Creswick Town Hall to be refurbished, Clunes Town Hall reopened after works

Roof plumbing, electrical work, painting and fixing of some structural cracking will help restore the National Trust classified building, that was also used as a cinema before 1970, to its former glory.

The town hall's distinctive tower and clock have been witness to the changing face of Creswick over the decades.

Hepburn shire mayor Lesley Hewitt said the historic building was a central and much-loved part of the township of Creswick.

"The town hall is an active part of the community and is used widely by community groups and the public," Cr Hewitt said.

"The restoration of the Creswick Town Hall is important to the residents of the township and beyond. It's an iconic community asset that warrants this investment and restoration."

Hepburn Council will contribute a further $148,000 to the project, with construction due to start in May 2022.

The announcement of $500,000 for Creswick Town Hall came as regional development minister Mary-Anne Thomas officially opened the newly refurbished Clunes Town Hall which was given a face-lift with a $317,000 grant from the state government.

"These priority town hall projects form part of an investment plan for the future of the region, creating more jobs and revitalising community assets - we are proud to support Hepburn Shire to help make these projects a reality," said Regional Development minister Mary-Anne Thomas.

Clunes Town Hall recently reopened to the public and hosts a range of community events including the annual Booktown festival as well as community dinners, concerts, exhibitions and school socials.

In May it hosted author talks as part of the scaled-back Clunes Booktown Turn the Page festival.

"Places like Clunes and Creswick Town Hall sit at the heart of our regional communities and I'm so pleased we are able to help restore these grand buildings to their former glory," said Western Victoria MP Jaala Pulford.

IN OTHER NEWS

Works carried out on the Clunes Town Hall include brick and masonry repairs to the exterior and interior as well as carpentry and joinery works.

Throughout the renovations the buildings facade was shrouded in scaffolding and fabric which was recently removed.

The town hall upgrades were funded as part of the Regional Infrastructure Fund. Applications for the second round of the 2020/21 program are now open.

Our team of local journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the Ballarat community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: