General News
16 June, 2026
Hall grateful for grant
Laanecoorie Hall committee are beyond excited to hear they have secured just over $40,000 toward preserving and maintaining their nearly 140-year-old asset.
After receiving a $42,187 grant from the State Government’s Tiny Towns fund, the committee’s secretary Leonie Baker anticipates external upgrades to the hall, to ensure the longevity of it’s broad community use.
“The grant means we can go on and do what we need to do to preserve the hall. We are greatful that we have been allocated this money ... it’s a relief we have got it, but now we have to make sure this happens,” she said.
“The building itself has a lot of structural damage. From a distance, it looks good but there are a lot of weather boards that have a bit of a warp, and it also needs a total repaint.
“We have to put in kind work, it’s not just money that will do all of this.”
The hall has had its bright, pale mustard colour for about 20 years.
Before that, it was cream with a brown trim. The yellowish colour was added to match the front of the hall with the brick work out the back.
Long before that brick work was built, the hall was called the Laanecoorie Mechanics Institute, opening in September 1890.
The construction of the hall coincided with the nearby weir being built, a renowned feat of engineering and irrigation at the time, and was home to a free library.
Hanging photos of past local clubs figures, floods ,and community events, football memorabilia from the town’s folded team, artefacts and maps, the hall is now a labyrinth of the once busy area’s history.
The honour rolls hanging inside even belonged to the school and methodist church, both no longer exist. Committee member Brian Baker said during both World Wars, the hall was a send off point of soldiers from the area.
It was also where they were welcomed back.
“The walls would know so much about the history of the unbelievable here. What the hall did and what it was used for,” he said.
Geoff Curnow has been a committee member for several decades and recalls many of its moments from even before his time.
“There are photos of people who went to war, both wars, in the meeting room. We never had a stone monument or anything like that, so we have always had photos,” he said.
“I can remember the supper room being built, it was used very regularly, young farmers would meet there monthly or on a fortnightly basis.
“We had a ball every month for six months of the year, the hall committee would run the ‘belle of belles’, which was renowned through the district where the winner of a ball anywhere would come to Laanecoorie for the judging of the top belle. We had big balls each August, and at one we had Miss Victoria come. She came and attracted a crowd of about 400 people.
“As time went on, people would come to Laanecoorie when others had left. We had some good people come here and join the committee, they ran bingo for a number of years. There were concerts in the hall, we used to have bands from Mary-borough and Dunolly ... all kinds of music. We had artists, singing, poetry, all kinds of things.”
The hall has even hosted games of badminton and family reunions.
Still a meeting point for groups based in Laanecoorie, the committee hope restoration of the building will guarantee the same excitement in the future.
“The CFA meets here, they had their 150th celebration here, the chrysanthemum club, a pie night coming up in August, card making workshops. It is a central part of the town,” Ms Baker said.
Across regional Victoria, more than 40 community halls are expected to be updated under this recent round of Tiny Towns funds, along with 15 public play spaces.
“There would be people from far and wide that would have danced and met in this hall over my lifetime,” Mr Curnow said.
“It’s been a long process to keep the hall going, but it doesn’t get the use that it used to, and that’s the same in a lot of places.
“But if you decide to let it fall down, everybody gets up in arms saying ‘we need a place to meet’. This has been a good meeting place for so long. There are a lot of memories for a lot of people ... like any of these things, they take time and enthusiasm to maintain.”