City of Melville Council has proudly unveiled its new state-of-the-art multi-use facility, Kardinya Lesser Hall, which it set to become the long-term home of the Melville Branch of the Woodturners Association of Western Australia (WAWA).
The Council collaborated with the Melville Woodturners on the refurbished facility, which can accommodate up to 150 people at one time and is a space for community members to utilise for art, culture, and collaboration.
The facility opened with a celebration event last week, with Noongar Elder Neville Collard providing a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country, and the Melville Branch of the Woodturners Association of WA providing woodturning demonstrations.
Council says the expanded space is accessible and multi-use, with a dedicated woodturning workshop, kitchenette, and sustainability features such as a solar water heater, water-saving taps, and electricity-saving lights.
The Council’s $1.1 million investment into the facility forms part of the City’s Creative Melville Cultural plan and adds a unique dimension to the City’s growing range of arts facilities, said Mayor, George Gear.
“The Woodturners Association of WA is a fantastic not-for-profit organisation and their Melville chapter have been generously raising money and making donations to charities and other not-for-profits for a long time, so it’s great to support their work with a customised facility,” said Mayor Gear.
“Not only will this facility provide a space for the woodturners to create and demonstrate their work, but it will also provide a space for other members of the community to come together and learn from one another.
“This is the largest dedicated woodturning facility in WA, so we’re excited to see how the woodturners use the space.”
The Melville Woodturners designed and funded a stand-alone wood storage shed as part of the redevelopment and contributed funds towards brand new audio-visual equipment to support their learning programs, demonstration sessions and general outreach.
Convenor of the Melville Branch of the Woodturners Association of WA, Robyn McLean said the new facility had opened many more opportunities for the group to expand activities and grow their membership.
“Prior to the extension, we had reached maximum possible growth,” Ms McLean said.
“Meetings were crowded, and it was impossible to safely set up all our equipment for members to use.
“The new building enables us to again enter a further phase of expansion of membership and activities. We look forward to welcoming new members to join us to experience the satisfaction and joy of woodturning in a friendly, social environment.”
