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Line dancers no longer stumped by ‘bouncy’ floorMonash Hall in Yallourn North has been given a new lease of life following restumping which saw deteriorating redgum stumps replaced with concrete counterparts through a Latrobe City community grant. By Latrobe City Council - 27th March 2006 - Back to News Chair of the Monash Hall committee, Bill O’Donnell, said the redgum stumps which had been incorporated at the time of the hall’s erection, had been eaten away by dry rot to the stage where the floor had become ‘bouncy’. "It became quite apparent that without replacing the stumps, use of the hall would eventually become untenable," Mr O’Donnell said.
"Work on the restumping was undertaken by cutting some sections of floor away to provide access, and then replacing the decaying redgum stumps with new concrete products. The condition of some of the stumps removed was just amazing. Most had rotted away, almost to nothing.
"One of our key user groups, Valley Jade, a line-dancing group, are delighted the work has now been undertaken. You can imagine how concerned they were becoming as the floor condition deteriorated," Mr O’Donnell added.
Latrobe City’s deputy mayor, Cr Bruce Lougheed, said council had allocated funding of $6,500 towards the $9,500 project through a minor capital works grant, with the balance being met by the Monash Hall committee.
"Monash Hall is one of a number of halls across townships in Latrobe that provide the community with a focal point. "It is used by the primary school students, and if there’s a social event happening in the community, that’s where it’s likely to be held. It’s been the venue for many celebrations and moments of joy in our community, whilst also bearing witness to the passing of some sadder occasions," Cr Lougheed said.
Monash Hall was originally placed at the Yallourn North site by the State Electricity Commission (SEC) following the infamous landslip of 1950.
Around 8.40am on the morning of 29 June 1950, a landslide in Yallourn North saw 250,000 tons of dirt slide into the open-cut. The force of the slide cracked the bakery’s concrete floor from wall to wall and sent its five workers running into the street, leaving the bakehouse teetering on the edge of a one-hundred metre drop.
The landslip made headlines in the Melbourne Sun newspaper which told how 30 people had escaped death, claiming those working in four shops including the bank and bakehouse were lucky to be alive.
With such a blow to infrastructure, the ‘Nissan hut’ style hall was quickly moved into place by the SEC. Originally it incorporated a number of businesses such as the bakery, which had had to be abandoned because of the slip, together with a drapery, hairdresser and general store.
"The businesses operated inside Monash Hall for many years afterwards, until a new shopping area in the town was developed," Mr O’Donnell said.
"Technically it’s an ‘Armco’ building, which is a larger version of the ‘Nissan hut’," he explained. Apart from the stores that operated inside, a beautiful stage was erected for concerts and other performances; and at the other end of the hall there’s a projection room for projecting theatre movies onto the screen. You see, Monash Hall was also the local cinema," Mr O’Donnell said.
"Monash Hall has had an interesting past, and it’s great to see that the work recently undertaken has now provided it with a foundation that will see it through many years to come," Mr O’Donnell added.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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