Alexandrina Council is inviting the community to view the transformation of the Strathalbyn Town Hall during a walk-through event to be held on Saturday 16 August, during the Strathalbyn Antiques and Vintage Fair.

Interested visitors can drop in any time between 10am and 2pm to the historic building on High Street, and there is no charge.

The heritage-listed town hall has recently undergone a multi-million- dollar upgrade to make the facility a modern, accessible and compliant community venue. 

The upgrade was part of the council’s staged Strathalbyn Town Centre Revitalisation Project, part-funded with $3.85 million from the state government’s Local Government Infrastructure Partnership Program.

A further celebration of the reopening will take place on 15 September, when the council will hold its monthly meeting at the Town Hall, starting at 5.30pm.

“The completion of works at the Town Hall is the final piece in a project to make the town centre of Strathalbyn a place to walk and sit and enjoy this beautiful destination,” says Alexandrina Mayor Keith Parkes.

“Through landscaping, streetscaping, lighting and wayfinding signage, we’ve sought to improve traffic management and pedestrian connectivity throughout the area.

“A focal point of the historic High Street is the town hall, and we’ve aimed to transform this landmark building into a more modern, multi-functional venue that can cater to a diverse range of activities, events and user groups while staying authentic to its heritage.

“It’s been a complex project. Like many heritage buildings, the hall has presented us with some unexpected construction challenges, and we’ve encountered contractor issues beyond our control.

“However, the result is just spectacular. It will be a wonderful asset for our community, providing a home base for the Strathalbyn Town Band and a space that can be used for concerts, performances, weddings, exercise classes, dance rehearsals, meetings, and a wide range of activities.

“The hall now meets modern standards, and everything has been done under consultation with a heritage adviser.

“We did plan to mark History Month with a Council Meeting this year in the Strathalbyn Town Hall. However, delays have pushed that date out to 15 September.

“I encourage our community to come down to the Walkthrough Event at the Antiques Fair in August, and to come to our 15 September Council Meeting.

“If you’re interested in using the hall from mid-September onwards, I also encourage you or your club or group representative to contact Council through our Expression of Interest form on our website.”

The Strathalbyn Town Hall offers the following features and amenities:

• Auditorium

• Raised inbuilt stage

• Technical and stage lighting set-up

• Supper Room with bar facilities

• Fully functioning catering kitchen

• Dressing rooms

• Foyer and lounge space

• Balcony floor seating

• Furniture:150 lightweight portable chairs and 10 tables

• Airconditioning

• Central lighting control

• Accessible male, female and gender-neutral toilets

• Wheelchair platform lift to the stage.

The council is currently taking interest from potential users and hirers in the community to secure short-term and long-term bookings ahead of the opening in mid-September.