Community & Business
27 May, 2025
Greenmount Returned Soldiers’ Memorial Hall’s rich history
The relocation in 1985 of the Greenmount cenotaph from its original location to a dedicated park area alongside the Memorial Hall in Ramsay Street has proven to be a master stroke as it has created the perfect environment for Anzac services and is a focal point of the town next to Blossom Café & Post.
Prior to this relocation the cenotaph was alongside the railway station in Pilton Street and the move has proven to be a logical one.
The Soldiers’ Memorial Hall was built before World War One and was established as a School of the Arts Hall on land donated by Malcolm Brodie.
Originally the hall had two rooms with one being used as a library and the other a dance hall.
The Greenmount Dramatic Society used the hall to stage concerts and plays for local audiences on a regular basis.
In 1911, a shelter with just a roof and a dirt floor was added, where water could be boiled on open fires for the suppers that were an important part of any social event held at the hall.
The hall did not have its own piano for dances until 1910 and had to load one from the Railway Hotel (now the Get Chopped Pub) onto a horse-drawn cart and return it the next day.
However despite these difficult operating issues the hall was the centre of social life for the town.
After World War I the desire to honour the many local men who had served in the war resulted in the hall being renamed to Greenmount Returned Soldiers’ Memorial Hall.
The new committee was headed by Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Currie who was Head Teacher of the Greenmount School.
Improvements to the hall followed with money raised by ladies of the Greenmount district being used to pay for lining and a ceiling for the hall in 1930.
Electricity connection and a pressed metal ceiling were further improvements around this time.
The hall became the meeting place for a number of groups such as QCWA, Queensland Dairymen’s Association, political parties, indoor bowlers, school concerts and a variety of other functions.
Even more use was made of the hall during World War II when a Comfort Fund group packed food and clothing parcels for soldiers.
The Catholic Church also used the hall to hold services until its new church was built.
Vince Bermingham raised money for St. Vincent’s Hospital in Toowoomba by holding a annual ball in the hall.
The advent of radio and then television in the 1950s changed the way people sought their entertainment and like all community halls the use of the Greenmount hall began to change.
In recent times computers and the internet have further changed the lifestyle of people and modern transport and mobile phones allow people to move more easily from rural areas to bigger centres such as Toowoomba and Brisbane.
Through all these changes the Greenmount Hall has continued to remain relevant for the local community.
Last year a Seniors Morning Tea was held and proved to be a big success promoting social interaction while attendees enjoyed tea and scones.
Anzac Day and Christmas Markets are other important functions when the use of the hall is vital.
During the recent Federal election the hall was used as a polling station showing once again the need for a building that can adapt to a variety of uses.
The Greenmount Returned Soldiers’ Memorial Hall is a substantial building occupying a very picturesque part of the town and is an historical link to the days when the village of Greenmount had a busy retail centre.
Before it was destroyed by fire in the 1950s, Brodie’s General Store sold everything from food to clothing and household items.
The town also boasted a butcher, a bakery, saddlery, small shop and fuel outlet, a bank, milk factory, hotel and Post Office.
Most of these retail outlets closed during the 60s and 70s leaving only the hotel, Post Office and the Memorial Hall.
The hall fulfils a variety of functions for the local community and is an important link with the town’s past.
Fortunately the hall has a hard working committee, led by Niah Stenzel, that will ensure the hall continues for many years to come.
Fundraising through government grants and hall bookings remains important for maintaining the hall and the next big fundraising event is a Seniors’ Morning Tea on 7th June.
The Clifton Courier thanks retired hall committee member Mick Morgan and the Clifton & District Historical Society for their cooperation in the writing of this article.
