Hamel Hall

Parent Place or Precinct

16173 Hamel Eco-Historic Precinct

Values

The place is rare as a Federation Carpenter Gothic styled Agricultural or Community Hall in Western Australia.

The place is a landmark with the Hamel townsite.

The place has associations with the development of the Hamel Nursery at the turn of the twentieth century, and in particular with the prisoner work detail. It is thought that this is a very early form of this type of program.

The place has social value for its use as a community hall since 1909. This was evidenced by community effort to retain and restore the building in the early 1990s.

Physical Description

‘Hamel Hall comprising a free standing timber framed building raised on split timber stumps and clad with weatherboards painted in a dark brown colour. It has a steeply pitched corrugated iron gable roof. Timber framed double hung sash windows are regularly spaced along the east and west elevations, each painted white with simple galvanised flashing over the window head for shedding water. A number of windows have been in filled on the east elevation and another has been converted into a doorway. The entry is located towards the eastern end of the south elevation and comprises a pair of flush panel timber doors, painted white, which are accessed by a concrete ramp. The south elevation gable is framed with painted timer bargeboards that have corbelled ends, a detail also evident on the north gable.’

‘The building has a simple rectilinear plan, with a small skillion lean to located at the northern end, housing the kitchen and a brick and iron toilet block attached to east side. The lean to attached to the north wall is built on a brick foundation, with timber framed walls clad with fibrous cement boards to match the original timber weatherboards. It has a corrugated iron roof, with aluminium gutters and downpipes, and an aluminium framed sliding window on its north wall. A flush panel timber door is located on the east wall of the kitchen lean to, accessed by a concrete ramp. The toilet block is attached to the east side of the hall, adjacent to the side door, and comprises face brick walls with aluminium framed windows and a corrugated iron skillion roof with boxed gutters. Access to the toilets is only available from the interior of the hall.

History

‘In 1902, the Prisoners Barracks, an iron roofed building with jarrah cladding was constructed by prisoners working on the Experimental farm, at a cost of £304/13/1. It was located on Lot 140 some 300 feet north of the Hamel townsite, which has been gazetted as a Reserve in May 1902. The Prisoners Barracks comprised a dormitory, apparently with barred windows, fold down beds, shelves and wall folding board seats. Also located on this land were the Prison Warders Quarters and various outbuildings including pigsties. Across the railway line, immediately opposite Lot 140, an area was gazetted for a prison garden.’

‘From the end of 1907, prison labour was no longer used at Hamel and the Prison Depot was abandoned. Local historical accounts record that, in February 1908, the Premier handed over the former Prisoners Barracks to the local community for use as an Agricultural Hall, apparently after lobbying by Hamel residents with trustees appointed to manage the facility. In 1919, Reserve 16978 was gazetted on Town Lot 130 for the purposes of an Agricultural Hall. It would have been around this time that the Hall was relocated some 2400 feet south from Lot 165 to its present site.’

‘According to local accounts, the building was moved on round jarrah logs, using a tackle and pulley pulled by a horse led by local resident, Antonio Maschetti. The moving of the building took some three months and cost £20. The Hall was the social centre for the Hamel community, with dances, concerts, wedding receptions, meetings, and parties held there. Hamel school children held concerts in the Hall, Christmas celebrations were annual events and in later years the Hall was a venue for the showing of films.’

‘On a stage built at the northern end of the Hall was a piano, which had been purchased for this purpose in 1920 for around £50. Behind the building was a fireplace, with a copper for heating food and drink. As there was little in the way of kitchen facility, supper was usually brought to the Hall already prepared. Storm lanterns provided illumination in the early years, replaced with acetylene gas and later by electricity produced from a Delco generator. The water supply was sourced from a small rainwater tank which received run off from the roof. The horses that provided early transport were tethered on the southern side of the road.’

‘From 1965 to 197 the Hall was used as a post office and after this was used for some time for the meetings of a religious group. Some time after 1968 the timber framed front porch was removed. By the 1970s with the hall in poor repair, the Hamel Hall Restoration and Management Committee was formed in 1977 in order to preserve this community asset. It was not until 1985-86 however that comprehensive restoration of the Hall was commenced. Following this work, the hall reopened in 1991 for community use. To mark this occasion a reunion of Hamel residents was organised and attended by over 160 people.’

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity- Moderate
Authenticity- High

Condition

Good Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.