The matai flooring of the historic Redwood Valley Hall on the edge of the Waimea Plains are gleaming again, but the group managing the building says substantial funding is needed to complete the upgrade.
Redwood Valley Social Society president, Lindsay Alexander, says the hall generates enough income to cover annual costs and there has been more interest in hiring the building since it underwent a few upgrades.
However, he estimates it still needs about $150,000 spent on it to ensure its future.
Last year the Lottery Commission gave the group $20,000 toward the hall’s upgrade which boosted funding from the Tasman District Council and businesses, with numerous businesses and individuals providing product or time toward it.
The floors have been sanded and sealed with polyurethane, a new hot water system installed and old pipes replaced, along with a few other necessities.
Lindsay says the hall is still a very sound building, but there are aspects such as roofing and some weatherboards that need replacing.
“What we’ve done is get the building to a point where it is usable and inviting.
“But it’s very hard to manage a leaky boat where you always have someone on the pumps. We don’t have to have someone on the pumps anymore, but it’s still a bit leaky.”
The hall began life in 1887 when it was built as a school to take the overflow of students from nearby Appleby School. The roll peaked at 25 and it continued as a school through to 1961 when its roll dropped to eight students and it was closed.
As time went on, Lindsay says the hall was regularly used, but there were no plans for ensuring its longevity. People were more transient and a community hall was no longer sacred as a place to meet.
When the 2018 wildfire threatened the community, Redwood Valley was evacuated and Lindsay says no-one thought of using the hall as a focal point.
“To me, it was a prime example that people didn’t realise that down the road they had an asset that wasn’t utilised and that asset wasn’t able to be used in a constructive way.”
Since then, members of the hall’s social society have been working on improving the hall and boosting interest, including a new website to reach a wider audience.
The recent upgrades have led to more interest from people wanting to hire the hall and that has generated more income to cover outgoings.
“We’re in a world where people tend to live in a more insular way with computers and phones and they find the environment of a hall a bit foreign. But I also think people are becoming more and more aware of the history of the community and an asset like this does have importance.”
Lindsay says the hall still provides precious memories. A couple of years ago about 80 people packed the hall for a winter solstice party, with a band encouraging them up for a dance on the wooden floor.
“There were people there who hadn’t seen one another for a long time and were catching up. We had a fantastic night.”
The society is working with the Lottery Commission again to hopefully secure more funding and Lindsay says it hopes to entice funding from other sources as well.
More information about the hall can be found on their website.
By Anne Hardie.
