Hall and District 2008 News Archive

November 2008

2009 Australia Day Citizen Awards - Yass Valley - Nominations for the Yass Valley 2009 Australia Day Citizen Awards have been extended to Friday 12 December 2008. If you want to nominate someone for their extraordinary efforts in our Community to be recognised as part of the Australia Day Citizen...
Oh What a truck!! - At the 'Thank you Jan' function held at the Pavilion earlier this year it was announced that the money so generously donated by friends, family and grateful clients would be spent on a custom 'fit out' on the back of the new truck Jan was planning...
Jan Spate Hitching Rail - An earlier story reported renovation of the hitching rail in front of 'Winarlia' by the 'Bootstrap Brigade'. We are now delighted to announce that it has been named the 'Jan Spate HItching Rail' in recognition of Jan's extraordinary contribution...
Hall village Community Fire Unit 13 - The Banyards, Marion and Brian and Rowena and Pierre Dragh have become trained members of our CFU 13. Rowena and Pierre have two children, Emma and Mathew. Pierre is a Consulting Engineer, running a business from an office in Hall VIllage...
A Community Bank® for Hall - Could your group use some capital to buy some much needed equipment? How good would it be to secure sponsorship for our local footy team to provide for our juniors of all ages? Would you like to see Victoria Street revitalized with a new street...
Sampling the Nightlife at Hall - I joined in with several volunteers helping Maree Treadway trap bats at Hall Cemetery recently. Maree is a student at Charles Sturt uni and her project involves surveying many reserves around Canberra with the aim of learning about how suburban...
Paddock Plants ID Day - A great day, with nine participants, mostly local landmanagers interested in knowing what plants they have growing on their properties so they can best manage them - either for pasture management and to retain the biodiversity, or for accurate...

October 2008

Boot Strap action on Victoria - Our own community SWAT team continues to plant, mend, paint and clean around the village. Our photo shows Bob Richardson (left) with on-the-spot volunteers Shaun O'Connor and Graeme Watters, after replacing the hitching rail just beside the...
Meet Marc - Local Canberra Raiders fans need no introduction to Marc Herbert. Marc stepped out of the shadows when Todd Carney was released by the Canberra Raiders, and made his Raiders debut as half back against the Gold Coast Titans at Canberra Stadium...
Celebration of community heritage at Hall Schoolhouse Museum - On Sunday 12th October, the National Trust of Australia (ACT) launched two publications from children's heritage competitions at Hall School House Museum. Children who entered the 2005 and 2006 competitions, Connections and Living Treasures...
Web site accolade - We thought we had got one or two things right, but it was a very pleasant surprise to get the following message: "My name is Jenelle and I am the new Community Liaison Officer at .auCD (the organisation that manages Community Geographic Domain...
Wallaroo & Spring Range Residents Group formed - A Wallaroo & Spring Range Residents Group has been established under the umbrella of the Village of Hall and District Progress Association. A second meeting of interested people on October 6th appointed a Coordinator Val Wiseman and a Secretary...
Motor Bike Tracks - Yass Valley Council has issued a press release in relation to motor bike tracks. We reproduce it here as a community service: "The number of complaints relating to motor bike tracks within Council's jurisdiction is increasing at an alarming...
Free Classifieds - Residents can now Buy/Sell/Swap/Giveaway via the LOCAL CLASSIFIEDS feature active on the Halldistrict website (the link is on the navigation bar to the left). This is a free service provided by the Hall and District Progress Association.

September 2008

Hall Village Brass Band - Big Gig - In 1984 four people who played brass instruments and worked in Hall Village got together at the Primary School simply to make some music. This became The Hall Village Brass Band and today is recognised as Canberra Region's premier brass band....
Get bush fire smart! - Team Leader of the Hall Community Fire Unit, Bob Richardson, advises all residents that CFU training has commenced ready for the fire season. Basic training for new starters will be on 20th -21st Septembers, and refresher training for existing...
Great Fete! - St Michaels and All Angels was blessed with a balmy spring day for their Fete on Saturday. A large crowd was there early in the day to bargain hunt, and listen to the Village of Hall Brass Band. Other musical performances and dancing followed...

August 2008

'Cooee' centenary - 'Cooee' is one hundred years old! A few weeks back we ran the story 'Winarlia lives!', about the pise cottage built in 1901 and now being renovated as a home for Shaun O'Connor and his young family. Since then, we learned from current owner...
Buses - Action at last?! - Our picture shows an ACTION bus at the new bus stop in Hoskins Street - just in front of the Crombies and Spates. In your dreams! However, some residents will have noticed the Canberra Times story about Transborder being taken over by Deanes...
New faces - new challenges - At last nights Progress Association Annual General Meeting four new faces joined the Committee - Angie Hazlehurst, Greg Palethorpe, and John Starr, and Judy Roberts (left to right in the photo) - and two long serving members bowed out. Thanks...
2008 Annual General Meeting - An opportunity to get the latest news about the Hall school site, the Victoria Square development, prospects for a Mens Shed in Hall, and for a Bendigo community bank. The AGM will be preceded by a general meeting at which updates will be given...
Jim Rochford - Ninety five not out - Hall and district residents may like to join us in wishing Jim Rochford a very happy ninety fifth birthday. Jim was born at Jeir on the 10th August 1913 - thus sharing his birthday with the Australian Capital Territory. Jim has lived in Hall...
A community Bank for Hall? - A well attended meeting in the Hall Pavilion on Monday night 4 August heard a great presentation from Ray Chappell of Bendigo Bank about the potential opportunities for the Village and environs from the establishment of a Community Bank in Hall....
New Catholic priest welcomed to St Francis Xavier - St Francis Xavier's Church Hall today welcomed the arrival of our new priest Fr Warwick Tonkin. We as a parish look forward to getting to know Fr Warwick and welcome him warmly to our village. Fr Warwick will be with the Hall parish for six...
Local kids’ fitness improves with donation from Capital Region Farmers Market - The Capital Region Farmers Market and its founder, the Rotary Club of Hall, recently donated $8,760 to the SmartStart for Kids! Program founded by former Olympian Robert de Castella. This donation helped to promote better health and fitness...

July 2008

New Bank Considered for Hall - The possibility of attracting a Community Bank® to Hall will be discussed at a meeting to be held in the Community Hall at 6.30 pm on 4th August. Preliminary discussions have been held with State Community Enterprise Manager with Bendigo Bank,...
National Tree Day in Hall - A colourful army assembled in the chill of Sunday morning to mark National Tree Day in Hall. AS a result a hundred more trees have started the adventure of life on the banks of Halls creek - many of them planted by children little taller that...
‘Winarlia’ lives! - Residents will be delighted to see the resurrection of 'Winarlia', one of our oldest buildings, and a fine example of pise (rammed earth) construction. Congratulations to Shaun O'Connor and his family – his wife Tanya, and their three...
Financial planners come to Hall - Local residents will have been watching the construction of a new premises at 9, Victoria Street over the past five months. The former doctor's surgery was leveled on the 20th of February, with construction of the new premises quickly proceeding....
Polish Pilgrims come to Hall - A party of over 100 Polish Pilgrim's arrived at St Monica's parish in Evatt on Sunday the 6th of July for the start of their celebrations for World Youth Day. As St Francis Xavier's Church is part of St Monica's many Hall residents have...
CAP committed to re-opening Hall school - Following a 'meet the people' visit by Community Alliance Party candidates for Ginninderra Mike Crowther and Jane Tullis, Jane (pictured) has forwarded at our request the following statement on CAP's education policy, and their specific commitment...
Garnaut, the earth, and us - "A diabolical policy problem". That is the conclusion of Professor Ross Garnaut about global warming. International cooperation to save the ozone layer by reduction in the production of CFC's was obviously a doddle compared to the challenges...
Hall Pre-school enrolling now for 2009 - Parents wishing to enrol their children at Hall Pre-school, Hall, for next year should complete an enrolment form, listing Hall Pre-school as their first preference. Enrolment forms are available from, and should be submitted to: Gold Creek...

June 2008

Watching our environment - Frogwatch - Waterwatch and Frogwatch Coordinator Dr Beth Mantle attended our latest committee meeting to brief us on these two important environmental monitoring programs. What is Frogwatch? Frogwatch is a community frog monitoring program that aims to...
Watching our environment - Waterwatch - Waterwatch and Frogwatch Coordinator Dr Beth Mantle attended our latest committee meeting to brief us on these two important environmental monitoring programs What is Waterwatch? Waterwatch is a community water quality monitoring program that...
Hall Rotary Changeover - The Rotary Club of Hall had it's annual changeover dinner at the Yowani Country Club on Tuesday 24th June. Outgoing President Rob Durie (left) hands over to incoming President Clive Badelow (right) at the dinner attended by fifty members and...
Candidates line up for Ginninderra - To date fourteen candidates have nominated as candidates for the electorate of Ginninderra in the October ACT Legislative Assembly election. It is likely that there will be more. There are five seats in the electorate of Ginninderra, with three...
Catchment Group seeks our interest - Julie Palmer is the new Landcare Coordinator with the Ginninderra Catchment Group. Hall lies within the Ginninderra catchment, Hall Creek / Gooromon Ponds being tributaries of Ginninderra Creek. Ginninderra Catchment Group is very keen to become...
Mary Porter launches community website - Mary Porter AM, MLA for Ginninderra, launched the Hall and district community website – www.hall.act.au - at a gathering in the Gumnut Coffee Shop last night The website is an initiative of the Village of Hall and District Progress Association,...
Back to the hills - and the Brumbies! - Meet Simon and Janie Southwell, owners of the family business now operating the 'Ray White Rural' franchise from the Old Bootmakers Shop in Victoria Street. Simon and Janie and their four children (George, Clare, Thomas and Jeremy) have recently...

May 2008

An Interim Report to Members - The Association has around 75 members - families, individuals, businesses, and other community organizations. We hope to get more. The Association performs a number of functions: Advocacy and representation of residents in relation to a...
Hall Ute Show a shining success - The inaugural Hall Ute Show was a shining success despite cloudy skies and freezing temperatures. Over 70 contestants assembled at EPIC and moved in a colourful convoy led by a Wallaroo fire tanker to the Hall Polocrosse grounds for a display...
Meeting with AFP Crime Prevention - Association members, including committee members Alastair Crombie, Tony Morris and Brian Banyard, met today with officers from the Crime Prevention unit of the AFP to discuss crime prevention and community safety issues in our community. The...
New Editor for Rural Fringe - and thanks Rhian! - Allyson Wedrat from the Wood Duck Inn has offered to take on the job of Editor of the Rural Fringe. We are very grateful to Allyson, and ask community members who receive and enjoy the Fringe to support Allyson and this valuable community newsletter....
Heritage Grant application - The Association has recently submitted an application for a Heritage Grant (2008-2009) to help us make progress on interpretation, access and promotion of the Hall School Museum and its very fine collection of heritage items. The narrative...
Hall creatures great and small – the Jan Spate quilt - A highlight of the 'Jan Spate Appreciation' gathering in the Pavilion on Sunday 4th May was the presentation to Jan of a quilt by the four Hall and district women who have been making it over the past few months. Yvonne Williams coordinated...
Hall School site announcement - Update: We are now advised that $1.5 million of capital funding has been allocated to Hall, and that the Government is undertaking community consultations with all affected communities, with Hall now fourth in line. Hall school site is to be...
Thank you Jan - A very large gathering met at the Pavilion last night to say 'thank you' to our very own living treasure – Jan Spate. Jan has had a veterinary practice in Hoskins Street since moving to the village in 1971, and has become a legend for...

April 2008

Young tree planters green Hall - A couple of dozen or so villagers joined in the community tree planting this morning. Some two hundred trees were planted in a couple of hours or so along the north side of the creek, from the bridge towards the 'centenary well'. Several family...
Victoria Square - update - ACT Planning and Land Authority advises that they continue to monitor the reconstruction of Victoria Square closely, and that work is continuing to return the development to plans 'as approved'. The Progress Association has a copy of these....
Laurie Copping Heritage Centre visit - Members and friends of the Australian College of Educators, ACT Branch, joined friends of the Australian National Museum of Education on a visit to the Laurie Copping Heritage Centre at Hall Village. Elizabeth Burness, story teller and historian...
Our top class joinery - Gino and Robyn Monteleone and four year old Aidan are living their dream down the Wallaroo Road. Gino is a skilled and experienced cabinet maker, with twenty one years in the industry. Gino and his two apprentices manufacture the joinery while...

March 2008

Hall prominent at Launch - Elizabeth Burness' "Pages of Early History' was the subject of an official Launch on Tuesday March 25th. Hall residents attending felt at home, with Hall and district very prominent amongst the images and stories on display. Elizabeth has put...
Tingey Wedding - Alex Tingey eldest son of Bob and Nancy Tingey (previously of Hall Street, Hall) married Kim Dawson at the National Botanic Gardens on Saturday 15th March. Alex and Kim will live at Palmwood near the Sunshine Coast, Qld. And have babies eventually.
Allan Golding – moving on - We may be seeing more of Allan Golding now that he is no longer doing business in the main street. Allan has been moving out of his offices in the Old Bootmakers Shop in the past week or so, but will continue to offer his services locally as...
Food and Crude at the Pavilion - Mick de Britt and friends fed the hungry, and West Texas Crude got the feet tapping (and some dancing!) at the Pavilion last night. A good crowd of around a hundred folk - the Sheep Dog Triallists, village and district residents - gathered...
Vale Brian Brogan - Brian Brogan, former-resident and former President of the Progress Association was farewelled by family and friends at a funeral today (March 11th). Alastair Crombie, current President, used to 'car share' with Brian from time to time whilst...
Hall cleaned up - Chalk another one up for the 'Bootstrap Brigade'. We have done out little bit for Clean Up Australia Day. Many thanks to Julie and Greg Welsh, Jo Hall and Rania, Helen White, Anna Xanthe, and Sidney Sheargold, Alastair Crombie, and Bob Richardson...

February 2008

West Texas Crude - the TRUTH! - Local band West Texas Crude will play the Hall Pavilion on Thursday March 13th - the National Sheep Dog Trials community BBQ / hop. Who are these elderly rockers? It began in the lounge room in 1995 at Hugh Watson's house in Palmer Street...
Hall history lives! - Somebody has been seen recently coming and going at the old Schoolhouse Museum - also known as the 'Laurie Copping Heritage Centre' . Who is she, and what is she up to? It is Elizabeth Burness, a writer, story-teller and illustrator, who, like...
Murrumbateman Taxi Service - Taxis have been in the news recently. At the airport at least, they seem to have become an endangered species. Meanwhile 'local bloke' Barry Bain gets quietly on with providing our own personalised, local taxi service! Murrumbateman Taxi Service...
Pavilion furniture scoop! - Add a quick-witted resident, a kind cafe owner, and the Hall 'Bootstrap Brigade' - what do you get? A fine supply of tables and chairs for the Hall community! Hall resident David Fussell was dining a couple of days ago at the Asian Café in...
Surgery bites the dust - Unless you are 'out of town' you will have noticed the toothless gap in Victoria Street where the Surgery used to be. As reported at the end of last year, new office accommodation is being built for Financial Planners Barnett Lilley and Associates....
Pavilion - 'party' abuse - Hall Pavilion was recently the scene of a wild, noisy, anti-social party. Residents close to the Pavilion were particularly badly affected by noise and drunken behaviour. Sadly, we are now vulnerable to 'swarming' behaviour - parties attracting...
Rotary Club supports website - The Rotary Club of Hall has very generously sponsored the development of this website. A cheque for $3,000 was received by the Progress Association from the Club today. According to Association President Alastair Crombie "this is a terrific...
UPDATE - Hall break-ins - Stuart Sampson of Vogue Constructions advises that those responsible for the break-in at his business (reported below) have been apprehended by police, and stolen computers recovered. Welcome news indeed, but does not overcome all the associated...
Hall hosts Filipino community gathering - On Sunday 20th January, the Canberra Filipino Community celebrated Santo Nino De Cebu at Sunday Mass in Hall's Francis Xavier Church and later at the Hall Pavilion. Hundreds of parishioners participated with song/dance and feasting. This...
Pre-School Parents meeting - Pre-school parents met at the school on Wednesday 6th February. Our photo shows teacher Kalli Hadzantonis (on the right) and Assistant Jenny Simpson. At present the Pre-School operates Monday to Wednesday, from 9 am to 1.00 pm. There are nine...

January 2008

Victoria Square - action at last! - The re-building of Victoria Square in compliance with the approved plans is under way at last. Residents and visitors to the main street will have noticed that the appearance of the tall units on the street front has changed considerably. This...
Hall Carols at the Christmas tree - and Santa! - Hall Village and District residents came together in impressive numbers to celebrate the lighting of the community Christmas Tree on Saturday 15th December 2007. Every one tucked in to help, gave a smile and their time to share the Christmas...
BNT - a Big National Treasure! - What is over 5,000 kilometres long, passes through Hall, and is a well kept secret? It is of course the Bicentennial National Trail. Hall Showground is a designated camping place for Trail users - a link in a very long chain going from here...

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