Wilyabrup Hall set to return to community

The hall was vested to the city for community purposes, but in 2014 the city found the building was in a poor condition requiring a substantial amount of money to repair it.

The council decided that management of the hall should go back to the community who were already managing it at the time, so long as the group became an incorporated association, which they did.

The Wilyabrup Hall has a long history in the community, it was first built around 1928 and was first used as a teacher’s quarters for the school, which burnt down around 1954.

Since the school no longer existed, students were sent to Cowaramup Primary School, and the parents committee reformed to become the Wilyabrup Progress Association.

The WPA president Mark Jolliffe said settlers and farmers in the area formed a subcommittee to start a building fund, holding fundraisers throughout the region to develop the hall into what it is today.

“It is quite funny reading through some of the notes, the first fundraiser was a dance which was held at the Yallingup Hall,” he said.

“They set an entrance fee and applied for a licence to hold a raffle, first prize for the raffle was nine loaves of bread.

“The hall has been a central part to the community and the progress association has held many dances and events here.”

This year the community will hold its 95^th Christmas tree event at the hall, which Mr Jolliffe said had run every year since it begun except for one year during the war.

“It started long before that on another property, and when the school burnt down some Christmas tree gatherings were held at the Metricup Hall.

“It came back here once they extended the hall.

“It is pretty amazing, even when we have run this unofficially people come from out of the wood works and there would be around 40 children running around.”

Council vote on Wednesday if they will approve vesting the Wilyabrup Hall back to the WPA, which will be subject to the Lands Minister’s approval.