Katanning Town Hall a symbol of the beating heart of the Great Southern

Town halls were once the beating hearts of our communities — and in some cases, they still are. But in many towns across regional WA, the status of these halls is fading with time and precious history is in danger of being lost. In a series starting today, the Herald speaks to passionate Great Southern locals about their halls in a bid to preserve some of the history and learn what role they still play in their community. In part one, we look at Katanning’s historic hub and the push to bring back a favourite pastime. An agricultural hall, a mechanics’ institute, a drama theatre, a music venue and now potentially a cinema once again — Katanning Town Hall has remained at the heart of the town while society has changed around it. Over more than 120 years and several generations, one of Katanning’s finest buildings has hosted everything from rock royalty AC/DC to actual royal highnesses. “The hall is absolutely vital to the dramatic society — it provides a really good performing space,” Katanning Dramatic Society president Lesley Balinski said. “You can stand on stage and you don’t really have to raise your voice. “It is a fabulous building, it has got the absolute best acoustics.” As the home of the arts in Katanning, the hall has been the setting for some of the region’s top shows and exhibitions, including the Katanning Art Prize. Later this year, it will host Katanning Dramatic Society’s performance of Harry Potter and the Obnoxious Voice. The drama group remains the primary user of the Austral Terrace hall that has withstood several renovations and facelifts since its foundation stone was laid on August 22, 1896. The original building, initially called the Katanning Agricultural Hall, was reportedly made possible by a donation of 10,000 bricks by F & C Piesse. It was only a couple of years after the opening in 1897 that it was decided the Agricultural Hall would merge with the Mechanics’ Institute. Trades were taught from the hall as it underwent frequent upgrades. “In the early days, the town hall was the focal point of the town, it was the meeting place for everyone because it was the only place,” former Shire of Katanning councillor Robert Godfrey said. In 1907, with the Great Southern Railway booming, a second hall was built right next to the original. The second storey was added in 1928. “As the town continued to grow, the town hall grew to accommodate it, so it really represents the growth of the region at that time,” Lost Katanning’s Arthur Todd said. In the early to mid-1900s, the front of the hall accommodated a number of key businesses, including one of WA’s first public lending libraries. The hall also showed movies, giving residents a social option on weekends — a nostalgic pastime which is in the process of being reinstated by passionate members of Katanning Community Cinema. “What we are doing is recreating the whole experience of going to the movies and the excitement of going out in Katanning,” Katanning Community Cinema deputy chair Doug Cherry said. Plans to interchange fortnightly viewing times with Wagin’s cinema would give people in the region something to do each weekend. While plans for the cinema are moving forward, they face a number of logistical issues such as finding and transporting the required retro film parts in a year so heavily influenced by COVID-19 restrictions. In the meantime, the Shire ran screenings on a modern projector during the school holidays and award-winning hypnotist Matt Hale is bringing his new show Bonkers to the town hall on Saturday night.

Katanning Town Hall a symbol of the beating heart of the Great Southern

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