Why Does This man Want To Demolish Our Old Hall

Councillor Van Der Kley is the only ward Two Councillor elected to represent the wishes of the people in this ward who isn't interested in saving OUR hall.
He isn't interested in hearing from the people in this ward about this issue.
He isn't interested in this historical landmark building.
He has voted for demolition.
ASK HIM WHY ?

Councillor Van Der Kley
6 Murray Avenue
WENTWORTH FALLS NSW 2782
02 4758 6254 (fax/ph) (w)
02 4757 2376 (fax/ph) (h)
0427 805 810 (mobile)
email: cvanderkley@bmcc.nsw.gov.au

WE NEED THE HALL...Plea To Council

Will this be ignored as well?

To The Blue Mountains City Council

Katoomba NSW 2780 2 - 6 - 07


Dear General Manager and Councillors,

On behalf of The Brook Community Theatre, we, the committee, make an urgent plea to be granted use of the Mechanics’ Institute at Lawson, as our venue, the Woodford Uniting Church Hall that we have occupied for the past twenty-one years, is now on the market.

The Brook was founded by Seamus Rothsey, and Elizabeth Watson in 1982 as a non-profit, self-funded and independent organisation run by volunteers.
The Brook staged its first production, ‘The Happiest Days of Your Life’ at the Woodford Hall in 1986, and to this day has been true to its policy of keeping theatre live in the mid-mountains, with the involvement of the local community of all ages, both on and off the stage.

The Brook has also been true to Seamus’ intention of maintaining professional standards, and has enjoyed a fine reputation for quality theatre in over sixty productions. We also conduct Drama Classes for children and teenagers every week, culminating in student performances, with many gaining additional theatrical experience in Brook pantomimes at the end of the year.

We are currently rehearsing two one-act plays, one of which was the winner of our competition launched two years ago to encourage new works by local writers.

We are preparing for two more productions this year, and three in 2008. Our not having a secure venue does not dampen our commitment and determination to continue the success story of our much loved theatre company.

We cannot emphasise enough the importance of the Brook Community Theatre as being of both cultural and social benefit to the mid-mountains community.

It is our understanding that the Mechanics Institute had been recently renovated, and would therefore be most suitable as a performance space for our theatre company, and for other cultural groups such as The Mudlarks, whose current venue, the Woodford Uniting Church, is being sold, and the group is also desperate for rehearsal and performance space in the mid-mountains.

Members of our Committee have recently inspected the Mechanics’ Institute, and certified it as a perfect venue for our Company, and implore the Council to preserve this building as a much needed performance space and an essential part of the Blue Mountains history.
The future of theatre groups such as ours will depend on the preservation of the Mechanics’ Institute.

Yours Faithfully,

Leila Wedd

Artistic Director

On behalf of the Committee of
The Brook Community Theatre Group Inc.

RESIDENTS HAVE THEIR SAY.

Long Time Resident Saddened by Council Decision.
Mrs. Patti Louden now aged 87 has had a very long connection with Lawson going back over seventy years. She has spent most of those years in her home in Sayers Street .


Mrs. Louden was asked how she felt about the prospect of the Mechanics Institute / Community Hall being demolished for the widening of the highway and to share some memories about it.



"Before I married I would often come to dances on Friday nights at the hall during the war years to raise funds for the war effort, we had such a wonderful time. I would leave work at 5.30 pm and travel by steam train on Friday evenings, it usually took about 3 hours to get here then from Sydney.The entrance to the dances cost 1 shilling, and I remember it was always packed out.

The Hall was really the focal point of the community in Lawson and I have many happy memories of various functions, dances, special occasions and so on. The hall was used by many community groups, it was used by the C.W.A. for many years and other groups. I remember it being used for Christmas Carols for some years, it was wonderful.

Of my many happy times at the hall I particularly remember it being used on the weekends as a movie theatre. I remember seeing the film 'Going My Way', there were many others, but i can't recall them now.

I feel very strongly that the hall should somehow be moved and be used again for the whole community as it was intended, after all it belongs to the people of the township. Although it looks small from the highway it is really quite large inside. I remember the enormous kitchen / supper area and attending functions such as the C.W.A. and my daughters attending many school and other functions there as they were growing up.

I feel that we should be keeping the old hall as it has such important historical connections with many people in Lawson. Of course I realise that the highway is in desperate need of being widened but I would like to see the hall retained regardless.

I have no memory of much community consultation over the years regarding what would be done with the hall when the highway eventually is re- built. Maybe there was something in 'The Gazette' over the years but I don't recall much being said about it.

I would feel very sad to see this important building demolished considering the connections it has with so many people over the years."

From the website of the Mid Mountains Historical Society

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Appalled By Council . Raoul O'Brien Lawson.

Like many of us, I am appalled by this Council's attitude in its attempt to destroy a beautiful and historical building that can be readily be saved at a fraction of the cost in building a new community hall.






My points I wish to add are:
Our local youth group could have a permanent home in this building with pride.

Personally, I know several groups including painters, drama players and musicians that would regularly use this building for their exhibits and performances.

In a recent cultural strategy workshop organised by the Blue Mountains Council ( co-ordinated by Janne Yardie ) over several months at considerable cost and attended by various artistic / historical cultures including landscape painters / drama schools / dancers/ musicians / writers / youth bands / jazz groups etc., the main recurring complaint from these groups was that there were not enough halls in the Blue Mountains for their activities.

On this basis, why is the Mechanics Institute not in use at the present time and in the future?

Save this Building.

Raoul O'Brien Lawson

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Kathy O'Hara
I live in Bullaburra

For ten years I have been working as a theatre technician at the Sydney Opera House.
Because of my trade, I’m often asked to provide technical production for events in various venues in the Mountains.

Just before Easter I had my first opportunity to inspect the inside of the Mechanics Institute during a site visit by Mammoth Movers who were there to appraise the feasibility of moving the hall back.

I am absolutely astounded that such a beautifull and well resourced example of a theatre exists in my home town.
In any other LGA this would be the jewel of the civic crown.

This hall has great acoustics, great aesthetics, and an easily achievable potential to service a very sophisticated range of local and touring performance events, not to mention lending grandeur to a variety of community functions and just generally enhancing our town and LGA

It has more backstage area than the Opera Theatre or the Concert Hall at the SOH. And from what I can see – not an engineer – the costs to have it comply with the current Building Code of Australia, and fire safetly compliance would be a pittance compared with it’s practical and civic value.

I’ve spent the last few days on the phone talking to local performing arts and other community groups and people from related industries. I’ve yet to make one call where the response has been that we can afford to loose this venue. Even the plan of management acknowledges that additional funds must be found to rehouse MM youth services and, as a volunteer at the midmountains neighbourhood centre I can tell you that bookings for the hall there (which does double duty as the Lawson Primary school hall), and the other little meeting rooms are heavy contested.

This is something that Council’s community venues booking officer, who I’ve tried unsuccessfully to contact yesterday and today will verify.

I won't go into the emotional and heritage issues re this hall. You’ve all seen all the reports. On a practical level, on a purely value for money level. We need to keep and cherish this hall.

Thank you for your attention Kathy O'Hara Bullaburra

If you would like to share your memories or make a comment about saving our hall please contact Kevin : email here

Council Will Destroy Our Heritage

Some historical facts from the Mid Mountains Historical Society website.


In June 1896, a meeting was held at the residence of Mr. W. Newton that resulted in the formation of a Literary and Debating Society for the Village of Lawson with a membership of eight interested residents and no funds. The first meetings of the new society were held in the old Blue Mountain Inn which had been made available by Mr AW. Wilson. A small library was established and the society began to grow. When Mr. Wilson died a move was made to the 'Coffee Palace' in San Jose Avenue and a 3/4 size billiard table was purchased with assistance from Mr. J.H. Humbly, to attract young men to the society. It proved an instantaneous success and a permanent site was procured for the town through the efforts of the local Progress Committee.

A Mechanics Institution was first established in the Colony of NSW in 1823 under the patronage of the Governor, Sir Richard Bourke and under the direction of a Scottish Minister, Rev. Henry Carmichael. The objects of the institution were similar to those that had been established at the beginning of the 19th century in Scotland and England to provide for the diffusion of useful knowledge, and the awakening of a love of study by means of a library, news and reading rooms, lectures and classes for instruction accessible for the working classes.

From the 1850s, Mechanic's Institutes spread quickly throughout the towns and cities of Australia through Government support in the provision of sites and some financial support. Sir Henry Parkes had had his early education in such an institution in Birmingham and supported the movement in NSW during his time as Premier of the State. By 1880 there were 76 Schools of Arts, Mechanics or Literary Institutes throughout the state offering a wide range of adult education. The Board of Technical education was established in 1883 to oversee adult and technical education and by 1914 was overseen by the Department of Education. Formalisation of technical education in NSW left local Mechanics Institutes free to pursue a wide variety of cultural and social activities within their communities.

In February 1899, Lot 17 of Section 1 of the Village of Lawson was set aside and dedicated as the site for a Mechanics Institute and a small timber building was erected on the site by the fledgling Lawson Literary Society. The move to this building provided additional impetus for the institution, which was a focus for social activity in the village and within a short period a public meeting was held to support the formation of a Mechanic's Institute and the erection of a more imposing structure to house its functions. Fund raising activities proceeded with community functions and entertainments being held in the 'Coffee Palace Hall' in San Jose Avenue.

Why Does This Man Want To Demolish Our Hall

Councillor Van Der Kley is the only ward Two Councillor elected to represent the wishes of the people in this ward who isn't interested in saving OUR hall.
He isn't interested in hearing from the people in this ward about this issue.
He isn't interested in this historical landmark building.
He has voted for demolition.
ASK HIM WHY HE WON'T HELP TO SAVE OUT HALL?

Councillor Van Der Kley
6 Murray Avenue
WENTWORTH FALLS NSW 2782
02 4758 6254 (fax/ph) (w)
02 4757 2376 (fax/ph) (h)
0427 805 810 (mobile)
email: cvanderkley@bmcc.nsw.gov.au

Save Our Hall Vigil

press release for gazette

Just over 100 years ago some residents of Lawson raised the funds and engaged a builder to construct a community hall to be known as The Mechanics Institute. The bricks were re-cycled from the original Blue Mountain Railway Station building and used for the hall, which was opened in 1903.

Many residents of Lawson feel that the hard work and commitment by those people should be honoured by moving the hall, not demolishing it as is apparently the option preferred by The Blue Mountains City Council. It is quite possible to safely re-locate the building back from the highway.

Lawson and the Mid Mountains residents sorely need a hall for performance, meeting and exhibition space. The hall at Mid Mountains Community Centre is quite inadequate as it is shared with the Lawson Public School. It doesn't have decent facilities for performance or exhibitions. As the volunteers at Mid Mountains Neighbourhood Centre will tell you it is so heavily booked most of the time that it is hard get a booking owing to a lack of other facilities.

As many of us remember, the old Mechanics Institute Hall has an excellent stage and backstage space for many purposes. With a little tender loving care it could be brought up to scratch and used by the community again. A building report showed a few years ago that the hall was in good condition. Why then are our councillors not even prepared to consider a feasibility report into having it moved?

The Save Our Hall group of residents are holding a vigil every Sunday from 10.30am to remind Mountains residents and tourists of the value of this excellent facility and also to remind our Councillors of their duty to respond to the wishes of the people.

This hall was built by the people, for the people of Lawson.