A Plea From Lawson residents

Dear General Manager

I am writing to protest against councils decision with regard to demolition of Lawson Community Hall. I have been involved with this hall since moving to the mountains in 1974. We were the first playgroup within the Blue Mountain area and we hired the hall for the playgroup occupying the larger hall plus the smaller kitchen area. In addition I was involved in the theatre group which operated during the eighties (??) and entertained and delivered some first class theatre/plays. I was a member of the Lawson Community Hall committee during which time I was responsible for the cleaning and bookings of the hall. My daughter enjoyed classes with Shirley Harris in Physical Culture and I participated in several dance classes. Most months there would be a bush dance where the hall would be filled to capacity, the acoustics brilliant with all who attended having a fantastic time. I am sure that my experience with Lawson Community Hall would be shared with numerous community members who are as saddened as I am with councils decision to demolish this grand old lady.

During the times I was responsible for the cleaning of this hall I would sometimes stop and imagine what the hall would have been in its prime, noting the projector box and the stage area with what was then, framed by beautiful velvet curtains. Sometimes, during those boring times of mopping I would sing to myself, amazed at how far my voice would carry.
As time went on, I noticed the deterioration of the wooden floor/kitchen area/toilets and wished that the council would acknowledge its responsibilities but noting that the new centre behind the post office was the "in" place and the community hall allowed to fall into disrepair.
I often thought that this may be a tactic used by council as vandals would then make their mark, perhaps a fire or two or broken windows would then support councils approach that this was a building not worth saving, that the monies to renovate and maintain would be too much and not supported by rate payers.
I only have to look at that most beautiful building that used to shine as train travellers rounded the bend on the approach to Katoomba. Now partly hidden by the Edge, it breaks my heart to see how sad it looks, will it now be demolished as a recommendation by council to make way for what???? Units, housing estate, shopping centre, something similar to that most ugly complex on the highway at Leura.
I have to ask, does the council have an ulterior agenda in relation to the land on which the Lawson Community Hall stands??? Is there money in it for the council???.
Surely, as you and we all get older, there is the need for recognition and acknowledgement and preservation of those buildings that represent the past and the contributions made by the local community. Council has to recognise that our old hall can be saved, can be used, can be maintained and can be an absolute asset and integral option for community groups! The council needs to voice its intent to do what the community wants!

I remember, not that long ago, when the council wanted to close the local swimming pool. I remember the local members (they aren't now) who were at a meeting at a local park adjacent to the swimming pool who were absolutely "shouted down" as the community was rightly outraged that the council would suggest such a thing. In the park where that meeting was held is a concrete map of Australia which again has been allowed to deteriorate. Weeds abound and the flow of the stream interrupted by the build up of sand and other debris. I sometimes look around that area and my village, the local shopping area, parks and wonder if the council just "skips" Lawson, it seems that the village that was so beautiful when we first arrived, with marked walks, camping areas, tracks, parks is now gone.

Do something for Lawson for a change, put some money into our village, support the preservation of our local hall, and listen to the people.

Andrea Jenkins

Brian Jenkins
Eric Jenkins
Lawson

Contact your councillor

If you would like to see the Lawson Mechanics Institute Hall saved from demolition why not email,write and phone your local Blue Mountains City Councillor and ask them to accept the RTA offer to move the entrance and give back the portion it purchased from council. This will not cost the ratepayer one cent!

Please contact councillors listed who voted to have the hall demolished (highlighted in red)

After all, this hall was built by the people of this township for the on-going use of the residents.

Our Council has a duty to respect the wishes of the ratepayers.

Click on email links to contact a councillor directly.
Write or phone councillors who voted for demolition.

Jim Angel
(Mayor)
40 Ninth Avenue
KATOOMBA NSW 2780
02 4782 4185 (fax/ph)
email: mailto:jangel@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/

Councillor Hamilton
(Deputy Mayor)
56 Hat Hill Road
BLACKHEATH NSW 2785
02 4787 6549 (fax/ph)
email:
mailto:thamilton@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/


Councillor O Grady
Locked Bag 1005
KATOOMBA NSW 2780
02 4782 4394 (fax/ph)
0431 501 981 (mobile)
email: mailto:kogrady@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/

SECOND WARD
Wentworth Falls to Faulconbridge

Councillor McInnes
Locked Bag 1005
KATOOMBA NSW 2780
02 4751 6359 (fax/ph)
0431 501 984 (mobile)
email: mailto:pmcinnes@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/

Councillor Searle
Locked Bag 1005
KATOOMBA NSW 2780
02 4757 4586 (fax/ph) (h)
0419 477 856 (mobile)
email: mailto:adam.searle@statechambers.net/

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: mailto:cvanderkley@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/

THIRD WARD
Springwood to Warrimoo

Councillor McLaren
PO Box 4338
WINMALEE NSW 2777
02 4754 5742 (fax/ph)
0414 195 991 (mobile)
email: mailto:amclaren@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/

Councillor Myles
PO Box 455
SPRINGWOOD NSW 2777
02 4751 4928 (fax/ph)
0414 418 161 (mobile)
email: mailto:dmyles@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/


Councillor Trindall
PO Box 4313
WINMALEE NSW 2777
(02) 4754 3910 (fax/ph)
0414 195 986 (mobile)
email: mailto:ltrindall@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/


FOURTH WARD
Blaxland to Lapstone

Councillor Brown
Locked Bag 1005
KATOOMBA NSW 2780
02 4739 5860 (fax/ph)
0414 195 989 (mobile)
email: mailto:abrown@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/

Councillor Creed
Locked Bag 1005
KATOOMBA NSW 2780
02 4739 6261 (fax/ph)
0423 565 988 (mobile)
email: mailto:fcreed@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/

Councillor Frappell
Locked Bag 1005
KATOOMBA NSW 2780
02 4739 3529 (fax/ph)
0414 195 990 (mobile)
email:
mailto:kfrappell@bmcc.nsw.gov.au/

THANKS TO KOPERBERG

The residents of the mid mountains and the Save Our Hall Group are pleased that our state member of parliament Phil Koperberg is showing an interest in saving our 104 year old Mechanics Institute. In a recent publication of the Gazette he stated the following:

“It (the hall’s demolition) may be unavoidable, but let’s explore all avenues.
“We will try to get quotes (for shifting the hall further back
from the road reserve). “I would hope that every avenue which would enable the building to be saved and road widening to go ahead is explored,” Mr Koperberg said.

We wonder why Councillor Van der Kley is so out of touch with the rate payers in his ward when over $2 million was spent by council on the restoration of the pool at Blackheath, yet for the heritage of Lawson we get nothing.

Will he ever give an explanation?

Contact Mr Koperberg in his capacity as Member for Blue Mountains to thank him for his support.
Address
Mr Philip Koperberg,
Shop 3,
107-109 Macquarie Road,
SPRINGWOOD NSW 2777
Phone (02) 4751 3298
Fax (02) 4751 1245
Email Him Here

An Impassioned Plea To Save Our Hall

It dawned on me today how much of an ingrained memory that beautiful old hall really is, as I was driving past the vigil and honking my horn.

I have taken it for granted for so many years, this beautiful old lady, sitting proudly overlooking the north side of my home town.

I, as many others probably take her for granted, as we go about our day to day existence.

But that was the place I watched my sister and her friends practice their Physical Culture classes every Thursday afternoon after School.

I would sit on the front steps of the Hall, watching the cars and trucks whiz by, waiting for my Father to arrive home from work, so I could be relieved from my own vigil, watching the mind-numbing dance routines that unfolded in front of me, for what seemed to a primary school boy, an eternity!

We would go there, at the end of our school terms, to dance the heel and toe polka with our sweaty palmed peers, in our fancy dress pirate outfits, and gorge ourselves sick on lollies and soft drink, late into the summer evenings.

And later, it was to be the first time I would experience the stifling blow of a head-butt at a heavy metal show, and later that evening, the even more stifling experience of a kiss from a girl named Marie, whom I never did meet again.

As simple and embarrassing twee as these experiences are, aren't they the experiences that make us who we are, the times that cement our roots as a community?

I believe so, and as the lucky community that we are, the residents of the Mid Mountains, I want my baby son to be able to grow up here, and to be able to share the collected wealth of experience that we have here.

I hope that we can save this beautiful gift that was given to us so many years ago, to re-invigorate her, and make her a part of our future for many many years to come.

Yours Sincerely,

Michael Whye.

---

David Jenner was a boy projectionist in the 1950s at the Lawson Literary Institute as it was then known. The following are some of his memories of those times.

The hall was leased on Saturdays and Wednesdays at that time for the purpose of showing films, and was very well attended because television had recently been introduced but had not yet made inroads into the habits of the film going public.

I don't want to sound too self-indulgent, but I really had some of the happiest times of my life there as a 14-15 year old. The lessee was Eric Ellis ,who also ran the movies in Glenbrook School of Arts, and sometimes the running times of the films had to be staggered because the same print would be shown at both locations on the same day!

Sometimes this meant literally waiting for the next reel to arrive from Glenbrook by car while in the middle of the Saturday matinee. The seating was movable to allow for dances and other functions to take place and the screen was behind curtains at the back of the stage so plays and other entertainments could happen in front of it when necessary. Our biggest success at that time was a musical called "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" which had not yet screened at Katoomba and had continuous sessions all day at Lawson.

I was told later in the afternoon that there was a queue outside for the evening show stretching all the way outside past the police station next door and right up to the park on the corner. When the audience was finally seated (some on chairs taken from the room behind and placed down the aisle spaces) all that could be seen from the projection box was a sea of heads.

It was probably a fire trap but nobody seemed to worry! Lollies were sold in the side extension at interval. Matinees consisted largely of Westerns and the Marx Brothers were always popular. Children did not like musicals and whenever someone opened their mouth to sing there would be a stampede for the toilets on either side of the stage. Electric radiators mounted on the walls provided heat in the winter months. People who had not been before always seemed to think the front looked "A bit like a church".

Film projection at that time was a very laborious process with very hot and messy arc lights and of course every reel had to be rewound the minute it came off the machine.The temperature in that small room was sweltering in summer and often the small half moon window above the front porch could not be opened because it let light onto the ceiling inside.

On one occasion the large valve amplifier had smoke pouring from it and I really didn't know what to do because Eric was out posting bills on the numerous billboards around town and if the show was stopped there was the thunder of all those stamping feet down below and the inevitable shout of "Put a penny in it!"On one weekend bushfires were raging outside and all hands were needed so the show had to be cancelled.

The movie was a comedy very aptly entitled "Phfft!"

It would be very sad to see this building go because so many people seem to regard it with such affection.I think the facade is an integral part of Lawson and maybe it could be moved back to front a newer building behind it.

I'm one of the few people who remember the old swimming pool at Wilson Park before it was "concreted in" and this is a prime example of what happens when utility is allowed to predominate over all else.

It may be more hygienic but is about a third of the size of the old one and of course makes the surrounding pavilions look rather sad overlooking so much concrete!

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.