The Beltana Town hall is a landmark historic building which has been in use from 1879. Over that time many improvements have been made and of course the climate and passing of years have had their effects so it was beginning to show its age. As the community uses it regularly for meetings, town gatherings and events it was agreed that some significant works should be carried out to ensure its continued longevity and modernise and improve the facility for ongoing use. The first stage of this process was an undertaking to upgrade the kitchen to modern, commercial standards.
The finalisation of the kitchen was a moment of great achievement and we were all very happy with the result and felt encouraged to continue with works on the main part of the hall.
The main tasks for the continuing renovation were:
To reinstate the windows at the front (above the double doors) and rear (in the store room)
To replace all the exterior doors
To install a cement ramp for disabled access and a landing for the emergency exit
To repair any damage to the structure
To remove the acoustic tiles in the main part of the hall - revealing the original ceiling profile
To reinstate the original ceiling profile with new materials, including insulation
To install commercial grade lino on the store room floor
To upgrade the electrical wiring to modern standards and replace fixtures like lighting and install exit signage and ceiling fans
To reinstate the 'gas' lantern over the main entrance
To paint the interior
To paint the exterior woodwork
To install flag poles
There was a lot to do! The community was able to source funding for this project from a number or sources (The Stronger Communities Program, Grants SA, Outback Communities Authority, Veteran's Affairs and the Beltana Progress Association) which allowed us to carry out all of the tasks listed above. With concerted effort from contractors and over 700 hours of volunteer work by the community, progress was consistent and works were completed in October 2018, celebrated by a small community gathering. The greatly improved Hall is available to hire for your events and keep your eyes open for the announcement of our offical opening celebration to be held in the year of the 140th Anniversary of the Beltana Town Hall in 2019.
