Members of the Wandella Hall Committee, Grant Robertson, June Tarlinton, Jodi Batten, Tammie Jee, Julie Welsh, Stak Williams, Gloria Corby, Richard Tarlinton and Jo Motbey with former member for Bega Andrew Constance, Member for Eden Monaro Kristy McBain and Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick. Photo: Marion Williams.
A few days after the Black Summer bushfires tore through much of the Bega Valley and destroyed the community halls at Kiah and Wandella, Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick received a call from Claire McMahon of Kiah Hall. “The community won’t come back unless these halls are rebuilt,” she told him.
Thanks to grants from the Federal and NSW governments’ Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund, the new Wandella Community Hall was officially opened on Thursday (24 October).
The huge turnout for a mid-week event demonstrated how much the hall meant to the community.
Member for Eden Monaro Kristy McBain said she had visited every community hall in the shire when she was the mayor.
“I had the largest turnout at Wandella,” she said. “You get the biggest turnout where community is at its heart.”
The emotion was evident when June Tarlinton, Wandella Hall Committee president, made her speech.
The new Wandella Community Hall was officially opened on 24 October. Photo: Marion Williams.
“These simple buildings are the heart of the community,” Ms Tarlinton said. “People make friends here and even meet their future husband or wife here.”
When giving tradespeople directions to her dairy farm she would always tell them to go past the Wandella Community Hall. “Then it wasn’t there,” she said, visibly upset. “The only thing that remained was the chimney.”
Ms Tarlinton said most of the community wanted the old hall back. It was originally built in 1909. The new BAL rating (bushfire attack level) of 40 made that impossible.
Local farmer Karen Tett told me the old hall had a stage and outdoor toilets. The new one is slightly larger and has solar panels and acoustic ceilings. “This being open now will bring a lot more things like weddings,” she said.
A feature wall made with the bricks from the old hall’s chimney is a reminder of the past while a sculpture out the front by Bega Valley’s Richard Moffatt reflects on all the trees the valley lost.
Ms Tarlinton said first they received news that the council had insurance for the hall. “[Former member for Bega] Andrew Constance ignited the flame with the announcement he had a $1 million grant to rebuild the hall,” she said.
A painting of the old Wandella Community Hall that was destroyed in the Black Summer bushfires. Photo: Marion Williams.
Ms McBain said the rebuild project galvanised the community and became the focal point of so many community members.
“The biggest congratulations to the Wandella community. Council has done a tremendous job working with the community on something everyone can be proud of,” Ms McBain said.
Andrew Constance also spoke at the opening and recounted the reaction of one woman when he told her they had a grant. “Thank goodness. I don’t have to bake 1000 cakes,” she said.
People from Cobargo, Yowrie, Bermagui and Beauty Point, plus representatives from Merrimans Local Aboriginal Land Council, joined the Wandella community for the opening. Also present were a number of councillors and council staff. The staff were kept busy bringing out more chairs as people continued to stream through the doors.
There was a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, plus The Gadhu Dancers from Wallaga Lake performed several dances.
Ms McBain cut the ribbon to officially open the hall, assisted by Wandella’s oldest man, Ron Corby and oldest woman, June Motbey.
Julie Welsh, treasurer of the Wandella Hall Committee, summed up the feeling on the day as still very raw. “We are mindful that a lot of other people aren’t advanced [with their rebuild]. It is very emotional.”
Cutting the ribbon: Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick, June Motbey, Wandella’s oldest female resident, Member for Eden Monaro Kristy McBain, Wandella Hall Committee president June Tarlinton and Wandella’s oldest male resident Ron Corby. Photo: Marion Williams.
Eleven kilometres south-east, the rebuild of Cobargo’s CBD is underway. There has been extensive civil engineering to rectify drainage, groundwater and subgrade issues on the two sites.
Chair of Cobargo Community Development Corporation John Walters said footings and slabs would be completed through November, immediately followed by the erection of walls and commencement of above-ground level construction.
Mr Walters said cameras were being installed so they could make a time-lapse record of the rebuild.
Construction is well underway on the adjacent Cobargo Bushfire Resilience Centre. In the words of vice chair Rhonda Ayliffe, work is going “gangbusters”.
She said it was on track for completion in June 2025 and hoped the centre could open to the public in early 2026.
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