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With plans afoot to assess possible future uses for Kyabram Town Hall, interest in one of the town’s most iconic landmarks is growing.

Former member of the now disbanded Kyabram Town Hall Management Group Catherine Bleasdale concludes her brief two-part history of the building this week by covering the period from 1954 to the present day.

Kyabram Town Hall from 1954 to the present day has offered many different services to the town of Kyabram. During the period 1954 to 1982 The Old Kyabram Town Hall was the centre of the social life of the town with events such as Debutante Balls, dances, concerts, musical entertainment and other gatherings. From 1954 to 1985 the Allan St entrance walls displayed boards showing past Mayors, council officers and Australia Day Award recipients. They still hang there, seen by no-one and not updated.

In 1982 the large hall was divided. The north end became the Kyabram Community Centre, later the Kyabram Community and Learning Centre, with the Neighbourhood House and a crèche accessed from Bradley St. The south end of the Hall became the Library. Aged Care and Social workers used the Billiard Room and the smaller rooms accessed from Alan St. Later the Historical Society moved into the old Billiard Room.

The Kyabram Community and Learning Centre moved into renovated Mayoral rooms in 1997. The Community Church rented the empty space, hoping to take over the whole building when the Library left the hall. The Library move was strongly contested by the general public and a meeting was held in the Plaza Theatre to discuss with the Mayor and council officers why this was necessary. A majority of 100 voted in favour of the whole of the Old Town Hall being converted into the Library but the Shire went ahead with the move. So much for Campaspe Shire representing the towns folk!

The hall was half empty once again. Some renovating was done to bring it back to the original building. In May 1999 a Shire Section 85 group of interested people formed The Town Hall Advisory Committee to work with the Shire over the future of the hall. However the group was summarily dismissed on March 27, 2007 without warning.

In August 2012 interested people were asked by the Shire to attend a meeting with Shire officers and David Gittus from the Regional Health Fund who advised there were grants which could be applied for to upgrade the hall. The Shire has now employed Simon Leisure Consulting to assess the need and cost of making the Old Town Hall a living building once more.

It is now up to the people of Kyabram to give their input on what they, not the Shire, would like to see happen in regard to future uses of the Hall for the benefit of Kyabram.

Please contact Mary Bowman, Catherine Bleasdale or Joy Salter with your ideas, preferably in writing. Letters can be delivered to the Kyabram Free Press office for forwarding if required.