The museum's first historically significant building, Okey House, is an example of housing design at the turn of the 20th Century. The house was originally sited on a property on Franklin Drive where McLachlan Road now exists [the entrance to the Village Green estate].

Okey House was built in the early 1930's from hardwood timbers from the original Mudgeeraba Hotel - the Hampshire Terrace Hotel. This house was donated and relocated to the museum site by Baldwin Riverlands Pty Ltd in December 2003 with a donation towards the costs of restoration.

Franklin Drive of 80 years ago

A Briar Rose that was growing in front of Okey House when it was situated on Franklin Drive is thought to have been planted in a Mudgeeraba garden more than 80 years ago. It has been planted at the Museum and will become a timeless sweet symbol of the years of the Pioneers to be remembered.

There was some discussion on the correct spelling for the house and after some investigation and assistance from the Franklin family; we discovered that it is Okey house. An old newspaper clipping was found and also records of horse events that states that it is Okey.

Reminiscent of another era

The house consists of a lounge room, two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, toilet and laundry with a verandah across the front. There is a corrugated iron stove covering on the side of the house.

The house was completely repainted inside and out, and the windows were reglazed and rehung. The restoration of the house was completed by working from a restoration management plan compiled by architects experienced in this type of work. Each of the rooms in Okey House has displays set up of items reminiscent of the era of the house. A display of clothing from the past is also housed here.