The stage has been set for a major revamp of Warrnambool's TOAD Hall with the asbestos roof being replaced ahead of internal works.
The former church hall has been turned into a space for the city's theatre companies and orchestra, but is in need of a makeover.
The hall in recent years gained the name TOAD Hall which stands for The Orchestra And Drama Hall.
Jamie Tait, from the Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation, said he had persuaded the foundation the facility should be kept and not turned over for development.
"It's such a good facility right in the middle of town. People can get there easily," he said.
Mr Tait said the hall had been used by Holiday Actors, Warrnambool's theatre company, and the symphony orchestra for the past four years.
"It's very cold in winter. It's not so bad in summer. It needs improvements inside as well, not just putting a roof on," he said.
Once the roof and ceilings have been replaced, new all-abilities toilets will be installed, windows and doors repaired, heating installed and sound and acoustic material put in.
Mr Tait said re-roofing was being done in stages to avoid being impacted by the weather and would cost more than $200,000.
"It's a big job because they have to take out the ceilings because over the years it has collected dust. So it's not just the roofing but the ceiling inside," he said.
While the hall was bought a number of years ago by the Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation, it was recently transferred to another trust for users.
"It's the ideal space for Holiday Actors because the middle hall is exactly the same size as the Lighthouse Stage," Mr Tait said.
"So they can rehearse in the same space they will have to perform."
The facility is three halls in one, Mr Tait said, with the oldest being constructed during the 1870s when his great grandfather George Tait was the Presbyterian minister in Warrnambool.
Mr Tait said his great grandfather had first been a minister in the Horsham region.
"His father came out in 1838 to Parramatta," he said.
The middle hall, which is currently being worked on, was built in the 1890s.
The hall on the corner of Manifold and Princess streets bears the name Diamond Jubilee around its arched doorway, and Mr Tait said of the three halls it had the most architectural features.
He said the hall was intended to be a celebration of Queen Victoria's 60th year on the throne which was in 1897. "They didn't finish it anyway until 1909," he said.
Katrina Lovell
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
