Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall inspecting the $54,500 completed improvements at the Glen Innes Girl Guides Hall.
Tuesday, 25 February 2020
THE historic Glen Innes Girl Guides Hall has danced its way into a new era with work completed on the $54,500 refurbishment of the historic East Avenue building, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall said today.
In 2018 Mr Marshall announced funding through the State Government’s Stronger Country Communities Program to upgrade the building’s front façade, repaint the walls, restore the timber floor and make the hall more user-friendly for the 70 students who learn to dance there.
“I knew they had big plans for the hall but the work which has been done to bring this beautiful old building back to life really has set it up to cater for the community for many years to come,” Mr Marshall said.
“Prior to these works the building was looking incredibly tired but now all the external walls have been repainted along with the window frames, making it look like the day it was first built and also providing needed weather protection.
“Like many buildings of a similar age the old roofing iron was starting to allow the weather in so that’s been taken off and a new roof put on, reducing the potential for water damage and ongoing maintenance.”
Mr Marshall said the project also addressed some significant safety issues inside the building.
“Over the years hundreds of people have pledged their loyalty to the Queen and danced across the floorboards,” he said.
“As a result there has been a considerable amount of wear-and-tear to the floor which exposed nails and splintered boards, all of which ended up in the feet of Glen’s aspiring dancers.
“The floor has now been stripped right back and polished and looks an absolute picture, ready for students of Star Avenue Dance Centre to pirouette, tap and glide their way across.
“This revamp has made the Girl Guides Hall a lot more attractive as a potential meeting venue for community groups and so hopefully with its proximity to the CBD we see it getting a lot more use from the public.”