Weather tightening and reroofing of the Lauriston Soldiers Memorial Hall have come at the right time.
It’s been reroofed at a cost of $57,000 under urgency.
Hall Society treasurer Beth Begg said members of the community and businesses had come to the rescue of the nearly century old hall, donating $29,000 in time for winter in a buy a sheet of iron fundraiser.
It was $200 a sheet with gold and platinum level sponsorships.
‘‘We became quite desperate to get it covered before winter,’’ Beth said.
‘‘We ran a buy a sheet of iron fundraiser which to date has received 38 donations (totalling) in excess of $25,000. Several local companies had made donations of $2000 each,’’ she said.
The hall, on Coleridge St, Lauriston, was built for £650 in 1929 as a memorial to World War I soldiers from Lauriston.
It has a large main space with wooden floor, stage and green room, supper room and kitchen and toilet facilities.
A memorial stone inset in the building commemorates those from the district who died in that war, including Begg’s great great-uncle W Lemon.
Others were W Capley, D Farley, CI Goodwin, J Kerr, J Maidens, C Newlove and G Waddell.
It also commemorates T Hawkins and R Payne who died in World War II.
A wing addition, which became the toilet facilities, was added in 1958.
‘‘It’s never been reroofed. It’s the first time in 95 years,’’ Begg said.
‘‘It’s slow deterioration, but then it just started letting water through (last season) because it was such a wet season we noticed puddles regularly.’’
Society secretary Annette Maw said the roof funding was ‘‘just about covered’’, but other work was needed.
‘‘The next thing we need to start thinking about is the toilets,’’ she said.
The society members welcome any community donations to help fund further work.
Over the years the hall has been used by many community groups.
It has been meeting place for Country Women’s Institute, Federated Farmers, Young Farmers’ Club and the Barrhill-Chertsey Irrigation Company.
It has a stage, and has seen many dances and concerts under its roof.
It was well-used by the Lauriston Drama Club in the 1940s and 1950s.
More recently Lauriston Cricket Club has been using the facilities when matches are played on the grounds across the road, and education classes are held there by Lauriston School, which does not have a school hall.
‘‘It’s place where the community can meet,’’ Maw said.
Maw said the society, with its five-strong committee, had run quizco evenings and movie nights in the past intending to raise money for toilet upgrades.
Those funds had been put towards the roof.
