History/ about the building

Fawcett Hall is 14 kilometres North West of Alexandra, North East Victoria, in Spring Creek Road and is set amongst a small picturesque rural farming and business community with hills as a backdrop and Stony Creek running alongside the public reserves property boundary.

Part of our hall building dates back to its establishment in 1882. Originally the hall served as a Mechanics Institute and Public Library and later as a primary school.

The hall has received a few grants to restore it back to its original function as a community asset.

From October 2014 an extension to the hall including a new kitchen, toilet facilities, and water hook up.

Now that the hall is fully restored, making it the ‘perfect place for your function’
The overall aim of Fawcett Mechanics Institute Reserve Committee of Management is to provide a functioning community resource to keep morale high and generate community involvement and activity.

How you can help our hall?

We thank all of our sponsors, supporters and grant providers.

Major milestones – for detail refer to “ Fawcett Hall A History of the hall and its people”

1882 – August official opening
1883 – February 100 volumes donated to the library
1887 – Hall was extended
1887 – November request of the site of Spring Creek Hall to be reserved was approved by the Governor in Council.
1888 – 500 volumes of books (by 1894 nearly 1000 volumes.)
1891 – All books called in for labeling and a rubber stamp was purchased (we use this logo today)
1901 – Fawcett State school open at Fawcett Hall
1906 – Closure of the Fawcett State school ceased to be at the Hall due to its dangerous condition.
1908 – New extension and upgrade opening with a grand ball and supper
1910 – Locals stated referring to the hall as Fawcett Public Hall
1966 – letter from the shire of Alexandra regarding an application for Archibald Colquhoun to use the hall for their artistic endeavours.
1980 – Shire of Alexandra wrote to the committee calling for local residents to be contacted re keeping the hall. A meeting was held and a new committee of management was formed. Petition was organized and submitted to Shire re local support for hall’s retention.
1983 – Committee member Judy Eldridge door knocks residents to ask for a $4 donation to cover insurance.
1995 – Request by Ian Newman for signage for the hall to shire. Accepted and installed.
1999 – Heritage overlay via Shire of Murrindindi planning scheme application made.
2001 – Fawcett Hall registered as a HO21 – heritage overlay.
2002 – Visit by Heritage Council of Victoria bus tour to Fawcett Hall.
2003 – Heritage Victoria application for a grant was lodged.
2004 – Grant application of $63,100 awarded by Heritage Victoria.
2004 – Shire of Murrindindi Community Grant for a Conservation Management Plan (CMP)
2005 – Major works commence.
2008 – First open day at the hall, complete with new front fence by Jim Young & Spring Creek Road men and gate donated by Geoff Sparke, erection of rear and side boundary fences erected by Ian Newman and Jim Young.Gates donated by Ian Newman
2010 – Power installed at the hall, the First wedding held and digitizing of all hall records by Mechanics Institute of Victoria.
2011 – First NYE celebration hosted by Jan Young, Fawcett Hall a history of the hall and its people by David Ian Newman published with a grant from PROV, Installation of the ramp by Bill Macalister and Grand reopening of Fawcett Hall. Fawcett Hall is on Facebook!
2012 – November – Hall turns 130, a weekend of celebrations are held and MIV plaque installed and unveiled in the hall, First Open Gardens weekend event – fundraiser selling trash and treasure. Facebook page started.
2013 – RDV grant applied for an award to Fawcett Hall $60,000 for toilets, kitchen, solar install and decking $20, 000 to be raised by Fawcett Hall Committee and Community. Work Commences for an upgrade.
2014 – First Australia Day event held at the hall and new flagpole installed. Community fireguard grant for tables chairs, crockery and fireguard meetings is awarded $10,000. BBQ donated to the hall and Pizza oven installed, inaugural Secret Men’s business meeting, Solar powered light to illuminate old gum tree donated by Noble and Young families. October – an opening of RDV extensions at the hall, also the laying of 3 commemorative brass plaques on local stone chimney stones.
2015 – First pizza night at the hall for committee followed by community and then a regular event hosted monthly by Harvesting the Feast March – October each year. Dishwasher grant by Bendigo Bank – Yea and District Community Bank. Storage shed erected, DEWLP present Certificates to the Committee of Management
2016 – First Fawcett Hall Autumn Dinner and new Website launched. Shade sails erected.
2017 – Name paver bricks project – actual laying of commenced, new roundtables sponsored, the hall gets its first mailbox.
2018 – Installation of a Defibrillator and training for locals; Made possible by a community grant from Murrindindi Shire Council and donations from Alexandra Rotary Club and the Alexandra Lions Club, Our own blue sign erected on the hwy,  Koriella CFA turns 70. Pop-up Pizza nights are still popular. The hall is repainted.
2019 – Finalisation of painting – signage at front of the hall, part of the RHVS’s project – “digitize or lose it ” Paving schedule – stage 3 is planned ( taking the pavers from the ramp to the pizza oven area).
2020 – March to December closed due to COVID-19. The region goes into lockdown in term 2 and term 3.
2021 –  Call out for stage 4 of the fundraising pavers, small videos placed up on Facebook – over 500 followers. Massive working bees at the hall to get it ready for hiring again. Grant for updated solar submitted. Works happening remotely due to ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns include handrails for back steps, an interpretative board for reserve, and a few housekeeping items such as improved communications. Community BBQ scheduled for March.
Army ( comms team )  working in with local Koriella CFA to run an exercise in Spring Creek Road and use the hall as a staging space. Hall is granted funds via The Solar on Public Buildings program ( DELWP ) to upgrade and install solar systems at the hall. Open Gardens weekend – OCT-  event postponed until 2022.
A Quick Response Grant from @murrindindishirecouncil  enabled our hall’s Ultraviolet Water Filter Controller to be replaced.
NYE celebration ” Fawcett Muster” was held on the 31st of December and funded by Foundation Murrindindi. 
2022 – The Furniture History Society Australasia grant for restoration works for the three original long-seated timber forms with backs, purchased by the hall in 1888, and the timber form without a back, which was inherited by us when the Fawcett State School moved to its new location in 1905. Partnership with Eildon and District Woodworkers Guild / Alexandra Community Shed known as “The Woodies” – completed in 2023.
The best news – a replacement dishwasher was gifted to the hall and the community in September from http://www.awesomeconveyancing.com.au/
Fawcett Plant Clearance held after Twilight at Fawcett was held in December due to the popular open gardens weekend being canceled due to bad weather.
” Fawcett Fusion” Community Dinner held on the 31st of December funded by Foundation Murrindindi. 
2023 – Woodies finalise works on timber forms for the Hall, Hall is granted a second amount of funds via The Solar on Public Buildings program ( DELWP ) to install a solar system battery at the hall. Starlink (satellite internet) installed hall and landline disconnected.

Source: “Fawcett Hall – A History of the hall and its people” by David Ian Newman, minutes, documents and photos kept by the committee of management.