arts community and is currently working on the development of a central database for artists, arts workers, and supporters for the Gladstone Region.

Not only has Wesley been instrumental in the development of our local performing artists, he also performed with local theatre companies including the ‘Bunbury Players,’ ‘Wild-Goose,’ and in our GECC-produced community musicals.

Lastly, Wesley has acted as president and member of the Gladstone Friends of the Theatre for several years and worked with the FOTT to support the Gladstone City Theatre and now GECC.

Wesley Walker, thank you for your continued support of the performing arts in Gladstone. We are honoured to have you as our 2021 Hall of Fame Star recipient.

Jeannine Butler - 2018 Hall of Fame Inductee

GECC welcomes its first Hall of Fame inductee with her own star.

The GECC held a double celebration in March 2018 hosting a cast party to acknowledge the 20th Gladstone Combined Schools Musical and launch the venue’s Hall of Fame.

One person who has been instrumental in the development of Performing Arts in our region is Mrs Jeannine Butler, who was the first inductee. Jeannine is highly regarded in the region’s performing arts circles and has been a driver of Council’s Combined Schools Musical program for more than 20 years. She has been the Director of nine shows in 11 of the Combined Schools Musical Program’s 24-year history, with 2018 being her first as the Stage Manager for Shrek, The Musical.

The Arts has been part of Jeannine’s life since young when she was provided the opportunity to learn music (piano), dance, speech and drama and participate and perform in community arts events. She has performed many times since her first experience on stage when she recited Little Miss Muffet at the Cairns Eisteddfod at age five. As a teacher, Mrs Butler promoted the Arts in schools, lectured in the Arts at the CQUniversity Gladstone Campus and ran her own speech and drama studio for many years.

Her contributions and dedicated efforts were recognised and acknowledged in 2011 as Council’s Australia Day Award’s Senior Cultural Award winner. Mrs Butler said she would always be involved in the theatre space and offered encouraging words. “I’m so passionate about the Arts that I can’t see me too far away from the stage, the lights, sounds and action,” she said.

“If this is your dream then believe in yourself and go for it. Successful people achieve more than ever thought possible because of an innate belief in themselves,” she said.