Sid Sidebottom (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'll tell you some stories later, Patrick! At that time it was very much the centre of life, along with the church, the local school and the more or less sober 'uncle', the pub. But the town hall was very much the centre of activity and it had a very illustrious history. Unfortunately, it was burnt down in 1922 by an accidental fire. It took another 11 years before it was rebuilt and reopened and it was a different type of town hall then. It was opened by the local senator, Senator Hays. It has seen many things happen, and I know many members here have halls in their local communities where the same sorts of things happen: kitchen teas, farewells when people leave the district or go away on war service, coming-of-age parties, wedding breakfasts and receptions, dancers and balls—the memories are flowing now—and concerts and theatre restaurants. I actually acted in a couple, including one memorable performance at the town hall of Dimboola, when people thought we were taking the micky out of the local population. There have also been film evenings, church services, service club activities, local government forums, sporting activities, card nights, bingo, yoga classes, arts and crafts, and end-of-year school celebrations. Indeed, both my sons, who went to the local Forth Primary School, had their end-of-year celebrations there, but they are not held there anymore because the massive BER investment in our schools means the school now has its own magnificent multipurpose complex.

Anyway, times change, as you all well know. A lot of towns had populations that did not work in the towns, as businesses spread out, and they became more dormitory like. So there was a real threat that in time the Forth Town Hall would fall into disuse, and for a lot of councils the increased costs meant they were looking to get rid of halls. Indeed, I got an evaluation on the Forth Town Hall for fear that it would be privatised. I thought I would not like to live next to a privatised space, in particular a privatised town hall.

The council reviewed the use of the hall in 2002 and since that time the Forth Valley Lions Club have turned the town hall back into a shining example of community use. It is magnificently refurbished. The federal government was able to contribute $60,000 towards its refurbishment and there were very generous sponsors, such as the Forth Valley Blues Festival Committee and the local Art and Craft Committee as well as the Forth Valley Lions Club, giving thousands of dollars for the refurbishment. I had the great pleasure on Friday, 28 October, of reopening the refurbished town hall. There is nothing like a town hall not being used for community activities. It is like a consecrated space: there is something odd if it is not used for the community. I want to sincerely congratulate the Forth Valley Lions Club on the fantastic job they have done under the auspices of the Central Coast Council. (Time expired)

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