Point of Interest # 15

OCTAGONAL HALL

Described as the very first agricultural hall in the district, Smiths Mill's Octagonal building was one of the earliest brick structures in the locality. Its construction came as a result of a community effort. Prominent local orchardist, gravel merchant, former coach builder, and substantial landowner, W.H. McGlew, not only donated the site, but also, with Tom Smith, owner of Smith's Mill, and Jacob Hawter, owner of the Darling Nurseries, went guarantor for a £100 pound W.A. Bank overdraft. A local committee, headed by Josceline Amherst of Darlington Vineyards, designed and oversaw construction of the Hall, using a £300 contribution from the Government. The money was forthcoming because the Public Works Department failed to accept any tenders from the advertisement process begun in January 1896.
The Hall was finally opened in early 1897, with hessian walls which were later replaced by brick. It has been suggested that the octagonal shape was conceived to effectively display agricultural produce. One of the most significant alterations to the Hall's construction is said to have occurred when the internal central support pole was removed on a bet by the local sawyer and his horse (it is yet to be proved whether there is any factual basis for the anecdote).
The hall was originally known as Forrest hall, after the Premier, Sir John Forrest. Over it's long history it not only temporarily housed the local Road Board's meetings, but also many community activities, such as dances, concerts, Christmas Tree parties, picture shows, sporting groups and ANZAC Day Services.
Considering it's history, it is surprising that the Hall survived in it's present condition. By 1913, not only had the original overdraft doubled, but the then Secretary of the Hall Committee, Stationmaster FD Wickstead, wrote to inform the PWD that financial help was needed to repair cracks near the stage. When this request was refused, a public meeting rejected the suggestion to build a new hall, and instead, funds were raised to repair the old hall and discharge McGlew's overdraft. In the 1960's, having long outgrown the original Octagonal Hall, the community, persuaded the Shire to build a new Community Hall in Marnie Road, which still fulfils that purpose today. Threats to bulldoze the decaying old hall were resisted by the community, and it was restored by the Shire for use by the CWA in August 1968.
The Hall is leased today by the Eastern Hills Wildflower Society, who sub let it to other community groups.
Courtesy State Heritage

A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE - GLEN FORREST OCTAGONAL HALL

Written by Mary Richmond, Hovea, 2019.

This unique hall was built in 1897 so it pre-dates almost all of the buildings in Glen Forrest. It even pre-dates Glen Forrest because it was built 18 years before the new name was adopted for the village of Smiths Mill. The meeting to discuss the name change was held in the hall.
For more than 60 years it was THE HALL. It was the Polling Place for elections, a venue for fundraising fetes, community meetings, dances, celebratory and fancy dress balls, wedding receptions, 21st birthday parties, Friday night pictures to raise funds for the school, Sunday School when there were too many children for the Methodist Church next door, Anzac Day services, Brownie meetings and much, much more.
When the new hall was built in Marnie Road this building became the meeting place for the CWA, but when their numbers dwindled and they could not afford the upkeep, the local Wildflower Society took on the lease and it has become their very well used home.
It is now 122 years old, still looking good and well loved (2019).
A school-based event was held in the hall to commemorate the first 50 years of Federation in 1951. The school journal entry reads:
May 3rd: The school had a Jubilee Day celebration in the Hall. Received medals and flag and children took part in sketches. A very good attendance of parents.
The writer cannot remember very much about the event but her brother, Ian, and a schoolmate, Brian Bailey, played the part of Ford and Bailey in the goldfields, dressed in old clothes to look like prospectors. Even clearer in her mind is a goanna cooking on the fire for the Aboriginal Corroboree. It was really damper, appropriately shaped, made by Mrs Standring, the Head Master’s wife.

The older girls danced a maypole with ribbons of various colours, and she is sure there was a delicious afternoon tea provided by the P&C Mothers.
At the end of the school year there would be a Break-Up Party here, again thanks to the P&C Ladies. Some little acts on the stage, singing Christmas carols and tables laden with goodies to eat.
Most mothers were good cooks, using only wood stoves, as there was no electricity in Glen Forrest until about 1954. By 1958, electricity became available on the other side of Great Eastern Highway.

Children's fancy dress balls were were organised by the P&C as a special event every couple of years.
Anzac Day services were held here after the ex-servicemen had marched from the corner of Hardey Road and Railway Parade with the Scouts, Cubs, Guides and Brownies following along behind them. Seats were set up out the front, the verandah was the dais, with flagpoles by the steps. Jack Starr, an accomplished window dresser, provided a wonderful ‘war themed’ display on the stage to be admired when afternoon tea was served after the service.
In the early 1950s the Progress Association organised social evenings which catered for all age groups, alternating a game for the children which may be musical chairs, limbo stick, drop the hanky, then an old time dance like the barn dance, Pride of Erin, etc, and later in the evening when some of the very young and very old had gone home, the teens and twenties could take to the floor for the tango, modern waltz and such.
The writer usually had to stay late because her mother and Ian Elliot’s dad shared the piano, playing for these evenings.[1]

In 1953, Mrs Porter, who lived over the road with her husband and 2 sons, started a Brownie Pack here in the Hall. I think we were her ‘substitute daughters’. We met on Saturday afternoons and learnt about good deeds every day, how to sew on buttons, and other crafty and useful things like how to tie a reef knot, and our brownie tie from the triangular shaped cloth!

In 1954 Mr Arthur Hill arrived in town as the new Head Teacher - we only had 2 teachers – and he was keen to improve the amenities of the school, particularly in sporting activities. This required money and very soon he had convinced the P&C to buy a film projector and Friday night pictures began.
After school on Friday afternoons, the senior boys came to the hall to set up the rows of chairs and help Mr Hill get the screen and projector ready for the evening. The P&C ladies had a table of sweets and drinks for sale and most of the people walked from home. With only 1 projector, there were short pauses through the film while Mr Hill changed the reel by the light of a torch held by a young offsider, but nobody minded, in those days things did not have to be slick and sophisticated, we were just happy to have movies in Glen Forrest and we were supporting our community as well.
Mr Hill’s first purchase was a stopwatch and soon we had equipment for sports such as softball, football, cricket, and Glen Forrest began to excel in the inter-school sport competitions. A good result for everybody.

[1]: Ian Elliot is the author of ‘Mundaring A History of the Shire’.

Glen Forrest Hall in the 1980's.
Photo courtesy of Mundaring Shire.