Eight months after a wheelie bin fire spread to Bain Park’s timber Community Arts Hall, one Wauchope community group is taking on the arduous task of restoring the cultural facility.
Three fires were lit in wheelie bins across Wauchope in early March. One of the bins was next to the hall.
“Even though the fire was only in one corner, the damage went right through,” said Krissa Wilkinson, a founding member of the Wauchope Community Arts Council, which manages the hall.
The hall’s walls were damaged by flame, while soot, smoke and firefighting foam covered its interior.
A community’s hall: The volunteer-run Arts Council has used the hall - a former Sunday School that had been relocated from Rawdon Island - for 30 years.
It hosts live music, theatre, films, workshops and exhibitions, and is hired by many local groups.
“It's been the heart of town for many years. It's like a de facto cultural centre in a way,” Wilkinson said.
The damage: The hall has been out of action since the fire.
Council insurance will cover the costs of repairing the damaged sections of the hall, but not the replacement of Arts Council-owned production items such as stages, projection equipment, lights and curtains.
Damage to the hall’s vintage Kawai grand piano is still being assessed.
Time to pitch in: The Arts Council is attempting to raise $30,000 via a GoFundMe. Its next concert, on November 28 at the Wauchope Senior Citizens Centre, will showcase local singer-songwriters and serve as a fundraiser for the hall.