A literal army of volunteers has come from near and far on a mission to breathe new life into the historic Te Mata Hall.
Not only has the local community rallied behind the cause but a team of four carpenters from the New Zealand Army’s Linton base near Palmerston North recently arrived to help get the job done.
The soldiers have been camping on site as they work to reclad the 120-year-old building which project leader and resident builder Dan Grimshaw says is still a “well used” facility in this small rural settlement.
Even before the cavalry arrived, local volunteers were on the job water-blasting the hall’s ageing weatherboards for possible reuse while others were inside priming and painting newly delivered weatherboards for the front and back of the hall, which showed the worst signs of wear and tear.
Meantime many in the community got behind the project by donating home baking and other produce to feed the army quartet during their two-week sortie north.
It all began back at the end of last year when The Hits radio station ran a competition in conjunction with Resene ColourShops to give a deserving public hall a spruce-up.
News of the contest spread fast among the community and Te Mata Hall was entered into the comp. Locals voted en masse online, Dan told the Chronicle, and by sheer numbers and enthusiasm “blew the competition out of the water”
An ex-serviceman, Dan rang a mate in the army to arrange help with the spruce-up which – on closer inspection – had become more of a restoration. He drafted a proposal and sent photos to the army to “generate an appetite” for the project.
“We really needed the army working continuous days to get things done rather than rely totally on volunteers having to juggle day jobs,” he explained.
A committee was formed, a constitution created, a bank account opened and an online Givealittle page set up. With a goal of $50,000, fundraising began in earnest to cover the cost of repairs.
Local businesses offered discounted materials and volunteers came out of the woodwork, committing time and effort, while Resene Paints supplied the paint and painting equipment thanks to the radio competition which had prompted the makeover.
But there was much more to be done than giving the hall a fresh coat of paint.
Weatherboards needed replacing, as did the roof. Windows, cladding and structural support also needed attention. “We’re working hard to honour the hall’s original character while giving it the protection and care it needs,” the committee agreed.
So once the army guys had moved in – and enjoyed a welcome dinner put on in the hall by the locals – they got to work, having set their camp stretchers up inside the 1905 building with full use of its facilities.
“They’re soldiers, they can rough it,” Dan laughed. “It’s The Ritz!”
Recladding was the first stage of the project during the 10 working days they had, with reroofing to follow if the community’s fundraising was on target. And Dan was cautiously optimistic last week. “We’re not far off,” he said just one day into the job.
Funds raised were to go towards essential expenses including scaffolding, shrouding – to ensure all-weather work – weatherboard replacement, bracing, reroofing, re-spouting and window repairs.
A recent community dinner and family fun day at Te Mata Domain – organised by the hall makeover committee – was a huge success, boosting the bank balance by more than $2,700.
And Raglan Four Square came to the party the weekend the army arrived, with bags of breakfast foods and milk to help the soldiers’ start to their days.
Now the residents of Te Mata are looking forward to gathering again in their revitalised hall which has served as a hub over the generations and is still used today for everything from weddings and funerals to ping-pong, yoga and the odd good old-fashioned hoedown.
by Edith Symes
