Emerald Hill hall centenary on cards for farming community

On June 4, the rural community will hold a dual celebration to mark the major milestone and the progress association is encouraging anyone with memorabilia, old photographs and the like to share it ahead of the date.

Association chair Scott McCalman is looking forward to seeing past and present members of the small community come together in the revitalised hall and is extending the invitation out to anyone who wants to come along.

"The more the merrier," he said.

Fellow association member Maxine McDonald said the celebration was sorely needed after so many events had been cancelled in the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We definitely need to have these things. We've actually got a lot of young ones coming into the community. They're so supportive and they want to join in," she said.

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The hall was built with community spirit after a meeting was called on August 20, 1920, to organise finance and voluntary working bees.

Ted Griffiths was elected chairman and it was agreed that one pound ($2) shares be sponsored in the district, with 158 shares taken out. The construction cost more than 600 pounds, including the piano and furniture.

The hall was officially opened on April 22, 1922, by Mrs EA Griffiths, wife of the hall building committee president. Sports were held all day and more than 100 couples danced the night away in the hall.

In 1927, the interior of the hall was lined at a cost of 75 pounds, and a kitchen was erected the following year by the successful tenderer, Moorehouse and Son, at a cost of 64 pounds.

To raise funds, a live pigeon shoot and ball were held on November 8, 1927, with each shooter paying five shillings for a nine-bird sweep. The prize money was five pounds.

At night, Bridge's Jazz Band supplied music and the charge for the ball was five shillings for men and three shillings for women.

Electricity was connected to the hall on October 7, 1954, after local district residents had contributed to the fund.

The hall was used by the Emerald Hill CWA after it was established on June 2, 1922 by local newspaper journalist Frances Studdy.

The branch is part of the Namoi Group of the CWA, which was formed in response to a series of articles Ms Studdy wrote encouraging country women to form an organisation to highlight the problems of rural families.

The Emerald Hill branch still holds it meetings in the hall, which was also used as an auditorium by the local school when it was next door.

The hall faced closure in 2013 when Gunnedah Shire Council called for expressions of interest to sell it. At the time, concerned residents banded together and formed the progress association to save the hall.

In recent years, the hall has undergone many improvements, including a new toilet block, modernised kitchen, verandah, solar lighting and ceiling fans. The flooring and stage will also be rejuvenated this month.

Mrs McDonald said the hall was still the heart of the community and had been witness to many Christmas parties, weddings, play groups, meetings, and get-togethers.

She is hopeful former residents will come forward and share their stories and photos to be included in a historical keepsake for party-goers to take home at the end of the celebration.

History will also literally be raised from the ground at the centenary event when locals unearth a time capsule from February 9, 1990.

A member of the Stewart family who now lives in Tamworth, is just one of the former residents who chose to place something in the capsule more than 30 years ago.

The existing items in the capsule will be replaced with different items contributed by those attending the centenary.

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