TURUA TOWN HALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4996, 5 July 1926, Page 1

TURUA TOWN HALL.

CONSTRUCTION COMMENCED. DESIGN OF BUILDING. Work on the construction of the Turua Town Hall was commenced on Monday la t st, when the contractor, Mr E. A. Chester, of Netherton, had a small gang engaged laying the concrete. foundations. When all the materials have arrived progress will be rapid, as the contra,ct stipulates, that the building must be completed in ten weeks from the date of signing up, which was June 11.

The investment is controlled by a public company, of which practically every resident of the Turua district is a member, and the total cost will exceed £2OOO. The site chosen is a central one, being the previous location of Mr C. Bedford’s garage, at the comer of the Turua-Netherton road and the street leading ,to« the Anglican Church.

The building will have a frontfige of 50ft to the majin road and over 100 ft to the side street. The body of the hall will be 60ft long and 40ft wide, and seating .accommodation will be provided for over 400 people. Care was taken when designing the building to provide a good dance floor, as it was anticipated that all the big baJls organised by Hauraki Plains bodies will be held in Turua on account of the comparative smallness of the other halls and the lack of facilities at many. A supper-room has not been provided, but the stage is to be 40ft by 20ft, and may be used as a supper-room, as well as being large enough for the presentation of theatrical entertainments. Behind the stage there will be two dressing rooms, ea;ch lift by 10ft, .and a kitchen 17ft by 10ft fitted with all the arrangements for preparing supper. Beneath the stage there will be a space for the storing of seats during dances.

Two cloak-rooms, each lS%ft by 1234 ft, will be situated at the sides of the main entrance porch, which will be 934 ft by Bft and will be reached by two steps ‘from the footpath. A small shop, having a 10ft frontage, will be situated at the northern cornea’ of the buiding, and there will be a slide opening into the body of the hall to permit of the sale of refreshments to patrons, who do not desire to go outside.

The motion picture operating box will be above the lobby, and the ticket box in the gentlemen’s cloakroom.

The exterior walls will be of corrugated iron with the exception of the front wall, and the whole building will be lined either with tongue and grooved or patent wall boards. Most of the interior walls will have a dado of tongue and grooved boards. Ample lighting, ventilation, and emergency exits will be provided.

The builidng was designed by Mr AE. Aberhart, of Turua, and the were slightly amended by Mr A. W. Larsen, of Auckland, the builder of the Kerepeehi Hotel.