Finley School of Arts Memorial Hall | Monument Australia

<p>The hall was erected to commemorate those who served in World War Two. The hall was an extension of the School of Arts building and connected by an annexe. The annexe was removed as part of the new School of Arts redevelopment. </p> <p><span style="color:#0000CD;">At a largely attended public meeting held at Finley with the object of furthering the war effort, a committee was formed with three, objectives, to secure the maximum support for the £100,000,000 war loan, to make provision for a suitable memorial at the close of the war, and that war bonds be used in the building of a new public hall in Finley. <br /> <small><em>Jerilderie Herald and Urana Advertiser (NSW), 17 September 1942.</em></small></span></p> <p>The hall was planned to be removed by the Berrigan Shire Council in 2016 as part of a redevelopment of the School of Arts.   In 2016, the "Save the Finley War Memorial Association" was mounting an extensive campaign to prevent the demolition by the Berrigan Shire from occurring.<br /> <br /> In September 2018, the council decided to stick with its preferred ‘option three’ for the Finley School of Arts and War Memorial Hall renovations. The annex between the School of Arts and War Memorial Halls will be removed, the School of Arts kitchen upgraded and a new toilet block will be created. </p> <p style="clear:none;">Councillors did not vote unanimously for the option, with Finley-based councillors Daryll Morris and John Taylor voting against. The motion was still won by majority, 6-2. The original moratorium to prevent either hall from being demolished would now be lifted. The Memorial Hall would remain protected from being knocked down. The official opening of the School of Arts and Hall after the significant upgrades was held on the 8th February 2020. </p> <p><span style="color:#B22222;"><small><em><small><em><strong>08/10/2015</strong></em></small><br /> Berrigan Shire Council has committed to the redevelopment of the Finley School of Arts, one of the most significant heritage buildings in Berrigan Shire and a key cultural asset for the Finley community.  </em></small></span><span style="color:#B22222;"><small><em>The redevelopment will be a much-needed modernisation of the School of Arts, including modern and accessible toilet facilities, off-street parking and improved disabled access. The project will see the School of Arts continue to be a much-loved place for the Finley community and improve its usability for performing arts groups, community meetings, and other social functions.</em></small></span></p> <div id="id_561c3b1052f716c74990496"> <div> <p><span style="color:#B22222;"><small><em>The redevelopment will mean, however, the removal of the Finley War Memorial Hall to allow space for the new facilities. The hall was built in 1956 as a memorial to the soldiers from the Finley region that fought in the Second World War.  </em></small></span><span style="color:#B22222;"><small><em>While the War Memorial Hall is part of the history of Finley for over 50 years, over time people have changed their social and recreation activities. As a result, the use of the hall has dwindled to a point where its ongoing maintenance cannot be justified.  </em></small></span><span style="color:#B22222;"><small><em>Construction work is not expected to take place until the second half of 2016. The project in its entirety is expected to cost around $380,000.</em></small></span></p> <p><span style="color:#B22222;"><small><em>Cr Hill also advised “The volunteer Committee of Management will be shortly launching an appeal for memorabilia, photos, stories and history of the Finley War Memorial Hall to will be included in a collection commemorating its history.”<br /> Berrigan Shire Website. </em></small></span></p> </div> </div>