Laurieton School of Arts facts for kids

The Laurieton School of Arts is a special old building in Laurieton, New South Wales, Australia. It's like a community center that has been around for a long time. It used to be called a "School of Arts" or "mechanics' institute." These places were built to help people learn and gather.

Today, this building is used as a community hall and a neighborhood center. It is located at the corner of Laurie and Bold Streets. A Sydney architect named James H. Bolster designed it. The building was constructed between 1911 and 1912. It is now owned by the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council. Because of its history and importance, it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. This means it's a protected historical site.

A Look Back: The History of the School of Arts

The Laurieton School of Arts building you see today is actually the third one built in this town. The first building was destroyed by a strong wind storm on May 5, 1898.

The Second Building and a Fresh Start

The second School of Arts opened soon after, on September 7, 1898. Sadly, it burned down on August 30, 1910. At that time, Laurieton was a busy town with about 700 to 800 people. It had a school, churches, timber mills, a hotel, and several shops.

Less than a month after the fire, people started building the current School of Arts. The first stone was laid on May 20, 1911. The new building opened just five months later, on September 8, 1911. James H. Bolster from Sydney was the architect. This building is still standing today and looks very much like it did when it first opened.

A Grand Building for the Community

When the new building opened, people described it as a "palatial structure." They said it was one of the best Schools of Arts north of Newcastle. It had a large hall, which was about 22 meters long and 10 meters wide. The hall even had a glass skylight in the ceiling.

The building also had a library, a reading room, a billiard room, and other spaces. The timber used for the building came from Robert Longworth's mill in Laurieton. He was a very important person in getting the new building constructed.

Changes Over Time

In 1916, memorial trees were planted around the School of Arts. Around this time, a train line was completed to Wauchope. This changed how people traveled in the region. Because of this, Laurieton didn't grow as fast as other towns. This might be why the School of Arts building didn't need many big changes over the years. Its rooms could be used for different things without much alteration.

Schools of Arts were very important community hubs from the 1920s to the 1950s. In Laurieton, the School of Arts was a major part of town life until the 1960s.

Entertainment and Famous Visitors

Movies were shown in the hall starting in 1918. By 1947, movies were shown twice a week. The projection box for the films was placed above the entrance. In 1957, a new movie format called Cinemascope was introduced. However, films stopped being shown in 1959 when the Laurieton Plaza cinema opened.

The School of Arts also hosted famous people. In August 1944, the American entertainer Bob Hope held a concert there. This happened after his flying boat had to land unexpectedly in the Camden Haven Inlet. In 1955, the Australian actor Chips Rafferty visited the hall for a screening of his latest film.

Many older residents of Laurieton remember how much the hall was used, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. There were dances for teenagers, amateur talent shows, tap dancing, and even shows by famous musicians like Slim Dusty. People also held political meetings, bingo nights, and card games there. The floor was used so much that it had to be replaced in the 1980s.

Other Uses and Management Changes

In 1954, a hairdresser named Alfred Baker opened a salon in a part of the building. He also managed the billiard room. In 1956, the billiard room was leased to the Country Women's Association (CWA), a group for women in rural areas. They used the room until 1980.

By the 1960s, television arrived in Laurieton. This, along with other changes, meant fewer people used the hall. The library and reading room continued to be the town's library, run by volunteers, until 1981.

In 1981, the Hastings Council took over managing the building. They also opened a local office in the old billiard room. The library moved to a new building in Laurieton in 1992. Throughout the 1980s, the building had a lot of renovation work done. This included replacing roofs, gutters, and repairing windows and walls.

What the Building Looks Like

The Laurieton School of Arts building is made of timber. It has painted timber weatherboards on the outside. These are long, thin pieces of wood that overlap to protect the building from weather. It has a metal roof made of galvanised iron, with special roof shapes called dutch gables. The windows are casement windows, which open outwards.

The main entrance is off Laurie Street, leading to the hall. The other rooms, like the library and billiard room, are on a lower level with an entrance from Bold Street.

Inside the Building

The building still has its original rooms and layout. There's a large hall with a stage and two dressing rooms. There's also a supper room with a kitchen and a servery (a place to serve food). Other rooms include a billiard room, a library, and a separate reading room. A central hallway connects most of these rooms. This design allowed the rooms to be used together or separately.

The building is very well-preserved. Both the outside and inside have only had small changes over the years. It looks very much like it did when it opened in 1911.

How the Building Has Changed (Modifications)

• 1919: Concrete steps were added between the billiard room and the entry hall.
• 1954: A part of the building was rented to a hairdresser. A new outside door and window were added.
• 1956: The billiard room closed, and the CWA used the room until 1980. The billiard lights were removed.
• 1965: The outside walls were painted. The timber floor of the verandah was replaced with concrete.
• 1975: The library moved into the reading room, and later (1978) into the supper room. New doors were added.
• 1981: The Hastings Council took over management. The roof, gutters, and windows were repaired or replaced.
• 1996: The ticket office at the entrance was removed and stored under the stage.

Why It's a Heritage Site

The Laurieton School of Arts is a very important historical building in New South Wales. It was built in 1911 and is made entirely of timber. It's rare to find a School of Arts building that is so well-preserved and still has its original layout, including a supper room, kitchen, billiard room, library, and reading room.

It shows how important Schools of Arts were in New South Wales in the early 1900s. Its timber construction and details show how buildings were made before World War I. It also has strong connections to the cultural life of Laurieton in the first half of the 20th century.

The building was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999, because it meets several important criteria:

• It shows how cultural history developed: It represents the best example of a School of Arts in New South Wales. It shows how important these places were in the early 20th century. Its timber interiors also show the style and customs of that time.
• It has links to important people or groups: The building has a memorable local connection to the famous American entertainer Bob Hope. It also has historical links to many of Laurieton's early families.
• It is beautiful and well-designed: The Laurieton School of Arts is a well-designed building in the Federation style. It shows the high quality of timber building design and construction from the early 1900s. Its original timber interiors are rare and beautiful. It's also a landmark building, standing out on a main corner of the town.
• It is important to the community: The building played a huge role in the social and educational life of Laurieton from 1911 until the 1950s. It was the town's library and cinema for many years. It was also used for many community activities until the early 1960s and is still used a lot today. The people of Laurieton value it highly as a reminder of their past.
• It can teach us about history: The building provides valuable information about how timber buildings were constructed at the beginning of the 20th century.
• It is rare: The Laurieton School of Arts is a rare and sophisticated example of its kind in New South Wales. Its intact timber-lined interiors are a rare example of this traditional style.
• It shows typical characteristics of its type: The building's high quality timber details show the common skills in timber towns on the North Coast of New South Wales. It is a good example of the Federation style.

See also

• Laurieton, New South Wales