Towards the end of the month Iluka will be celebrating the centenary of the Soldiers Memorial Hall built in (you guessed it) 1923. It was a huge event then and the celebrations a hundred years later will be just as entertaining.
These celebrations will be at the core of the inaugural Mermaid Festival set down to start in the last week of September and conclude on the first week of October. The hall was officially opened on October 5, so we have linked the past and present dates. We have also linked some family names with the Harwood Shire president Mr. Collis opening the hall. We have one of Iluka’s longest resident and grandson of the same man, John Collis, helping us with proceedings on the Saturday when we will be showing movies and launching the first official history of Iluka.
For those not familiar with the hall, it is situated at the western end of Charles Street on the boundary of the caravan park and adjacent to the memorial park and cenotaph. Although the land was originally set aside for a school of arts which were popular in that era the local residents wanted to commemorate the fallen soldiers from World War 1. A lovely sculpture of an emu and chicks which used to roam town is now on display outside the building. Thanks to the local men’s shed for its construction and 100 years later a tribute to what would have been a school of arts.
What a big commitment that must have been to construct the hall. They had to raise a large sum of money (over 300 pounds or the equivalent of $20,000 today). Could you imagine that happening these days? What is more the locals went ahead and built it. It was done under the supervision of a Mr. Chapman and has stood the test of time.
In 1950 it was officially made a war memorial building just prior to Anzac Day celebrations and since that time, particularly of late, Anzac Day celebrations have included displays and refreshments in the hall. Not only that we are fortunate enough to have as our official guest Air Vice Marshall Glen Braz who will cut the ribbon and unveil a commemorative plaque, so the link with our defence forces continues to this day.
As a hall it was used continually for a variety of events and became the hub of Iluka’s social life. Pictures from the past will be on display showing superb decorations for weddings, dances and 21st parties.
Visitors to the museum often remember watching movies at the hall in the 1950’s and 60’s. That will be happening again as part of the festival celebrations. Two movies, ‘The Thing’ (tame horror movie) and ‘Million Dollar Mermaid’ will be shown. So now you know why it is the mermaid festival. Interestingly, the mermaid star was Annette Kellerman who used to holiday in Iluka.
In the 1950’s an annex to the hall was built to provide a ticket office and projector room and later to accommodate the CWA ladies and they have prospered. You may be excused for thinking some of them were at the opening of the hall, but all jokes aside it has been an amicable arrangement, so much so that the president of the CWA is also the president of the History group.
Another highlight of the finale to the festival will be the launching of the first history book of our town. It was written by acclaimed botanical artist Janet Hauser who is responsible for all the script of items on display in the museum. Councillor Karen Toms will do the honours that night and purchases can be made from that time.
Col Hennessy, Iluka Historical Society