A passion to save a rural hall and return it to its former glory as a thriving community centre has seen the Calarie Hall's volunteer committee shortlisted for the Community Achievement Awards for NSW and the ACT.
The Calarie Recreation Reserve Land Manager committee is one of four finalists for the NSW Government Crown Land Management Excellence Award in this year's awards, to be announced on November 1.
Calarie Hall is a thriving community hub - a venue for weddings, parties, bingo and youth programs - thanks to the hard work of locals who have raised funds and gained grants to restore and improve it.
The acreage on the outskirts of Forbes has been a gathering place for generations, the current hall on it was originally the Daroobalgie school and thought to date back about a century.
It had fallen into disrepair when, in 2011, a group began to rally around to save it, committee secretary Tara Shaw explained.
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"We love that the hall is a venue that incorporates the country life, the relaxed feeling/ lifestyle whilst still having some of the original characteristics on our grounds and that although we are on the outskirts of town we still provide all creature comforts you need to host an event anytime of the year," she said.
This hardworking group has done so much more than make the hall safe, they've transformed the whole site.
The hall itself has undergone complete reconstruction, inside and out, now with heating and cooling as well as an outdoor covered deck area added and a brand new kitchen offering everything you need for catering.
Then there's the new camp kitchen - fully equipped - toilet and shower block, accessible toilet and shower facilities.
The sprawling grounds are green and welcoming for camping and outdoor events, not only for fun for those bound for the likes of the Elvis Festival but as an evacuation centre in times of need like the 2022 floods.
"We started out with a lot of fundraising events however we realised we needed grants to help with larger items on our refurbishment list. We have applied for many grants via Crown Lands, Northparkes Mines, FRRR, Forbes Shire Council just to name a few," Tara said.
And all their efforts have indeed seen their vision fulfilled.
The hall is host to bingo every two months, Boys to the Bush campouts every school holidays and whip-cracking entertainer Nathan "Whippy" Griggs in a special once-a-year event.
"Fortunately for Calarie Hall there has been a large increase in popularity as a preferred venue for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, local artist workshops and community assistance programs such as Boys To The Bush and Catholic Care Mens Yarn up groups," Tara added.
"The venue is on the edge of town but close enough to town if you need anything so it provides the perfect location for fully functional facilities with plenty of camping and parking areas."
Winners will be announced at the Awards gala presentation dinner on November 1 and the committee could not be more excited
"Saying that we are excited would be an understatement," Tara said.
"We are a small volunteer committee and we work very hard at what we do.
"We love hearing feedback from people who have attended the hall saying “they didn’t know it was there” or “you have done so much” and that means the world to us but to be recognised at this level and to be nominated, means that we are doing things right and we are not slowing down.
"We hope we can bring home the trophy but being nominated is an achievement in itself."
While the judges look at the categories, you can also vote for Calarie Hall for the people's choice award - there's a link on the Calarie Hall Recreation Reserve Facebook page.
