In 1912 the Newmarket end of the Town of Windsor was booming.
The Newmarket Saleyards were very busy; the tram lines had been extended; the brickworks were productive and funds were being raised for the Wilston School of Arts Hall.
It seems that sometime in 1913 that this local progress association was formed and the first project was to build a meeting hall on land at the corner of Wilston Road and Daisy Street. Around 24 locals turned up to construct the hall.
Already there had been a West Ward (Newmarket) Progress Association.
The new hall proved a hit and was soon deemed to be too small and on Saturday, 10 June 1922 another huge working bee started construction of the new hall. By the evening, work was so advanced that it allowed an impromptu dance to be held. During the day there were 70 volunteers helping. By 7.30 pm the walls had been erected, the floor constructed and the roof fixed.
The new hall was 60 feet by 30 feet and the finishing touches were added on the following Saturday. It was decided that the official opening would be held at a later date.
The official opening was performed on 4 November 1922 by the Mayor of Windsor, Alderman W. A. Jolly. A fete which was open in the afternoon continued into the night. At night a dance was held in the hall and the stalls remained open. During the day the Brisbane Citizens’ Band played for the entertainment of the large crowd. Even with the volunteer labour the hall still cost £3,000.
Since it was built, a library had been installed in the building.
The hall, now known as the Grange Progress Hall is still in service and thirty years ago, the Windsor and Districts’ Historical Society had initial rooms there before moving to the Windsor Council Chambers.
Researched by David Teague. Newspaper information from The Daily Mail and The Telegraph.