Susanna Freymark
It was excellent news for the Dungarubba Hall committee today, Wednesday, April 2, when two Crown lands staff members were at the hall to tell residents the news — the hall is being repaired.
Hall president Gary Woolley has lived in Dungarubba all his life. He joined the hall group when he was 18.
”I used to come here for dances,” he said.
Gary started organising the renowned country music afternoons at the hall in 2011.
Those session have been held at Broadwater Community Hall with Max Maher since the 2022 floods destroyed the Dungarubba Hall.
The water went as high as the gutters on the roof.
Gary said the floods in 1954, 1974 and 2017 never rose over the stage — in 2022, the entire hall was filled with water.
The hall was built in 1912. It has a tallowood floor and much of the structure is intact.
Still, it’s going to be a huge job to bring the hall back to life.
The first country music afternoon back at Dungarubba is going to be something special. There is a large photo of singer Marge Graham who died in the 2022 floods in Lismore — that photo is on the stage at every country music event held at Broadwater.
The photo will be on the wall of the revamped Dungarubba Hall when it is finished.
IndyNR.com has asked Crown Lands how much the repairs will cost and when they will be finished and that information is coming.
For now, the excitement of having the heart of Dungarubba open again is a thrill and the committee is already planning the celebrations.
No doubt it will feature some live country music.
