Torbay Hall

Statement of Significance

Torbay Hall has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
The place has been an important social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community since its construction in 1912 such as for Church services, teaching Sunday School as well as for dances and community meetings.
The place is one of the earliest and still extant local community halls built in the outlying localities of Albany.
The place is part of a group of halls that were built in the many districts established along the Denmark railway line (or Torbay line) between c1912-1923 which included the original Kronkup Hall (1912), Elleker Hall (formerly Torbay Junction Hall 1920), Young’s Siding Hall (1923) and Bornholm Hall (now Bornholm Kronkup-Hall 1923). The halls were all constructed of timber reflecting the importance of the timber industry in this area and the Denmark line which was constructed specifically to service the many timber sawmills in between Albany and Denmark.
The place is a typical example of a small district hall made possible through the efforts and resources of a local community, including the West Albany Settlers’ Association formed in 1905 which supported the individual communities and hall committees in establishing their district halls and other facilities and services.
The place represents the resilience of local communities as they experience a downturn in population and services but continue to value the hall which is well maintained and continues to be used for social events, learning and community activities.

Physical Description

Some of the notable features of this place include:
• Small scale rectangular hall
• Timber weatherboard walls
• High pitch gable corrugated metal roof
• Decorative timber infill in gable with finial
• Main entry door with no porch

Some obvious modifications include:
• Small skillion roofed extension to the rear
• Red brick ablutions block on south side
• Bush pole and corrugated metal roof covered area to rear of hall

History

The first formal allocation of Torbay land was in 1834 for the Hamilton townsite but this did not eventuate. It wasn’t until the WA Land Company was formed in the 1880s with the plan for building the Great Southern Railway that the Torbay district’s development took off. Timber collection and milling for railway sleepers as well as for the export market led to large employment in the area. Several of many reports on the railway project in the Albany Mail during the 1880s gives an indication of the scope of the trade.

Mr W Douglas has secured a contract to ship sleepers for the railway line from Torbay at sixpence per sleeper. (Albany Mail 22 December 1886)
On Friday night the schooner Agnes brought her first load of karri sleepers for the railway, from Torbay. (Albany Mail (26 January 1887)
Torbay is becoming quite a small town. There are two hundred inhabitants in and about the mills. A school has been started and we hear rumours of a hall being in course of erection. (Albany Mail 3 April 1887)

The WA Land Company sold land in the Torbay district which was quickly cleared and planted with vegetables, an industry that expanded with the goldrush at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie which generated a rise in demand for fresh produce. The Torbay-Grasmere district and adjoining areas became popular with the ‘small’ settlers until the Torbay Agricultural Area was declared and thrown open to selection in 1900.

At a meeting of residents of Young's Siding held in August 1905 it was resolved to form a Settlers' Association in the district whose purpose was to protect and further the interests of settlers. A public meeting was held at Torbay Junction on Tuesday 15th August 1905 at which a number of representative settlers assembled and elected the following officers: Chairman,. R. Knapp; secretaries A. Burvill and J. D. Smith; treasurer Herbert Hortin, as well as five general committee members. It was decided to call the new Society the West Albany Settlers' Association, the district including all the area under the then Albany Roads Board west of Perth-road (now Albany Highway) with all residents living in this area encouraged to become members of the association.

One of the main remits of the association was to assist in the establishment and construction of local district halls. At a meeting of the West Albany Settlers’ Association in December 1910 the question of providing a hall in the district along the Denmark line was the main item on the agenda:
It was unanimously decided that such a building was necessary, and four different locations along the line were considered which were Kronkup, Torbay, Torbay Junction and Bornholm. In the end it was decided to build the hall at Kronkup - the name newly given to the 7-Mile siding on the Denmark line. (Albany Advertiser 31 December 1910)
Nearly £50 was collected from those present. Thomas Hortin (brother of Herbert Hortin) was appointed chairman of the committee and W. J. Sampson as secretary. The Kronkup Hall was officially opened on 12 July 1912, triggering the establishment of the other district halls along the line.

The building of the Torbay Hall quickly followed. It was officially opened on Friday 26 July 1912, its opening reported in the Albany Advertiser:
The official opening of the Torbay Agricultural Hall took place on Friday of last week, the ceremony being performed by the Mayor of Albany (Mr- H. C. Sims) who, at the invitation of the committee, drove out with Mrs, Sims for the purpose. A gloriously fine and moonlight night conduced to a large attendance and by half-past 7 nearly everyone in the district, upwards of 150 persons, were present. (Albany Advertiser 3 August 1912)

The hall was built of jarrah, measuring 22ft. by 35ft, and ‘…situated on a spot which was once the centre of a large timber milling industry and now has quite a park-like appearance’. (Albany Advertiser 3 August 1912) The resourcefulness of the committee meant that the hall opened with £13 still in hand which could be put towards future extensions. The members of the Hall Committee when it opened were T. Marshall (chairman), T. Knapp, T. H. Fennell, W. J. Fennell, W. Grayson, G. Clarkson, W. Reilly, P. W. Buckeridge, and J. Rutherford (hon. secretary).

The hall, which could hold about 70 people, immediately became an important focus of community activity and was used for Church services by visiting ministers and for teaching Sunday School as well as for dances and community meetings. Though the township has shrunk in size with many of its services gone, the hall still stands and is well maintained and managed by the Torbay Agricultural Community Hall committee. It is still used for social events, learning and community activities, including two popular market days with a bush pole covered area at the rear of the hall.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity: High
Authenticity: High

Condition

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.