It has been used for weddings, funerals, market days as well as being home to the town’s library – and now the Willawarrin community hall is reopening its doors after much-needed renovations.
The community hall, the heart of Willawarrin and a vital resource in the bushfire evacuation and recovery, will open on Wednesday just in time for Kempsey Shire Council’s outreach program and library day.
And the hall’s treasurer and librarian Maudie Reid could not be happier.
“Every time I see someone they want to know when they can come and borrow a book,” Maudie said.
“The hall really is the heart of the community, it was the one-stop shop during the bushfires where people could come and get help, food parcels and clothes or a cup of tea.
“So it’s important for the doors to open again so our community can still get up-to-date information on what’s happening with bushfire recovery.”
Maudie thanked Kempsey Shire Council for the renovations on the hall, who employed local company Osborne and Dowling building contractors to complete the work.
She said the hall’s committee had started to fund raise for the renovations selling raffle tickets and holding market days before the Council announced the welcomed funding grant.
“It would have taken us years to save up enough money, so we think it’s wonderful the Council has helped get this community back on track so we can keep delivering services at the hall,” Maudie said.
“We used the money the committee raised to buy a ride on mower to maintain the hall’s grounds.”
The hall was renovated through the National Bushfire Recovery Agency funding, which saw the replacement of damaged external timber and down pipes, fixing the window’s flashings and repainting of the exterior.
Willawarrin Community Hall president Garth Brown and treasurer Maudie Reid with Mark Jackson from Kempsey Shire Council and Rodney Osborne of Osborne and Dowling building contractors
