Our Heritage

The present site of Te Pou Ō Mata-Au was used in 1940 for a tennis court, a bowling green, a band rotunda, a park and gardens, Hitchon's Bacon factory and the old World War 1 Gun.

The band committee removed the rotunda in 1957. In 1970, the old World War 1 Gun was donated to the Yaldhurst Museum.

In 1947, the Department of Internal Affairs was offering subsidies to councils wishing to build War Memorials after the war.

In 1948, a meeting was called on July 14th to express interest in a community centre as a war memorial. At that meeting, it was decided that the South Otago Memorial should be a community centre incorporating a town hall and other civic amenities. Balclutha Farewell and Welcome Home committee donated £808.47 towards the build.

The committee consisted of RSA (1 – J. Gold), Clutha County (2 – J. Glover and G.M. Barr) Bruce County (1-- D.N. Ingles), Local Sporting bodies (1 – W.L. Jolly), Resthouse & Nursery Play Centre (1 – Mrs W.D. Lattimore), Drama and Musical clubs (1 – A.R. Dreaver), Business community (1 – D.M. Henderson), Federated Farmers and A&P Society (1 – T. McCristell), and The Country Women's Org (1 – Mrs H.C. Holgate). 

November 1948, proposed plans for the S.O. Community Centre estimated cost was £103,750 ($207,500).  Plans were to be displayed in a shop window in January 1949. In 1950, the Internal Affairs revised and limited the subsidy to pound for pound and to be lodged by September 1950.  This was approved in 1951.

Clutha County had offered a site in Elizabeth Street for £900 ($1,800) but the land valuer advised it was only worth £750 so there was no agreement made. It was found that the land known as Reserve No. 5, was in the name of His Majesty the King and was occupied by the Municipal Chambers, Band Rotunda, Bowling Green, Tennis Courts, and now defunct Hitchon's Bacon factory.

A deputation from Federated Farmers of V. Stephens, K. McIntosh and Gardiner negotiated with the Clutha County for Reserve No. 5 to become the site for the community hall. It was given free of charge in 1952.     

In June 1953, the council donated £1,000 ($2,000) to the Balclutha District War Memorial Hall project. A deputation from the War Memorial committee of  L.McEwan, P.E.Shand and V.Stephens approached the Council to have the town hall incorporated in the War Memorial building. This was approved.

The same deputation also informed the Council that 17,500 hours of voluntary man-hours have been promised, plus offers from carrying companies and other trades and industries.

In March 1954, the architect plans of the War Memorial Building (excluding the library) were submitted and approved by the Council.

The Balclutha Brass Band offered to move the Band Rotunda to Naish Park in 1955 to make way for the new town hall.

By 1956, building permits were given in March, for £42,000 ($84,000).

The Hall committee asked the Council to consider the type of heating to be used in the new Hall.

Voluntary labour from the community commenced on the foundations for the Hall complex, but a large flood that occurred late in 1957 through to May 1958 stopped progress to the building for quite a few months, due to ongoing flooding. 

The Council assured the Businessmen's Association that there would be ample parking at the site of the new Hall when the tennis courts and Bacon factory were removed. The Plunket Society advised the Council that they couldn't commit to the new Hall until it was completed.

In 1959, the Council approved the use of fibre-plastered ceilings in the new Council offices at the War Memorial Hall.  

A “Council Day” was held in the new Hall on Saturday, 4th March 1961, for the various organisations who had pledged voluntary work.  The War Memorial Committee advised the Council that a further £16,000 ($32,000) would be needed to complete the Hall with skilled labour.  A loan was raised.

The proposed layout and planting scheme were given by D.M. Henderson and A.L. Sheppard of the Balclutha Gardening Club in the absence of M.R. Skipworth, who was overseas in 1962. Among the large list of suggestions was one to preserve existing trees, including the horizontal elm (Ulmus Glabra), which was planted by the Hon. D.T. Fleming to commemorate the coronation of King George VI. In August, details of hiring the Hall were set out along with the schedule of hiring fees, bookings and events.

The seating capacity of the Memorial Hall was 158 in the gallery and 656 in the main hall, giving a total of 814. The supper and meeting room housed 150. The War Memorial building incorporated the Municipal Chambers, Harvey Memorial Rest Rooms, Plunket Rooms and the Main Town Hall. The capital value for the entire complex was £80.000 ($160,000) in 1962.

The Official opening of the Balclutha and Districts War Memorial Hall occurred on Wednesday, 31st October 1962 by the Rev. G.A.D. Spence OBE, MCED Senior Chaplin NZ Expeditionary Force, His Worship the Mayor R.C. Pearson, chairman of the War Memorial Committee P.E. Shand, MP for Clutha J.B. Gordon,  MP for Internal Affairs F.L.A. Gotz, volunteers, and Balclutha Brass Band conductor W.H. Cross.

The Sommerville Lounge was named after the Town Clerk, Gray Sommerville, in his honour. The Harvey Rest Rooms were named after Captain John Allen Harvey (Memorial Plaque), who was killed in action in the South Africa war at Ottoshoop in 1900.

In 1966, Columbus Radio Centre designed a sound system for the hall at a cost approx £330. This was paid by the Jaycees (£40) Ladies committee (£60) and Festival Week (£140).

A letter was received from the S.O. Indoor Bowls Association asking that the floor in the hall be levelled. Laurie Ayson (the caretaker) attended to this request in 1968.

H.G. Todd became the new caretaker in 1969.

In 1971, an application to serve liquor at the Hall was made.  A.W. de Nijs tendered to paint the hall for $1,233, excluding the concrete band around the Hall.

Heather Maxwell donated an ink sketch of the War Memorial Hall to the Council in 1981, which is now in the Carnegie Library (the Balclutha Community Library).

In 1986, government work schemes employed unemployed labourers to paint the inside of the hall, and the materials were funded by the CDC.

Reference for this information was collated from the book – An Historical Look Through The Minute Books by W.H. Cross.