Regional Development Victoria

Making a more welcoming hall in Laharum

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Video Transcript: Making a more welcoming hall in Laharum

Audio: Music playing.

Vision: Map showing the location of Laharum. Tales from Tiny Towns.

Vision: Aerial view of Laharum and beyond. Views of sheep and the Laharum Sporting Complex building and scoreboard. View across paddock. View of signs showing values of Laharum. View of the public hall.

Maurice Dumesny - Laharum Public Hall President

The hall was started in 1951 and completed in ’52, with mainly volunteer labour.

Vision: View of artwork in the hall.

Maurice Dumesny

Over the years the hall had weddings, funerals.

Vision: View of the exterior of the hall.

Judy Berendsen - Laharum Public Hall Secretary.

The relief centre.

Maurice Dumesny

The relief centre for fires.

Judy Berendsen

For fires.

Maurice Dumesny

Yeah.

Vision: Views of performances in the hall. View of table with brochures. View of hall and sporting oval.

Judy Berendsen

Melodramas, concerts. We have regular meetings, yoga groups, land care and we use by the local football club for some of their events.

Vision: View of artworks. View of soiree supper with people attending.

Judy Berendsen

We’ve got a Gariwerd Artists Group, and on a monthly basis nowadays we have a soiree and that involves local people attending. I noticed that Tiny Towns Grant had become available and put it to the committee.

Vision: Aerial view of the hall. View of the acoustic ceiling and split system for air conditioning the hall.

Judy Berendsen

The City Council auspice the improvements which were the acoustic ceiling in our supper room, and two split systems to assist with heating and cooling.

Vision: View of people chatting in the hall at the soiree supper.

Maurice Dumesny

The echo of the supper room at the time was very loud, but with the new ceiling we have already seen the benefits with having out soiree teas, you can actually hear people talking across the table.

Vision: View of the exterior of the hall. View of various photos and federation mural.

Judy Berendsen

It’s an ever-changing community, so to see continued use it makes it worthwhile.

Vision: View of the exterior of the hall, the water tank with people’s names on it and aerial view of hall and surrounding area.

Maurice Dumesny

It’s a welcome asset for the district.

Text: Tales from Tiny Towns. Victoria State Government. Delivering for Rural & Regional Victoria.

Heating and cooling systems and a new acoustic ceiling have transformed the public hall in Laharum, one of Victoria’s tiniest towns.

When it comes to tiny towns, they don't come much smaller than Laharum. In fact, as of the 2021 Census, just 162 people called Laharum home.

Located off the western side of the Grampians National Park (Gariwerd), the town is a place of trees, open fields and big skies.

And, at the centre of all this, is the Laharum Public Hall. Servicing the community for more than 70 years, the hall is an activity point not only for Laharum, but also the nearby towns of Wartook and Brimpaen.

Providing a gathering space for around 350 people, the hall does everything, including weddings, funerals, live performances, yoga classes, art classes and gatherings. Also on the docket are events for the Laharum Demons Football and Netball Club.

The hall also hosts a lively monthly 'soiree' for locals to enjoy.

But more than 70 years of such a rich history can take a toll on a building. In recent years, users found the building too hot in summer, too cold in winter, and very difficult to carry a conversation in because of a persistent echo.

Which is where more than $14,000 from our Tiny Towns Fund came into play.

The funding provided for the installation of an acoustic ceiling in the hall's supper room and 2 split heating and cooling systems.

The upgrades have made the hall an even more welcoming place for people of all ages and abilities throughout the year and ensured that it's easier for everyone to socialise and maintain community connections.

They’ve also ensured that the hall can continue to service the community for many more years to come.

Upgrades to the Laharum Public Hall were one of more than 200 Tiny Towns Fund projects that are being delivered across the state.

From community hall upgrades and improvements to public spaces, to sporting facility upgrades and playground betterments, these projects are making our smallest communities even better places to live, work, stay and play.