This is the second part of a history of the Corryong & District Memorial by local author John Murphy in the lead up to a celebration of the revitalised facility next week.

Its Genesis

In 1958, the Athenaeum Hall site was completely cleared except for the front concrete steps leading up to the main entrance and prepared for the construction of the present edifice, the Corryong & District Public Memorial Hall.

The shift of focus by the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority to the western side of the mountain range brought huge changes to both Khancoban and Corryong. In the interim the showing of movies was relocated to the Presbyterian Hall which became known as the Valley Theatre.

When plans were approved this building was the biggest single community hall (in floor area) in rural Victoria. Not bad for a small country town but also a mammoth project for our community. The hall also boasted the biggest movie screen outside the Melbourne Metropolitan area at that time. Another innovation was the sound-proof ‘Crying Room’ but some of the locals were puzzled as to whether it had been installed for the children or the parents!

The bricks were locally manufactured by Ron Duell with the clay quarry and brick kiln situated on the edge of Parish Lane below the present-day aerodrome. They were fired to give the same colour and texture to blend in with the adjoining RSL Hall on Donaldson Street, completed in 1955.

The alpine ash hardwood timber flooring was also locally sourced from Mt Pinnibar and the Six Mile logging tenements on ‘The Gib’ and all gifted by Julia Hale, private owner of the Myrrhee Timber Mill, Nariel. This was a considerable donation by any measure consuming 51⁄2 miles (8.9 km) of narrow-width (3.25 inches or 8 cm) dressed tongue and groove board: and deserving of continued recognition.

Where possible much of the labour and skilled work was donated by Returned Servicemen, their families, friends and other interested community members. Funding for the project was raised through loans, donations and community events and of course the loans portion had to be repaid. The estimated cost of the project was £30,000, the bulk of this lent by the State Savings Bank of Victoria. The whole community immediately chipped in organising numerous activities to reduce this loan.

After many unanticipated hiccups – the major one being that the new roof leaked(!) – the Corryong & District Public Memorial Hall was officially opened on the 1st of May, 1959. This event was delayed as other events had already been scheduled.

It was a busy time ahead! The opening was celebrated by an inaugural Ball, the first of many grand balls in the new venue to come. It was through these events that many local romances blossomed.

However, the first event was the ‘Valley Queen Competition’ which was held prior to the official opening on the 17th April 1959. Leading up to this occasion a number of young women from the district held various and numerous events to raise money towards the hall. The contestants were Beverley Hamilton, Judith Bryceson, Joan Boardman, Pam Roberts and Mavis Wilson. The winner by a country mile was Joan Boardman who raised an incredible £2417/11/5 out of a total raised from all contestants of £6487/6/2. However the efforts of all the girls were greatly appreciated. 1300 people attended the evening and an extra £540 was raised on the night. The bad news was there was still £15,000 owing!

The Dramatic Club presented their new play on the 7th & 8th of May. The Corryong community had a strong drama club and their locally produced pantomimes were big events that continued well into the 1960s. It was a time when frustrated thespians could tramp the boards, hog the limelight and demonstrate their variable acting abilities. It was also a time when locals could laugh at other locals and get away with it.

The 22nd of May marked the first Church of England Debutante Ball in the new building and it proved a sensation with no effort spared on the dresses.

All the other activities that had previously been conducted in the Old Athenaeum gradually resumed with the first movie showing in the new ‘Civic Picture Theatre’ being scheduled for the 16th of September, 1959. Can you remember the movies? A Kiss Before Dying & Desert Sands.

Related story: A rags to riches story: How volunteers saved a hall

This article appeared in the Corryong Courier, 8 February 2024.