Parkdale community centre9/18/2023 The cost of the centre was estimated at £65,000 with a possibility of an increase to £70,000 because of rising costs. His comments were reported in the local press. At a council meeting Cr Hawken explained the council’s controversial decision to put aside £1000 a year for five years rather than use £30,000 which the Loan Council had given permission to borrow. They quickly organised a public petition which urged the Mordialloc City Council to adhere to the original plan for financing the proposed community centre in Parkdale A public meeting was called. Some members of the community did not give up. “There are plenty of arguments that can be advanced against establishing a community centre but none are really good enough to squash it,” he declared. Cr Samuel responded, “Don’t kid the people along with this £1000 a year.” It was shortly after this exchange that Cr Samuel retired from council to take up residence on the south coast of Queensland, no doubt disappointed that he not been successful in advancing the community centre project. This money plus interest would be a substantial amount to get the project going, he claimed. Courtesy Leader Collection.Įarlier Cr Hawken successfully moved a motion that council should put aside £1000 each year for five years to give the centre committee some encouragement. Ĭr Hawken with Jack Pompei of Mordialloc, 1971. Cr Samuel a strong supporter of the concept of a community centre was angry with his colleagues and didn’t mince words at a council meeting where he suggested Cr Hawken wanted to use the loan money to finance extensions to the City Hall. Cr Sambell who was concerned about the interest burden that would have to be carried by the ratepayers if the loan went ahead supported him. Cr White saw the providing of sewerage to unsewered areas and the construction of unmade streets as a higher priority than a community centre. Cr Hawken, by this time mayor of the city, commented that the money was given for ‘permanent works and undertakings’ and indicated council had not reached any decision on the specific projects to be undertaken. A difficulty for the community centre planning committee was that not all councillors saw the loan money of £30,000 being spent on the community centre. This land in Heslop Street, at the rear of the shopping centre, was purchased over a nine or ten year period with no specific purpose in mind for its use. The council made application to the Loans Council for permission to borrow £50,000, and approval was given for £30,000, part of which was to finance the building of the centre on council land at Parkdale. The youth centre section of the facilities had a gymnasium squash courts, repair store and a reading room. The complex also included a larger toilet block, elderly citizens’ rooms with a television, a rehearsal area and a meeting room. It had a covered entry, ticket boxes, a stage, dressing rooms with a toilet and a storage area. The plans made provision for a large auditorium seating 350 people. Jack Ferguson a qualified architect from Mordialloc drew up plans for the new centre and had them submitted to council. As the idea of such a centre providing accommodation for a library, a youth centre and an elderly citizens club was enthusiastically welcomed by the ratepayers and residents attending the meeting, a committee was formed to push the proposal forward. In 1956 Cr Samuel, as Mayor of Mordialloc, called a public meeting at the Mentone City Hall to discuss whether a community centre should be established in the municipality. What should council’s priorities be? Where should they spend the money raised from rates and borrowings? How could they make it spread around? Roads and drainage were urgent requirements for many people living on the eastern side of Nepean Highway where excess water was a problem and unmade roads were quagmires in winter making it almost impossible to get out of their homes. But there were other services also needed. Many young families had moved into the district after the Second World War and wanted kindergartens, youth centres and libraries, while the older citizens sought a club where they could meet their friends. Throughout the municipality of Mordialloc in the 50s and 60s there was a growing demand for facilities that were available and seen as being ‘normal’ in other council districts.
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