A sword rusts in its scabbard, and buildings are much the same. Left unused, they slowly lose their purpose. But tucked away in the hills behind Toora stands a little hall that has spent more than a century refusing to surrender to time.
The Wonyip Excelsior Hall was first erected in 1902 by local residents and leased to the Education Department for use as Wonyip State School No. 3410. From the beginning, it was far more than a schoolhouse. It quickly became the social heart of the district, serving as a place where education, entertainment and community life all came together under one roof.
By early 1908, the hall was also home to a thriving free library after honorary hall secretary George Nichols applied for a share of the Victorian Government's grants for free libraries and country museums.
In what can only be described as a space in which you could barely swing a cat, the building's second ante-room provided accommodation for the local schoolteacher, while the main hall served as a classroom during the week before transforming into a venue for concerts, dances, church services and performances by travelling entertainers. It was, quite simply, the beating heart of the district.
The hall has survived more than its fair share of adversity. It was destroyed in a bushfire in 1906, rebuilt by determined locals, then blown down in a storm in 1923 before being re-erected once again. Although the school eventually closed because of declining enrolments, the building endured. In more recent decades it has hosted private functions, committee meetings, Landcare gatherings and the occasional New Year's celebration.
Today, however, its future rests in the hands of a small band of dedicated volunteers who continue to maintain the historic building through semi-regular working bees. Despite their efforts, the hall sees only limited use, with the occasional Landcare or Parks Victoria meeting among the few events on its calendar.
It's a fate that seems at odds with the hall's spectacular setting. Perched in the hills behind Toora, it enjoys magnificent surroundings and has even hosted a music festival in years gone by. Now, one former student hopes to change that.
John Costa, who attended Wonyip State School in the early 1970s, is inviting locals to rediscover the hall by launching what he hopes will become a regular monthly social gathering.
"Starting Saturday, August 1, we will be having monthly Saturday social afternoons at the famous Wonyip Hall starting at 1pm," Mr Costa said.
"Bring a thermos and a little lunch and a good attitude. There's plenty to chat about, meet some new people and have some fun. Bring the children for a ramble in the hills," he added.
The idea is simple: bring people together, share stories, enjoy the surroundings and breathe a little life back into one of South Gippsland's oldest surviving community halls. David Barrett
