A wonderful weekend of celebration and connection was had by all who attended the reopening for community inspection at the Lake Tyers Beach Hall on September 6-7, which included an afternoon tea.
Close to 70 past committee members and representatives of community organisations attended an invited guests function on Friday, September 6, which started with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony by Shay Terrick of GLaWAC.
Another 50-60 community members dropped in throughout the public open day on Saturday.
The overwhelming feedback from community visitors was positive – they were blown away by the increase in space, quality of finish and outlook from the new rear deck.
Past committee members from the old hall opening in 1962 (May Beveridge, Terry Whelan, Margaret Campbell, and Jack Whadcoat) were in attendance to lead the community into the newly renovated building, providing a symbolic handover to a new era of the hall.
They expressed great satisfaction that the hall retained many of its old features but with modern amenities and appearance.
May Beveridge, at 99 years old, hopes to be the first to celebrate a 100th birthday in the newly renovated hall, early next year.
Hall committee president Brian Bolding thanked the shire and a long list of people who had contributed to the successful redevelopment, which had been in planning and development since 2018.
He expressed hope to see much more use being made of the hall and it continuing to serve the community for at least another 50-60 years.
Vice president and secretary, Shane Rees, supported by a video, spoke of the hall’s history from 1918 to the present, which for the first 40 years had been closely connected with the Toorloo Arm Primary School.
A new solar, battery and EV charging installation was in place for the reopening with substantial contributions by RACV Solar and the Gippsland Climate Change Network.
A major new artwork was also unveiled at the reopening.
This was the work of long-term Indigenous resident of Lake Tyers Beach, Aunty Phyllis Andy – donated to the hall by local artists Barbara Allen and Josephine Jakobi.
This new artwork took pride of place in the newly renovated hall.
