by Sahar Foladi
Noble Park Public Hall has seen many events during its 100 years of existence to serve the community.
As the community get ready to celebrate the centenary of the popular hall in an official ceremony on Saturday 5 April, its generational and long-term trustee Dawn Dickson shares all that the hall has seen.
“A lot of people have very good memories there.
“As a teenager they used to run dances in the mid 60’s and Olivia Newton John used to sing there. A lot of famous people have been there and entertained.”
It is believed to be the only public hall in Australia that is still owned by the residents and not by the council.
In the mid 1980’s, trustees decided to lease the building to the council after it caught fire.
“People were sitting in the street and crying because everyone had fond memories of it.
“Most of the people in Noble Park had either gone there to a dancing school or gymnasium, they had their wedding or birthday parties there.
“We realised then how important it was for many people.
“We got the money and rebuilt it in the same manner as before, nicely refurbished inside.”
Ms Dickson says prior to that the public hall was a hub for “hundreds of children a day”. Dance schools, children’s gymnasium, church groups, knitting groups, Country Womens Association and other community groups met there.
Due to Covid renting numbers have recently dropped. Pandemic restrictions had deterred smaller groups, some of whom found new locations and never came back.
Roz Blades, former mayor, City of Greater Dandenong Living Treasure and Noble Park Community Centre president, says the hall needs “reactivation.”
“When we had the 100th anniversary of Noble Park, people had wonderful memories of it, of meeting friends there, getting married, going dancing, very fond and focal to the local area.
“I don’t think as many community events are held there. Certainly the hall can do with some reactivation.
“People stopped going out and community connections were broken during Covid. I think the community would love to use it, it’s a beautiful facility.”
Prior to Covid, Ms Blades used to be the judge in U3A dancing and singing competitions – what she describes as Noble Park’s Got Talent-type events.
She remembers The Boomers band playing every week at the hall and when “everybody took their dancing very serious.”
“It was just lovely, a real community involvement and it didn’t matter if you couldn’t sing a note.”
For Ms Dickson, ‘Mad Max’ was the most memorable event.
The public hall became the command centre for police officers in their hunt for a criminal dubbed Mad Max who shot dead a police officer in Noble Park.
“Noble Park was closed down. You weren’t allowed on the streets, shops were shut, the street was barricaded because they thought he was hiding in somebody’s roof but he wasn’t.
“They found him driving on the highway on the other side of Melbourne and shot him dead.”
A marriage and funeral celebrant, Ms Dickson also had her wedding at the hall.
The venue also hosted the funeral of her uncle Paddy O’Donoghue, who was a hall trustee for 42 years and has had the adjoining Paddy O’Donoghue centre named after him.
Ms Dickson’s family has had a connection with the hall as early as 1920, her grandparents, parents and uncle were all trustees of the hall. She herself has been a trustee for 45 years now and counting.
“Over 100 years my family’s been associated with the hall, my grandparents before that were on the first committee. It’s very dear to my heart because of that.”
A history display of the past 100 years prior to the official ceremony this Saturday has attracted more than 100 visitors.
The display includes school students such as the Noble Park Primary School who learned how things were like back in the days.
At least 75 display boards are on display of all the pioneering families, organisations, community groups, sporting clubs, churches and schools.
Residents loved the nostalgia and meeting with the trustees for a chat down memory lane.
The official 100th-year ceremony is at the hall on Saturday 5 April 1pm-2pm. Refreshments available from 10-2pm.
Dickson’s book If These Walls Could Talk – which chonicles the hall’s rich history – will be on sale at the 5 April event.
The history display is open Wednesday 2 April-Saturday 5 April 10am-4pm and Sunday 6 April 10am-12pm.
There is also a Dawn Lois Dancing School reunion is from 10.30am on Saturday 5 April at Paddy O’Donohue Centre.
