The people of Yarramalong Valley gathered at Wyong Creek Hall recently to farewell Paul and Di Salmon and thank them for years of hard work and dedication to the community and the hall.
Even though they’re leaving the valley, they’re not going far – to Wyong – and Paul has again accepted the role of hall president for yet another year.
Booking Officer for the hall, Brenda Moore, said the committee was delighted to have him around for another year.
“Both Paul and Di have done so much for our community, they will be sorely missed from our valley but we all wish them well in the next phase of their lives,” she said.
Di joined the committee as secretary in 2000, later becoming booking officer until 2022, and Paul joined the committee in 2005, becoming president soon after.
Paul has a special connection to the 109-year-old Wyong Creek Hall on Yarramalong Rd as his grandfather, Frederick, donated the land to the community to build the hall.
In the early 1900s Frederick and his two brothers, William and Frank, together with Edward Kennedy and Saul Greentree, set about establishing the hall, which was completed in August 1914.
The official name, Wyong Creek Literary Institute (now with Incorporated tacked on), is due in no small part to Paul’s grandmother and Frederick’s wife Ella Salmon being an avid reader, wordsmith and Sydney newspaper article contributor.
Volunteers constructed the original building mainly from timber cut in the valley and it has stood the test of time with only the original timber stumps having to be replaced by concrete piers in the early 1970s.
It was then that the hall committee decided to upgrade the hall and to replace the drop toilets by building a new extension for amenities with running water for toilets and basins.
As before, most of the building work was done by community volunteers and financed by fundraising events in the hall organised by the local women.
Over the years it has been the venue for local dances, weddings, card nights, birthdays, plays, concerts, wakes and school presentation nights.
There have been further renovations both inside and out throughout the years in order to attract more functions, art shows and stage shows in and around the hall to produce a steady income to maintain the heritage-listed hall and cover souring insurance costs.
One of those is the now well-known annual Scarecrows competition which was initiated and organised for many years by Paul and Di Salmon.
It’s a quirky competition with a host of fabulous, funny and creative scarecrow characters lining the streets and visitors come from far and wide to see these crazy creations scattered throughout Yarramalong Valley.
Brenda Moore said all these events took time and effort to pull off and she was proud of the small handful of people who made them happen.
“How lovely it would be to have some more locals join us in maintaining and caring for this historic hall,” she said.
At all times since its origin, the hall has been wholly owned by the community and managed and maintained by its current, community elected, voluntary committee.
During centenary celebrations for Wyong Creek Hall in 2014 a time capsule was placed in the grounds which is hoped to be recovered in 2114.
Sue Murray