Celebrating a funding windfall – Wellingrove Progress Association President Vicki Malone, left, Secretary/Treasurer Carol Newberry, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, Peter Smith and Renata Blumkaitis inside the soon-to-be-upgraded Wellingrove Hall.
Tuesday, 29 January 2019
NORTHERN Tablelands MP Adam Marshall has today announced a new $17,530 State Government-funded project that will modernise the old Wellingrove Hall and make it a more comfortable and user-friendly place for locals.
The Wellingrove Progress Association will undertake the project that will see a new service area for kitchen, servery and storage built at the village’s community hall.
Mr Marshall said the funding would allow for a modern makeover to a hall hub that is the focus of many local functions at Wellingrove, 20 kilometres north west of Glen Innes.
“The old galley area is basically falling down because the white ants have got into it, but that will be ripped up and new cement put down as well as some new shipping containers installed, and a new galley kitchen and barbecue servery built,” Mr Marshall said.
“The village might only be small but the old war memorial hall there serves as a community focus for all sorts of family and celebration parties from a lot of people right around the district.”
Wellingrove Progress Association Secretary/Treasurer Carol Newberry says the funding is very handy for a small group of volunteers who maintain and manage the hall – but even better news for the locals who use the facilities.
“We will pull it down and remove the old bits, I mean there’s dinosaur eggs in some of that cement because it’s been there so long and the galley is an outside one sitting on that old cement and it really looks like an old outhouse,” Mrs Newberry said.
The association plans to put in two large steel shipping containers, about six metres by three metres that will link the galley area in between them at the back of the hall, all topped by a new roof awning with secure and lockable doors.
“It will give us storage areas for tables and chairs, the lawnmower, building supplies and other equipment, but the new kitchen area will include a stainless steel bench for food preparation and a sink and barbecue,” Mrs Newberry said.
Mr Marshall said the four-member committee comprising President Vicki Malone, Vice Presidents Peter Smith and David Coppins, along with Mrs Newberry, had been proactive and enthusiastic about upgrading the hall facilities.
“The hall hosts Tai Chi, pool competitions, there’s a monthly social night, wedding, birthday parties and local public meetings, so it’s well used and well worth maintaining.
“The area is in a known fossicking area where sapphires and zircons are found and it attracts a few nomads looking to find some gems,” Mr Marshall said.