2017-04-18 GC Agenda Att 3 to Item 5 Business Plan Cooroy Memorial Hall

   5. During WW11 there were several army camps within the vicinity of Cooroy, not only the
      Australians but also the Americans. Some were camped at the showgrounds and had
      trenches dug which were used for training, and all the troupes assembled at the hall
      before being deployed to New Guinea. There were many dances during this time to help
      with morale and entertainment; the old hall must have rocked!

   6. Over the years, the Hall has been the venue for various community events which includes
      the Digger’s Ball, Dawn Service, the infamous Two Up games on Anzac Day to name a
      few. There were many Clubs and Dance Schools using the hall. Gymnastics, Badminton
      and Boxing, Ballet, Tap, Ballroom, Irish Dancing and many other forms of Dancing and
      exercise. All school concerts and speech nights, the picture theatre or movie cinema as it
      is now called; Indoor Bowls is another.

   7. Licensed balls were a big-ticket number that packed the hall to capacity. At this time an
      extension was added the hall’s Eastern side along with a bar and toilets. Many concerts
      and the monthly dance were crowd pleasers. The Blue Light Disco is a hit with the
      younger generation run by local Police.

   8. The big events such as the Woodworker’s Display and workshop is a two-day event, the
      Orchid Display, another two-day event, the Genealogy Society with the Back to Cooroy
                                           t
      event being another full day. One of the Church groups had a yearly booking for a three-
      day convention, the many wedding receptions that were held in the hall and the twice
                          af
      weekly markets. The hall was even opened up and used as shelter for stranded travelers
      caught in floods on the old Bruce Highway.

   9. In 1979, to allow for the building of the new RSL premises, the reserved on which the
      Memorial Hall and Club stand was transferred to the trusteeship of the RSL & Citizens
    Dr

      Club. The last twenty odd years has seen the hall used by many community groups. In
      1988, under a community Employment Program, in conjunction with council, the hall
      was described as COOROY’S GREATEST COMMUNITY ASSET. This appears to be
      the last documentation of any kind of maintenance done. This hall can still bring in the
      big-ticket events. However, it requires money spent on it to greatly improve the whole
      building, internal and external, creative thinking for the use of the hall and to be self-
      sufficient.




BUSINESS PLAN FOR FUTURE OPERATION OF COOROY MEMORIAL HALL                    MARCH 2017           28