IT is a sad sight for many as the iconic Forster School of Arts Hall is gradually demolished. Before the roof came down photographer Carl Muxlow took one last look inside.
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See below a story that appeared in the Great Lakes Advocate on March 26 explaining the process:
GREAT Lakes Council has commenced the demolition of the Forster School of Arts Hall, bringing to a conclusion seven years of assessment and planning for its removal.
“Many people have fond memories of events they have attended in the past at the hall, but the building was structurally unsound and not repairable,” council’s manager of Community Services, Mr Andrew Braybrook said.
Council has created a photographic collection of photos of the hall for historical record and is also storing some parts of the building for possible integration into the new development for the site.
The great majority of the materials from the building demolition are to be separated and recycled.
The condition of the hall has deteriorated over time, with council’s budget unable to cover the high costs of restoration.
In 2007, after consideration of independent structural engineering reports, council imposed strict limits on its use, stopping parties, dances and discos and prohibiting use by more than 30 people at a time, while some areas such as the stage were completely out of bounds for safety reasons.
During the six years since those engineering reports were commissioned, the condition of the building has continued to deteriorate, with very little public use.
Council held a number of well attended public meetings during 2007 and 2008 seeking public input to the further development of the overall site that includes the surrounding buildings. It is planned to relocate the library to this location.
In August 2013, council resolved that the demolition of the hall was in the public interest to progress for the redevelopment of the site for wider community use in the proposed civic precinct, as funds become available.
In the meantime, the site will become parkland with public seating for community use close to the Little Street foreshore.
“The site itself will remain in community use, and in that way will honour the memories and the past history of the site,” Mr Braybrook said.
