Rare Historic Building Comes Back to Life

Published on 04 May 2023

Historic Sawtell Reserve Hall – once the hub of Sawtell’s social life – has come back to life following a major restoration project.

Built in 1929, the current Hall replaced the very first building which was constructed in 1911, and was the largest Hall on the North Coast in its heyday. At that time, up to 1,400 dancers could be accommodated in the weatherboard building, which is a very rare survivor from that period.

“Sawtell Reserve Hall was the social heart of the village for a very long time and many locals still have very fond memories of the dances, bands, concerts, boxing matches and many other community events that the Hall hosted and witnessed,” said City of Coffs Harbour Mayor Paul Amos at today's reopening ceremony.

“With the present Hall coming up towards its centenary, it’s fantastic to see that it will once again become an important and valued place for locals and visitors to enjoy – hopefully for another 100 years.”

In more recent years the Hall was no longer used for community events due to the need for building upgrades to meet current building and accessibility standards. Planning for the building’s restoration began in 2019 with the engagement of g2 Architects to develop a design sympathetic to the heritage significance of the building.

Thanks to funding of $500,000 financed jointly by City of Coffs Harbour and a $250,000 grant from the Crown Reserve Improvement Fund, Stage 1 of the restoration is now complete.

This stage covered major structural integrity works, drainage, new balustrades and painting. The next stages will include internal aesthetic works, a new accessible amenity block and a new kitchen. All works will be contingent on the availability of funding.

The overall aim is to turn the Hall into a flexible and adaptable space that can be used for conferences, workshops, film nights, dances, parties, weddings, dinners, games for holiday makers and community fundraisers.