French Pass Memorial Hall

French Pass Residents Incorporated (FPRI) are looking after French Pass Memorial Hall.

The Hall has a long history in the area, with the first one burning down in the 1950s and being rebuilt. The Hall has a Roll of Honour Wall commemorating local people lost to the two world wars, and some other historical features, like wall paintings regarding the settlement of the area. The use of the Hall varied over time, but it was used by French Pass School at one stage, was base for a local mother/child group, the place of religious services, and has been the venue of our annual Christmas Tree Party for many years. It has also been a popular venue for community group meetings (like FPRI!), private and public functions and parties, and Council events.

The Hall therefore can be regarded as a well-loved and regularly used asset, and fulfils all “Hall” criteria in the current long-term plan, ref. page 57.

In the early 2000’s, the Hall underwent a substantial renovation, with some remodelling, managed by members of FPRI. After that, over time the odd renovation and addition took place, and while all is working reasonably well, FPRI detected a few issues, especially with the electrical system.

As Council’s goal is to provide community assets that are safe and high-quality, FPRI engaged an electrician who owns a property in the area of French Pass, and has also some experience with rewiring community Halls,  to provide a review of the electrical wiring status and suggestions to improve the system to ensure ongoing safety to future-proof the Hall for many years to come.We approached the Council team responsible for the maintenance of the MDC Halls, but they were not able to provide financial support.

However, they suggested we put forward the quote to the Annual Plan to be considered next year.

We are aware that the community hall review report provided by contractor Sue Courtney (review done mid of 2024) is currently still in final review, however, it might have some suggestions for renovations in it and might cover electrical work as well.

FPRI would like to get the proposed work done.  We therefore would appreciate your review and determination if the costs of the re-wiring according to attached quote could be covered, at least partially, by next year’s budget.

Quote for the work - $5,404.87 (GST Incl)

A report and recommendations (price status October 2025) was received CM Record No. 25246292

Refer to the above idea.